The churches today like to eliminate this view of God, but the apostle Paul showed "the terror of the Lord" and tried to persuade men of such in the New Testament Bible and church.
II Corinthians 5:9-11 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of HIM. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
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They
were doing wrong in one of the churches of Paul's day, and Paul warned
them to get these matters straight before he came otherwise he would "bewail" many.
bewail: cry or wail loudly about
And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.
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The church of Jesus Christ is one Spirit in the Lord.
But
some, even those who were once born again, choose to walk in "another
spirit", a fleshly spirit, doing works of their own flesh and turning
from that brought to their minds by the Holy Spirit.
To
the end, we must care about that which God wants and be willing to
mortify the works of our own flesh to walk in the Spirit of God.
Thus we are exhorted by the apostle Paul:
Colossians 3:1-10 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with HIM in glory.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with HIM in glory.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of HIM that created him:
Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service.
We keep our own flesh "crucified" by choosing to go in the way of the Spirit of God.
We
are recreated in the image of Christ over and over as we live our lives
and choose God's way in dealing with things of this present life.
Thus Paul says:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The Bible shows us God's will and the way we should choose.
This world considers sins to be "reasonable."
The people of this world create God in their own image, into that which seems right in their own minds.
Therefore sex before marriage is common today.
People quickly tell you that you should divorce your mate and find another.
Churches set up singles classes where divorced people can find "Christian" mates and remarry.
Even homosexuals and lesbians are accepted in some church groups, without repentance and change.
We must continually be recreated by the Bible for these are very evil times in which we live.
Jesus
said the end time would be so evil that if the days were not shortened
even the elect would perish if possible. But for the elect's sake the
days would be shortened. Matthew 24
And we must heed this warning also by Jesus:
Matthew 24:12-13 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
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As
we hold to the following scriptures, and live in them and speak these
doctrines to others, we keep ourselves from much of today's evil.
Matthew 5:32 But
I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the
cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever
shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
Romans 1:26-27 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:
for even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of
the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working
that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of
their error which was meet.
I Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals),
nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of
God.
revilers: those who speak, abusively and vehemently with their tongues, accusing others
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We must cling to these Bible doctrines and refuse to let reasonings of devils or men draw us away from such.
II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
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