Thank you, Heavenly Father!

“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” Hebrews 1:3

 Sin, God said sin is the breaking of His law, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”  1 John 3:4 Most people do not understand the how serious it is to sin. People please understand, sin is the worst act committed against God in all creation. There in not one action of any creature that God created, that is worse than sin, it is an abomination to God. “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.”  Proverbs 15:26 the word means (disgusting) to the Lord. Because they are wicked and breaking Gods laws. God’s laws are not only the Ten Commandments but the breaking of any single scripture because the entire word of God is His law. We talk much about the lost and sin, but what about the Christians? Well, God said we are only perfect in Jesus Christ. We are still sinners; we still deserve God’s condemnation even after salvation. “But thank God for grace and especially mercy Our Father has forgiven all our sins in the blood of Jesus Christ. No Christian is without sin no matter how hard we work not too. Just a simple thought is a sin, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”  Matthew 5:28 Albert Barns said, “as extending only to the external act; and that they regarded evil thoughts and a wanton imagination as of little consequence, or as not forbidden by the law. Our Saviour assures them that the commandment did not regard the external act merely, but the secrets of the heart, and the movements of the eye. He declares that they who indulge a wanton desire, that they who look on a woman to increase their lust, have already, in the sight of God, violated the commandment, and committed adultery in the heart.” This is not limited to adultery but to any sin, a sin is so much more than people think. Even as Christians we are only as good as the Blood of Jesus Christ makes us. “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Ephesians 1:7 We need to as Christians be reminded everyday that it is only God’s grace and the blood of Jesus Christ that keeps us pure and holy acceptable in God’s sight. I am fearful that a lot of Christians and churches may forget this, think of themselves more proudly than they should, “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.”  1 Corinthians 8:2 Beloved if we forget that we are only pure in Christ then we forget that we are pure only by grace and mercy. Jesus Christ “…had by himself purged our sins…” before He sat on God’s right hand in heaven, salvation complete! Making us holy in God’s sight, making us without sin and able to be called God’s children and joint heirs with His own Son Jesus. A Christian who praises themselves on goodness fails to praise God of His pardon and Jesus for His sacrifice. We are nothing in this flesh, we are noting outside of Christ and in Christ we are only as good as God has made us, perfect. The gift of God is the measure of grace given to us, that grace is our limit, as Paul said, “I am what am by the grace of God” and only by God’s measure of grace. “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3 We are being held up by Jesus Christ, “…upholding all things by the word of his power…”. Therefore, let us conclude that as people we are sinners, and sinners everyday of our life. Some are stronger Christians than others by God’s measure of grace, but we are all still sinners. Let us allow for sinfulness but not use it as an excuse to sin. Temptations are hard to overcome, we all have weaknesses and Satan knows them and it is here he will tempt us. Sometimes we overcome by God’s grace and sometimes we fall, but as Christians we need to help pick each other up and not condemn each other as we are better.  "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" Romans 3:24 Sin does not stop with salvation, however, sin never stops being forgiven by God through the blood of Jesus Christ. All sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus and for that let us bow before God and thank God for His gift of our sin pardon. "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 The only unforgiveable sin is the sin of unbelief, yes lets us be shameful of our sins but never think that God does not forgive your every sin. Else, Christ dies in vain.

The Sovereign God.

“Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”  Romans 9:18

There was a time some decades back when people in all denomination believed in God as a Sovereign Being in some way. Even the Arminian churches of that time did not believe the looseness of what they do today. Some assemblies that call themselves churches simply ignore the bible in order to satisfy the people. God warned of this, "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (24) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen" Romans 1:24 – 25 Therefore, the Sovereignty of God in their minds has no significance, so much so they don’t believe God has the power to change peoples will. So, what exactly is the Sovereignty of God, it is God being a Supreme God, it is God controlling His own creation as He will’s. It is God controlling by predestination and His ordained will. Look what God said about the powerful Pharaoh, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee…”. God raised him to power just to destroy him, that’s right Pharaoh had no choice, he had no decision, he did not choose his evil heart, God just never changed his evil heart and made him good. Regardless of what the vast majority of the Christian religion wants you to think, God is the Sovereign creator not man. Man has no right to choose anything, there is no record in the bible of man choosing anything except evil over good, which is also their nature. God cause Pharaoh’s heart to be hardened because God chose him for an evil life to show His (God’s) power over Him. It is God Who molds the clay, some unto honor and some unto dishonor, it has nothing to do with mans choice. V.21 askes this question, “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” The question is, does the Potter (God) have the power over man to create one person honorable and another dishonorable? The answer is yes because it is God who has the mercy and grace, man only has evil in their heart, mercy and grace come from God. What about Esau, he had no choice in God loving him, “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” V. 13 God hated Esau because He never loved him. Esau had no choice to love God because in his very being God hated him. God said in V. 15 “…I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” There is noting there about God giving a person a choice, it is all about what the Sovereign God choses to do. The Apostle Paul is another example, Saul of Tarsus did not choose to come to Christ, Jesus stopped him and changed him. He went on to be a mighty solder for the Lord, and if Jesus had not stopped him, he would have arrested and killed more Christians. Paul said himself, “But by the grace of God I am what I am…” 1 Cor. 15:10 not by his own power of change. We looked and Esau whom God hated from eternity, lets look at the opposite, what about Jeremiah, God said "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." What choice did he have not to be what God made him, NONE! Jeremiah’s life was predestinated and ordained of God before the world was created. God chose his life the be “sanctified and…a prophet unto the nations." See folks, it is easy to condemn the beautiful doctrine of God’s sovereignty be in the bible it cannot be unproven. There is noting in the scriptures to refute the Sovereignty of God, NOTHING! Go ahead and find it, it is not there!       

 

The scripture not of private interpretation.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20

Please understand the scriptures are God’s, they were written on tables and scrolls by God’s chosen people, but every single letter of every word is God’s. The scriptures were most carefully translated into the English language by the King James translators into what is known as the King James Version. They carefully used older versions very carefully over several years to make sure we have the most accurate version, and among most Christians it is most used. I personally believe the KJV is the most accurate version the world has, and most trusted. The bible is God’s word, it does not belong to the writers it belongs to God, these people wrote the scriptures as the Holy Spirit instructed their hearts. "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (14) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (15) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (16) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:14 – 17 The bible is not a book written to lost people; it is written to the believers in Jesus Christ because God said lost people are “spiritually discerned” 1Cor. 2:14. That means they do not have the ability to understand God or His word. The bible is a spiritual revelation from the Holy Spirit, while it is a labor on our part it is still a revelation from God. Not only were holy men moved of God to write the scriptures, but holy people are also moved by the Holy Spirit to understand the bible. We are not able to contain the truths of the scriptures without the gift of God through the Holy Spirit. "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. (7) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; (8.) To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;" 1 Cor. 12:7 - 9 Therefore, it must be concluded that the only private interpretation of the scriptures is God’s, and it belongs to no man, denomination, group, or even scholars. No one is infallible in the scriptures except the Author which is God. To understand one letter of the scripture is a blessing and to understand much is a much larger blessing. People argue and debate the scriptures all the time now and in history, many have been killed in horrible ways because of their belief in the scriptures. Today Christians still argue the scriptures and fight in disagreement and even end friendships over the scriptures. I understand a strong scriptural stand, but if we do not allow for error then we are and intolerable people which is not Christian. If your attitude is that its your belief of nothing , you are in violation of the very scripture you profess to believe. God told Christians to love one another because we are Christian brothers and sisters not because we all agree with you. Even the smartest among us are wrong on the scriptures. We might ought to spend more time praying to God that we are correct ourselves than damning as wrong. One day we will all stand before Jesus Christ for our judgment, and this will be our judgment. The bible is not our interpretation but what God has written, therefore we as Christians must consistently search for the truth which only comes as a gift of God.