Appearances Can Be Deceiving

I have been thinking on how deceiving appearances can be.. This is why we must be very careful not to make rash judgments. Often times we may find ourselves thinking one way of a person only to find out later how very wrong we had been in our judgment. I know I have been guilty of wrongly judging others- both ways. I have made the assumption that one was a sincere and dedicated Christian only to find out down the road that I had been very wrong, due to that one turning from the faith. I have also made a false judgment of one due to a misunderstanding, that this person couldn’t be a genuine believer, only to be (seemingly) proven wrong- again. Even though we cannot judge another’s heart, we can judge the fruit that we see. God alone knows the hearts of men, and He alone will judge those hearts aright, “It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God” (1 Corinthians 4:4-5).

One can appear to be living a faithful and dedicated Christian life, when that one’s heart may in actuality be far from God. How can this be? It doesn't matter how diligent we may be as far as church attendance and so on- if our thought life is contrary to scripture's teaching, we are living in rebellion. Those 'off track' thoughts will eventually reveal themselves through actions that are 'off track'. Luke 6:45 reads, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Considering the fact that God alone is good, the only good we can do is the good that He produces in and through us. This does not refer to simply moral acts of ‘goodness’, but rather actions that come through the motivation to please God and glorify Him through obedience to His word.

If a person has not been truly born again of the Spirit, this will become apparent through various things within one’s life. It will become apparent in the kind of music one listens to, the kind of programs one watches and the kind of books one reads,(plus negligence in reading the most important book, the Bible). It will also show itself in the kind of company one desires to keep. If these things lead that one away from following our Lord’s commands, this would be a good indication that person is rebelling against those commands within his/her heart. One doesn’t totally rebel all at once; to begin with a person will start to slowly turn from doing what they know is right to things that may appear harmless at the time. However, the farther one strays- the harder that heart will become to the things of the Lord- until it may become so hardened a person turns completely away from following Him. We must be mindful of the following verse, “The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:2b). How can we reconcile this verse with the following, where the writer says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5) I believe both verses to be true. It is true that the LORD will never forsake those who belong to Him, but if someone is deceiving themselves and others with a false profession and this deception becomes apparent when that person turns his/her back on one’s faith, that is a good indication that they did not possess a saving faith to begin with, and they are in need of repentance and a true turning to the Lord, for in James 4:8 we read, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

God is faithful and will do all He says. We are 100% responsible for our actions and must turn to Him in obedience if we would desire to have Him always near us. Deuteronomy 4:29 reads,“seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 1 Chronicles 16:11 admonishes us to, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually”! If we are not truly seeking God through the study of His word and prayer, as well as striving to live in obedience to His word, we are deceiving ourselves if we think we are genuine in the faith, but God is not deceived. He alone knows the truth of the matter, “For I know their works and their thoughts...” (Isaiah 66:18). He will truly judge the hearts of all men, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:11-13).

Not Merely Hearers- But Doers of the Word

I have been thinking on the following comment made by a well-known preacher in a recent sermon. He made the statement that “God preserves those who persevere.” I found that statement very helpful. It brings out the importance of understanding not only God’s sovereignty in our salvation, but our responsibility as well. While it is true that we have no part to play in attaining our salvation, it is also true that once we have experienced salvation (that comes from trusting in Christ’s righteousness alone), we are 100 % responsible for our actions. James 1:22-25 admonishes us with the following words, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be *blessed in his doing” (James 1:22-25). *meaning spiritually

Many people who believe themselves to be Christians are hearers of God’s word, but fail to be doers of it. Scripture clearly teaches that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness,’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

How can we know that we are truly doers of the Word, and not merely hearers? I believe the following statement best describes how we can know if we are truly saved by grace, "The Holy Spirit testifies to us as we see increasingly His work of transforming us into the image of Christ." Our Lord’s words as found in John 14:16-17 read as follows, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you, (John 14:16-17). If the Holy Spirit truly dwells within us, we will know it. Romans 8:16-17 reads, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Children of God are also marked by suffering, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Timothy 3:12). This kind of suffering (or persecution) is a means God uses to transform us into the image of Christ. In 1 Peter 2:20-21 we read, “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” Even though we may not suffer physically for the cause of Christ, we will no doubt suffer emotional and perhaps even spiritual abuse as we strive to live in obedience to God’s commands.

Even though we can expect suffering if we are in the faith, it will still be our desire and delight to live in obedience to our Lord’s commands, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Jesus’ words in John 15:19 read as follows, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:9-10).

Obedience in our walk of faith is essential. James says, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead....For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:14-17, 26). So, let us truly be doers of the word and not hearers only, “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified” (Romans 2:13).

Prosperity now or Comfort for Eternity

I have been thinking on the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores” (Luke 16:20-21). If one were to stop reading here they would likely think that the rich man was far better off than Lazarus. What we need to realize in such circumstances is that the one who is poor, or sickly or struggling in some way may be far better off than the one who (from an outward appearance) is living his/her best life now.

If we are professing Christians, we need to understand that all of life’s trials are for the purpose of our sanctification. The hope that we have in this life is an eternal one, not one for prosperity and ease in the here and now. In Hebrews 3: 3-5 we are admonished to “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.” In our struggles against sin, we must understand that all the troubles and trials we undergo- no matter how big or small, are for the purpose of making us more and more like Christ. Our Heavenly Father is disciplining us. Too many times we think of discipline as punishment. Since the time of public education, the word discipline became associated with punishment. Discipline is not punishment. The definition of discipline according to the 1604 edition of the Robert Cawdrey dictionary meant simply “instruction or training up” and the definition of disciple was “scholar.”Just as Jesus instructed his disciples, disciplining them through his word, (never punishing them), so too are we disciplined through our Lord’s instructions, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, ” (Hebrews 12:6 (a)). “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).

If we are truly born again, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16-17).

Reading on in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus we discover the truth of who was really better off in the end, “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish” (verses 22-25). We should never wish for our best life now, we just might get it.

Thankfully, if we are in Christ, we need not fear eternal punishment,“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

If we suffer in this lifetime, we should not be surprised nor discouraged, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). Praise God for our “hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (Titus 1:2).

Tranforming our Minds- In the Light of Scripture

We can be quite the creatures of habit, can't we? How many of us, after moving a piece of furniture that has been in the same location for some time, find ourselves going to the former location of that furnishing expecting to find it there? We do this out of habit for awhile until we get used to going to its new spot. I don't know how many times my family went to the original location of the garbage can (after I moved it) until we finally had ourselves trained to take a different path in order to get to where we needed in order to put the garbage in the can.

This little scenario made me think on how important it is that we steer clear of paths we used to follow before we were converted and train ourselves (through the renewing of our minds) to follow the right path, the one that leads to righteousness, (Romans 12:2 reads, “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”. If God first does a work of grace within our hearts making us a new creation, we still may go to those same old places we once went to out of habit, places we should not be finding ourselves as Christians, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:8-10).

Even though, as those who have been born again, God does (by His Spirit) put the desire in our hearts to produce good fruit such as “...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..” (Galatians 5:22-23), we must understand that we still live with a nature to sin- so there is a struggle that goes on within us when faced with temptation, (see Romans 7:14-20). We must exercise our responsibility to be obedient to God's word, which tells us the importance of thinking on things that are good and pure.. etc. ”Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”(Philippians 4:8).

We train ourselves to think this way through the study of God's word so it will be easier for us to be obedient to scripture's teaching when it tells us to; “Set your minds on things above, not on the things that are on earth...put to death what is earthly in you; sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness which is idolatry....In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander and obsene talk... Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:1-10).

When we fail to draw near to God, our love for Him will grow cold and the temptations to sin will be harder to overcome. Any time we give in to the temptation to sin, we are showing our love for that sin to be stronger than our love for God, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:14). We are given the ability (through God's Holy Spirit) to do right, but if we are not filling our minds with His word, [“I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11),] drawing near to God, [“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 4:7-8)], and seeking the help of His Spirit to guide us into right living, we will often find ourselves off that right path. We also must understand our responsibility to exercise our wills to obedience. John 3:36 reads, 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.” In Proverbs 4:26-27 we are admonished to, “Ponder the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure, Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”

If we put garbage into a garbage can, it just makes sense that if we dump that can out, we will see only garbage. It is the same with our minds. We must expect that the kind of fruit we produce in our lives will be a reflection of what we put into our minds. If we put the kinds of things into our minds that would produce unfruitful works of darkness in our lives- those things that are opposed to godly living, then we cannot expect to produce good fruit that leads to righteousness. Our thoughts, words, and actions are a reflection of what we put into our minds. That is why it is so important that we fill our minds with God's word. In Hosea 4:1 scripture reads, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” We cannot be as discerning as we need to be about the kinds of books, movies, and music we expose ourselves to if we are not filling our minds with God’s word first and foremost. The Bible is very clear in its teaching that if we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:6). “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

That pathway we are led along (by the Spirit) is the path of sanctification, which grows continually brighter as we grow in our knowledge and a right understanding of God's word until we reach a full understanding of it- which won't be until we are fully sanctified in heaven. We can liken this to the sun as it slowly begins to rise, gradually illuminating the dark of the night before until it is fully risen and totally dispells all darkness, “the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day” (Proverbs 4:18).

Another Type of Abuse

Usually when we think of the term abuse, we think of physical or sexual abuse, and as horrible and harmful as those types of abuse are, we need to be aware that there is another type of abuse that is crippling our families, as well as our churches, and many people are not even aware of it. Only those who have felt the brunt of its damaging effects can attest to how distressing and oppressive this kind of abuse can be. I am referring to spiritual abuse- which I had not even heard tell of until the last couple of years. 

 

“Spiritual abuse occurs when someone in a position of spiritual authority– (the purpose of which is to ‘come underneath’ and serve, build, equip and make God’s people more free) –misuses that authority by placing themselves over God’s people to control, coerce or manipulate them for seemingly godly purposes which are really their own.”

“The perpetrators of spiritual abuse are rarely”..the sort.. “of characters who announce that they are going to drain your spiritual energy. They may be people who seem like they are seeking to guide you to the deepest levels of spiritual maturity.”

 

“In reality, such leaders want to control the people underneath them, and the easiest way to do this is to point out their sins (or supposed sins) and show how worthless and hopeless they are. This keeps people dependent on the intercession and teaching of the leader. Healthy leaders, on the other hand, recognize the role of grace in salvation and understand that all believers are sinners in need of mercy, patience, and understanding. We all wear checkered garments on the way to glory”.

“Spiritually abusive groups use church discipline passages as an excuse to punish current members or to shun ex-members. They use church discipline to keep people in line, to quell disagreement (which they call “rebellion”), and as a threat against critical thinking (which they call “pride”)..... In contrast, healthy leaders use church discipline only in serious matters of major unrepentant sin, (matters where the blatant breaking of the ten commandments is visible). And they understand that the goal of such corrective measures is restoration, not punishment.”

“Jesus recognized the burden that was being placed on sincere believers in His time, who just wanted to do what was right; “....he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). “Not having a shepherd didn't mean that the people lacked for those who told them what to do”, he continues. “There were plenty of Pharisees willing to do that. It meant they had no one to lead them to spiritual green pastures.....A shepherd leads his sheep to a safe place where food is plentiful and where they can find rest. Around the world, hurting churches struggle to earn the favor and approval of a modern-day Pharisee, all the while thinking they are earning the favor of God”.

“Biblical evidence: While the term “spiritual abuse” does not occur in the Bible (nor does the word “Trinity,” for that matter), the concept is clearly alluded to. Primary biblical citations which discuss spiritual abuse include Ezekiel 34:1-10; Matthew 20:25; 23:1-33; Luke 22:24-27; and 1 Peter 5:3. Each of these passages involves God condemning leaders who mistreat the people under their care in order to promote their own welfare or ideology.”

In his book, Exposing Spiritual Abuse, Mike Fehlauer points out that Jesus saw these dear people as harassed: “This word conveys the idea of some outside force pressing upon the people, causing them to feel weary, distressed and downcast. This outside force was the religious system that placed its emphasis on outward appearances. It was a system that promised peace based on one's ability to follow the prescribed rules and regulations. If one failed, there was judgment”.

The information listed here is taken from 2 different sites: 1.) entitled; Ten Symptoms of Spiritual Abuse, and 2.) Beware of Spiritual Abuse.

We need to remember it is our love for one another that shows the world we are Christians, (John 13:34-35). If the leader of our church is making us feel that there is a reason we should not be showing love to any one person or group of people, (inside or outside of the church we attend,) we should start questioning if we might not be sitting under a spiritually abusive leader, (1 John 4:20-21). As tragic as it is when even one person suffers from the destructive influence of any kind of abuse, we need to understand that an abusive religious leader will have a destructive influence over so many more people of varying ages, all at once, both emotionally and spiritually. 

 

I know of one situation where the church leaders manipulated a member into leaving and removed this person's membership. Then a couple of years later, the new leadership claimed they had the God-given right -because they had been given the 'keys of the kingdom' (clearly taking scripture out of context) -to reinstate this person's membership (without their consent), to that church again, for the purpose of discipline, (by banning this person from the “table”). They called a church meeting- where this person was then openly slandered, evily spoken of (1 Peter 2:1), and charged with, (what to them was the ultimate sin-of) not submitting to their authority, (Galatians 2:4-6). The term they used for this was contumacy. The people attending the meeting were then informed of the leaders' decision to excommunicate this person. They used Titus 3:9-10 for their reason, clearly taking it out of context, as this passage warns about men who were teaching heresy. (This person had nothing to do with teaching). The members were then cautioned against having anything to do with this person, (which is shunning), (James 2:8-9). 

 

You may think the above situation sounds rather bizarre, more like something you would expect from a cult, or see in a movie, but unfortunately, similar such happenings occur more often than you might think, and in many main line so called 'churches'. We truly need to have a right understanding of the teaching of scripture in regard to how we should be living as Christians in a fallen world where (we must realize) the leaders are fallible, (Psalm 146: 3-7) and even susceptible to such evil practices as distorting the Word of God, (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19) in order to suit their own purposes. We need to be discerning as to what we are being taught, and we need to understand the clear teaching of scripture in regard to those who are weak and oppressed, “Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:9). 

 Abusive religious leaders distort the image of a good and loving God, and only ones who are truly Christian would be able to survive their oppressive behavior. One who does not have a personal relationship with Christ could not stand up to such tyranny. That is what makes it so horrific. There are many poor and needy (in need of Christ) out there who are being driven from churches and away from any desire to know God. Can you imagine the damaging and destructive effect this kind of abuse could be to one who has already experienced abuse of another kind to begin with, (Ezekiel 34:4-5)? To turn a blind eye to such situations is not doing anyone any favors- rather, it allows the abuse to continue, giving leeway for many more people to be effected and hurt. The longer things like this go on- the more wide-spread and greater the consequences. 

 

It is time Christians started standing up for what is right and Biblical. If after having read this, you feel concern, and want to do something- Please share this post. People need to be aware of the crippling effects of abuse, and the necessity of exposing all types of it, for the sake of everyone involved; the victims, the abusers, and for the sake of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Two Truths to the Gospel Message

The following verses were deeply impressed upon my heart after my Bible reading the other morning, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). In reading and studying scripture, I find that much of which once confused me now actually seems to make sense. There are two truths to the gospel message. While it is true “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” it is also true that “... whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18).

There was a time when many preachers taught mainly on hell and punishment, using their sermons to scare people into obeying God's commands. In lieu of this many people did attempt to live in obedience (as much as they were able to), out of fear of God's wrath. These scare tactics had a very negative effect. However, today many preachers have gone to the other extreme in preaching God’s LOVE to the extent that people are being deceived into believing they will be accepted by God just the way they are (in their sin), which is a LIE and as damaging an effect as preaching to the opposite extreme. If God truly accepts people just the way they are, why would God have sent his Son into the world to suffer His wrath for the punishment of the sins (past, present and future) of His people?

While it is true that God loved us while we were yet enemies, it is also true that His purpose in saving some was to conform them to the image of his Son, not to leave them in their sin. “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:7-9); “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29).

Some seem to have the misguided notion that they can live in sin and still be accepted by God. This is not scripture’s teaching. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” (Romans 6:1-3)?

While it is true that God is sanctifying his people, it is also true that we must be working out our salvation with fear and trembling, “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13); “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” (Phil. 2:12), understanding “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). There are two truths we must keep in mind; God is 100% sovereign and man is 100% responsible.

There must be a balanced understanding of God’s message to his people, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). It is true that "God is love" (1 John 4:8), but it is also true that God is just. He will not allow sin to go unpunished. If one’s sins have not been punished in Christ through the cross, they will be punished in hell for all of eternity. To warn and encourage people to turn from their sin due to a coming judgment is to manifest God’s love to them, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God” (1 Peter 4:17)?

With God- There are No Messes beyond Repair

The following is a post I aired on Face Book back in February of last year. I liked it so much I decided to add to it and then post it here on my blog. If you would like to be encouraged that with God, there are no ‘messes that are beyond repair’, please keep reading:

I was reminded of a valuable lesson one day last week- after trying to teach our grandson an important lesson himself. Our 3 year old grandson had taken several of his wooden puzzles and dumped them all in the middle of the table. He then decided he didn't want to bother with them after that.. However, I decided I would try and teach him the importance of cleaning up his messes.(I'm sure the task seemed a little overwhelming to him at this point.) He decided I could clean up his mess for him. I decided I wasn't going to.. After trying the 'if I clean it all up, you won't be able to play with them again today tactic (and the failure of it)- I decided to encourage him to clean up his mess by helping him straighten it out. I then placed one of the puzzles in front of his chair on the table and sorted through the mess to find all the pieces that went with that particular puzzle. He then came over and started putting all the pieces in the right place. We continued in this way until he had put all the puzzle pieces back in their proper places. I was so pleased- to see everything all beautifully back in order- and so was he :)

As I helped our little guy straighten out his mess- it put me in mind of how we, as adults can make real messes of things ourselves. The messes we make in our lives can be quite overwhelming as well- to the point of thinking there is no way they can ever be straightened back out. Regardless of what our situation may be- or how hopeless it may seem- there is One who can straighten out our messes in order to put things back the way they should be. That isn't to say our messes will be straightened out as quickly or easily as straightening out a little one's puzzle pieces, “but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). We do need to understand though, just as I did not put all the pieces back for our grandson- (I merely guided him along so he could do what needed to be done)- God will not do everything for us. We are responsible to be obedient to scripture's teaching in straightening out our own messes. He will lead and guide us in this- but we must be obedient to our Lord's instructions- as set forth in His word- if we are to experience good results.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer made the following statement; “we must take a definite step...we can take this step aright if we fix our eyes not on the work we do, but on the word with which Jesus calls us to do it.” The only way we can do this is through diligent study of God’s word and striving to live in obedience to that Word. However, we must “trust in the LORD with all our hearts, leaning not on our own understanding, but acknowledging him- so that He will make straight our paths, being not wise in our own eyes, but fearing the LORD, and turning away from evil.. “(paraphrase of Prov. 3:5-7). 
 

The best example in scripture of ones who got themselves into an insurmountable mess (which in this case is a huge understatement) would be Adam and Eve. It would be hard to imagine how they felt after rebelling against God’s command and plunging all of mankind into a state of sin and death. Knowing they had brought upon themselves, along with all of posterity, a debt so huge they could never come good for it, must have been overwhelming indeed. Yet,“.. as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

God promised He would bring order out of the mess Adam and Eve had made of things, He would do this by bringing about reconciliation through His Son, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:19-20). This is what God has been doing since the beginning of time and continues to do. He is reconciling all things to Himself. Every mess we get ourselves into, every trial and trouble we persevere through are all for the purpose of reconciliation between God and His people- through the process of sanctification. In Isaiah 59:20 we read, “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.

May we be comforted to know there are no messes beyond repair with our God, for with ‘the Sovereign LORD who made the heavens and the earth by His great power and outstretched arm’, “nothing is too hard” (Jeremiah 32:17). However, we must be responsible as Ezekiel 18:30 teaches us to, “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin,” and we also must “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).

Praise God that He alone is able “...to comfort all who mourn in Zion- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called the oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:2-3). He alone can bring beauty from ashes.