Talk of JESUS .com

Tag: sin

Our Sin

Psalm 51

English Standard Version (ESV)

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.

Mark 8:

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them,

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it…

38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

2 Timothy 2:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

John 13

English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end…

17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’

If you know our Lord’s commands, ‘blessed are you if you do them.’

And if not blessed for obedience to our Lord who died for our sins on the cross…

IF not blessed, then cursed. (May God have mercy on your soul.)

One of You Will Betray Me

21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you,one of you will betray me.”

22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?”

You believe your sin is against me; but your sin is the adultery of Judas.

I gave her time to repent, but she refuses… – Revelation 2

John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Ephesians 5

English Standard Version (ESV)

Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,

a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Walk as children of light

9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Wives and Husbands

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight…

Forgive us, Lord

by the fragrant offering of the Blood of Your Cross.

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October 28, 2013
The Pervasiveness of Sin
If you perceive the pervasiveness of sin,

you will pour forth great gratitude for God’s grace

and the cross of Christ.

Revelation 18: For your merchants were the greatest in the world,
and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people
and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”

… all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.

So warns Christ’s Revelation to John of Babylon, a home for demons – the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit. Even Ezekiel had warned Jerusalem of these same evils (perhaps appropriate warning to a 21st c. church).

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Disclaimer & Caution

Researching the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John reconfirms a need for a note of caution to the reader.

MUCH false teaching, speculative interpretation and agenda-driven preaching will easily mislead and confuse most believers, except believers well-versed scripturally in apologetics. Perhaps one of the greatest dangers is to accept an interpretation of just one man on the many important symbols John presents in Revelation – especially in the following chapters.

The following is a continuation in my series on Revelation, begun with the Letters to the Seven Churches and now continuing from much later in John’s apocalypse in Chapter 17.

May I suggest that you take my interpretation of scripture (or anyone’s interpretation) under consideration of:
- the Holy Spirit
- Scripture (including, possibly root meanings of the Greek or Hebrew)
- prayerful consideration of application to your life and those in your life
Roger Harned
Central

to the Judgment of Christ Jesus

in the Apocalypse of John.

Revelation is misunderstood and much misrepresented. Will the deception of these last days not increase with the pervasiveness of sin?

BABYLON, the Harlot Queen,

sits upon the scarlet beast –

Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

SIN is pervasive!

Revelation begins with warning to the churches. Should the churches of these last days not heed the warnings of a time so near?

The Apostle John describes Heavenly visions (none of which I will describe today):
- The Scroll and Seven Seals (ch. 4-7)
- Seven Angels with Seven Trumpets (ch. 8-11)
- Seven Symbolic Histories (ch. 12-14)
- Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath (ch. 15-16)
All of this leads up to the drama of punishment, with its great symbolism. All of Revelation leads to a drama:

CENTERED ON EVIL vs. GOOD

SATAN vs. CHRIST JESUS.

Though the FINAL BATTLE does not take place until Revelation 19, the familiar opponents of God confront the believer and unbeliever alike with the great symbolism of Revelation 17 and 18. What Jesus reveals is what our Lord has always revealed to those with ears to hear.

Matthew 24

English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

Signs of the End of the Age

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.

11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come…

23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Do NOT be deceived:

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality {note: The two Greek terms translated by this phrase refer to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts.}

2 Timothy 2:12-13 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

1 John 2:26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

Do you with ears to hear understand how the world is being deceived?

Do you sip from the cup of the Harlot?

Hear and understand the wine of her cup.

… all the nations were deceived by her ‘pharmakeia’ sorcery.

Heed the warning of the punishment for those who partake of the sorcery of the Harlot:

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, G5332 and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Let us continue to proclaim Christ crucified; for He IS and He will return in victory over Satan, the Harlot, and all the armies of evil which surround the believer every day.

We have Great Grace in Christ Jesus and His Blood of the Cross, where by His death and resurrection we are victorious over sin and death.

Christ Jesus our Lord has defeated the enemy. These last days will end and the faithful will be most thankful for the grace of the Cross.
October 25, 2013
Free?

How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

We are slaves to our past. We are slaves to our culture. We are slaves to our traditions.

“I was born (Hispanic, Asian, black, white… whatever excuse.)”

The Pharisees were proud of being born Hebrew; proud of their Jewish past. In fact, they were slaves of their past, culture and traditions. Like many of us, they were slaves of their sin.

They were under the rule and slavery of Rome, who granted Jews (for a time as was politically expedient) a measure of freedom to worship and live as they were accustomed. Like us, they did not realize that they were slaves of God’s providence and timing – God’s circumstances for application and witness of faith through difficulty.

Jews were so proud to have escaped the slavery of Egypt, that they did not recognize the slavery of their own disobedience to ‘elohiym hä·yä hä·yä – Yĕhovah Yĕhovah.

Yet their lives under the slavery of Rome required continual compromise of their freedom. These righteous rulers of the people slipped more and more into sin until they no longer had relationship with Almighty God.

The Temple was no longer a place of truth. The worship of God had become as false as the faith of the Pharisees.

Then God, Who had been silent since the days of the Prophets, returned to the Temple in the Person of Christ Jesus.

John 8:

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

“You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world…”

The Truth Will Set You Free

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave[b] to sin.35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Jesus is LORD. But is Jesus lord over YOUR LIFE?

Have you slipped into the sin of your past… just as the Pharisees? Are you bound to the slavery of our sins?

Two Christian sisters have pointed out this week their deep sorrow over the addictions of loved ones to heroin. (It would not have to be heroin, though we realize more the inevitable consequence.) It could be gambling, or beer, booze or wine. It could be cigarettes or over-eating. It could be pornography or partying with the sexual sin of the world.

And worst of all for our witness of Christ (just like the Pharisees), we may at the same time CLAIM to be Christians.

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God.The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

We seek the sin that will satisfy in the shadows of darkness and self-delusion. To continue in sin is to have sin shackle you.

Romans 6

English Standard Version (ESV)

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Why do christians so easily return to our chains of addictions to the sins of our worldly past? — a life of slavery? — before Christ Jesus freed us by His Blood of the Cross?

Galatians 5

English Standard Version (ESV)

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,divisions, 21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Is Jesus your Lord?

OR Is your sin your lord?

What is the TRUTH?

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

PRAY for those yet chained to the sins and addictions of their past.

1 Peter 2:16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

October 2, 2013