Taking A Stand
Today’s lesson focuses on we who are saved by GOD’S Amazing Grace taking a stand against sin. It is not an easy thing to do, and it’s much more comfortable to our flesh to just sit back and say, well I don’t want to judge anyone so I’m just going to keep quiet. Today’s lesson will help us understand that standing against sin and judging are two totally different things. We are appointed by GOD as HIS servants to live Holy and to repent daily and to call wrong by its true name…SIN! We are HIS children and through JESUS CHRIST we have been given the authority by that name to TAKE A STAND!
Handout: Taking A Stand
If you are a child of GOD, you represent JESUS…did you realize that? That means that everyone who sees you and I, should see evidence that we have been changed, born from above, into the family and Kingdom Of GOD. If we are going to be taking a stand against sin, which GOD has called us to do, then we have to get the sin out of our own lives, otherwise we will just be a joke to a lost dying world.
Understanding this, means understand that what you say does matter, what you read, what you watch, what you listen to and what you take part in...it all matters. Yes we all have sinned and fallen short of GOD'S Glory but that is not an excuse to keep on sinning willfully. We will all stand before GOD and give an account for the deeds we have done. We who are saved are representative's of JESUS CHRIST here on the earth, we have been bought with the price, we are not our own anymore...there are consequences of sin...The Bible says it's death. Spiritually and then physically.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of GOD is eternal life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD.”
If you are a born again believer, you are to be separate, not conforming to this world....that means not watching the same filth on TV as everyone else, not reading the same smut as the world, not listening to music with sinful lyrics. Shame on us if we stand proudly saying we love The LORD but no one around us can tell us apart from the world. The LORD says if we love the things of this world, then we are an enemy of HIS.
Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against GOD: for it is not subject to the law of GOD, neither indeed can be.”
James 4:2-4 “You lust and have not, you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain you fight and ware yet you have not because you ask not. You ask, and receive not because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship of the world is enmity with GOD? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of GOD.”
This is not popular and people don't like it, my flesh doesn't like it either and everything The HOLY SPIRIT instructs me to write here, hits me first I'm not perfect by no means...I'm a sinner saved by grace trying to be a good servant of The LORD!!! It's a hard thing to take, but it's truth and it will stand when the world is on fire. If we will humble ourselves down and change ourselves to fit GOD'S design for us, it will be for our good and HIS Glory.
If we are going to serve The LORD, then let's serve HIM, let's not be cold or lukewarm, straddling the fence. The LORD wants us to be on fire for HIM at all times.
Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
Stand up for what is right, stand up against sin, call it what it is, let us repent and fall on our faces every day before The LORD seeking HIM with all our hearts. Come out from among the world and be separate. The LORD is coming back soon...be ready.
Revelation 3:11 “Behold I come quickly: hold that fast thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
1 Peter 1:13-16 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of JESUS CHRIST. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as HE which has called you is HOLY, so be HOLY in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be HOLY; for I am HOLY."
If we love GOD and are living for and serving HIM then we will obey what He says. Do you truly love GOD or is it just something you say? In the book of John chapter 14 verse 15 JESUS said that if we love HIM, we would keep HIS commandments.
John 14:15 “15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Is it hard for you to stand against sin? Do you compromise with the world because you are afraid of the reproach from the world it will bring? If so you need to ask yourself these questions as do I and be VERY honest with ourselves. Are you walking with JESUS daily...seeking HIM in prayer? Are you separating yourself from the world? What do you do in secret? What thoughts do you allow yourself to meditate on? What books are you reading? What movies are you watching, what TV shows? What music are you listening to and allowing your children to listen to? Are they things you would watch, read, do etc. if JESUS were sitting right beside you? Is your conduct and the words that come out of your mouth the same as they would be if you could see HIM standing in front of you? I’m not being legalistic when I write this, because I know we all sin, but, if we repent daily and try to live HOLY before HIM, then we will have the boldness we need to stand against sin in the love that CHRIST has placed in us.
We can't see HIM, but HE ALWAYS sees you and I. We can say it all day long, we love JESUS, but do we really? Ask yourselves these questions honestly?
1. How much time per day do I spend in prayer talking with the one who gave HIS life for me?
2. How much time per day do I spend in HIS Word?
3. Do I consult HIM before I make decisions in my life?
4. Do I love and forgive others as HE commanded me to?
5. Am I taking time every single day to tell my children about JESUS and teaching them to pray and read HIS Word?
6. How often do I praise HIM and thank HIM for what HE has done for me?
7. Am I telling others about HIM? How often do I share JESUS with people out in the world?
8. How often do I think about JESUS and what HE did for me?
9. Have I accepted HIM into my heart as LORD and Savior?
10. If HE came for me tonight...would I be excited to meet HIM, or would I be ashamed?
11. What am I looking at on the internet when no one is around?
12. How do I treat others when I'm feeling angry or frustrated?
You and I are as close to The LORD as we want to be...the choice is an individual one. Actions speak much louder than words...do you really love HIM? HE LOVES YOU...HE IS FAITHFUL...but are you? LORD help us all to love HIM with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength.
Almost every time we take a stand against sin, we will have opposition from the devil. He will use other people and whatever he can against us to get us to be quiet and back down. A lot of time people take Matthew 7 verse 1 and use it as an excuse not to publically stand against sin.
Matthew 7:1-3 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
Understand Dear Ones...That standing against and rebuking sin is not judging...there is only one Judge and HE IS GOD! However, also understand that you and I must stand up against the things that are wrong. In America, and other countries all over the world I’m sure, there are things going on that should not be. I use abortion for instance. Killing an unborn child or a partially born child, Dear Ones it’s wrong. It doesn’t matter how we change the name and call it “Family Planning” or what we do to n ice it up, it’s still murder, it’s wrong.
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Babies are placed in the womb to be protected. GOD knows each little one before they are even formed and has a plan for their lives. Don’t be fooled by satan that abortion is ok and that those little ones are not human beings yet, yes they are! We cannot sit by and pretend it’s ok and let it go. There are other things we must stand against as well. Let me add that if you are person who has had an abortion in the past, GOD will forgive you if you repent and seek HIM, but we must stand against this so that it stops happening.
Yes we are not supposed to judge others, but we are supposed to take a stand against sin!
Isaiah 58:1 “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”
See the flesh doesn’t like that, and people will hate you at times when you stand up against a sinful thing they are doing and you refuse to take part in that sin. That is uncomfortable to our flesh because we want others to like us, we don’t want to be rejected or hated it’s not comfortable to us. However, the more I grow and mature in The LORD, the more I realize that yes, GOD has a plan for our lives and HE wants good things for us, but not necessarily for us to be comfortable here on this earth. See we are not HOME yet.
It's not about GOD agreeing with us, doing for us, helping us...and yes HE does all those things...without HIM we would die...but really what this journey is about is, you and I surrendering to HIM, submitting to HIS will, agreeing with HIM, doing for HIM. See if HE never did anything else for us, never answered another prayer...Still HE has done way beyond what we deserve. HE gave HIS life for us!
It's good to have GOD'S Blessing...we all want that...but it's not what our primary goal should be...our primary goal should be to just surrender to HIM, presenting ourselves Holy, a living sacrifice to Him, to Praise HIM no matter what we are going through, to be thankful no matter what life brings.
We were not placed here to be comfortable, to only think of ourselves and what GOD will do for us.. We were not placed here to be rich, to be exalted, to be famous, to have what this world has to offer. We were not placed here to be "comfortable" those blessings are just GOD'S goodness toward us because of pure grace, not because we deserve it. We were placed here to serve HIM, to bring glory to HIM through the lives HE gave to us.
If we are not very careful, we can start to feel "entitled" that if things are not going the way we want, then we have a right to complain and be angry and hateful, but that's not true...we are not entitled to anything, we do not deserve anything...and that is a hard lesson to our flesh...because we want to puff up and talk about how amazing we are...to have others compliment and praise us...to think that we are special...yes we are special to GOD but life isn't about making a name for ourselves, it's about lifting up HIS name...JESUS...because HE is worthy.
Don't be fooled into thinking that you have some power in yourself...We do not! The only power that one has inside, comes from the HOLY SPIRIT. Human beings are very weak. One may say, but I have not accepted JESUS CHRIST as LORD and SAVIOR and I'm a strong person...no you are not. Anything you have accomplished and everything YOU have comes from GOD and HIS Mercy and compassion...it's nothing you have done. See HE loves us. HE is showing YOU HIS love and affection. When you turn JESUS CHRIST away, you are doomed...you are deceiving yourself, and this is the best you will ever have. The life after this will be hell...Literally. I'm so thankful, that JESUS CHRIST died for me, and that one day HE helped me surrender and accept HIM into my little 9 year old heart. HE is the best friend I've ever and will ever have.
I want to life my life here on earth to please HIM, because I Love HIM and I belong to HIM, I am not my own anymore, and I don't want to be. He tells us in HIS word to stand up against sin and to get it out of our lives, and it’s hard on this flesh thinking that we will lose friends or people will hate us if we make a stand but we belong to GOD, we must obey HIM. See HE knows the right way, we don't....HE sees the whole picture. On our own we will just mess it all up. I want to be thankful in good and bad times, in times of joy and times of pain...because HE IS SO LOVELY...HE is my prize. If we live holy lives before HIM, repenting everyday, and standing against the things that are sinful, HE will work it out and HE will get glory and lives will be saved from hell. That is what we are placed here for! HE IS SO GOOD AND FAITHFUL!
LORD help me to surrender my will to YOURS everyday, to fall on my face before YOU and be willing to do whatever it is that YOU would have me to do. My flesh trembles as my spirit prays this prayer because I know with surrender comes self sacrifice, and denial...to die to self is a hard thing, a scary thing, an uncomfortable thing... my flesh worries also that if I stand publicly against sin and let people know, that they will hate me and I will lose some friends but I know that what you think about me is more important than what anyone else thinks, and if YOU help me, I know that through YOUR strength I can do all things through YOU. Help me stand against sin in love not judging others and give me wisdom to know the difference. Help me not to complain when things don't go my way, or when I have pain or heartache, help me trust YOU and know that it's in YOUR plan and to be content. I LOVE YOU LORD...In YOUR name sweet JESUS I pray...Amen.
~*cindygirl*~
July 7, 2012