2 Timothy 4:1-4 - I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
What's God's point here?
Why is God saying this?
Look, I've taught this in a million places before. God means what He says and He says what He means. Any time you seem to be stuck, it's because you aren't paying attention. Either that, or you just don't want to DO what God says. Don't feel bad, you're not alone. The bible teaches us that we, on our own, don't really want to know what God says. Don't believe me? Read this:
1 Corinthians 2:14 - But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
For clarity, please read ALL of 1 Corinthians 2 (it's short enough). It really hammers home the point that we (in the flesh) have no interest and indeed CAN NOT understand the teachings of God at all.
So let's go over a few things that are holding YOU back right now. When I say "YOU", I mean 99% of you reading this blog will (MUST) be held back in some way from listening to God. And by "listening", I mean "doing" what He says.
1. I'm living with my man-friend/lady friend. We are not married and we don't need to be. We love each other. We are monogamous. We may or may not have children. GOD IS FINE WITH OUR ARRANGEMENT. If you don't like it, YOU are the one with the problem. I know that I'm right with God. I feel sorry for you, because you keep God on a leash. My Jesus accepts me just the way I am.
Response: God is fine with YOUR arrangement? Ok, I'll bite. Turn to the page in your bible where God shares this information with us and post it below for all to see. I'm the one with the problem? Ok, again, SHOW ME in the bible where you derive this from. You know that you're right with God? Ok, good, using the bible, please SHOW ME. I haven't put anyone on a leash, you keep yourself on that leash because you continue to live in sin and have no intention of repenting and actually being right with God. Jesus DOES invite you to join Him just the way you are. HE DOES NOT ACCEPT YOU THE WAY YOU ARE. Guess what? I CAN SHOW YOU IN THE BIBLE!
Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Jesus wants EVERYONE to come to Him AS THEY ARE but once they are there, Jesus EXPECTS you to BE TRANSFORMED. He says that He will give you a new heart and new desires, so much so that you will be disgusted by your current self and want nothing more than to become MORE LIKE HIM.
Ezekiel 36:26-28 - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
That is one prophesy that couldn't read MORE CLEARLY than that. I can't tell you how many people I meet annually that have never before read that passage out of Ezekiel. Jesus loves you, yes it's true, but He is HOLY and can't have you anywhere near Him in heaven while you're still in your unforgiven state. Don't like that wording? Fine, He can't have you in heaven as long as you're still living in sin. It's one thing to sin, it's quite another to DENY that you're ACTIVELY SINNING.
2. I smoke cigarettes and/or marijuana. I drink alcohol and/or do drugs RECREATIONALLY. God doesn't care about these things. As a matter of fact, God says in Genesis 1:29 that He created all of these things for us AND IT'S GOOD! I also continue to use foul language whenever I please.
Response: Let me tell you something that you obviously never considered before. If you believe part or all of #2 above, then you don't have a single friend that BELIEVES you're a Christian. Why would they believe it? You are EXACTLY LIKE THEM. God told us to NOT BE LIKE THEM. Don't believe me?
2 Corinthians 6:17 - Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."
It's so easy to DECIEVE YOURSELF. God warns us again and again to not be deceived:
Deuteronomy 11:16 - Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them
Luke 21:8 - And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
Galatians 6:7 - Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
James 1:16 - Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Forgive me for saying it like this, but it's almost as if God is BEGGING YOU to NOT BE DECEIVED. He told us CLEARLY that He wants us all to be with Him forever.
2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
As for the use of foul language. Look, I'm not going to try to convince you that turning away (repenting) of sin is easy. Sometimes it's not. But God says that with Him all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26). Fact is, we learn in the book of Ephesians WHY foul language is a problem to begin with:
Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
And I think this is a great way to end todays' teaching. In regards to 2 Peter 3:9, Jesus is not slack (not lazy or didn't really mean it) regarding His promise. He is longsuffering (overly patient, giving us every possible chance) to correct ourselves. Why? Because He says that He is NOT WILLING (meaning that He doesn't WANT YOU TO GO TO HELL), that anyone should perish (IN HELL), but that EVERY SINGLE PERSON SHOULD WANT TO COME TO REPENTANCE.
These were just *2* of a COUNTLESS NUMBER of things that we delude ourselves into thinking. And we're just DEAD WRONG. Please consider that this isn't an attempt to teach you that YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING. That isn't the point, because it ISN'T POSSIBLE. You don't get to heaven for ANYTHING that YOU'VE ever done. You get there because of what JESUS HAS DONE. --PERIOD
As always, I would encourage you to share this teaching with someone that you know or love. It just may be the difference between them living a sin-FULL life, but going to Hell or living a decent life and getting to spend eternity with God. I'm ready if you decide to light up the comment section!
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