THE VALUE OF THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD…


Spiritual Blog - Inspired

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” NASU

 

In Paul’s teaching of his son in the faith Timothy he gives us a most eloquent and powerful explanation and revelation regarding the value and power of God’s Word.  In these two short verses, we have a treasury of knowledge stored up.  In this passage, there is a virtual “gold mine” wherein we can extract powerful life truths that better enable us to walk this Christian walk on planet earth.

He begins by asserting that ALL SCRIPTURE is INSPIRED by God.  Although it was written by men it was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that it was penned.  It has life and power that can penetrate even the hardest heart and gives guidance for life like no other piece of writing found among men.

            He declares that this inspired scripture is profitable and then lists some of the many things for which it is to be used:

  1. TEACHING
  2. REPROOF
  3. CORRECTION
  4. TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

 He tells us that the end of this profitability is that the man/woman of God may be “adequate” or as the KJV says “perfect”.  The Greek is “artios” which signifies an integer or whole number in mathematics, to which nothing needs to be added to make it complete.  The idea is COMPLETION and he clearly identifies that in saying, “equipped for every good work.”  The Inspired Word of God teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains us so that we are complete and capable of doing that which God assigns us in this life.  It is quick and powerful and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  It is a light to our pathway and a lamp to our feet as Psalm 119:105 reveals.

If we do not spend time in the Word of God we rob ourselves of light, equipment, training, correction, and guidance that would enable us to walk more complete in Him and make this journey much more profitable and palatable.  Do not rob yourself of one of the most valuable resources you have in life – GOD’S INSPIRED WORD.

So as you begin your day today why not take a few minutes of your time and drink of the nectar of spiritual truth that is available in the fountain of God’s Inspired Word?  May God be with you as you go through your day!

 

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A BETTER DAY IS COMING….


Spiritual Blog - Better

Revelation 21:1-4 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”  NASU

 

Job got it right when he declared in Job 14:1 – “Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.” (NKJV)  James told us in James 4:14b – “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (NKJV) We learn quickly from Scripture and experience that Life has problems but the continual and clear promise of the Bible is A BETTER DAY IS COMING!  John declares in the passage above that very truth.

There is coming a time when tears will no longer be a part of our lives, death will be banished, mourning, sadness, crying, and pain will be removed from our existence.  We will spend eternity in the presence of the Almighty God creator of heaven and earth and enjoy His presence, peace, and person through the endless ages.  For some, that sounds like a boring time and while I do not know what takes place in heaven I know that the one thing it will not be is BORING!  I am so confident of that I can declare it without fear of ever being proven wrong in this life or the next.

We all have, are having, or will have difficulty in life!  It is a natural part of the process of traveling from birth to death.  So when you are facing difficult times and events or circumstances that seem insurmountable and more than you can bear remember that A BETTER DAY IS COMING!  There is going to be a day when none of these things we now face will have any place.  There is coming a day when all the troubles mankind faces on this planet will be forever banished and we will enjoy the TOTALITY OF GOD’s PERFECTION.  As I write this my heart begins to become Homesick for Heaven and yet as Paul said, “I’m torn between the two, going home or staying here.”  The reason that I desire to stay is that I know that I have not yet finished my assignment and I selfishly want to spend more time on earth with my wife and family while watching my grandchildren grow up and become beautiful adults.  Yet, as I face and see others face the trials of life my heart says, “How long Lord before you call your children home and deliver us from this death?”

As you go through your day go through it with the thought in mind A BETTER DAY IS COMING!  Lift up your eyes to God and allow your heart to make the choice to rejoice!  Blessings to you as you go through your day!

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BITTER OR BETTER?


Spiritual Blog - Bitter or Better

Genesis 37:27-28 – “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.  28 Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.”  NASU

The story of Joseph is one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible, for me.  It is an account of a young man who had heard the story of his great-grandfather Abraham from his father and grandfather from the time he could remember.  He was educated and the truth of the Abrahamic Covenant had been planted in his heart day after day.  It took root and produced the fruit of righteousness and faith as is evidenced in what transpired in his life.

Here in Genesis 37, we find his brothers selling him to the Ishmaelites who sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer, the captain of the bodyguard of Pharaoh.  But in Psalm 105:18-19 we find these words regarding Joseph – “They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons; 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.” NASU  If you trace the route likely taken by the caravan it would have passed within eyesight of Jacob’s camp.  Joseph had been trussed up like an animal, placed in a cage and hung on the side of a camel.  It was more than just being chained it affected him to his inner person and had he not handled it, in God, he would have died a bitter old man in Egypt but he didn’t.

His troubles didn’t end in Potiphar’s house where he is falsely accused of attempted rape and it seems that Potiphar believed Joseph was innocent because Egyptian law required the offender to be killed but instead of killing Joseph he imprisoned him.  He had to save face and do something but he did not exercise the demand of the law that tells me that he believed Joseph.  In prison, Joseph was promoted because of God’s hand upon him and had he been a bitter man that would never have happened.  Each trial only made him better rather than bitter.  He was tested by God and when the right time came he was promoted to 2nd in the most powerful nation of the existing world of his day.  God worked all things together for his good.  None of them were good in themselves individually but when they worked together they produced a mighty, godly, powerful leader that would preserve the seed nation of the Messiah.

In life things either make us “bitter or better” and the choice is ours.  We can elect to become bitter and angry, filled with resentment and seek revenge or allow the desire and drive to retaliate to rise or we can become “better” and “godly”.  God is there for us but allows us to make the choice.  Everything in life is an opportunity to either become embittered or rise to new heights in God and become more Christ-like.  It is our choice!

May God help you become better not bitter in life!  Blessings as you go through your day!

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THE RESURRECTION – Cornerstone of Christianity…


Spiritual Blog - Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:12 – “Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain [useless, amounting to nothing], and your faith is also vain [imaginary, unfounded, devoid of value and benefit—not based on truth]. 15 We are even discovered to be false witnesses [misrepresenting] God, because we testified concerning Him that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised, either; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and powerless [mere delusion]; you are still in your sins [and under the control and penalty of sin]. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hoped only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.” Amplified.

 

 In a day when a world religious leader can suggest there is no hell one wonders what salvation means to him.  I have long preached that the motivation for seeking God for Salvation should not simply be to avoid hell but to enter into fellowship with our Creator.  Our remorse over sin should not be that we got caught and in repentance we avoid punishment but that our hearts are broken as God’s because of sin.  Regardless of what motivates you to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and receive His mercy, forgiveness, and pardon that new life you are entering into would not be possible were it not for the Resurrection.

Jesus came, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life (no He did not have affairs and a secret wife and family), gave Himself a sacrifice on the Cross to satisfy divine justice to pay the penalty for the sin of mankind and purchase us back from the domain of the devil.  On the Cross, He cried, “It Is Finished!”  His death paid our debt and opened the door to salvation for whosoever and as he descended into the devil’s domain, He stripped the devil of his authority and took the keys of hell and the grave from him.  Jesus revoked the devil’s authority upon anyone and everyone who would receive the atonement He (Jesus) provided.  Then on the third day, He AROSE from the dead.  The Resurrection is the key to the completion of the Work of Atonement!  If Jesus did not rise from the dead then there is no resurrection for anyone, no atonement, no new birth, no salvation, and no access to the Father.  Our faith would be in vain and our hope shattered on the rocks of despair.  The angels declared on that Resurrection Morning – “He is not here… He is Risen!”  They (Sanhedrin and Romans) killed Him but couldn’t keep Him dead!  They crucified Him, but He arose triumphant over the devil and sin.  HE IS ALIVE!  HE IS RISEN!

As we celebrate this marvelous day, this incredible truth should penetrate our hearts with a sense of overwhelming awe, joy, gratitude, and thanksgiving.  HE IS RISEN!  We are not living a delusion, as some contend.  We are not living in a fool’s paradise, hoping for something that is fictional.  We are not serving a dead savior, but He is THE LIVING GOD!  He is not the creation of some man’s imagination.  Our religion or faith is not based on some man’s concoction of a system of religion.  The Living Lord, when He comes into a heart TRANSFORMS that individual and transfers them from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.  He rescues us, restores us, and empowers us with power over all the power and authority of the devil.  WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS and that is verified in the Resurrection!

When He ascended into Heaven as the crowd witnessed, the angel said, “This same Jesus, just as you have seen Him go will come again.”  The Resurrected Jesus is coming back for His bride, the blood-washed, forgiven, transformed body of believers who have trusted Him for salvation.  My sins where are many have been covered in the blood and my Hope is IN HIM and the reality that He is Alive!

God bless you as you celebrate this wonderful Resurrection Sunday and reflect on what that event means to each of us and all who have lived and will live in the future.  John reported it perfectly as He captured the words of Jesus in John 3:16 – “For God so [greatly] love and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  Amplified.

 As you celebrate His Resurrection and our Hope today I pray that the LORD will richly bless you!  Have a Great day and may His blessings abound in your life!

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THE UNSHAKABLE WORD OF GOD….


Spiritual Blog - Unshakable

Mark 13:31 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” NASU

In the context of this particular verse Jesus was speaking of His Second Coming and giving the disciples and future generations clues and keys to look for to identify the times.  In that context but also as a stand-alone statement He said:  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”  His Word is UNSHAKABLE and INFALLIBLE!   We trust so many things in this world and life but the only sure thing is GOD’S WORD!

When I enter my house at night I flip the switch and believe that light is going to immediately fill the room.  When I sit on a chair I believe that it is going to support my weight and allow me to sit there comfortably.  When I get in my truck I expect the engine to start and take me down the road to my destination.  When I get on an airplane I expect it to take over, become airborne, remain airborne until we reach the destination and then land safely and allow me to get off.  It is by faith that we operate in this life and if we did not have faith and confidence that those things and multitudes more were going to be realities we would be mental and emotional wrecks and completely unable to function.  Yet, too often we DO NOT TRUST the Word of God with that same expectancy.  We read the promises and consider them “hopes”, “dreams”, “aspirations” rather than FACTUAL PROMISES by God Himself.  We relegate them to some by-gone era or for someone else and that is wrong.  Jesus said that although Heaven and Earth passed away HIS WORD WOULD NOT!  It is rock solid and unshakable!

Let me encourage you to read the promises of God and take them literally not figuratively.  Read them as personal promises to you because, if you have been redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, they are!  We readily accept that God does not and cannot lie but we treat His promises as though they were something other than factual absolute commitments by Him to us.  If God says something He says it for purpose not just to hear Himself speak or to make us feel warm and fuzzy at the moment of hearing it.  He says it because of His great love and if He promises He backs up that promise with His very person, nature, and character.  GOD NEVER speaks idle words!

So as you go through this day and from this day forward as you read the Word of God receive it as a Personal Promise of God to you because it is.  May God be with you as you go through this day!

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THE OPERATIVE WORD IS – “IF”….


Spiritual Blog - Vine

John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  NASU

 In His discourse about being the Vine and the Father the vinedresser, Jesus informed those hearing that He expected His followers to “bear fruit” and if there was no “fruit bearing” that branch would be taken away.  He talked about the cleansing of the branches by pruning and told those listening that they were clean already because of His Word.  He identified that there could be no fruit except it come from the life of the Vine and that since we are branches and He is the vine our fruit is the result of the life that exudes from the vine.  Then in verse seven, He makes a statement that far too often is taken as a stand-alone passage but must be viewed in the context of the whole – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask WHATEVER you wish, and it will be done for you.”  (Emphasis mine).

This door to the miraculous is conditioned not only upon the context of the whole but hinges on the small word – ‘IF’.  The two facets of the “if” are abiding in Him, and His words abiding in us.  It is in light of drawing life from the Vine and producing fruit that He identifies that we are recipients of life and as living branches, we produce fruit because we are ABIDING IN HIM and His Words are ABIDING IN US.  That is the flow to us and from us. We receive of His life and as a result of that reception we produce fruit which produces seed which produces more fruit and the cycle is endless.  In that context, we can “Ask what we wish and receive answers to our prayers.”

Unfortunately, it would seem that too often we either are not abiding in Him and His words are not abiding in us to the level that He is our ALL-IN-ALL and we are living in a relatively casual, relationship rather than a totally committed life in which we “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.”  In that condition, we neither expect that whatever we wish or pray to come to pass nor are we in a condition of heart to attain faith to receive.  Contrarily, if we are abiding in Him and His words are abiding in us His life will prod us to the level of life that we live in expectancy and become fulfillments of His promise that “the Works that He did we will do and greater works because He has gone to the Father.”  We will exhibit in this life the life of Jesus and through the fruit of that relationship, others will be positively impacted for the Kingdom.

The operative word is “IF”.  If we abide in Him.  If His words abide in us.  IF is the condition and the conduit through which the life that brings the faith for the miraculous.  Lord help me to change the “IF” to “I DO”. 

May God be with you as you go through your day!

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IDLE, CARELESS, OR EVIL WORDS….


Spiritual Blog - Words

Matthew 12:33-37 – “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.  34 ” You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.  35 ” The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.  36 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the Day of Judgment.  37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”  NASU

 

I’ve heard so many interpretations of verses 36-37 that I approach this with great caution and careful thought.  I’ve had people tell me that this means that if you are not talking about God all the time you are uttering idle or careless words and will be judged for it.  That would seem quite legalistic and be quite a prison for all of us.  I’m not sure how you would conduct business, develop a social life, find a mate, or train your children in all aspects of life under that interpretation but if that is your view so be it.  I would ask that you restrain yourself in seeking to impose it on the rest of us.

I have studied this troubling and seemingly difficult translation to find what our Lord was truly saying to those in his audience then and now.  I refer you to two notable commentators on Scripture:

Adam Clarke suggested: 

[Every idle word] – Reema (NT:4487) argon (NT:692), a word that does nothing, that neither ministers grace nor instruction to them who hear it.  The word argon (NT:692) corresponds to the Hebrew shaaw’ (OT:7723), which signifies not only vain or empty but also wicked and injurious, such as a false testimony against a neighbor, compare Deut 5:11 and 20. Add to this, that Symmachus translates piguwl (OT:6292), polluted, Lev 19:7, by the very Greek word in the text. It was to explain this ambiguous meaning of the word, that ten MSS. have changed argon (NT:692), into poneeron (NT:4190), evil. Our Lord must be understood here as condemning all false and injurious words: the scope of the place necessarily requires this meaning.

In looking at verse 37 we realize that – [By thy words thou shalt be justified] That is, the whole tenor of thy conversation will be an evidence for or against thee, in the great day. How many are there who count words for nothing! Yet eternity often depends on them. Lord, put a watch or a guard at the door of my lips!  That is a prayer proper for all men.

Barnes Notes suggested:

[But I say unto you …] Christ closes this address to his malignant and wicked hearers by a solemn declaration that for these things God would bring them into judgment. Therefore. THEY who had spoken so malignantly against him, could not escape.

[Idle word] This literally means a vain, thoughtless, useless word; a word that accomplishes no good. Here it means, evidently, “wicked, injurious, false, malicious, for such” were the words which they had spoken.

[By thy words thou shalt be justified …] That is, “words” are the indication of the true principles of the heart; by “words” the heart shall be known, as the tree is by its fruit. If they are true, proper, chaste, instructive, pious, they will prove that the heart is right. If false, envious, malignant, and impious, they will prove that the heart is wrong, and will, therefore, be among the causes of condemnation. It is not meant that words will be the only thing that will condemn man, but that they will be an important part of the things for which he shall be condemned.  See James 3:3-12.

I would suggest that Jesus is referring to words that are “without value”, words that are “harmful”, and words that are “untrue”.  I would also suggest that He is identifying the condition of the heart in referring to the utterance of words and is telling all who will hear that it is a WHOLESOME, GOD-FEARING LIFE that is to be prized and that will be acceptable to God on that day.  To suggest that simply by constructing our language and conversation in a particular way would be enough to gain entrance into Heaven would be to trample under-foot the Blood of Jesus and slander the Grace of God.  It would make Grace something earned and Salvation something we can become worthy of by our actions or words and we know that is not according to Scripture.  Therefore, this cannot be interpreted in that manner so understanding that it is not just talking a particular dogma that our Lord is focused on but the WHOLE OF OUR LIVES and instructing us to understand that “Words Have Meaning” and are “Powerful.”   I too pray that God will place a guard at my mouth and my heart and that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart prove to be pleasing and acceptable in His sight!

May God be with you as you go through your day.

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HEAVEN’S OPEN DOOR…..


Spiritual Blog - Open Door

Revelation 4:1 – “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven…” NASU

Although there are many paths I could take with this text I only want to pursue one and that is “Heaven’s Open Door.”  Just the other day as we were traveling my wife and I were listening to some old Gospel Music and “I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before” made its way into the rotation of songs and this scripture came to mind.  In that song, it says, “I can see the Father standing at the door.”  That reminded me of the parable of the Prodigal Son and how the father saw the returning wayward son at a great distance and ran to meet him.  That suggests that he was always “looking” for the return of his wayward child and possibly standing in the doorway of his house looking over the way hoping against hope that his son that was lost would return.  I can imagine our Heavenly Father looking over His creation at the doorway of Heaven and longing for us to “return to Him with a whole heart.”  At times I can almost hear the sobs of the Father and my Lord Jesus as they weep over the condition of mankind in this day that we live.

Several things come to mind when I think of a “Door Open in Heaven”.  That tells me that there is “open access” to God’s throne through prayer and how we need to take advantage of that invitation and opportunity.  It suggests that God is eagerly awaiting us to petition Him and is willing to dispatch help to us at a moment’s notice.  The picture that comes to my heart’s mind is that of a loving parent watching over their children and ready to protect and nurture them if there is a need and willing to let them spread their wings to learn to fly.  I sense that there is a “Door Open in Heaven” and God is extending a personal invitation for us to “enter in” through the vehicle of prayer and commune with Him and receive from Him His supply.

Whatever you do as you go through this day, hold in your heart and mind that there is an “Open Door in Heaven” for you right now!  May God be with you and bless you richly!

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THE LIVING DEAD!!!!


Spiritual Blog - Dead

Romans 8:10-12 – “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh….”  NASU

We are the “Living Dead” and I’m not talking about Zombies as Hollywood seems to be obsessed with these days.  When I say the “Living Dead” I am talking about people who have “died to sin” and “risen to life” in Jesus Christ through the Power of the Blood.  It is a beautiful place to be – LIVING DEAD!

Paul informs the Roman believers that IF the Spirit of God, that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us that same Spirit will give us LIFE in our mortal bodies.  We are then DEAD but ALIVE and that is because we are not controlled by the “flesh” but the “spirit.”  As a result, we are no longer under OBLIGATION to Live According to the Flesh.  That leads me to my next question – “Why do we?”  Why do we allow the FLESH to have so much power in our daily lives?  Why do we allow the FLESH to be such a dominant force in our lives?  WHY?  There can only be one of a few possibilities.

  • We are uninformed as to our position and condition in Christ.
  • We are willing participants with the FLESH.
  • We are so underdeveloped spiritually that the devil easily sways and overcomes us.

None of those are conditions that are required.  We are not OBLIGATED to live according to the flesh.  The result of Jesus coming, living a sinless life, dying sacrificially on the Cross, rising again on the third day, and ascending to the Right Hand of the Father – is the defeat of the devil.  That is not a maybe or someday, somehow when we all get to heaven he will be – HE IS DEFEATED NOW!   Jesus said that ALL POWER or AUTHORITY in heaven was given to Him and He gave that to us.  Therefore, we have authority and power over the devil which would mean that the FLESH is to be subject to the Spirit of God, not vice versa. We are under NO OBLIGATION to succumb to the temptations or whims of the flesh.  We are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Jesus and We CAN do all things through Christ!  That is our Covenant, Heritage, and Promise from the Lord Himself so why not employ it and enjoy it?

As you go forth today go in the strength of the Power of the Spirit of God and walk in Victory!  God bless you richly is my prayer!

 

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CONSIDER ANOTHER HE MIGHT BE A WEAKER BROTHER…


Spiritual Blog - Weaker Brother

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 – “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” NKJV

Personal Liberty and the Conscience of a Weaker Brother is and always will be an issue in the Church.  How far do we press our liberty before we become a stumbling block for a “weaker brother”?  Is there a time to say, “Grow up and realize that different people have different convictions”?  Is exercising our liberty worth causing another to stumble?  How you answer those questions will determine how you relate to those around you.

There was a time in my Christian walk that I felt that everyone should hold the same convictions that I did and if they did not they were “carnal” at best and “backslidden” at worst.  That was incredibly Pharasical and in a very real sense I was a Pharisee of Pharisees!  It took God rattling my cage in a major way to cause me to rethink my way of thinking and to understand that I was not God’s Fruit Inspector He could handle that job just fine without my assistance.  Likewise, I had to learn, although in my heart I knew it that most of what I called “convictions” were simply “opinions” and did not have the weight of Scripture.  An opinion is just that and is something that may and should change if any new light comes.  If God “convicts” your heart over an action, belief, or anything you should follow what God says implicitly and explicitly.  Yet you must always remember that what God “convicts” you of He may not convict another.  Many times the roots of that conviction stem from something within you or the geographic region in which you live and the mindset of those around you.  God will bring conviction to your heart for your benefit not so you can attempt to impose it on everyone else that would be what a Pharisee does.

There have been times that I could have done something but knew that there were those around me who would be hindered in their Christian walk if they saw me.  So, in the interest of another, I choose to abstain.  In traveling to other parts of the country and world I have found that there are many differing views on various things that Christians do or do not do and sometimes the dogmatism is so strong that no amount of reason or biblical teaching can break it.  Unless God brings light to the heart that person or persons will remain as they are.  Attempting to legislate a particular mindset or lifestyle would be futile and brings to mind the old saying:  “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”  They may yield to your insistence but their hearts and minds have not truly changed.  You are not God so why try to be?

As you go through your day realize that what you do and say will have an impact on others so choose your words and deeds carefully considering another for your liberty is not worth hindering another in their pursuit of GOD and His GRACE!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

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