How long have you been a cop? Are you still at the same level of expertise as you were the day you graduated from the academy? If that was several years ago, I hope the answer is NO! But some people are like that spiritually. They become born-again and then fail to grow up in the Lord!
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” - Proverbs 14:12
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” – Proverbs 21:2
Did you know that the moment you step off the range after a firearms training session your skills immediately begin to deteriorate? The only way to keep your firearms skills up is to shoot, and to shoot as often as you can. When the born-again believer stops studying God’s Word, even for a day, he stops growing and spiritual deterioration sets in immediately. When you stop climbing, you start slipping! One can never “arrive” spiritually in this life; there is always room for growth! It’s kind of like a toddler who never progresses out of diapers. Not good.
The Bible is full of examples where people did what they thought in their hearts was right, but it was wrong according to the revealed will of God. Others went ahead and did what they wanted, even though they knew it was wicked in the sight of the LORD. And they all reaped the consequences because when people choose to do what God prohibits, or when they refuse to do what God commands them to do, they commit sin. And sin always comes with consequences. Have you learned that yet in your own life?
BEWARE OF SUGAR-COATED FEEL-GOOD NO-TRUTH-REQUIRED TEACHING
“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” – Romans 10:2-3
The serious bodybuilder won’t get far if all he consumes are Cokes and candy bars; and yet there are groups whose teachings contain all the sugar-coated emotionalism and positive talk a person could ever want to hear, but the whole thing lacks the righteousness of God. His life-changing applicable Truth demands more than a superficial emotional experience.
People who sit under the instruction of “feel good preaching” which contains no real Truth will spiritually wither and faint. That is not the way to grow strong in the faith and have victory over sin and temptation in your life! The serious spiritual bodybuilder needs to be instructed in righteousness based upon correct Biblical doctrine. It is not an easy road. It requires obedience to Christ and solid spiriutal nutrition!
BEWARE OF EASY-BELIEVISM, CHEAP GRACE, NO-GROWTH-EXPECTED TEACHING
“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
- Luke 5:32
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
God’s grace was not cheaply gained. It cost God the life of His very own Son. And Jesus expects all those who will be saved by Him to be obedient to Him. True repentance results in obedience which produces a changed life characterized by regular spiritual growth! The grace of God proves the existence of His holiness and justice: it presents absolute Truth and has the power to save us from eternity in Hell. Unfortunately, the Bible says that there are people who will turn God’s grace into a cheap thing.
They will tell you that you can be saved simply by mumbling a few words in a quick “sinner’s prayer.” And they won’t care if you make an immediate return to the old life with no thought given to true repentance and obedience to Christ!
Jesus did not submit Himself to crucifixion on the cross just so we could continue to sin! He did not suffer and die so that we could join a “religious social club.” He wants us to get serious!
There are those groups who will tell people everything they would ever want to hear about how God loves them and accepts them just as they are, which is true; but they will fail to teach that God hates sin and He expects them to repent, change their ways, obey Him, and live a life of victory over sin and temptation! They’ll also teach that forgiveness comes automatically to everybody because of Christ’s death on the cross; or that you will go to Heaven because you were baptized as a baby. This is not found in the Bible! There can be no forgiveness without repentance!
And there will be those who tell you that nobody will judge you if you go to their church! If that is true, then they will not teach you the Bible! God’s Word is full of judgments against sin and unrepentant sinners! What good would it do if they made you feel comfortable by not addressing the sin in your life!
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” – Proverbs 27:6
“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” – Romans 1:18
“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” – Luke 5:32
BEWARE OF THOSE WHO WATER-DOWN OR ADD TO THE WORD OF GOD
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
- II Peter 2:1
“But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” – Matthew 15:9
Still yet, there are groups which teach all sorts of heresy (absolute false doctrine) which may include the writings of their own founders, “prophets,” or “oracles” as equally authoritative as the Word of God Itself. Some actually teach that their writings supercede the Bible in authority! This is foolish. God’s Word is the only true standard!
Go back to the basics: The Bible teaches that we are all born as sinners bound for Hell. Jesus was the Righteous Lamb of God Who died to save repentant sinners. He rose from the dead, and we are saved only by grace through faith in Him; Salvation is a gift of God which we cannot earn. We must each willingly enter into a personal relationship with Christ through repentance, belief, and verbal acknowledgement in order to be saved.
It is Jesus plus nothing; Jesus minus nothing! Any teaching of salvation by good works or by worship or baptism, by the taking of any type of sacrament, or by any other thing added to the simple Grace of God through Jesus Christ is a false teaching. Run away from him who teaches it!
Here is what spiritual growth should look like:
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 1:5-8
Now start reading your Bible! If you don’t have one, let me know and I will do my best to get you one!
24/7 Toll-Free: 1-866-336-9030
Email: tsherman26@yahoo.com