Proverbs 25:12 says:
As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
A hearing ear, an ear that pays close attention and takes heed to what is being said.
The Word of God teaches us to speak evil of no man, to not brawl, but be gentle and meek.
Prior to Christ we were sometimes foolish, disobedient(unbelieving), deceived, serving different lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
After the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Titus goes on to say it is good for those who have believed in God to be careful to maintain good works.
To be careful to maintain good works.
It's not by the good works that we are saved but it's something that we should care about and follow closely.
Titus teaches us to avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and striving about the law; because they don't profit anything.
He doesn't however teach us to stick our heads in the sand where it is concerned.
I have listened to a lot of things lately concerning sin and salvation.
It seems to be a bit of confusion as to how we are blessed and where we stand if we sin after we are saved.
Just so you know I am in no way condoning sin but I am not condemning sinners because Jesus didn't.
That will be up to God The Father on judgment day.
Romans 6 will help us to understand who we are and it helps to guide us to walk after the Spirit in us and away from our former lusts.
The Holy Scripture teaches us that if we love righteousness, and hate iniquity that God has anointed us with the oil of gladness.
Ephesians 4:24 says,
Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
So this new man created in righteousness and true holiness is not the man in Deuteronomy 28.
I've listened to people say that God doesn't want us happy, He wants us saved.
Lord please help me with that one!
To be blessed of God is to be happy and there is no greater feeling of happiness than knowing that I am in right standing with God and not separated from Him.
I don't know what happiness is if it's not knowing that.
I have heard people speak of blessings with the attitude that because they have acquired material possessions or increase that they have done so because they have been obedient to God alone and if you haven't acquired those things then you evidently haven't obeyed God.
God requires that you believe in Him.
Faith is what pleases God.
Acts 5:32 says that the Holy Ghost was given to those that obey God, that means that The Holy Ghost was given to those who believed Him.
The assumption that amassing natural things amounts to us being totally obedient to God breaks down when you see atheist's, the lost and those separated from God with wealth who have obviously neither believed in God nor obeyed Him.
They don't have the Holy Spirit.
People are blessing the universe for their accomplishments.
What we want to stress is that, it is us believing in God and in Christ Jesus that produces anything.
Putting our confidence and trust in God's ability, His promise and Christ Jesus finished work and not our ability is obedience.
John 16:7-9
You can do because you are no longer relying on you.
You are no longer leaning to your own understanding.
It's not blind leaps.
I love the Word in it's entirety and there is a scripture that I hold close in Luke 1:45-48
Where Elizabeth who was John The Baptist's mother speaks to her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus and says,
Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Happy is the one who believes in their low estate that when God has promised to bless them they will be blessed.
When you know that you are saved you walk in the light of that salvation.
Any doubt which is raised in some of the preaching that is going forth today is what hinders folks.
Think on these things today:
Proverbs 2:7; John 16:9
Philippians 3:9
Mark 11:23,24
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