Obsession with Confession (1 John 1:9, sin confession)

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Sep 4, 2012
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You have some real issues. About all you do is copy/paste from that website.

Are you affiliated with them in any way? Or do you receive, or have you received, material benefit for directing traffic to that website?

I know I've asked this question 4 other times, and you haven't answered yes or no. Just trying again.

The Laodiceans were a very religious church. They were doing so much for God that they thought they had it made. They thought they were rich but Jesus said they were poor. They thought they didn’t need a thing but Jesus said:

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Rev 3:18)

Can you buy your salvation?!

Wait a second. Is Jesus saying salvation is something that can be bought? And if the Laodiceans were truly poor, how could they afford to buy anything?

To buy something is to exchange something we already own for something that we value more. Jesus is counseling the Laodiceans to give up what they have in exchange for three things that he offers:


  1. “refined gold” speaks of Christ our perfect and everlasting treasure


  1. “white clothes” speaks of Christ’s righteousness


  1. “salve” speaks of having a revelation of who Christ is and what he has done at the cross

The Laodiceans were busy doing church stuff. They thought they were rich but without Christ you’re poor. They thought they were good, but without his righteousness you’re naked. They thought they could see but unless you’re looking at things from Christ’s point of view you’re as good as blind. The Laodiceans thought they had it made, but Jesus said they had missed the way. Like Martha, they were so distracted with what they were doing that they hadn’t noticed that Jesus wasn’t with them.

They needed a revelation that he was on the outside knocking, wanting to come in.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he with Me.” (Rev 3:20)

Religion keeps God outside

To “behold” Jesus is to see him. Jesus is saying, “see me, hear me, open the door to me and I will come in.” What is God’s will for the lost? He wants to come in and have a meal. He wants to have fellowship. Religion says that God is distant and unapproachable, but Grace personified says, “I want to come in and be with you.”

The redeemed life that Jesus offers is free but it’s still up to us to “buy” into it. You might say we “buy” salvation by exchanging our sins for his forgiveness, but the real exchange is Jesus for us. Derek Prince calls this the “divine exchange.”

Jesus went to the cross, took our sin and in return he gave us his righteousness. He took our hurts and gave us his healing. He took our rejection and gave us our acceptance. He took our death and gave us his life. I would say that was a good exchange, wouldn’t you?

Christianity is a Divine Exchange, our life for his. No doubt you’ve heard people say that following Jesus costs you everything. And it does. You cannot call him Lord without renouncing the right to your own life.

But see the bigger picture here folks! See what you get in exchange! If salvation means nothing more to you than self-denial and personal sacrifice, you’ve missed the whole point. Without him we are poor, naked and blind. With him we’re truly and eternally rich!

Notice how Jesus encouraged the Laodiceans to “become rich.” When you have Jesus as your treasure, you have the greatest treasure in the universe. When you have Jesus you are truly, literally, and eternally wealthy.

Somehow we have bought into the idea that God is stingy and wants us poor. But the Bible declares we are forgiven in “accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Eph 1:7), we are strengthened according to his “glorious riches” (Eph 3:16), and we have all needs supplied according to his “glorious riches” (Ph 4:19). This may come as a bit of a shock, but God is not poor. And his kids aren’t poor either. In Christ we have a rich and glorious inheritance (Eph 1:18).

Religion bankrupts but grace enriches

So here’s the deal. Religion says you slave away doing religious things, perhaps earning the praise of men, but ultimately reaping condemnation and death. Grace says:

“Come, all you who are thirsty… and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (Is 55:1)

This is not a fair exchange. God favors us with this exchange. We give him our sinful, godless little selves and get everything in return.

“If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?” (Rms 8:32, MSG)

If you succeed at religion you will be tempted to think, “I am rich and I don’t need a thing.” But religion only bankrupts you. The only way to “become rich” is to buy into the riches of God’s grace revealed in Christ Jesus.

At the end of the day there are only two kinds of people in the world; those whose self righteousness leads them to say, “I don’t need a thing,” and those whose spiritual poverty causes them to say, “I need Jesus.”
Which one are you?

You can go to church your entire life and completely miss it with God. You can serve like a Laodicean with all the enthusiasm of a Pharisee and think you have it made. But without Jesus you’ve got nothing.

Christianity is not about doing stuff. Christianity is about an exchanged life; ours for his. See it from his point of view and make Christ your eternal treasure.
 
Nov 22, 2015
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Just giving people a grace-based view of Revelation 3....some people are interested in teaching on subjects....and people have thanked me for sending them to this site so that they could feed themselves .....so as I said before these posts are not for you but for others .

...and I have told you before that "no" still means "no" that I do not nor have ever received "material" benefit from giving people a grace-based view of scriptures by using this website...lol....this guy with the website has dissected a lot of the scriptures and has grace-based views.

I do however get great benefit from knowing people are being set free from religious views from man-made traditions and that they are being blessed with the grace and absolute love of our Lord Jesus and the Father for them!..that is why I share this great grace of the gospel of Christ.

The Lord bless you!...I am praying for you...I pray you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus!.....:)
 
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Sep 4, 2012
14,424
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Just giving people a grace-based view of Revelation 3....some people are interested in teaching on subjects....and people have thanked me for sending them to this site so that they could feed themselves .....so as I said before these posts are not for you but for others .

...and I have told you before that "no" still means "no" that I do not nor have ever received "material" benefit from giving people a grace-based view of scriptures by using this website...lol....this guy with the website has dissected a lot of the scriptures and has grace-based views.

I do however get great benefit from knowing people are being set free from religious views from man-made traditions and that they are being blessed with the grace and absolute love of our Lord Jesus and the Father for them!..that is why I share this great grace of the gospel of Christ.

The Lord bless you!...I am praying for you...I pray you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus!.....:)
OK well that's the 5th time you've refused to directly answer my question. That's not normal behavior, so it really only leads to one conclusion.
 

fredoheaven

Senior Member
Nov 17, 2015
4,110
960
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You can go to church your entire life and completely miss it with God. You can serve like a Laodicean with all the enthusiasm of a Pharisee and think you have it made. But without Jesus you’ve got nothing.

Christianity is not about doing stuff. Christianity is about an exchanged life; ours for his. See it from his point of view and make Christ your eternal treasure.
Hi here is a positive view about chuch and make Christ your eternal treasure.

1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in ChristJesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of JesusChrist our Lord, both theirs and ours:


Glorify Christ in His Church.

Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Love Christ in His Church.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Give no offense to the church of God.

1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

Praise God in His Church.

Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to thechurch daily such as should be saved.

Seek to Edify others in the Church

1 Corinthians 14:12Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

God bless
 
Nov 22, 2015
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OK well that's the 5th time you've refused to directly answer my question. That's not normal behavior, so it really only leads to one conclusion.
You can read my response again as I have highlighted it in blue in my previous post to you.

This is absolutely the last time I am going to answer you on your insinuations. I don't know what kind of malice you are attempting to convey.

I do not know what part of "no" you do not understand. I am not putting up the definition of the complicated word called "no" again.....this should suffice again for the last time....God bless you brother!

Just giving people a grace-based view of Revelation 3....some people are interested in teaching on subjects....and people have thanked me for sending them to this site so that they could feed themselves .....so as I said before these posts are not for you but for others .

...and I have told you before that "no" still means "no" that I do not nor have ever received "material" benefit from giving people a grace-based view of scriptures by using this website...lol....this guy with the website has dissected a lot of the scriptures and has grace-based views.

I do however get great benefit from knowing people are being set free from religious views from man-made traditions and that they are being blessed with the grace and absolute love of our Lord Jesus and the Father for them!..that is why I share this great grace of the gospel of Christ.

The Lord bless you!...I am praying for you...I pray you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus!...
 
Jan 15, 2011
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You were all talking about Revelation 3 earlier and a grace based view of Revelation 3?

Revelation 3:14-16 NKJV

[SUP]14 [/SUP]“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans[SUP][[/SUP][SUP]f[/SUP][SUP]][/SUP] write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: [SUP]15 [/SUP]“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. [SUP]16 [/SUP]So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,[SUP][g][/SUP] I will vomit you out of My mouth.

The Laodiceans were a very religious church. Laodicea stands for the rule of the laity or people. They were keeping themselves busy doing what they thought was holy for God that they thought that they had it made. Revelation 3 speaks specifically about their lukewarmness, a mixture of cold and hot. Something that has never been in the Lord cannot have warmth as they have always been cold. To be lukewarm, something hot is diluted with something cold.

They wanted to have a foot in both worlds, following the ways of the world/man and then following the ways of God. They essentially promoted a mixture, benefiting from following the precepts of the world, and professing with their mouths the words and ways of God. They thought they were spiritually rich, but Jesus said they were poor. They thought they didn’t need anything because everything was going right in their lives by the standards of the world. The world was not offended by them because there were elements of how the world operated in this church. They taught a lukewarm doctrine that sounded nice, appeared nice, and felt nice, so the laity was fully on board with the teaching. There was no dissension or conflict because they were unified in their beliefs.

The Laodiceans while justified in Christ, fell back to the ways of the world so they could incorporate them into the worship of God. They produced a doctrine that did not offend the world, but in the process compromised the 100% absolute unadulterated truth of God’s word. Unless you’re looking at things from Christ’s point of view, you’re as good as blind. We have the mind of Christ when we operate in the Spirit. We do not have the mind of Christ when we operate by the flesh. So distracted by their worldly mixed ways, they hadn’t noticed that Jesus was not with them.

Thus this Church, Justified in Christ and who had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was not hot. Neither was this church cold because they professed with their mouths Christ, knew the basic milk and were Justified in Christ Jesus. The proof of their justification is that they are a Church and IN the Body of Christ. Because they were neither hot nor cold however, the Lord summarily vomits them out of His mouth and thus out of His Body.

Revelation 3:17-20 NKJV
[SUP]17 [/SUP]Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— [SUP]18 [/SUP]I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. [SUP]19 [/SUP]As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. [SUP]20 [/SUP]Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.


The Laodiceans believed that they were rich because everything was going well for them. They were wealthy by their mixed worldly understanding of the precepts of God and the success they had in their lives and in the world. People were earnestly doing what they thought God wanted them to do, but it was this mixing of worldly ways and Godly ways that ultimately caused the lukewarmness and condition of being poor. They were blind and naked. Their mixture of doctrine and tradition and feelings had blinded them to the scriptural truths. They were naked without armor or covering and unable to spiritually stand against the enemy because of their doctrine and traditions and beliefs.

Thus Christ counsels them to buy from Him certain things. Is this a reference to “buying” salvation? Of course not. To buy something is to exchange something we already own for something that we value more. This Church at Laodicea had come to own a false doctrine and belief system that caused them to fall into lukewarmness. It is not talking about buying salvation at all. Salvation is our Justification and is a point in time event. This church has already been Justified. It is the Sanctification process where they have strayed from Him, the process of being separate from the world and walking in Him, our race of faith. It is…. a church and was part of the Body of Christ. Thus when Christ counsels them to buy things from Him, He wants them to repent and return to Him, seeking Him for these items because they can only be found in Him.

Gold in the bible refers to ways that are tried by fire and standing tall at the end of the experience. Without the testing of our faith, what belief do we truly have? How have we applied the word of God in our lives so as to stand amid the fiery darts, excel spiritually, and persevere through it all?
White garments always represents righteousness and the righteous acts of the saints which were absent in conduct and a life mixed with the world and its basic precepts instead of God’s 100% absolute truth.
God exhorted them to apply eye salve (from Him) so they may see with His truth and not their doctrine which led them to lukewarmness in the first place.

God loves this Church that He has vomited out of His body. It is GRACE that He gives this church such a drubbing so they may be zealous and repent. It is GRACE that He has rebuked this church and chastened this church to the extreme. The option is now open to them to take and return to Him. For those who heed, by their zeal for Him and repentance when confronted by the simple fact that they had been in sin, Jesus stands at the door and they hear His knock. Repenting of their sin (change and turn from sin), they open the door at His knock and He comes in to them and dines with them as they dine with Him. This is a beautiful depiction of God’s love that He gives to His people and His mercy and grace when we repent of sin! It’s by His grace that this Church has a chance to still stand right with the Lord! Seek the Lord while He may be found!

Revelation 3:21-22 NKJV
[SUP]21 [/SUP]To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
[SUP]22 [/SUP]“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”

Thus this Laodicean, lukewarm church experienced God’s grace in their sin. The door was left open and those that repented and returned back to the Lord overcame. They were granted to sit with Him on His throne as He overcame and sat with the Father on His throne. What a merciful God we have who is full of GRACE!





The Laodiceans were a very religious church. They were doing so much for God that they thought they had it made. They thought they were rich but Jesus said they were poor. They thought they didn’t need a thing but Jesus said:

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Rev 3:18)

Can you buy your salvation?!

Wait a second. Is Jesus saying salvation is something that can be bought? And if the Laodiceans were truly poor, how could they afford to buy anything?

To buy something is to exchange something we already own for something that we value more. Jesus is counseling the Laodiceans to give up what they have in exchange for three things that he offers:


  1. “refined gold” speaks of Christ our perfect and everlasting treasure


  1. “white clothes” speaks of Christ’s righteousness


  1. “salve” speaks of having a revelation of who Christ is and what he has done at the cross

The Laodiceans were busy doing church stuff. They thought they were rich but without Christ you’re poor. They thought they were good, but without his righteousness you’re naked. They thought they could see but unless you’re looking at things from Christ’s point of view you’re as good as blind. The Laodiceans thought they had it made, but Jesus said they had missed the way. Like Martha, they were so distracted with what they were doing that they hadn’t noticed that Jesus wasn’t with them.

They needed a revelation that he was on the outside knocking, wanting to come in.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he with Me.” (Rev 3:20)

Religion keeps God outside

To “behold” Jesus is to see him. Jesus is saying, “see me, hear me, open the door to me and I will come in.” What is God’s will for the lost? He wants to come in and have a meal. He wants to have fellowship. Religion says that God is distant and unapproachable, but Grace personified says, “I want to come in and be with you.”

The redeemed life that Jesus offers is free but it’s still up to us to “buy” into it. You might say we “buy” salvation by exchanging our sins for his forgiveness, but the real exchange is Jesus for us. Derek Prince calls this the “divine exchange.”

Jesus went to the cross, took our sin and in return he gave us his righteousness. He took our hurts and gave us his healing. He took our rejection and gave us our acceptance. He took our death and gave us his life. I would say that was a good exchange, wouldn’t you?

Christianity is a Divine Exchange, our life for his. No doubt you’ve heard people say that following Jesus costs you everything. And it does. You cannot call him Lord without renouncing the right to your own life.

But see the bigger picture here folks! See what you get in exchange! If salvation means nothing more to you than self-denial and personal sacrifice, you’ve missed the whole point. Without him we are poor, naked and blind. With him we’re truly and eternally rich!

Notice how Jesus encouraged the Laodiceans to “become rich.” When you have Jesus as your treasure, you have the greatest treasure in the universe. When you have Jesus you are truly, literally, and eternally wealthy.

Somehow we have bought into the idea that God is stingy and wants us poor. But the Bible declares we are forgiven in “accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Eph 1:7), we are strengthened according to his “glorious riches” (Eph 3:16), and we have all needs supplied according to his “glorious riches” (Ph 4:19). This may come as a bit of a shock, but God is not poor. And his kids aren’t poor either. In Christ we have a rich and glorious inheritance (Eph 1:18).

Religion bankrupts but grace enriches

So here’s the deal. Religion says you slave away doing religious things, perhaps earning the praise of men, but ultimately reaping condemnation and death. Grace says:

“Come, all you who are thirsty… and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (Is 55:1)

This is not a fair exchange. God favors us with this exchange. We give him our sinful, godless little selves and get everything in return.

“If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?” (Rms 8:32, MSG)

If you succeed at religion you will be tempted to think, “I am rich and I don’t need a thing.” But religion only bankrupts you. The only way to “become rich” is to buy into the riches of God’s grace revealed in Christ Jesus.

At the end of the day there are only two kinds of people in the world; those whose self righteousness leads them to say, “I don’t need a thing,” and those whose spiritual poverty causes them to say, “I need Jesus.”
Which one are you?

You can go to church your entire life and completely miss it with God. You can serve like a Laodicean with all the enthusiasm of a Pharisee and think you have it made. But without Jesus you’ve got nothing.

Christianity is not about doing stuff. Christianity is about an exchanged life; ours for his. See it from his point of view and make Christ your eternal treasure.
 
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L

ladylynn

Guest
The Laodicean church was one of the most messed up churches in the Bible. So I guess it should be no surprise that today it remains one of the most preached about churches. We can learn a lot from other people’s mistakes.

In Revelations 3:14-21, Jesus gives the Laodicean church a stern warning. It was a warning that was intended to save them. In other words, Jesus was showing them the way to freedom, redemption and life. (That sounds good right?) Yet for 2,000 years preachers have used Jesus’ words as a religious rod for beating Christians.

And when Christians allow themselves to be condemned by this sort of thing, it’s like taking someone else’s medicine.
In Part 1 of this series I asked, what made the Laodiceans lukewarm? (Hint: it wasn’t apathy.)

In Part 2, I asked, why did the Laodiceans make Jesus nauseous? (Hint: perhaps they reminded him of the people who nailed him to the cross.)
In today’s post I want to look more closely at Jesus’ assessment of the Laodiceans:

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev 3:17)

Self-righteousness says, “I have made it on my own. I don’t need a thing.” This is exactly what the Laodiceans were saying to themselves. But Jesus said the truth was very different. He said they were lost and in danger of rejection.

Jesus never wastes words. He never says anything he doesn’t mean. So when he says the Laodiceans are “wretched and pitiful,” he is saying they are in a bad state. Just so they don’t have any uncertainty about this, he adds that they’re also “poor, blind and naked.”

Who is Jesus talking to?

Now here’s the $64,000 question. Is Jesus talking to sinners or saints? Were the Laodiceans saved or lost when Jesus gave them this message?

I can think of three reasons why we might think the Laodiceans were Christians:

(1) They’re collectively referred to as a “church.”

(2) The idea of Jesus vomiting them out of his body makes us think they were at least once part of his body.

(3) Jesus says, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.” Discipline is usually reserved for sons while love suggests the body of Christ.

(Have I missed other reasons?)

But here are ten reasons why some of the Laodiceans were probably not saved:

(1) Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian. There are many people in church who don’t know Jesus, who have neither repented nor put their trust in him. The Laodiceans may have called themselves a church, but they were a church in name only. They may have acted godly, but theirs’ was a counterfeit, useless form of godliness.

(2) We vomit up things that are foreign and do not belong to us. We don’t vomit up body parts. To use the vomit argument as evidence of the Laodicean’s membership in the body of Christ is like saying we can vomit up an arm or a foot.

(3) The love of God is not limited to the church. “For God so loved the world that gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). Jesus said “love your enemies” and while we were his enemies he reconciled us to God (Rms 5:10). We might say a sinner is not loved by God. But God is in the business of calling the unlovely and unloved “my loved one” (Rms 9:25), and thank God he did or you wouldn’t be reading this! And while it’s true sons get special attention from their fathers (Heb 12:8), the whole world needs a life-saving rebuke from a loving Savior. Part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world (not Christians) of sin (Jn 16:9). It is perfectly consistent with Jesus’ character and mission to say he loves sinners enough to rebuke them.

(4) Of all the seven churches Jesus addresses in Revelations 1-3, the Laodicean church is the only one where Jesus has nothing positive to say. There is no affirmation, nothing to commend. Even in the churches where there was rampant sin (e.g., Sardis) Jesus could identify a “few who had not soiled their clothes.” But no group of believers is singled out in Laodicea.

(5) Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus refer to Christians as “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Yet these terms are used in many places to describe sinners in general and religious sinners in particular. In Matthew 23 Jesus describes the Pharisees as “blind” five times. It is the lost who are wretched and pitiful, not those who’ve been redeemed and are now kept by Jesus.

(6) The Laodiceans were mixing law and grace just like the Galatians, but unlike the Galatians there is no hint that they ever “began with the Spirit” (Gal 3:3). The Galatians had witnessed a move of God, but by the time Paul wrote to them they were “deserting the one who called you” (Gal 1:6). There is no indication that the Laodiceans are walking away from God. There is no evidence to suggest they had ever received the grace of God.

(7) Even though he had not met them personally, Paul wanted the Laodiceans to read the letter he wrote to the Colossians (Col 2:1, 4:16). For some reason Paul saw a need to warn the Laodiceans against being taken captive through “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human traditions and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Col 2:8).

This hints at Pharisaical tendencies that promote works and independence from God. Paul wanted them to reject this teaching and become wholly dependent on Christ. Evidently they didn’t listen because by the time of John’s vision they were saying “we don’t need a thing.”

(8) Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Those who believe in the Son are not judged” (Jn 3:18, GNB). Other translations use the word “condemned.” In Revelations 3 Jesus is judging the Laodiceans. He is hinting that they are at risk of being condemned and utterly rejected. Condemnation and rejection is what happens to unrepentant sinners. There is “no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (Rm 8:1), not now, not ever.

(9) Five of the Revelations churches are accused by Jesus of various misdeeds. Four of those churches (Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis) are rebuked for bad doctrine which has led to bad deeds. But with the Laodiceans the fault is themselves. Their deeds reveal that they are lukewarm.

The other churches are told to “remember,” “repent” and “hold fast” to what they already have. But the Laodiceans have nothing to remember, nothing to hold onto. There is nothing they have that might save them from being rejected by Jesus.

(10) Jesus said he was on the outside knocking and wondering whether anyone would hear his voice and open the door for him to come in (Rev 3:20).

Jesus has no fellowship with sinners, just as light doesn’t keep company with darkness. Although some have used this text in reference to Christians, it’s hard to reconcile with Colossians 1:27 where Paul writes that “Christ is in you.” To say Jesus was speaking to Christians is like saying Christ can be inside you and outside you at the same time. No, Jesus is addressing those who have not yet invited him in (i.e., sinners).

A church full of sinners?!

Is it possible that an entire church can be so caught up with their own religious performance that they don’t realize that they have left Jesus standing outside?

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:20)

A church is supposed to be an embassy for the kingdom of heaven. It’s supposed to be a place where people come to have an encounter with the living God. The sick get healed, the oppressed get delivered, the blind see, and the prisoners are freed. But in a church that is full of self-righteous religion none of these things can happen because Jesus isn’t there.

Why did Jesus say the Laodiceans were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked? For the same reason he said the Pharisees were woeful and blind.

“You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Mt 23:13)

Who’s wretched and pitiful? It’s the one outside the kingdom. Who’s poor? It is the one who has not received the riches of God’s grace. Who’s blind? It is the one who does not see what Jesus has already done for him. Who’s naked? It is the one who clothes himself with filthy acts of self-righteousness in a doomed attempt to make himself acceptable to a holy and perfection-demanding God.

Religion is bad for you

Nothing will keep you out of the kingdom of heaven like man-made religion. Nothing will keep you from the grace of God like self-righteousness.

Sin will kill you but religion will inoculate you against the only cure. It will give you a false sense that all is well, that you are rich and do not need a thing. And that’s why Jesus hates it.


Just doing some catching up., thanks for the links and the post!
 
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You can read my response again as I have highlighted it in blue in my previous post to you.

This is absolutely the last time I am going to answer you on your insinuations. I don't know what kind of malice you are attempting to convey.

I do not know what part of "no" you do not understand. I am not putting up the definition of the complicated word called "no" again.....this should suffice again for the last time....God bless you brother!
That's what's known as framing a response in a way that you don't have to answer it directly, but pretend that you have. An honest person IMO would have simply said yes or no. That's what was requested, and love would have provided the answer and eliminated all doubt (which is a godly thing to do). Your many words make it look like you have something to hide. And with your phrasing and quoted words, only doubt remains.
 
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You can go to church your entire life and completely miss it with God. You can serve like a Laodicean with all the enthusiasm of a Pharisee and think you have it made. But without Jesus you’ve got nothing.
True. You can also follow a spirit all of your life that you think is the holy spirit and miss it with GOD.
 

Magenta

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Jul 3, 2015
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That's what's known as framing a response in a way that you don't have to answer it directly, but pretend that you have. An honest person IMO would have simply said yes or no. That's what was requested, and love would have provided the answer and eliminated all doubt (which is a godly thing to do). Your many words make it look like you have something to hide. And with your phrasing and quoted words, only doubt remains.
Matthew 5:37, Jesus said,
"All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."
 
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So, you don't like the way I said 'no'...that I said other things while answering "no"?.........my goodness....so now you are dictating how to answer you?...and then to say if I don't answer the way you want....it's not godly or in love?....LOL.....I can see that I will have to keep my interaction with you to a minimum you keep your malice level from inflaming....:rolleyes:


That's what's known as framing a response in a way that you don't have to answer it directly, but pretend that you have. An honest person IMO would have simply said yes or no. That's what was requested, and love would have provided the answer and eliminated all doubt (which is a godly thing to do). Your many words make it look like you have something to hide. And with your phrasing and quoted words, only doubt remains.
 
Nov 22, 2015
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ROTFL........that is hilarious!...you just broke your own rule!...:rolleyes:


Matthew 5:37, Jesus said,
"All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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ROTFL........that is hilarious!...you just broke your own rule!...:rolleyes:
My own rule? What in the world are you on about? Nobody asked
me a yes or no question. You are obviously imagining things.
 
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Your scripture that you quoted was about taking oaths....you tried to apply it to someone telling another person to answer his question the way he wants some one to...not in the least in context here...but it was funny though....thanks for the laugh...


Matthew 5:34-37 (NASB)
[SUP]34 [/SUP] "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
[SUP]35 [/SUP] or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.
[SUP]36 [/SUP] "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
[SUP]37 [/SUP] "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.

My own rule? What in the world are you on about? Nobody asked
me a yes or no question. You are obviously imagining things.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
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Your scripture that you quoted was about taking oaths....you tried to apply it to someone telling another person to answer his question the way he wants some one to...not in the least in context here...but it was funny though....thanks for the laugh...


Matthew 5:34-37 (NASB)
[SUP]34 [/SUP] "But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
[SUP]35 [/SUP] or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.
[SUP]36 [/SUP] "Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
[SUP]37 [/SUP] "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.
It plainly, very plainly, so plainly even you cannot deny it regardless of what else may have been said in surrounding Scripture, it plainly stated let your yes be yes and your no be no. Again, nobody put a yes or no question to me. I simply provided Scripture for someone else and you chose to deride me for it. Your choice. It shows your character.
 

Goodnewsman

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Jan 4, 2016
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if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins? 1 john 2

did he not tell the churches in rev. "repent or else"

you must absolutely repent of sin.

what are the consequences of the sin of a Christian?

God does not justify future sin:

Romans 3:25 (KJV)
[SUP]25 [/SUP] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
 
S

sydlit

Guest
if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins? 1 john 2

did he not tell the churches in rev. "repent or else"

you must absolutely repent of sin.

what are the consequences of the sin of a Christian?

God does not justify future sin:

Romans 3:25 (KJV)
[SUP]25 [/SUP] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Verse 24 comes before 25:
'Being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:'

So, those sins are now past.
And passed...
into the depths of the sea, never to be remembered again.
When Jesus died on the cross, ALL your sins were in the future.
Which sins of yours did Jesus NOT pay for
when he died upon the cross?