Bible Studies

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Some of the greatest producers of divine good will sacrifice a lot of earthly prosperity in order to do so. Many Christian wives and mothers are the classic example, prioritizing their function as a Christian wife and mother in the home.

Using undisputed prosperity as the bait, seasoned with the concept of promoting equality and personal liberation, Satan has done much to destroy the Christian home in America, producing the unstable society that America has become.

What had started out as “extra” or supplemental income to what the husband/father could provide, has become a financial necessity, if one is to keep pace with the rest of the neighborhood. As more money became available, so did the cost of running the same household that used to do it on one primary source of income, while the wife and mother stayed home.

The business world cannot get blood from a stone, but will be right there to suck up whatever funds do become available from ANY source.

One of the major obstacles to evangelization overseas, is that after taking a look at what has become the modern day “Christian” family in America, other cultures want no part in it, if “that” is what Christianity has to offer on the home front.

It is also a domestic obstacle when “Christians” talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.

The production of human good and services is the means through which most of us make a living to support oneself and his or her dependents, consuming much of the total time that most of us have to live our lives each day. Keeping God and the things of God out of picture is a major objective of the devil, as he opposes the forward progress of the Great Commission on all fronts.

Satan promotes human good as being equivalent of divine good, taking it as far as promoting human good as being the means to make oneself right with God, and to become the recipient of divine blessing, knowing full well that this is NOT the case!

The devil appreciates the help in making HIS world (Luke 4:6) a better place to live, providing that God and the things of God are kept out of the picture.

It is certainly easier to do good deeds and to contribute to feeding and clothing the poor, etc., than it is to put on the Eph. 6 armor of God, and then engage in spiritual warfare associated with promoting the Great Commission.

Human good and effort has its value and compensation HERE on Earth, but has got NOTHING to do with securing salvation or with the spiritual edification of the soul. At best, such humanitarian projects offer a point of contact where evangelism or edification may take place, if such things are included in the program.

Without divine good being a part of the humanitarian project, the unbelievers that are fed, clothed, sheltered, or receive medical attention, will walk away just as spiritually dead as they had been when they arrived. Believers that are fed, clothed, sheltered, or receive medical attention, will walk away just as spiritually ignorant as they had been when they arrived.

In this the devil is well-pleased, in light of the Mark 8: 36 reality. “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain (or be given) the whole world (whatever he needs or wants) if in the process, he lose his own soul (Mark 8: 36 NASB2020 parentheses mine).”

Mark 8: 36 should be included in Christian Parenting 101, and given due consideration when, by their own example priorities, influence and provide for the daily lives of their children.

Apart from God, there is nothing (of spiritual value) that Man can accomplish (John 15: 5), for oneself or anyone else. Advancing disciples are where they are, be it at home, work, school, or play, primarily to set an example and to communicate the unadulterated Gospel Message and or edifying principles of Bible doctrine, as God gives them the opportunity to do so, to the souls around them.

One cannot pass along to others something that he or she does not first possess himself or herself.

Yes, Jesus fed the poor, healed the sick and injured, and even raised the dead, but His primary concern was always the spiritual needs of those He fed, healed, and raised, and the spiritual needs of those who observed these miracles.

The best definition of a born-again believer is (not was) a sinner that has been saved by the unearned, undeserved, grace of God. Because of the undeserved, unearned, grace of God, all born-again believers are Heaven bound, but not all, born-again believers can claim to have become a disciple, now, or at the 1Cor. 3: 12-15 evaluation event, when disciples are rewarded in Heaven!

Becoming a born-again believer results in securing one’s own salvation, but that does not make one a disciple. To be a disciple, a born-again believer must then choose to “follow” Christ down the road of post salvation Biblical discipleship, evidenced by him or her becoming more and more conformed to the likeness of Christ (Rom. 8: 29), in ALL that he or she thinks, says, and does.

Biblical discipleship calls for the daily intake and application of the principles of the Word of God to all that one thinks, says, and does, as he or she goes about his or her daily routine and activities. Biblical discipleship initially results in the spiritual edification of oneself, but with the long-term objective of participating in the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 19, 20).

ANYTHING less than that, then one is guilty of having neglected the most important thing that God has given him or her to do, while here on Earth.

Sad to say, but the Bibles in many “Christian” homes do little more than collect dust.

Turning down God’s invitation to grow in the knowledge of the Lord (2Pet. 3: 18), on a regular and consistent basis, is an act of willful disobedience. The day one thinks he has heard it all, or has taken this “religious stuff” far enough, is the day he has stopped grow- i-n-g in the knowledge, soon to be followed by his decrease in the application (James 1: 22) of what he had already learned.

One is either moving forward or slipping backwards on the road to spiritual maturity at any given time.

End of Part 9

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