Give Me Understanding and I Shall Live.

 

People In Whose Heart Is God's Law.

 We have no righteousness of our own.

Isa_64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Filthy rags- that is all our righteousness can be.

We need Christ's righteousness.

The people in whose heart is God's law- will know righteousness.

All God's commandments are righteousness.

May God help us as we see to learn all we can of God's righteousness as we continue this study.

All by the grace of God!

Excerpt-

The Righteousness of God. 

The Lord says:

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath;  for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be forever and my righteousness shall not be abolished.  Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law." Isa. 51:6, 7.

"My tongue shall speak of thy work; for all thy commandments are righteousness." Ps. 119:172.

The righteousness of God, therefore, is his law. Let this not be forgotten. The term "the righteousness of God" occurs frequently in the book of Romans, and much confusion has resulted from giving it arbitrary and varying definitions. If we accept the definition given in the Bible, and do not abandon it in any instance, it will simplify matters very much. The righteousness of God is his perfect law.

Faith - To All.

 EJ Waggoner-

Saved by Faith. 

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. 

"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8. 

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16:16. 

"As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12. 

"With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Rom. 10:10.  

"This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:29. 

*

Faith works.

Time would fail to tell of those "who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, . . . out of weakness were made strong," etc. Heb. 11:33, 34. 

Men may say, "I can not see how it is possible for one to be made righteous simply by believing." It makes no difference what you can see; you are not saved by sight, but by faith. You do not need to see how it is done, because it is the Lord who does the work of saving. Christ dwells in the heart by faith (Eph. 3:17), and because he is our righteousness, "he also is become my salvation" (Isa. 12:2). We shall have salvation by faith illustrated more fully as we proceed in our study,  because the book of Romans is devoted wholly to this one thing.

*

"To the Jew First."

When Peter, at the request of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, and the command of the Lord,  went to Caesarea to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, his first words when he heard the story of Cornelius were,  "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Acts 10:34, 35.

This was the first time that Peter had ever perceived that truth, but it was not the first time that that thing was true. It had been a truth as long as God had existed. God never chose anybody to the exclusion of anybody else.  The wisdom that comes from above is "without partiality." James 3:17.

 It is true that the Jews as a nation were wonderfully favored by the Lord: but they lost all their privileges simply because they assumed that God loved them better than he did anybody else, and were exclusive. All through their history God was trying to make them see that what he offered them was for the whole world, and that they were to pass on to others the light and privileges which they shared.

The cases of Naaman, the Syrian, and of the Ninevites to whom Jonah was sent, are among the many instances by which God sought to show the Jews that he was no respecter of persons.

Then why was the gospel preached "to the Jew first"? Simply because the Jews were nearest. Christ was crucified at Jerusalem. It was from there that he commissioned his disciples to preach the gospel. At his ascension he said, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8. It was most natural that they should begin to preach the gospel in the place and to the people nearest them. This is the secret of all missionary work. He who does not labor in the gospel in his home, will not do any gospel work although he goes to a foreign country.

May We Stand Before the Son of Man.

 

Insidious Lies.

 The fate of the world was decided upon a lie. 

Eve had facts- truths from God, and lies from the serpent, Satan. She knew God- her Creator- did not want her to eat from that one tree. Did God go into great detail telling her why she shouldn't eat of it? Was He supposed to convince her to listen to Him? He created her and all the things around her and gave her a single restriction.

I imagine in our world that there have been countless parents who have told their children not to do something or it would harm them and the children went ahead and did it anyway- and it hurt them. Should the parent have been trusted and listened to? In an ideal world, always.

Satan used a lie to get Eve to sin.  Would she have sinned without Satan lying to her? I don't think so.

Now do you believe Satan's lie just like Eve? It's quite possible you do. Satan said - Gen_3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die

And today millions and millions and millions of people believe that lie. They believe no one really dies. They believe they instantly live on after their heart stops beating and their lungs stop breathing. They believe they will in the future- and that their already passed loved ones- simply continue on in a new way of life. They believe they are transformed. But God did not say that in the day they eat of the tree they will be transformed, HE DID NOT SAY THAT.  Satan however said- you won't die, he has duped the majority of people into believing that lie. Sure, your body here stops existing, no one is disputing that aspect of death, but Satan stands by the old… you didn't really die, you just went to heaven. A lie. Satan would rather we believe that God lied than that he lied. He's twisted death to his advantage.

The Bible talks of a 'second death'.

Rev_2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Did you even know there is a second death? 

If there is a first death and you die and are transformed into a being that goes to heaven does the second death mean you have a chance to die again?

Sounds really strange right? Doesn't make sense. Hasn't your so called fate been decided the first time around? 

You see, when we die we don't transform. We are thoughtless, unable to think any longer and our bodies decay in the grave. The breath of life that God gave to us upon our birth left our bodies and returned to God. 

Psa_146:4  His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Our God who created all things, who created our minds in the first place, will use the same creative power to bring our minds back to life- along with new bodies and He'll do all this when He returns for us and calls us to meet Him in the air.

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. 

The dead will RISE.  Not- those who died will be given new bodies to go with their spirits that already went on to heaven to live. It doesn't say the dead will again receive their bodies. In fact, who would want to go from being in supposed spirit form without any restrictions of a body, to being put back into a body? Also, the thoughts of the dead have perished, remember? If they are living on and thinking as so many people believe they are - not dead- then whose thoughts have perished? These are all logical questions that need to be asked.  

Back to the second death-  the Bible has this to say about the second death-

Rev_21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

All those who do NOT go to heaven with Christ when He returns will face the second death. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 

2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

All the living WICKED are destroy by the BRIGHTNESS of Christ's coming! All dead wicked are already in their graves and like those who died in Christ, they've been sleeping the death of nothingness, knowing nothing. Now they are joined by the rest of the wicked in death- not transformed into spirits and sent to suffer endlessly. 

All these wicked dead will be resurrected- here's when--

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

After those who are with Christ have lived with Him in heaven a thousand years… then the wicked dead are raised and then ultimately utterly destroyed completely- their SECOND death- the one NO Christ follower wants to experience!

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

Do you understand why the LIE of not dying matters so much? It's the greatest deception of Satan. If we choose to believe that LIE we are just as Eve, being told that we won't surely die and deceived by Satan. Once we are deceived by Satan in this way, there is no stopping Him from deceiving us in a multitude of other ways.

Remember we told there will be people who think they are the Lord's but He won't know them!!  They'll think all the good they did was for the Lord, but their true master will be Satan.

Mat 7:22  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? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

The power of a lie goes beyond our ability to fully understand.

A lie is deadly, it kills truth.

When you kill the truth because lies seem easier to accept, you are choosing to live your life in a lie.

Being a truth seeker means diligently searching to know truth.  

If something contrary to a set belief you hold appears in your life you don't ignore it, you study to know truth.

So, just how important is lying in the grand scheme of things? A simple little lie- there no such thing. In the grand scheme of things being a liar, or choosing to believe lies by ignoring truth is of an eternal-life deciding importance.

We live in a world where lying is part of our lives so when we are confronted with whether or not believing a lie is really harmless because it is hurting no one we often err on the side of it being 'not so bad'.  

If you believe something someone else is convinced is a lie and you have studied deeply and still believe that something, then you've done all you can do- you didn't simply accept what you believed- you did all you could possibly do to make sure you believed truth. 

I believe a lot of things that people do not believe, to them, I am believing a bunch of lies.  Now it's up to me to go before God and seek guidance and through prayer and study to decide if I am believing lies. If I don't do this I am accountable for choosing to believe what could very well be traditions of mankind and not God's truth at all. If after extensive study I still believe in things others call lies, then I have to hold fast to what God has convicted me to be truth. Others may continue to believe what I consider to be lies and they individually have to answer to God for their own beliefs- we all do. 

As much as we'd like to believe that believing lies won't hurt someone, they can, but WE ARE NOT the eternal JUDGE!  God alone knows whether or not someone has chosen purposefully to remain blind to truth, or whether they've opened their heart fully to Him and have been given all the light they personally need to be His.  

I may tell someone that what they believe is a lie and then that person has to make the decision to either -- through studying on their own, or asking me to explain my position, or asking others -- to look into their own beliefs, or they can choose to hold fast to their beliefs without questioning them at all. The choice is individual, eternal life will be decided individually.

We all stand alone before God answering to Him for all our decisions.

If you're convicted to tell someone they're believing lies, then tell them. If that results in absolutely no change, leave that to God. A seed planted now might not sprout for a long, long time- we don't know how God will work in other's lives. We should never batter anyone with our beliefs, an offer to expound on them should be given only once if convicted, not harped upon over and over. 

I write a daily (almost daily) study I call it, but it's possibly more of a blog, or just a plain old journal, who knows. I post it here and there, and send it to a few people etc, but I do this KNOWING no one who comes across the posting or email has to read it, there is no force involved at all whatsoever. We have the option to ignore things people post/write- it's not battering unless someone is forced to listen, to read. 

Truth is something I pray I always seek, and I pray to never accept a single lie- from myself or others.  Perhaps part of our 'forgiving those who trespass against us' is about forgiving living surrounded by lies told to us as a part of society's way of life. 

God help us all.  Jesus is…

Joh_14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is THE TRUTH.

Satan is the father of lies.

If we can't comprehend the insidiousness of lying then Satan has deceived us into believing so.  God help us!

Never Be Ashamed of Christ.

 Never be ashamed of God, of the Gospel of Christ- never!

Mar_8:38  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Rom_1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom_5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Rom_9:33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Rom_10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

2Ti_1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God

2Ti_1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

1Pe_4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

1Jn_2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Excerpt - EJ Waggoner

'Ashamed of the gospel of Christ! 

Could there possibly be a worse case of the exaltation of self above God? 

For to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God, is an evidence that the man who feels thus ashamed really thinks himself superior to God, and that it is a lowering of his dignity to be associated with the Lord.

  "Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far

  Let evening blush to own a star;

  He sheds the beams of light divine

  O'er this benighted soul of mine.

  "Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon

  Let midnight be ashamed of noon;

  'Twas midnight with my soul till he,

  Bright Morning Star, bade darkness flee."'

Not Ashamed

 God has prepared for us a city. This is real. This isn't some fairy tale, some made up story, but a reality to all who make the choice to believe. The city-

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 

Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 

Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 

Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 

Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

((The CITY))

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 

Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 

Rev 21:11  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 

Rev 21:12  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 

Rev 21:13  On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 

Rev 21:14  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 

Rev 21:15  And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 

Rev 21:16  And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 

Rev 21:17  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 

Rev 21:18  And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 

Rev 21:19  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 

Rev 21:20  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 

Rev 21:21  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 

Rev 21:22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 

Rev 21:23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 

Rev 21:24  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 

Rev 21:25  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 

Rev 21:26  And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 

Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

God sanctifies us- He makes US holy- Christ in us makes us holy. Christ isn't ashamed to call us brothers!

God is not ashamed to be called our God!

God has prepared for us a city!

The love! The amazing love! Our God isn't ashamed of us because we have been made holy by Christ in us, our hope. Our Savior isn't ashamed to call us brothers (sisters) because He has made us holy in Him and if He is in us we have no need to be something shameful to Him, we are His!

All glory to God, always! All praise to our Lord, our Savior now and forever!

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren

Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 

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(Excerpt- E.J. Waggoner)

Christ not Ashamed.

Concerning Christ we read, "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." Heb. 2:11. "God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city." Heb. 11:16.

Surely if the Lord is not ashamed to be called the brother of poor, weak, sinful mortals, man has no reason to be ashamed of him.

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1.