A word of encouragement to be ready when Jesus returns: Please don’t buy it if the devil tries to sell you the lie that children of God can enjoy their sins just as much as the rest of the world. Our old nature loves to hear it, because its just plain easier to go along as we were before. Most people like us a lot better that way, too–“fun.” The truth is that if we don’t hear Jesus calling us to repent, then either we just aren’t listening to Him or we aren’t His at all. The “children of the devil” listen to the devil and the children of God listen to God. The children of the devil revel in sin and love company while they do so, and the children of God are saddened by sin and are set apart for God.
If we are true believers, then the Holy Spirit lives in us and He is grieved when we love the world more than God. God is holy and His children are to respect Him enough to care about that. Since He is IN us, we defile His temple when we deliberately practice sin and refuse to repent. So the next time that your “friends” encourage you to do things that you know Jesus, who is perfect in every way, would NOT want to participate in with you, stop and think about it. Is it worth it? Really? After the way Jesus suffered to TAKE AWAY our sins, we want the “freedom” to keep doing them? That’s sad. Your real friends are the ones who help you stand up for Jesus, not the ones who draw you away from Him. And you’re a real friend if you help them resist temptation, too.
Just for fun, I’m only going to quote little pieces of the Bible verses that go with this message and whoever is interested can look them up. (I find Google works best (and it helps if you put “Bible verse” before the search phrase), because most online Bibles make you choose a version and if you don’t have wording perfect for that particular version, then it won’t find the verse.) Feel free to add your own as well!
Do not love the world…
Whoever loves the world makes himself an enemy…
…is a new creation…
By this we can tell who is belongs to God or the devil…
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit…
His Spirit He gives us…
Don’t quench the Holy Spirit…
Pursue holiness without which…
You are my friends if…
Enter through the narrow door…
Examine yourselves…
Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord…
…they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin…
…great was the fall of that house…
…you will recognize them by their fruits…
…then you can see to take the splinter out…
…rebuke your brother…
…teach, encourage and rebuke…
…say no to ungodliness…
…the one who loves me will obey my commands…
…promised to those who love him.
…prepared for those who love him.
…useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…
…everyone who names the name…
Do you not know that the Spirit of God…
…whoever does not have His Spirit is not His…
If we go on deliberately sinning after…
…the one who does the will of God…
…walk as enemies of the cross…
…walk in a manner worthy…
…walk in the light as He is in the light…
…men loved darkness rather than the light…
Let us consider how to…
Stay awake…
Keep watch…
…no longer for human passions, but for the will of God.
Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on…
…He is faithful to forgive and cleanse…
…no longer walk as the Gentiles do…
…the time that is past suffices…
…does not bear fruit is thrown away and burned…
…since all these things are to be dissolved…
…no temptation has overtaken you…
…be careful lest you be tempted…
…do not be deceived, because of these things the wrath of God…
…the works of the flesh are…
…the fruit of the spirit is…
…how can one who died to sin live in it?…
…should we sin that grace may abound?…
Whoever loves his life more than me…
…what is inside of your heart defiles you…
But put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh…
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified…
…the world would love you as its own…
…the fruit of the light is…
The eye is the lamp of the body…
…the Lord is an avenger…
…have not repented of the impurity…
…shall I come with a rod or with love in a spirit of gentleness?…
…to whom we must give an account.
… but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
…some who have not soiled their garments…
…He who overcomes…
…will not inherit the kingdom of God…
He who overcomes will inherit these things…
…imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
…desire to live a godly life will be persecuted.
…those who were ready went in…
My sheep hear my voice and follow me…
Whoever is not with me is against me…
..come to your senses and stop sinning!
No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back…
…teaching them to observe…
…but woe to the one through whom…
…it would be better if a millstone were hung around their neck…
…teaches others to do the same will be called the least…
…where your treasure, there your heart will be…
…press on toward the goal…
…you have need of endurance…
…brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death…
…blind lead the blind…
I could go on and on, but I don’t think anyone will actually look all of these up. If anyone does, there is “extra credit” for looking up the context as well. 😉 See the “free pdf downloads” tab at the top of my other blog: layoutfortoday.blogspot.com for more encouragement.
For the children of the devil, all of this is irrelevant. They may think they are “too smart” to fall for such “foolishness,” or that everyone around them thinks “good people” go to heaven and they “can’t all be wrong.” (1Cor. 3:18, Matt. 7:13-14) But for the children of God, please give some thought to Jesus’ parables about BEING FAITHFUL and READY for His return. Who do you think He was talking to? Certainly not anyone who is not His own servant. He’s talking to US believers, who were meant to FOLLOW Him. This does not mean simply going to church services, praying now and then, and pretty much going along with the world the rest of the time. “Worshiping in spirit and truth” is a way of life. (John 4:23, Rom. 12)
Don’t trust people who don’t even know Him to explain things to you. (1Tim. 6:10, 1John 3:6) If you are born again, you have His Spirit within you to help you understand when you read the Bible for YOURSELF. There are MANY false teachers making a profit from telling lies these days. The Bible warned us about them. Compare what they say to what the Bible says. Use your own God-given discernment. Fill “your lamp with oil” (the Holy Spirit) and KEEP it that way by reading the Bible–Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path (Ps. 119:105), faith comes by hearing the Word. (Rom. 10:17) (Just don’t choose a paraphrase version, which is a good way to be misled into someone else’s preferred interpretation. I usually start with ESV and then compare a few others such as NKJV, NASB, AMP for clarification on some passages. It’s fun to look up the Greek and Hebrew online, especially when the various translations disagree, as well.)
When Jesus said to “keep watch” and “be ready,” He didn’t mean sit on your rooftop and look up, but he didn’t mean say a “salvation prayer” and then go on as you were, either. He meant that we should diligently seek to be found FAITHFULLY serving Him in all we do when He returns, no matter if it seems like that will be in our lifetime or not. He doesn’t want lip service. (Matt. 15:8-9) He is the way, the truth and the life–He despises hypocrisy. (Matt. 24:42-51) If we understand how great and glorious a thing it is to be His, then we won’t play games with Him, will we? You decide for yourself. I know my own answer.