Oh, continue Your
lovingkindness
to those who know
You, and Your
righteousness to the
upright in heart.
Let not the foot of
pride come against me,
and let not thy hand
of the wicked
drive me a way.
There the workers of
iniquity have fallen,
they have been cast
down and are not able to rise.
Psalm 36: 10 -- 12
When anyone
decides to speak, regarding those things held as "sacred cows," there
are those who will either oppose that person, openly, quietly or silently walk
away from the discussion. My prayer is
that this is not the case with you, rather that you will critically take to
serious that what is being taught is Scripturally correct. We must give our principal attention first,
and foremost to the dignity of our creation and to the excellence of our
Reformation. If we hold fast to the
dignity of our creation, we are led to fear sin; and by the means of the
excellence of our redemption then we come to be grateful for redeeming grace. If we hold fast to those things that we hold
dear, those "sacred cows," those things that may be shown through our
study to be Scripturally incorrect but we hold to them by arrogance then we
must repent and rise by obedience. If
then, converted, by the healing grace of our Redeemer then it becomes necessary
to be cured, by humility those things that have been corrupted by pride. One such way that we should do these things
is not to hunt for the praises of men but have real zeal for eternal life. Let this be known that as soldiers of the
Christian life and we are about to receive temporal benefices from others then
we are bound to those others and we will fight to keep that faith with those
who have given us some temporal benefit.
How much more are we to fight for the eternal King and to receive
eternal reward, to be bound by heavenly oaths, and publicly profess faith
through which we are going to please Him!
Therefore, His word ought to be preserved in the heart, and expressed on
the lips, for faith is the foundation of all good things, the beginning of our
salvation. If we do not walk by faith,
then we will not reach the place where we can see the truth and we will walk in
untruth. Do you believe in God? Good!
Even Satan believes God! Or, do
you believe God? Do you believe that He
is truthful? Even the demons believe
that: "You believe that there is one
God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble"
(James 2:19). The demons and Satan himself believe that there is a God,
they believe in God but they do not believe in God because of being moved by
believing and enter into His will.
Therefore, the spirit of fear is of no value to them, or to us, if there
is not in them or us the spirit of love.
And, in the next chapter, 13, Paul will speak of such things. If we have received the Spirit of God, then
He will press through, and we must decide then, where does God come in, in this
relationship? We must make Him our
first consideration. Whenever we put
other things first, there is confusion.
When we have not put God first in our lives, that which means nothing more
than God having the right in everything we do or say in this life and we allow
the cares of this world to subvert this relationship then we have allowed those
things to choke out the word of God.
Jesus never said the Devil would choke out the word of God, no, He has
told us that it is the cares of this world, it is those things that are making
a person to be a cultural Christian. We
must never trust were we cannot see, and we cannot see unless we are studying,
and reading God's Word. To not do this
is where infidelity begins. The only
cure for infidelity is obedience to the Spirit. Here is a great word for us from Jesus; abandonment: "Take no thought for your life, what
you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body what you shall
put on" (Matthew 6:25; KJV).
And the Spirit of God has been given immediately to all believers upon
their profession and conversion to our Savior Jesus Christ. There is no second indwelling of the Holy Spirit! Don't look for a second indwelling of the
Holy Spirit! Look to God and be
obedient to His word and that Word tells us that we are to get up every morning
and go about our daily life living by His commands and principles and never has He told us to do anything other than that.
If we are doing that then we are the ambassadors and witnesses of our
Savior Jesus Christ. What is more
important than being a witness for our Savior Jesus Christ? Is it speaking in some sort of unknown
language? Is it having some sort of
ability that heals? Is it to have some
sort of ability to prophesy? Did not the
Holy Spirit inspire Paul to say that God will give to whomever, and whenever, He desires to give a gift(s). Why
are you seeking for that which God will give whether you seek it or not? Is this nothing more than adding to that
which is already confusion amongst Christians and especially amongst those who
are not Christians? How is this adding
to the kingdom of God? We must firmly
pertain to the rule of true faith and that must be faithfully believe, strongly
held, truly, patiently defended, and if we know anyone to lay down as Christian
teaching what is contrary, we should avoid him like a plague and cast him out as
a heretic. Let us walk, however, in
that which we have received, and in that let us
formerly persevere. Teach this to your
children whom you have gotten from your flesh.
Teach this to those whom you have admitted to your protection, so that
through your instruction they may avoid every error, they may be complete in
all virtue and those things which are fitting.
All this we can do by the aid of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and is
glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit who lives with us undying
throughout all ages: for ever.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall
be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
that the bones You
have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from
my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Psalm 51: 7 -- 9
You are washed and whiter than snow
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