Romans 12:2 ~ Buying into "the lie"

Romans 12:2 - “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

A follow up to what I said in my last blog (Heart intents vs. Gods will)

There are some things happening in the life of those that I have loved (still love just not as close as I once was with them) where they have taken what God has forbid and repackaged it in a "christian" way. By that, I mean that they take the world put a "God" twist on it and justify the use of it for a "witnessing" tool.

I have seen it taken as far as something that's blatantly anti-god and seen it acknowledged as that. Then ... promoted as the world being foolish and we can use there foolishness for Gods glory, and even as a worshiping tool. My heart is so grieved by this.

Proverbs 9:6 Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.

The Lord in his word is so very clear about what we are to do with the world and yet why are some so willing to "conform" to what God tells us to flee from?
Its because living for God requires us to do as the bible says instead of what we would desire. Of course sin looks fun and we want it....more than that, we desire it. If sin looked ugly and harmful to begin with, denying our flesh would not be a daily, moment by moment struggle.

If we repackage the world "aka sin" by sticking a "WWJD sticker" on it, then we can tell ourselves that makes us OK.

But its a lie. Satan.... (the father of all lies) can lure us best into believing its OK when there's "christian" bent to it. He hopes that we don't know Gods word well enough to say "wait a minute, I think the bible says otherwise". Its easy to be blinded by the "WWJD sticker" and ignore the sin its stuck too.

Lets remember that its better to error on the side of fleeing, than the side of accepting, whenever there is even a small chance there could be a lie involved. This doesn't mean we can't enjoy life. But give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and grace. Enjoy the things that God gave us as He means them to be used. But don't mistake the happiness that some things bring as a licence to sin when when they cease to glorify God.

Lord, thank you for the truth and your forgiveness when I stop looking to it. Please fill my heart and mind with Your word and show me and others the lies. Don't let me become lenient in my service to You, or my desire to follow after you. Lord please soften and convict the heart of those who are doing grievous things. God only you can. Praise you for that!

The 2nd commandment is based on a lot of what I have said today and I hope to do that tomorrow.

Oct 25: EDIT: Clearly tomorrow has come and gone, but I would like to get all the info and study that I have done on it on here but thats taking longer than expected :D

Heart intents vs. Gods will

Proverbs 19:20-21 - “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”

I recently had a "conversation" with someone who's "perspective" was that despite what Gods word said (like literally) that God would overlook the specific dismissal of His word/law and instead look at the purpose within their heart.

Their argument went something like this.....

"When you read the bible... you have to figure out what Gods purpose was in saying that...... I "think" He didn't mean that literally (AS IN ONE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS that we were discussing) But I think "Gods heart" in saying that was.... we are to use it as a kind of guideline... and since I know that my reason (for ignoring direct commandment) is that God knows I want to glorify Him, it doesn't apply."

Which is prime reason for me starting ten commandment study for myself.
#1 what the heck is "Gods heart" I don't remember reading that phrase in the bible...I have read about is HOLY WILL AND PERFECT PURPOSE
#2 when you completely discard the specific and "no beating around the bush" language of something as simple and straight forward as the ten commandments, just so that you can reinterpret them to justify your sin... whats next?
#3 Specific commandment being discussed is repeated many other times within the bible AND having the same context and guidelines... so are you going to reinterpret the entire bible?

I can understand that there are some things that God spoke in parables... such as plucking out eyes and cutting off limbs... but I am not sure there was any fogginess with the basics of what God requires of you.

The idea that you can twist Gods word into what you think He might mean by it and then use that version based on you trying to get to "gods heart" and then modeling your heart off it.... well its scary to me... in fact that's where today's verse comes in...

NOTE.... THE BIG FAT "but" in the middle of that 2nd verse. Yes, man has purpose in his heart..... BUT, as in "completely disregard mans purpose" and know that doesn't change Gods will or purpose.

So how do we know what Gods will and purpose is for our lives? We find it.... IN THE BIBLE ALONE... so when there is a direct commandment on how to do a specific thing... THATS GODS PURPOSE.

OK I know I have been venting a bit today... but this person knows better and yet they will not listen to the first part of the verse because they are wise in there own eyes and "knowledge of God's heart"

Let this story be a warning/example/encouragement-to-do-better to those that read it. Don't let your purposes be erased by a "BUT". Strive to obey God the way that He requires and not the way you want.

God thank you for the clear directions that you do give us and Lord let that be in my heart to do, Lord please speak to the heart of the one that I write about. Thank you for your loving forgiveness that abounds in my life.

John 8:31-32 - To: Jess pt.2

John 8:31-32 ~ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

OK Jessica, here's a follow up to your follow up question a few days ago.

You are worried that you are too skeptical for faith. You say

"Is it possible to be too skeptical for faith?More than anything I believe
in the tangible. This is where I run into trouble with religion, and
faith."

Well to answer your question to the best of my ability.... is I don't know, that's up to you... But what I do know is that God gave us something tangible... His word.. the bible. As the verse above states... If you abide in His word the truth will set you free... Free from the bondage of sin. He also gave us His son... as well as the Holy Spirit, but that's another topic.

There are many things that you don't consider "wrong" that the bible specifically states otherwise. (side note: I do happen to agree with you on that one thing, I think that God is all for capital punishment as there are many times in the bible that its stated "was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD killed him")
You don't have the same "moral code" as you put it.. as most Christians. In my posts a few days ago I talked about God being the boss. I personally know that letting God set the rules... instead of me setting the rules for my life is a better idea. When you decide your own moral compass you are doing it based only on the limited knowledge that you have. The thought of that seems rather scary to me.

You mention one of your "flaws" to be tolerance..... While your other "flaws or lack thereof" I consider to be sin ... sins I myself am in daily need of grace for. Tolerance is not something that Christians are called to... at least not the way that it is defined today. Yes we are to be kind to others.. but that does not mean that we are to let every evil thing flourish and parade itself around without saying something.

Romans 12:1-2 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

See that verse seems to say the opposite of what "tolerance" seems to mean. God wants us to be transformed by doing His perfect will and not what the "world" seems to thing is OK.

You mentioned that you felt "deceitful/fake" attending church... and once you stopped you felt better.... I think what you felt was your heart being convicted... and of course you felt better after you were not being convicted of your sin anymore. I think the issue that you are having trouble with is your heart. The bible says

Romans 10:9,10,13 ~ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

While you state that you tried confessing with your mouth.... it felt false. Its because words are not enough. The bible states these things about your heart....

Ezekiel 11:19-20 - Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Deuteronomy 30:6 - And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

You said "so now what"... Now its up to you, Do you want to believe with your heart? To let God circumcise your heart, to cut away all the things that HE deems to be sins. To trust in the fact that not only does He exist but that Hes all knowing too. To let Him, the bible & the Holy spirit guide your heart and therefore your life. Are you willing to give up the control? I saw this quote today and thought it to be a rather helpful picture for this.

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will
be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.'~ C. S.
Lewis (1898 - 1963)

Well ....there is more to think about, I am happy to talk to you more if you like, or if you have more questions please ask them. Romans 3:23 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"....
Everyone is a sinner, me especially, but God has forgiven me because I have acknowledged it, repented, asked forgiveness and desire in my heart to do His will. Daily I press on with His help. Daily I am reminded of and rewarded with His grace.

~Lynn

John 3- Faith, believing -To: Jess pt.1

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:15-20
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”


To Jessica who commented yesterday:

I do not believe the issue to be whether you believe that God exists or not, But are you willing to submit to Him? The fact that you desire to believe is a great place to start.
The bible describes in the above verses that unless you are born again (aka Saved/forgiven) that you cannot see the kingdom of God.

So your issues with faith and believing.. I have a few questions for you?

Do you believe that the God of the bible could be real ?
Isaiah 45:22 Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Do you believe that you are a sinner?
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Do you believe that God sent His son Jesus to die for you and for the sins that you have commited.
Romans 3:25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice.

Are you willing to repent ( turn away from and stop doing those things) of the sins that the bible say wrong? and believe that God will help you do that ?
Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

If you answers are yes, then pray,
"God I am a sinner, and there is nothing I can do to make up for it. I believe that you sent Your son Jesus as a perfect sacrifice to die in my place. That he gave up his life as payment for my sin. God I want to live for you and I want you to come into my life and my heart and change me to live for you instead of myself. Thank you God, in Jesus name, AMEN"

This is what God requires from us... to believe that those things are true and to live it. That is faith.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith starts at hoping in something unseen. But it grows into a relationship with God. It becomes a change in you, that you see, and the more you live for God, the more you do see the amazing things that He has done.

James 4:2-3 You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Believing and faith are more than a prayer and a desire, its a change of life from the darkness to the light. When we pray to God it needs to be for Gods glory and for His will to be done.

Feel free to ask more questions if you have them!