Category Archives: Sin

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Idols / False Gods, Infinite / Without Limit, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation

God Deserves the Top Spot in Your Heart and Mind

Often when reading about idolatry in the Bible, Christians can easily convince themselves to dismiss it as no longer relevant since it is not commonplace anymore to literally have false idols representing gods and worship them.  However, I challenge you to think of it slightly differently. An idol can also be a job, a house, money, a hobby, or even a person. An idol is anything you put in that central place in your heart that takes the place or priority of God. God should be first in your heart. That should be reflected not just in empty words, but in our time, energy, and money in how we live. It should be reflected in how we speak and how we treat people. If there is anything that you are putting at the top of your priority list and focus, you need to ask God to help you put Him above it!

Isaiah 46

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

1Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.

      2They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.

      3“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;

      4Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

      5“To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?

      6“Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They bow down, indeed they worship it.

      7“They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.

      8“Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.

      9“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,

      10Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

      11Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.

      12“Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded,
Who are far from righteousness.

      13“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant salvation in Zion,
And My glory for Israel.

Spend a few minutes with God. Ask Him to show you any idols in your life and then ask Him to help you address them quickly and boldly. God and God alone brings salvation and righteousness.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross

Anger (unrighteous anger), Faith / Trusting God, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer

Find Peace and Joy in God

When we draw near to God in a personal relationship, we can freely approach Him in times of trouble on a very personal level. We can put our trust in Him.

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call to you,
    O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
    Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 How long will you people ruin my reputation?
    How long will you make groundless accusations?
    How long will you continue your lies? Interlude
3 You can be sure of this:
    The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
    The Lord will answer when I call to him.

4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
    Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude
5 Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
    and trust the Lord.

6 Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
    Let your face smile on us, Lord.
7 You have given me greater joy
    than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

David found much comfort in coming humbly before God and asking for help. David shared his feelings and concerns with God openly as he would a father or friend. All of us go through difficult times. God wants us to come before Him in prayer, to talk to Him, and to be comforted in that we know God loves us and is ultimately in control.

As a side note, we can also see some good advice to follow:

  • Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
        Think about it overnight and remain silent.
  • By trusting the LORD, we harvest joy and peace.

We would likely all do well to take that advice and apply it more often in our lives.

Take a few minutes and seek out God for whatever challenges face you today. Be honest with Him. Put your trust in Him. He is sufficient. He is able.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Complaining, Homosexual Behavior, Idols / False Gods, Thankfulness

Avoid These Common Mistakes that Displease God

Just because we claim the name of Jesus as Lord or we are baptized does not mean that we are living our lives in a way that is fully pleasing to our Creator and Father. Often, even after we genuinely start pursuing Christ and submitting to Him, we still have areas of sin in our lives that need to be dealt with. Sometimes we have blind spots where we listen to the culture around us instead of God’s word about what is right and wrong.

1 Corinthians 10:1-14

Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

     1For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3and all ate the same spiritual food; 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

      6Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” 8Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Take care not to consider idolatry to narrowly. People make idols out of many things… false gods to be sure, but also the environment, other created things such as money, sports, self, another person… it is placing something in our heart where we are focused on it instead of the right focus of God.

Consider immorality by God’s definition, not by the definition of our culture. Man today continues to redefine what is immorality through courts and television and other means but God’s position on what is moral or immoral has not and will not change.  Sex outside of marriage is wrong. Marriage is designed for and constrained to a man and a woman. It is not complicated until man tries to change it to avoid confronting his sin.

Do not overlook grumbling. Yes, even grumbling is a sign of lacking faith and trust in our Father. It is a sign of an ungrateful heart that takes for granted what blessings the Father has already poured out on us. Praise Him more and stop grumbling, even when things are tough.

Let us each take on the challenge to honestly confront our attitudes and actions and compare them to Paul’s warnings from 1 Corinthians. Do not be complacent because of a one-time decision to follow Christ. Instead, seek Him daily and seek to keep changing yourself to be more in His image. Let us keep a thankful heart and praise Him for who He is and what He has already done for us, regardless of our situation!

Take a few minutes with God in prayer. Ask Him to show you any areas in your life in which you need to change. Then, take action to change!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

 

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Blessed, Grace / Forgiveness, Idols / False Gods

Return to Me, for I Have Redeemed You

Isaiah covers 3 major themes in chapter 44: the blessings of Israel, the folly of idolatry, and forgiveness and redemption from God. All three of these are still entirely relevant today.

We as believers are grafted into Israel as part of God’s chosen people. Though we may not worship “false gods”, there are many temptations to put other things in a place of priority in our lives, where only God should be. Sometimes these come in the form of things like a job/career, an addiction, a hobby, or even our spouse or children. Anytime we put something else above God and we put our trust in that thing or person more than in God, that is effectively an idol. Lastly, we all sin and thus we all receive great benefit from God’s offer of forgiveness and redemption, which we receive through Yeshua.

Read on with that context in mind!

Isaiah 44

The Blessings of Israel

1“But now listen, O Jacob, My servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:

      2Thus says the LORD who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you,
‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant;
And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

      3‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;

      4And they will spring up among the grass
Like poplars by streams of water.’

      5“This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’S’;
And that one will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the LORD,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.

      6“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
‘I am the first and I am the last,
And there is no God besides Me.

      7‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
From the time that I established the ancient nation.
And let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place.

      8‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And you are My witnesses.
Is there any God besides Me,
Or is there any other Rock?
I know of none.’”

The Folly of Idolatry

      9Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. 10Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? 11Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.

      12The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. 14Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”

      18They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!” 20He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”


God Forgives and Redeems

21“Remember these things, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

      22“I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud
And your sins like a heavy mist.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

      23Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it;
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob
And in Israel He shows forth His glory.

      24Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,
“I, the LORD, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,

      25Causing the omens of boasters to fail,
Making fools out of diviners,
Causing wise men to draw back
And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

      26Confirming the word of His servant
And performing the purpose of His messengers.
It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’
And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’
And I will raise up her ruins again.

      27“It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’
And I will make your rivers dry.

      28“It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd!
And he will perform all My desire.’
And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faithful, Idols / False Gods, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Not Fear, for I Have Redeemed You

Isaiah 43 contains several important themes that still resonate with us today if we take the time to listen and consider them.

  • Verses 1-7: God’s favor and goodwill are for His people. This should be a great comfort and encouragement. There is no need to fear.
  • Verses 8-13: God calls out those who believe in false gods or idols. He and He alone is God and savior.
  • Verses 14-21: The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is a reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.
  • Verses 22-28: God is troubled that His people turn away from Him and His offer of forgiveness of sins. They choose to overlook Him and go their own way. He pleads with the people that they would be justified through Him.

For more detailed thoughts expanding on these, consider Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary for Isaiah 43.

Isaiah 43

Israel Redeemed

1But now, this is what the LORD says, He who is your Creator, Jacob,

And He who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name; you are Mine!

2“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.

3“For I am the LORD your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I have given Egypt as your ransom,

Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

4“Since you are precious in My sight,

Since you are honored and I love you,

I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.

5“Do not fear, for I am with you;

I will bring your offspring from the east,

And gather you from the west.

6“I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring My sons from afar

And My daughters from the ends of the earth,

7Everyone who is called by My name,

And whom I have created for My glory,

Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Israel Is God’s Witness

8Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,

And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.

9All the nations have gathered together

So that the peoples may be assembled.

Who among them can declare this

And proclaim to us the former things?

Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified,

Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”

10“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe Me

And understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed,

And there will be none after Me.

11“I, only I, am the LORD,

And there is no savior besides Me.

12“It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,

And there was no strange god among you;

So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“And I am God.

13“Even from eternity I am He,

And there is no one who can rescue from My hand;

I act, and who can reverse it?”

Babylon to Be Destroyed

14This is what the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:

“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,

And will bring them all down as fugitives,

Even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoice.

15“I am the LORD, your Holy One,

The Creator of Israel, your King.” 16This is what the LORD says,

He who makes a way through the sea

And a path through the mighty waters,

17Who brings out the chariot and the horse,

The army and the mighty man

(They will lie down together and not rise again;

They have been extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):

18“Do not call to mind the former things,

Or consider things of the past.

19“Behold, I am going to do something new,

Now it will spring up;

Will you not be aware of it?

I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,

Rivers in the desert.

20“The animals of the field will glorify Me,

The jackals and the ostriches,

Because I have given waters in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert,

To give drink to My chosen people.

21“The people whom I formed for Myself

Will declare My praise.

The Shortcomings of Israel

22“Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob;

But you have become weary of Me, Israel.

23“You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,

Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with offerings,

Nor wearied you with incense.

24“You have not bought Me sweet cane with money,

Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;

Rather, you have burdened Me with your sins,

You have wearied Me with your wrongdoings.

25“I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake,

And I will not remember your sins.

26“Meet Me in court, let’s argue our case together;

State your cause, so that you may be proved right.

27“Your first forefather sinned,

And your spokesmen have rebelled against Me.

28“So I will profane the officials of the sanctuary,

And I will turn Jacob over to destruction and Israel to abuse. 

Do not overlook God’s favor toward us as believers and followers of Yeshua, our Messiah. Let us put our faith in God and God alone. There are no other gods, no one else in whom we should put our trust. We are called to redemption and justification through Yeshua. Let us not reject such a wonderful offer!

Take some time in prayer to reflect on this powerful message. What is God telling you today about what you need to do in your life? Are you putting your trust in Him and Him alone? Are you fearful when you can instead find His peace? Are you putting your focus on living according to His ways rather than your own?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Obeying God, Psalms

Stand with the LORD, Not Against Him

Only God is God. It is wise to stand with Him and you will encounter many blessings. To stand against Him is folly. Whether we are speaking about kings and nations or about the decisions we make in our own lives, seek God and dwell with Him.  Do not go your own way.

Psalms 2

1 Why are the nations so angry?
    Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
2 The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
    the rulers plot together against the Lord
    and against his anointed one.
3 “Let us break their chains,” they cry,
    “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
    The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then in anger he rebukes them,
    terrifying them with his fierce fury.
6 For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.”

7 The king proclaims the Lord’s decree:
“The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. 
    Today I have become your Father. 
8 Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
    the whole earth as your possession.
9 You will break  them with an iron rod
    and smash them like clay pots.’”

10 Now then, you kings, act wisely!
    Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
11 Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
12 Submit to God’s royal son,  or he will become angry,
    and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities — for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!

This scripture reminds us that ultimately God is in control. He reigns over all the earth. He has chosen to make a way for us to reconcile with Him for our sin through Jesus Christ. There is accountability for those who reject Him. Sometimes this results in publicly visible consequences, and sometimes it does not. There is always a consequence, however, when individuals face God after their earthly lives have come to an end.

Let us not be like those who are stubborn and refuse to bow to God in this life when there is still time. They realize their error too late and must spend an eternity separated from God.

And we must not forget… there is joy for all who take refuge in Him!

Take a few minutes to pray and reflect on your own life and decisions. Are there any areas where you have not fully submitted to God. Ask God to show you. Then ask Him to help you fully submit to Him in those areas. Make a plan for how you will do so and share it with a trusted friend or family member that is close to the LORD. Listen to their feedback.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Consequences of Sin, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Wickedness / Evil

Find Joy and Delight in the LORD

Psalm 1 provides a beautiful start to the book of Psalms, pointing to the joy which can be found in serving God instead of the wickedness of the world. This is a timeless message to reflect on.

Psalm 1

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

4 But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
    Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

 So elegantly stated… yet direct. It speaks for itself.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Arrogance, Help / Serve Others, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Purposeful / Intentional, Selfishness

Take Care With Your Liberty

Knowledge by itself, without love, can result in arrogance and disruption amongst the body of Christ. Love edifies the Father. Knowledge shared and demonstrated with love is a powerful witness indeed for the life of a follower of Christ.

1 Corinthians 8 reflects on an issue where believers, in particular weaker believers, may be thrown off or confused by witnessing other believers eating food offered to idols. Where a more knowledgeable believer recognizes that food that is acceptable to eat can not be made unclean or unholy by a false god that does not exist. Thus it is acceptable to eat. However, this could be misunderstood to reflect support for false gods or a lack of holiness, being set apart for God’s use. Paul cautions that just because we may know something is ok, we should take care and act in love for others who may be confused by our actions… even if our actions are acceptable.

Too often, Christians take this passage out of the specific context of meat offered to idols and start to teach or act as though this gives us permission, or “Christian liberty”, to do whatever we want because it is not “wrong” or can be covered by “grace”. Quite the opposite in this case… Paul is suggesting that even things we know to be acceptable, may be better avoided in order to help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This is not a license to deny the law, but rather guidance that even some things which are allowed by the law should be avoided for the sake of others. It further limits us out of our love for others rather than releasing us to act without boundaries.

Maybe a familiar modern-day consideration could be shown as follows. If I am having dinner with friends, one of whom used to be an alcoholic, I would not serve alcohol even though it is acceptable to do so generally. Why potentially stumble another believer?

1 Corinthians 8

Take Care with Your Liberty

      1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

      4Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

      7However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

Take time in prayer and reflection. Talk it over with someone close to you that you can trust.  Does your growing knowledge of Christ and scripture provide a solid foundation for sharing and demonstrating the gospel with other believers? or do you come across as arrogant and disruptive, causing others to stumble in confusion?

Take care, however, not to use the confusion of others as an excuse to avoid doing what you understand God commands us to do. If people are confused about what is and is not sin, that does not mean we join them in sin… may it never be! We must demonstrate obedience to the Father in all we understand Him to command us to do. Then we can further guide our actions beyond that with love and understanding of our weaker brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Divorce, Marriage, Parenting

Advice for a Follower of Christ Who Is Married to an Unbeliever

I appreciate how Paul clearly identifies when it is his opinion or recommendation rather than instruction directly from the Lord. He provides some specific suggestions for how a believer should handle themselves if they are married to an unbeliever. First, let us be clear that a believer should not marry an unbeliever. That is not what Paul is commenting on.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15

    14Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

However, if in marriage, one spouse converts and submits to Christ as Lord, and the other does not, they can find themselves in this situation.

1 Corinthians 7:12-15

      12But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 16For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Do not take this out of context to conclude that you should encourage your unbelieving spouse to leave. You should not. You should work at your marriage as unto God. You should try to keep your marriage together. That is the primary goal Paul speaks to first. Consider also 1 Peter 3:1-2.

1 Pet 3:1-2

   1In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

I think this largely applies to husbands who have wives who are disobedient to the word as well, in that the husbands should demonstrate the godly role of the husband as defined by God.  A key is that you still live for God and put Him first. I think that is the point Paul is making. If your unbelieving spouse insists on leaving because you follow and obey Yeshua, then you can not stop following just so they will stay.

The spouse who has submitted to Jesus as Lord is to live to a different standard than the non-believer. Marriage is to be holy before God. It is to be set apart and done His way. While it is Paul, and not God speaking in this passage, he certainly has a lot of credibility in how to live in a way that is pleasing to God. If you find yourself as a believer married to a non-believer, consider Paul’s words carefully and pray that the Father would help you have the wisdom, courage, and patience to endure the situation. Pray the Holy Spirit will fill you and guide you for it is difficult for any believer to face… so don’t face it alone.

Take some time and ask God to help you in this situation if it applies to you. If it applies to someone you know, please take time to pray for them. If it does not apply to you, you can also give thanks to God that you and your spouse are both pursuing Christ and ask Him to draw you even closer.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Marriage, Self Control

Sex Is a Gift in the Context of Marriage

The sexual drive in men and women is given by God as part of who we are. Paul commented specifically in this regard in 1 Corinthians 7. It is good for a man or woman to be single and focused on God rather than married if that is their personal gifting from God. It will allow them to serve Him in a more focused way. However, God makes each of us different. For many, the drive for sex is wonderful inside the gift of marriage, but if they try to remain single, that same gift will instead lead to great temptation and potentially to immoral behavior.

Inside marriage, we must use this gift well as a way of bonding with our spouse. Sex or withholding of sex is not to be used as a “weapon” to get one’s own way or win an argument. This is plainly wrong. Marriages are strongest when sex is used to serve and bond with one another.  Truly this helps two become one as God intends.

Once married, we should not divorce. It has always been God’s plan to have one man and one woman together in marriage. We are to choose carefully and prayerfully and then focus all our effort on serving each other and building / maintaining a strong marriage.

1 Corinthians 7:1-11

Teaching on Marriage

      1Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6But this I say by way of concession, not of command. 7Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.

      8But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

      10But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11(but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.

Take care not to overlook the Biblical view on sex drive. It can be a powerful bonding in strengthening a marriage. It is a gift from God and not something to be scorned or mocked. But it is also not something to be abused by using it outside of marriage.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.