 |
| Little Bit and Dark Places |
Let me introduce you to "Little Bit." She and her friends were likable and practiced sin everyday. Little Bit did not know that "anyone born of God cannot go on sinning
(1Jn. 3:9)."
But Little Bit believed her daily life of sinning was normal christianity. Little Bit had lots of friends, friends who identified and helped her spread The Sinful Christian Gospel quickly. After all, it's in our DNA to sin she believed. She believed everybody sins everyday, no one is sinlessly perfect she believed, failing to understand what sin is and is not. Further, the problem is with the term sinless perfection which cannot be defined scriptually. However, we can be faithful until death, and this, biblically taught.
And because Little Bit and her friends believed that "there is no one righteous, no not one," failing to keep God's Word in context and missing that the Blood of Able and Zecharia was as righteous as they get, Little Bit was grossly deceived. Our friend Mathew taught this (23:35). She and all her fiends stood their ground in that it was impossible to live continued holiness that she referred to as, sinless perfection.
Repentance chides: If only Little Bit would become hungry for righteousness (Matt. 5:6), if only ! If only she would hunger for righteousness she and all her friends would be filled. If only she would make Mathew her friend, hang around him and his friend Paul too. If only Little Bit would sit under the counsel of the wise she would not miss the Good Life that Jesus promised: "I have come that you may have life and more abundantly (Jn. 10:10)."
But Little Bit and her friends just could not help themselves thinking it impossible to live holy, righteous, and blameless lives because they had not become friends with Paul yet. If they had, he'd humbly teach her something she should know that he taught the church: "You know how holy, righteous and blameless I was among you who believed (1Thes. 2:10)." But Little Bit was not buying it.
Repentance and our friend Paul did what God expected of them. They lived holy lives because God said to do this if we want a relationship with Him. Paul even told us HOW he was able to do this. Repentance unnderstands. Repentance will tell you he died daily to self - willfully and by choice. He did what God expected him to do and knew that God would never require of him something impossible. For God to require something of us we could not do, would make Him a tyrant or a monster. For God to make little sinners when we are first born, would make God the Author of Sin.
"But it's just how it is" said Little Bit. It's called original sin so suck it up there's nothing we can do about it, she said. We are only human she ranted excusing sin. We just can't help ourselves to do right, Little Bit reasoned. There is no victory in Christ, NONE, implies Little Bit. But this too our friend Paul would argue (Rom. 7:24). "No one is perfect" proclaims Little Bit, "no not one." And if you think you are perfect you must be God, Little Bit defends. But Little Bit is not yet hungry for righteousness (Matt. 5:6). Little Bit has not read her bible. If she had she'd know what the Deut. 24:16 and Ez. 18:19-23 has to say:
"The soul that sins it shall die. The father shall not bear the inequity of the son, neither shall the son bear the iniquity of the father." And if anyone would have inherited a parents sin it would had been Cain, but God said to him, "Sin is crouching at your door and you must master it (Gen. 4:7)." We do not hear God say, "but you're only human," or something like, everybody sins every day and you just can't help your self you were born a sinner.
Think about it all you who are quick with a no-substance opinion, not serious students of God's Word. Has God not given us everything we (true born again believers IN Christ), need ? He encourages us in that He has (1Pet. 1:3).
Repentance would seek constructive dialogue with Little Bit, because The Gospel of Jesus Christ and even Jesus Himself has said: "Be perfect because your Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48)." With a little STUDY and referring to the Grk translation of perfect, Bit and her friends would be glad to know, perfect means nothing short of spiritural maturity. One who does the right thing is called righteous or perfect according to the translation (1Jn. 3:7).
What Little Bit does not understand is what God expects of me and my friends Mathew and Paul. She does not understand that "an Oppsy" or "a mistake" with good intentions even though it may turn out all wrong after the fact, is not sin. However, "The motive of the heart does not excuse the actions."
Little Bit does not understand sin is a choice.
Little Bit who really needs to change and embrace Repentance as the real deal she desperately needs, has a whole lot of false doctrines and has twisted God's Word but does not know it. Little Bit has only done what she has been taught all her life, just like the rest of her friends who have gone to church most of their lives.
"We just can't help it, we must sin and have no choice but to be sinners because God made us this way," the deceived ensure. "And actually, don't tell anybody because we love it this way. It gives us an excuse to sin and live with secret sins even as we rise to the call of lead pastors, speakers, evangelists and more." (Not ALL clergy or church leaders fall into a category as this, there's exceptions to every rule and I back-off from blanket statements that lump the righteous IN Christ and unrighteous into the same mold).
"Call me drama queen if you like," Little Bit surrendered while visited by Repentance. "So I am a lit bit dramatic, okay, so I am. But I'm faithful to confess my sins every day. If you'd read your bible you'd know we are told to confess our sins and I do this daily."
Little Bit who was often told she had a thing called "discerning of spirits" and believed she was gifted this way, turned her nose up at anyone who'd hang out with "Continued Faithfulness." This revival in motion would stir the pot. She'd call these "wolves in sheep's clothing." She believed anyone who thought they could be faithful till death (Rev. 2:10), must be one of those wolves in disguise who teach false doctrines.
Little Bit was protected by her shepherds who most of the time preached just what she believed. She was certainly a clone of what she had been taught all her life. And she was growing fast.
One day Little Bit, who gained confidence with her identity - one that lacked as IN Christ, was able to easily influence those feeling frustrated and sinning for her growing confidence in her Sinful Christian Gospel. She did this easily and with confidence.
 |
| With the roll of the dice, fingers crossed, and the luck of the draw, Little bit has just landed in hobbit territory or worse. Her soul is in great danger. Two horned red devils would love to possess it. |
One day Little Bit had learned to not sin so much - like a drop of poison in a gallon ow water. If you're her friend, don't drink that watter. But after telling herslef that just a Little Bit was ok and normal while Repentance looked on as a spectator to Bit's drama much like an outcast while nothing had changed, her deception remained. But Repentance woud have none of this.
Repentance was happy to say that her repentance meant a drastic change of living, of heart, mind and soul. Repentance loved God. Repentance preached holiness knowing that "Without holiness no one will see God (Heb. 12:14)," and lived daily drama free unlike those who love The Sinful Christian Gospel. Repentance made it a choice to live as close to God as she could get, to be holy and set-apart for His Purposes.
With sincerity of heart Repentance turned away from Little Bit and never looked back. Repentance hated sin from the start for knowing how much it hurts The One she loves, The One who bought and paid for her (1Cor. 6:17).
Repentance never took lightly when God said, "Be holy for I am holy" and knew this wasn't just a suggestion. Repentance never misunderstood that living a holy set-apart life for God was more than a mere token expression of love, but rather a fully surrendered life doing His Will.
Repentance hated religion that only separated from God and His Truths, that was often packed well as something desirable. And when would this Drama Queen promoting The Sinful Christian Gospel - which is no gospel at all, ever end? Repentance grieved.
Repentance knew it would never end until Little Bit took seriously what our friend Paul taught: "Come back to your senses and STOP sinning (1Cor. 2:15). To STOP was not optional anymore than what Jesus spoke to the woman with five husbands: Go and sin no more." We hear no where in scripture anyone following Christ or even Jesus Himself saying, We're all just human or we have to sin daily in order to be good christians.
No doubt you're reading this thinking, that's the most rediculous thing I've ever heard and it is at that. But considering the sin teachings being taught in a large number of churches today if not most, this is what it boils down to. Those who think and believe contrary to biblical teachings on sin, original sin, and the full equipping "God has given us... through our knowledge of Jesus Christ (1Pet. 1:3)," are living a lie.
Repentance who was the real deal and loved God so much never wanting to hurt Him with even a Little Bit of sin, sought her Crown of Life with continued faithfulness
(Rev. 2:10, 20).
Repentance knew it was not impossible to make right choices in order to please God. She knew the One who created her for His God Pleasure, also called her to be set-apart as holy, because He is Holy.
Repentance is any believer's name who truly repents upon salvation. Having truly given ours lives to Christ with a conscious choice and willingness to change - some more drastically than others, Repentance knows: "IF [we] love God," as Jesus said, "[we] will obey His commands (Jn. 14:15)." And contrary to what the casual christian believes, these commands refer to the moral law of God, not the Mosaic. It's best understood with Romans 8:1-3. The best part is, in case you've not been told, "His Commands are not burdensom (1Jn. 5:3)."
No comments:
Post a Comment