Christian maturity is measured by obedience to God

What Have You Offered the Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Better Sacrifice

Book of Hebrews Chapter 10

The sacrifices under the Old Testament dispensation were all shadowy representations and types of that one great sacrifice of the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, whereby “He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

We know that these sacrifices came by the Laws of Moses, and they are “types” of the truth of Jesus Christ, but we know that the sacrifice did not begin with the Laws of Moses.

It is in the Garden of Eden in the early days of Adam and Eve where the Law of Obedience to the Word of God was first given!

All the sacrifices in the Old Testament can be considered to be “types” of the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ!

As in all things, it took “Faith” for any sacrifice to be received of God and then it must be a sacrifice true to the Word of God.

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

For instance “God says thou shalt not kill” so human sacrifice will only bring death to those who murder.

Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Abraham’s “faith” was in the fact that if God took His son Isaac, then God would have to raise him from that death.

We know that God did not allow the sacrifice of Isaac and He will not allow the sacrifice of any human by those who are Christian.

All vengeance belongs to our Heavenly Father!

The only acceptable sacrifice was the sacrifice of God’s Own Dear Son, Jesus!

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Let us begin Chapter 10 of the Book of Hebrews:

*Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

We should understand that there has never been a perfect man!

Every individual will fall short of what they could become if they have not learned obedience to the Word of God!

Humans are lustful and immoral and the proof of this is seen every day in this world.

All this movement called LBJQT is about lust and immorality and rejection of the Word of God!

LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. These terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

All these things are abomination to the Lord Jesus, but God is willing to forgive even these things but just like all others so full of sin, they must repent after salvation.

God does not expect us to repent before salvation because we just do not have it in us to do so.

God says to come as you are and be saved and then the Holy Spirit will cause us to repent of our old life.

This works the same for every sinner!

It is by the Holy Spirit who will give us the power to repent as we are “Born Again” into something new!

We can never live with God until we are “Born Again”!

If we had to the power to clean our sinful lives ourselves, then we would not need Jesus nor the Holy Spirit and many believe they have it in their own power to do this today and they are so wrong!

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Even in animal sacrifices, those animals had to be pure and flawless, so why should we ever expect God to require less from humans?

1) An animal is not the same nature of a human no matter what evolution teaches.
2) An animal has not the same value of humans in the eyes of God.
3) An animal was not capable of consenting to be a sacrificed or volunteer to be substitute for that human that offered it.

There was no power in the sacrifices of the Old Testament to gain salvation and a fellowship the with God!

There is no power in our own sacrifice of ourselves because it brings our own death, and we would get not one step closer to the Lord.

It is only because of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ that we can have New Life!

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

God knows we believe this when pray the sinner’s prayer!

Hos 14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

Rom_12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

We must be capable of consenting to the fact of our sin before God will hear us!

It is only by the Holy Spirit that comes to live within us after we are saved, that we will have the power to repent!

God had no pleasure at all in the sacrifice of animals especially when the true meaning of those things was ignored!

*Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

The perfect sacrifice for our sin was in a Body specifically prepare by Jehovah God!

Psa 40:6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Psa 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

It should be obvious, that both the Psalmist and the Holy Ghost inspired writer of the Book of Hebrews, were speaking of the Virgin Born Son of God.

Do not listen to false teachers and preachers who reject the “Virgin Birth”.

The Lord Jesus had to be born of a virgin or his sacrifice would be the same as all those other sacrifices, which is worthless!

He also had to live a perfect life, so that He would be the ideal person to die for our sin!

He also had to be eternal Himself, in order to cover our sins eternally!

Remember Jesus died for all past sin from the day He hung on that Cross and all future sin since that day!

There is a reason His arms were reaching to the East and West of His body!

When God knew that no one person of earth could die for our sin, He came Himself to be the perfect sacrifice!

I am heartbroken to know that Jesus the Messiah had to die just I could be saved!

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

We must understand that God the Holy Spirit has taken the time and with patience to write down all the Word of God, just so we can come to this conclusion.

There is only One Body of Christ!

One in nature.
One in truth.
One in glory.

Jesus was mortal and natural.
Jesus is Supernatural and real.
Jesus is mystical (the Spirit of Jesus) yet magnificent in His truth.

Paul by the Holy Spirit wrote:

Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We must understand that the Lord Jesus Christ had to do the Will of God, or He too would have been a false Messiah!

The Lord Jesus Christ took away the First Covenant by fulfilling it, so He could establish the New Covenant!

Notice that verse 7 should have been in Red Letters because this is Jesus speaking, though by the Holy Spirit!

*Heb 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

Because the Lord Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice and the sacrifices of the Law were imperfect, then those sacrifices became useless!
,
This what the Scriptures above have proved.

The sacrifices of the Law were powerless to remove sin because of a lack of faith!

The removal of sin would take a perfect sacrifice!

God loves His created beings, and it is God’s will that as many as will believe be saved.

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

The Lord Jesus came to do the will of His Father!

This is the same thing that our Heavenly Father expects from us, to do His will for us!

The fulfilling of the will of God is spoken of as a substitute for sacrifices.

The Divine will of God is our redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ and is perfectly fulfilled by Him!

No other sacrifice will work and there is no other way to approach God, but by His Only Begotten Son!

*Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The perfect sacrifice, the offering of the body of Christ, makes people holy once-and-for-all.

This work of the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly satisfied the holiness, the righteousness, and the justice of God once-for all!

When a person comes to God by the Lord Jesus Christ, the sacrifice of Christ Jesus is applied to that person and covers all that person’s sins!

Only then, can we have a complete fellowship with our Heavenly Father, all because of the work Jesus Christ did for us!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

All the shame that comes from our sinful lives will be removed, because we can be at peace with our Creator.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Our sin could never be removed by some earthly priest nor the sacrifices that they offered!

*Heb 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

The earthly priests were never done with their work.

Our Heavenly High Priest has completed His sacrifice, by making one sacrifice that last forever!

The Lord Jesus gave His own life willingly, that we could be reconciled to His Heavenly Father!

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

*Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

The fact of the matter is, that after completing the work He came to do, the Lord Jesus Christ is now at this time, sitting at the right hand of God.

He would not be in this place if His work were not finished!

He accomplished these things because He obeyed!

No matter how much we think we know about our Heavenly Father, the most important thing we can do is to obey Him no matter what He ask of us!

Remember God will never ask us to do unreasonable things!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

How long will the Lord Jesus Christ be sitting at the throne of God?

He will sit there until God the Father has separated the goats from the sheep!

This is what is going on in our world today!

The Lord Jesus Christ has already taken away our sin and now He is in place to deliver us from sin, from the evil in this world, from disease, from corruption, from death, from evil spirits, and from Satan.

We will find none of these things in Heaven!

These things are reaching their peak today as we have seen and continue to see!

He will deliver those who love Him eternally!

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Those old sacrifices could do none of these things!

*Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Notice it is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that has caused our sanctification!

To be sanctified is to be set apart to God!
To be sanctified is to be made holy!
To be sanctified is to be consecrated, dedicated to the service and the worship of the One True God!

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

1Co 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
1Co 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Amen

The Covenant of Life

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Covenant with Israel

Book of Deuteronomy Chapters 28 and 30

What is a covenant?

A covenant is a mutual contract or mutual agreement between two parties, each of which “is bound” to fulfill certain arrangements with each other.

In the Bible covenants denote our relationship with God.

What should we understand about the covenants of God?

These covenants were literal, they are unconditional, and they are eternal!

The one thing we must clearly understand is, that these covenants are based upon obedience and here we learn some things about God that many of us did not know and we may not understand and that may come to a surprise to many, especially those who are liberal minded.

We must try to understand the God we say we trust!

Psa 71:1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
Psa 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
Psa 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
Psa 71:4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

To be delivered then our “faith” must be on our Lord and Savior, and it must be enduring faith!

It would pay us to get to know as much as we can about Jehovah (The Lord Jesus Christ)!

Psa 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Psa 121:2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

It is in the knowing of our Creator that allows God to help us! We must know Him as our Creator with creation power to help us!

Our nation and our person are dependent upon the blessings of God!

He gives and He can withhold any blessing at any time, but He will never break His promises!

It is false science, including “so-called climate change” that sees only laws in the truth of nature and ignores the hand and the blessing of the Living God who holds all His creation in His hands.

We must know God has the power to help us in any matter, but we must also realize that we must fear His displeasure when we fail Him by disobedience.

God keeps His “covenants of blessing”, but He will also keep His “covenants of cursing” and most people just ignore those covenants of cursing, yet they are still part of the Word of God.

God must approve of everything we do and be satisfied that we have done our best, or we will see the opposite side of God!

God is perfect in “blessing” and God is just as perfect in “judgment”!

The forty years that Israel wandered in the wilderness to the death of all those over twenty years old should be a wakeup call for each of us!

Sin will bring the chastisement of God to those who say they love Him and vengeance to those who oppose Him, and God will be just as perfect in these things as He is in all things.

*Deu 28:63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.

When we say we believe all the Word of God, then we had better believe these words also.

I believe we can relate these words to what we see going on in America today.

It is really hard to ask God to bless our nation as it is today for, we are the Sodom and Gomorrah of the modern world and much of the world is the same and our nation is sinking deeper into sin.

These things play out in our streets today, in our malls, in our schools, and even in our churches.

God rejoices in His perfectness!

It is hard to imagine our God, who has more “grace” than there is sin in this world, but the fact that the Holy Spirit caused these things to be written of Him means we had better take note of what is said here.

2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

When we read that the Lord rejoices in destruction just as He rejoices in blessing, well it is just not the way we picture the Almighty God.

He is Divine in blessing!

He says He is also Divine in destruction and the world will witness this truth when the Lord returns to this earth, but we may also see it more today and in the coming days than we realize.

We already know God has no pleasure in the death of anyone!

Eze 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

This eternal death is already promised to all those who reject the Lord Jesus!

The sinner has already been judged and sentenced to eternal death less they repent and call on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Most of our world has far too much pride to do such a thing as recognize the truth of the Living God!

We also know that the Lord Jesus Christ wept because He knew Jerusalem would be destroyed, but he still allowed it to happen, and our Scripture says He rejoiced in the destruction of Jerusalem.

Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

God will rejoice at the destruction of sin, but not in the destruction of sinner!

Note: The Word of God says there will be a New Jerusalem and no sin will ever enter into that city.

He teaches us to be this way also! We are Christians because we are to be like the Lord Jesus Christ!

This destruction of sin is certain!

This destruction will be rapid once it begins!

God will not spare a single one that does not repent and come to the Lord Jesus Christ, man, woman, or child, or whatever they call themselves!

This is where the liberal cringes at the truth of God!

They say “surely a loving God could not do such a thing” but the Word of God is specific that He will!

People can attempt to rewrite the Word of God, but those old Scriptures cannot be changed and there are no mistakes in them!

The waves of destruction will flow freely at the return of Jesus Christ!

Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

We would think these things would have some influence upon those who do not know the Lord Jesus, but how can they know Him if they reject all the Word of God.

The Bible is written to the believer so it is the believer that had better understand these things so we will be encouraged to reach out to our family, our friends, and yes to the lost of this world.

What happened to the Israelites after the destruction of Jerusalem?

*Deu 28:64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

When God inflicts His vengeance upon this world, we can see that some things did happen prior to this scattering.

Deu 28:58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
Deu 28:59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
Deu 28:60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
Deu 28:61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

Of course the Church will not see the wrath of God and will be removed prior to the return of Christ to this world.

This does not mean that the Church will not be a witness to this wickedness increasing before the Lord returns because we see it going on today.

God has to show the Church that He means what He says, and He says what He means!

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

It is after the Rapture of the Church that the Lord Jesus Christ will come in vengeance upon the unrighteous who have rejected Him and rejected the Word of God even rejecting any part of the Word of God.

History has proven what God has done with the Jews and He will not refrain from doing just as He says!

What do we see in our world today?

We see the curse of fearful plagues.
We see harsh and prolong disasters.
We see severe and lingering sicknesses.

None of these things are caused by climate change, they are the result of sin and disobedience!

All these things plus so-called climate change are a result of increased and unrepented sin in this world and in our nation!

The Jews ignored these things, and they are mostly ignored by the world today.

We know that the world believes if they can just keep the temperature down by one-half a degree over the next 30 years, then we can avert such disasters and these things are not in the power of man to do such a thing.

The only power of man comes by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

The world would be far better off to realize that these things are in the hand of God and no power on earth can stop what God has planned.

You see our world has a sin problem!

One thing for sure, we do see these things because they are happening right before our eyes!

It was May 14, 1948, before the Jews began their journey home and more of them return to the Promised Land every year, but the world still hates them for some reason they cannot explain, except for the fact that they are still the people of God.

They were forced to serve other gods and most of those were truly figments of man’s imagination made of wood, gold, stone, or money.

Remember an idol is anything we place in our heart where God should be!

What is the truth? if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you may be be at ease living in this world of sin and wickedness, but you will also be restless and afraid!

The Israelites found this out when God allowed these things to take place.

*Deu 28:65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

The sinner will never be at true peace for any length of time!

The Bible says you can have a little pleasure in sin, but that it will yield to your misery.

Heb_11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Sinners are destitute of peace!

Isa 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Sin will take you where you do not want to go.
Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay
Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.

There is no lasting comfort from sin!

There is no lasting satisfaction that comes from sin.

There is everything that can be taken away by sin!

There is always the sense of God’s displeasure!

There will always be that battle of right and wrong going on within each sinner.

Sinners are not settled, and we see these things taking place in our nation that is divided in every way because of sin and immorality and corruption.

We see that the sinner cannot be happy nor content in any place nor any occupation.

They are in a place where their own government will take advantage of them with unfulfilled promises that in reality just make things worse.

Governments believe they know what people need but in reality, they do not have a clue because they have risen above normal man in their hearts and actually know nothing about the average person.

They will blame their condition on anyone but themselves and continue to reject the truth of God!

Pro 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

I do believe that this Covid 19 plague has scared so many of those who are lost with a real fright, and they will never get over this fear.

More suicides especially in our young.

More crime in our streets. Serious crime involving murder and attempted murder.

Mass murder.

Extreme hatred.

People who so hate the young people that will murder a child at nine months by cutting it to pieces inside the womb. How barbaric!

There is no love in our nation today, in fact there is no love in our world as we see one nation just believes it needs to rule some other nation by destroying them as the world sits by and allows the innocent to be murdered by a tyrant.

Good is called bad and Bad is called good.

These are graphic pictures painted by Moses to the Israelites, but we see they exist today in all unbelievers and in every nation.

These are things that God will cause to happen, and it is stated clearly the He will rejoice in this destruction of the sinner because they will not repent of their sin.

Some nations will not make it because they will be destroyed!

Remember God does not destroy because He has no love for those who fail Him, God destroys because it is the right thing to do to those who reject Him.

Jehovah is a righteous God!

Jehovah never does wrong things!

*Deu 28:66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

Most all those that reject God have no peace in their lives.

They are restless and do not know what to do to change that.

They have no source for inward comfort.

Nothing they do brings satisfaction.

Isa 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Those that hate God are never at rest!

They have an evil conscience.

They are never content or happy in any place or any occupation.

They just cannot live a settled life, so they resort to all sort of wickedness and immorality.

These people feel like they have to have their way and therefore every one that believes in God is their sworn enemy.

In fact, they are so full of hatred they do not really trust anyone.

When they cannot express their beliefs, they will hold a sign telling the world what they think.

Pro 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

They will flee unless they are gathered in a large quantity.

A guilty conscience is full of all sorts of terror.

Moses had read all the passages that concerned a blessing to the Israelites and now he had read all the Scriptures that told of the curse of God for disobedience to them and yet as time went by they chose disobedience as does most all the world today.

They had lost their fear of God just as it is today. Foolish people!

There is still the curse of the Law for disobedience today and the world still chooses to reject God and the Word of God.

There are consequences to those who reject the Word of God and what the Word of God says will take place will certainly take place.

The truth is the Lord Jesus Christ bore the curse of the Law for all people.

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Those who reject the Word of God will still suffer the penalties for disobedience and that penalty is death.

This death is a separation from God, and it does not mean annihilation or ceasing to exist!

What does death mean in the Bible?

1) Spiritual death means we are alienated from God while we are still alive. This is the unbeliever.
2) Physical death means the separation of the spirit from the body of flesh. Most people believe in this death.
3) There is eternal death, or the Bible says the second death. This is to be eternally separated from God unless we have trusted in the God’s Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is only by the Lord Jesus Christ that we can be saved from the curse of the Law that comes from disobedience to the Word of God!

Some will say “well God said all these things to the Israelites, and they do not concern anyone else” but this is not true.

There is a cursing for anyone who rejects any part of the Word of God, and there is a blessing to all those who accept what God has to say and are obedient to the Word of God!

What did God say about these things?

*Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Deu 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

This is a Covenant God has made with every individual upon this earth past, now, and future, and God always keeps His side of every Covenant.

We should think of it as an “oath”!

God also keeps records!

What must we do?

Choose to love God.
Choose to obey His voice which is the Word of God.
Choose to get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as we can get!

We all need to rededicate our lives to the Almighty Living God because the Lord is “Life”!

He is the giver of life which is why abortion is so wrong because it smacks the face of the Giver of Life.
He preserves life!
He restores life!
He prolongs life!

He does these things because he has the power to do so!

What does that leave us?

It leaves us with a choice to make.

It is in our own ability to choose life or to choose death and we will stand before the Lord one day and explain our choice.

God gives us His best advice which is “to choose life”.

God will rejoice in the fact that He has done the righteous thing no matter what we choose!

2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

We may not have this choice for very much longer!

Amen

God’s Grace and Christian Liberty

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Gospel of Grace and Christian Liberty

Book of Romans Chapter 14

What is Christian Liberty? It is when sin no more has control of our lives.

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 
Rom 6:15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 

How do we obtain Christian Liberty?

Jas 1:21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 
Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

Psa 119:101  I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. 
Psa 119:102  I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. 
Psa 119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 
Psa 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 
Psa 119:105  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

Christian Liberty comes by being guided by the perfect law of God!

Christian Liberty is not a license to sin!

*Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 

What are doubtful disputations?

First we are never to argue with anyone about the Word of God.

The Word of God speaks for itself and the Word of God is settled in Heaven!

Psa_119:89  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven

Sometimes we can be so determined to glorify God that we act like the the Devil.

Those that reject the truth of God are not our friends even though we need to always pray for them.

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 

There are also those who are just weak in their faith.

We must certainly not place burdens upon those who are weak in their faith that the Lord Jesus did not place upon any of us!

We must always receive those who are weak in their faith just as Christ has received us when we were first saved.

This happens many times with those who are babes in Christ.

There are babes in Christ who have been saved for many years because they failed to study the Word of God which is actually a commandment to us all.

We are not to argue with them, just receive them and when the opportunity arises, then we can point out their misunderstanding.

1Co 9:22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 

In the early Roman Church there were many disputes in most cases because of the laws given to the Jews by Moses that have nothing to do with the Law of Grace.

We should understand this passage as it deals not with the express commandments of God which deal with the “Grace of God”.

This passage is dealing with differences of opinion of the Word of God.

We are never to dispute the Word of God, again the Word of God speakes for itself and is indisputable!

Christian maturity is measured by our obedience to the Word of God!

Listen to Jesus:

Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

For instance:

*Rom 14:2  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 

There are some Christians who become strict vegetarians and practically condemn those who add meats to their diet and vice-versa.

The one who just eats fruits and vegetables could be looked upon as a weak Christian yet, they both are subject to criticizing and condemning each other.

When the Apostle Paul was facing this issue, he was very careful to keep the differences of Judaism and Christianity.

For instance Paul had Timothy to be circumcised which conformed to the law of Moses because he was a Jew yet, he would not allow Titus to be circumcised. Titus was a Gentile (heathen)

Gal 2:3  But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 
Gal 2:4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 
Gal 2:5  To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 

It was not necessary for Timothy to be circumcised to be a Christian, but he would never have been allowed the time to preach the Gospel to the Jews had he not done so.

The lesson with Titus was to prove to the Jews that those other than Jews would not have to be obedient to the Laws of Moses to be saved.

These things were done in order to reach as many lost souls as possible, either Jew or Gentile with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

No one has ever been saved by the Laws of Moses!

Rules and Observing old doctrines can never save and are in fact heresy!

There is only one way to approach God and it is by and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is that Christian who has become weak and judgmental, who is also weak in their faith!

*Rom 14:3  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 
Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 

When we become judges then we have forgotten we are to be witnesses!

We see it is the vegetarian who has become the judge in this passage, yet God received them both.

1) The strong believer, who walks in the Liberty of Christ and does not live by strict rules such as those Laws of Moses, is also accepted of Christ no matter what that weak Christian thinks.

2) No one has the right to judge the servant of the Lord!

Both of these people belong to the Lord, both are servants of the Lord because the Lord has already judged them and accepted them because of Grace, and not by laws.

They have no reason to judge nor pass judgement upon each other!

No believer has the right to play God!

3) God will hold up every believer!

*Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 
Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

If we have a God who cannot keep us saved then we do not have much of a God!

2Ti 4:18  And the Lord “shall deliver me” from every evil work, and “will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom”: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

In the time of Paul these things caused havoc in the early Church!

If we truly believe the Word of God, then we must be persuaded that we are right and not wrong because God said we are!

We are to live as we understand the will of God!
We must dedicate everyday to the Lord!

What was the only difference between the saved Jew and the saved Gentile.

One set aside a few more days to celebrate God than the other, who gave everyday to the Lord.

Certainly nothing to cause a dispute as long as they both understood that salvation comes by Jesus Christ!

The hearts of both these men were given to the Lord!

*Rom 14:7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 
Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 
Rom 14:9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

The truth is that, no one can tell Jehovah God what to do!
No one can tell the Lord Jesus Christ what to do!
No one can tell the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) what to do!

Only prayer can move the hand of God and this according to His will!

As Christians, we are to act like Christians according to the Word of God expressing that Jesus Christ is our Lord.

This is a Divine fact that is never to be questioned!

This being true, then we are independant of the world’s judgement because we are subject to the rule of Jesus Christ!

We belong to the Lord in this world and we will still belong to the Lord in the world to come.

We belong to the Lord forever if we belong to Him in this life!

This being fact, then we live for the Lord by completing the work He gave us to do!

The Lord Jesus Christ has proven that He is the Master of Life, but because of His death it proves that He is also the Master of Death because he arose from that death.

Satan holds no control over the life or the death of those who love the Lord!

This is the reason the Lord Jesus laid aside His glory to come to this earth and bled and died for our sins and He rose again in that same body that we may live with Him throughout eternity.

Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ is Lord of the living and of the dead in Christ because He is the Master of both worlds.

The Lord does not give up His ownership of the Church when a member dies!

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 
Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

If we are to fear anything in this life, then we need to understand what the Lord is saying here!

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 
1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 
1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 
1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

So we can readily see that we have One Judge and that Judge is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not Allah, not Budha, not any false diety!

So why even as Christians do we try to judge anyone in the Church or even outside the Church.

The Lord has already taught us that we can tell by the way they live their lives.

*Rom 14:10  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 
Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 
Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

The Holy Spirit demands us to answer these simple questions ourselves!

Knowing these things, then why do we judge another brother or sister in Christ?

Why would we despise and look down upon a brother or sister in Christ when we know the only Judge is the Lord Jesus Christ who can see into the heart

The pure fact is “I know I belong to the Lord” but in reality I cannot know the truth of anyone else because I cannot see into their heart!

If you are a true Christian, then you have already been judged by the Lord Jesus Christ because He is the only Righteous Judge!

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

I got news for you, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will not be judged for our salvation!

We will not be at the Judgment Seat of Christ, unless we already belong to the Lord!

At the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be judged for what we have done since our salvation.

It is a “judgment” for rewards or loss of rewards.

Notice that phrase “every tongue shall confess to God”. This does not leave anyone out!

If we have noticed the Holy Spirit began with teaching the weak Christian and now He is speaking to the strong Christian.

The fact remains we will not reach full maturity until we reach the “Judgment Seat of Christ”!

Everyone will give an account for themselves!

We will not be called to testify about others!

We will only be held accountable for our selves!

We will not be held accountable for what any other person has done!

We will stand alone before God at this judgment if we are one of God’s children!

Joh 5:22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 
Joh 5:23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. 
Joh 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

We must understand that we are to never become a stumbling block for any child of God!

*Rom 14:13  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. 
 
So now we see that having Christian Liberty, it does have it’s limits!

We must never be an obstacle standing between someone and our Righteous God!

We must avoid any offence.

Php 1:10  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 
Php 1:11  Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. 

We must respect the convictions of others.

We must remember that conviction is the first stage of repentance.

We must promote the work of the Lord in all others.

We must guard against any appearance of evil upon ourselves.

It is a full time job trying to be a good Christian which leaves no time to judge others.

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 
Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

When we are seeking the prize of Jesus Christ, there should nothing else have a greater importance!

We must remember the Lord Jesus Christ died for us all, not to judge us, but to save us!

Amen