Be Ye Separate
“Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 19:2
Faith will bring us to conclude that the foremost responsibility of those who have been reconciled to God, is to be reconciled with God in what we are doing and where we stand, “…be ye reconciled to God” 2 Corinthians 5:20.
The difficulty of doing this is to be resolved with the spirit of loyalty to Christ above all else, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26
In 2 Chronicles 18, Jehoshaphat had stood with Ahab, rather than separate from him. Ahab was serving sin, while Jehoshaphat was a servant of God. Under ordinary circumstances, Jehoshaphat would have distanced himself from Ahab, not wanting to identify himself with Ahab’s sins. But as the situation was, Jehoshaphat’s children were married to Ahab’s children. Due to his affinity, Jehoshaphat looked for all the reasons he should help Ahab, while discounting all the reasons he should be separate from him.
No matter how much love and good will Jehoshaphat was moved to manifest towards Ahab, it still did not change what Ahab was doing in the eyes of the Lord. Thus, the message God gave to his prophet to deliver to Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 19:2: “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.”
God commands His children to withdraw ourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not according to the teachings and doctrines of God’s Word, 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
God commands His children to not be partaker with the sins of others, but rather keep ourselves pure, 1 Timothy 5:22. Not only are we not to fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, we are rather to reprove them, Ephesians 5:11.
To stand with those who are doing wrong, only encourages them in their wrong doing, and sends a message to others that wrong doing is an acceptable way of life: “Let favor be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.” Isaiah 26:10.
SHARING
It’s Still Mocking
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceive thereby is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1
Whenever there is a shooting where innocent lives are taken, the cry goes forth to take away the guns. However, our forefathers knew that private citizens without guns would allow a tyrannical government to have complete control over the populace, thus the second amendment to the constitution.
To take away guns would not eliminate murders, etc., which have been committed long before guns were invented. These crimes proceed from sin in the human heart: “for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries…” Matthew 15:19.
When it comes to the destruction of innocent lives, the wreck and ruin of relations, unlawful actions, etc., with all of the costs thereof, alcohol ranks at the top of the list. Yet those who claim to champion the cause of protecting innocent lives, are not calling for alcohol to be banned. Rather, it is celebrated and lifted up as a great thing.
No matter how horrible conditions become, alcohol remains as a “sacred cow” with the lost world. Even in the midst of the devastation of the Great Tribulation to come, the order goes forth: “…see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” Revelation 6:6
God’s Word continues to sound the alarm as to the evil and wickedness of alcoholic beverages: Galatians 5:19-21 declares drunkenness to be a work of sinful flesh, along with immorality, murders, hatred, heresies, etc., “…that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Some try to defend their drinking by saying they do it in moderation. But is that not like saying, “I only commit murder, adultery, and hate with moderation”?
Not only does God’s Words declare drunkenness to be a characteristic of those who are not saved (1 Corinthians 6:10), but He also forbids His children to eat with professed Christians who are drunkards (1 Corinthians 5:11).
Be not deceived! Wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging! GOD COMMANDS TOTAL ABSTINANCE FROM ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: Proverbs 23:29-35.
God’s wisdom to prevent drunkenness is fool proof, for if a person never takes the first drink, they will never become a drunkard.
SHARINGShewing Forth The Lord’s Death
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death, till he come.” 1 Corinthians 11:26
THE LORD’S SUPPER WAS INSTITUTED ON THE NIGHT OF THE PASSOVER OBSERVANCE: “…That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:” (1 Corinthians 11:23). “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The PASSOVER set forth Christ’s redemptive work in typology. The Lord’s Supper sets forth Christ’s redemptive work in a pictorial ordinance. BOTH AGREE! They set forth the same redemption and the same Redeemer. There was one law that governed the observance of the Passover–there were to be no exceptions granted. No stranger was to partake with the congregation, and only those in covenant with the congregation were to observe the ordinance with the congregation.
THUS, THE LORD’S SUPPER IS TO BE OBSERVED IN LOCAL CONGREGATION CAPACITY. “…when ye come together in the church” 1 Corinthians 11:18, “When ye come together therefore into one place” 1 Corinthians 11:20, “…when ye come together to eat” 1 Corinthians 11:33.
The Church is to have jurisdiction over this ordinance. The Church has no jurisdiction over non-members. Neither can non-members examine themselves in view of their standing in the Body (Local Church) that is observing the ordinance. The Lord’s Supper is not an individual ordinance, but a church ordinance. Any non-member is not in the position of partaking as a member of the church observing the ordinance. A non-member has neither responsibility, obligation, nor rights as a member of the local church.
THERE IS NO CANNIBALISM OR VAMPIRISM IN THE PARTAKING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER. We are eating unleavened bread (a type of Christ’s sinless body broken for us), and drinking the fruit of the vine (a type of Christ’s precious blood shed for us). We are neither eating His flesh, nor drinking His blood.
THE LORD’S SUPPER IS A PICTORIAL ORDINANCE, NOT A SACRAMENT! The Lord’s Supper shows forth the properties upon which our salvation is established–the sacrificial offering of Christ in our stead. To make the Lord’s Supper out to be a sacrament (a requirement to help be saved and keep saved), makes the deed of observing as having saving power, rather than observing that which the ordinance sets forth as being the merits of our salvation–the blood and body of Christ!
As often as we do it, we show the Lord’s death till He come!
SHARINGContributing To Life
“Train up a child in the way he should go…” Proverbs 22:6
The expertise for raising children is found in God’s Word, not in our emotions, feelings, etc., which can very well get in the way. There are some unsaved parents who give their children good structure for behavior, etc. But if you note, their methods parallel the ways of the Bible, rather than go against them.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 is a template for mentoring children. I would like to quote from an article written by John Goetsch:
“While the key component of this process (Deut. 6:6-9) is ‘these words’, the emphasis is on the constant and consistent declaration and display of God’s Word. As parents, we fall into the trap of compartmentalizing the Bible to a few hours at church each week, or perhaps a few minutes of ‘family altar’ in our homes each day. The rest of the time, our children are being spoiled “through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.’ (Colossians 2:8) Now, God is certainly in favor of the formal preaching and teaching of the Bible. Scripture would support that practice to the fullest. The Lord knows, however, that it is through the informal settings that Truth has its greatest impact on our children. When we can take an incident or circumstance in our child’s life, and apply biblical teaching to provide comfort, challenge, conviction or change, a lasting impression is made. Jesus Himself gives us this example over and over, as in the middle of a temptation or crisis, His response was “Have ye not known?” or “It is written”, or “Moses and the prophets…” He was always directing His followers’ hearts back to the Word of God. We will never be able to pass the Word of God on to our children in those critical moments if we, as parents, are not saturated ourselves, with Truth. We cannot teach what we ourselves have not learned.” –End Quote
It has been rightly observed that children learn the way they live, from one source or another. We must guard against the wrong sources through separation (true and accurate oversight). And we must supply the right sources for them that will be practical for their lives. At the top of that list, is that we as parents have learned to live and love the right ways ourselves. This is the best recommendation of the right ways for our children.
SHARING
