While a cadet at The United States Military Academy, my class was shown a unique geographical site. A ‘point’ on the west side of the campus jutted out into the Hudson River. In fact, this west point is what gave the US Military Academy its colloquial name of West Point.
Across the river on the far bank and inland a way, a rich man started building a castle on par with the great European castles or estates. Unfortunately, he ran out of money before he could complete his construction. The remains of what could have been is now a reminder of what happens when you fail to count the costs of completing a project.
This story is actually used to teach the costs of military operations to West Point cadets.
There is a cost of being a Christian too — a cost that isn’t spoken of very often; a cost that if taught would build stronger disciples of Jesus; a cost that would separate Christians from the rest of the world; a cost that would make a difference.
In Luke 24:25-35, Jesus spoke of such a cost. Anyone who does not love Jesus and is not committed to him over all others, even family and job, isn’t worthy of being called a disciple of Jesus.
In fact, Jesus says that such a person cannot be his disciple. He expects us to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him without any hesitation or equivocation. The meaning of the word translated as “deny,” as in deny ourselves, means to “break fellowship with.” To be a disciple of Jesus, we must break fellowship with our self; we must stop doing what gives us our pleasure when it conflicts with God’s time and Godly living; we must not even fellowship with our self, care for our own desires and even needs when they conflict with the call of discipleship to Jesus.
This is a portion of an article in our local paper from a Pastor at a local church. His name is William Thrasher.
I love how he defined the word deny, to break fellowship with. That brings a whole new meaning to the verse for me.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sin Not...By Connie Giordano
"Still a saint he must be, one whose vocation it is to be holy, and who strives daily to obey the Divine voice within him saying 'Sin not, sin not, sin not,' or he can have no interest in the Saviour's righteousness." - Biblical Illustrator - New Testament
"Let that be your aim, to 'sin not.' Let it be your fixed purpose, not merely that you are to sin as little as you can, but that you are not to sin at all.""But not only would I have you to make this your aim, I WOULD HAVE YOUR AIM ACCOMPLISHED AND REALIZED; and therefore 'I write these things unto you, that ye sin not.'
We are to proceed upon the anticipation not of failure but of success in all holy walking and in every duty. Believe these things, realize them, act them out. For they are such things as, if thus apprehended, change the character of the whole struggle. They transfer it to a new and higher platform. We are brought into a position in relation to God in which holiness is no longer a desperate, negative strife, but a blessed, positive achievement. Evil is overcome with good."- both quotes are from the Biblical Illustrator - New Testament
In 1 John 2:1, the Apostle John wrote - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not..."Most people - when quoting this Scripture - emphasize the latter part of the verse - "...And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." It is as if they simply cannot accept the words that say - "that ye sin not."It is almost as though there is an epidemic in the Church today called the "Christian Sin" epidemic. This epidemic plainly and clearly advocates that all believers in Jesus cannot help but sin a little each day in thought, word, and deed.
Yet, to think that someone is "abiding in the Vine" (John 15:7) or walking hand in hand with Jesus and looking at a woman to lust or is lying, railing, or bitter of spirit is totally absurd. How can one have his one hand in the hand of Jesus and the other in the hand of the devil and still believe that he is in right standing with God? According to the truths of the Bible, it is heretical to imagine "a loose liver" as a Child of God.
Let's look again at 1 John 2:1 and see what John was saying here - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not..."The Apostle was stating that his main objective in writing this entire epistle was one - namely, "that ye sin not." In other words - it was written to keep you from sin...that you wouldn't sin...that you may not sin...that you will not sin...to guide you out of sin... and to induce you to live a holy life.
It can't get any plainer than that!A writer may have many objectives in writing his message. But "watch out" when he specifically mentions his goal or aim. It is crucial that you don't miss it.In this case, John stressed his major design in writing this epistle as - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not..."Sin not...sin not...sin not!
In looking through the Bible, we can easily realize that John was simply emphasizing a Biblical principle - as seen from cover to cover.
Psalm 4:4 says - "Stand in awe, and sin not..."
Isaiah 1:16 says - "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil."
Ezekiel 3:21 says - "Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin..."
John 5:14 says - "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."
John 8:11 says - "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
Romans 6:2 says - "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
Romans 6:12 says - "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."
Romans 6:15 says - "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."
1 Corinthians 15:34 says - "Awake to righteousness, and sin not..."
Ephesians 4:26 says - "Be ye angry, and sin not..."
Titus 2:11-12 says - "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."
1 Peter 4:1 says - "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin."
Some would question - Was John referring to any specific sins?Although he was referring to sin as the general violation of God's commandments, he did go on to suggest several specific sins that we should guard against.
1 John 2:3 says - "And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments."The first sin to watch out for is - disobedience - not keeping the commands of faith and love.1 John 2:4 says - "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him."
1 John 2:6 says - "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."The second sin to watch out for is lying - making a false profession ...claiming to have a walk with Jesus while covering up personal unholiness...in words professing to know God yet in works denying Him...and pretending to have religious knowledge yet no truth of grace.
So many today are living a lie - saying that they - are abiding in Him... know Him...are communing with Him...are walking as He walked...are living and acting as He did...are imitating Him in all things...are walking after His pattern and example - yet on closer examination of their lives, the opposite is evident.
1 John 2:9 says - "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now."
The third sin is hatred - hating one's brother or sister in the Lord so much so that you wish to do them evil.
1 John 2:15-16 says - "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world...For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
The fourth sin that John mentions is loving the world - seeking happiness in visible things...fixing your affection on worldly objects... and being influenced by worldly maxims and feelings.
He then breaks this "sin" down to three specific ones -"the lust of the flesh" - unchaste thoughts, words, and actions... sensual appetites...and impure desires"
the lust of the eyes" - lascivious looks...seeking mental pleasure using the imagination...and an inordinate desire for fineries
"the pride of life" - empty, braggart talk...vain assurance in one's resources or in the stability of earthly things...desire of praise... and hunting after honors and titles."My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not...""Let that be your aim, to 'sin not.' Let it be your fixed purpose, not merely that you are to sin as little as you can, but that you are not to sin at all."If you will listen closely, you will hear the Divine Voice within you saying -"Sin not...sin not...sin not!
"May God Bless His Word,Connie© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights ReservedSubscribe to Daily Bible Messages at - connie@walkingintruth.org.Walking In Truth Ministry P.O. Box 383016 Duncanville TX 75138
"Let that be your aim, to 'sin not.' Let it be your fixed purpose, not merely that you are to sin as little as you can, but that you are not to sin at all.""But not only would I have you to make this your aim, I WOULD HAVE YOUR AIM ACCOMPLISHED AND REALIZED; and therefore 'I write these things unto you, that ye sin not.'
We are to proceed upon the anticipation not of failure but of success in all holy walking and in every duty. Believe these things, realize them, act them out. For they are such things as, if thus apprehended, change the character of the whole struggle. They transfer it to a new and higher platform. We are brought into a position in relation to God in which holiness is no longer a desperate, negative strife, but a blessed, positive achievement. Evil is overcome with good."- both quotes are from the Biblical Illustrator - New Testament
In 1 John 2:1, the Apostle John wrote - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not..."Most people - when quoting this Scripture - emphasize the latter part of the verse - "...And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." It is as if they simply cannot accept the words that say - "that ye sin not."It is almost as though there is an epidemic in the Church today called the "Christian Sin" epidemic. This epidemic plainly and clearly advocates that all believers in Jesus cannot help but sin a little each day in thought, word, and deed.
Yet, to think that someone is "abiding in the Vine" (John 15:7) or walking hand in hand with Jesus and looking at a woman to lust or is lying, railing, or bitter of spirit is totally absurd. How can one have his one hand in the hand of Jesus and the other in the hand of the devil and still believe that he is in right standing with God? According to the truths of the Bible, it is heretical to imagine "a loose liver" as a Child of God.
Let's look again at 1 John 2:1 and see what John was saying here - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not..."The Apostle was stating that his main objective in writing this entire epistle was one - namely, "that ye sin not." In other words - it was written to keep you from sin...that you wouldn't sin...that you may not sin...that you will not sin...to guide you out of sin... and to induce you to live a holy life.
It can't get any plainer than that!A writer may have many objectives in writing his message. But "watch out" when he specifically mentions his goal or aim. It is crucial that you don't miss it.In this case, John stressed his major design in writing this epistle as - "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not..."Sin not...sin not...sin not!
In looking through the Bible, we can easily realize that John was simply emphasizing a Biblical principle - as seen from cover to cover.
Psalm 4:4 says - "Stand in awe, and sin not..."
Isaiah 1:16 says - "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil."
Ezekiel 3:21 says - "Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin..."
John 5:14 says - "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."
John 8:11 says - "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
Romans 6:2 says - "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"
Romans 6:12 says - "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."
Romans 6:15 says - "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."
1 Corinthians 15:34 says - "Awake to righteousness, and sin not..."
Ephesians 4:26 says - "Be ye angry, and sin not..."
Titus 2:11-12 says - "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."
1 Peter 4:1 says - "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin."
Some would question - Was John referring to any specific sins?Although he was referring to sin as the general violation of God's commandments, he did go on to suggest several specific sins that we should guard against.
1 John 2:3 says - "And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments."The first sin to watch out for is - disobedience - not keeping the commands of faith and love.1 John 2:4 says - "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him."
1 John 2:6 says - "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."The second sin to watch out for is lying - making a false profession ...claiming to have a walk with Jesus while covering up personal unholiness...in words professing to know God yet in works denying Him...and pretending to have religious knowledge yet no truth of grace.
So many today are living a lie - saying that they - are abiding in Him... know Him...are communing with Him...are walking as He walked...are living and acting as He did...are imitating Him in all things...are walking after His pattern and example - yet on closer examination of their lives, the opposite is evident.
1 John 2:9 says - "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now."
The third sin is hatred - hating one's brother or sister in the Lord so much so that you wish to do them evil.
1 John 2:15-16 says - "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world...For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
The fourth sin that John mentions is loving the world - seeking happiness in visible things...fixing your affection on worldly objects... and being influenced by worldly maxims and feelings.
He then breaks this "sin" down to three specific ones -"the lust of the flesh" - unchaste thoughts, words, and actions... sensual appetites...and impure desires"
the lust of the eyes" - lascivious looks...seeking mental pleasure using the imagination...and an inordinate desire for fineries
"the pride of life" - empty, braggart talk...vain assurance in one's resources or in the stability of earthly things...desire of praise... and hunting after honors and titles."My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not...""Let that be your aim, to 'sin not.' Let it be your fixed purpose, not merely that you are to sin as little as you can, but that you are not to sin at all."If you will listen closely, you will hear the Divine Voice within you saying -"Sin not...sin not...sin not!
"May God Bless His Word,Connie© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights ReservedSubscribe to Daily Bible Messages at - connie@walkingintruth.org.Walking In Truth Ministry P.O. Box 383016 Duncanville TX 75138
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