I have Secondary Progressive MS and have lived with the disease for twenty seven years. I have been under the care of a physician and neurologist for the past thirteen years. To this day, the only treatment that I have received is medication to relieve pain. Every two weeks, $300 is spent at the Pharmacist. I take high levels of…
Romans 1:16-17Romans 1:16-17
English: World English Bible - WEB
16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.
17 For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”
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The book of Romans is a compelling book that Paul wrote to carefully and thoroughly describe the depravity of man and the power of the gospel.
As I read Romans 18-32, I see the downward that mankind has taken. On the last step are those that practice immoral and same-sex relationships. The hard truth thought is that we’re all on that step. We may not be having an immoral relationship, but look at the long list that follows:
As I think through the list I cannot help but begin to understand how desperately we need a solution from the God that we have wilfully sinned against.
Paul is in Corinth at the time he writes this. The city lies in the shadow of Mount Acrocorinth with a plateau at 1900 feet above the streets of Corinth and upon which the temple of Aphrodite overlooks the city.
Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty and sexual pleasure. The temple was known for its prostitutes that would entice visitors. These “ladies of the night” were highly valued priestesses and were honoured guests at public festivals in Corinth and surrounding areas. Furthermore, a high-born male was expected to have a young boy for sexual pleasure. In both the Grecian and Roman culture, pedophilia was not only condoned, it was considered part of their education.
As Paul writes this great epistle, he is sitting in the shadow of the mountain top temple. While he is overwhelmed with the deep depravity of man, the Holy Spirit speaks directly to Paul about the pleasures at Corinth. We are reading those words in the book of Romans which include what God thinks of our sin and his impending wrath on the unrighteous.
Here’s the point: It’s a tough one. We stand alongside the pedophiles in need of God’s solution. We have all wilfully made choices against God and deserve the full extent of God’s wrath. You need to see this because understanding the depth of our sin and our separation from God. This is our first step in receiving salvation.
Acts 6:15Acts 6:15
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15 All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.
WP-Bible plugin, 1 Peter 2:11 Peter 2:1
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2
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
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Mankind has a deep appetite for verbal smut. The Bible calls it calls it “slander”. You may very well be guilty when you ask, “what’s the latest on _______________?”
Slander is a fabricated statement about someone that lowers your respect of them. I don’t think there’s a more damaging sin against the body of Christ when slander is permitted to exist against a brother or sister. There is no end to the pain that it can cause.
This morning I read another great story from the Book of Acts (Acts 6:8-15Acts 6:8-15
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8 Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
9 But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines,” and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.
10 They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, and brought him in to the council,
13 and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.
14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
15 All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.
WP-Bible plugin) where this deadly tool was pulled from Satan’s drawer. The disciple Stephen was full of grace and power and was preaching the news of the resurrected Jesus. Those that didn’t believe in the resurrection tried to debate with Stephen but soon found that he had great wisdom and couldn’t win with the facts. Their only resort was to bring him down through slander.
Think on that for a moment. What hours of truth seeking could not accomplish, a single slanderous statement given to a verbal-smut-craved person brought him down in moments.
What’s my point: I want to encourage you to reject verbal smut. Peter says “get rid of … slander” (1 Peter 2:11 Peter 2:1
English: World English Bible - WEB
2
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
WP-Bible plugin). By putting it to death means that you don’t buy it on the grocery stand, listen to it on TV or give your time to hearing it about someone you know. It is Spiritual Cyanide among believers.
What the body needs: Is a spirit of grace and truth. Be lovers of what is true – starting with God’s Word. Nurture your appetite for the truth of God’s Word. In John 14:6John 14:6
English: World English Bible - WEB
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
WP-Bible plugin, Jesus replied, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
A couple good questions to ask someone before listening to their story: Is this what you know or what you heard? What is your motive for telling me?
I read a snippet of a story today that gave a chuckle as it reminded me of a great lesson.
At the start of the McCarthy era, Floridian Claude Pepper, one of the Senate’s most outspoken liberals, was on the conservatives’ “hit list” along with many other senators. George Smathers lashed out with some typical right-wing invective—he called his opponent “the Red Pepper”—and he launched a campaign to expose Pepper’s secret “vices.” Smathers disclosed that Pepper was “a known extrovert,” his sister was a “thespian,” and his brother a “practicing homo sapiens.” Also, when Pepper went to college, he actually “matriculated.” Worst of all, he “practiced celibacy” before marriage.
Naturally, rural voters were horrified, and Pepper lost. (Book of Lists No. 2, pp. 36-37)
1 Peter 2:11 Peter 2:1
English: World English Bible - WEB
2
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
WP-Bible plugin says that we ought to strip off anything that will breakdown loving relationships within the family of God. “So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2:2 And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk” (NETBible)
What’s important is that we contribute to a community experience of safety, care and love where everyone can grow in our Christian faith and become a fantastic testimony to the community outside of ours.
It’s a heart of deceit, hypocrisy and envy that will stoop to use the truth bring a brother down. What’s more we draw a massive blemish on our Christian testimony.
Let’s watch every word we say. Love your Christian brother and sister.
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