BEAUTY FIX (part 1 of 3)

Posted on by BETH

Question from a Reader:

“I had never really thought of myself as vain.  As I get older my outward appearance is starting to bug me, but when it does, I have doubts about vanity.  When you do things to improve your appearance for yourself is it a sin?

Gyms take a lot of effort on our part to Lypo without surgery. Teeth Whiting and Life Style Lift has been front and center on TV lately.  Both have caught my interest. I decided to do both and now it crossed my mind that it might not be OK with our Heavenly Father.”

Continue reading BEAUTY FIX (part 1 of 3)

LOVE NOT THE WORLD (Questions for Discussion)

Posted on by BETH

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

  1. According to 1 John 2:15, what is NOT in a man if he loves the world?
  2. When John talks about loving the world in 1 John 2:15-17, is that the same thing as loving worldliness?
  3. Does the word ‘world’ in 1 John 2:15 refer to worldliness when God describes the world as having things in it?
  4. Does the ‘world’ in 1 John 2:15 refer to the men in the world if God told us to love our neighbors?
  5. Compare Romans 1:18-25 and tell how that passage fits with the one in the question above.
  6. After I have understood that God has made everything in this world, should I worship God or the things He has made?
  7. According to Luke 16:14, what is mammon?
  8. Why did the Pharisees not like this teaching about mammon (Luke 16:14)?
  9. Ponder the statement made to the unjust steward in Luke 16:8.  Tell why this is true.
  10. Should we love the world in the sense of the people in the world?
  11. Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 talk about serving two masters.  What are those two masters?
  12. Why can a man not serve and love the world as well as serve his Creator (Matt. 6:24)?
  13. Who/What makes the world seem as if it is in Technicolor?
  14. Why would religion seem to be in black and white?1
  15. Why did Demas leave the service of Paul the apostle and ultimately leave God (2 Tim. 4:10)?
  16. Which world are we born into (1 Tim. 6:6-7)?
  17. According to 1 John 2:16-17, what all is in the world?
  18. Are we in the world in the sense of being part of the worldly people (1 Pet. 5:9; 1 Cor. 5:9-11)?
  19. Which world in John 2:15-17 is going to pass away (Matt. 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; 2 Pet. 3:10-11)?
  20. If the world and the things of the world will be burned up, what kind of person ought we to be?Love Not The World

LOVE NOT THE WORLD (part 8)

Posted on by BETH

UntitledWe must love the people in the world in the way that God commands us to, but we must not love the world itself—that is, the material world itself or the material things in the world. The world in 1 John 2 cannot be talking about the people of the world for we are commanded to love them, including worldly people.

  • “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:16-17).

The world He mentions in 1 John 2 is the world that will pass away one day. The people of this world will not pass away; they either go to heaven or hell. The material world will pass away. Jesus never was in the world in the sense of the worldly people, but simply in the material world.

  • “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him” (Heb. 1:6).

The brethren are not in the world in the sense of the worldly people, but all of us are in the material world.

“Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Pet. 5:9).

This material world will pass away and everything in it.

  • “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33).
  • “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,” (2 Pet. 3:10-11).

So many have such a hard time with giving up their love for the creation (Rom. 1:25)! We should be long past the stage where we have to focus on the wonders of creation to remind us that the world has a Creator! The Holy Spirit testified through Paul that this truth is the first truth every person should understand, because He reveals it to all men (Rom. 1:19-20). Anyone who has accepted this visual testimony should have no business “kissing the hand” toward the sun or standing around staring, gawking, gaping in adoration at the stars, planets or the beautiful things on the earth.

Final thoughts: Connect the two scriptures (Rom. 1 and 1 John 2) via Colossians 3:1-7 along with the theme of Ecclesiastes: the world passeth away and the lusts thereof, so the only thing useful is to serve God, and work for spiritual good, not involve ourselves in a love for what will be burned up (2 Pet. 3:10-11). Romans 1:23 and Colossians 3:5 show that love of material and living our lives for material is (as Luke 16 explains) impossible to mix with serving God. IF we are truly risen with Christ (dead to our old man), then we should really have our affections elsewhere than on what Christ came to overcome! Perhaps that can be made clearer by understanding that the things of the world and our flesh actually war against the things of the spirit.

  • Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (1 Pet. 2:11).
  • This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (Gal. 5:16-17).
  • Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption (5356. phthora; decay, i.e. ruin—Ecc.2:11); but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Gal. 6:7-9).
  • If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Col. 3:1-2).

Our minds may be convinced all this is right and good, but now try doing what we know to do! That change is not easy because we already love this world and the things in it. We have much work to do to change our habits. We need to grow more and more in our love for spiritual things. Naturally our love for material will grow less and less. Remember: we start out as babies, but the Lord expects us to grow. We cannot do it all in one day. We must acknowledge what we are, where our thoughts are and then ask God to cleanse our hearts. Gradually we need to set our minds more and more on those things above.

LOVE NOT THE WORLD (part 2)

Posted on by BETH

UntitledWhy is 1 John 2:15-17 unacceptable to most people?  Almost everyone I know changes the words in this passage to say: do not love the evil in the world.  Is that what it says?  Is this talking about the people?  Who is in the world?  We have neighbors, friends, enemies and brethren.  We are commanded to love our neighbor.  We also are commanded to love our brethren, enemies and friends.  Who else is there in the world?  Is this a contradiction in the Bible?  Is He talking about souls or things?

Loving the “people” of the world is loving ones’ neighbor, which is commanded and good.

  • “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Though the world hates us, we must love them (even our enemies).

  • “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:18-19).
  • “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt. 5:44-45).

We were born into this material world, not into worldliness. 

  • “But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:6-7).

The word “world” is used in the sense of the physical world much the same as Romans 1:25 uses the word creation.

  • “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature (creation) more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Rom. 1:25).
  • NT:3844=para, which is a primary preposition; properly, near; i.e. (with genitive case) from beside (literally or figuratively), (with dative case) at (or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case) to the proximity with (local [especially beyond or opposed to] or causal [on account of]:

The verse (if translated exactly according to the Greek words God inspired) would literally read, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creation (what God created) along side of (or as well as) God.”

The cares of this physical world are what choke the word.

  • “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22).

The word world in the Greek language is kosmos—literally orderly arrangement—the same word we use in English for the universe.  What is he saying?  What does he mean when he says, “Do not love the kosmos?”  What about the things around us in the world?  Do not love “the things that are in the world.”  He has to be talking about the world itself and the material things in it.

Do you know any scripture that contradicts this command which says we can love the material things of the world but are not to love “worldliness” or the “evil” things which are in the world?  At first glance Colossians 2:20-22 appears to give permission to love the material things in the world, but let’s see if it does.

Tribulation–A Sign of Salvation

Posted on by BETH

Persecution and tribulation were a sign or token that the disciples were on the right path.

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me (Phil. 1:28-30).

This suffering was ‘given’ to these Christians.  The Old Testament prophets were on the same pathway.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Matt. 5:10-12).

The Corinthian’s salvation was made effectual by suffering the same suffering that Paul and Christ had suffered.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation (2 Cor. 1:3-6).

The Greek word for ‘effectual’ is generally translated by the verb ‘to work.’ Their salvation is effectual or works by enduring the same suffering Paul was suffering.  Paul said that the suffering of Christ abounded in him which is to say that Paul and the Corinthians were following in the same pathway Christ walked.

God calls men out of the world to walk in the same steps of suffering that Jesus suffered. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Pet. 2:21).

The popular notion that Jesus suffered so that we don’t have to suffer is simply not according to the scriptures. He suffered so that we would follow his example. In fact, we are commanded to have a mind to suffer. “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind” (1 Pet. 4:1-2).

The disciple is not above his master and must follow the same steps. “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (John 15:20).

This is a promise, and the Lord’s disciples must have a mind to endure as he suffered. This is a critical reason that many are not able to follow Christ.  In the parable of the sower he describes the disciple who falls away.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended (Matt. 13:20-21).

He did not say ‘if’ tribulation or persecution arises, but ‘when’ it arises.  This is the plan the Lord has for his children.