T
he following passage is recorded in Holy writ as the lifestyle of a believer, and his or her conduct towards them that are without God and without hope. Sad to say that the only time you’ll probably hear of it is, if you pick up the Bible and read it for yourself! The reason it’s not in the popular preaching of today is because it’s not compatible with the false teachings that preachers are presenting as truth, it doesn’t accommodate the practice of sinning, which their doctrine does….1 Peter 4:1-5
1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
1 Peter 4:1-5
The Christian is called NOT to walk in the will or lusts of the flesh and man (sin), but to arm yourself with the same mind as Jesus, "for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin". It’s when we don’t arm ourselves with that same attitude, we as disciples, do sin; that’s why John writes, "IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) God gives people, "a space to repent". Revelation (2:21) If we get tangled up in sin…
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." (2 Pet 2:20)
…..confess and forsake the sin! The problem is when you are overcome, that’s when you are backslidden, and headed to perdition. Cry out and appeal to the mercy of God!
The warning I would like to bring to your attention is that many Church leaders are increasingly compromising with the devils doctrine of "Once saved, always saved" in the fact that they’re excusing sinning believers, Christians, disciples that hold to alcohol, smoking, pornography, etc and instead of calling sin "sin" and rebuking before all that others also may fear (1 Timothy 5:20) they say, "well everybody has faults", "you want me to name yours". If I have a fault, ok, beloved you need to warn me, you’re not gonna hurt me by perfecting me, and if I did have a fault , it still doesn’t excuse you because of me.
However, the ironic scenario about the whole situation is that if you were to walk up to a nonbeliever on the streets THEY would be able to tell you themselves that a Christian doesn’t drink or smoke, curse, etc, etc
What do you see?
Is the Church infecting the world,
Or the world infecting the Church?
Are we becoming more like Jesus,
Or are we making Jesus more like unto us?
