| Vol. VI Number 4 | January 27, 2002 |
Last week we discussed how the majority of people follow the crowd and believe what the majority believes. Many of these are very sincere in their beliefs, though they may be totally wrong. How many believed that the stock market bubble would never burst? How many have lost their life savings by their erroneous beliefs?
How many today believe that the Bible mostly is a myth that is filled with children's stories? How many believe that the story of Noah, The Garden of Eden, The Walls of Jericho, and Samson are just nice stories? How many believe that the teachings of Jesus Christ along with the teachings of the New Testament are not true? How many sincerely believe that abortion is not murder, that homo sexuality is not contrary to the Bible, and that lying is just part of doing business? How many believe that they can believe in Jesus while believing in the ways of the world?
To follow Jesus Christ the Lord is to forsake the ways of the world and the sins thereof. In order to be a follower of Christ you have to reject many of the beliefs that you currently hold fast. Let's take a look at these beliefs that the world holds fast to.
Termination of pregnancy
Many believe that abortion is not murder or even the taking of a human life. Instead of calling the new life that grows in a woman a child or baby they use the term fetus. The world would have you believe that abortion is a suitable method of birth control. And they go further in telling you that you are just removing a glob of protoplasm and not a developing human being. There have even been late term abortions where the baby was able to live outside of the womb but the doctor murdered the baby.
To be a follower of the Lord is to realize that all life comes from the Lord. This not only covers spiritual life but the very gift of life as we know it. Wasn't it God who breathed the gift of life into Adam and Eve? If you believe the Bible, how can we even think that abortion is not the murder of a human life?
The unfaithfulness of a married person to the marriage bed; sexual intercourse by a married man with another than his wife, or voluntary sexual intercourse by a married woman with another than her husband. [1913 Webster]
Exodus 20:14
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
There are many who believe that adultery is not a sin and though it is listed as one of the Ten Commandments, many believe that the Old Testament commandments are not prevalent today. But the Apostle Paul stated that the opposite.
Romans 13:9
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt
not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if
there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying,
namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Jesus Christ whom we profess to follow admonished:
Matthew 5:27-32
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit
adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for
it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that
thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for
it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that
thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a
writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the
cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry
her that is divorced committeth adultery.
As you can see, Jesus really defined adultery as a sin, while the world of today practices the same sins as Sodom and Gomorrah. As followers of Christ we need to put away the lusts of the flesh and live wholesome lives, not as the world lives their lives.
An intentional violation of the truth. Lies are emphatically condemned in Scripture (John 8:44; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rev. 21:27; 22:15). Mention is made of the lies told by good men, as by Abraham (Gen. 12:12, 13; 20:2), Isaac (26:7), and Jacob (27:24); also by the Hebrew midwives (Ex. 1:15-19), by Michal (1 Sam. 19:14), and by David (1 Sam. 20:6). [Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary]
John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there
is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a
liar, and the father of it.
1 Timothy 1:9-10
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the
lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and
profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for
menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing
that is contrary to sound doctrine;
Revelation 21:8
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death.
When you examine the ways of the world you see that there is a distinct difference from the ways of the Lord. Whereas the world teaches that telling a white lie is the proper thing to do, the Bible instructs us that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. Thus when you follow the Lord Jesus Christ all things of the world are done away with in your life. All things are become new. Being a follower of Jesus means that you forsake the ways of the world and turn from the way of sin to the way of righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
In order to be born again you need to totally reject all of the ways of the world around you. You need to repent and ask forgiveness for your sins. In other words, you need to atone for your wicked ways and turn to the Lord and his divine righteousness. Only the righteousness of the Lord will suffice in our lives when we are born of the spirit. Following the Lord Jesus means a lot more just attending a church. It is a whole change of attitude.
John 3:1-16
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 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.
Are you ready to take the leap of faith that is required by the Lord to become born again? Are you prepared to turn away from your lies, adultery, fornication, abortion, and all of the other sins in the world today? If you are ready, now is the time to seek the Lord with all of your heart and pray asking the Lord to forgive you of your sins. Remember that the Lord knows your heart and cannot be deceived by lies and deceptions. Only those who really repent of their wicked ways will the Lord forgive. If you are trying to pull a fast on on the Lord then you will have the same reward that the rest of the wicked will receive. If you really want to be a follower of Christ then ask the Lord to forgive you and seek his help and guidance to turn your life from wickedness to righteousness.
3014 E Street Philadelphia, PA 19134 Church Office Phone: (215) 634-3637 Published by: Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy (215) 535-4037
Services:
Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11:30 AM
Sunday Morning Worship . . . . . . . . . . 12 NOON
Sunday Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:30 PM
Wednesday Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 PM
Copyright © 2002 LeRoy D. Cressy
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
transcript as long as the copyright and this
permission notice appear.