December 1, 2020 – I'm Following Jesus

King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Tuesday, December 01, 2020
Chapters: I Corinthians 5-8
Message: True Liberty

Hello My Friend,

Freeman; One who enjoys liberty, or who is not subject to the will of another; one who is not a slave. There has been a lot of talk about slavery this year, much of misleading and misinformed about what happened when slavery was accepted in America. Let me tell you, the slave owners are not the only ones to be accountable here, so were the slaves. They were not forced on those ships, they got on them thinking that the government was going take care of them. The government is not here to take care of our every need, it is here to make sure that we are all treated fairly. There is another kind of slavery that we all must be aware of, and that is being a slave to those who are content to live in sin. Jesus Christ sets us free from the bondage of sin when we accept Him as our Saviour, praise God! However, we lose those freedoms gradually if we compromise our faith over those who refuse to repent, [Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.]

I was passing through a church Sunday that is one of those contemporary churches, the people were not even dressed up to even look like they are going to church. There is a huge movement within many churches today, and that is to bring the world to Christ by bringing the Church into the world. There is a reason why Christians are to remain separated from the world and it is not about the clothes we wear, it is about not living like them. Let me tell you, when the churches are living more worldly than the world, then there is a big problem. The Corinthians caused a great stir in the church when they allowed a man who married his father’s wife to remain a prominent member there. In Paul’s letter to them, he upbraids them for not being concerned about this sin.

[1 Corinthians 5:1-2,4-8 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.]

[To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh,] Until we are saved Satan can do whatever he wants with our body, but once we are our soul belongs to Christ. Therefore, Satan has no access to it anymore, and since he cannot get to it he goes after the flesh. It is Satan’s priority to create such havoc in the Church that it keeps people from finding Christ. So, if he can get one of his minions to introduce and accept sin, then he has done his job, [Galatians 5:7-8 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.]

[as ye are unleavened.] Leaven, which is yeast or baking power used to make bread rise, is a picture of sin. Saved or not, all it takes is one sin to cause a reaction that inflates it into much more, and if not stopped it becomes uncontrollable. The second we received Christ as our Saviour all of the sin that inflated us gets removed, and we now unleavened. This is why once we get saved we are to confess and repent of sin, even if that means we need to do that every day, [1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.]

Salvation might be given to us by grace, but is not just cause to remain living in sin. We must remember that while our soul will never suffer, our flesh sure will if we are not repentant of sin. Paul reminds the Corinthians and all of us, that our salvation is not the power to remain sinful, rather the power to get out of bondage to it.

[1 Corinthians 6:9-13,17-18 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.]

[but I will not be brought under the power of any.] No matter what it is, liquor, cannabis, food, greed, sex, pornography, homosexuality, anything that feeds the lusts of the flesh is a power that it brings itself under. And all of these things by the way, are what constitute as fornication, and there is only one power strong enough to break that power, and that is Jesus Christ Himself, [1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.]

Our greatest defense to escape temptation and release the power of Christ is actually by serving Him. Let me tell you how easy it is to fall into sin when you are not doing anything for the LORD. Can you imagine how many people have fallen into temptation since the pandemic and churches were forced to close? That number is astounding. We need to keep ourselves busy in the things of God in order to make temptation not even a thing that comes to our minds, [1 Corinthians 7:21-24 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.]

[is the Lord’s freeman:] Jesus sets us free the second we accept Him as our Saviour. The liberty we enjoy of not having to worry that we are not doing enough good on our own to be saved from hell. The liberty we enjoy of no longer being held bondage to Satan. The liberty we enjoy of knowing that we are not going to hell, these are the things that Jesus has freed us from. Our salvation may be given to us freely by our faith in Christ, but it was not free, Jesus paid for it with His own life. Are we so ungrateful that we cannot give up one thing for Christ?, [Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.]

[be not ye the servants of men.] This is what I was talking about earlier, how one can become slaves to those who are content to live in sin. Believe it or not, God places us in the line of fire for a reason, and it is not to become like them in order to bring them to Christ, it is to stand out from them so that they can see Christ and come to Him. In reality the world has no idea that the immoral things they are doing is sin, that is why it is important that we keep ourselves walking in the power of Christ. It does no good for us to join in with them in an attempt to bring them to Christ when all they would do is take us away from Him. Another act of fornication that Paul addresses is idolatry, this is when the sin becomes the god.

[1 Corinthians 8:1-3,7-12 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him. 7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.]

[and wound their weak conscience,] The only thing that succumbing to the world does is weaken our own faith, it will never bring them to Christ no matter how strong our faith because the flesh is, in fact, weak. Think about this, we were bought with a price, Christ gave His life for us so we do not have to end up burning in the lake of fire. We should be honored that Christ has chosen us to show the world that while we were once dead in sin we are now risen from the dead and alive through Him. Our bodies have been redeemed by His atoning sacrifice, show Him some gratitude by becoming the Lord’s freeman, [Romans 5:8-9 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.] Amen!

Today’s Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for purchasing my life when You gave Yours on the cross. I did nothing to deserve salvation, and yet You willingly gave Your own life so that I could obtain it by grace through my faith in You. There is nothing that I could ever do to earn or keep my salvation, for You paid it all once and for all. All I can do is live the rest of my life giving honor and glory to You. I know I fail You every day, but Your mercy endures and Your grace is sufficient to forgive me every time I confess and repent of my sin. I know that I am already forgiven, I just do not want to use my liberty for an occasion of my flesh, rather to live in Your power. Lord, Lead me and guide me, fill me with Your power, mercy, grace, strength, and love, let me be the light that brings the world to You and to resist its temptation. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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