Tag: worse

30.y. “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is of no use “

 

Matthew 5:13  “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

 Colossians 4:6    Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

 Mark 9:49-50    For everyone will be salted with fire.  Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

 Luke 14:34-35   “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is of no use 

 2 Peter 2:20-21   For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

Salt was used to preserve meats and to slow decay.  Christians should have a preserving influence on their culture. Salt must keep its “saltiness” to be of any value. When it is no good as salt, it is trampled under foot. In the same way, too many Christians lose their “flavor” and become good for nothing.

To the Church in Ephesus – But I have this against you: you have abandoned the love you had at first.

To the Church in Pergamum – You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites.

To the Church in Thyatira – You tolerate the woman Jezebel and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality.

To the Church in Sardis – I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead

To the Church in Laodicea – I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot

Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the spirit says to the Churches. Don’t be salt that loses its flavor.

15.z. “For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness”

John 6:65  And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

Matthew 12:41   The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.  “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.  Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.  Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

2 Timothy 4:10    For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me

Hebrews 10:38   but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

2 Peter 2:20-22    For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.  For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.  What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

The Son of God was in their presence.  He spoke wisdom greater than the wisdom of Solomon and preached greater than the preaching of Jonah.  There were in His presence and many rejected Him.  In 2 Peter he says; “it would be better for those who did not know the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back.” Jesus said, “the last state of that person is worse than the first.”  When a person who knows the message of the Gospel and is aware of eternal life through it, and then chooses to reject it, then falls away or is drawn away by worldly passions and pleasures, what is it that so easily pulls them away from Jesus Christ?  How does a person who has tasted what the blessings of forgiveness are and then comes to reject the forgiver?  There are many things that come to mind.  Pleasures and things of this world devour the light of Jesus Christ.  They choose to become blind and deaf to things of God but open their ears and eyes to things of this world.  They choose to believe a lie rather than the truth of the Gospel.

The day of salvation is now.  If you hear His voice speaking to your heart and soul, do not reject Him.  Let Him in.  Hunger and thirst for Him.  A time is coming when the offer of salvation in the presence of the Holy Spirit will cease.  Rejecting it now means you reject eternal life and choose to go to eternal damnation and torment, hell.  You may not ever get another chance.  There are many who say they will choose to believe but sometime later in their lives.  We are not guaranteed a single day in the future.  Think about all of the people who die each day from a host of various accidents.  I am sure they would have said, “if I had only known today was my last day I would have come to Jesus Christ.”  The “day of salvation is now”, do not reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ a single moment longer.

Do no be deceived

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brother”

John 13:27  Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

John 13:2    During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

Matthew 12:45    Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Luke 22:3     Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.

Proverbs 1:16     for their feet run to evil,

Ecclesiastes 9:3     This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

James 1:13     Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James 1:12     Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

If we are born with a sinful nature and this is the natural mindset and heart of man how are we to know what is sin in our life?  How do we know the difference between good and bad?  Our natural mind would conclude that if it benefits society and the culture identifies it as good, then it must be pleasing to God.  Viewing this from this standpoint gives a very strong illusion of being right with God and serving Him.  However nothing could be worse for our soul.  Trying to be and do good is not serving God.  It is nothing more than trying to earn and work way to be right with God.  Performing acts of goodness and kindness apart from humbly seeking, serving, honoring, following and obeying God are man’s unworthy attempts and used by Satan to blind us into thinking we are right with God.  this mindset leads us down paths of complacency and neglecting God’s word in favor of doing what we think is right.  They mindset tells us we are doing what God wants.  This is a lie.  It is false.  True servants of God desire and seek His purpose and plan.  They continue in reading scripture and are fully aware of their sinful nature.  They seek God to expose their sin and lead them in paths that honor Him.  They do not try to please God apart from seeking His purpose and plan.  They choose to be lead and their heart, mind, eyes and ears are open to His leading.  Be mindful of your sinful nature and it’s desires, and Satan’s deceits.

Peace I give to you

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”

“ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”

Psalms 85:8  Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

Hebrews 12:25     See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

John 14:27     Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Acts 10:36    As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)

2 Corinthians 5:18     All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Acts 3:26    God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Galatians 4:9    But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

2 Peter 2:20-22    For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.  For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

God gives us a peace that is foreign to the world.  This peace is present in both times of blessings and troubles.  Having knowledge of this peace and living in it have two different outcomes.  A choice is made with the knowledge to either believe and claim it or reject it and it’s power in our life.  Many times we seek this peace when we face trials and troubles.  We run to God and seek His intervention.  Yet in times of blessing it seems as though it is a foreign thing to think of God, His sovereignty, His steadfast love, and His mercy and grace.  It is in His hands we find and live in this peace of mind.  The world will throw many a sense of false peace.  In the end these are nothing more than distractions that lead down paths of false hope and satisfaction.  The peace that God gives and is found in Him leads us through times of trials with hope, peace, refuge, courage, strength and power.  Through times of blessings it leads us to praise, thankful hearts, contentment, rejoicing, and kindness.  Read His word and search it for knowledge of God’s sovereignty, power, promises, peace, hope, joy, kindness, and steadfast love.

And they turned back

“ If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!”

John 6:66  After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.  So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,  and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

2 Timothy 4:10    For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

2 Timothy 1:15    You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

Hebrews 10:38    but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

2 Peter 2:20    For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

1 John 2:19   They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Many of His disciples turned away and no longer walked with Him.  Scripture today gives examples of those who once had the appearance of walking with Jesus but deserted Him.  How would you like to go down in history with your name in the bible for turning away.  Worse than this is hearing “Depart from me for I never knew you”.  Being complacent and negligent in humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying God does not end well.  There is too much distraction if we don’t place Him first in our life.  When I say first I am not saying the first you come to when in a trial or situation but rather the first one you think of when you awake and your heart, soul and mind are seeking to know Him deeper every moment.  Your heart seeks to see His hand at work in your life and your ears are open seeking to hear His leading for you each day.  Open His word and feast on it.  What is God speaking to your heart about through what you have read.  Think about it through out the day.