counterfeit

I believe that the Gospel of Christ is simple. It’s straight forward, easily understood and doesn’t present much in the way in deep logical hurdles that would prevent most people from a perfunctory understanding their role in accepting Christ as Savior.
I also believe that the Word of God as a whole, as well as the simplistic Gospel provides the most esoteric philosophical enticements for those who like to dive deep into the mind of God. You may have heard loquacious pastors deliver a riveting sermon with alliterating points and think to yourself – Do I need to understand the power, proficiency and prevenient Grace of God in order to make sense of propitiation?
Clever points with insightful delivery for sure, but absolutely necessary? Probably not. However, no matter how many messages you’ve heard preached, it is The Holy Spirit that reveals truth and it’s good to keep a watchful eye on the messages you hear to validate that you are taking in TRUTH as presented by the word of God. There are counterfeits.

I say that to say this.

The Bible talks about 2 types of wisdom; earthly wisdom and wisdom from above. One is genuine, the other is counterfiet.

Here’s The Word;

James 3: 13 – 18 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Here’s a thought I had the other day –

1 John 2:15 - 17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

When I read past that common phraseology – lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life, I thought. These 3 things are the counterfeits. If these things really are counterfeits, what are they seeking to replace?

I believe that God’s Word repeatedly offers these three genuine “righteous” provisions

Instead of fleshly lusts, God offers life.
Insatiable, selfish desires don’t produce or help at all with growing godliness. Money and sex are the biggies in this category but there are more subliminal expressions that are just as problematic. They spread weakness but are disguised as blessings; strength and prosperity.

Instead of wanton eyes, God offers health.
In our worldly sinfulness, we go after what we see and more often than not, we compromise or hurt ourselves and produce so much regret, pain and sorrow. The sufficiency in God’s provision may not give you everything you want, but contentment with godliness is great gain (1 Tim 6:6).

Instead of the pride, God offers peace.
It’s not just that ‘All have sinned’. It’s that all seek to sin. Just as Adam and Eve sought to ADD to themselves in direct defiance to God’s instruction, it’s this very fight we all deal with. We want to be more and we want it when we decide. When we reflect back on being delivered from certain besetting sins; we may be greatful, but we’re never far from the memory that it took God’s power to allow us to resist. The power to truly resist sin doesn’t come from within us. Christianity doesn’t make us strong, it makes us submit so it’s God’s power that gets all of the glory.

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

The Gospel of Christ is simple - its the power of salvation to all who will believe. The Word of God can be insightful, informative and intriguing. It also needs to be handled with strict care when creatively expounding on Biblical messages. Beware of counterfeits and more than just clever talking points, let the word of God deliver you from sin into life, health and peace.


In Him,
Cros

Charge

Sometimes I wonder if we know what this is all about, or if we even want to know. We tend toward comfort, peace and easy understanding. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but we resist having our comfort, peace and thinking challenged. And we really raise eyebrows when the talk starts sounding strange.
And this indeed is the source of my bewilderment, because our story starts off smack dab in the middle of strange.

Here’s The Word:

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

We were dead, like many who still are. We walked in allegiance with a spirit that influences to disobedience, evidenced by the self-fulfilling actions and thoughts we happily embrace. Without any other thing happening, this reality sealed our fate, rightfully reserving us a place in the full wrath of an Almighty God. Yet something DID happen; That Almighty God mercifully considered our helpless estate and by something way more involved than the snap of a finger, He brought us to Himself. At the greatest cost to Himself, He brought us to life.
Have you ever thought long and hard about that? To say the least, it’s strange.

The letters of the Apostle Paul to Timothy are something awesome! Even though they’re written from an old pastor, to a new one: In them, we see an idea presented that should affect us all. The Charge.
The charge is different from the law. Different from statutes, judgements and commandments. Why is this interesting? I’ve heard more than a few people pontificate on how we’re free from the Law…and as is Biblically presented, I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve heard more than a few people committed to avoiding “judgements” at all cost. Lastly, I’ve heard the arguments on how the commandments are not valid for those of us “in Christ” because He gave us a new commandment, simply rooted and expressed in love…So then what is the charge?

Deuteronomy 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

The word charge mainly means what we think it means – but I’ll paraphrase it to avoid the words; law, commandment and judgement. And in trying to state it plainly in today’s vernacular, it conveys – "Here are some things concerning the promotion, protection and profession of your new life that need to be much more than just real to you, but they need to STAY real to you."
Charges are authoritative pronouncements that don’t save you, they prove your salvation and appropriate the power of The Spirit in your “new life”.

Here’s The Word:

1 Timothy 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

As the word says, and bears reiteration – put no confidence in the flesh. (Phil 3:3), it’s the last evidence of an old system that is dying away. It doesn’t save. It can’t. It can however, remember desires, push for comfort and rationalize things that have zero benefit to new life. This is why we (purpose to) die daily (1 Cor 15:31), and keep our flesh under subjection(1 Cor 9:27). There's so much Biblical truth that focuses on our conduct. Our fruit. We’re absolutely correct to be mindful in regards to why we do what we do. We don’t do in order to BE saved; once we’re in Christ, there are things we're charged to do that can only be done rightly, if we ARE saved.

Think about it. Christ defeated death (huh?) and gives us power and insight into this life and the life to come. It’s strange but true: You live in a weird world. There’s principalities and powers, spirits and circumstances that go far beyond this temporal plane of existence. It’s important see this reality, accept it for what it is and embrace what it has to offer. Don’t get lulled back to sleep by desires for comfort, peace and easy understanding. Keep these charges, prove your allegiance and give evidence to Whom you belong.


In Him,
Cros