Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,049
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:13-15 ESV)
[Abbreviations: NT – New Testament. NC – New Covenant]
What freedom were we called to when we believed in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives? It wasn’t just freedom from the punishment of sin, but it was freedom from slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin. And it was freedom to now live for our Lord in walks of holiness and righteousness, in obedience to his NC commandments, in the power of God. So, in Christ, when we believe in him, and we are set free from our sins, this is not freedom to keep on living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord.
Sadly, that is not the gospel message that is largely being taught in the “Christian” church today. Much of what is being taught as the gospel today is taken out of context and twisted to say what the Scriptures do not say if taught in context. Many have reduced the gospel message to a mere verbal acknowledgment of Jesus Christ and of who he was and what he did, and/or to a mere verbal profession of him as Lord and Savior of their lives. And then they are taught that heaven is now guaranteed them when they die.
And this constitutes a very large percentage of those who call themselves “Christians” here in America, and perhaps in other nations, as well. But this is in direct contradiction to the gospel message that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught. For they taught that the faith to believe in Jesus comes from God, and it is not of our own doing, and that belief in Jesus results in us dying with him to sin (not just once but daily) and us following him in obedience to his NC commands (Ephesians 2:8-10; Luke 9:23-26).
Thus we have a very large number of professing Christians here in America who are living in rebellion against the Lord, still living in sin and for self, and who have not humbled themselves in biblical repentance, and who have not turned away from their sinful practices, but who are still holding on to their sinful lifestyles while claiming Jesus as Savior and heaven as their eternal destiny. Among them are many who are self-indulgent who live willfully in rebellion against the Lord with bitter spirits dominating their hearts.
And whenever one of them dies, most all assume the dead are headed to heaven just by giving lip service to the Lord and calling themselves Christians. And they don’t even have to claim to be Christians these days. It seems that most people assume all who die go to heaven. But Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God the Father. And many who profess him will hear Jesus say, “I never knew you, depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” because they didn’t obey him. (Matthew 7:21-23)
Now the reason that this is so predominant today is because a false faith and a false gospel and a false church and a false Christianity are what are being popularized and welcomed by the majority, it seems. So many are teaching the teachings of humans as the gospel without even testing to see if what is being taught actually comes from the Scriptures (taught in context). Humans are being idolized, and marketing schemes are directing much of the decision-making processes in so many “church” congregations.
And this “false church” is incorporated (partnered) with the state (government) and it has been turned into businesses which are being marketed to the people of the world. And since they want to draw in large crowds of people from the world, they have altered the character of God/Christ, his church, and his gospel message, to make them more attractive and acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly. And many professing Christians are in support of this “false church,” not of God.
And so we have all these many divisions and factions and “Christians” fighting against one another over things that probably don’t even exist, because “the church” has become one with the world in order to attract the world to their gatherings. And so it is barely distinguishable between the church and the world today. And so many have adopted a diluted gospel message which makes people feel good but which does not get them to die to sin and now walk in obedience to the Lord in righteous living.
So, if we are to truly love one another with this agape love, which comes from God, and which prefers what God prefers – all that is holy, pure, righteous, godly, moral, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord – then we have to die with Christ to sin and now walk in obedience to his NC commands, by his grace, in his power. We have to break those chains of addiction and let our Lord deliver us so that we can be free to now live for him in holiness and righteousness, and so we can truly love one another.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Chain Breaker
By Zach Williams
If you're been walking the same old road for miles and miles
If you've been hearing the same old voice tell the same old lies
If you're trying to fill the same old holes inside
There's a better life, there's a better life
We've all searched for the light of day in the dead of night
We've all found ourselves worn out from the same old fight
We've all run to things we know just ain't right
When there's a better life, there's a better life
If you've got pain, He's a pain taker
If you feel lost, He's a way maker
If you need freedom or saving, He's a prison-shaking Savior
If you got chains, He's a chain breaker
Caution: this link may contain ads
[Abbreviations: NT – New Testament. NC – New Covenant]
What freedom were we called to when we believed in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives? It wasn’t just freedom from the punishment of sin, but it was freedom from slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin. And it was freedom to now live for our Lord in walks of holiness and righteousness, in obedience to his NC commandments, in the power of God. So, in Christ, when we believe in him, and we are set free from our sins, this is not freedom to keep on living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord.
Sadly, that is not the gospel message that is largely being taught in the “Christian” church today. Much of what is being taught as the gospel today is taken out of context and twisted to say what the Scriptures do not say if taught in context. Many have reduced the gospel message to a mere verbal acknowledgment of Jesus Christ and of who he was and what he did, and/or to a mere verbal profession of him as Lord and Savior of their lives. And then they are taught that heaven is now guaranteed them when they die.
And this constitutes a very large percentage of those who call themselves “Christians” here in America, and perhaps in other nations, as well. But this is in direct contradiction to the gospel message that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught. For they taught that the faith to believe in Jesus comes from God, and it is not of our own doing, and that belief in Jesus results in us dying with him to sin (not just once but daily) and us following him in obedience to his NC commands (Ephesians 2:8-10; Luke 9:23-26).
Thus we have a very large number of professing Christians here in America who are living in rebellion against the Lord, still living in sin and for self, and who have not humbled themselves in biblical repentance, and who have not turned away from their sinful practices, but who are still holding on to their sinful lifestyles while claiming Jesus as Savior and heaven as their eternal destiny. Among them are many who are self-indulgent who live willfully in rebellion against the Lord with bitter spirits dominating their hearts.
And whenever one of them dies, most all assume the dead are headed to heaven just by giving lip service to the Lord and calling themselves Christians. And they don’t even have to claim to be Christians these days. It seems that most people assume all who die go to heaven. But Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God the Father. And many who profess him will hear Jesus say, “I never knew you, depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” because they didn’t obey him. (Matthew 7:21-23)
Now the reason that this is so predominant today is because a false faith and a false gospel and a false church and a false Christianity are what are being popularized and welcomed by the majority, it seems. So many are teaching the teachings of humans as the gospel without even testing to see if what is being taught actually comes from the Scriptures (taught in context). Humans are being idolized, and marketing schemes are directing much of the decision-making processes in so many “church” congregations.
And this “false church” is incorporated (partnered) with the state (government) and it has been turned into businesses which are being marketed to the people of the world. And since they want to draw in large crowds of people from the world, they have altered the character of God/Christ, his church, and his gospel message, to make them more attractive and acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly. And many professing Christians are in support of this “false church,” not of God.
And so we have all these many divisions and factions and “Christians” fighting against one another over things that probably don’t even exist, because “the church” has become one with the world in order to attract the world to their gatherings. And so it is barely distinguishable between the church and the world today. And so many have adopted a diluted gospel message which makes people feel good but which does not get them to die to sin and now walk in obedience to the Lord in righteous living.
So, if we are to truly love one another with this agape love, which comes from God, and which prefers what God prefers – all that is holy, pure, righteous, godly, moral, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord – then we have to die with Christ to sin and now walk in obedience to his NC commands, by his grace, in his power. We have to break those chains of addiction and let our Lord deliver us so that we can be free to now live for him in holiness and righteousness, and so we can truly love one another.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Chain Breaker
By Zach Williams
If you're been walking the same old road for miles and miles
If you've been hearing the same old voice tell the same old lies
If you're trying to fill the same old holes inside
There's a better life, there's a better life
We've all searched for the light of day in the dead of night
We've all found ourselves worn out from the same old fight
We've all run to things we know just ain't right
When there's a better life, there's a better life
If you've got pain, He's a pain taker
If you feel lost, He's a way maker
If you need freedom or saving, He's a prison-shaking Savior
If you got chains, He's a chain breaker
Caution: this link may contain ads
