Saturday, May 14, 2016

IN HOT PURSUIT

The Scriptures dictate that those who "continue to practice (i.e. habitually commit) sin"{cf. 1John3:4-10 below} will not inherit the kingdom of God-
@ Gal5:
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
Gal 5:21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, !!and things like these!! I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

@ 1John3:
1Jn 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
1Jn 3:5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
1Jn 3:6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
1Jn 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
1Jn 3:10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
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...if it were impossible to live holy day by day; then the Scriptures would not teach expressly and explicitly that we are to BE HOLY{1Peter1:15-16}... ...and to "PURSUE... ...holiness without which no one will see the Lord"{Heb12:14}.
The Greek word in Heb12:14 translated "follow"{KJV} and "pursue" in other versions is: διώκω / diōkō [G1377]. This word is used in extra-biblical texts to describe the pursuit of a predator for its prey... ...if you have ever watched an Animal Kingdom documentary where a lioness is "pursuing" her prey and doesn't stop until she takes it down -then this is the idea being conveyed in Heb12:14 when we are commanded to "*pursue*... ...holiness."
If this does not describe your attitude towards obtaining holiness then according to Heb12:14, without such "pursuit-" "NO ONE will see the Lord."
In closing, call to mind: Philippians2:12-13... ...where Paul admits that he has not yet reached perfection; but that he continues to "follow after"{διώκω / diōkō [G1377]} that to which he is called -i.e. holiness/perfection... ...every day we should becoming more and more like Jesus as we διώκω / diōkō ["fervently pursue" (G1377)] holiness{Heb12:14}...

@ 1John2:6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

@ John15:6 If anyone does not abide in me [i.e. if anyone does not walk in the same way in which I walk{cf. 1John2:6}] he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
["Thrown away like a branch... ...to be burned" is an unequivocal allusion to condemnation in the lake of fire.{cf. Rev21:8}]

Friday, May 6, 2016

Operating System (OS): Holiness 7 -service pack (sp): "eternity"



A thought occurred to me just now; as I was studying the Scriptures; and this analogy in my mind was quite profound... ...I hope it is as profound and meaningful to anyone else who reads this...

I imagined the human soul{i.e. body, mind and will} as a computer hard drive... ...as everyone might know, the hard drive is what contains the programming for your PC; everything your PC does is dependent upon the operating system which is programmed upon the hard drive.

When we are "born-again" it's like when you upgrade your PC's operating system--> i.e. the operating system is renewed and improved while [if all goes well with the PC upgrade unsure emoticon ] all your files stay intact. The "files" of one's soul are the soul's life experiences which do not get deleted...

As a born-again believer, God has included in our new "operating system" the maintenance program and "antivirus" protection combo called "the Holy Spirit." This “programming” works along side of God’s newly installed operating system to insure that the "PC"{i.e. the soul} functions properly for its intended purpose{i.e. to imitate Jesus (cf. Rom8:29/1John2:6)} and that no access is allowed to harmful "files" which could lead to a virus resulting in corrupting the OS.

The evidence that your programming has been updated by God and that the "Holy Spirit" is installed [and active] will be manifested by: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control;{Gal5:22-23} -and a mind set and determined upon pleasing God in all things{Php2:13/1Cor10:31}.

The evidences of a virus will be manifest by: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.{Gal5:19-21}.

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**Warning:** Even the BEST antivirus cannot protect your PC from a virus if you INTENTIONALLY and HABITUALLY expose your PC to threats:

--> Heb10:

Heb 10:26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Heb 10:27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Heb 10:28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Heb 10:29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

Heb 10:30 For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people."

Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

--> 1John3

1Jn 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

1Jn 3:5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

1Jn 3:6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

1Jn 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

1Jn 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

1Jn 3:10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

[Pay special attention to 1John3:4; i.e. "lawlessness" -and then read the next passage]

--> Matt7

Mat 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of LAWLESSNESS.'

^^"Lawlessness"^^ is the deliberate and habitual sin which one trivializes and/or for which one is not genuinely repentful. "Lawlessness" corrupts God's programming... ...and any ignored "virus" will eventually lead to "lawlessness." Paul warned of the consequences of ignoring “viruses”--> “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”{Gal5:19-21}.

What OS Are You Running? -and is your antivirus ACTIVE?!