No condemnation....

[Joy in the Journey]

Then maybe I should go into hiding......underground, with nothing but my Bible and Teddy Bear.....

[yomotalking]

Then maybe I should go into hiding......underground, with nothing but my Bible and Teddy Bear.....

[NITE OWL]

Are not all the things you listed not on these boards?

[Trust & Obey]

Well I'm not sure.

Maybe God will excuse a few 007s......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yomo, God will excuse all 007s. Christ paid the penalty for your sin. This morning as I was spending time in the Word I came across something in a commentary of mine that is so very applicable to this. I also just ordered the commentary on CD-ROM and was going to wait for it to arrive to "cut and paste" it. But, seeing as it is relevant to this discussion I'll go ahead and retype it. It is lengthy, but a grand read from Pastor Jon Courson's New Testament Application Commentary.

Gal 2:15  We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

"Peter, why are you advocating the rebirth of religion?" asked Paul. "We Jews couldn't even keep the rules. We know that a man is justified only by faith in Christ--not by works, but simply by believing."

Are you trying to earn God's favor through morning devotions or Wednesday night Bible study attendance, through memorizing verses or witnessing, through not going here or not doing that? It's a big mistake. You are justified by faith and faith alone--not only when you were born again, not only when you were saved 10 years ago-- but today, right now. God's blessing will be upon the life of any man, woman, teenager, or older person who simply says, "I know I can't earn Your blessing, Lord. However, if You want to bless me by Your grace through my belief in Your Son, I welcome such blessing."

Dear brother, precious sister--the blessings of God are not based upon what you do or don't do. It's not a matter of saying, "Okay, God, I didn't see that movie. Aren't you proud of me? And because I didn't, here's what I'm expecting You to do for me..."

No. The blessings of God are based solely upon grace. We can receive His blessing only because the sin that separated us from the Father has been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, if I choose to sin, it's not that God will withold His blessing in order to punish me. No, the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin--past, present, and future (1 John 1:7,9) If I choose to sin, I destroy myself.

Balak, king of the Moabites, hired Balaam the prophet to curse the people of Israel (Numbers 22). No matter how Balaam tried, however, he could only pronounce blessing upon them. "Let's build another altar, and you can try again," said Balak. So again Balaam opened his mouth--but only blessing came out. After a third altar, a third try, and a third failure, Balak was desperate.

"I can't help it," explained Balaam. "I'm trying to curse them, but they're God's people." Seeing his fee slip through his fingers, however, Balaam came up with a new plan. "I can't curse them," he told Balak, "but they can curse themselves. Here's what you do: Send your women into the Israelite camp and tell them to invite the Israelite men into their tents. Then have them pull out their little idols--thier Ashtaroths--and say, 'This is the way we worship in this country. Don't you want to worship with us?'"

"Good plan," Balak said. So he got his girls and sent them into the camp of Israel. They enticed the guys into their tents and, just as planned, the Moabite women pulled out their idols. Sure enough, the Israelites took the bait--and ended up cursing themselves, resulting in a plague that wiped out twenty-four thousand of them (Numbers 25:9)

The same is true today. God says, "You're justified by the hearing of faith because you believe in the work of My Son." As far as God is concerned, the sin that would bar me from "the spout where the blessings come out" was taken away by the blood of Jesus Christ. I cannot be cursed. But, I can curse myself and so can you.

Watch your step, young person. Listen up, 45 year-old. "Oh, it's okay to see that film," you say. "It's only got a few scenes that are slightly compromising," or "It's okay to hear that music. There are only a few questionable words." Watch out. You're cursing yourself. We live in a culture where the advice of Balaam is being worked out unlike any other time in human history. Be very careful. You'll get drawn into tents you never thought you would enter and be wiped out in the process.