April 26, 2010

  • I’m a Natural Born Liar

    5-12-2012 Addendum:

    Legend: This is to help those who want to understand my color coding of Scripture, it is a separate Key apart from what I post below merely to help give understanding of why I highlight things the way I do, namely so as to bring out greater clarity from the Word of God.  Here’s the Key:

    •     Purple = A command, something we’re called to obey or listen to or take careful attention of.
    •     Orange = The Character or Nature of God, who God is.
    •     Green = The grace or mercy of God — or indications thereof.
    •     Blue = The wrath or Judgment of God.
    •     Red = Sin, sinful behavior, or any affront to our Holy Father.
    •     White on Black is merely there for emphasis.  Kind of zeroing in on the key part of a passage.

    This is a confession: I lie.  I don’t often intend to, it just happens.  I get embarrassed when my wife asks me something and instead of telling her how bad the shirt looks on her I innocently tell her that it looks great. 

    Likewise, my taxes.  yeah.  wow.  Those are annoyingly painful forms and I really do prefer the 1040EZ — so what is my excuse NOT to use it this year?  Married?  Um, not to anyone you’d (THE US Government) recognize  (She’s a Taiwanese Citizen…).  And so it goes…. why tell the truth?

    There’s a point here.  I had to train myself to tell the truth.  It was hard, it took years, and to be honest lying it so much easier at times.  I never had to be taught to lie — that came naturally.  I had to teach myself to tell the truth… that proved pretty hard.

    Officer: do you realize how fast you were going?
    OLD me: Um, no, was there a speed limit here?  I’m sorry, I honestly didn’t see it.
    NEW me: Yes, sir, and I’m sorry.  I’ll try not to let it happen again.  If you need to give me a ticket I understand.  (I’ve actually said this to an officer.)

    Accepting responsibility for my actions begins with honesty.  It begins with personal honesty that accepts the fact that I am prone to sin, prone to error, prone to selfishness.  Without taking responsibility I merely become one more whiner in a long history of whiny people.  Taking responsibility is the first step in repentance — stop saying it’s someone else’s fault when it’s not.

    So, I’m a natural born liar.  It’s in my nature.  It’s a part of me.  It’s who I am.  So…. why am I judged for it?  Why does everyone say it’s wrong?  Why does the Bible state that I can’t go to Heaven if I’ve only merely lied? (Rev. 22:15)

    I wrote a post a few years back entitled “PEN THIEF!!!“  At the time I was working for Best Buy and had a habit of innocently (NOT-SO!!!) walking out of stores with pens that I thought were cool.  Thing is, you can only use one pen at a time so owning 200+ stolen pens really gets you no where — unless you wanna build a display case and show them off as a collection.

    Me (as tour Guide): And this was the pen I stole the night that Princess Diana was killed.  I was at the Vernon Hills Best Buy that night, and in sorrow I grabbed this unique red quill design pen.  I only used it twice before retiring it for another I found the same night.

    You (as visitor): This is boring, can’t we go see the big ball of string in that other state?

    Stealing also comes naturally to me.  Pick something up, and if I can get it into my pocket — it’s gone.  One of the first things that God worked on in my life was my propensity to steal things and pretend they were mine.  That was a hard thing to learn, and it went hand in hand with learning honesty.  There were  times I had to go return something I had taken and apologize for having done so. (Matthew 5:24; Luke 19:8)  Not that anyone suspected me, I just knew that the right thing to do would be to stop pretending it was mine by right of possession, and give it back.

    Natural liar, natural thief.  So if it’s natural, why is it wrong?  Why do people look down on me and act suspicious if I ask to borrow their wallets for just a moment?

    Paul talked about Grace a lot.  It entered into the text of nearly all his letters to the Churches.  Most powerfully he talked about it in the Book of Romans.  In that book he asks a simple question:

    Rom 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

    It is an honest question.  If my sinning means opportunities for God’s grace to shine, then why stop?  Why not just continue to sin?  If by sinning I am allowed the blessing of forgiveness for my sin(ssssssssssssssssssss) — then sin it up baby cause forgiveness is great!!!!  Paul came to a different conclusion.

    Rom 6:2  By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

    I want you to clearly understand this.  I am going to do something I almost never do — here’s parallel versions of that verse for clarity.

    I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? (The Message)

    May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?  (New American Standard)

    Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?  (New Living Translation)

    Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?  (Amplified)

    and lastly —

    God forbid! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  (King James)

    God Forbid!!!  The actual Greek in this verse is pretty strongly worded.  It was a Greek idiomatic statement that carried in it a sense of outrage, anger.  Today we would say “HELL NO!!!!”

    Shall I continue to sin — just because I’m born that way?  HELL NO!!!! (I’ve actually read one off the wall translation that actually used this phrase)

    So then, why am I judged a “sinner” if I am indeed “born that way”?  If my natural propensity is to sin, then why am I judged for just doing what I do naturally?   Why does the Bible say that I am wrong —- when it feels so right and —- natural? 

    It comes down to God’s holiness.

    In preparing for this post, I studied & re-read 15 New Testament letters.  It seemed important to me to cover all of that in order to have a grand view of the subject matter.  Judgment, it seems, is covered in nearly every book of the Bible in some fashion or another.  I think the most powerful verse on the matter doesn’t even use the word “Judgment”, but the implication is there quite plainly: Destruction comes.

    Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  (Galatians 6:7-8)

    Likewise, the Old Testament states pretty clearly:

     There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

    Jesus stated pretty bluntly that the aim of righteousness is to be perfect as God is perfect.  (Matthew 5:48)  That is a pretty tall order.  I’ve not yet met one man in my entire life who meets that goal.  And yet that thought is echoed throughout the New Testament.

    Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

    2nd Tim 1:8-9 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

    1 Peter 1:15-16 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

    Three different writers, one conclusion, all in line with Jesus’ own statement.  Let us make this perfectly clear:

    1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him MUST walk as Jesus did.

    2 Timothy 2:19  …..Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord MUST turn away from wickedness.

    If we think we can get to Heaven by holding on to our sins and claiming the name of Christ, we are gravely in error.

    Proverbs 28:13 You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it;  you find mercy by admitting and leaving them.  (The Message)

    People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.  (New Living Translation)

    He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. (New King James Version)

    God’s standard is laid out for us — what he labels as sin, we are called to agree with and obediently turn from.  It is foolish to say otherwise.  Foolish, because you can’t ignore God’s Word and have Heaven as your destiny. 

    Proverbs 28:9  If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable. (NIV)

    He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting [to God].  (Amplified Version)

    He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.  (New American Standard)

    And lest you think I am making this up —  Psalms 66:18 says virtually the same thing.

    If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,  the Lord would not have listened to my prayers.  (The New Living Translation)

    If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me;  (Amplified)

    If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. (NIV)

    By turning your ear away from God’s Law, God’s Word, you essentially cut yourself off from God.  This is one main reason Jesus said that Heaven and Earth would pass away but the Word of God would stand forever.

    Let me draw this to a close.

    Can I be a ‘Christian Liar’?  (Proverbs 12:22)

    Can I be a Christian Theif?  (Proverbs 11:1)

    Can I be a Christian Homosexual?  (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

    You see, this is the heart of my post.  Lately people want to re-write and re-interpret God’s word so that they can claim to have their Sin and Heaven too.  They claim that their sin is directly tied their nature — well, so is lying and theft, anger, bitterness, un-forgiveness, jealousy, greed, gluttony and any manner of other sins.  THEY ARE ALL A PART OF OUR NATURE!!!   It’s only by God’s Grace that we even find the power and ability to turn from them.

    Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No“ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

    Before we come to God, we are dead in our sins.   That is clear.  Ephesians 4 states plainly that BEFORE we come to Christ —-

    • Our Understanding is darkened
      • we are separated from the life of God
        • we are ignorant
          • we have hardened our hearts
            • we have lost ALL sensitivity to sinful things
              • we have given ourselves over to sensuality
                • we indulge in every manner of impurity (RE: all things UN-holy)
                  • and lastly, we continually lust for more.

    That is Ephesians 4:18-19 graphed out plainly.  In short, we are dead to the life of God.  We cannot KNOW God in this state.  It is IMPOSSIBLE to please God in this state (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 8:8), because we are hostile to God and do not submit to his Law.

    Romans 8:6-7  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

    Can I be a “Christian Homosexual”?  Can I be a “Christian Lesbian”?  Only if I ignore God’s Law and create in effect my own version of Christianity, if I re-interpret scriptures and ignore the plain sense of meaning to what was written, if I create a version of Christianity that is tolerant of my sin — In short: ONLY if I make an IDOL out of Christ by rejecting THE TRUE Christ and God’s Law. 

    Thing is, if I have an idol of Christ, I do not have the truth, I have rejected it — call yourself a Christian all you want, you still serve Satan by your actions.  No man can serve two masters’  — chose you this day whom you will serve.

    Proverbs 13:19  — A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.

    I’m a natural born liar, but praise the Lord Almighty, maker of Heaven, Creator of Earth, Savior of those who turn to him in humbleness and truth — because of Him, what I was, is no longer.  That old nature was nailed to the cross and His Spirit now teaches me to say no to those things that once enslaved me.

    Colossians 3:5-9 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices

    Galatians 5:19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this — WILL NOT — inherit the kingdom of God.

    By Nature — we sin.  It’s only by grace that what was “NATURAL” to me can be overcome through the power of Christ and the cross. 

    That all comes by honesty first with God, then with ourselves.

    John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit AND IN TRUTH.

    1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no — N-O —  place in our lives.

    Reach out to God today — confess your sinfulness — and He will forgive you, it’s a promise… to all liars, thieves and homosexuals willing to repent.

Comments (2)

  • As I study Roman 7:15-17

    As you do understand the word fleshly, sold to sin, which involves a conflict that mystifies Paul and it does the same to us in this present day. I do not understand myself, sometime we find ourself defeated, not doing what we want to do,but doing what we hate to do.

    Now this conflict indicates that there is a battle between two identities in us as believer, not the un-believer. There is always something in us that acknowledge that the 10 commandments are good and second there is something within, called sin, which produce evil.

    So in verse 18 We see that the problem with us is the flesh, the part of us as believer in which ther e is nothing good. Now check this out, the will is the desire to do good(verse 12). Yet the ability to perform is lacking. This is interesting.

    So in verse 22 it says the inward man or woman in virtually synonymous with the mind( verse 23 and 2 Cor. 4:16 and Eph.3:16). and it find delight in the law of God.. Now this delight causes us to who believe in Christ to want to align ourself with the new nature God has imparted in us.

    In verse 23 These word “the law of sin” refer to the our sinful nature rejection of the law of our mind that seek after God.. The sinful nature seek to draw us away from God working in us.

    verse 24 the wrethched, or distressed, miserable person is the believers whenever we is defeated by sin(verse 14 and 23). Now this defeat occurs whenever the believer fails to live in the power supplied by the Spirit. Now the body of death.  This is a figureative expression for sin nature. WE  want to be free from sin, which leads to death.

    verse 25 thank God….Now this should make us happy and with joy and jubitant praise to God that  here is victory through Jesus Christ, who delivers believers from the body of death, the flesh. So then: the probles we have in life is not the law, the proble is the flesh. From this argument, and the only way out is salvation found in Jesus Christ.

    Chapter 8:1 Therefore: When I define thiis word the Greek word does not draw a formal conclusion, but an informal inference, from (verse 25)). In contrast with the preceding vivid description of sinfulness, Freedom of living in the Spirit. No condemnation: In Christ, we are no longer under the sentence of the law, but empowered by the Spirit to live for Christ..                                                                                                            

  • @tau_1 - You failed to carry this forward.  You stopped at Romans 8:1, you failed to continue to Romans 8:2-8.  I’ll be brief.

    Romans 8:2-4 defines the “No condemnation” as being towards those “who live by the Spirit, setting their minds on what the Spirit desires.”

    Romans 8:5-8 then explains how that “No condemnation” actually doesn’t apply to those who live BY…. mark that word… “B-Y” the sinful nature, having their minds SET UPON (there’s your definition of “by”) fulfilling their natural sinful desires.  Such a person is “HOSTILE” to God, not submitting to God’s Law and indeed it cannot do so.

    “No Condemnation” comes “for those WHO ARE IN Christ Jesus”.  But to those who would seek to re-interpret God’s Word so that their “sin” isn’t really “sin” (at least by their own definition, anyway) — there indeed IS condemnation.  Jesus said it best.

    John 3:18b-19  ….But whoever does not believe STANDS CONDEMNED ALREADY because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL.

    Jesus, indeed, said it best.

    So yea, a Christian may struggle with remnants of sin — but the one given over to the sinful flesh, not showing the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) clearly show that they don’t really want God, regardless of how greatly they call upon His name…. Just like Israel in the days of old.

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