Knowledge to do Right- Without the Ability

It is quite a paradox Paul speaks of in Romans 7:15-20, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” This passage could prove very confusing. Why is it we do not do what we want to do, but keep on doing what we hate to do?

As followers of Christ, our desire is to please God through our every action. However, even though sin no longer reigns in our lives, it does still remain and so we are tempted to give in to our sinful desires over and over. How must we handle this paradox of knowing that we must do right, but do not have the ability to do so? While it is true, we cannot do right in and of ourselves, it is also true that we can do right- through the work of the Spirit in our lives. Through His power we are enabled to do good. It is when we fail to be looking to Christ and striving by His enabling grace to overcome sin’s temptation, that we often give in to frustration and discouragement. This is why it is so important that we be in prayer for ourselves and for one another- for God’s enabling grace.

Paul writes in Colossians 1:6-14, “since ……...you heard.. and understood the grace of God in truth……. we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

I think it is important to understand that every time we give in to the sinful desires of our hearts, we are showing our love for that sin to be stronger than our love for our Heavenly Father who is able and willing to deliver us from that sin. The key to overcoming is found in Romans 8:5, ‘ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” We must be setting our minds on the things of the Spirit. We all start out on the Christian journey as babes in Christ, with our minds set on the flesh more than on the Spirit, but as we grow and mature in the faith and knowledge of God, we learn to set our minds more and more on the Spirit, for as we grow in the faith, our desire to set our minds on the Spirit increases.

In Romans 8:12-17, Paul writes, “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 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.”

The passage of 2 Peter 1 :3-11 is a great aid in setting our minds on the Spirit, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

As those who have been set free from sin’s power, we must be doing the good that we want to do and refraining from the evil that we do not want to do, understanding that this is only possible as we walk in step with God’s Holy Spirit, making every effort to live holy lives, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29). It is a paradox, giving evidence to the truth of the balanced understanding of man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty. God is 100% sovereign, “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10), “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63), and man is 100 % responsible to obey God’s commands, “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).

Worship and Sin - Cannot Live in the Same Heart

Prodigals and Those who Love Them is such a good book. In fact, it was so good I read it more than once. In this book, written by Ruth Bell Graham, she tells of a time that she awoke in the early hours of the morning to think of one she loved- who was “trying hard to run from God.” She said she lay there and prayed. Then she made the statement, “When it is dark and the imagination runs wild, there are fears only a mother can understand”. (I'm sure there are those of us who can heartily agree to that.) I was very impressed by her further writing in this chapter as she sensed God encouraging her to, “Quit studying the problems and start studying the promises.” So she turned on her light and got out her bible, and the first verses that came to her were Philippians 4:6-7, “do not to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let y(our) requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard y(our) hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (ESV).

After reading these verses, Mrs. Graham was struck with the following thought, “Suddenly I realized the missing ingredient in my prayers had been “with thanksgiving.” So I put down my Bible and spent time worshiping Him for who and what He is......I began to thank God for giving me this one I loved so dearly in the first place. I even thanked him for the difficult spots that taught me so much. And you know what happened? It was as if someone turned on the lights in my mind and heart, and the little fears and worries that had been nibbling away in the darkness like mice and cockroaches hurriedly scuttled for cover.” The following words she had to say made a great impression on me, “That was when I learned that worship and worry cannot live in the same heart: they are mutually exclusive.”

As I got thinking on this excerpt from Mrs. Graham's book, it impressed me with the fact that worship and worry are not the only things that cannot live in the same heart. Worship- and anger cannot live in the same heart; worship- and selfishness cannot live in the same heart; worship- and discontentment cannot live in the same heart.... etc. etc. Any kind of sinful tendency we may be tempted with- cannot live in the same heart as worship. As Christians, we need to understand the importance of being a worshipful people- from our hearts. We must “worship the Lord y(our) God and him only shall (we) serve” (Luke 4:8). When we give into our sinful tendencies- (which one pastor referred to as sowing to the flesh)- then we are serving self. On the other hand, when we exercise our will to obey God's word (which would be sowing to the Spirit)- then we are serving God. We cannot serve God and self at the same time. Any kind of sin- and worship cannot live in the same heart. This understanding really helps one to see how far we are from what we need to be, because we are faced with (what Jerry Bridges would refer to as) “Respectable Sins”- every day. Those sins we think nothing of- such as anger, discontentment, selfishness, pride.. etc. etc. tempt us- every day and sometimes several times a day- (depending on how well or how badly our day is going).

In order to be a worshipful people, we need to be glorifying God in all that we do. To do this, we must “put off y(our) old self, which belongs to y(our) former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to “be renewed in the spirit of y(our) minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). The way to renew our minds is to be in diligent study of God's word daily-seeking the help of the Spirit to “guide us into all truth”. When we do live in obedience (by God's grace) to scripture's teaching in this way- we also will be able to experience such sinful tendencies as: worry, anger, discontent, selfishness.. etc. scuttling for cover- “like mice and cockroaches”. As Christians, being filled with the Spirit of God's love, we really “do not (need) to be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let y(our) requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard y(our) hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (ESV); “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

Sanctification - Growing in Grace

According to Wikipedia, “Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity, of being made or becoming holy.... To sanctify is to literally "set apart for particular use in a special purpose or work and to make holy or sacred." I have been thinking about this whole sanctification process and how it works and shows itself evident through the lives of believers. In Galatians 1:15-16, Paul refers to himself as one whom God had ‘set apart,’ “..he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles”. We must understand, that while it is true that God is the One who sets us apart and sanctifies us, it is also true that we are responsible to make every effort to live holy lives. In 1 Peter 1:14-16 we are told,”As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

In 1 Peter 1:5-8 we are told to, “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I think we should make note of that phrase, ‘if these qualities are yours and increasing,’ for if we appear to have these qualities and yet they do not increase, but rather diminish over time to a point where they no longer exist, this displays evidence that we were not in Christ to begin with.

The joy of the sanctification process is that God works in us (as we walk with Him), throughout our lifetime conforming us to the image of Christ. Romans 8:29 reads, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son..” In Romans 6:19 Paul writes, “I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification” (Romans 6:19). Here we have two aspects of truth displayed in regard to the gospel message- God’s sovereignty in salvation and man’s responsibility to live a righteous life.

While it is true that Christ frees us from the bondage of sin completely in eternity, if we belong to Him, it is also true that He frees us from the bondage of sin daily, as we walk with Him. However, if at any time we do not look to Him and are striving in our own strength (or the flesh nature), it is not because Christ has not freed us from sin, but because we are following that old sinful nature. In 1 Peter 2:16 we are told to “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” In other words, “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Galatians 6:7-8 reads, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” I’m sure we have all heard the familiar quote, “Sow a thought, reap an action.” We need to remember 2 Corinthians 10:5 in this, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” bringing to mind the following verse when faced with the temptation to sin in our thought, word, or deed, “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). If we are thinking on these kinds of things, then we will reap these kinds of actions. If you sow thoughts that are commendable, then you will reap acts that are commendable. Likewise, if you sow evil thoughts, you will reap evil actions. Matthew 5:28 reads, “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” “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” (Luke 6:45). The only good any of us can do comes from Christ’s work within us, so if we are not in Christ, we can do no good, “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

If we are in Christ, we will be displaying the fruit of the Spirit within our lives, “The fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). While we will not exhibit all of these qualities within our lives 100% of the time, there must be evidence that we possess all of these qualities and are exhibiting a greater sense of them more and more, as we grow and mature in our faith and over time due to God’s work of sanctification within us. In other words, we will become more and more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled as God works within us throughout our lives in order to mold us more and more into the image of Christ. These qualities will become more abundantly clear in the lives of God’s people, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified,”(Hebrews 10:14).

If, as one who has read this, you are a professing Christian 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, seeking God diligently as you do so, for He has said, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me” (Proverbs 8:17), so we must,“Submit (y)ourselves 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 we are faithful in our obedience, He will be faithful to finish His work, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Let us be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13). To the praise of His glory, Amen.

Satan's Power over People

      I have been thinking on this whole idea of Satan having control over people and their circumstances. The reason for this is that some people seem to think Satan has far more power in this world than he actually has. I’m sure most of us, if not all, have heard the familiar quote by Flip Wilson from years ago, “The devil made me do it.” This kind of a response comes from a sinful heart that will, more often than not, put the blame for one’s wrong doing on someone else. We can see this trend starting from the beginning of time, right in the garden. When God confronted Adam after the fall, his response was, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). Then when Eve was confronted, her response was, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). 

 

     Mankind continues to this day to put the blame on others for his/her own sin. How many times do we find ourselves uttering something like this, “He (or she) makes me so mad”, or words such as this,“That child really tries my patience,” uttered through gritted teeth and due to an angry heart? We often blame others or sometimes, even as Eve did, we blame Satan for our disobedience. In crediting others for our sinful behavior, we are doing the same thing Adam and Eve did in the garden, trying to put the blame for our sin on someone else, when we should simply take responsibility for our own actions. If we truly believed God’s word, that there will be consequences to suffer for disobedience, perhaps we would take more consideration for our actions. Consequences for sin can be dire indeed. 

 

    In Genesis 3:14, God starts with Satan stating, “Because you have done this,“Cursed are you above all livestock...” and He goes on from there to tell him the consequences he will suffer for deceiving Eve. Then he turns to Eve, and tells her the consequences she will suffer for her disobedience, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). Then Adam is informed of the consequences he will suffer for his own disobedience, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).

    We must understand how responsible each of us is, for our every thought, word and deed. All of these things will come under subjection of God’s word, “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” (Hebrews 4:12). In Matthew 12:36-37 we are warned that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” When we fail to live in obedience to God’s word to us, we will suffer the consequences just as Adam and Eve did, and we will not be able to put the blame for our sin on any others or even Satan. In John 3:36 we are told, “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.” 

 

    Satan cannot receive full credit for all of men’s evil actions. He can and does tempt mankind to disobey God, just as he did Eve, but he does not have the power to make us sin. We are admonished in 1 Peter 5:8-9 to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” and we are told to “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” 

 

    Satan could not make Eve disobey God any more than he can make us disobey. It is our free will that chooses not to follow God and seek Him with all of our hearts, minds and souls. Satan had, and continues to have, only the power to deceive and to tempt. After Satan tempted Eve to doubt God’s word, she told him that God had said,“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Genesis 3:2-3). Satan’s response was, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). Eve did not have a sinful nature at that time to struggle with as we do, so she was free to choose whether or not to believe God and obey, or to question God’s word, disobey and so suffer the consequences. We must understand that sin has a ripple effect. Adam and Eve’s sin affected all of mankind and our sin will also affect more than just those God brings into our lives. It will not only affect our families and generations to follow, but it will also affect all those we come in contact with and work out from there. We must understand how imperative it is that we surrender our wills to the commands of God. God said to Cain after he was angry when God did not accept his offering, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:4-7). Sin begins within the heart, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19). 

 

    In Romans 7:19-20, Paul wrote,“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Paul does not credit Satan for his wrong doing. He knows it is the sinful desires within his own heart that he struggles with. So where does this leave us? We all have a sinful nature and our bent is toward evil. This shows us our need of a Savior and in Him alone can our hope be found. In Romans 8:13-15 Paul goes on to say, “if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 

 

    Psalm 111:10 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” We must seek to live in accordance to God’s will, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God” (1 Peter 15-17).

 

    Let us not give Satan more credit than he deserves. May we be obedient to scripture’s teaching and so experience the blessings that come from that obedience,“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).

Judging in the Light of Scripture

How many times have we heard others say, “Judge not, that you be not judged, (Matthew 7:1), making it sound as if we won’t have to stand in judgment ourselves if we do not judge others. However, this is not what this verse means. Ecclesiastes 3:17 reads, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.”

Matthew 7:3-5 goes on to say, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” In other words, we will be guilty of hypocrisy if we even attempt to deal with a ‘brother’ or ‘sister’s’ transgression- IF we are in unrepentant sin ourselves.

Matthew 7:6 tells us “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Jesus makes it clear in this verse that shortly follows verse 1 that says “Do not judge, that you be not judged,”- that we must make a judgment on those who would be considered ‘dogs’ or ‘swine’ that we need to beware of.

Jesus said,”The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (John 12:48-49).

In other words, we will all be judged by the word of God, “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” (Hebrews 4:12). We cannot judge another person’s heart, “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 4:5). However, we are to judge clear violations of the commands of God’s law.

John 7:24 tells us, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” We can judge (in the sense of determining whether an action is right or wrong) only in the light of scripture, not according to what we ‘think’, or how things may appear to be, but only with right judgment according to the truth of God’s word and knowledge of His law.Matthew 7:15-16 tells us to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” 

 In 2 Corinthians 13:5 we are told to, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test” (2 Corinthians 13:5)! Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:25-27).

Our desire should be to act out of love for others with the desire to see them follow after Christ, and so our judging must be done in the light of this, in order to steer others toward obedience to scripture’s teaching, so that they would become more and more like Christ. This is the way God judges us, and this is how we should want others to judge us as well, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). When we fail to judge according to the truth of scripture’s teaching, we fail to display a true Christ-like love to others.

Discipline versus Punishment

From a worldly perspective there is really no difference between the following two terms; discipline and punishment. If we look up the word punishment, it is defined as “the infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offense.” The definition of discipline is “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.” In other words, one is punished because they have caused an offense by failing to follow rules or a code of behavior as set forth by the one offended. However, from a biblical perspective there is a vast difference between discipline and punishment. Punishment is still the infliction of a penalty as retribution for an offense- which amounts to God’s wrath against sin, however, discipline is the training of one to be a disciple. The correct definition of the word discipline does not involve punishment. If we are being disciplined by God, it is in order to train us toward being a better disciple of Christ. If we think, as children of our Heavenly Father, that we can still be punished for our sins, then we are in grave error.

God’s word tells us that, “….. God is love” (1 John 4:8b). It also tells us that, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love, (1 John 4:18). We are not understanding the perfect love of God if we believe we can still be punished for our sins.

IF we have truly been ‘born again’ into God’s family, Christ has already paid the full punishment (that being the wrath of God) for all of our sins, “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 5:8-9). A righteous and just God will not require the suffering of added punishment on top of Christ’s atoning work.

We should, however, understand that there are always consequences suffered to sin. We may experience many hardships and dire consequences due to our disobedience to our Father’s commands. King David can attest to this. When Nathan confronted David he said to him, “Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites” (2 Samuel 12:9). Then he told David what the consequences would be to his transgressions, “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house” (vss. 10-11); “because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die” (2 Samuel 12: 14).

If we are living in unrepentant sin, God may allow difficulties into our lives in order to steer us back to Him and obedience to His word, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons, (Hebrews 12:6-8). The longer we fail to seek God through His word and an exercising of our wills toward obedience to that Word, the more and greater consequences we may have to suffer. If we continue to live in disobedience and fail to repent, we are giving evidence to show that we are not true sons of God.

In John 3:36 we are told, “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.” Ephesians 5:5-6 gives this warning, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18). These verses speak of God’s punishment toward those who fail to come to repentance.

Thankfully, Jesus intercedes for His own, praying to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). If we are not understanding that, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11), then perhaps we do not have the assurance that we are indeed sons of God, nor “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).

Let us be mindful of the following verses in Revelation 3:13, 19, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,…..Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” In displaying a Godly repentance, we show that we are not illegitimate sons who will suffer God’s punishment for their unrighteous deeds. Praise God that those who are true sons “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”(Romans 3:24).

Deceivers and Deceived suffer the same Consequences

Due to my recent scripture reading, I’ve been thinking on the fact that not only those who deceive others will suffer the consequences to their wrong actions, but those who are being deceived themselves will also suffer those same consequences.

In 2 Peter 2 verses 1-3 we read; “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

2 Peter 2:10-13 and 15 reads, “Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you….. Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray.”

In 2 Peter 2:17-19 we read more of the fate of these deceivers,“These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”

False teachers promise great things to those they deceive, but those promises will never be fulfilled because they serve the Father of lies, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because 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). The fate of those who are deceived will be the same as that of the deceivers (who for the most part are religious leaders). In Matthew 23:15 we read, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves,” and 2 John 9-11 reads, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” 

 

Only those who serve the living God of the Bible can be assured of fulfilled promises. As those who “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Titus 1:2), we know from history that, “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45); “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Pray we not suffer the fate of the deceivers or the deceived who serve the Father of lies. Rather may we be found to serve the true and living God of the Bible who cannot lie and is working through all things for the good of those who love Him. Deuteronomy 10:12 reads, “.. what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good”?