“Receiving the Truth”

It has been said that sometimes when someone gives a word that is supposed to be from God, we may have to eat the meat and throw away the bones.  But if I gave someone a sandwich with molded bread, they would not remove the bread and eat the meat.  They would throw the whole sandwich away.  So it is not an acceptable practice to only accept a portion of God’s Word. 

Many of the religions that were created after the first century A.D. have some truth to them.  But we do not receive their message because God does not function off of some truth, half-truth, or most truth.  It is either all truth or nothing at all.        

2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.                                                 

 

“Purity”

If we are Christians, we will adjust our behavior to display the change that has occurred in our lives.  When we execute righteousness, it removes any disconnect between our professed love for Christ and the lives that we live.

1 John 1:6-7

⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; ⁷ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 

Romans 6:1-2

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? ² Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

 

“New Creations”

Many have declared that we are the sum total of our experiences but that is only true of someone who has not yielded themselves to Christ.  Those who submit themselves to the authority and Lordship of Jesus become “new creations.”

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

¹⁶ Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

 

“Godly Counsel”

We have to beware of making life decisions without the counsel of God.  It is necessary to ALWAYS learn what God has to say about a subject.  The Bible gives us sound counsel and enables us to make wise decisions. 

In Joshua 9, the rulers of Israel made a covenant with the enemies of God without inquiring of God first.  Because of the covenant that was made with the enemy, Israel was prohibited from carrying out God’s instructions to completely destroy the enemies that lived in the land that God promised to give to Israel.  Before we form an alliance with the enemy, we need to consult God concerning EVERY decision.

Psalms 1:1

Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

 

“Unity”

Having unity does not mean that we look the same way; that is uniformity.  Being unified is when individuals join together to work toward a common goal.

While working on a project at my previous company, I was one of four senior techs on an eight man crew.  The other four men were temporary workers.  Three of the temps quickly distinguished themselves as quality workers so we were able to determine that one of the guys didn’t measure up.  After counseling him a few times and giving him an opportunity to reform, we decided to replace him.  His replacement was a perfect fit for us. 

Once we observed the strengths and weaknesses of the temps, we placed them where they would be the most benefit to our eight man team.  This is an example of being unified because, even though we did not all perform the same task or dress the same, we all had the desire to bring our talents together for the purpose of completing the job efficiently.  That is unity. 

In order for individuals to become unified, each person has to develop a MIND to be unified.  A person with a unified mind is someone who focuses more on the success of the mission or the objective than they focus on themselves. 

Romans 12:1-8

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

³ For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. ⁴ For just as we have many parts in one body and all the body’s parts do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another. ⁶ However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith; ⁷ if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; ⁸ or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

 

“Forgiveness”

One method used to catch monkeys is to place fruit in a container that has an opening large enough for the monkey to get its hand in, but too small for it to withdraw its clenched fist.  A hunter will bait the trap in full view of the monkey.  When a monkey comes along and attempts to grab an easy meal, it will become trapped because it refuses to release the fruit in order to escape.  The hunter can simply walk up and capture the monkey without a struggle. 

Unforgiveness works the same way.  When we hold on to offenses and refuse to forgive, we become trapped by the offense.  The devil does not have to work hard to take us captive; we are held captive by our refusal to forgive.  Our failure to forgive will ultimately hinder our prayers from being answered. 

Matthew 6:14-15

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.

 

“Faithfulness”

God requires our faithfulness regardless of the situation that we are facing.  He never adjusts his word to accommodate us; His expectation is for us to alter our behavior and actions to align with His will.  It is unacceptable for us to exchange God’s standard for society’s beliefs or practices.

In 2 Chronicles 28:22-24, King Ahaz believed that the gods of the kings of Aram had helped them to defeat him.  As a result, he decided to sacrifice to the gods of Damascus with the hope that they would bring him success in conquering the army of Aram.  Ahaz ignored God’s command to avoid serving or worshiping other gods and his lack of faithfulness to the one TRUE God lead to the disgrace of Israel.  True success comes from obedience to God’s Holy Word.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the Law of the Lord,
And on His Law he meditates day and night.
³ He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.