This week, Michael writes that the Word of God in the pages of the Holy Bible reminds us who we are, where we’ve come from, where we are, and where we’re going. The spiritual battles rage all around us, but when we’re in the center of the will of God, we’re in the calm eye of the spiritual hurricane. In 1 Peter 2:9, the Apostle Peter wrote in similar times to ours: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. God himself has chosen us. The purpose is that we should show forth the praises of His glory by being a witness of His love, mercy, and grace.
James 5:16 tells us that, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” He has made us righteous in Christ, for Jesus Christ, who was without sin, became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf, that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Therefore, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).
1 Peter 2:10-12 continues, “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”
God has called us as aliens and foreigners in a world of darkness of sin and unbelief. We may be natural born citizens of the United States. However, we’re spiritually born-again citizens of the kingdom of Heaven. We have been born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God that lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23). Because we have been called into His righteousness through Christ, we’re to abstain from fleshly lusts. Lusts are the carnal appetites, depraved affections and over-desires of the fallen flesh ... including anything that we desire over our desire to walk in fellowship with our Lord. The first of the Ten Commandments says in the KJV: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” The literal translation of the Aramaic text is, “thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face.”
The world speaks against Christians for being “intolerant” because the children of God lives by a biblical worldview, so cannot accept and affirm views that oppose the Word of God. In God We Trust, therefore will not sin against Him. The pagan undegenerates are tolerant of the evil in the eyes of the Lord of this world, however they are intolerant of God’s righteous standard of His revealed Word. John 3:20-21 says, “he who does evil darkness hates the light neither comes to the light lest his deeds should be clearly seen and reproved. But he who does truth comes to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God.”
1 Peter 2:13-15 continues: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:”
We’re encouraged by secular humanists to submit to the ordinances of man. Righteous ordinances are of God; for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of those who do well. The freedom we have is to use our God-given liberty (Freedom of the will; exemption from compulsion or restraint in willing or volition), not as servants of men, but as servants of God. In doing well, we will put to silence the evil of the “natural man”. According to Romans 12:21, “be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” We have a moment by moment decision to do the right thing. The right thing is to do as Jesus would do. In Jesus’ words, “Don’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
Let's continue Michael's message on "Proclaiming Truth" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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