Posted on 10/06/2004 4:00:00 AM PDT by Radio Bible Guy
Many Shall Call Me Lord Self-deception and believing, then living a lie.
There are no quick answers to complex questions, but the questions concerning, God’s Word or “Revealed Will,” are plain for every generation to see. Whether they are men and women who name Christ as their Lord or not, people want to play all kinds of games with God and His Word in an attempt to excuse themselves from their anti-cultural and suicidal behaviors. These lifestyle choices center on ethical decisions requiring wisdom for greater understanding of the difference between good and evil. From a Christian perspective, this point is clearly explained.
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Hebrews 5:12-14
Unfortunately, I must confess that many times during my Christian life over the last thirty-plus of my forty-nine years, I have found myself playing these same word games with God and the Bible as well. In reality, I, too was only trying to find ways to justify and fulfill my own covetousness, idolatry, and lust within a pretext of “trusting,” God.
It is only by God’s wonderful grace, when the day dawns and we hear His words and crave them that we truly begin to desire God’s ways, even God Himself. Even greater still is the moment at which we begin to reflect upon those words with a “first love energy,” as if they were from a suitor for whom we tenderly and eagerly long to become our spouse and companion each day of life. Now, love becomes real and alive, because love is seen though our noticeable actions.
“That you may love the LORD thy God, and that you may obey his voice, and that you may cleave unto him: for he is your life and the length of thy days...” Deuteronomy 30:20
“Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful…” Psalm 31:23
“You, who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 97:10
“I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1, 2
“Jesus said to him, you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your entire mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38
Nothing can separate the Christian from the love of God (Romans 8:39). Then, how do we know that we love God? We know we love our Lord because we love His Word, His Will and His Ways.
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
John 15:10 (John 14:15, Exodus 20:6, Proverbs 7:2)
It is the Lord, by His creative act, who transforms a person into this new life we call "Christian". (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Isaiah 42:9; 43:19) The believer then embraces the Word and Will of God and longs to live a peaceful and orderly life among family, church, and civil government by conforming to God’s way. This becomes a lifestyle we love, which was designed to operate without the difficulty and trauma we see at work under the godless management of our day.
Void is the wisdom and missing are the positive sanctions (blessings) in the life of the “natural man.” He has no love or desire to live a life that is pleasing to God. No matter how this person might reform himself by means of religion or ideas that might “feel” acceptable in God’s sight, he remains outside any life-giving, covenant relationship with God. We, too, were these people, before God was pleased to share His grace and affection with us.
“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14
It can be understood of those who are outside of a covenant relationship with God that:
“There is none that understands, there is none that seek after God.” Romans 3:11
“For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” Philippians 2:21
“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts.” Psalm 10:4
For anyone to discount God’s righteousness and perfect justice by saying, “I don’t see anywhere in the Bible that a loving God would disapprove of... (this or that activity) in my life,” leaves that person open to the possibility of God’s most devastating of all judgments.
Should this person expect to endure the loss of family members, personal wealth, or good health? Perhaps he should be expecting to become involved in an awful car accident or plane crash or perhaps some other horrific physical pain or debilitating injury. God is Sovereign and His ways are far above man’s ways. Any number of these forms of God’s wrath could be set against the sin found in a person’s life, especially if it is devoid of the Spirit of God.
However, there is something far worse than the physical suffering that can be found on this earth, which is the worst possible judgment that can come befall a life of “lawlessness.” What is this most distressing intervention that God is free to impose upon a life of covenant rebellion against his Holy Word, when its imagined everything “must be ok” or “it’s all good” concering a "personal relationship" with God?
It is the judgment of being given over to a delusion to believe that one is in a Christian relationship with God and in God’s will, when he is not!
For a person to live day after day, walking around, working, playing, even being “faithful to his church” and believing all the while that he is a Christian when he is NOT is the worst possible thing that could happen to anyone. When God’s ways, the ways He has ordained for the Christian’s life, are rejected and the “Christian,” in essence, becomes the lord over his own life and determines his own “comfort zone of obedience” to God’s Word, he then puts himself in the same position as those who utterly reject the revelation of God. It is a fearful fact that this judgment from God, “a strong delusion,” could be next in order for any such life.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness...v.24, Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts...v26, For this cause God gave them up to vile affections... v28b, God gave them over to a reprobate mine...”
Romans 1:18-28
II Thessalonians 2:10-12 affirms this righteous judgment against man’s lawlessness even more vehemently.
“...and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sent them a working of error, (powerful delusion) that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
God has used this, the most extreme of judgments, “giving one over to a strong delusion” synonymously with “hardening of the heart” throughout all generations. (Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 14:4, 17; Joshua 11:20; Romans 9:18) The nation of Israel is the ultimate example (Jeremiah 3:8; Matthew 21:37-43; Romans 11:22) of what becomes of a people who sows the fruits of unfaithfulness to God’s Law-Ways as is declared in His Word. The nation suffered blindness and rejected their expected Messiah because of God’s “hardening” after generations of sin against God’s Will and lawless rebellion against God’s covenant. (Deuteronomy 28)
Now is when the human centered, anti-Christian heart begins seething with condemnation against their Creator with such accusations as, “this is not fair” and “this could not be a God of love.” The deceived, “Christian” demands establishing and maintaining a connection with the Creator on his own terms. But, how can the created person say to the One who created him, “why have you made me this way.” In fact, the Creator has entitlement over His creation. (Romans 9) So, are man’s ways above those of God? Where were you oh man when God was pleased to reveal His Glory in creation and yet greater still where will you be after God has accomplished His plan in history to redeem all things to Himself?
“And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:28
For what reason can this be... WHY ?
“That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7
Has God changed His ways or the methods He has wonderfully mandated for His Creation so our liberal Christian congregations may lead lives independent of His perfect justice? (Justice, meaning the fairness and equity among people our "Christian" friends claim as motive for their personal judgments and desirers used for "clarifying" God’s established Lordship). Are man’s thoughts higher then God’s thoughts? Judge for yourself for you shall be judged!
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Matthew 7:21-23
How do you keep from being deceived by a strong delusion?
“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever.
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold.
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned
and in keeping them there is great reward.”
Psalm 19:7-11
2 Thessalonian 2:13-17
welcome to fr
Don't be shy! Jump on in!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.