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I’m sharing this here with you from my time of personal devotions with my Lord Jesus Christ, for your encouragement. Sue Love
Galatians 6:7-8 ESV
How are people being deceived today? Oh my, they are being deceived in so many different ways, far too many to count. And the deception is coming from all areas – the church, pastors, the government, the media, the pharmaceutical industry, the world of sports, the world of entertainment, TV, the music industry, movies, videos, stories, memes, and social media, etc. So, this is why we must test everything we read, hear, and/or see.
But what is the major area of deception most concerning here? It is that many people are being deceived by clever enchanters who are deceivers and manipulators who twist the Scriptures and who alter the gospel to make it more acceptable and appealing to human flesh and to the people of the world and to the worldly. And they are teaching that you can “believe” in Jesus and be guaranteed heaven while you still live in deliberate sin.
But the Scriptures don’t teach that we can believe in Jesus and be guaranteed heaven as our eternal destiny while we continue in deliberate and habitual sin. They teach that we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and that we must be raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, and that we must now walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
They teach that sin should no longer have mastery over our lives for Jesus died to set us free from our slavery (addition) to sin so that we would now be slaves of God and of his righteousness. We are to no longer walk (in conduct, in practice) like we did before we believed in Jesus, but now we are to put off our old sinful self and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and to put on the new self in Christ Jesus created to be like God in truth.
For Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life for us and who was raised from the dead. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) so we would now honor God with our lives (with our bodies). He did not die just to forgive us our sins and to promise us heaven.
So, don’t accept the lies which tell you that you can “believe” (not defined) in Jesus, have all your sins forgiven (past, present, and future), be assured heaven as your eternal destiny, but that how you live will not impact your salvation or your eternal security. For we are all going to be judged by God according to the things we have done in this life. And we are all going to reap what we have sown.
So, if you sow to please the flesh, from that flesh you will reap corruption (destruction, death). But if you sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit you will reap eternal life with God. If you walk (in practice) according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, and if you do not walk (in conduct) in obedience to the Lord, in submission to Christ, and in his righteousness, you will die in your sins. You will not inherit eternal life with God.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:21-25; Rom 12:1-2; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-11; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb 10:26-27; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Ac 26:18; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15; Eph 2:8-10]
Galatians 6:9-10 ESV
Now on the positive side of this reaping, if we who are genuine believers in Christ Jesus continue in him in walks of obedience to his commands, in daily dying to sin and to self, and in walks of holiness and righteousness, and we do not give up the faith on account of persecution or on account of wanting to return to a life of sin, in due season we will reap what we have sown for the good, and we will be blessed to be with our Lord for eternity.
So, this is an encouragement here to not grow weary in doing good. For I know it can get really hard sometimes. Following the Lord Jesus Christ with wholehearted devotion in a day and time when most people are living to the flesh, instead, can be a difficult trial. It can get very lonely at times when most professing faith in Jesus Christ are living worldly lives and not godly lives, and especially if they exclude you because of your walk of faith.
It can be trying if you are out there teaching (sharing, preaching) the truth of the Scriptures with few to encourage and support you while the majority either oppose you or just plain out ignore you as though you don’t exist. And I am not just speaking of people from the world but of people who claim to also be followers of Jesus Christ who do not support and encourage the teaching of the full gospel message (the whole counsel of God).
So many professing Christians these days are buying into the “cheap grace gospel,” which is an altered and diluted gospel message created in the minds of humans in order to deceive and in order to turn hearts away from pure devotion to Jesus Christ to continuing to walk in deliberate and in habitual sin against God. For they are not teaching the necessity of repentance, obedience, and submission to Christ as Lord (Owner-Master).
So, don’t let their disobedience be a cause for you to stumble. Don’t let their rejection of you discourage you to the point that you give up and you join in with them instead. Be strong and be courageous and keep on doing what you know is right even if all desert you. Keep obeying the Lord and keep teaching what is true and keep doing the good to everyone that our Lord has called us to do. And one day you will be rewarded for your faithfulness.
How Beautiful Heaven Must Be
Songwriters: Cordelia J. Whiteside Bridgewater, 1920 / Andy Pickens Bland
We read of a place that's called heaven,
It's made for the pure and the free;
These truths in God's word He has given,
How beautiful heaven must be.
In heaven no drooping nor pining,
No wishing for elsewhere to be;
God's light is forever, there shining,
How beautiful heaven must be.
The angels so sweetly are singing,
Up there by the beautiful sea;
Sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing,
How beautiful heaven must be.
How beautiful heaven must be
Sweet home of the happy and free;
Fair haven of rest for the weary,
How beautiful heaven must be
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Galatians 6:7-8 ESV
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
How are people being deceived today? Oh my, they are being deceived in so many different ways, far too many to count. And the deception is coming from all areas – the church, pastors, the government, the media, the pharmaceutical industry, the world of sports, the world of entertainment, TV, the music industry, movies, videos, stories, memes, and social media, etc. So, this is why we must test everything we read, hear, and/or see.
But what is the major area of deception most concerning here? It is that many people are being deceived by clever enchanters who are deceivers and manipulators who twist the Scriptures and who alter the gospel to make it more acceptable and appealing to human flesh and to the people of the world and to the worldly. And they are teaching that you can “believe” in Jesus and be guaranteed heaven while you still live in deliberate sin.
But the Scriptures don’t teach that we can believe in Jesus and be guaranteed heaven as our eternal destiny while we continue in deliberate and habitual sin. They teach that we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and that we must be raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, and that we must now walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
They teach that sin should no longer have mastery over our lives for Jesus died to set us free from our slavery (addition) to sin so that we would now be slaves of God and of his righteousness. We are to no longer walk (in conduct, in practice) like we did before we believed in Jesus, but now we are to put off our old sinful self and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and to put on the new self in Christ Jesus created to be like God in truth.
For Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life for us and who was raised from the dead. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) so we would now honor God with our lives (with our bodies). He did not die just to forgive us our sins and to promise us heaven.
So, don’t accept the lies which tell you that you can “believe” (not defined) in Jesus, have all your sins forgiven (past, present, and future), be assured heaven as your eternal destiny, but that how you live will not impact your salvation or your eternal security. For we are all going to be judged by God according to the things we have done in this life. And we are all going to reap what we have sown.
So, if you sow to please the flesh, from that flesh you will reap corruption (destruction, death). But if you sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit you will reap eternal life with God. If you walk (in practice) according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, and if you do not walk (in conduct) in obedience to the Lord, in submission to Christ, and in his righteousness, you will die in your sins. You will not inherit eternal life with God.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:21-25; Rom 12:1-2; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-11; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb 10:26-27; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Ac 26:18; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15; Eph 2:8-10]
Galatians 6:9-10 ESV
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Now on the positive side of this reaping, if we who are genuine believers in Christ Jesus continue in him in walks of obedience to his commands, in daily dying to sin and to self, and in walks of holiness and righteousness, and we do not give up the faith on account of persecution or on account of wanting to return to a life of sin, in due season we will reap what we have sown for the good, and we will be blessed to be with our Lord for eternity.
So, this is an encouragement here to not grow weary in doing good. For I know it can get really hard sometimes. Following the Lord Jesus Christ with wholehearted devotion in a day and time when most people are living to the flesh, instead, can be a difficult trial. It can get very lonely at times when most professing faith in Jesus Christ are living worldly lives and not godly lives, and especially if they exclude you because of your walk of faith.
It can be trying if you are out there teaching (sharing, preaching) the truth of the Scriptures with few to encourage and support you while the majority either oppose you or just plain out ignore you as though you don’t exist. And I am not just speaking of people from the world but of people who claim to also be followers of Jesus Christ who do not support and encourage the teaching of the full gospel message (the whole counsel of God).
So many professing Christians these days are buying into the “cheap grace gospel,” which is an altered and diluted gospel message created in the minds of humans in order to deceive and in order to turn hearts away from pure devotion to Jesus Christ to continuing to walk in deliberate and in habitual sin against God. For they are not teaching the necessity of repentance, obedience, and submission to Christ as Lord (Owner-Master).
So, don’t let their disobedience be a cause for you to stumble. Don’t let their rejection of you discourage you to the point that you give up and you join in with them instead. Be strong and be courageous and keep on doing what you know is right even if all desert you. Keep obeying the Lord and keep teaching what is true and keep doing the good to everyone that our Lord has called us to do. And one day you will be rewarded for your faithfulness.
How Beautiful Heaven Must Be
Songwriters: Cordelia J. Whiteside Bridgewater, 1920 / Andy Pickens Bland
We read of a place that's called heaven,
It's made for the pure and the free;
These truths in God's word He has given,
How beautiful heaven must be.
In heaven no drooping nor pining,
No wishing for elsewhere to be;
God's light is forever, there shining,
How beautiful heaven must be.
The angels so sweetly are singing,
Up there by the beautiful sea;
Sweet chords from their gold harps are ringing,
How beautiful heaven must be.
How beautiful heaven must be
Sweet home of the happy and free;
Fair haven of rest for the weary,
How beautiful heaven must be
