Every time you are faced with a tempting situation, you have one
of two choices to make. You will either choose to follow Satan in
rebellion against God, or you will make the choice to follow Jesus Christ who
came to be our perfect example to follow in obedience to God.
When you choose to endure temptation after your lust is all
stirred up, you are making your body suffer. 1 Peter 4:1 says [Therefore, since
Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude,
because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.] Jesus
said in Luke 9:23-26 [Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my
disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For
whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for
me will save it.
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are
yourself lost or destroyed? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of
Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the
Father and of the holy angels.]
So, do you think it is important to follow Jesus? Jesus
said in Matthew 10:38 [Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is
not worthy of me.] Do you really want to discover what
it means to be found unworthy of Jesus? Let me give you
another clue: Jesus said in Luke 20:35,36 [But those who are
considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the
resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage,
and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s
children, since they are children of the resurrection.]
I repeat: If God gives you eternal life for free, even though
you don’t deserve it, yet you neglect to tell anybody else how to receive it,
do you think you are worthy of having it yourself? After God saved you
from having to spend eternity in a lake of fire, don’t you think the least you
could do is help God by spending the rest of your life telling others how to
escape that awful place? But what if you decided not to tell a soul, do
you think you would still be considered worthy of eternal life yourself?
John 14:6 says [Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.] Jesus is the
way! Therefore He told us to follow Him. To follow means to imitate
or copy. 1 John 2:6 says [If we say we are His, we must follow the
example of Christ and live the same way He Himself lived.]
Hint: While you were in your mother’s womb, you were being
prepared for the world to come. Now, you are being prepared for another
world to come, even your wedding. Revelation 21:1-3 says [Then I saw “a
new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully
dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.]
You must remember this: Heaven is not going to be the same for
everyone!!! Jesus said in Revelation 22:12 [“Look, I am coming soon! My
reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have
done.] The awards that are available to you are eternal. So, understand,
even if you live to be 120 years old, your life compared to eternity is
infinitely smaller than a drop in the ocean! Yet, your entire eternal existence
will be shaped by the choices you make in this life!!! God help you see
the importance of this!
I have heard some people talk like: Well, if I can just make it
into heaven, I will be happy. But don’t dare go with that mindset my
friend! For it is a very dangerous one. Jesus said in John 15:2 [He
(My Father) cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch
that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.]
The branch is you. To be cut off means forever damned (John 15:6, Mark
4:1-20, Matthew 25:30, Revelation 3:16.)
Jesus said in John 15:5 [“I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you
can do nothing.] That statement alone should humble you, knowing that you can’t
do anything without the help of God. Acts 17:28 says [For in him we live
and move and have our being.] and Hebrews 1:3.
Jesus tells about the Parable of the Sower or Soil in Matthew
13:1-23. The most glaring point of that parable is this: Only those
who bear fruit live. So, it is of the utmost importance that you bear
fruit with your life! Thus, you must learn what that means! And, as
I mentioned, John 15:5 says you will inevitably bear MUCH fruit if only you
will remain, abide, or live in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said in John 15:8 [This is to My Father’s glory, that you
bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.] Thus, to prove
to be a disciple of Jesus, you should bear much fruit. God said in
Revelation 3:15-19 [I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I
wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are
lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You
say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do
not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I
counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich;
and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve
to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and
discipline. So be earnest and repent.]
Above, where God says, “Buy of me gold tried in the fire,” He
means this: 1 Peter 1:7 [These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It
is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more
precious than mere gold. So, when your faith remains strong through many
trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus
Christ is revealed to the whole world.]
Above, where God says, “You are naked,” He is referring to this:
Isaiah 61:10 [I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he
has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his
righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels.]
Above, where God says, “You are poor,” He is referring to this:
Ephesians 2:7 [in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable
riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.]
Above, where God says, “You are blind,” He is referring to this:
John 9:41 [Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but
now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.] Which ties into
Hebrews 10:26,27 [If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the
knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful
expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of
God.]
Amos 6:1 says [“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and you
who feel secure in Samaria! You are famous and popular in Israel, and people go
to you for help.] So, you see, it is impossible to bear much fruit if you
are a lazy Christian believer.
So, the next question you should be asking: What does it
mean to remain, live, or abide in Christ? 1 John 3:6 says [Anyone who
continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on
sinning does not know him or understand who he is.] 1 John 3:9 says [No
one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed
remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been
born of God.
Jesus said in 1 John 5:3 [In fact, this is love for God: to keep
his commands. And his commands are not burdensome] And, the word keep means to
maintain without stopping. His 10 Commandments are found in the 20th chapter of
Exodus and the 5th chapter of Deuteronomy. James 1:12 says [Blessed is the one
who endures testing and temptation because, having stood the test, that person
will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love
him. Remember love for God equals keeping His commands. Jesus said in
Matthew 24:13 [But the one who endures to the end will be saved.] Hence, the
saying: Thou shalt keep the commandments.
Are you beginning to understand why God gave you a body given to
lust and a devil to stir up your lust with temptation? But temptation is
not the only way God tests your love. He also allows you to be tested
with trials. But, if you ever think your trials are too much, God gave us
the Book of Job for encouragement.
James 4:8-10 says [Draw near to God and he will draw near to
you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.]
Remember this: Fasting is one of the most effective ways to
humble yourself. And, in the aforementioned verse, it says to humble
yourself before the Lord, which means it is one of God’s commands. In
fact, all of James 4:8-10 is a command of God. How do I know that, you might
ask? James 4:17 says: [To him therefore who knows how to do good, and
does it not, to him it is sin.] So, what does that mean? Track with
me. 2 Timothy 3:16 says [All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful
to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It
corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.]
Understand, anything the Holy Spirit inspires is a good
thing! And the Holy Spirit inspired the entire Holy Bible. And we
just read: He that knows to do good and does not do it, sins.
Therefore, we should obey all the Word of God. It sounds daunting I
know. But, not to worry. You may have not yet matured in your walk
to this extent.
Jesus said in Luke 12:48 [From everyone who has been given much,
much will be demanded.] And Jesus said in Matthew 25:23 [He that is
faithful in a few things will be made ruler over much.] So, understand,
if you obey faithfully what little you understand, then God will give you more
understanding to obey. He will not overwhelm you.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says [No temptation has overtaken you except
what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way
out so that you can endure it.] This verse proves absolutely without a
doubt that we have no excuse for sin! In fact, this verse is proof that
you can endure every temptation and every trial that you go through.
Otherwise, according to this verse, God would not allow it into your
life. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Because it is crystal
clear!
Romans 6:12 says [Do not allow sin to reign in your mortal body
so that you obey its evil desires.] That means do not ever sin
again! But, if you listen to the crowd, they will tell you this is
impossible. But do not allow the crowd to tell you the way. Because
Jesus said the crowd is going to hell. Proverbs 14:12 says [There is a
way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.]
Jesus said in Matthew 7:13 [Enter through the narrow gate. For
wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter
through it.] Jesus said in Matthew 7:15 [Beware of false prophets. They come to
you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.] Therefore, do
not listen to the crowd, even the crowd that goes to church, as that is where
the wolves also hang out.
I’m not saying to avoid attending church by no means. The
Bible instructs believers to meet together regularly. Hebrews 10:25 says
[And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage
one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.]
Hebrews 3:13 says [Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called
“Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.]
You will hear the crowd defend their excuse for sin using 1 John
1:8 which says [If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us.] Thus, they conclude that everyone sins every
day. And, because of this, they take comfort in 1 John 1:9 which says [If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.]
But that verse was only meant to be a safety net for the
immature! Never to be taken advantage of!! Otherwise, that same
verse contradicts Romans 8:13 which says [For if you live according to the dictates
of your sinful nature that is in your flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit
you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.]
So, how do we reconcile what seems to be a contradiction in the
scriptures? One scripture says: You are lying if you say you have
no present sin. While another scripture says: He that abides in Him does
not sin. Indeed, the apostle Peter made a warning about the apostle Paul
who wrote over half of the New Covenant scriptures. 2 Peter 3:16 says
[His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant
and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own
destruction.]
Understand, that not if but when you come across what seemingly
is a contradiction, that just means you need more understanding of the
scriptures. Let me help you with this big one that the vast majority of
believers never figure out. 1 John 1:7 says [But if we walk in the light,
as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of
Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.]
Let me break it down for you. First, Proverbs 6:23 says that
light is God’s instructions. So, if we are walking in the light, why
would we need to be cleansed from sin? Because don’t walking in the light
mean that I am not sinning? Yes! And, since the Word of God says
that you are a liar if you say you have no present sin, and no one can dispute
the authority of scripture, then what all this means is: If you walk
(meaning maintaining faithful obedience) in all the light you know or are aware
of, then the blood of Jesus cleanses you from any sins you are not aware of.
You should be able to see by now that the Bible is one giant
connect-the-dot puzzle. The more you read it, the easier it is to connect
the dots and understand. This is one way God hides Himself. Isaiah
45:15 says [Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the
Savior.] Remember that Jesus is the Word and He is God. Daniel
11:32 says [Those who do wickedly against the covenant he (antichrist) shall
corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God (via the Holy Bible)
shall be strong and carry out great exploits.
Jesus said in John 5:39 [You study the Scriptures diligently
because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very
Scriptures that testify about me.] God hides Himself in the
scriptures. And, God said in Jeremiah 29:13 [You will seek me and find me
when you seek me with all your heart.] Hebrews 11:6 [And without faith it
is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that
he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.]
How does it make you feel to see your lover diligently pursuing
you? How do you think it makes God feel when He sees your effort?
Do you not think God has feelings? The Bible says He created us in His
own likeness. And He so longs to be close to you. In fact, He made
you because He didn’t want to live without you. You could have been one
of trillions of bacteria or a mosquito, a fish, bird, or a hippo. But no,
He made you for His good pleasure He said.
And guess what? Once you accept His gift of salvation and
you receive Him into your heart, you become the very wife of the one and only
potentate God of the universe! That’s right. The Bible says the
collective body of believers is His bride. So, don’t mess around with
that, put a ring on it! Once you do, the Bible says you shall inherit all
things. Because your spiritual husband made it all and therefore owns it
all. How valuable that must make you feel about now…oolala.
Hebrews 10:26,27 says [If we deliberately keep on sinning after
we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but
only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the
enemies of God.]
The crowd will build a doctrine out of a single verse, when you
should take the whole Bible into context, connecting all the dots. Again John
1:9 says [If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and
will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.] But John 1:9
is incomplete without Proverbs 28:13 which adds [People who conceal their sins
will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they
will receive mercy.] John 1:9 says confess only. But Proverbs 28:13
tells you to do both: Confess and turn from your sin and you will receive
mercy.
The crowd will say, “Nobody can live like Jesus. If we
could all live like Jesus (free from sin), there would be no need for Jesus to
come to live like He did and die for the sins of the world!” But this is
immature thinking. So, we lovingly and patiently pray earnestly for the
ignorant rebels (smile). Ephesians 6:18 says [And pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert
and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.]
Jesus Himself, after healing the impotent man at the pool of
Bethesda, said to him in John 5:14 [Go and sin no more lest a worse thing come
upon you.] To the woman caught in adultery, Jesus said to her in John
8:11 [Go and sin no more.] Psalms 119:3 says [They do not compromise
with evil, and they walk only in his paths.] Psalm 106:3 says [Blessed
are those who act justly, who always do what is right.]
Ephesians 5:3 – 5 says [But fornication, and all uncleanness, or
covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as
becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which
are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no
whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.] Did you see that?
It said not one time.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:48 [Be perfect, therefore, as
your heavenly Father is perfect.] 1 Peter 1:15,16 says [But just as he
who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is
written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”] Romans 2:7,8 says [To those who
by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give
eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who
reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and
anger.]
Romans 2:9,10 says [There will be trouble and distress for every
human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory,
honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the
Gentile.] Micah 6:8 says [He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And
what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk
humbly with your God.]
Acts 10:34,35 says [Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize
how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation
the one who fears him and does what is right.] Psalm 34:15,16 says [The
eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their
cries for help. But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot
out their name from the earth.]
Exodus 23:25 says [“You must serve only the LORD your God. If
you do, I will bless your food and water, and I will take away all sickness
from you.] Deuteronomy 11:13-15 says [So if you faithfully obey the
commands I am giving you today–to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all
your heart and with all your soul–then I will send rain on your land in
its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain,
new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and
you will eat and be satisfied.]
Joshua 1:8 says [Keep this Book of the Law always
on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be
careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be
prosperous and successful.] Jesus said in Revelation 3:21 [To the one who
overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I
overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.] The fact that Jesus
said “just as I overcame,” means you can overcome too!
But how, you might say. And I am getting to that.
John 8:34 says [Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a
slave to sin.] But Romans 6:14 says [Sin is no longer your master.]
You will hear the crowd who claim to be believers in Christ say: We are all
sinners. But 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 says [Don’t you realize that those who do
wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who
indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male
prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or
drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom
of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were
washed, you were sanctified, you were
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit
of our God.]
You may have been a sinner, but once you are truly
born again and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you are
truly free. Jesus said in John 8:36 [If the Son sets you free you shall
be free indeed.] 2 Corinthians 5:21 says [God made him who had no sin to
be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.]
1 John 3:7 says [Dear children, do not let anyone lead you
astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he
is righteous.] 1 John 2:28 says [And now, little children, abide in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame
at his coming.] But again, what does it mean to abide in Him? 1
John 3:6 says [Whoever abides in Him does not sin.]
2 Peter 3:14 says [Make every effort to be found spotless,
blameless, and at peace with him.] Romans 12:21 says [Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good.] Romans 6:16 says [Don’t you know
that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of
the one you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to
obedience, which leads to righteousness?]
You might be asking: Did anyone in the Bible live this way
(free from sin) other than Jesus Christ? I am so glad you asked!
Because the answer is yes! Luke 1:6 says [Zechariah and Elizabeth were
righteous in God’s eyes, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees
blamelessly.] The apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:6 [I obeyed the law
without fault.]
Job 1:8 says [Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered
my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright,
a man who fears God and shuns evil.”] Genesis 6:9 says [This is the
account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people
of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.] Genesis 26:5 says
[Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands,
my decrees and my instructions.”]
CAUTION: If you fail to read sufficiently now, you will
most likely NEVER see what you have been missing ALL your life.
Keep reading and allow me to finish putting all the pieces of
the puzzle together for you, so you can finally see the potential of who God
has created you to be and what He expects you to accomplish for His glory.
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