By Ray Gano Hello Ray!
I have a really important question for you about your article "Are You Really Living for the Lord". How do we know the path we are on? If so many people claim to be good Christians, how do we know that we are "Living for God?" I totally understand the Sunday morning Christian reference; however where do we draw the line of what is acceptable and what is not?
I completely understand that we are not to love money or material things. My second question is, if you are fortunate to make decent money is it wrong to have nice professional clothes for work? Is it wrong to try to be the best you can be as long as you are not "cocky" about it or look down on others?
I just sometimes wonder if taking vacations is a sin or buying my daughter a new sweater she likes. I believe it is worthy of discussion. The world has so many people (pastors, ministers, priests, etc.) telling us so many different things. ~~ PZ Reader Paula
You ask some very good questions, the fact that it is important to you tells me that you are on the right path.
In today's world salvation is taught, but sanctification is not. Because of that, people stop at the cross and then use grace as a license to sin.
What is forgotten is that it does not end with the cross, that is where everything begins.
What we need to realize is that a very high price was paid so that we may be seen "spotless" before our Father God. That sacrifice was Christ being scourged, mocked, tortured and then crucified. Read my latest article The Museum of Idolatry. I end it showing what the world is now mocking, our Lord and Savior.
Here is what scripture says...
Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
What did Christ do for us? He suffered at the hands of the world to pay for our sins.
What then is our reasonable service? To give our lives over to Him and the service of our Lord. Now, we are already Christians, we have the cross, but now we start walking the life of sanctification.
What distinguishes a true Christian from a C.I.N.O.? (Christian in name only) In most cases the answer is one word - guilt. Those who are truly Christians are convicted when they sin and feel guilt whenever they do sin ( and we all sin).
Those who aren't true Christians don't feel guilt, either because they have quenched the Holy Spirit or because they were never saved in the first place.
If fact, one of the sure ways to find out if you are really saved is how you react to sin.
If you just shrug it off and say "everyone sins". Then you have problems.
If you hate every sin you have committed and feel guilt every time, you are saved.
Scripture says...
1 Peter 1:16 (KJV) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Are you living a holy and acceptable life unto the Lord? Do you obey God's Word or do you do as you wish and slap the name Christian on things of the world so that it soothes your conscience.?
Christ said...
John14:15 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Do you love Him? Not only do you love Him for all to see, but do you love Him inside as well? Do you obey Him even when no one is looking? If we love the Lord, we keep His commandments. Yes we still mess up from time to time because no matter what we are still born of that sin nature and we will never escape from that here on earth while we still inhabit these "dirty rags" of a body.
Scripture says..
Isaiah 8:20 (KJV) "to the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
1 Corinthians 10:21 (KJV) Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
1 John 2:4-5 (KJV) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
We live in a world where we as man call the shots. No longer do we submit to Father. So many who claim the title Christian have one foot in the church and one foot out. What these people do not realize is that they are lying to themselves, because they do not obey God's Word. They are deceiving themselves and being deceived. They are on the Broadway vs the Narrow way.
Christ tells us himself Matthew 7...
Matthew 7:20-23 (KJV) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Often what people do to sooth their conscience is to say that Christ is talking to those who are in cults, false religions, ect. Problem with that is that there is no religion or cult out there besides true Christianity that call Jesus Lord...Lord. They call Him "a lord," one of many lords, ect. But never THE LORD.
So Christ is talking to "Christians" here in Matthew 7. When you read the context fully, it is self evident. These verses are the most fearful verses any Christian can read, because He is talking to us.
Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
We see here that on the Broadway, many there be which go in there at.
We also see regarding the narrow gate that "few there be that find it."
Can we lose our salvation? No we cannot. But what we need to ask ourselves, have we been deceived for so long thinking that we are Christians, where in reality, we are not? That is a terrifying question.
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me
Do you love the Lord, but more importantly, who do you serve? Do you serve yourself, your whims, wants, desires or have you given it all up and fully submitted to the Lord.
Here is what scripture say...
Mark 10:17-23 (KJV) And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
I want to take a little time here and explain what is going on. We in the west do not fully understand at times Jewish tradition and culture.
Here we see a man who came running to Christ, upon standing before Christ HE KNEELED. Next this man called him GOOD MASTER.
Here are two very important clues that often because we are ignorant of Jewish culture we read right over it thinking nothing of it. The man kneeled and called Christ GOOD MASTER.
In fact Christ comes back and asks the man " Why callest thou me good?"
What we do not realize is that even today in Jewish culture you never call anyone "good." Why? Because there is only one who is good and that is God.
So what do we know that is taking place here?
We know that this man realized who he was addressing.. He KNEW He was addressing God in the Flesh, The Messiah. The man knelt before him as God and called Him good, knowing He was God.
Knowing who Jesus was, the man asks Jesus how to get to heaven. He names everything he has done, but Christ tells him that he needs to sell everything, give it to the poor, take up his cross and follow Him.
Now we have got to remember that this man knows he is talking to The Messiah, and what did he do?
He went away angry because he was not willing to give up all to serve the Lord. Here in this story the man's "all" was his possessions. But for other people it could be some other thing, lifestyle, whatever.
The key is that we submit fully to Him forsaking everything then we pick up our cross and follow him.
Remember the following...
1 Corinthians 10:21 (KJV) Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
If you are not serving God, you are serving the flesh. There is no grey area, no middle of the road. God is binary, either you are serving Him, or you are not serving Him. We know this by reading Revelation.
Revelation 3:16 (KJV) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Of Buy Sweaters and Pastors Saying Different Things
>>> I just sometimes wonder if taking vacations is a sin or buying my daughter a new sweater she likes. The world has so many people (pastors, ministers, priests, etc.) telling us so many different things.
Buying things for your children is a blessing to them. God blesses us and we are His children, why can't we bless ours? The problem going overboard to the point where we are spoiling our kids which is more of a disservice than a benefit. Does God give us everything we want? No, He promises us to provide for our needs, everything else is a blessing.
You speak of vacations, that is a blessing from the Lord, at least that is how I look at it. I know that I cannot afford going on vacation, so if we are able to go anywhere at all, the blessing has to come from the Lord to make it possible.
As for the world's pastors, teachers and such. What we need to always remember is to go back to the final authority, that is God's Word.
Speaking of the Bereans, Paul states the following...
Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
This is a principle that we in the church have forgotten. We have become lazy and depend on others to tell us what we need to know vs searching out the scriptures for ourselves.
How Do We Know The Path We Are On?
>>>> How do we know the path we are on? If so many people claim to be good Christians, how do we know that we are "Living for God?" I totally understand the Sunday morning Christian reference; however where do we draw the line of what is acceptable and what is not?
Again, it is how we handle our sins which shows us what path we are on.
Those who are truly Christians are convicted when they sin and feel guilt, where the Sunday morning Christians (C.I.N.O) don't feel their guilt. This is because they have either quenched the Holy Spirit or they have no guilt because they were never saved in the first place.
As for knowing what is acceptable and what is not, we learn this by reading God's Word daily.
Scripture says...
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (KJV) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Clearly God is telling us to meditate always on His Word. Not only that, but to teach His Word to our children always as well. Think about this for a moment, when you sit, when you walk, when you lie down, when you get up. That pretty much encompasses all day. When you do this, His Word becomes part of you and with that comes discernment.
Here is a good example. Do you know how treasury department agent knows how to spot a counterfeit dollar? They study the original. They know how a dollar feels, looks like, smells like and even tastes like. They know the dollar bill so well that when a fake is given to them, they "just know" it is a fake. How do they know? They know it is a fake because they know the true dollar so well.
That is what we as Christians need to get to. We need to know God's Word so well that when error, bad things, wrong things no matter to what degree or size it is, if it is wrong we will "just know" because we know the truth. We know the truth because we know God's Word; that is because we spend so much time with His Word.
With all that stated, I have to ask …
Who Do You Serve?
Jesus stated the following…
John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If you do not have Christ in your life, you will spend eternity in hell. This is a fact. It does not matter if you believe this or not, it is the truth spoken by Jesus himself. If your name is not written in the Lambs Book of Life you will go to hell for what you have not done and that is accepting Christ as your personal savior.
To be placed in the Lamb Book of Life, you need to turn your life completely over to Him. Having “head” knowledge or “just believing in Christ” is not the same as having “heart” knowledge with Christ living in your heart. We know that even the devils believe in Him, where are they spending eternity?
James 2:19 (KJV) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
We work hard at Prophezine to show that Bible Prophecy is coming to pass. Because of this fact, the Bible is true. Since the Bible is the true and inerrant word of God, there is a heaven and there is a hell.
If you claim the title of “Christian” then take account of yourself this day. Many claim the title, but we read in God’s Word that the title does not get you into heaven.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Who you serve will determine where you will spend eternity. If you are not serving Christ and a true child of God, then you are serving Satan and a child of the enemy.
If you are not 110% sure, then take account of yourself, your very life depends upon it.
1 John 1:9 (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, we are here to serve.
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