Category Archives: Wickedness / Evil

All Powerful / King of All, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Persecution / Glorifying God, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Strong in Our Weakness, Wickedness / Evil

Keep God’s Commandments AND Hold to the Testimony of Christ

Revelation 12 lays out some key fundamentals in the spiritual warfare between Satan and YHWH’s people in some attention-grabbing visualizations. Notice you will find no labels of “Jewish” or “Christian”. These labels are not always meaningful as many call themselves by these names but do not follow YHWH or do not hold to the testimony of Yeshua. In verse 17 we see that the key is not what label someone claims, but if you actually “keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus”.

It seems obvious that the Jewish people do not hold to the testimony of Yeshua. However, it may only be slightly less obvious that most who identify as “Christian”, holding to the testimony of Christ, do not keep the whole of the commandments of YHWH. Common Christian teaching holds to some commandments and dismisses many others. It is not simply about “the 10 commandments”. There is so much more to be learned and followed in studying the foundational books of the Bible, the Torah (written by Moses), and the writings of the prophets. For many, they do well to genuinely focus on starting to really live out the 10 commandments in their lives. This is a good place to begin.

I encourage Jewish people to seek Messiah in Yeshua. I encourage Christians to seek to study the Bible and challenge to deepen our understanding of the Hebrew roots of our faith and the fullness of the wonderful things in the law of YHWH.  (Focused Ministries – Understanding the Hebrew Roots of Christianity)

Revelation 12

The Woman, Israel

     1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

The Red Dragon, Satan

     3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

The Male Child, Christ

     5And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

The Angel, Michael

     7And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12“For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

      13And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help open my eyes to both the testimony of Yeshua and obedience to all Your commandments. Help me fully embrace You and Your ways and not only do so in part as so many do. I want to do more than just claim Your name and go to church. I want to live my life for You. I know I fall short, but please help me. Amen.  

Shalom

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, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Holy / Set Apart, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Self Control, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Rejecting God Has Serious Consequences

We can not simply claim to follow Christ and continue in sin, in direct rebellion against Him. Those who genuinely turn their lives to Christ will show it through their actions and attitudes. We will not be perfect. Certainly not. However, we will strive to turn away from sin rather than embrace and accept it. Our Father could not be more clear… those who continue in sin and rebellion against the Father will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

      9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Take caution not to rationalize your sin. The world would have you believe that everyone will inherit the kingdom of God, regardless of sin and rebellion against the Father. God’s word could not be more clear. There are serious consequences for those who choose to remain in sin rather than repent and submit to Jesus as Lord.

Be encouraged. Our sins can be forgiven through Jesus. God has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus.

Take a few minutes right now. Pray for God to help you overcome sin and rebellion against God through the Holy Spirit and submit to Him in obedience. Give thanks for Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for our sins to be forgiven.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus), 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.

Discerning / Judging, Discipline / Correction, Help / Serve Others, Wickedness / Evil

Remove the Wicked from Among Us

Believers and followers of Jesus Christ are not to accept immorality in our church body. Contrary to common public opinion of today’s culture, we are not to just accept everyone in our church fellowship regardless of behavior and attitude. Those who are immoral are to be removed from our midst and treated as part of the world of non-believers. If they repent, we can of course accept them back. This is not to say we treat them badly or with meanness. Remember, we also are called to treat everyone with a basic level of love and respect.

1 Corinthians 5

Immorality Rebuked

      1It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

      3For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

      6Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

      9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

It is important to remove the immoral from our midst rather than accept them so that they might recognize the need to repent. They suffer for a while, but then have the best chance to repent and return to true fellowship with God and the family of believers. If we just keep accepting one immorality after another, then soon the church family looks a lot like the world and culture around it… filled with unrepentant sinners who do not believe they need to change. Many of our church fellowships look like this today because of failure to heed Paul’s instructions.

Let us focus on helping, and yes, rebuking one another when necessary. As a family of believers, we are to help one another remain on the right path with God. Part of that requires that we remove the wicked from among us.

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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.

Holy / Set Apart, Purposeful / Intentional, Satan, Traditions / Holidays, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Should a Follower of Christ Celebrate Halloween?

Far too often we just go along with whatever “everyone else” is doing when the holidays are concerned. We can always rationalize why many of the common “holidays” such as Halloween “are harmless” or even “an opportunity to participate so as to lead others to Christ”. However, never in scripture does God encourage us to in any way imitate the pagan celebrations of others as a way of “getting along with” or “blending in with” or even witnessing to non-believers. We are instead called to be set apart from pagan traditions and worship of false gods in every way. We are to do things only in God’s way. Being different is an important part of being a light to draw people to Christ. If those who follow Christ blend in with everyone else, why should any non-believers accept Christ and change their lives?

The following article is a good summary of Halloween, so I choose not to write my own. I recommend you pray for God to give you an open mind and test celebration of Halloween, not against what your church does or your family has done for generations, but against the word of God.

A few easy questions to ask yourself…  “Does celebrating this holiday honor God and point others to Him? Could it actually confuse others as to what Christ calls us to do and how He calls us to act? If I ignore traditions of men for a moment and test the holiday (and how it is celebrated) against scripture, is there any way I would ever reasonably conclude I should celebrate this based on the Bible itself?” Perhaps one final question, “If I am not sure it is good and honoring to God, should I skip it or celebrate it anyway?”

ChristianAnswers.net – Should Christians participate in Halloween?

The October 31st holiday that we today know as Halloween has strong roots in paganism and is closely connected with worship of the Enemy of this world, Satan. It is a holiday that generally glorifies the dark things of this world, rather than the light of Jesus Christ, The Truth.

Have you noticed how costumes and masks are getting generally more bloody, gory, and depraved each year? Unfortunately, the gruesome and grotesque and the occult are increasingly glorified in American society, not only on Halloween, but throughout the year in frequent horror movies and television programs.

My family does not celebrate it or participate in it. We do not believe that our children are “missing out,” and neither do they. Other days are used for costumes and parties. Happily, all of our children have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. We have found that Halloween provides an excellent time to remind our children that, as Christians, we are different, and not of this world (Heb. 11:13-16; 1 Pet. 2:11).

What about church “Harvest Festivals” held on October 31? Although we understand the rational and good intentions behind them, we don’t think they are the best approach. Our family tends to agree with the author of an article called “Are ‘Harvest Parties’ for Christians?” (written by a self-avowed former witch and now active Christian). Harvest parties on October 31 tend to assume that “our children need something to take the place of Halloween, since they won’t be participating in the secular and pagan celebrations. It suggests our kids are missing out on something. And indeed they are, if we allow them to spend Halloween in celebration.” There are better things to do on Halloween than partying.

Also, we need to teach our children that “the fight isn’t against occultists, non-Christians, Christians who feel differently than we about Halloween, or institutions that promote Halloween, but” “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV).

Click the following link to read the full article: ChristianAnswers.net – Should Christians participate in Halloween?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead Your people away from worldly celebrations that draw them in and lead them to embrace Your celebrations and Your ways. Help us to be set apart from the world, not blend in. Help give courage to those who struggle to break away due to family and emotional attachments to worldly holidays and celebrations. Help us to choose You first! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Learning To Pray Effectively, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Great Is the Lord and Highly to Be Praised

It is all too easy to take for granted having a relationship with the LORD. Let us remember to praise him, even during difficult times!

Psalm 145

The LORD Extolled for His Goodness.

A Psalm of Praise, of David.

1I will extol You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

2Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is unsearchable.

4One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.

5On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

6Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.

7They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

8The LORD is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

9The LORD is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.

10All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD,
And Your godly ones shall bless You.

11They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;

12To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.

13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

14The LORD sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.

15The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.

16You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17The LORD is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.

18The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

19He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.

20The LORD keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.

21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

Shalom

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, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Eternal, Faith / Trusting God, Justice / Judgment, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Wickedness / Evil

Trust in God’s Protection

As you read Isaiah 26, remember that the people of Israel had gone through tough times. Other nations had ruled them. They had drifted far from the LORD. There was a remnant that held tight to God. Think about the joy and praise emotionally that they were feeling when He rescued them from that and restored them! Whatever you are experiencing, you can put your faith in God and trust Him.

Rejoice in the LORD! Trust in Him for protection and sing songs to glorify Him. Praise Him.

Isaiah 26

Song of Trust in God’s Protection

      1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for security.

      2“Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,
The one that remains faithful.

      3“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.

      4“Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.

      5“For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city;
He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

      6“The foot will trample it,
The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

      7The way of the righteous is smooth;
O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.

      8Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD,
We have waited for You eagerly;
Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.

      9At night my soul longs for You,
Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;
For when the earth experiences Your judgments
The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

      10Though the wicked is shown favor,
He does not learn righteousness;
He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness,
And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.

      11O LORD, Your hand is lifted up yet they do not see it.
They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame;
Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies.

      12LORD, You will establish peace for us,
Since You have also performed for us all our works.

      13O LORD our God, other masters besides You have ruled us;
But through You alone we confess Your name.

      14The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise;
Therefore You have punished and destroyed them,
And You have wiped out all remembrance of them.

      15You have increased the nation, O LORD,
You have increased the nation, You are glorified;
You have extended all the borders of the land.

      16O LORD, they sought You in distress;
They could only whisper a prayer,
Your chastening was upon them.

      17As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth,
She writhes and cries out in her labor pains,
Thus were we before You, O LORD.

      18We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,
We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.
We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,
Nor were inhabitants of the world born.

      19Your dead will live;
Their corpses will rise.
You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy,
For your dew is as the dew of the dawn,
And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

      20Come, my people, enter into your rooms
And close your doors behind you;
Hide for a little while
Until indignation runs its course.

      21For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
And the earth will reveal her bloodshed
And will no longer cover her slain.

Be encouraged! The LORD is our protector and our savior. There is nothing and nobody that is too big or too challenging for Him to handle.

I invite you to take a few minutes to pray.

Reflect on all that God has done for you. Give Him thanks and praise in a personal and specific manner. Then share with Him whatever challenges you still face and ask for His help. Put your faith in Him.

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.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Encouragement, Grace / Forgiveness, Hope, Justice / Judgment, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

He Disciplines and Forgives Those He Loves

God has a pattern with His people. He brings correction when they turn away from Him and then He sustains a righteous remnant. Overall, He loves His people and wants them to return to Him. He wants what is best for them. If they have gone astray, they need correction to put them back on the right path. He gives them that. In some ways it is like how we guide our children that go astray. We discipline them but also accept them back in love. If you have ever met children that receive no boundaries or discipline, then you know why this is important. They are a mess. They get off track and stay there. Compare that to children who seem to always be on the right track… well mannered, respectful, helpful, etc. They have received discipline when needed and it shows.

Consider this example in Isaiah 9. God uses a godless nation to be His instrument of discipline to bring His people back to Him.

Isaiah 10

Assyria Is God’s Instrument

1Woe to those who enact evil statutes
And to those who constantly record unjust decisions,

      2So as to deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor of My people of their rights,
So that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the orphans.

      3Now what will you do in the day of punishment,
And in the devastation which will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your wealth?

      4Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives
Or fall among the slain.
In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

      5Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,

      6I send it against a godless nation
And commission it against the people of My fury
To capture booty and to seize plunder,
And to trample them down like mud in the streets.

      7Yet it does not so intend,
Nor does it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is its purpose to destroy
And to cut off many nations.

      8For it says, “Are not my princes all kings?

      9“Is not Calno like Carchemish,
Or Hamath like Arpad,
Or Samaria like Damascus?

      10“As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols,
Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

      11Shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?”

      12So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness.”

13For he has said,
“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
For I have understanding;
And I removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants,

      14And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”

      15Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like a club wielding those who lift it,
Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.

      16Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors;
And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.

      17And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame,
And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.

      18And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

      19And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.

A Remnant Will Return

      20Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

      21A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

      22For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant within them will return;
A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

23For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

      24Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. 25“For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction.” 26The LORD of hosts will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt. 27So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.

      28He has come against Aiath,
He has passed through Migron;
At Michmash he deposited his baggage.

      29They have gone through the pass, saying,
“Geba will be our lodging place.”
Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah of Saul has fled away.

      30Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah and wretched Anathoth!

      31Madmenah has fled.
The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.

      32Yet today he will halt at Nob;
He shakes his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

      33Behold, the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash;
Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down
And those who are lofty will be abased.

      34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe,
And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

We can find great hope and encouragement in these words as well as a stout warning against straying from God and His ways. Consider verses 24-25:

24Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. 25“For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction.”

When you find yourself receiving discipline and correction from our Father, be encouraged. If you turn to Him with all your heart, His indignation against you will only last a little while. Then He will restore you, just as we would a loving parent to their child.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You that You are slow to anger. You are patient and loving and kind with Your people. Help us to be tuned in and listen well as the Spirit guides. Help us not to stray from You. If we do, thank You that You have made a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled through Yeshua. Thank You that You will give us the discipline we need but also invite us back to right relationship with You. Thank You that Your indignation will only last a little while. Your grace and mercy and forgiveness are enduring. Praise You in all things and all situations! We pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen. 

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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Should Saying “No” to Sin Be Easy for a Disciple of Yeshua?

For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord, turned from our sinful and worldly path and endeavor wholeheartedly to disciple our lives after Christ, saying no to sin easy… right? Of course not! We are constantly battling between our old sin nature, the flesh, and our desire to follow after Christ.

Romans 7:14-25

The Conflict of Two Natures

      14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

      21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

We can clearly see that man is not inherently good, but actually evil and selfish. Even as we desire to turn from sin and turn toward God’s way, we still have a battle upon our hands. The evil within us draws us toward sin.  Do not be discouraged if you are struggling with sin. The desire to sin does not just go away after we decide to disciple after Christ. It remains. We must pray and seek after the kingdom of God. Through Christ we can be set free from sin. Overcoming sin may not be quick and the potential for sin never fully goes away. However, we can be set free from sin and our lives transformed through Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to overcome my sin nature within me. Help me to live in a way that is pleasing to You. Let me not live according to what my flesh desires, but rather according to my spirit. Amen. 

Shalom

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, Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Greed, Homosexual Behavior, Mockers, Murder, Sin Nature, Strife, Tongue / Gossip / Slander, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

Unbelief and Its Consequences

Many who mean well, genuinely struggle to understand how Yahweh can pass judgment on some who have never heard of Him. Sadly, rather than studying the Bible to gain better understanding, they just begin to redefine God in their image and rationalize that people will not go to hell after all. This leads to all manner of misconceptions about God and even more people lose their way.

We know that Yeshua is the way to the Father.

John 14:6

6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

If we believe those who do not hear about Yeshua will automatically go to heaven because of ignorance…we can find ourselves rationalizing that we should not go and tell others about Him. If we share the gospel and they reject Him then they will go to hell, but if we just don’t tell them… then they will go to heaven?

Following false doctrine leads to disastrous consequences. Yeshua commanded us to proclaim the gospel to all the nations, knowing that many would reject the message and reject Him.

Matthew 28:18-20

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 7:13

13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Does that mean Yeshua wants people to go to hell? Of course not! He came to save us, but people must submit to and follow Him in more than just empty words. We must show our love and obedience to Him by truly being His disciple. To be a disciple, we must learn. To learn correctly, we must study and pray.

Paul reveals the harsh truth of the matter. There are no excuses for those who choose to reject Yahweh. Evidence of our Creator is available all around us in His creation. God is not pleased with those who reject Him, whether or not a missionary has formally come to teach them about Him. Further, there are direct consequences for those who reject God. Without acknowledging God’s instructions for right and wrong, they have no guide to lead them to righteousness. Thus, it is natural to end up living in wickedness and sin.

Romans 1:18-32

Unbelief and Its Consequences

      18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

      24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

      26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

      28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Please review carefully the specific, but not all-inclusive, list of sins that Yahweh finds worthy of wrath. Many of these are well accepted today in our culture. Starting in verse 26, God speaks about homosexuality and God labels it degrading, unnatural, and indecent. Verse 29 continues with a further list of sin that develops around those who reject God: “unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful”.

Do not overlook verse 32… which highlights the sin of not just doing these acts, but also of simply approving of, accepting, or encouraging these behaviors.

If we look around our society today, we see all of these things which have been called out in scripture. We did not see them as blatantly and publicly accepted a hundred years ago when we as a country had a stronger focus on God, Biblical teaching, and God’s instruction for how we should live. In other words, we can tie the degradation of our society back to people rejecting God and Him turning them over to a depraved mind as scripture documents.

Yahweh will not force people to obey and follow Him. He will let them suffer in their own choice, by their own free will. He gives them over to degrading passions that they have chosen. He gives them over to their depraved mind which they have chosen. As such, they will suffer in this world and then face the ultimate judgment when they face Jehovah when they die. Those who have not accepted Jesus as savior and submitted their lives to follow Him will go to hell.

John 3:16-21

      16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

The world and the people in it are inherently depraved and wicked, not inherently good. Some overcome this through becoming disciples of Christ. Some accept godly values even without accepting God, typically if it is normalized in a culture that generally does accept God. Sadly, many reject God and what He values. Prayerfully review the scripture and ask God to reveal to you what sins you may be practicing or approving of in others… of which you need to repent wholeheartedly to come back in right relationship with Him. Then humbly admitting your fault and recognizing the lies regarding what the world tries to paint as “right” and “proper” or “acceptable” behavior, turn from them and follow after Yeshua as a true disciple.

I encourage you to take a few minutes in prayer on this subject. pray for yourself first. Then consider praying for others and for our society as a whole. Take care not to move so quickly into prayer for others that you forget to pray about what God may need to show you in your own life.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Wickedness / Evil

Do Not Be Ashamed Of The Gospel

The worldly continuously try to redefine what is right and wrong to rationalize and accept more and more sin as acceptable behavior. They are “tolerant” of all manner of despicable behavior, with the exception of those who choose to follow Christ wholeheartedly… that they cannot accept. They cannot accept it because it shines a light on their sin and wrong lifestyles.

John 3:19-21

     19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Thus they reach out try to shame Christians by redefining marriage and redefining sexuality and redefining covetousness and so on. They spend much time and effort to influence the culture around us, including Christians, to shame them out of following Christ… accepting one more sin, and then another, and then another… there is no end. If we follow the worldly we will end up far from God very quickly. So we must not be ashamed of Yahweh (Hebrew for God) and of Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus), even when people try to shame us.

Romans 1:16-17

      16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

To please God, we must live by faith. To live by faith is to live according to His word revealed in the Bible, and do so boldly, proclaiming the gospel. Pray that God would help you to stand firmly in ever strengthening faith in His word even when others come against you. Study the truth of His word in the Bible daily and with emphasis in reading His word directly instead of only reading other people’s books about the Bible. Reflect on any changes you need to make in your life and pray God would help you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.