If -- A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

Dear God-seekers, greetings once again in Jesus Name!

If a picture paints a thousand words, then we should picture the word "if" in golden letters. You see, God has spoken this simple, two-letter word in the Scriptures with regard to our great and glorious salvation, yet so many seem to have missed it.

The popular view of the New Covenant of grace is that reaching heaven is automatic for all Christians. It is assumed that once a person gives his life to Jesus, he is going to make it into the kingdom of heaven no matter what. However, the Bible teaches that there are specific conditions of the New Covenant, just as there were also conditions of the Old Covenant. Let's look at some of those conditions in God's Word, as well as some warnings, which are negative conditions.

I will not include all the conditions, but primarily the ones that contain the golden word "if", which is a primary particle of conditionality. That may be a little word, but it has significant implications for each one of us, when used in the context of the conditions of the covenant in Christ's blood. Therefore, in this article, I will capitalize the word "IF" for emphasis.

Positive Conditions
We begin with the positive conditions.

Enter Through Christ Alone
Jesus said, "I am the door; IF anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (Joh 10:9)

Hear the Lord's Voice and Open the Door of Your Heart
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; IF anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Rev 3:20)

Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
“And He was saying to them all, ‘IF anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” (Luk 9:23)

Become United with Christ in His Death
“For IF we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection…” (Rom 6:5)

“Now IF we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…” (Rom 6:8; cf., 2Ti 2:11)

“But IF by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom 8:13b)

Suffer with Christ
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, IF indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom 8:16-17)

Keep His Commandments and Keep His Word
“And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but IF you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’" (Mat 19:17)

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘IF you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’" (Joh 8:31-32)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, IF anyone keeps My word he will never see death." (Joh 8:51)

"IF you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (Joh 14:15)

Jesus answered and said to him, "IF anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (Joh 14:23)

“"You are My friends IF you do what I command you.” (Joh 15:14)

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, IF we keep His commandments.” (1Jn 2:3)

“As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. IF what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” (1Jn 2:24)

Hold Fast the Word
"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, IF you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." (1 Cor 15:1-2)

Love One Another
“No one has seen God at any time; IF we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” (1Jn 4:12)

Walk in the Light as He is in the Light
“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.” (1Jn 1:7)

Judge Ourselves Honestly
“But IF we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.” (1Co 11:31)

Eat of Christ, the Living Bread
"I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven; IF anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh."  (Joh 6:51)

Be Freed by the Son
"So IF the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (Joh 8:36)

Become a Son
“Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and IF a son, then an heir through God.” (Gal 4:7)

Be in Christ and Belong to Him
“Therefore IF anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2Co 5:17)

“And IF you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Gal 3:29)

Do the Deeds of Abraham
“Jesus said to them, ‘IF you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.’” (Joh 8:39b)

Forgive Others For Their Transgressions
"For IF you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Mat 6:14; cf., Mk 11:25)

Your Eyes Must Be Clear
"The eye is the lamp of the body; so then IF your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” (Mat 6:22)

Confess with Your Mouth Jesus as Lord, and Believe in Your Heart That God Raised Him from the Dead
“…IF you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved: for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10)

"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 10:32)

Hold Fast Our Confidence and the Boast of Our Hope Firm Until The End
“But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, IF we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” (Heb 3:6)

“For we have become partakers of Christ, IF we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,” (Heb 3:14)

Continue in the Faith Firmly Established and Steadfast, and Not Moved Away from the Hope of the Gospel
"And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- IF indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister." (Col 1:21-23).

Endure to the End
“IF we endure, we will also reign with Him… IF we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2Ti 2:12a,13).

"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved." (Mat 24:13)

Your Heart Must Not Condemn You
“Beloved, IF our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God…”(1Jn 3:21)

Those Who Have Strayed from the Truth Must Turn Back to God
“My brethren, IF any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (Jas 5:19-20)

Confess Our Sins
“IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9)

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And IF anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” (1Jn 2:1)

Warnings Against Failing to Meet the Conditions
In addition to all the positive conditions listed above, we are also warned in Scripture of the following negative conditions.

Do Not Harden Your Hearts
“He again fixes a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, ‘Today IF you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’" (Heb 4:7)

Do Not Refuse Him Who Speaks
“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For IF those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.” (Heb 12:25)

Do Not Neglect Salvation Through Transgression and Disobedience
“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape IF we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard…” (Heb 2:1-3)

Do Not Fall Away
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but IF it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”  (Heb 6:4-8)

Do Not Fall Short of the Promise of Entering His Rest
“Therefore, let us fear IF, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.” (Heb 4:1)

Do Not Go On Sinning Willfully After Coming to Know the Truth
“For IF we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” (Heb 10:26)

Do Not Shrink Back
“But My righteous one shall live by faith; and IF he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” (Heb 10:38)

Do Not Become Weary in Doing Good
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap IF we do not grow weary.” (Gal 6:9)

Do Not Lose Heart When the Lord Rebukes You or Make Light of His Discipline
“But IF you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Heb 12:8)

Do Not Become Tasteless Salt
"You are the salt of the earth; but IF the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Mat 5:13)

Do Not Fail to Deal Radically with Sin to Remove It
"IF your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Mat 5:29)

"IF your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Mat 5:30)

Forgive Others from Your Heart
"But IF you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Mat 6:15; cf., Mk 11:26)

"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, IF each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."  (Mat 18:34-35)

Do Not Hate Your Brother
“IF someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1Jn 4:20)

Guard Your Eyes, So That You Do Not Become Filled with Darkness
"But IF your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Mat 6:23)

Do Not Become Entangled Again in the Defilements of the World
“For IF, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.” (2Pe 2:20-21)

''But IF that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mat 24:48-51)

Do Not Fail to Carry Your Cross and Follow Jesus, Even at the Expense of Family Relationships
"IF anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luk 14:26-27)

Do Not Fail to Listen to Moses and the Prophets and Believe Christ's Words
"But he said to him, 'IF they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Luk 16:31)

"For IF you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But IF you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" (Joh 5:46-47)

Do Not Have Dead Faith without Works
“What use is it, my brethren, IF someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?… Even so faith, IF it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (Jas 2:14,17)

Do Not Love the World nor the Things of the World
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. IF anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1Jn 2:15)

"For what will it profit a man IF he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat 16:26; cf., Mar 8:36; Luk 9:25)

Do Not Worship the Beast and His Image or Receive a Mark on the Right Hand or Forehead
“Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘IF anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." (Rev 14:9-11)

Do Not Fail to Abide in Christ
"IF anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” (Joh 15:6)

Do Not Be Arrogant nor Fail to Continue in God's Kindness
“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but IF you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for IF God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, IF you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” (Rom 11:17-22)

Do Not Live According to the Flesh
“For IF you are living according to the flesh, you must die…” (Rom 8:13a)

Do Not Walk in Darkness
“IF we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;” (1Jn 1:6)

Do Not Deny Your Own Sin
“IF we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1Jn 1:8)

“IF we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (1Jn 1:10)

Keep a Tight Rein on Your Tongue
“IF anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.” (Jas 1:26)

Don't Fail to Wake Up
“'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore IF you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” (Rev 3:3)

Don't Destroy the Temple of God
“IF any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1Co 3:17)

Don't Deny Christ
“IF we deny Him, He also will deny us.” (2 Tim 2:12b)

"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 10:33)

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." (Luk 9:26)

Don't Fail to Love the Lord
“IF anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.” (1Co 16:22)

Putting it All Together
As we have seen in God's Word, reaching heaven is not automatic once you say a prayer to accept Christ. It is not a foregone conclusion. Nor is it assumed that you will reach heaven, simply because you sincerely gave your life to Jesus at one time and still consider yourself a true believer.

There are clearly some conditions we are required to meet. We must do the following: Enter through Christ alone. Hear the Lord's voice and open the door of your heart. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus. Become united with Christ in His death. Suffer with Christ. Keep His commandments and keep His Word. Hold fast the Word of God. Love one another. Walk in the light as He is in the light. Judge yourself honestly. Eat of Christ, the Living Bread. Be freed by the Son. Become a Son. Be in Christ and belong to Him. Do the deeds of Abraham. Forgive others for their transgressions. Your eyes must be clear. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Endure to the end. Your heart must not condemn you. Those who have strayed from the truth must turn back to God. Confess your sins. This is not a complete list, but it gives you a good idea of the conditions God requires for those who wish to reach heaven. Examples of other conditions include the following: (Heb 12:14; Mt 19:21; Lk 9:24).

Those who meet the conditions of the New Covenant receive the following promises: We will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. We will be true disciples of Christ. We will know the truth and the truth will make us free. We will be free indeed. We are new creatures; the old things passed away; all things have become new. We will have continual communion with the Lord. We will come to share in Christ. We will be the Lord’s friends. We will have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. A multitude of sins will be covered. We will be forgiven our sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Our whole bodies will be full of light. We will have confidence before God. We will have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The Lord Jesus and the Father will love us, and will come to us and make Their abode with us. We will be God’s house. God will abide in us, and His love will be perfected in us. We will abide in the Son and in the Father. We shall be in the likeness of Christ’s resurrection. We shall also live with Him. We will enter into life. We will live forever. We will never see death. Our souls will be saved from death. We will be children of Abraham. We will be heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. Jesus will confess us before His Father who is in heaven. He will present us before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach. We will also be glorified with Him. We will also reign with Him. We will have treasure in heaven.

There are also many warnings in Scripture against failing to meet the conditions. The following are some examples of these warnings or negative conditions: Do not harden your heart. Do not refuse him who speaks. Do not neglect salvation through transgression and disobedience. Do not fall away. Do not fall short of the promise of entering his rest. Do not go on sinning willfully after coming to know the truth. Do not shrink back. Do not become weary in doing good. Do not lose heart when the Lord rebukes you or make light of His discipline. Do not become tasteless salt. Do not fail to deal radically with sin to remove it. Forgive others from your heart. Do not hate your brother. Guard your eyes, so that you do not become filled with darkness. Do not become entangled again in the defilements of the world. Do not fail to carry your cross and follow Jesus, even at the expense of family relationships. Do not fail to listen to Moses and the prophets and believe Christ's words. Do not have dead faith without works. Do not love the world nor the things of the world. Do not worship the beast and his image or receive a mark in your right hand or forehead. Do not fail to abide in Christ. Do not be arrogant nor fail to continue in God's kindness. Do not live according to the flesh. Do not walk in darkness. Do not deny your own sin. Don’t open your mouth easily. Don't fail to wake up. Don't destroy the temple of God. Don't deny Christ.

Some of the negative consequences for failing to meet the conditions include the following: Being in a worse state than before you ever came to Christ. Being disqualified to be a disciple of Christ. Being illegitimate children and not sons. Being devoid of the truth. Having worthless religion that does you no good. Being useless to God. Being caught off guard by the return of Christ, as a thief in the night. Being denied by Christ before His Father who is in heaven. Being denied forgiveness by God. God’s soul would have no pleasure in you. Failing to enter the promised eternal rest. Being unable to escape eternal punishment. Losing your life. Being destroyed by God. You must die. Being handed over to the torturers. Being thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Being cut to pieces and assigned a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Your whole body would be thrown into hell. Being in darkness. Being unable to repent. Being cut off.  Being burned. Tormented with fire and brimstone. Being accursed.

Therefore, Scripture clearly teaches definite conditions that must be met by those who have entered into the New Covenant with Christ, and if we want to reach heaven, we must meet these conditions. Otherwise we will suffer an even worse punishment than the wicked.

This message is not being preached or taught in most churches, because it's not popular and it doesn't feel good. People like to preach only the positive side of the gospel or the benefits we receive, but they neglect speaking about the negative side or the warnings we must heed. Nevertheless, both the positive and negative sides are part of the gospel. All of these are conditions that must be fulfilled.

I hope you take it to heart and let it encourage you as well as warn you of areas where your soul is in danger. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything in your life that is hidden that must go, and then when He does, repent with all your heart and cry out for forgiveness. Mercy is only available while you are on earth. God's standard for heaven is high and He's not going to lower it for anyone. It's high time we get back to the true gospel, seeking holiness and consecration to God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Obedience by the Spirit, The Obedience of Faith, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Pleasing the Lord, The Burning Ones, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Keeping a Good Conscience, Separation from the World, Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, The Ways of Life, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, The Mark of the Beast (666), and Listen to Jesus, Who Upholds Moses and the Prophets. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy

Dear God-seekers, I want to speak to you today about keeping your body pure and holy in God's sight, because your body matters.

First, I'd like to say a few words about sex.  The Lord created sex for married couples, and I am talking about husband and wife. Fornication and adultery are sins against your own body, as well as the other person's body.

The apostle Paul wrote: "Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body...Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1Co 6:13,18-20)

Paul explicitly said that immorality is a sin against your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are to flee immorality (1Co 6:18). The Scriptural standard is still complete sexual purity.

The churches in Pergamum and Thyatira tolerated sexually immoral people in their midst, and the Lord had this against them (2:14, 20). For we are to avoid unholy associations with so-called brothers, who are sexually immoral (1Co 5:9-11), because there must be no immoral or godless person among those who are the disciples of Christ (Heb 12:16). No unholy person has any inheritance in God’s kingdom (Eph 5:5).  The Lord revealed to the apostle John that unholy people will inherit the lake of fire, not the kingdom of Christ (Rev 21:8), and those outside the holy city are the unholy people (Rev 22:15). 
 
However, immoral sins against your body are not limited to sexual acts committed physically between two people. Any impure or lustful thoughts or acts you commit by yourself or with anyone else are also immoral sins, according to Scripture.

Moreover, in addition to your physical acts of sexual immorality, and the thoughts and intentions of the heart, you also need to be sure that you keep your body pure and holy in terms of the attire and adornment you wear, as I explained in Garments of Godliness. Likewise, on another blog in my article, Faith Works!, I explained this in more detail, but I would like to share an excerpt from it here. 

"Paul stated when he wrote in Galatians 5: '"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.' (Gal 5:19-21)"

"To those who say that what a woman wears externally does not matter, and that jewelry, makeup, and other artificial adornments are not a problem for Christians to put on their bodies, this is what the Lord says.  He says the 'property of Jezebel' that the daughter's of God are wearing just like the world are not pure.  They are not of God.  Jezebel 'painted her eyes and adorned her head' to make herself sexually attractive, in order to deceive and seduce men, probably in the hope that Jehu would not kill her (1 King 9:30b).  That is impurity. It is also sensuality, since it lends itself to exciting sexual desires.  And can also be idolatry, since they love those things of the world that they wear, just as the men likewise love them.  They do not want to part with them.  And it also causes men to idolize women, as if they were goddesses, because of the way they are artificially adorned with worldly things.  It also leads to lust and envy, as well as carousing, and 'things like these.'  Paul clearly forewarned us that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God; they will miss heaven."


"To those who insist that the property of Jezebel is not impure, sensual, or idolatrous, I say that you are badly mistaken.  Don't you know where all those worldly things originally came from? Do the research as far back as you can go, and see for yourself. Those things were introduced into the world by satan through his angels."

The apostle Paul wrote:

"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. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1 Thes 5:23-24)

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.' Therefore, 'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.' And, 'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty.' 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.”  (2Co 6:16-18; 7:1, NIV).

"...The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit..." (1Co 7:34b)

"And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Rom 6:13)

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1)

"Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience." (Col 3:5-6)

"I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." (1 Tim 2:9-10; cf., 1 Pet 3:1-6) 

Putting it All Together
Paul explicitly taught that we must keep our bodies holy and pure, and so did Peter.  These days it is popular to eat things that are considered "pure and natural".  There's nothing wrong with that.  But we must not neglect the more important matters in the sight of God, and that includes keeping our bodies holy, pure, and natural, the way God created them.

The Lord created sex for married couples, which means fornication and adultery are sins against your own body. The Lord will cast anyone committing these sins into hell, if they do not repent.  It doesn't matter how many souls you have evangelized or how gifted you are spiritually.  It doesn't matter how much money you have given to charity or any other things you have done. You cannot earn your way into heaven by your gifts or your good works.

The Lord created us in His image, and it is sin to change the image of God, by making ourselves look unnatural or putting artificial things on our bodies.  That includes jewelry, makeup, hair attachments, unnatural hairdos, tanning cream, bleaching cream, tatoos, body piercings, dying the hair, perming or relaxing the hair, gold teeth, fake fingernails, fake eyelashes, expensive clothes, or anything that is immodest, impure, immoral, worldly, or unholy.

Without holiness, no man shall see God's face (Heb 12:14).

It's not legalism to obey God's Word.  If this is an area where you know you have not been walking in obedience to God, then please repent and amend your ways.  Change your life, so that you don't perish in hell.  The Lord Jesus still loves you!  But His standard for heaven is high, and He is not changing it for anybody.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.  The "Pure Water" image is courtesy of Wayne Consultants & Mfg. Inc.  The image of the hands under pure flowing water is courtesy of the BHR Group, copyright © 2011 BHR Group, a trading name of VirtualPiE Ltd.

Author's note:  Also see Garments of Godliness and Faith Works!, as well as my other articles called, Obedience by the Spirit and Baptized with the Spirit. You may also like Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Called to be Blameless, Keeping Sundays Holy, Restored Truth, The Highest Form of Slavery, and Is Tithing Required? You can access the Seeking the Lord Main Directory or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Aim for Perfection

These days it seems like most so-called Christians have given up on the idea of perfection.  They are willing to settle for compromise with the world and sin in their own lives, doing so under the excuse of grace.  But grace is not a license for sin.  So I’d like to examine the Scriptural standard for the life of every disciple of Christ.  The standard is perfection.   To be more precise, it is sinless perfection.

You May Not Sin
Jesus spoke to the man whose hand was healed, and warned him not to sin anymore. “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.’” (Joh 5:14).  Why would Jesus tell him to sin no more, if it were not possible?  Wouldn’t that only frustrate the man? No, the Lord would not command him to do something that was impossible.

He said, “sin no more.” That expression comes from the Greek words “harmatano meketi.”  The word “harmatano” means “to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin: - for your faults, offend, sin, trespass” (Strongs).  And meketi means, “no further: - any longer, (not) henceforth, hereafter, no henceforward (longer, more, soon), not any more.”  “Meketi” comes from the Greek root word “me,” which is a primary particle of qualified negation, such as “not, neither, never, no, none, nor, or without” (Strongs). And the other root word “eti” means “yet”, still (of time or degree): - after that, also, ever, (any) further, (t-) henceforth (more), hereafter, (any) longer, (any) more (-one), now, still, yet.” Therefore, "meketi" emphasizes the discontinuation of an act already in progress and the negation of an act in the future.

After Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, He used that same expression to warn her to leave her life of sin.  “She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’” (Joh 8:11).  That expression once again comes from the Greek words “harmatano meketi.”

The apostle John wrote his epistle, so that his readers may not sin.  “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  (1Jn 2:1-2)

John said, "You may not sin." That expression comes from the Greek words “me harmatano” meaning "sin not" just as the apostle Paul used in his epistle to the Corinthians, when he wrote, "Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame." (1Co 15:34). Other English versions say, “sin not” (KJV) or “do not go on sinning” (ESV).

John taught that sin has no place in the life of one who is born again. He said, “We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1Jn 5:18).

I believe the Lord would say the same to us today as He and His apostles said then, "Do not sin anymore."

Depart from Iniquity
The apostle Paul said, "Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.'" (2Ti 2:19). He explicitly said we must abstain from wickedness, which means to refrain from indulgence in it, or to restrain oneself from doing it or enjoying it. Other versions say "depart from iniquity" or "depart from unrighteousness."  This leaves no room for any unrighteousness at all in our lives. We have a responsibility to depart from it.

Abstain from Sinful Desires
Likewise, the apostle Peter said, "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul." (1 Pe 2:11, NIV). It should be obvious from Scriptures like this that all sin is forbidden for the saints.

Do No Evil
The Holy Spirit spoke through the mouth of Isaiah saying, "Cease to do evil!" (Is 1:16b). Likewise, the apostle Paul prayed for the Corinthians that they would do no evil. He said, "Now I pray to God that ye do no evil." (2Co 13:7a, KJV). The Greek word for "evil" here is "kakos", which means that which is  worthless, depraved, sick, injurious, bad, evil, harmful, or wicked. This should be our prayer also for ourselves and others that we would do no evil, in other words do nothing wicked, wrong, bad, harmful, or sinful in any way. This is even more important than praying that we would be spared from suffering evil.

Be Perfect
Jesus said, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mat 5:48).  The word “perfect” is “teleios” in the Greek, meaning “complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); completeness: - of full age, man, perfect.”  When Jesus said, “as your heavenly Father is perfect,” it clarified that was talking about godly perfection.  Obviously what Jesus referred to was moral perfection of the same kind that our Father in heaven has.  He would not command us to do something that was impossible, so we know this is attainable.

The apostle Paul also said that Epaphras prayed earnestly for the Colossians so that they may “stand perfect.” He said, “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” (Col 4:12)

Likewise, that was the way Paul prayed for the Corinthians.  In the context of praying that they would do no evil (2 Cor 13:7), as I mentioned previously, He said, "But we pray also for this, your perfection." (2 Co 13:9b, MKJV). The word “perfect” is “katartisis” in the Greek, meaning “perfection” (Strongs). That is the goal.

How to Attain Perfection
But how do we attain such perfection?  There is a responsibility on our part to be perfect, as Jesus said. We certainly have an active role in submitting to the process. However, the Lord carries out the process, as a refiner does with silver or gold. Peter said that Christ Himself will perfect you through suffering.  “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1Pe 5:10)

Paul also said the Lord will perfect the good work He began in you. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Php 1:6).  Note that Paul says the Lord will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus, which means it is an ongoing work until the Lord returns or until we go to be with Him.

Therefore, while we must actively participate and make every effort to be perfect, it does not depend completely on us. Ultimately it is the Lord's work in us, without which we could never be perfect.

Now But Not Yet
So then are we perfect already, or is it still something we seek to obtain?  The apostle Paul made it clear that he had not already become perfect.  “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Php 3:12).  Now I can relate with that! Although he admitted he was not yet perfect, he made it his aim to reach that goal, since that was the reason Jesus Christ laid hold of him.

On the other hand, Paul also referred to himself among those who were already perfect.  He said “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;” (Php 3:15).  Paul spoke in the first person plural in the present tense, when he said “as many as are perfect.” So we see that although Paul had not already become perfect, he was in fact leading a perfect life to the greatest extent possible at that time.  I call this "Now, But Not Yet ."

A Perfect Conscience
The gifts and sacrifices of the Law could not make the worshiper perfect in conscience.  “Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,” (Heb 9:9b). 

But those who accept the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ are not guilty, not only because of destroyed records, but because of a purged conscience.  When your conscience has been purged, it becomes perfect.

This is a glorious gift from God, because a guilty conscience makes a person miserable.  And it only keeps the person bound by sin, so they keep repeating the same thing.  But a clear conscience is liberating and free. It is no longer obligated to sin, but is obligated to righteousness.  Thank the Lord for a clear conscience!

Spirits made Perfect
The apostle writing to the Hebrews said that when you come to know the Lord, “You have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,” (Heb 12:22b-23)

We are one with the entire Body of Christ, including those who have already gone before us into glory.  They are the spirits of righteous men, women, and children made perfect.  That’s what we are, if we know Jesus and obey His commands.  Note that is says we are "made perfect" and the One who made us perfect is the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. That’s what we are becoming, and we’ll soon join that heavenly throng.

Is Perfect Simply Being Complete?
Some people who teach about perfection say that the Greek word for “perfect” simply means being “complete.” They imply that is doesn’t really mean moral perfection as we understand it in the English language. 

But James said, “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Jas 1:4)  James uses two different words here, “perfect” and “complete”.  The word “perfect” is “telios” in the Greek, which we have already defined as perfect.  The word “complete” is “holokleros” in the Greek, meaning “complete in every part, that is, perfectly sound (in body): - entire, whole.”  Since James said, “you may be perfect and complete,” we know there is a difference between “perfect” and “complete”.  We know that when the Scripture speaks of being perfect, it does not simply mean “complete.” Since James used both these terms side by side, we know it is God’s will for us to be perfect, and it is possible for the believer.

The Power of the Tongue in Perfection
James described a perfect man as one who does not stumble in what he says: “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” (Jas 3:2).  He said the reason such a man is perfect is that the tongue will direct the course of one’s entire life.

Jesus said, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luk 6:45).  The mouth speaks from whatever the heart is full of.

Since the tongue merely speaks from the overflow of the heart, then the real issue is one of the heart.  Therefore, ask the Lord to give you a perfect heart, as David prayed for his son, Solomon: “and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision." (1Ch 29:19)

What if You Do Sin?
And always remember, “if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  (1Jn 2:1b-2). If we do sin, Jesus Christ is our Advocate with the Father.

John also said, “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.” (1Jn 1:7). Aren't you glad to know that as long as you walk in the Light as He is in the Light, the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin?

Never forget, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9). Confess your sins, and He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Aim for Perfection
Make it your goal to be perfect.  Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  Pursue holiness (Heb 12:14).  Finally, brothers, good-by. The apostle Paul said, “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Cor 13:11)

Putting it All Together
There is no place in the Bible that says God tolerates any amount of sin. The Scriptures teach us that we are to be perfect, even as our heavenly Father is perfect.  That's God's high standard for our lives. We are to sin no more. Depart from iniquity. Committing sin is no longer allowed. If we continue in a sinful lifestyle, then something worse may happen to us than what the Lord originally healed or delivered us from.

He has promised to give us a perfect conscience that is clear and free of guilt.  When you are born again, your conscience is restored and made to be like that of a little child once again.  That sets you free to soar like an eagle and obey the Lord in true righteousness.

You can't do this yourself.  You need a definite work of the Holy Spirit in your life.  That's why we must pray for perfection for ourselves and one another.

The main culprit is the tongue, so watch your tongue.  And ask the Lord to give you a pure and perfect heart, so that the words overflowing out of it through your mouth will be perfect also, and order your whole life in a way that is pleasing to God.

You don't need to go around telling everyone you are perfect.  Just live it.  And the Lord will continue to perfect the good work He started in you until the day of Christ Jesus.  He'll always be working on something in your life, as you continue to pursue truth, righteousness, and holiness.  So if you do sin, repent and confess it, so you may be forgiven.  A daily life of repentance is the shortest path to God's mercy, and that's how I seek to live my life.

Brethren, aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Let This Mind Be in You" and "Nothing is Impossible" paintings © 2012 are by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I invite you to see these related articles of mine: Christian Perfection, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Called to be Blameless, Following in His Steps, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Is Obedience Optional?, Faith Works!, Obedience by the Spirit, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, The Straight and Narrow Path, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, and Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God. You can access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

You're Better Off Following Jesus

I once spoke to a man on a plane about Jesus, and he said, "My life is already good. Why would I want to add Jesus to it?"  I feel sorry for that man, because he was so enamoured with the world and his earthly possessions that he didn't realize he'd be better off following Jesus. 

Today I want to show you why you're better off following Jesus, so you don't make the same mistake as that man on the plane.

Superior Name
The apostle writing to the Hebrews said that Jesus is superior to those who came before Him.

He said, “The Son has become greater than the angels since he has been given a name that is superior to theirs.” (Heb 1:4).  The name of Jesus is superior to that of any angel.

The apostle Paul said, “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Php 2:9-11)

The apostle Peter said, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12)

Superior Ministry
Not only is His Name superior, but also his ministry.  “Jesus has been given a priestly work that is superior to the Levitical priests' work. He also brings a better promise from God that is based on better guarantees. “ (Heb 8:6, GW)

That Greek word in Hebrews used to mean "superior" is the word "diaphoros," which in this context means “excellent, surpassing.” -- Thayer

“Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is attested of Him, ‘YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.’" (Heb 7:11-17)

Jesus clearly has a superior name and a superior priesthood.  So what difference does that make for us?

Since Jesus is superior, the apostle says in Hebrews “…God had provided something better for us...” (Heb 11:40).  Let’s see all that God has provided for us that is better.

Better Tabernacle
First of all, we have a better tabernacle.  “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;”  (Heb 9:11).  As beautiful as the earthly tabernacle was, and although it was made after the pattern of the heavenly one, it cannot compare to the greater and more perfect tabernacle.

“For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;”  (Heb 9:24)

Better Mediator
Jesus is also a better mediator.  “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” (Heb 1:3-4).

Before Christ came, the Word was spoken through angels (Heb 2:2).  But the Lord Jesus is better than the angels, and now the gospel has been spoken by Him (Heb 2:3).

In Hebrews, the word better comes from the Greek word, kreitton.  It means, “1) more useful, more serviceable, more advantageous; 2) more excellent.” – Thayer.  It means “stronger, that is, (figuratively) better, that is, nobler: - best, better.” – Strongs

Unlike the angels, Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His nature. He upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb 1:3).  He is God's own Son, who sits at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens and His throne is forever (Heb 1:8).  He is God (Jn 1:1; Col 1:15).  All things were created by Him (Col 1:16).  All the angels worship Him (Heb 1:6), and He's a better mediator.

Better Blood
His blood is also better than the blood of Abel, who was a righteous man that was murdered.

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.” (Heb 11:4 NASB).

Abel’s blood still speaks, but Jesus’ blood speaks better.

"And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel." (Heb 12:24)

While Abel's blood cries out for justice, the blood of Jesus cries out for mercy. His blood is not only the that of a righteous man, but of God's only begotten Son, who was completely innocent of sin.

His blood is also better than the blood of animals.  “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:13-14)

Better Sacrifice
The sacrifice of Christ is better than all the sacrifices offered under the Law.  “Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” (Heb 9:23)

Those gifts and sacrifices could not make the worshiper perfect in conscience. “The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.” (Heb 9:8-10)

Jesus has put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. “nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”  (Heb 9:25-26)

“For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Heb 10:1-4)

"Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET." (Heb 10:11-13)

“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:3-4)

Better Hope
Jesus offers a better hope. “(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” (Heb 7:19)

“nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” (Gal 2:16)

“Therefore be it known to you, men, brothers, that through this One the forgiveness of sins is announced to you. And by Him all who believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses.” (Act 13:38-39)

Better Covenant
The New Covenant is better than the old.  “… Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”  (Heb 7:22)

“For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: ‘The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’ By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.” (Heb 8:7-13)

“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.” (Rom 4:13)

Better Promises
Not only is the new covenant in Jesus' blood a better covenant, but it is based on better guarantees -- on promises of better things. “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.”  (Heb 8:6)

“For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,” (Rom 4:16)

Better Possession
Through Jesus, we inherit a better possession than anything this world has to offer! And this possession lasts forever. “For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.” (Heb 10:34)

Better Country
The apostle writing to the Hebrews said of those who walked by faith before Christ, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Heb 11:16).  Even they desired a better country than the earthly and natural promised land of Canaan. 

The country the Lord has provided those who put their faith in Christ is better than any country on earth.  It’s even better than the country of Israel, better than the holy land on earth.

Better Resurrection
For those who follow Jesus, there will be a better resurrection. The writer to the Hebrews said, “Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;” (Heb 11:35)

Some people have received back their dead by resurrection, which must be an absolutely awesome experience!  On the other, other people who have been given the chance to avoid persecution by denying Christ have refused to deny him.  In some cases, their loved one may be in the hands of persecutors, who offer them their loved ones back if they deny Christ. They fear God and know that if they deny Christ, they may get their loved one back temporarily, but at the resurrection they will arise to everlasting condemnation.  And instead they choose not accept their release, so that at the resurrection of the dead, they might arise to everlasting life.

Putting it All Together
So we can see that Jesus Christ has a superior Name and a superior ministry.  His priesthood is superior to the Levitical one.

This is good news for us, because it means God has provided many better things for us through Christ.  These include a better tabernacle, a better Mediator, better blood, better sacrifices, a better hope, a better covenant, better promises, a better possession, a better country, and a better resurrection.  If the man I spoke to on the plane had understood all this, he would have realized that the brief and comfortable life he was living was far inferior to the abundant and eternal life we have in Christ.

If you know the Lord, then be encouraged by these things.  You're better off following Jesus.  Don't trade it for anything.

I once lived for myself without Christ, and I personally "...spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry."  I can testify that I'm better off now following Jesus.  If you don’t know the Lord, then I invite you to put your trust in Him today.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  I invite you to also read these related articles of mine: Is Jesus God?, Supremacy of Christ, The New Wine, and Supernatural Power for All Disciples. You can also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Image credit: The "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Should You Fear the Lord?

Today I would like to talk about the fear of God.  Like the topic of holiness, very few are preaching about this.  But it must be preached, because it’s in the Bible, and Jesus taught it.

First, I want to show you the Scriptures about the fear of the Lord.  Some of them I will just quote, because they are self-explanatory, and others I will comment on along the way.  Then I will discuss the difference between fear and respect, and wrap up with a conclusion of what all these Scriptures teach us.  Hopefully that will help "tie it all together" for you at the end. Let’s get into the Word now!

The Fear of the Lord

"But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God."

(Exo 9:30)

'So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. (Lev 25:17)

"Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'

(Deu 4:10)

so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. (Deu 6:2)

"You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” (Deu 6:13)

"So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.” (Deu 6:24)

"Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.” (Deu 8:6)

"Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” (Deu 10:12)

"You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.” (Deu 10:20)

"You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.” (Deu 13:4)

"You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.” (Deu 14:23)

"It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,” (Deu 17:19)

"If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God,” (Deu 28:58)

"Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.” (Deu 31:12)

"Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess." (Deu 31:13)

“that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever." (Jos 4:24)

"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. (Jos 24:14)

"If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God.” (1Sa 12:14)

"Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” (1Sa 12:24)

“At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them which killed some of them.” (2Ki 17:25)

“So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.” (2Ki 17:28)

“To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel;” (2Ki 17:34)

"But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice.” (2Ki 17:36)

"But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies." (2Ki 17:39)

"Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe." (2Ch 19:7)

Then he charged them saying, "Thus you shall do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and wholeheartedly.” (2Ch 19:9)

Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1:9)

"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'" (Job 28:28)

In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the LORD; He swears to his own hurt and does not change; (Psa 15:4)

“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.” (Psa 19:9)

You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. (Psa 22:23)

The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. (Psa 25:14)

“Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” (Psa 33:8)

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,” (Psa 33:18)

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.” (Psa 34:7)

O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.

(Psa 34:9)

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

(Psa 34:11)

For the choir director. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes. (Psa 36:1)

Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. (Psa 86:11)

So the nations will fear the name of the LORD And all the kings of the earth Your glory. (Psa 102:15)

Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. (Psa 103:13)

"But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children." (Psa 103:17)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever." (Psa 111:10)

"You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield." (Psa 115:11)

"He will bless those who fear the LORD, The small together with the great." (Psa 115:13)

"Oh let those who fear the LORD say, 'His lovingkindness is everlasting.'" (Psa 118:4)

"My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments."  (Ps 119:120)

"The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness." (Psa 147:11)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Pro 1:7)

"Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD." (Pro 1:29)

"Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God." (Pro 2:5)

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil." (Pro 3:7)

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate." (Pro 8:13)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."(Pro 9:10)

"The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened." (Pro 10:27)

He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. (Pro 14:2)

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. (Pro 14:26)

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. (Pro 14:27)

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it.

(Pro 15:16)

The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility. (Pro 15:33)

By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. (Pro 16:6)

The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. (Pro 19:23)

The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life. (Pro 22:4)

Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always. (Pro 23:17)

My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, (Pro 24:21)

"It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.” (Isa 8:13)

Regarding the Lord Jesus, Isaiah prophesied: “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; (Isa 11:2-3)

And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is his treasure. (Isa 33:6)

So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives. (Isa 59:19)

"'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.'" (Jer 5:22)

'They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest." (Jer 5:24)

"Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and the LORD changed His mind about the misfortune which He had pronounced against them? But we are committing a great evil against ourselves." (Jer 26:19)

Jonah said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land." (Jon 1:9)

The voice of the LORD will call to the city-- And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time? (Mic 6:9)

"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3:5)

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. (Mal 3:16)

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. (Act 9:31)

The apostle Paul said, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” (2Co 5:11)

And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." (Rev 14:6-7)

If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; (1Pe 1:17)

"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." (Rev 15:4)

Jesus taught His disciples to fear the Lord. He said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mat 10:28)

He used the word fear twice in this sentence.  In both instances it is the same Greek word “phobeo” in the Bible.  Phobeo means to frighten, that is, to be alarmed; to be in awe of, that is, revere: be sore afraid, fear (exceedingly), and to reverence.  This is where our English word phobia comes from. 

Even if you don’t look up the definition of this Greek word, it is obvious by what Jesus said that He used the word “fear” with the same meaning in both instances in this sentence.  So when you think about what it means to fear someone who can kill your body, that it the same kind of fear we are to have of God, and to a much greater degree.  We are not to fear any man, but we are to fear God.

Respect

Many people think that fearing God is just respecting Him, but that’s something different. The word for respect in Greek is not “phobeo.”  The word for respect is “entrepo,” which means in a good sense, to respect; or in a bad one, to confound: - regard, (give) reverence, shame.

In the parable of the vineyard owner, Jesus used this word for respect.  Speaking of the vineyard owner, He said, "He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' (Mar 12:6).  In this parable, the vineyard owner represents God the Father, and the vineyard owner’s son represents Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  The father in this parable said, “They will respect my son.”  This is the word “entrepo” which means to show respect or give reverence.

Jesus used this word for respect at other times as well.  For example, He used it to describe the unjust judge in another parable, saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man…For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,” (Luk 18:2,4). Interestingly here, Jesus quoted the unjust judge in this parable using both the word “fear” and the word “respect” in the same sentence.  When the judge said he did not fear God, fear was expressed by the Greek word “phobeo” that we defined above.  However, the word for “respect” is entrepo.  These are two different things.

In Luke’s record of his journey to Rome with Paul, and their stay on the island of Malta, he said of the islanders, “They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.” (Act 28:10).  Again, when you respect someone, that is different from fear.

Peter taught servants to respect their masters, which applies to the proper attitude of employees toward their employers and bosses. “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.” (1Pe 2:18).  We should respect such men, but not fear them.

Although fear and respect are two different things, the Lord expects to receive both respect and fear from us. " 'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name.'” (Mal 1:6a)

Blessings for The One Who Fears the Lord 
There are many blessings for the one who fears the Lord.

"Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose...The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant." (Psa 25:12-14)

Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. (Psa 112:1)

How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. (Psa 128:1)

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. (Pro 31:30)

Putting it All Together

Fear and respect are two different things.  We should respect God, and we should respect others, such as employers and bosses.  But we should not fear men.  The only One we should ever fear is God. And that is actual fear, just as the definition of the word implies.

Our Lord Jesus taught His disciples, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mat 10:28).

There is no place in Scripture that redefines the word "fear" to mean "respect." And Scripture never teaches us not to fear the Lord. Rather, it always teaches us to fear the Lord, and that is not restricted to the days of the Old Covenant.  It’s ungodly not to fear the Lord.

The Bible says we must be taught to fear the Lord, and it is something that must be learned. The fear of the Lord is something good! Do you fear God? If not, you should. This is not a fear of running TO Him, but it does include a fear of what would happen if you run AWAY from Him.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. By the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.  One reason we have so much apostasy in the Church today is that people have lost the fear of the Lord.

Everyone wants to stay young and live longer. Many want to have riches and honor.  Well, I've got the solution. The fear of the LORD prolongs life. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life. The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.

The Lord will draw near for judgment and be a witness against those who don’t fear Him. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. The eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him. The Lord is the help and shield of those who fear Him. The LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. He will bless those who fear the LORD. The LORD favors those who fear Him. The lovingkindness of the LORD is always on those who fear Him. For to those who fear Him there is no want.

The Church of Christ throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria feared the Lord. The apostle Paul and his team feared the Lord. They didn't say, "We don't need to fear the Lord any more, because we're under grace." Jesus had the spirit of the fear of the Lord upon Him, and He delights in the fear of the Lord. Do you?

After publishing this blog, I discovered the following video that underscores the need to fear the Lord.  Please take a few moments to watch it.



If you are away from God, then it's time to return to Him.  If you do not know Him, then it's time to come to Him and give your life to Him.  Both of these require deep repentance and faith in Christ.

Another video I recommend is Revival Hymn Redux (video)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the following other ones:

Salvation with Fear and Trembling
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Covenant Prayer
Is Obedience Optional?
Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian
Drifting Away
The Law of Christ
Baptized by Blazing Fire
Dare to Believe

You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

                           _________________________________________________

Photo credit: The Side of the Cross.

“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968, 1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”