Tag: salve

20.i. “We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

Romans 10:3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

 Leviticus 26:41   so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity,

 Daniel 9:6-9     We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.  To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.  To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.  To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him

 Revelation 3:17-18  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

 Isaiah 64:6   We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Has mankind changed over time?  Have they gotten smarter, wiser, more ingenious? Have they been able to do greater and greater advances in science, industrial, technology, physics, chemistry, medicine, social and cultural understanding?  And yet, a man finds, at the end of all of their efforts, they are not closer to God or closer to understanding and knowing Him.  For all of the advances, man has made they seem to think it was because of their great self-knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.  Do they ever wonder who it was that gave them this understanding, wisdom, and knowledge?  Was it not from God?  I think some, over the history of mankind, have sought God for His help to accomplish an advance in science, industrial, technology, physics, chemistry, medicine, social and cultural understanding, and they were blessed by God to accomplish it and they gave God the honor and glory for the accomplishment.  I fear far too many others sought it out for their own glory and honor. Because they did not seek God’s help for God’s honor and glory, they end up thinking that they are capable of accomplishing major advances on their own, without God.  Credit is given over and over again to men and what they have accomplished – The Nobel Peace Prize.  Over time a man thinks God is not real and not needed.  Some may even use what they have accomplished to prove God does not exist.  

There are others who see and hear about the accomplishments of various people and over history apply the same approach to being right with God.  “Being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”  We need to be very careful of what social and cultural influences we use to view God and His plans and purposes for salvation, redemption, forgiveness, heaven, hell, and eternity.

6.k. ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.”

Revelation 3:15    “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Matthew 24:12    And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Deuteronomy 5:29    Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!

Psalms 81:11-13     “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.  Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

1 Kings 18:21   And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

Do you ever stop to wonder what the Christians in Laodicea were like and how we compare to them?  What were their daily lives like?  How did they speak, think, and act?  What was their worship like?  Where did they place God in their lives?  What influence did culture have on how they reverenced God?  The big question that comes to my mind is how close are we to acting, living, thinking, and speaking like the Christians in Laodicea.  Notice how it says they prospered which led them to think they needed nothing.  They are called wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  They sought comfort, ease, and became content with their lives apart from God.  How many times do prosperity and ease lead people down paths apart from God?  For this very reason, you need to make every effort to live in fear, reverence, and thankfulness of the redeeming salvation through Jesus Christ.  We are to live as though we are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.  Sons and daughters who live to honor, glorify, worship, follow, trust and obey their Father.  Sons and Daughters who never forget from that which they were saved.  Sons and daughters who remember and love Jesus Christ because they remember that which they have been forgiven.  Sons and daughters who live each day with Jesus Christ being first in their life.  Sons and daughters who deny self and live no longer being self-centered and self-reliant.

How do you compare to the Christians of Laodicea?  Are you living lukewarm?  Repent and intentionally choose to live each moment of every day honoring Jesus Christ.  What are you tolerating in your life that you shouldn’t?  What are you doing that you know you shouldn’t but you do because other Christians are doing it?  REPENT!!!!!!