Intro
This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.
Discussion
1 Peter 4:12-19 – Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. 14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? 18 And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” 19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
Being in the last days, as we are right now, an important statement is made in these verses:
1 Peter 4:17 – For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?
God is passing judgement upon all that profess to being “Christian” at this time. If you are not going through some type of trial or tribulation, then you are not suffering as Christ did.
What does this imply? I will allow you the listener or reader of this podcast to come to that conclusion.
What is important?
Coming to know the true Word of God by reading it for yourself. Some may have their trails as they read the Bible for themselves. They will find that things they thought were true wasn’t. Last week I listed ten false teachings. Most of them embraced by millions that profess to being followers of Christ.
Knowing we are right with God can only come with studying the Word of God. Coming to know that for most of the time Christianity has existed the teachings given by men do not match the Word of God. This is witnessed in many actions that became part of History. The Crusades, the conquest of the Americas are just two examples. Another is those that seek to have their names go down in history. When the Bible makes it clear that this earth’s past will never be remembered.
The seeking after wealth and comfort, as well as seeking after a place in history has been a main stay within all of humanity for centuries, yet the Bible says this about those that seek to have their names remembered as well as to be rich:
Isaiah 65:17 – “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
James 5:1-3,5 – Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment….. 5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
“This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.”
These last verses were spoken to those that called themselves the followers of Christ. Therefore, which day of judgement is being referred to here?
Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
Revelation 20:11-15 – And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
At this time though we are not to that point. Most still have time to correct themselves:
Revelation 18:4 – Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.
The sins of the City of Babylon are not just seeking after riches and trying to gain a place in history. It is also living like those in the time of Noah and of Sodom and Gamora. Many that profess to being the term “Christian” embrace those sins that caused the flood and the destruction of those cities that lived in so much sin that God destroyed them in fire. A precursor to the fate of those left behind that take the mark and are here after the Holy Spirit is removed from this earth and the antichrist is revealed.
What are these sin?
Any sin that will not allow people entrance into heaven.
Galatians 5:19-21 – When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
The obvious sins, many say with all their hearts, they do not do. This may be true. I do not know the hearts of my fellow humans. I only know my own. I know the struggles that I suffer. I know how Paul felt.
Romans 7:18-19 – And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
If you do not feel this anguish within your life. How can you say you have a repentant heart?
Think on that a moment.
Paul the thirteen apostle. Chosen by Christ Himself to teach the Gentiles of God and His Son. Yet he felt like nothing good was within him.
Why?
Because he truly understood the human heart. He was born into religion. Raised in religion. He became a Pharisee. He thought himself righteous and special, to the point that he hunted down and slew Christians.
I know many that profess to being “Christian” and they look down upon their fellow human. They think themselves greater, better, blessed. Yet they do not know they just announced to the world that they are themselves Pharisees. They do not realize that compared to Jesus Christ Himself they are wrenched and miserable.
Why?
Because we live in corruption.
We live in sin. We can never be rid of it, and any who say otherwise are teaching a false gospel. Yes, we are forgiven by Jesus Christ. Yet the struggle never ends within us. Paul proved this in those verses from Romans.
Anyone who believes and thinks themselves perfect do not have a repentant heart. If any thinks, because they have God within them, they are privileged, do not understand the Bible.
Yes, we have the Holy Spirit within us if we have been filled, but this shouldn’t cause us to believe we are special. This should cause us to be cautious and afraid to enter into sin. For we are told not to tarnish the Holy Spirit, for when we stain the Holy Ghost we tarnish Christ we tarnish God.
Does this not give you fear of the wrath of God within your own heart?
Well, it should, this is something that Paul himself knew and acknowledged to the world in the verses we will once again read:
Romans 7:18-19 – And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
This is said in Galatians:
Galatians 5:16-18 – So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
Two things need to be said from these verses.
1) If you don’t feel conflict within your soul, then you do not seek to be Christ-like.
2) If you are not directed by the Holy Ghost, you are answerable to the laws of Moses.
So, any who say we can do things like get tattoos and call themselves “Christian” are not following the Holy Spirit and so fall under the law which says not to paint our bodies, and if what I just said upset you. You need to remember the verses from Galatians, which were read earlier. So, I will restate them:
Galatians 5:19-21 – When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
I have met many that call themselves “Christian” and they display many of these behaviors. However, they make little effort to remove these from them. for they themselves see that they are holy. Oblivious to the truth that Christ Himself will deny them when they stand before they Great White Throne Judgement in total bewilderment.
Repent for His return us nigh.
God Bless
dreamwalker1960 