The View From Here

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Does History Really Repeat Itself?

Well, of course, we know it does. Maybe not always in particular specifics, but certainly, even a cursory look at history proves that the same things do indeed happen again and again - the same scenarios keep playing themselves out over and over. As Solomon wrote: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecc.1:9)

This past November, Des and I saw a movie called “Saving Mr. Banks” it was a biography about the author of the Marry Poppins and how Walt Disney made her book into his famous movie. “Saving Mr. Banks” opens with the same exact same first line as the “Mary Poppins” film had, some fifty years earlier: “Wind’s in the east. Mist comin’ in – like somethin’s a-brewing, about to begin. Can’t put my finger on just what’s in store, but I feel what’s to happen ‘s all happened before!” Seems rather ironic, even humorous, considering the movie was somewhat of a sequel! But that line struck me like a ton of bricks with what felt like a heavy spiritual hand. I continue to think of it as I see the news unfolding every day. It all seems eerily like “What’s to happen ‘s all happened before!”

In the Bible we see God’s people, Israel, make the same mistakes again and again over the centuries as if spinning on a generational merry-go-round:

1.) The people enjoy God’s gracious favor – based solely on God’s faithful commitment to His covenant. They respond with thankful worship and obedience.

2.) The people take His blessings and protection for granted. They forget that God is the reason for their blessings. They stop being thankful. They reject God’s boundaries and, seeking to please their fleshly desires, they willingly embrace all kind of sin. They stop worshiping and obeying God, instead they worship and obey their flesh.

3.) God, not wanting His people to suffer, repeatedly sends warnings, calling His people back to Himself, promising forgiveness if they would repent and turn from their wickedness, and judgment if they would not. Because of His grace and mercy, this warning stage could encompass years, even generations.

4.) God allows the consequences of what the people have chosen to befall them. Usually, initially, in small measured doses but even then, God grants extended periods of grace to allow the people time to change their minds and return to Him. They do not, so God gives them what they have sought. The consequences come harder and faster.

5.) Finally, the culture reaches a point where only a tiny remnant remains faithful to God. It has become altogether so ungodly that the only thing that will restore the nation back to God is terrible judgment, chastisement and calamity. God, in His love, allows great suffering to come on His people to turn them back to Himself. Like the warnings, the suffering can last years, decades, generations. Sometimes God uses wicked nations to punish His people, allowing what seems like a victory for God’s enemies… for a season. But He is just. Eventually He punishes the punishers who harmed His people. And in the end, He saves Israel from ultimate destruction and a generation arises that returns to God.

Over and over, like the back of a shampoo bottle: wash, rinse, repeat. Why?

History repeats itself because men don’t change. We are who we are. Fallen. Depraved. Without God and without hope in the world with hearts that are exceedingly wicked seeking to do evil continually. Lust, greed, selfishness – these are our drivers. We are unwilling and unable to please God. Those who say otherwise are deceived deceiving deceivers. We cannot keep the rules. O wretched man that I am, who can rescue me from this body of death!

There is One. One, (and only one) who can recuse me! God did what we cannot do. He kept the rules! He died in my place and rose again. He offers me forgiveness…. AND a rescue from the old way of life! He offers a new life that, in Christ, does please Him. Thanks be to God! He rescues us through Christ Jesus, our Lord. (Rom. 7:24-25)

But culturally, nationally, the beat goes on. Wash rinse repeat. Where are we now? I’d say about two sentences into point #5 above. Where are we individually? I pray that I, and you, may always be numbered in that faithful remnant who God continually preserves for a witness- salt and light - holding out life in a crooked and depraved generation. Piqued? Read 2Kings 17:7-41

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

A Lament for America

Our society is rapidly deteriorating. We have gone from condemning sin... to condoning sin... to celebrating sin. Everywhere we look, in almost every facet of our culture, those who are called 'leaders” - those who are looked up to and followed, are in full-blown, overt rejection of God and active mockery of His Word. Truth is suppressed. History, experience and logic are discarded. Wisdom is not found in our schools, our courts or among our lawmakers. Why? Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… and there is no fear of the Lord.

Claiming to be wise we have become fools, exchanging the truth of God for a lie... knowing God's righteous decrees regarding sin and death, we continue in sin, even approving of it and encouraging it. Eager to justify our sin, we throw off God and His boundaries saying, “I have no need of God, he is archaic and outdated.” Shaking our fist in His face we declare, “I do not, and will not, accept His authority over me, I will not be bound by anyone’s rules!” … blinded to the fact that in so-doing we are rushing headlong into slavery, judgment and destruction. Still, God’s heart is to save us from His just wrath. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He is not willing that any should perish but that all come to salvation! Yet, as it is written, “There is none that is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Jesus weeps over us as he did over Jerusalem, “You who kill the prophets and stone God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.”

God is patient, full of grace and mercy. But do not be deceived, God will not be mocked. Whatever we sow, so also shall we reap. Men who suppress the truth by their wickedness are sowing evil seed among us. They secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many are following their depraved conduct even bringing the church into disrepute. In their greed these teachers exploit us with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the fleshand despise authority. .. these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood … blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them” … Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. ⁶By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Cross references:

Monday, February 3, 2014

A Snowy Day

For some odd reason, I decided to write to you today about snow! I don’t know why, but it’s just been on my mind... somehow? Did you know that the Bible mentions snow about 25 times? Usually, snow is used as a standard to compare something else to. Ten times we read, “as white as snow,” twice, “as cold as snow,” and once, “as pure as snow.” Five times the word snow is used in a poetic sense to refer to the winter season, as in: “She is not afraid of the snows,” and once to indicate the mountains by calling them “the snows of Lebanon.” Three times God asks Job unanswerable question about snow to show Job that God sees the big picture while we humans see very little, and two times the Bible speaks of a specific snowy day in history. Do you know what day that was? (I’ll put the answer at the bottom of the post.) But I told you all that to tell you this - my favorite “snowy” verse in the Word. “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” Did you get that? Not “as white as snow,” but “whiter than snow!”

King David pens these words in Psalm 51. Do you know the context of that Psalm? After being confronted with his sins of adultery and murder, David confesses and repents of his sin. With a contrite heart and a broken spirit, he seeks God’s forgiveness in faith, believing that God will forgive him, restore him and purify him to the extent that he will be whiter than snow! Did you know that it is possible to be whiter than snow, even though snow is the very thing that is used as the standard of cleanness and purity that all others are measures against? Every snow flake is an ice crystal that forms in the upper atmosphere. Each crystal forms around something – a tiny microscopic speck of dust! At the heart of a clean pure snowflake is dirt! When God forgives us he takes away all sin, all guilt, all punishment, all fear, all condemnation, even the “stain” or “left-over” residue of sin! He removes our sin from us as far as the east is from the west! In other words, infinitely removed! The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness, completely removing it so that, as Isaiah put it, “though our sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow!”

Does that excite you? Does that give you hope? Does that give you peace and joy and motivation to serve such a great and loving God? Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees we would not enter the kingdom of God! The Pharisees were a group of guys who spent all day every day trying to figure out how to be holy! Can we be better than that? YES! Because when we come to faith in Christ, we no longer have to “try to be good.” Instead we receive by grace through faith, His righteous record of perfect holiness…and without holiness no man shall see God! So Christian, don’t let the devil condemn you. “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!” Neither should we continue in our sin. For we have been set free, made holy, washed clean! Let us not go back to the pig pen of sin! Rather, let us live pure and holy lives. Would a bride wallow in the mud while wearing her clean white wedding dress? Would a man let vandals destroy his prize classic car that he just detailed? No, they would prize them and fight to keep them beautiful and clean. Let us do the same with our great salvation that cost him so dearly. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light!” (Eph.4;1, 5:1-3,8)

P.S. You’ll find that particular snowy day in 2Samuel 23:20 and 1Chron. 11:22.

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

What’s up for 2014?

A lot of what will happen in the next year will be a result of decisions we made in 2013 (and earlier) - a good reminder that actions have consequences, good or bad, intended …or not-so-much. That should give us pause and make us think about what we will do in 2014 that will have lasting impact into the future. Thankfully, even though God has given man free will, and much of what we do is in rebellion against God and His Word, (i.e. sin - which brings suffering and hardship), ultimately, God is sovereign and in control. He is bringing all things together, even humanity’s bad choices, to complete His purposes in the world. So, no matter what happens, trust in the Lord and do good, knowing that He is faithful! (What follows is purely my personal opinion and analysis based on my understanding of the facts as I see them. Not interested in arguing.)

Domestic Outlook:

Here at home, 40,000 (yes, forty-thousand!) new laws will go into effect across our land beginning tomorrow, counting all the federal, state and local legislation. The new laws give us a picture of where we are headed and are a consequence of who we elected.

In 2014 we will see:

1.) More taxes. 20 new taxes related to Obama Care alone, including a devastating tax on small business who provide insurance for their employees and the unconstitutional “personal mandate” – a $95 per person or 1% of your income fine/tax for those who can “afford” health insurance but choose not to buy it… with lots of other new taxes and 55 tax credits expiring at the same time.

2.) More loss of individual freedom / More govt. control and interference. Laws regulating what you can eat, drink and smoke, (In Oregon, no cigarettes in cars with kids, but in Colorado beginning tomorrow you can buy “recreational” marijuana)

Drones watching you from above. NSA listening to your calls and reading your phone bills, texts and e-mails. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech taking shots from the “politically correct” who want to ban the articulation anything they disagree with… or at the very least label it as “hate speech.”

3.) Greater acceptance and promotion of immoral, destructive and irresponsible behaviors. Legalization of marijuana, legalization of so-called “gay marriage” (16 states and DC now have given it the green light). Hollywood and network TV busy painting all manner of immorality as good and even preferable. The “bad guy” is always “wicked” capitalism, the “evil” US military or the “intolerant” Christian.

4.) Greater intolerance and persecution of anyone that points out that these behaviors are immoral, destructive and irresponsible. (esp. Christians, the church, anyone who believes the Bible. e.g. Phil Robertson)

5.) More Socialism. (e.g. Obama Care implementation; the swelling of welfare and food stamp rolls; the increase in Medicaid and other reliance on govt. assistance programs; the legal forcing of private business to pay employees what the govt. thinks they are worth instead of what their work dictates). Three states have upped the minimum wage above the federal level and one city (SeaTac, Washington) has ordered all business to pay a min. wage of $15, of course this caused many small businesses there to lay off half their employees or shut their doors… and all new and/or potential businesses to head for greener pastures.

6.) A resulting backlash creating a greater division. States and localities where conservatives are the majority are reacting to the above by enacting more and more conservative laws. Patriots seeking to stave the liberal tide are bubbling with “tea party” type activism and clamor for recall elections for those who, once elected, fail to accurately represent their constituents. Meanwhile those states and localities ruled by liberals, re-react with more liberal laws and activist judges legislating from the bench. Thus the Red / Blue division is getting deeper and more pronounced sowing seeds of discord, brewing talk of constitutional conventions and regional animosity.

7.) Economic dark days. The six-year “recovery” has not recovered anything. (Other than the artificially high stock market, propped up by the Fed’s constant buying of securities to the tune of (are you ready for this? 85 BILLION per month!) The on-going unsustainable govt. spending, high un-employment, increase in taxes, regulation and socialism will keep it in the doldrums. There is no “cushion” for disasters whether man-made or natural. If war hits in the Mid-East, oil skyrockets, dow crashes. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2013/05/02/can-fed-keep-propping-up-stocks/2129787/

8.) Political turn around? 35 senate seats will be in play in 2014 as well as all 435 congressional districts. I see little change. GOP may pick up a senate seat or two and should hold the house. But those who are red are deeper red and those who are blue are darker blue. (see point #6) Probably staus quo.

International Outlook

1.) Radical Islam grows and continues to be the greatest threat in the world. It will get uglier and uglier in the Middle East. Factions fighting infidels and each other now in Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, Central African Republic, Yemen… well, pretty much the entire Islamic world. (see Gen. 16:12) It was good that Putin pounced on Kerry’s slip of the lip and gave us a way out of getting sucked into the Syrian civil war this year –there is no “up” side for us there. The bad thing is that Obama said we would strike… then we didn’t. Really lost a lot of credibility with Arabs and Russians and came out looking like paper tigers. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/12/27/saudis-lament-have-been-stabbed-in-back-by-obama/

2.) Everybody hates Israel. Arabs, Muslims, Russians, Europeans, Liberals (think 2012 democratic convention) Even non-evangelical Christians. Anti Semitism gets worse under the cloak of anti-Zionism (which is the same thing after all.)

3.) Israel has to take out Iranian Nukes. When they do, everybody and their dog will hate Israel. Hezbollah will attack form the north, Hamas from the south and east. (see point domestic #7) Been saying this will happen for several years now, but I think it will be before Sept. 2015.

4.) Interesting stuff happening in Turkey. Erdogan consolidates power after crushing the opposition. He’s also feuding with Fetullah Gullen. (google it) Look for Turkey to rise in prominence as it opposes Iran re: Syria.

5.) They entire Islamic world in political instability. Lots of changes- rises and falls- like Egypt with Mubarak and Morsi; Libya and Kadaffi; Syria and Assad, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, etc. etc. When it shakes out - maybe after many years, maybe soon - what will emerge will be the ten-horned, Anti-Christ “beast” kingdom of Daniel 7:7-28)

6.) Elsewhere: crises and disasters. More earthquakes, Tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, Typhoons, more countries fall into financial ruin. All setting up the need for a dynamic world leader to swoop in to the rescue. (Matt. 24:7-8)

Big Picture Stuff

1.) God’s calendar seems to indicate major developments in the next 21 months. In this time period Jerusalem will see four total lunar eclipses, a total solar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse. All of these will happen on Jewish Feast days beginning in the spring of 2014 on Passover and ending on Rosh Hashanah 2015. While not everything that happens in the sky is prophetic in nature (some of it is just the way the “clock” works – things happen in cycles every so often) I believe that this may be at least some of the fulfillment of the multiple prophecies in scripture that say that “the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light before the great and terrible day of the LORD.” (Is. 13:10, Is. 34:4, Ez. 32:7-8, Joel 2;10, Joel 2:31, Zeph. 1:15, Rev. 6:12-13, and Rev.8:12) Jesus himself refers to and reiterates these prophecies in Matt. 24:29-30. A correlation of lunar eclipses and the feast days like this never happened at all in the 1800’s, 1700’s, 1600’s or 1500’s. You have to go all the way back to 1492 – 450 years before Israel became a nation again to see this phenomenon (the lunar eclipses on feast days) happen in this way. Multiple lunar eclipses on feast days have happened twice in the 1900’s. In 1948 – the year Israel became a nation, and in 1967 – the year Israel recaptured Jerusalem and the temple mount! So, coming up, in the next two years there will be, in Jerusalem, lunar eclipses on Passover and Rosh Hashanah in both 2014 and 2015 and solar eclipses on Nissan 1 (first day of Jewish religious calendar 2015) and Tishri 1 ( Feast of trumpets) 2015. In addition Sept. 15, 2015 will mark the start of next “Sabbath” year in the seven year cycle of years. (Lev. 25:1-7) The last two “sabbath” years began on Sept. 29, 2008, (the day the stock market crashed 777.7 points, wiping out 1.2 trillion dollars in market value) and Sept. 11, 2001.

To find out more about this watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e25L8YA9KX8

I’d also suggest reading the book “The Harbinger” by Johnathan Cahn

Eat the meat, spit out the bones.

Conclusions

Keep watch. Be ready. I can’t say it better than Jesus did in Matt. 24:1-25:46.

(A speech he gave, by the way, two days before he was crucified in Jerusalem, on Passover, while the sun was darkened.- just sayin’) If you want to know what to do – read His words. Love to ALL! Even so Lord Jesus….. Come!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Verses From Every Book in the New Testament Calling Christians to Holiness

I've been doing some study for my next sermon series on "unholy" Christians ... put together this document for reference.... I challenge you to read it ... and respond ... not to me but to Jesus!

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5:20

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matt. 5:13-16

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matt. 7:3-5

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Matt. 7:18-20

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

Matt. 12:36-37

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Matt. 16:24-27

Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matt. 24:45-51

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.“ Mark 8:34-38

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. ^[44] [^a^] ⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. ^[46] [^b^] ⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸where ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’ Mark 9:43-48

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46

Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be^[^a^] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ²There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ³What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. Luke12:1-3

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” Luke 14:34

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:20-21

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” John 5:14

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.

“Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:10-11

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” John 8:34

“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “ John 14:23-24

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? God forbid! Rom 6:1-2a

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Rom. 6:11-14

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. Rom 8:12

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom. 12:2

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with mennor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6:9-11

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. ¹⁹Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Cor. 6:18-20

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. 1 Cor. 15:33-34

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2Cor. 7:1

If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Gal. 5:15

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal. 5:19-20

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Gal. 6:7-8

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Eph. 4:1

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. Eph. 4:17

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. Eph. 4:22

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^[a] ⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷Therefore do not be partners with them. Eph. 5:3-7

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.

Eph. 5:8-15

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Phil 1:27

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! Phil 3:17-4:1

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because ofyour evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation! Col.1:21-22

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^[a] ⁷You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices. Col. 3:5-9

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴that each of you should learn to control your own body^[^a^] in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; ⁶and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.^[^b^] The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. ⁷For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ⁸Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

1Thes. 4:3-8

You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

1Thes. 5:5-8

Reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Thes. 5:22-23

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings^[^a^] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 2Thes. 2:15

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1Tim. 4:7-8

Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. 1Tim. 6:20-21

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. ²¹Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2Tim. 2:19-22

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Titus 3:3-9

Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

Philemon 1:21

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Heb. 3:12

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Heb. 4:13

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. ²⁸Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[a] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”^[^b^]Heb. 10:26-30

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ¹⁶See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. ¹⁷Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done. Heb. 12:14-17

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:21

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:26-27

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. James 2:12

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. James 3:9-12

You adulterous people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:8-10

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”1Peter 1:13-16

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1Peter 2:1-3

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ⁴They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 1Peter 4:3-5

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 2Peter 1:5-9

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives! 2Peter 3:11

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 2Peter 3:14

Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 1John 2:6

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[^a^] is not in them. 1John 2:15

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 1John 3:6

This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 1John 5:2

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 1John 5:18

Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 2John 1:9

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 3John 1:11

See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones ¹⁵to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”Jude 1:14-15

Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Rev.2:5

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. ¹⁵Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Rev.2:14-16

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ²¹I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. ²²So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Rev.2:20-23

I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ²Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Rev. 3:1b-3

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Rev. 3:13-19

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Rev.3:20

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Rev. 3:22