Christians need to be careful whom they support.

2 John 1:10 - 11 “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: (11) For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Lewis Speery Chafer said in his writings Essential Works “Bible doctrines are the bones of revelation and the attentive Bible student must be impressed with the New Testament emphasis on "sound doctrine" When Christians associate themselves with other Christians or Christian organizations or when they pray for or support in any way anything Christian, it must first be determined what their belief on Sound Doctrine is. We are responsible for what we believe in biblical doctrine, but we are also responsible with whom we associate and support. Now this goes beyond Christianity it also goes into your everyday life. While all of Christians need to heed this warning Ministers and especially Pastors need to heed this warning. God said in the qualifications of Elders these words, “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”     Titus 1:9 The reason is that Pastors and teachers are teaching learning Christians, and they must be taught with very strict and bold doctrine. Paul told Titus “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:” Titus 2:1 When we listen to what God is saying is “it matters what you believe” and only sound biblical doctrine is what we are to support. In this world called “Christianity” it is full of unsound doctrine; some say they do not want to even hear any doctrine much less sound doctrine. However, as we have just quoted God, doctrine is very important, and not just doctrine but biblical sound doctrine. Here God points out that Christian responsibility and the rules we are to abide by God’s word, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house…” If you do not believe that sound doctrine is important, then look at what God says about the gospel. The gospel is the message God uses to save sinners, but why if it is not taught with sound doctrine? God said in 1Cor. 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Therefore, if someone is not preaching the true gospel in sound doctrine? People will be misled and miss true salvation. They will believe they are saved but find out later they believed a lie. What if a Minister doesn’t believe the truth about the Sovereignty of God, then people will be misled about the true nature and workings of God.

So, you can see how important it is to find sound doctrine and only support true biblical sound doctrine. If Christians support churches, pastors, musical groups, or any organization that is not a believer of sound doctrine then they are supporting the spreading of lies. We must also be reminded that God will hold us responsible for being a “partaker of his evil deeds.” As Bible believing Christians, we are not allowed to support anything that is not biblical truth. God even says, “neither bid him God speed:” Do not attend their churches, do not listen to their music, do not give them money, in no way are we to help them spread their lies to the world. Just because they do what they do in the name of Jesus or in the name of God does not make it truth, it must have “sound doctrine”. God said our worship must be in “Truth” that is in Biblical Truth which is Sound Doctrine. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 The world can worship anyway they chose, they can teach what is pleasing to the ears of the world, they can have ordinances that are pleasing to the world, but as churched and Christians believing in sound doctrine, we must not in any form support them or their teachings. If the bible is not the totality of your doctrine, then you are not walking in righteousness. God is very strict about this, there is no “gray area”. We must always make sure what we believe, teach, or the things we support are of biblical sound doctrine even it the world hates us! God said, “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Ephesians 5:10 – 11   

The Sovereignty of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. (15) That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.”

If you do not know, understand, or you are maybe confused about the Sovereignty of God, you need to study these two verses. While the nature of man is limited and imperfect the very nature of God is completely opposite. Everything about God is perfection, while sometimes man thinks of himself this way, they are wrong. But it seems sometimes man thinks of God as finite but again man is wrong, God is Infinite in every way. We read in Proverbs 19:21 “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” It is man who is always confused, thinking, and changing in an attempt to be right and complete, but only God is complete and never changing. There is none like God, none has His power, authority, and none has a grace that is irresistible. No one, not one created being can hinder God’s will in his work. No one can change the course of God’s ordained will or His predetermined purpose. God is the Perfect Being, “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.” Proverbs 21:30 This is because God is all and in all, He is the only true eternal being, and He is the creator of all things and therefore everything in existence is under His perfect Will and Power. John Gill once wrote these words, “No human schemes whatever, formed with the greatest wisdom and prudence, can ever prevail against God, or set aside or hinder the execution of any design of his; nothing that is pointed against his church, his cause, and interest, his truths and ordinances, in the issue shall succeed; all that are found fighters against him shall not prosper…” God only commands He never ask, pleads, nor begs, He only commands and succeeds at all His will. Matthew Pool wrote these words, “all God's counsels or decrees are eternal and unchangeable, and his providence works effectually, so as men cannot resist or hinder it.” People can and will deny God’s rule and authority, His ordained predestined will, and His execution of it, but they are mistaken. If anyone, regardless of educational level, their stature in life, or their power, denies these truths, they are wrong. God cannot be hindered of His will or in His work since His power and grace is irresistible. It is not man who let’s God into their heart, it is God who comes into their heart. Man does not invite God into their heart it is God who changes their heart. It is God who draws us to Christ, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44 And it is God who makes us willing, it is God who quickens our dead spirit, it is God who gives us the faith to be saved, and it is God who walks us through every step of salvation. Therefore, if you hear any man who tells you that “God cannot change your heart, that it is only changed by your will”, then that person does not understand God. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” If God does not “worketh in you” and draw you, then you will never come to Christ for salvation. “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” Romans 3:11 None, no not one! Not one soul will move unless the Holy Spirit quickens their dead heart and causes them to move. Not in salvation or anything else. Proverbs 21:1 - 2 “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. (2) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” The word “pondereth” means - to balance, that is, measure out (by weight or dimension); figuratively to arrange, direct or tell. Therefore, take the time to study our text scripture, and God will open much understanding about the truth about Him to you, and it will be such a blessing to you. 

Lies are sin.

“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.” Proverbs 19:9

We all need to be very careful how we speak to others. We are responsible to God for how we conduct ourselves and that includes controlling our tongue. God never has lied, lying is from Satan and when Christians lie, they are disobeying God and doing the will of Satan. God said of Satan in John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” Now, while here God is speaking about lost people God never approves of His children lying. It is true that Jesus Christ died and shed His blood for all our sins, however, we do not have the freedom to sin. When Christians lie it is one of the worst sins that we can do because it shows us doing the will of Satan and not the will of God, and as God said, we cannot serve two masters. “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:13 Therefore, while we are serving Satan in our disobedience to God, we are serving the will of Satan. God said that we are only in fellowship with Him while we are serving Him in spirit and truth. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 The truth here is in the truth of His word which boldly tells us not to lie. Because liars are what we were before God graciously saved us from. “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;” Colossians 3:8 Spreading rumors is the same a telling lie, because rumors are almost always lies. It has been said “rumors are like ringing a bell, easy to start and hard to stop”. God said in 1 Timothy 5:13 “And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.” A “tattler” is one who is always meddling in other people’s business or affairs, never having all the facts, and are out telling rumors of misunderstanding which are classified as lies. A “busybodies” is one who has nothing to do but to busy themselves so they find their main employment by looking into the affairs of their neighbors and friends. God said these people are walking in a disorderly manner. “For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.” 2 Thessalonians 3:11

As Christians we need to be careful in our Christian walk and not to walk disorderly because that is what Jesus saved us from. Christians ought not never lie to anyone or talk about rumors or to be nosing around in other people’s business. It is not true until we know the truth, and partial truths are not enough facts to tell it. As Christians the last thing we should ever do is to walk disorderly. When Christians walk disorderly, they are not in fellowship with God. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 Christians ought to never lie, not even if we think it is for the good. Repeating rumors is never a Christian walk because the very definition of rumor is telling uncertain facts.

God doesn’t do anything by chance.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

The writer to the Acts wrote these words, “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:18 What this tells us is that God is Omniscient or all knowing and that everything God ordained or predestinated was completed before the foundation of the world. Most of confessed Christianity will not recognize God’s Sovereignty, nor the ordained workings of God. In Ephesians 2:8 God said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” but God went on to say in verse 10 these words, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Therefore, we must recognize that our salvation was given to us because of God’s grace, and it was not of our own works or doings, but by the working of God through Jesus Christ. Now, to make us understand the context here God put these words in the middle of these two verses, “Not of works…” verse 9. With all this being said, we can understand that we are saved by God’s grace and power, through Jesus Christ, and not by anything we do, but it is a gift from God. Then God goes deeper and says that whatever we do in our Christian life is His ordained workings that He ordained before the world was ever created. Since God has explained this to us in detail, we must also recognize that God does not make mistakes nor does He do anything by chance, but by His Sovereign ordained will and power. Since “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” Then we must conclude that God will see all His ordained will thru its completion. As Christians and churches, we were put into the church and work because God created us for that work. God unlike man does nothing by chance, He does everything according to His ordained will, and God never fails. We see in Numbers 23:19 these words, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” God is not like a man that He should not carry through His ordained will, nor that He should not see it through. God has a reason that He has elected people to do His will and ordained them to do His works, it is because God purposes everything and He ordained nothing by chance. If you understand God and His Sovereignty then you must understand He never fails, and He knows every detail of everything because He ordained and predetermined everything before the foundation of the world. Let’s look at the Tribulation Period, is there a chance it will not happen? Is there any chance that it will not happen exactly as God said it would? The answer is no because God said it would happen and how it would happen. This means that God not only ordained it to happen but also how it would happen. Every detail was predestinated and ordained by God before the world began. God leaves nothing to chance because He cannot fail. God ordained the death of His Son Jesus, but He went farther and ordained how He would be crucified and His reaction on the cross per Isaiah 53 and other places. Because if He had not then maybe they would not have crucified Him. How did God know the works we would do for Him, He ordained them. God left nothing to chance, nor does God depend on the believer, God carries through His ordained will.