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The Lord hears the prayer of the righteous but does not listen to sinners
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.(Proverbs 1:28-31)
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. (Proverbs 15:8)
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will. (John 9:31)
Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it. (Job 35:13)
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.(Psalm 145:19-20)
You need to repent each time you sin
It is a false doctrine to tell Christians that after their first repentance, they never need to repent again for new sins. The blood of Jesus does not automatically wash away FUTURE sins, sins need to be repented of after they are committed. If you disagree, just ask Ananias and Sephira about their pre-forgiven sin. This is why repentance is mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer.
Do not anyone beguile you saying that repentance is no longer needed. It’s already prophesied that there are those who will turn the grace of God into lasciviousness which is unrestrained sexual behavior, or a habitual inclination to such behavior; lustfulness. And obviously these will deny Our Lord Jesus Christ. Beware of them because you have been warned in advance.
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:3-4)
When Jesus himself commands all people to repent of their sin, then those you who call themselves as believers in Christ too much preach repentance and nothing less. Here are some verses to reflect on:
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. (Revelation 2:5)
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Quick Reminder: Many are called but few are chosen
- Matthew 22:14 – For many are called, but few are chosen.
- Matthew 24:24 – For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
- 2 Peter 1:10 – Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble.
- Revelation 17:14 – They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.”
Avoid idleness
Avoid idleness, and fill up all the spaces of thy time with severe and useful employment; for lust easily creeps in at those emptinesses where the soul is unemployed and the body is at ease; for no easy, healthful, idle person was ever chaste if he could be tempted; but of all employments, bodily labor is the most useful, and of the greatest benefit for driving away the Devil. (Jeremy Taylor)
What is sin?
It is the glory of God not honored.
The holiness of God not reverenced.
The greatness of God not admired.
The power of God not praised.
The truth of God not sought.
The wisdom of God not esteemed.
The beauty of God not treasured.
The goodness of God not savored.
The faithfulness of God not trusted.
The commandments of God not obeyed.
The justice of God not respected.
The wrath of God not feared.
The grace of God not cherished.
The presence of God not prized.
The person of God not loved.
That is sin.
-John Piper
The Bottom Line
As Christians we must never lose site of the BOTTOM LINE. Take this example from the Business world.
A man starts a business TO MAKE MONEY.
That man hires workers, to help the business, TO MAKE MONEY.
That man hires a manager, to help the workers, which helps the business, TO MAKE MONEY.
That man buys his manager a computer, to help the manager, which helps the workers, which helps the business, TO MAKE MONEY.
That man buys his manager software, to help his computer, which helps the manager, which helps the workers, which helps the business, TO MAKE MONEY.
The business man never lost site of the BOTTOM LINE. This must also be true with the Christian Church.
Jesus came to SAVE THE LOST.
Jesus gave us the Gospel, TO SAVE THE LOST.
Jesus built His church, to preach the Gospel, TO SAVE THE LOST.
Jesus raised up Apostles, to oversee the church, to preach the Gospel, TO SAVE THE LOST.
The Apostles that Jesus raised up, trained others, to help the church, to preach the Gospel, TO SAVE THE LOST.
Unfortunately the BOTTOM LINE in the Christian Church has changed somewhat. After hearing many sermons, I’ve seen that the BOTTOM LINE is often “How to live a blessed, joyful, prosperous, abundant life.” Which is a good message, but NOT THE BOTTOM LINE!
(By Robert Brownell)
Disciples of hope 