15/03/2017 - AUDACITIES THAT LEAD TO PERDITION

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Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 1 Corinthians 6:1

Some Christians are fascinated by the temptation to obtain things that are not from God and they appeal to human arguments against a brother in faith who they hold responsible for having done something harmful or cause any loss.  Even churches have also been robbed by the saved as these lie to obtain favorable decision in court through the judicial systems.  They not only mar the name of the Lord as well as prove that they hold no respect for the words of Jesus when He promised a hundredfold here and eternal life in Heaven.

Absalom, son of David, fought for the kingdom that did not belong to him and thus died tragically ( 2  Samuel 18: l4,l5 ) Why did he not submit to what God had destined for him and why did he rise against his very own father, lending an ear to Satan?  Many leaders rose to divide churches causing untold damage to the Kingdom of God.  What will these people say on Judgment Day before the true Judge whose eyes are like flames of fire?  (Revelation 9:12).  I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes!

Saul was a failure as a king ( 1 Samuel 15:26 ) and did not remember that the  Lord is the one who can give or take away the kingdom from somebody who has not  respected or lived up to what he has been entrusted with.  He persecuted David because he knew in his heart that the son of Jesse would govern in his stead. Of what profit was it to Saul this relentless persecution?  Twice Saul testified that David was a man according to God’s heart.  If he were not, David would have killed him when he was given opportunity; however, even so Saul did not mend himself.

Paul speaks of Alexander and of Hymenaeus who floundered in their faith and were delivered to Satan by the apostle so that they would learn to not blaspheme.  They could have behaved differently and correctly and been delivered to God to be protected and cared for.  In this manner they would have lived very well here and when gone to eternity they could enter the eternal Kingdom of love and peace. Just like Alexander and Hymenaeus they are not few today that lost themselves forever for having blasphemed, committed adultery or done something else that may have caused scandal or loss to someone else.

If Joseph had been weak in the faith, even though being a slave, he would have taken the advantage of the “attention’ given him by the wife of his owner and master.  However he knew that his position was not that of a slave to man but a sovereign of the Lord in all circumstances.  Consequently by faith, even though he was a foreigner, he became the prime minister of the greatest nation in the world at that time.  If he had dared disobey the divine commandments,  his end would have been tragic.

Ananias and Sapphira were looking for praise.  So they created a very strange way to be approved and applauded by others.  On selling a piece of property they gave part of the money.  This would have been laudable if they had not lied saying they had donated the full value of the sale.  When Peter confronted them for trying to fool the Almighty he said that they could have given any part or all.  But they said that they gave all, lying, and consequently died.

The biblical examples are many and those occurred in our days are various.  We cannot defraud anything before the Lord because He knows everything.  This is why we must flee from sin and temptations; because it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God ( Hebrews 10:31 )! Be a completely submissive servant and so, when you are in need of divine rescue or favor you will find it.

In Christ, with love, 

R. R. Soares