CONSEQUENCES

 

There are consequences for both doing what is righteous/godly and doing what is lawless and immoral.  Are we willing to endure the hardships of righteousness as evil intensifies?  Will we fall or depart from “THE FAITH” as Jesus questioned?  Will the root of bitterness take root as we endure tribulation?  We must each ask ourselves these questions and make a firm, solid decision as the battle escalates against good versus evil.

 

We live in a world where consequences and accountability for personal actions, decisions and choices are perceived and taught to be non-existent, denied, obscured and “free will” is promoted without accountability or consequence.  “Individuality” is taught, spoken and promoted to eliminate the consequences and accountability of personal decisions and actions.  Free will has been manipulated to portray that there are no consequences to a person’s actions, decisions or lifestyle to the false belief that there is no “fall out” or effect on others and that our individual actions have no corporate or widespread effect on others.  This is a lie from the pit of hell!

 

 Discipline is now portrayed as unloving, unkind and inhuman.  Biblical “sowing and reaping” is being taught and embraced as “KARMA” where people actually wish others would experience the pains, sufferings and abuse they themselves have endured!  Let us remember that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for another just as Christ died the death we all deserved.  Are you willing to pay the personal cost of true discipleship and righteousness of Christ?  Are you willing to be forsaken by family, friends, employers, church members and the like? 

 

The time when you could “keep your head down”, “fly under the radar” or “mind your own business” without consequences has ended as evil is manifesting in greater measure and those that take a stand for the righteousness of Christ are overtaken by the fall out of evil.  Satan doesn’t care how many he destroys or who is a casualty of his evil. 

 

Do you have faith in Christ first and foremost for your daily needs when you are no longer able to buy, sell or barter for life’s essential needs such as food?  Have you totally surrendered your life into the loving arms of Christ?  Are you a true living witness for Christ not by mere words but by a lifestyle of the life of Christ? 

 

John 3:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶ 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.

 

1 John 2:2 (NKJV)

² And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

 

Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV)

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 

Statements like “It’s my life and I will do what I want”; “It’s my choice and I will decide,” “Mind your own business” and the classic statement; “Who are you to judge” are often quoted in an effort to remove accountability and consequences for one’s personal statements and actions.  It’s as if the whole world was created just for them and you are privileged to even breath the same air!

 

Marriages, relationships, jobs, friendships and even a person’s life and livelihood can suffer consequences because of someone else’s decisions, actions, lies, manipulations, etc.!  Selfishness, conceit, narcissism, pride and arrogance is common place as moral fortitude and backbone for righteousness and truth are sequestered and silenced while “free will” is the common moral law. Will you choose to remain silent as souls perish, people die or will you bear the cost of persecution, mockery, slander, captivity and the like for the purposes of Christ? 

 

Matthew 5:3–12 (NKJV)

³  “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴   Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

⁵  Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth.

⁶  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

⁷   Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

⁸   Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

⁹   Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

Revelation 12:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

 

Luke 9:24 (NKJV)

²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

 

People are taught “sensitivity training” and not to judge others according to what is right verses wrong.  Love has been perverted into whatever feels good and that love will never face adversity, struggles, hardship, trials or tribulations. 

 

1 Corinthians 2:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

 

Right vs. Wrong

 

Isaiah 5:20–21 (NKJV)

²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

²¹ Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

And prudent in their own sight!

 

 

 There is a personal price to pay for doing what is right and for what is wrong.  Sadly, most people will not stand for what is morally and biblically right because of the personal sacrifices, persecution, slander, ridicule, loneliness and other losses as well.  These actions are not self-induced, self-inflicted but are normal consequences of other people’s actions who promote lawlessness, immorality, inhuman activity and actions against those who stand up for, promote and speak God’s truth. 

 

John 15:20–21 (NKJV)

²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

 

Are you confronting the works of darkness and lawlessness?  Are you fellowshipping with darkness or tolerating darkness?  We are called to expose the works of darkness and have no fellowship with darkness.

 

Ephesians 5:11–13 (NKJV)

¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

 

2 Corinthians 6:13–17 (NKJV)

¹³ Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

¹⁷ Therefore

“Come out from among them

And be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean,

And I will receive you.”

 

The time is short as evil is escalating and each of us must ask ourselves this very important question as we humbly seek the Lord.  Are we willing to partake in the sufferings of Christ for His name sake and glory?  We will not escape this world we will only overcome this world through Christ Jesus.

 

John 16:33 (NKJV)

³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

 

Matthew 24:22 (NKJV)

²² And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

 

1 Peter 4:13 (NKJV)

¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

 

Galatians 6:16–18 (NKJV)

Blessing and a Plea

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁸ Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

 

There is only ONE that will not forsake us and that is Christ Jesus, but will we as individuals forsake Jesus?  We must endure the hardships as a “good soldier” for Christ and endure whatever may come for Christ as the great commission must continue even in these difficult times.  The battle has been for thousands of years but as the second coming gets closer and closer evil gets worse and worse.  Put ALL your trust in the Lord and may the love, grace and mercy of God dwell in you richly for the glory of the Lord Jesus.  Are you willing to totally lay down your life for Christ Jesus?  We must each make that choice and have understanding of the consequences we must bear for His namesake, and remember that Agape Love bares all things and does NOT fear.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4–13 (NKJV)

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

2 Timothy 3 (NKJV)

Perilous Times and Perilous Men

3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; ⁹ but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

The Man of God and the Word of God

¹⁰ But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, ¹¹ persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. ¹² Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ¹³ But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

 

Cross-Carrying – A.W Tozer

3. The spiritual man wants to carry his cross. Many Christians accept adversity or tribulation with a sigh and call it their cross, forgetting that such things come alike to saint and sinner. The cross is that extra adversity that comes to us as a result of our obedience to Christ. This cross is not forced upon us; we voluntarily take it up with full knowledge of the consequences. We choose to obey Christ and by so doing choose to carry the cross. Carrying a cross means to be attached to the Person of Christ, committed to the Lordship of Christ and obedient to the commandments of Christ. The man who is so attached, so committed, so obedient is a spiritual man. 4. Again, a Christian is spiritual when he sees everything from God’s viewpoint. The ability to weigh all things in the divine scale and place the same value upon them as God does is the mark of a Spirit-filled life. God looks at and through at the same time. His gaze does not rest on the surface but penetrates to the true meaning of things. The carnal Christian looks at an object or a situation, but because he does not see through it he is elated or cast down by what he sees. The spiritual man is able to look through things as God looks and think of them as God thinks. He insists on seeing all things as God sees them even if it humbles him and exposes his ignorance to the point of real pain.