True devotion calms the spirit, quiets and softens it, but superstition and devotion to false gods inflame men's passions. The matter is put into a little compass, Turn, or burn.
ACTS 4: 19...
But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge.
The apostles look with concern on perishing souls, and know they cannot escape eternal ruin but by Jesus Christ, therefore they are faithful in warning, and showing the right way. None will enjoy peace of mind, nor act uprightly, till they have learned to guide their conduct by the fixed standard of truth, and not by the shifting opinions and fancies of men. Especially beware of a vain attempt to serve two masters, God and the world; the end will be, you can serve neither fully.
But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.
Many will do an evil thing with daring, yet cannot bear to hear of it afterward, or to have it charged upon them. We cannot expect to be redeemed and healed by Christ, unless we give up ourselves to be ruled by him. Faith takes the Saviour in all his offices, who came, not to save us in our sins, but to save us from our sins. Had Christ been exalted to give dominion to Israel, the chief priests would have welcomed him. But repentance and remission of sins are blessings they neither valued nor saw their need of; therefore they, by no means, admitted his doctrine. Wherever repentance is wrought, remission is granted without fail. None are freed from the guilt and punishment of sin, but those who are freed from the power and dominion of sin; who are turned from it, and turned against it. Christ gives repentance, by his Spirit working with the word, to awaken the conscience, to work sorrow for sin, and an effectual change in the heart and life. The giving of the Holy Ghost, is plain evidence that it is the will of God that Christ should be obeyed. And He will surely destroy those who will not have Him to reign over them.
DANIEL 3: 18...
"But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Proud men are still ready to say, as Nebuchadnezzar, Who is the Lord, that I should fear his power? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not hesitate whether they should comply or not. Life or death were not to be considered. Those that would avoid sin, must not parley with temptation when that to which we are allured or affrighted is manifestly evil. Stand not to pause about it, but say, as Christ did, Get thee behind me, Satan. They did not contrive an evasive answer, when a direct answer was expected.
Those who make their duty their main care, need not be anxious or fearful concerning the event. The faithful servants of God find him able to control and overrule all the powers armed against them. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst. If He be for us, we need not fear what man can do unto us. God will deliver us, either from death or in death. They must obey God rather than man; they must rather suffer than sin; and must not do evil that good may come. Therefore none of these things moved them. The saving them from sinful compliance, was as great a miracle in the kingdom of grace, as the saving them out of the fiery furnace was in the kingdom of nature. Fear of man and love of the world, especially want of faith, make men yield to temptation, while a firm persuasion of the truth will deliver them from denying Christ, or being ashamed of him. We are to be meek in our replies, but we must be decided that we will obey God rather than man.
To obey magistrates; inferior ones; in all things that are according to the laws of God, and right reason, that do not contradict what God has commanded, or break in upon the rights and dictates of conscience; in all things of a civil nature, and which are for the good of society, and do not affect religion, and the worship of God...
We are to exist PEACEABLY, and quietly, void of crime, and so forth, yet, we are to HONOUR THE LAWS OF *GOD* foremost. Creates quite a dilemma in times such as we exist in! But bottom line, in my understanding is *GOD* FIRST, then PRAY for HIS assistance to comply with the laws of the world which we have to deal with, THAT we act according to HIS WILL, and the good within, without defying HIS WILL, or causing trouble for ourselves, and others. *GOD* KNOWS what is going on, and it IS HIS to deal with, ultimately, though WE have to come to terms with what we are bid by society which does NOT reflect *GOD*, and remain PEACEABLE at the same time...
In the first place, there HAS to be UNITY in the Christian community; which in these times, is obviously NOT happening, as some of THE CHURCH are being swayed to follow human decrees OVER those of THE LORD! We ARE to comply with the laws of the land(s), and yet, when such laws lead people into sin, and allow greater sin, WHAT good is THE CHURCH producing? Instead, we are committing sin by either turning our back on sin, or worse yet, partaking in sin in order to exist according to the world! This is SERIOUS stuff, and we HAVE to get straight into it, VOID of disobeying THE LORD *GOD*, as we work through the issues of this time!!!
We ARE ALL sinners, no doubt, and *GOD* LOVES ALL people, but here's the thing; HE LOVES those who LOVE HIM, and who RECOGNIZE that their sin is separating them from HIM, and so, conform in conduct to HIS WILL, and WAYS, which IS REPENTANCE, and DOES TRANSFORM one INTO their REALITY, which is NOT flesh, and fleshy desires, BUT SPIRIT, and SPIRITUAL aspirations, FOR THE GLORY OF *GOD*, and for the good of those who would seek HIM!!!
THE WORD is PLAIN in DESCRIBING WHO will be brought into THE KINGDOM, and who will not, BREAKING DOWN into plain words, WHAT is considered unacceptable TO THE LORD *GOD*! We KNOW what PLEASES HIM, and what invokes HIS WRATH, THEREFORE, HOW can it be that we, complacently follow the decrees of the world, and allow for sin to increase, when AS THE BODY OF THE CHURCH, we are to be HELPING those who DON'T know to SEE THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?!!
When one TURNS TO THE LORD *GOD*, there IS a turning point in the conscience, and actions of the one turning! They COMMIT themselves TO HIS WILL, and HIS WAY, taking OFF the old self, and PUTTING ON the new self, which IS repentance, NOT ONLY in word, instead, in lifestyle!!!
We renounce the flesh, the world, and it's ways, and STEP ONTO THE PATH, which is narrow, and few find! THE PATH IS PAVED with CHRIST JESUS' blood, and sufferings, in which we share, and which we HONOUR BY modeling ourselves TO HIM, IN SPIRIT, and IN TRUTH, which means we ACTIVELY take on our roles AS SERVANTS OF *GOD*, OBEDIENT as was CHRIST, and exist IN HIM, as HIS WILL BECOMES our will! We relinquish our will for HIS WILL, which IS HOLY, and DOES demand HOLINESS!!!
THE CHURCH, of which we ARE THE BODY, IS A PLACE TO GROW INTO THE LORD *GOD*; a place to GROW PAST our sins, which are darkness, INTO THE LIGHT, which IS PURE! It is where we GROW, and where we HELP others GROW INTO our REALITY! We ARE to BE as REFLECTIONS OF THE LORD, THAT others ARE INSPIRED TO SEE HIM OVER all else! We ARE to REMAIN IN HIM, no matter what the world says, or does, and we are NOT to be shaken out of what we KNOW! We MUST STAY TRUE TO *GOD*, for ONLY HE is worthy, and ONLY HE LEADS us through this world INTO THE KINGDOM ETERNAL! ALL WE DO IS FOR HIS GLORY, and NONE of what we do is for pleasure, save for what we derive from BEING, and DOING GOOD IN HIS NAME! We ARE ALREADY, IF we are IN HIM, satisfied, and satiated, therefore, what the world offers is NOTHING to consider!!!
Let us PRAY, and let us GET TOGETHER IN SPIRIT, and TRUTH, IN THE LORD *GOD*, CHRIST JESUS, and HOLY SPIRIT! Let us BLESS THE LORD, PRAISE HIM, WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, and REJOICE IN HIS SAVING PLAN, and LOVE, WHILE HONOURING HIM IN our unwavering allegiance, body, heart, mind, and soul!!!
REV. LWINSOR © 2015
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS
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