Josiah Elias
12-3-10
Sugarcoated Gospel
If we don't make the decision to take seriously the word of God and what He has commanded us to do, we will never go much further than what we see right here. This will be it. There are many many black and white points in the Bible that we all claim to believe yet cannot get ourselves to abide by. This is dangerous because it leaves us at a place where we think we're ok, when truthfully we're not.
The people that we love really need to hear the raw truth of the Gospel and not have it sugarcoated to make it seem like it says what we all want it to say. Some of us don't want to change certain things, so we abuse grace and mercy to make us feel better about our blatant sins.
Lets make sure we understand one concept that's vital for us to know as believers. Its the fact that when we ask Christ into our life, we literally become a son and daughter of the King and therefore are receive an inheritance. We literally become heirs to the throne.
Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
Gal 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Rom 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
LITERALLY AN INHERITOR OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GODS BECOMES YOURS WHEN YOU BECOME A SON! You are grafted into the family! Everything then belongs to you! You become worthy of an inheritance.
Keep that in mind.
Now read this knowing that you have an inheritance in Christ when you are in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Gal 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident (shining, manifest), which are;
adultery,-Jesus said that if you even look at a woman to lust after her, than you Fornication,-Sexual relations with someone other than your spouse.
uncleanness,-Impurity, physically or morally.
Lewdness,-To be sexually unrestrained, vulgar, vile, wickedness.
Gal 5:20 idolatry,-Worship to a heathen God. In essence worship directed towards anything other than Yahweh.
Sorcery,-Witchcraft.
Hatred,-Hostility, to hate.
Contentions,-A struggling together in opposition, strife, fighting.
Jealousies,-To be hot, to boil, to glow, to be jealous, envy.
outbursts of wrath,-passion, to blow smoke, indignation, strong stern fierce anger.
selfish ambitions (strife),-to stimulate to anger, or provoke to anger.
Dissensions,-Disunion,division, strong disagreements.
Heresies,-A belief or doctrine contrary to the accepted doctrine of a faith.
Gal 5:21 envy,-Ill will, jealousy, spite.
Murders,- The killing of another human being.
Drunkenness,-Being intoxicated, Getting Drunk.
Revelries,- To lie or stretch the truth, also rioting.
and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
There is a whole list that I'm sure a bunch of us, fit into some of these issues or perhaps more than one. Its funny to find drunkenness right next to murders. They are in the same category! We think that if we don't murder we're good, cause only the really bad people do that, but we don't think twice sometimes about getting drunk. Or being jealous so that it fuels our anger, our hatred, causing dissension, or having sex outside of marriage.
SOMEONE HAS TO TELL YOU THAT, IF YOU CONTINUE TO PRACTICE THESE THINGS YOU ARE SOOOO WRONG AND YOUR SOUL IS LITERALLY NOT OK.
This is pretty black and white. Those who practice such things will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. You cannot continually practice these things and think that you are fine?! DECEIVED IS WHAT YOU ARE! I know its pretty tough to hear these words, but the truth, somebody had to tell me, and somebody has to tell you...the truth.
We tend to get ourselves in a place of justifying our sin. If you've been a Christian any length of time, you'll know what I'm saying when I say we justify our sin. Make it seem like its not as bad we others, or not as bad as we've been in the past so therefore its not so bad.
DON'T JUSTIFY YOUR SIN! GET RID OF IT! Every little thing. Get rid of it. You know that it wasn't that long ago, that if somebody found out that you were messing around with another boy or girl sexually, that they would literally treat you different. You were like an outcast. That was a huge no go! People would see you so differently. Now I'm not saying that the way they necessarily see you is correct, but there was this standard of holiness that they were shooting for and when people fell short of it, that was a big deal because holiness was so vital!
1Pe 1:16 because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
Blam! Right there, no way around it! We're going to make mistakes and God knows that, that's why His mercy endures forever, and He is so incredibly gracious! But we have to be striving for holiness! Striving to be like him, not playing this game that makes us thing that we are OK with God cause we come to church on Wednesday or Sunday, nothing changes throughout the week and we have a tragic accident and slip away into eternity in the flames of hell! It happens all the time. The high school in Poway has literally several students that have died way before their time. Way before they ever thought that their lives would end so suddenly.
It doesn't always work out the way we plan. So many people plan to mess around during high school, have a wild college, than settle down when their in their 30's and do the whole God thing and get married...it doesn't always end out that way. Don't take the chance.
I hope this strikes some fear in your heart to want to be right before God.
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
It should be a dramatic benefit that we have other Christian, Godly people in this house to help each other out! We need this! But what good is it, if your Christian friends will only give you the same advice as your worldly friends? When your friends are struggling in here, we should be pointing them to God first and foremost! Above anything else! Let me just tell you from experience, when you invite God into the situation, He takes care of so much more than you could on your own.
Sometimes we don't need a shoulder to cry on because our boyfriend broke up with us, we need a slap in the face that tells us to get our act together and stop dating around with dumb guys that are gonna just try to have sex with you. Not saying that that's how we should deal with everybody every time, but you know what, it would do us more good sometimes to get smacked up and told right to our faces that we are wrong, or deceived than to be babied and patted on the back being told that everything’s gonna be ok.
If your thinking that right now that this is the worst blog you've ever read and who am I to talk to you like this, its probably cause your the one who's struggling with these things, and that's the rebellion within you rising up that needs to be cast out and replaced with the Holy Spirit. Someones gotta say it...I can do it as well as the next guy. The people who get upset with a message like this are the people who really need to hear it. Need to go ahead and get mad that someone is telling you, your wrong and messed up and need to change, than go home all upset and let this sink into your heart. Just maybe you'll start to question yourself and wonder, what if he's right...what if I think I'm ok with God, but I'm on the fast track to eternity with out Christ. Then you'll be coming back thanking God that someone had the gull to stand up here in front of you and tell you to get your act together.
Mat 5:22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!(worthless)' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool(dull, stupid)!' shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mat 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Mat 5:25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
Mat 5:26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Mat 5:27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.'
Mat 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Mat 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Jesus takes it to the extremes in this packages. It doesn't seem like he's playing a game, obviously He doesn't mean what He's saying here literally...but in a sense there is a very firm command here. Why do we take it so lightly. Don't make the mistake of taking it lightly any longer.
If the people who already regularly attend church really got saved, than we would have a massive revival right here right now. With the people who already attend church regularly having a revelation of their souls status with the Lord.
Don't sugarcoat the Gospel. Take it for what it says, and don't let what everybody else is doing just take the kick out of it and make you think that things are ok when their not. Its time to get your hearts right.
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Its because we love people why we preach to them, Jesus. The Truth.
Josiah Elias
~Revival SD~
