The World Won't Love You Back

Republished from omegaletter.com
In Defense of the Faith
Friday, April 27, 2012 Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor
Everybody loves the things of this world, when you get right down to it.  Love your dog?  Your kids?  Your wife?  Love being in your own personal comfort zone at home?

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:2-3)

You can run down the whole list of things you love in your own mind.  You don’t feel ‘dead’ to the people or things that you love – what does that mean to your salvation?
Is this a conditional statement?  Does it mean that unless your affection is set on things above, unless you are dead to the things of this earth, your life isn’t hid with Christ in God?
One of the central themes of Bible Christianity is that the world is this one:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1^st John 2:15)

This triggers one of those 'cognitive dissonance' moments.
You know how Christians are supposed to feel about the world and all that is in it – but you still love the things you love.  You even throw around quotes like, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” – but you still love the things you love.
You love the Lord and you love your fellow man.  You love your church family.  You love your OL family.  You love your country.
You know you aren’t supposed to love your life, but you do everything in your power to make it as comfortable as possible.  You know that you love your life.  If you didn’t, you’d be a prime candidate for suicide counseling.
Christians try to parse this until they read it to mean, “love not sinful things” or “don’t love the world too much” but Jesus confronts us with an either-or ultimatum: “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Which presents us with an enormous conundrum.  There are those who scrupulously practice religious asceticism, which is the practice of austere self-discipline in order to achieve a higher spiritual ideal – (think monks in hair shirts).
But the rest of us aspire to live in warm houses with comfortable beds with a loving family and a loyal dog named Droopy. Sometimes, we even criticize our brethren for loving the things of this world – while worrying about our own 401k.
What is it that I am trying to say here?  That we’re all sinners?  Well, . . . yeah.  But you already knew that.  I can find a dozen verses that clearly command us not to love the world or the things that are in it.
But you do anyway -- and you know it.  Then you criticize other Christians for loving some things of this world, usually the things that you don’t.
“If they love that, they can’t really be saved.” Or, “if they were really saved, they wouldn’t love that.”
What does “really saved” mean, in context?  Bible salvation refers to the redemption from sin through the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Gospel (Good News) is that salvation has been secured on our behalf.  The Book of Romans contains what is often called “Roman’s Road” to salvation.
Salvation requires a recognition of one’s personal sinful state (Romans 3:23).  It demands an understanding of the consequences of sin (Romans 6:23) and that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 5:8 explains that our salvation is a product of the unfathomable love of God, “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 10:9 tells us that “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:13 summarizes salvation thusly: “whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Jesus described salvation as being “born again”.

“ . . Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5-6)

This isn’t a figure of speech.  It is an actual rebirth of one’s spirit, which dies at the moment we commit our first sin.  The soul of an unregenerate man only receives input through his five physical senses.
When he is saved, his spirit is “quickened” opening up a new source of input to his soul.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1^st Corinthians 2:14)

That sense of spiritual discernment comes from the awakening of the spiritual senses.  Now the soul gets input through both the physical and spiritual gateways.  It is this transformation that the Bible refers to as a “new creature”.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

The purpose of the first part of today’s OL was to illustrate the Bible’s principle that “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19:30)
I believe that principle illustrates what happens to those that define salvation as something somebody else doesn’t have because they aren’t living according to their understanding of the Bible.
Which is to say, “love not the things I don’t love.  The things I love aren’t sinful,” -- while ignoring the fact that loving them is.
Salvation creates a new creature with a direct spiritual connection with the Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Romans 8:16)

If it is possible for a person to lose one’s salvation, Hebrews 6:6 teaches that it is impossible for such a one to be born again, again.

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost . . if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.”(Hebrews 6:4-6)

Why would “renewing them again unto repentance put Christ to an open shame?”  During His Agony in the Garden, Jesus prayed,

“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy Name: those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost. . . Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:12,24)

The open shame is found in the fact that He was unable to keep such a one by His sacrifice, despite the testimony of Scripture:

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12-14)

The regenerate man whose spiritual eyes have been opened cannot commit spiritual suicide because his spirit is directly indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.
“Falling away” is defined in the eyes of the beholder, NOT in the eyes of God.  God says you already fell away when you decided to buy a comfortable shirt instead of one made of sackcloth.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in it.”

Doesn’t say a word about loving the things of this world in a righteous way.  Remember the rich man who went away sorrowful because he had many possessions?
Aren’t you glad you weren’t offered that same choice?  Oh, wait.  You were.  And unless you live under a bridge in a cardboard box, you probably made the same choice the rich young man did.
Except that you are saved by grace through faith, not works, lest any man should boast.  Your life is hid with Christ in God.  Your life is ‘hid’ in Christ -- when God looks at you, He sees Christ and judges you accordingly.
You aren’t hid in Christ because you are righteous – nobody is.  You aren’t even hid in Christ because you try to be righteous.  You are hid in Christ because all your works are as filthy rags before the Lord. (Isaiah 64:6)
The sinning Christian loses irreplaceable opportunities to lead others to Christ. (Ephesians 5:14-17) The sinning Christian will suffer loss at the Bema Seat. (1^st Corinthians 3:11-13) The sinning Christian will be chastened by the Father. (Hebrews 12)
And the sinning Christian can render himself so useless to the Lord that the Lord will take him home prematurely.

“. . . There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” (1^st John 5:16)

But what the sinning Christian cannot do is “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.”  Because “by ONE offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”
Once is enough.

Question: "What does the Bible say about gay marriage / same sex marriage?"

Reblogged from gotquestions.org
Answer: While the Bible does address homosexuality, it does not explicitly mention gay marriage/same-sex marriage. It is clear, however, that the Bible condemns homosexuality as an immoral and unnatural sin. Leviticus 18:22 identifies homosexual sex as an abomination, a detestable sin. Romans 1:26-27 declares homosexual desires and actions to be shameful, unnatural, lustful, and indecent. First Corinthians 6:9 states that homosexuals are unrighteous and will not inherit the kingdom of God. Since both homosexual desires and actions are condemned in the Bible, it is clear that homosexuals “marrying” is not God’s will, and would be, in fact, sinful.

Whenever the Bible mentions marriage, it is between a male and a female. The first mention of marriage, Genesis 2:24, describes it as a man leaving his parents and being united to his wife. In passages that contain instructions regarding marriage, such as 1 Corinthians 7:2-16 and Ephesians 5:23-33, the Bible clearly identifies marriage as being between a man and a woman. Biblically speaking, marriage is the lifetime union of a man and a woman, primarily for the purpose of building a family and providing a stable environment for that family.

The Bible alone, however, does not have to be used to demonstrate this understanding of marriage. The biblical viewpoint of marriage has been the universal understanding of marriage in every human civilization in world history. History argues against gay marriage. Modern secular psychology recognizes that men and women are psychologically and emotionally designed to complement one another. In regard to the family, psychologists contend that a union between a man and woman in which both spouses serve as good gender role models is the best environment in which to raise well-adjusted children. Psychology argues against gay marriage. In nature/physicality, clearly, men and women were designed to “fit” together sexually. With the “natural” purpose of sexual intercourse being procreation, clearly only a sexual relationship between a man and a woman can fulfill this purpose. Nature argues against gay marriage.

So, if the Bible, history, psychology, and nature all argue for marriage being between a man and a woman—why is there such a controversy today? Why are those who are opposed to gay marriage/same-sex marriage labeled as hateful, intolerant bigots, no matter how respectfully the opposition is presented? Why is the gay rights movement so aggressively pushing for gay marriage/same-sex marriage when most people, religious and non-religious, are supportive of—or at least far less opposed to—gay couples having all the same legal rights as married couples with some form of civil union?

The answer, according to the Bible, is that everyone inherently knows that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural, and the only way to suppress this inherent knowledge is by normalizing homosexuality and attacking any and all opposition to it. The best way to normalize homosexuality is by placing gay marriage/same-sex marriage on an equal plane with traditional opposite-gender marriage. Romans 1:18-32 illustrates this. The truth is known because God has made it plain. The truth is rejected and replaced with a lie. The lie is then promoted and the truth suppressed and attacked. The vehemence and anger expressed by many in the gay rights movement to any who oppose them is, in fact, an indication that they know their position is indefensible. Trying to overcome a weak position by raising your voice is the oldest trick in the debating book. There is perhaps no more accurate description of the modern gay rights agenda than Romans 1:31, “they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”

To give sanction to gay marriage/same-sex marriage would be to give approval to the homosexual lifestyle, which the Bible clearly and consistently condemns as sinful. Christians should stand firmly against the idea of gay marriage/same-sex marriage. Further, there are strong and logical arguments against gay marriage/same-sex marriage from contexts completely separated from the Bible. One does not have to be an evangelical Christian to recognize that marriage is between a man and a woman.

According to the Bible, marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6). Gay marriage/same-sex marriage is a perversion of the institution of marriage and an offense to the God who created marriage. As Christians, we are not to condone or ignore sin. Rather, we are to share the love of God and the forgiveness of sins that is available to all, including homosexuals, through Jesus Christ. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and contend for truth with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). As Christians, when we make a stand for truth and the result is personal attacks, insults, and persecution, we should remember the words of Jesus: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).

Recommended Resources: The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage: 6 Things You Must Know About What's Really at Stake by Erwin Lutzer and Logos Bible Software.

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Related Topics:

Why are Christians opposed to marriage equality?

What does the Bible say about homosexuality? Is homosexuality a sin?

What is a Third Way church?

Should a Christian attend the wedding of a gay couple?

Is it possible to be a gay Christian?

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/gay-marriage.html#ixzz3eC9W6GGG

Vain Imaginations Expressly Prohibited!

Reblogged from servehiminthewaiting.com

Posted on December 27, 2013 by sandra Lloyd

 

One of the coolest things God did when He created man, was to give man an imagination.  An imagination is an amazing thing, and it is capable of, well, amazing things of it’s own. God’s creativity is, of course, unrivaled, but isn’t it a blessing to you when you see a beautiful painting, or a graceful dance, or hear a beautiful musical score?  It is to me.  I marvel at the God who put such potential of ability into a person.  Unfortunately a lot of people marvel at the creation rather than the Creator.  No human has anything that was not given to him by God.  Our imagination and all of its potential, is given to us by God, just like our ability to work, and all the potential prosperity that comes with that.

The ability to imagine is certainly one of the things that sets humans apart from animals.  The ability to imagine is what spurs every great discovery, invention, cure, revolution, every accomplishment, really!

But imagination has an ugly flipside to it! A dark side, if you will.  That flipside can lead to a lot of issues and problems.  Many if not most folks tend to latch onto something that worries them, and extrapolate various scenarios and then proceed to worry about the imagined scenarios.   Some people are aware of this and they strive to counter-act it and nip it in the bud.  But others are world-class champions at projecting via the imagination all sorts of potential and future things to worry about.  Also the same principle often applies with anxiety-provoking events that are done and over with in the past!

I have to admit, I am guilty on both counts.  But I also am one of those who is aware of my weakness and I work to redirect my thoughts.  Feelings follow thoughts, so if a person can corral their thoughts, they can manage their feelings and emotions to a much greater degree.

Vain imaginations lead to unnecessary anxiety over one’s future, while recalling/reliving stressful and unpleasant experiences from the past, leads to resentment which taints the present  in a real way.  The body doesn’t make much distinction between real experience and “make believe” or remembered experiences.

I am tackling this topic not because I am an expert in conquering this issue, but rather precisely because it is an area in which I struggle and because I know truth and honesty, even with one’s own self, are the “safest road” to travel.  When we have resentment in our spirit over something in our past, or even present, something perceived as a slight or an offense, or some unquestionably evil assault we have endured, that resentment will permeate our spirit, erode our judgment, and short-circuit our self-control, and lead to much worse damage in and of itself, over time.

Resentment is an odd bird.  Resentment springs from a perceived slight or “robbery” if you will.  Someone has demonstrated a lack of common consideration, a lack of love, a lack of loyalty, a lack of recognition of ones inherent value as a human being.  Resentment follows the detraction.

But what is resentment, when you get down to the root?  It is anger fed and kept alive in your imagination and memory.  It is anger acknowledged  repeatedly, or unceasingly, and waxed bitter. There is a resentment that is born of a conscious and intentional holding on, and then there is also a resentment that is fostered by circumstances completely outside of one’s control, but resentment has the same effect, regardless of it’s source of origin, and the choice can still be proactively made, to release the hold of resentment toward the offender.  But it requires intent, and determination.

I think that an ever-present notion of having been deprived of something we deserve, or having been judged undeserving of something fundamental that we genuinely need, contributes to all sorts of self-defeating and destructive “drives” in us.

We yearn, but can’t soothe.  We “stuff” other things into ourselves, in a misguided attempt to fill the void.  Food, compulsive shopping,  mood-altering drugs, drinking, “blissing out” to mood-altering music, or what have you.

The effected individual walks around with a constant “tooth-ache-like” discomfort that chafes and torments looking for comfort or at least distraction, in whatever form readily accessible.

A child who is neglected as an infant, sometimes grows up with an overwhelming and over-arching case of this resentment.  And it is so deeply seeded in the very core of them, that they don’t even understand where it came from and don’t even know that it is pathological and may not even be aware of it in themselves, yet it will draw trouble to them, and compound their misery and dissatisfaction in life. It becomes a handicap, an Achilles heel.  Satan knows this and will exploit it to the fullest of his ability to wreak further havoc in that life.

Others develop the resentment as a consequence and “side effect” if you will, of the circumstances of their individual life choices, disobedience, what have you.  It is a problem much more common than people realize.  As a rule, the worse case of resentment a person suffers with, the less self-aware they probably are about it.  Like all deviations from God’s purposes and designs, this eventually brings blindness and confusion. All sin degrades.  We are to be angry and sin-not.  But we are commanded to love and forgive.  If we don’t forgive, we cannot love.

This is the reason God tells us in His Word to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when our obedience is fulfilled.

What does that mean, exactly?  Well, lets look at the individual pieces.
Imaginations is the translated word for logismos, which means computation or reasoning.
 High thing is translated for the word hupsoma which means altitude or barrier.
Exalteth itself /epairo/ to raise up
Against/kata/ before, beyond, exceeding, more excellent than, (denotes opposition)
the knowledge of/gnosis/the act of knowing
God.

Putting that together:
Cast off your (own) speculation and every barrier or obstacle that crops up to oppose what you know to be true by God’s own revelation of Himself (His Word).

What has God said? 

Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord…..  Fret not because of the evildoers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall be cut down like the grass… for I say to every man among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought….for the last shall be made first, and the first last…… humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.

God is telling us to line our thoughts up with what the Bible says about Him, about justice, and about ourselves and our own nature, and to toss out and reject anything that contradicts that.

Bringing into captivity/aichmalotidzo/make captive or subdue

Every/pas /All manner of, + always + ever (all as in ALL inclusive, never-endingly, on an ongoing basis which requires continuous adherence)

Thought/noema/perception, disposition (mood, frame of mind)

To the obedience/hupakoe/submission

of

Christ/Christos/The Messiah

Putting that together:

Always rein-in every thought, subdue every disposition and mood and bring them into submission to the obedience of(demonstrated and modeled for us by) the Messiah

Messiah submitted to injustice, uncomplaining, without taking retribution, without so much as resistance, in utter obedience to His Father.   He is the standard God measures us by!

And having in all readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled (complete, perfect)

in other words:

you, yourself, will be fit to take vengeance against the disobedience of others, on the day your own obedience is as complete and perfect as that of Christ!

All together now, in my own words:

Line up your thoughts with what the Bible reveals about God, about justice, about our own (fallen) nature, and disregard any thoughts in your head (or suggested via other sources) that don’t line up with that.  (such as the misconception that you are without sins of your own and thereby qualified to cast stones, even at someone who has harmed you).  Reign in every thought unto obedience to your example, Messiah, (who though equal with God, took on the form of the lowest servant, humbled himself and submitted to death for your sake and mine!) He is saying, essentially, you will be ready to avenge the wrongdoings of others when you, yourself are as perfect in your obedience as Christ was/is in His!!!

Which, of course, will never happen while we are still subject to the curse of the fall and this flesh.

Whether your problem is worrying unnecessarily (borrowing trouble, which is expressly forbidden in Matthew 6:34), or clinging to resentment, (which is like refusing treatment for cancer), God has spoken on the subject and His instructions are clear:

 Do Not Indulge!

It is a good rule of thumb all around, not to indulge our baser nature.  Much easier said than done, I realize, but there it is, just the same!