Spiritual Sustenance

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The WORD of GOD.

Pro_30:5  Every WORD OF GOD is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

He is a SHIELD unto them that put their trust in Him!

Luk_4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every WORD OF GOD.

We must LIVE by the WORD of GOD.

Yet we scarcely have anything to do with it. How many people would be considered starved if the Word of God were their sustenance? How many people are spiritually dead because they've not lived by the Word of God? On the other hand, how many people read the Word of God yet gain no sustenance from it because they've read it amiss?

1Th_2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

If we believe the Word of God is really the word of men then ALL our reading will mean nothing- no living sustenance. Men's words cannot give us any life at all, they are words without any real power in them. God's Word is a Living Word, alive and full of power and life!

2Co 4:1  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2Co_4:2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

We CANNOT handle the Word of God DECEITFULLY and expect to be fed by it.

Yet there are so many people who read their daily verses, who say their prayers, and they are all empty of true spiritual life giving sustenance because they are being deceitful, they are not reading God's word as true spiritual life food. They are NOT reading the Word of God with the expectation of being truly nourished in a very, very real way. 

How can we read this--

Luk_4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every WORD OF GOD.

--and not realize that we are only truly alive, truly living, truly fed by food that will not leave us empty but give us spiritual life- the life that really, really matters more than any other?

The WORD of GOD.

Luk 8:5  A sower went out to sow his seed (((THE WORD OF GOD)))): and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
Luk 8:6  And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
Luk 8:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
Luk 8:8  And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Luk 8:9  And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

Luk 8:10  And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Luk 8:11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Luk 8:12  Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Luk 8:13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Luk 8:14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Luk 8:15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

The WORD OF GOD.

So important is the Word of God that it is a true treasure to comprehend that IT has the power to create in us a CLEAN heart- an honest and good heart- when we HEAR it and KEEP it and allow it to work in  us being PATIENT as this happens.

The Word of God is sown upon EVERYONE, no one is left out, not a single person. How that Word of God is accepted is what matters. 

All too often the devil with all his evil ways tempts us away, all too often cares and riches and pleasures of this life mean so much more than the eternal riches in store.  We need to examine our lives and repent, seeking forgiveness, praying for faith and patience in that faith that God will create an honest and good heart within us, He is everything!

The WORD of GOD is -

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

- QUICK
-POWERFUL
-SHARPER THAN ANY TWO EDGED SWORD

The WORD of GOD is -

-LIFE GIVING
-SUSTAINING
-SPIRITUAL
-HEART CLEANSING

The WORD of GOD.

More tomorrow all by the grace and mercy of our Savior! ALL in HIS LOVE! BY HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Please LORD help us.

There are loved ones among us Lord that are very sick, possibly dying, please LORD bless them, as Your will is done let them be Yours no matter what happens. All by YOUR grace and mercy!

When we love others we are loving as God would have us love.

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

There is a PROMISE of entering into HIS REST.
The GOSPEL PREACHED - no profit without FAITH.
There is A REST to the people of GOD.
We need to CEASE from our own works - as God did from His.
LABOR to enter into that REST.
We  do not enter into that rest through UNBELIEF.

LABOR to REST.

The ultimate REST - found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ - is SALVATION.

Our labor is our faith.

Our faith is revealed in our works, our lives.

Abraham revealed his faith through his obedience to God's word.

Obedience to God's word, to God's truths is of utmost importance. 

We say we love God and our fellowman but our actions will reveal the truth of that.

Do we love God- then our lives must reveal that love.
Do we love others- then our lives must reveal that love.

We cannot say we love and then live without love.

Love is selfless, giving up of self and selfish desires.

Love is living for the benefit of others.

We complicate love so much because of our selfishness.

If we could only see, if we could only realize how selfish we truly are and how that steals from us the ability to love, truly love.

We go to great lengths to deny this truth so we can serve our selfishness.  We turn our backs on so much so that we can please ourselves, content ourselves, give ourselves ease of mind and body.

Loving God, serving God means to serve others for Him, to do HIS will here and now.  Remember this…

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

When we love others we are loving God.

May God help us to labor so that we can enter into His rest.  Let our labor be that of faith and through that faith our work be of the love of God towards all our neighbors. May His love be in us, working to do His will always.

By HIS grace, may He keep us always in Him.

Through HIS LOVE.

Not being mixed with faith

Heb 3:17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Heb 3:19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

They could not enter in to the promised land and the rest that was promised because of unbelief.

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

We need to fear.

We need to comprehend that just as they were given a promise they fell SHORT of receiving that promise because of their own unbelief.  Do you think for one moment that those men and women having come out from under the thumb of slavery- their every action dictated, their every action subject to the approval or disapproval of the pharaoh, all their hard work not done for their own benefit but for the benefit of another to exploit- do you think these people didn't want that promised land? They did! They wanted it and they wanted it immediately, they wanted it without any strictures, they wanted it selfishly, they wanted it not with any real gratitude because it was something much better than what they'd been living in.  How many of us desire heaven simply because we know that it beats the alternative non-existence after a severe punishment? How many of us believe we will gain heaven simply because want it? How many believe in God as a big ol' softy who is going to let everyone enter heaven regardless of how they believe now? How many of us are caught up in the idea of leaving the slavery of this world and yet our belief in our Savior and His truth as it is found in His word is sorely lacking? If devils believe then obviously there is something more than simply believing, right? Our believing contains a result that comes from that believing.  Abraham's faith, Abraham's belief resulted in a life lived in accordance with that belief, that faith. Moses' life too held results that stemmed from his belief.  A real belief a living breathing part of our lives, not simply a thought to believe and nothing more. 

Read the following carefully-

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

This is truth, a truth that we don't like to think about because we automatically hear the loud cry-

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

NOT OF WORKS! 

How we've perverted the scriptures to suit our own brands of religion, our own brands of truth. We pick it apart and take out all the juicy bits that please us but leave the other parts that don't give us any satisfaction.  We hold up this verse here- not of works- and toss is around like a banner for all to see so that they understand we aren't about to do good because then it will be too confusing and we'll start to think that we are working our way towards salvation.  We can't work to earn salvation, it's a gift, so we'll just sit back and take the gift of salvation and nothing else matters.

Taking the gift of salvation is having FAITH, believing in the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Taking the gift of salvation is KNOWING that there isn't a single thing we can do on our own that warrants our deserving salvation. Taking the gift of salvation is comprehending that once we accept the gift we are born again into  a new life, a spiritual life, the old life is put away.  How could Jesus bring salvation to those He preached to, to those He healed and tell them to go and sin no more, if their sinning didn't matter any longer? Wouldn't He have simply said, go and keep believing in me, don't worry about sinning, don't worry about your actions, just believe- those actions don't count at all whatsoever.

Seriously, how can we comprehend that devils believe, devils have faith, devils know that our Lord and Savior has the power to give salvation,  yet all their believing in those facts changes nothing for them. Yet, we want to believe that all it takes is our believing just like those devils believe, and nothing more. We don't want to have to worry about changing and being unable to put off our cherished sins, we want to believe, and have that count as our salvation as we continue on sinning willfully.

Faith without WORKS is dead.
Faith without corresponding actions that are a result of that faith is dead.
Faith without our belief in all our Lord Jesus revealed to us in His words- all His admonitions to how we should live- is dead.
Are we truly believing in our Savior if we are not believing in all His words, all His teachings?
Do we truly believe and have faith in our Savior if we have no faith whatsoever at all in anyway in His ministry here on earth?
If I say I believe in someone, aren't I really saying I believe in the things they stand for?

We have an election right around the corner and if I say I believe in one of the candidates I'm really saying I believe in the things He's said, the things he stands for. You wouldn't really think I believed in that candidate if he said one thing and I adamantly spoke out against that very thing. You'd question my belief, you'd wonder how I could possibly say I believe in that man if he doesn't believe in the things I do.  It'd be very contradictory and very confusing to say the least.

A real faith is believing in God, believing in our Savior and in that belief- believing in ALL they stand for. 

Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

The word preached did not profit them- because it was NOT mixed with faith!

Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Heb 4:4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

Heb 4:5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Heb 4:8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

More tomorrow by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

They could not enter in because of unbelief

Harden NOT your hearts.

Heb 3:7  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Heb 3:8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Heb 3:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Heb 3:10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
Heb 3:11  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Take heed…
Lest there be in ANY of you...
An evil heart of unbelief…
In departing from the living God.

Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Exhort one another DAILY while it is called today-
Lest ANY of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Sin can harden us.
Sin can corrupt us.
Sin can do to us what it did to those who did not believe in God's love.
Sin's deceit- that it is harmless, that sin doesn't matter. The acceptance of sin as a part of our life rather than something to be despised, this is deceitfulness. We can't know what sin is except by God's moral law. Take God's moral law out of the picture and you are left with a lot of chaos. And yet some people live within that chaos as if it is a normal way of life, acceptable, and even good.

Sin- transgressing God's moral law in any way cannot be acceptable to us.  Sin's deceitfulness would have us accept it and this is the problem a lot of us are consumed by.  The sins we accept set about hardening our hearts causing us to depart from the living God and His truth.

Deceitfulness of sin.

Sometimes it is easier to see the sin in another's life than in one's own. Is it any wonder we need to exhort one another? That we need to daily involve ourselves in the spiritual warfare going on by recognizing first that we are in a war, second by realizing the weapons of this warfare are often fiery darts of our cherished sins, thirdly by repenting of those sins, seeking forgiveness from our Savior. Don't ever accept sin as being something good, something inevitable, something that is a part of us that we just have to forget about. Even a sin that is committed daily, hourly, minutely MUST be recognized for what it is! We cannot let any sin in our lives become acceptable to us.  Sin will deceive us every chance it gets. Sin wants to become acceptable to us so that we no longer repent of it, no longer call it sin.

How often we tell ourselves lies and do so long enough that we accept those lies as truth. Our reality becomes skewed to fit the lies as truths so that we do not embrace the pain and anguish of our sins. There is a horror in sin, that through that horror Satan will take every opportunity to destroy a person. There is a greater horror in the reality that choosing to live a lie rather than face the horror of sin, doing what you have to do just to stay sane and live your life as best you can, this is the deceitfulness of sin that will destroy our relationship with God because we do NOT fully believe in His love and all that entails, His saving grace. 

We need to EXHORT one another daily.

Exhort-
Strong's: From G3844 and G2564; to call near that is invite invoke (by imploration hortation or consolation): - beseech call for (be of good) comfort desire (give) exhort (-ation) intreat pray.

In many Bible translations the word exhort is translated - encourage-  Encourage one another daily. In others it is comfort, Comfort one another daily.

Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Exhorting one another so that we are not hardened by sin's deceitfulness- means what exactly? Sin will harden us against God because that is the nature of sin- to separate us from God's love. If I'm exhorting, encouraging, comforting, praying for others daily I'm doing so in such a way that sin won't be deceptive and allowed to harden their hearts. This really means revealing the love of God to others daily, because it is only that love of God that can stave off sin's hardening curse. It's only faith in God to love, to forgive that keeps sin from entrenching us in its hateful cement that threatens to destroy our belief in God.

When our belief in God's ability to love and all that means is gone then our hearts are hardened in unbelief and we will be as lost as they were who were left to die in the wilderness for choosing not to believe.

Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 3:15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 3:16  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
Heb 3:17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Heb 3:19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

We must believe, all by the grace of God we must believe.

We must keep the belief in Christ alive and well, a living, breathing belief that would have us recognize that the sins in our lives need to be repented of and forgiven by our Savior.

We are made partakers of CHRIST…
IF we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.

And in the beginning of our walk with Christ we were very repentant of our sins, we were sure of Christ's forgiveness of our sins as we repented and asked to be forgiven. We can never cease to seek forgiveness, we can never stop repenting when sin fills our lives, never!  We must forever believe in our SAVIOR and HIS LOVE to save us.

An evil heart of unbelief

Heb 3:7  Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Heb 3:8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Heb 3:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

The HOLY GHOST SAITH-

How important is it when we hear these words- the HOLY GHOST SAITH, that we listen? We know that the Bible is inspired by God. Men wrote as they were convicted by the HOLY SPIRIT. We know this and so when we read the words- 'the Holy Ghost saith' it's REEMPHASIZING the point that is being made. 

The Holy Ghost saith-

To day - IF you WILL HEAR HIS VOICE-

HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS.

What does He mean by this, He goes on to tell us.

Harden not our hearts as they did in the day of temptation in the wilderness, in the provocation, when our ancestors tempted GOD, proved GOD and saw GOD the Holy Spirit's works for forty years!

They'd been given so MUCH and it wasn't enough for them. They chose rather to doubt to NOT believe! Those who were shown miracle after miracle, after miracle and still they doubted!

Heb 3:10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
Heb 3:11  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

God was GRIEVED with them. They were ERRING in their hearts, NOT knowing God's ways.

They didn't WANT to believe, their hearts chose NOT to believe, not to know God's ways.  And they did that when God had shown them miracles!

WE though, have something they didn't have- we have the history of having a Savior born into our world, the promised Messiah, God's Son became man who lived and died as one of us, yet without sin, bringing Salvation into the world.

Those in Moses day had the future promise of the Messiah, we have the reality of that promise made good in our day.  And yet even with that wondrous miracle we still choose not to believe like those long, long, long ago and we are WARNED.

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

An evil heart of UNBELIEF.

We don't want to think of unbelief as being evil. We'd rather once again just tiptoe around evil as if it doesn't really exist, and as long as we tiptoe it won't affect us. The truth is evil surrounds us daily, real, real evil.

I read something today - someone saying they believe 99% of people are good and only 1% aren't. 

Not true.

Not in the sense of good being those who believe in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Yet we do NOT want to say that people NEED to believe.  As long as they're good.  As long as they're not hurting anyone, as long as they're sweet, kind, and seemingly loving then they're good.  But there are thousands if not millions of people who are good- but choose not to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Love- GOD'S love.  Love given to us by God, His love, not the made up love of mankind, HIS love is truth and life in Christ Jesus. The love we've come to know is a warped love.  And we're told not to question kindness, and goodness because then we are bad for questioning.  Satan himself could feed us kindness to the point we believe he is pure goodness, but Satan will never ever accept Christ as His Savior, He cannot, He made His choice. Satan wants all to make the same choice- to NOT accept Christ as our personal Savior, as our Redeemer.  Satan doesn't care if we are as sweet as can be as long as we do not have a true relationship, a true belief in Jesus Christ.

An evil heart of unbelief.

All hearts that refuse to believe in the love of our God through Jesus Christ our Lord, are evil.  He along with His Father, along with the Holy Spirit only know the hearts of people- we cannot even begin to know the hearts of one another, we can scarcely even know our own hearts. We cannot judge anyone's eternal life, we aren't meant to! But we have to understand the reality of why we are being admonished not to harden our hearts as they did in the days of Moses, not to have an evil hear of unbelief- departing from the living God.

More tomorrow on this… by the GRACE and LOVE of our GOD, all through HIS MERCY!

Learn

Tit 3:14  And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

LEARN.

When you are born again into the Spirit, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you aren't automatically transformed into someone else. There is often a newness of the love, the acceptance, the glory of being forgiven and given a new lease on a life that will be through eternity.  Much as there is a newness in the relationships we form with each other.

If you're young you many not have experienced the amazing joyfulness of finding a mutual love with another person, but you've most certainly seen movies that seem almost fairytale-ish because of that new love excitement and thrill.  It can be the same when you accept Jesus as your Savior, but the newness of ALL things wears off.

Automatically turning into a person who is loving, kind, even tempered, generous, charitable, sweet isn't something that is going to happen. The newness will wear away and you'll find yourself slowly giving into the negative traits you'd hoped were gone forever. Your temper will wear a little thin, you won't feel the desire to be extra giving especially if it's in a way that will put you out and keep you from doing other things you'd planned. When these traits resurface we'll feel the pangs of regret for them and that's a GREAT thing, because we know when we feel those pangs it's time to seek forgiveness and repent.

Christians are not given special knowledge, special powers of their own. If Christians were changed into perfect beings then they wouldn't need to be given these words- 'let ours also learn' - because they'd know already, right? Maintain good works would be automatic to them. But the truth of the matter is, we are changed spiritually- taken from a state of spiritual death, to a state of spiritual life through our Savior. And our instructions for daily living are many, they are varied, and they are constant.  The truth also is that we need to learn to walk in our new spiritual life.  It's all too easy to not learn because we get stuck on believing we simply are what we are, and our working to learn is bad because we get caught up in thinking we once again working for salvation which isn't true!

We are told that we need to LEARN to maintain good works for necessary uses so we are NOT unfruitful.

We must LEARN and in learning live as those who have learned.   When you've learned how to talk you don't unlearn it but keep on talking the rest of your life.  When you've learned how to do things you will get to a point where you are done learning because then you know how to do those things. We need to LEARN how to maintain good works and once we've learned then we will be fruitful in the work of our Lord.

Can we learn to be 'better' people than we are? Can we learn to be unselfish? Can we learn to be more even tempered?  It is possible, and we can learn best through our SAVIOR and His word!

WE can learn, we must learn and our teacher is Christ.

If you read His word and know How He wants you to be and you're not- then you know you need to learn to be as He will you to be.  We have to do our part in this learning, and that might mean studying over and over, more and more.  The learning might entail a lot of practice, constant practice in fact. This is a learning process that will go on and on for us and we need to live for our Teacher, live for His teaching.

ALL by HIS GRACE.

Learn to maintain good works

Tit 3:9  But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

Avoid foolish questions… about the law.
Avoid genealogies… about the law.
Avoid contentions… about the law.
Avoid strivings… about the law.

Why- they are UNPROFITABLE, and they are VAIN.

Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

What things are good?

Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Maintain good works is profitable.

We are GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS!

We are told what to do, and what NOT to do.

Do speak evil of NO MAN.
Do NOT brawl.
Do BE gentle.
Do SHOW all meekness to ALL.

AVOID foolish questions, genealogies, contentions, strivings about the law.

We have instructions but do we follow them?

We should.

When we don't can others who do say this about us?

Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

That we are hereticks?  The Greek word is this:  Hairetikos and the meaning is this:

 Schismatic, factious, a follower of a false doctrine.

Someone who causes a divide among a group, someone who is trying to undermine others, someone who is a follower of false doctrine- these are hereticks.

Those who are caught up in speaking evil, brawling, not being gentle, having no meekness, those who are caught up in disputing the law in many ways are HERETICKS, right?

And people who are hereticks need to be ADMONISHED- they need to be told they are caught up in wrongdoing- in NOT following God's instructions. Out of LOVE for our SAVIOR we strive to live for HIS glory and living for HIS glory means understanding HIS words to us and following HIS words. We can't ignore His words, His instructions, we cannot! We can't abuse others, and be contentious and such and expect that this is how our Savior would have us live.  

We aren't perfect, we have our moments of failure and by the grace of God we can be forgiven those when we are truly repentant and seeking forgiveness. When we LIVE a life contrary to the word of God, we cannot expect those who are striving to live to God's glory to want us among them, we can't.

God's word says this--

Tit 3:11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

This is a reality and a possibility. Yet, we like to tout a Christianity that  doesn't reject anyone for any reason. We fear that we are judging others and we are, we have to.  We have to be able to judge actions and behaviors, but we CANNOT judge eternal life for anyone!  We have to realize this, that judging actions and judging eternal lives are two different things. We have to realize that we can't voluntarily immerse ourselves into a life that is contrary to all we believe in our SAVIOR.  Yes, we can help all those who are downtrodden, all those who are caught in sin, all those who do not know the gospel of the kingdom of God. Jesus did that! Jesus loved all and died for all! Jesus forgave sinners and told them to go and sin no more. Jesus is our greatest example. Jesus wants us to LOVE all. We can't hate anyone, we can hate the actions that Satan induces from others, but we can't hat those people who are caught in his snare.  We cannot allow ourselves to be a willing part of sin, right? By the grace of God we will not.

Paul goes on to say--

Tit 3:12  When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.
Tit 3:13  Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.

Tit 3:14  And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

Tit 3:15  All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. It was written to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians, from Nicopolis of Macedonia.

Tit 3:14  And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

These are followers of Christ being told to maintain good works for necessary uses- that they be not unfruitful.

So you have to ask yourself-  do we do good works to God's glory or do we neglect good works for fear we are trying to make it seem as if we are working our way to salvation? Do we strive to enter the strait gate--

Luk_13:24  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Do we lay aside every weight and the sin that would ruin us?

Heb_12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

Do we press for the mark?

Php_3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Do we maintain good works for necessary uses?

Spiritual lives.

All of this guides us in our spiritual living.  We must live for our SAVIOR as HE would have us live and that really does mean studying His word and following it as well, all THROUGH HIM and HIS POWER!

Please LORD, help us!

WE need You in our lives, living and loving always.

Help us.