Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

1 Peter 2:16 – ¹⁶ Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

It’s a topic that I hit on quite a bit, because I think it’s a problem with the church in America.  America has turned to the popular grace message, with no knowledge of what the rest of the Word or even the New Testament has to say on other issues.

If we’re teaching on grace and nothing more is being heard, it becomes a license to do whatever you want.  The message that is supposed to immediately follow grace is repentance.  This message isn’t as popular with the church as a whole in America.  Repentance is about turning away from sin.  For many that becomes a legalistic argument, but is it?  No.

As human’s we have a defense mechanism that comes into play when we feel like we are being scrutinized.  There is a book that lovingly scrutinizes our lives.  I believe that is why most people don’t want to read it or hear about it.  However, they are the Word’s of life.

If you care about your Lord, know His Word.  Once you know His Word, you will know that much is expected in our walk.  There has been a church age raised where nothing has been taught accept for forgiveness.  That’s the first step of what should be a lifelong walk.

When you teach on grace and nothing more, you are teaching on a free license to sin.  The scripture above along with many others remind us that grace is the gift of life, but it’s not there to just abuse.  There is one that exists that loves it when Christians and Pagans can’t be told apart by their actions.  His name is Satan.

1 Corinthians 9:24- ²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:27 – ²⁷ No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Philippians 3:14 – ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 2:18 – ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.

I think we forget about the prize.  We’re taught that salvation is the only prize and it’s free and there is nothing you can do to earn it.  That’s true, salvation is a free gift and there is nothing you can do to earn it.  However, that’s not the prize Paul’s referring to.  The Lord wants to reward each and every one of us based on how much love we show him.

We need to run the race as hold onto our reward.  The last verse below refers to being saved but losing the reward.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 – ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

If we deny our own selfish wants and serve God based on His Word and Truth, we are running the race correctly.  Then we can work in the area that He has called us.

Galatians 4:1-7 –  ¹ What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. ² He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. ³ So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. ⁴ But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, ⁵ to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. ⁶ Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

If we as believers would only take it seriously.  We have a God who has opened up to allow us to be heirs and how are we handling it?  As a whole, not serious at all.  Literally we need to thank God that there are those who are listening to the commission or no one would be getting the Truth or a chance to be saved.  Today is a day where we get the chance to serve our God and the Lord Jesus.  It’s not the Pastor’s job to do your part in the Kingdom.  Please your true Father and try to reach others for Him.

Ephesians 2:1-5 – ¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

When we receive grace, we become saved and a child of God.  We have to make every effort to now live like it.  It’s a process and old habits can be hard to break, but we have to strive to live holy for our Lord.  The biggest confusing detriment the church has done with the unsaved is their example.  Most people can’t the difference between someone who serves Jesus and someone who doesn’t.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

The reason we need to turn away from sin is it separated us from God.  God hates sin.  Let’s try to separate ourselves from what God hates and focus on doing things He loves.  Number one would be obedience to His Word.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 – ²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷ No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Here’s the broken record.  You aren’t taking anything with you from here.  What you do here for your wonderful Lord is how you get rewarded there.  It’s hinted at in the New Testament numerous times.  The model on earth is somewhat the same so we can understand it.  The guy that works his tail off for the man in charge usually gets rewarded for it handsomely.  However it’s temporary.  The guy in charge you’re working for isn’t in charge of the universe, nor do they have the capability to love you 1/10,000 of what God can.

Working for God has nothing to do with salvation, that’s a free gift if you accept it.  Rewards are for working for your Lord.  Good works is not a bad word unless you believe it is how you get into Heaven.  If nobody worked toward the Lord on this earth the Gospel would not be preached.

Do you believe faith is good?  Then we need to have faith and die to ourselves and live more for Him.  I don’t lie bucket lists.  I feel like they are a game of beat the clock before you die.  There isn’t one thing on that list that will compare to Heaven if it has to do with self accomplishment.  If it has to do with making things right with the Lord, then by all means work on it today.

We have such a marvelous Lord that we are going to be face to face with so soon.  He has prepared a stunningly wonderful place for each and every one of us.  God wants to reward you.  Give Him the best reason you can by showing your love for Him and obeying Him.

Romans 13:11-14 – ¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

This advice is so important to almost all of us who are not in the full time ministry.  This world and the time we live in screams, serve yourself, get what’s yours, do what you want to do, the world is at your fingertips.

This is when we get into those slumbers.  We forget God, let alone serving God. 

The night is nearly over and the day is almost here.  We are one day closer to leaving this world and then standing in front of the Lord.  Accountability will soon become a reality.

Today is a new day.  It may be 11:48PM, but the Lord wants us to seek and work for Him.  The time for each one of us is drawing to a close on this earth.  That’s the truth no matter how you break it down.

Grace is to have our sins forgiven, not to use as an excuse to knowingly keep on sinning without trying to become more of what God wants us to be.

It’s about your heart.  Where’s it at.  What’s scary and too bad is the reality will step in when one knows the chapter in this life on earth is over.  They’ll know in their spirit that it was then temporary.  Seek today your loving Lord.  Make yourself available and get in the Word so you have it to share with others.