Right and Wrong.
As the whole of humanity a vast majority have a strong moral compass. Even so, there are those whose moral compass is seemingly missing, or very skewed. Do not believe for a single moment that one person with a God guided moral compass will lose out on eternity. Not one person of innocence by youth, feebleness, ignorance, or otherwise will be counted guilty in God's eyes. On the other hand all those guilty by lacking youth, feebleness, true ignorance or otherwise, will not be a part of eternity if they lack a God guided moral compass. Those who purposefully encourage and indulge their faulty moral compass (or lack thereof) will have no advocate in judgment, having chosen to reject their only hope of salvation.
Right and Wrong.
Many throughout history from its beginning have kept their moral compass fine tuned without any knowledge of religion, these obey by the heart.
Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another
God is just, though Satan would have mankind believe otherwise. Satan glories in the millions of mankind he's been able to deceive. Jesus weeps over the loss of them all. With proper mental faculties capable of discerning between good and evil, each person is accountable for their choices. Because of our extreme frailties towards evil because our senses have been perverted to the extreme so that self, and self-appeasement in any and all ways possible is supreme. Our God has offered us Redemption through Forgiveness should we seek to be forgiven, acknowledging our awful sinful ways, and asking to be forgiven, NOT excusing a single sin. After the very first sin- God told mankind that there was still hope in the form of a Savior to come. This Savior would ultimately destroy all evil, Satan and all that he has wrought from the moment of his first sin.
Right and Wrong.
To live in a world where there is only right, this is what mankind was created for, not for the tortured existence that sin has introduced us to. Sin lovers, sin excusers, sin promoters, on some level know that sin is wrong- no matter how much they've deluded themselves into making sin seem right, not wrong. There is within them a flicker of comprehension that they snuff out when they are called to choose right over wrong. Many millions are convinced that sinfulness is good and their right to indulge sin is just that- their right. Those who comprehend the sinfulness of sin, know differently, they are permitted to understand sin's evilness. We are tortured human beings, so incredibly tortured. Sadness, heartache, pain, engulf us over and over during our lives. And ALL of this torture stems from a single being- Satan. We are allowed to know right and wrong, we are allowed to know the authors of both. We choose which to follow.
Right and Wrong.
We were created, given a likeness of God with the power of choice, a mind of higher comprehension. We know compared to the creatures surrounding us we were created on a different level of existence. Deliberate, not instinctual malice is a trait of mankind, not creature kind. An animal may hurt other animals, but there is no malice involved just an instinctual impulse they act upon. We know right from wrong, they do not. With our God likeness, we have intelligence, to deny this does not make it less truthful.
Right and Wrong.
Ultimately a day will come when everything is made undeniable for all. This is the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Choosing to follow your God driven moral compass allows for salvation. Choosing not to follow your God driving moral compass allows for no chance whatsoever for salvation. Choosing not to believe, gives you no chance for hope. A choice to serve self and have some faint notion of superior thinking because you don't allow for a belief in God is to condemn yourself purposefully allowing for no hope at all for eternity- all because of a deliberate wrong choice.
God help us all through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
CHAPTER IV. STEPS OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM Pt 2
Continued…
'Moreover, it is plainly stated that "to obey is better that sacrifice." 1 Sam. 15:22. And Jesus said they call him Lord in vain, and their faith in him is vain, who do not the will of his Father,--if they work iniquity, or, literally, lawlessness. Matt. 7:21-23.
((Mat 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.))
Eternal life will be given to them who patiently continue in well doing. Rom. 2:7.
((Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ))
The same apostle who taught that we are justified by faith without works, in regard to past sins, also commanded us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. 2:12.
((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))
Another apostle said to the brethren: "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." 1 Peter 1:22. This is what is meant by being sanctified through the truth. John 17:17.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
And all this fully justifies that expression of James--"Faith without works is dead." James 2:20. And yet, without faith it is not possible to please God (Heb. 11:6), for of ourselves we can do nothing. John 15:5. The grace of God through Christ is necessary in order that we may work to divine acceptance; and love to God is also necessary that our work may be acceptable Christian service as a "work of faith." 1 Thess. 1:3; 2 Thess. 1:11.
1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father
2Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power
And genuine Christian faith is a "faith which worketh by love." Gal. 5:6. And such a faith as this was the faith of Abraham. Of the relation of his faith Paul thus speaks:-
"And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also; and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised." Rom. 4:11, 12.
This is a very weighty text, fruitful of important considerations.
1. Circumcision was a sign or seal of righteousness. How different this statement from that of the multitude of theologians who assert that it was given as a means to keep the Jews a separate people from the Gentiles. It could not mark a line of separation between the children of Israel and the Ishmaelites and the descendants of Esau. And Paul declares that it was no sign at all to the
unfaithful and disobedient. It was only a separating line between the righteous and the unrighteous. To Abraham it was a sign of the righteousness that he already possessed through faith. "All unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17), or transgression of the law of God; "for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. Abraham had the righteousness of faith, but faith works by love, and love is the fulfilling of the law.
And this shows why the circumcision of the unbelieving Jews was of no value. Being given as a sign of righteousness, the sign signified nothing, if the righteousness were wanting. John says that righteousness is obedience, or the opposite of sin, and therefore Paul thus testifies:--
"For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Rom. 2:25.
That is, if you keep the law, or maintain the righteousness of which it was the sign, then it is profitable--it has a true meaning. But if you work iniquity, and have not the righteousness required in the law, then your sign becomes no sign; it signifies nothing, for everything is lacking which it was intended to signify.
2. He became the father of all them that believe, whether circumcised or uncircumcised, who walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham.
This statement demands careful consideration. Circumcision was given as the sign of righteousness. This righteousness was by faith. But in this, nothing avails but a "faith that worketh by love," and "this is the love of God that we keep his commandments;" and "love is the fulfilling of the law. From all this we are led to the unavoidable conclusion that the steps of the faith of Abraham consisted in obedience to the law of God; and these are the steps which we must follow to be his children indeed. And we are not left to merely draw conclusions, for on this point we have the most explicit testimony.
Concerning the promises, the Lord said to Isaac:--
"Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and I will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father; . . . because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." Gen. 26:3-5.
We have shown that God's purposes toward man, both providential and gracious, were revealed from the beginning, and these purposes he has never changed. When man sinned and fell, then and there the Creator announced the plan of salvation which has been declared from that day to this; it has never been set aside--nor has other ever been devised. The promises made to Adam were fully explained to Abraham, as their fulfillment was to come through his seed, and these are the foundation and substance of the gospel for all ages. And it is equally reasonable, equally true, equally clearly shown in the Scriptures, that the law of God, the great moral rule of right, was also
revealed in the beginning, and has been repeated from age to age, and has come down the same through all dispensations. It would be strange indeed if it were not so. Man's moral nature was conferred in his creation, and all his moral relations are a necessity of his nature. They have been neither augmented nor diminished since his creation. And the moral law is necessary in order to the development of character according to man's nature and relations. Where there is no law, says the scripture, there is no transgression; and it is equally true that where there is no law there is no obedience. Therefore without law there can be no character developed, either good or bad. If God had given man no law, he might just as well have made him an unreasoning creature, for he could have formed no more character than the brutes.
Noah was righteous before God, while the wickedness of the people was great, and the thoughts of their hearts were only evil. Gen. 6:5; 7:1. Lot also was righteous, while the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners exceedingly. Gen. 13:13. Of course Noah and Lot did righteousness, while the people around them transgressed the law of God; for they were sinners, and sin is the transgression of the law, and "sin is not imputed where there is no law." Rom. 5:13. But their sins were imputed to them. Peter says that the righteous soul of Lot was vexed with the "unlawful deeds" of the men of Sodom. 2 Peter 2:6-8.
2Pe 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
2Pe 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
2Pe 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
To be continued…
No comments:
Post a Comment