We are given grace through Christ. He took upon Himself the chastisement for sin. No more animal sacrifices and no more fear of wrath from the holy Judge.
This raises the question by some people, then if we won’t be punished anymore, why can’t we just sin as much as we want to?
God will still care for us and forgive us no matter what. But sin carries tremendous consequences. We will suffer for following our flesh. And continued evil behavior can harden our hearts toward the Spirit and keep us from hearing Him (Hebrews 3:13).
Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)
A person can sit in a jail cell after committing crimes and God will still love them. But the results of their actions against society will be implemented. Sin hurts people. Sexual immorality can bring diseases and break up families. Drug and alcohol abuse destroys bodies and relationships. Lying to others breaks trust. Covetousness plants the seed for stealing.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:12-13)
If we have the deep revelation of how much the Father cherishes us, we will not want to violate that bond. We will be forever grateful for what the Savior did for us. If we approach grace as an opportunity to sin, we are abusing the cross of Christ.
The only law we are under now is the law of love (Romans 13:8-10). When we understand that we cannot be made holy by what we do, but only through the sacrifice of the Son, we are set free from the curse of the Law.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:13)
Our Creator’s original intention was for mankind to accept His love. But His heart was ignored, and misdeeds abounded. He had to show us that we were sinful so we would call out to Him in repentance.
We had to find out we couldn’t save ourselves. That’s why He sent us a Savior.
1 Peter 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people”
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Psalm 130:5 “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Please let me know your thoughts on these “15 Dangerous Lies Satan Tells You about Scripture”…but only if you have time to do so because I know everyone is extremely busy with their daily lives as it is, but if you do have time to share your thoughts with me I’d very much appreciate it!
15 Dangerous Lies Satan Tells You about Scripture
(The devil) was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar, and the father of lies. – John 8:44
If I were the devil, I would do everything in my power to keep you from the Word of God. I would say anything I could think of, anything I thought you would believe, anything that works, to get you to read other things.
As Paul said, “We are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). We know how he works. And here are some of the lies we have noticed pouring out of his factory, all geared toward destroying confidence in God’s Word.
Lie #1: “You already know it, so don’t read it.”
He’s lying to you. You do not know it. I’ve studied the Bible all my life and in no way could I say I “know” it. I know a great deal about it, but there is so much more. For the typical church member to shun the Bible because “I’ve been there and done that” is laughable.
Lie #2: “No one can understand it, so don’t read it.”
He’s lying. Even a child can understand a great deal of Scripture. Meanwhile, the Ph.D. will find plenty to challenge his thinking. Only a book from the Almighty could touch so many at every level of their existence.
Lie #3: “It’s boring. So don’t read it.”
He’s lying. The Bible is a lot of things, but boring is not one of them.
We’re boring, and that’s the problem.
Lie #4: “It’s better left to the professionals. So, don’t read it.”
He’s lying, using a lie he once sold to the Catholic church during the Middle Ages. By keeping the Holy Scriptures in the Latin (and not in the language of the people) the church could give it whatever slant they chose. Some hardy individuals paid for the right for us to own Scriptures in our own tongue with their very lives. We must not take lightly the privilege we have to own a copy of the very Word of God in our own language.
Lie #5: “You need to know Greek and Hebrew to know what it really means. So, don’t bother reading it.
He’s lying. The English conveys very well the meanings of Scripture in their original languages. However, reading the Bible in its original forms is still thrilling, and we encourage people to study Hebrew and Greek if possible.
Lie #6: “The English Bible was not translated correctly. If you doubt that, listen to preachers say, ‘The translators got this wrong. What it really says is…’ So, don’t read it.”
The devil is lying, and half the time those preachers are misrepresenting the truth too. Just read it.
Lie #7: “It’s contradictory. So don’t read it.”
He’s got a half-truth here, but he’s still lying. There are no contradictions in Scripture regarding any doctrine or teaching of consequence. There are places where one writer says 100 people were killed and another writer said it was 1000…that sort of thing. Scholars often have explanations for this. To me personally, I love those little shades of differences. They are the very answer to the charge that the church tampered with the Bible to make it say what they want. If so, they would have cleaned up those loose ends! (Smiley-face goes here.)
Lie #8: “Experts disagree on what it means. So, don’t read it.”
He’s lying. The Christian church, no matter what denomination, agrees with 90 percent of the Scripture message. Or even more.
Lie #9: “The Bible is outdated. Not for our modern times. So, don’t read it.”
He’s lying. It’s as contemporary as this morning’s paper. Or even more so. And as C. S. Lewis once asked, “What does today’s date have to do with anything?”
Lie #10: “The Bible is just a bunch of rules. So, don’t read it.”
He’s lying once again. Scripture is anything but that. It contains the greatest stories, most inspiring teachings, and blessed insights imaginable.
Lie #11: “You are so far beyond that. The Bible has nothing for you. So, don’t read it.”
He’s lying. And the best response to this is: “Well, I’ll see for myself,” as you open it up.
Lie #12: “Men wrote it. So, forget about it being divine. Don’t waste your time reading it.”
Another half-truth that is a whole lie. True: “Holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,” said the apostle in 2 Peter 1:21. God used men and women to write the Scripture; it did not drop to earth fully written.
Lie #13: “Reading the Bible will turn you into a religious fanatic. And you don’t want people thinking you’re a nut. Do not risk that by reading the Bible.”
He’s lying. They say that “a fanatic is someone who loves Jesus more than you do.” What reading the Bible will do is introduce you to the Savior, teach you about salvation, and nourish your soul. Anything that can do that is your friend and, instead of making you weird will make you whole. See 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Once again, Satan is lying.
Lie #14: “No one with intelligence reads the Bible anymore. Only religious fundamentalists and extremists. So, don’t read it.”
He’s lying. Some of the smartest people on the planet—including scientists and professors and philosophers and my neighbor down the street—read and love the Holy Bible. And they are among the sanest people on the planet.
Lie #15: “You’re too busy. You can read it some other time when you are feeling spiritual, when you have plenty of time, when you’re older. Just don’t read it now.”
He’s lying. You are not too busy; maybe too lazy. Or too worldly, too unbelieving, or too lost. To wait until you are “feeling spiritual” (whatever that means) is a fool’s errand, and you should not fall for that. To wait until you are older is another ploy he uses on the simple-minded. Many a person has gone out into eternity lost who had planned to take care of these matters down the road when they were elderly. The only problem is they didn’t live to become elderly. Don’t let it happen to you.
Grab your bible and let’s discuss 10 Steps to Fight Satan together…if you think I;m missing any steps and should add more please let me know so I can do that!
10 Steps to Fight Satan – Grab Your Bible
Here’s how…
Open to the Gospel of Matthew.
That’s page one of the New Testament. You can read all 28 chapters of this short volume in an hour or so.
Keep reading.
You will read three other gospels similar to Matthew—Mark, Luke, and John—but different, on the life and ministry of Jesus. Each writer has something unique to offer.
Keep reading.
Acts of the Apostles tells what happened after Jesus left.
And yes, keep on reading.
You are now to the “epistles,” a fancy word for “letters,” most of them from the Apostle Paul to churches in various locales. You won’t understand everything, but you can grasp a great deal.
Don’t worry about what you cannot understand.
Treasure all that you do understand, because there is a great deal of it.
Read it consecutively.
Not just jumping around. And, in large sections, at least one hour at a time.
When you finish, go back and start again.
You will get more the second time through than you did the first.
Pray.
Each time you open the Bible, say this: “Father, help me to understand this and to get what You want me to see. Thank you for hearing my prayer.”
Get help.
After you have read it through a few times, ask a pastor if there is a Bible study class you could attend. To hear a good teacher teach about what you have been reading can be a privilege.
Obey it.
In John 13:17, Jesus said, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” Also, see James 1:22. The blessing comes from obeying His teachings, not from reading or learning them.
Eventually, you will be able to say what Job did:
I have esteemed the words of Thy mouth more than my necessary food – Job 23:12
I don’t know if you’ve already read this article below, but I thought I should share with as many Christians and non Christians because I am an EXTREMELY Pro Life Christian woman and I HATE abortion…I’m very sympathetic to women that have chosen to get an abortions because I truly believe they felt lost or scared or had no other option…I blame the lawmakers of our country for not giving these lost souls better counseling options to help them make better choices…anyway, enough of my rambling…
Article starts here…..
President “Sleepy” Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris each released statements on the new Texas law, which requires doctors to check for a fetal heartbeat and prohibits an abortion if one is detected. It allows exceptions for medical emergencies.
An unborn baby typically has a heartbeat around six weeks into a pregnancy.
The comments by Biden and Harris came hours before the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, declined to block the law. Abortion rights groups in Texas say the law impacts about 85 percent of abortions.
“This extreme Texas law blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade and upheld as precedent for nearly half a century,” Biden said in a statement. “The Texas law will significantly impair women’s access to the health care they need, particularly for communities of color and individuals with low incomes. … My administration is deeply committed to the constitutional right established in Roe v. Wade nearly five decades ago and will protect and defend that right.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden will “continue to call for the codification of Roe.”
The law’s unique structure has made it difficult to challenge in court by abortion-rights groups. Instead of requiring state officials to enforce the law — as is always the case — the law leaves enforcement up to private citizens. The law allows a citizen to sue anyone who “performs or induces an abortion” or “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.”
The law allows civil damages of at least $10,000 for each suit.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris each released statements on the new Texas law, which requires doctors to check for a fetal heartbeat and prohibits an abortion if one is detected. It allows exceptions for medical emergencies.
An unborn baby typically has a heartbeat around six weeks into a pregnancy.
The comments by Biden and Harris came hours before the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, declined to block the law. Abortion rights groups in Texas say the law impacts about 85 percent of abortions.
“This extreme Texas law blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade and upheld as precedent for nearly half a century,” Biden said in a statement. “The Texas law will significantly impair women’s access to the health care they need, particularly for communities of color and individuals with low incomes. … My administration is deeply committed to the constitutional right established in Roe v. Wade nearly five decades ago and will protect and defend that right.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden will “continue to call for the codification of Roe.”
The law’s unique structure has made it difficult to challenge in court by abortion-rights groups. Instead of requiring state officials to enforce the law — as is always the case — the law leaves enforcement up to private citizens. The law allows a citizen to sue anyone who “performs or induces an abortion” or “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.”
The law allows civil damages of at least $10,000 for each suit.
I’m not looking to date anyone until after I graduate from college, but I do ponder how Christian should go about dating in our app based dating society where everyone bases who they want to date just on how they look on the outside and not what makes them who they really are on the inside…I know this sounds “cheesy”, but I hope that the man I marry loves me for me and not for anything other than that.
Among modern evangelical Christians, there have been multiple books, movements, and rules presented as the “biblical” approach or method to dating. From Joshua Harris’ I Kissed Dating Goodbye in the early 2000s to the many rules for dating in contemporary Christian circles, there is no end to supposed scriptural views on dating.
Amid this overwhelming sea of methods and rules, many Christians wonder what the Bible says about this overly discussed topic and how they should approach dating.
Specifically, there is nothing in the Bible about dating. In fact, none of the people mentioned in the Bible ever dated but rather participated in prearranged marriages and betrothals. The modern Western idea of dating did not exist in biblical times and even many cultures today do not practice dating either.
Scripture, however, does provide a few general principles that can be applied to the modern practice of dating and courtship, including maintaining a proper perspective while dating and focusing on purity in romantic relationships.
Common ‘Biblical’ Methods and Rules for Dating In churches and Christian culture, there are many popular rules for dating. Some of these include not holding hands or not showing affection, only dating someone with the intention of marrying them, only dating for a set period, having a required chaperone on dates, or not dating at all in order to wait for a person’s “one true love” to come.
These rules are not found in the Bible since Scripture does not discuss dating. Instead, these assumptions have developed over time due to major movements in Christian culture.
In the early 2000s, Joshua Harris’ book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, swept through the Christian world and encouraged Christians to no longer date, but wait for the one person whom they would marry.
Many believers followed the teachings found in the book and refused to date anyone to instead wait for the divinely chosen person whom God intended for them to marry. Such teachings gradually declined in popularity and Joshua Harris recanted his book in 2016 and announced he was no longer a Christian in 2019.
Currently, the popular trend among evangelical Christians is to prepare and pray for their future spouse. This is especially popular among Christian girls and women who are encouraged to prepare, pray, and dream about their future husbands. Dating is not discouraged but is rather pushed into strict seriousness by requiring Christians to date with the intention of marrying.
The problem with this view, however, is that there is nothing in Scripture about praying for one’s future spouse, someone that is unknown or may not even exist. While Christians can participate in dating, there is no biblical promise or guarantee that every Christian will have a spouse.
Maintaining a Proper Perspective While Dating For Christians, their first priority in all situations should always be the Lord (Matthew 6:33; Luke 10:27). Oftentimes in dating, people become infatuated and almost obsessed with their new boyfriend or girlfriend. Other important relationships often take a back seat to the new person they are dating.
Even a Christian’s relationship with the Lord can be negatively impacted by putting too much focus, time, and energy into pursuing dating or a new relationship. As Marshall Segel states in his article about dating, “The first step in dating should always be the step of faith we take toward our Lord, Savior, and greatest Treasure, King Jesus” (“The Golden Rule in Christian Dating,” Desiring God).
Just as each individual Christian should be deliberate about their relationship with the Lord, seeking to glorify Him in their life, they should also ensure that the person they are dating is completely in love with the Lord. Believers should not date unbelievers because of the possibility of marriage in any dating relationship (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).
Also, even if a Christian is dating a believer, they need to be aware of the other person’s relationship with God. Are they actively growing in their walk with Christ? Do they desire to love Him more than anything in the world, including being in a relationship or getting married? Believers should be aware of the spiritual state of the person they are seriously dating.
Finally, in regard to keeping a proper perspective while dating, Christians should also avoid falling into the trap of desperation. The church culture in the Western world, especially America, places a large emphasis on marriage, which places pressure on single believers to get married.
This often causes single Christians to become desperate and to date anyone because of the pressure to be married often just to have sex within the confines of marriage. Such a mindset goes against the Bible, which urges believers to seriously consider marriage or singleness based on legitimate reasons and not because of external pressure (1 Corinthians 7:35).
Although these Christians can still date with the intention of finding someone to marry, there is still the possibility that they will remain single for a part or the rest of their life. Being single is not a lesser state but has many great benefits in serving the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32, 34).
Believers would be wise not to waste the time they have as single individuals, but instead pray and be open to God’s guidance about when, who, and if they should be dating.
The Need for Biblical Purity While Scripture does not give any rules for how a person should date, the Bible does teach about the need to maintain purity in romantic relationships (1 Corinthians 6:13). Purity is a foreign idea to the worldly system, which promotes sexual immorality.
Many unbelievers and even some believers will commonly date someone, live with them for a while, and then find another boyfriend or girlfriend. However, Christians who want to live glorifying lives for Christ according to the Bible should avoid the temptation of living with their girlfriend or boyfriend and instead maintain celibacy until marriage.
Teenagers and young adults are especially susceptible to the temptation of sexual relations outside of marriage because of the inundation of lust-inducing messages from movies, TV shows, music, and celebrities.
Scripture speaks against this, however, by stating, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT). Sexual relations should only occur within the bonds of marriage, between a husband and his wife (Matthew 19:4-6; Hebrews 13:4).
Thus, Christians who are dating should avoid any situations for the temptation to sin (1 Corinthians 6:18). Having accountability to godly family members and friends can help protect against sinning against the Lord and the person one is dating.
Also, asking for friends to double date could also be helpful in some situations. Believers should be aware of their hearts and know what will cause temptation, which can help prevent compromising situations of impurity.
If a Christian is tempted during a date, they should pray and seek to leave the situation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Both men and women followers of Christ should pursue purity in their dating relationships to glorify the Lord and follow His Word (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Christians and Dating Though there are many dating methods and rules suggested in Christian circles, the Bible does not explicitly discuss how a Christian should approach dating. However, Christians need to view dating differently than those in the world, which promotes impurity and sexual immorality.
Instead of merely thinking about their own preferences in finding a boyfriend or girlfriend with the intention of marrying, believers should place God first in their lives and seek to be pleasing to Him in all they do, including dating.
Staying focused on one’s love for God will provide a proper perspective for romantic relationships since God is the one who provides ultimate fulfillment and love.
Many of us have experienced what it is like to be told that we cannot be with others during the COVID isolation period. It posed challenges of learning to love others and connect with them in safe ways. Planning any kind of prom, shower, wedding, graduation, or funeral was a nightmare. Humanity longed and prayed for a day when we could be together again in our churches, schools, and communities. Now as everything is opening back up, there is a new divide that is not a virus, but a vaccine. I am not going to tell you what to decide, but I want to encourage you how to love well when there are many different opinions on the COVID-19 vaccine.
We don’t observe the Old Testament Law today, but we can still fall into the same mindset when we try to live according to our works. If we approach the Throne based on how much we read the Bible, go to church, give, visit, or witness, we do the same things the Pharisees did. This works-based mentality means we are dependent upon what we do to please God and not on what Jesus has already done.
Good works should be a fruit of our relationship with God, not a means to try to obtain His acceptance. Nothing we do can bring more affection to us from our Father.
The Word as flesh fulfilled the Law. Faith in what He did is what saves us. We are to rely on His holiness and not our works.
Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.
1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
Psalm 41:3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.
Hi again! It’s me the Christian Tech Nerd. I hope you are having an AMAZING day! I just read the below story and it made me so sad and I would like anyone’s feedback on it! I HATE websites and companies such as OnlyFans that exploit young women and cause them to sell their souls to sinful perverted men! I am a young 22 year old Christian woman that had to delete ALL of my social media accounts because too many men kept messaging me with rude and perverse comments…and I BLAME gross “porn” sites like OnlyFans for creating a culture that rewards perverts. I DO NOT blame the women who sell their bodies on OnlyFans because I believe they are lost souls that need guidance and are being taken advantage of without their knowing. I urge all women to believe in themselves to be more than just a naked body and to pick up a bible and learn about the blessings of Christianity.
Anyways, I’ve rambled enough…please read the below story and feel free to share your comments with me.
News article starts here:
“OnlyFans has chosen to continue its exploitation, despite knowing that it will face increasing criminal scrutiny over reports of filmed child sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other non-consensually recorded sex acts being sold on its website,” said Haley McNamara, vice president of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
NCOSE highlighted a BBC investigation that found minors under 18 have used fake IDs to set up accounts. The BBC investigation also discovered that a 14-year-old girl used a grandmother’s passport to create an account.
“If OnlyFans couldn’t distinguish between a girl fresh out of middle school and her grandmother, this ‘verification’ system is systemically flawed,” McNamara said. “And this problem is inherent because OnlyFans allows user-uploaded content, like other pornography tube websites, with weak age of consent verification of those depicted in the material. This problematic policy creates a platform that is rife for abuse and criminality.”
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation will hold OnlyFans accountable for “enabling abuse and exploitation,” and “we reiterate our call on the Department of Justice to join the FBI and other law enforcement agencies in investigating this platform,” McNamara said.
Earlier this month, OnlyFans said it would begin banning sexually explicit content on October 1. That announcement came after banks and companies that handle financial transactions requested that OnlyFans stop hosting pornography.
But in its Wednesday tweet, OnlyFans implied that it had rectified its dilemma.
“We have secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community and have suspended the planned October 1 policy change,” the tweet said. “OnlyFans stands for inclusion, and we will continue to provide a home for all creators.”
The Christian Tech-Nerd 