The Righteous lead Blameless lives

I was thinking a little more about the battle preparation we need to undertake regularly against the forces of evil at work in this present age:

Ephesians 6

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

A former pastor of mine pointed out that most of our gear is defensive in nature, and that's what a fighter/warrior should strive towards. We don't start the fight. I strive for a strong defense (which can be quite painful to a foe as well!) followed by a decisive counter-offense.

However, note that we are encouraged to have "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." I'm not going to just sit back and let the devil take pot shots at me. If an attack comes my way, I have no problem taking out that "sword" to slay the dragon like Jesus did when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4: 10).

In all my years of being a Christian, saved when I was 5, I have yet to meet a believer who thinks or believes grace is a license to sin.

Yet, that sentiment has been posted in this forum quite a few times over the years and you have to wonder why.

Amen I wish I could say things better and more precisely but I am what I am , and you got the message added your touch and I totally agree

This part

“By the power of God's Spirit and grace, we are transformed into a new creation where the sinful life becomes repulsive and undesirable.”

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:

the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

….. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63, 66-69‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

when we read scripture like this

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

It’s so absolutely true and biblical and real and will always be But we can’t let this one scripture erase the rest of what Jesus was saying In His words that’s going to change our thinking and actions because we’re hearing the truth it’s going to bring us to repentance

He’s a teacher as well not just a sacrificial lamb he’s also the living z Lord and God

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:46-49‬ ‭KJV‬‬

see if we believe his words then this is going to create the right thinking in us like it did for James who summarizes this message “ be not o my hearers of the word be ye doers of the word and so be blessed “ but if you only hear and then go on as the old mknd and heart your deceiving yourself “


Paul says this on almost every epistle too the Bible always says no sinning and if you did you have to repent and do good this is the most consistent message from God to man “ if you keep sinning and won’t repent your going to perish like every other person who keeps sinning but if you will hear what I’m telling you will give you life you will live “

aid we hear Gods word as believers doing it becomes a new natural

loves the read and think it’s really edifying so I won’t mess it up by elaborating !!! Wonderful post thanks for sharing

I really enjoy reading your in-depth postings, Pilgrim, and you express yourself very well in my opinion (coming from an English teacher...)!

hahaha well you made my day with that one !! I’ve always perceived that I wrote as a small child who needs grammar and etiquette lessons still maybe uses crayons a lot

But honestly I’m an old hillbilly from the holler back east and a bit south . never had any reason to write much after school ended we went straight to work on the rows until evening then to military then to work in construction for the next 50 years or so and never did keep Practiced since school

I wish now I had written a lot and kept practice but 12 hour days don’t leave slot with your hands and mind lol

i never really wrote much in life till I retired and my nephew made this account for me . so I’m not a good writer as far as structure and discipline goes i don’t think I’d pass the final exam in class🙂

Bit I’m glad and really appreciate that you can see past all that part and understand what I’m saying I try but sometimes I can’t do well Arthur is not kind to my hands

i rewllt appreciate the encouragement and moreso your edifying and kind generous responses understsnding and allowing for my vast imperfections grace is a good thing to share in towards one another regarding flaws

you shine

I think you hit the nail on the head, Niki. I haven't met a true believer in my 35+ years as a Christian who believes grace is a license to sin either.

But, I do know people who claim to be Christians, yet they cheat others in business, cheat on their spouses, drink excessively, and generally set a poor example to non-Christians. And these folks think they are upstanding "Christians" because they attend a respected church and live an "upper class" lifestyle (i.e."blessed by God"--not).

Jude is talking about non-believers we need to beware of slipping into our flock with this destructive perspective, not true believers.

For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord (Jude v. 4).

Jude calls people who think grace is an open checkbook to wilfully sin "ungodly", condemned, and perverted in essence.

Paul addresses this nonsense idea as well:

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

We don't have to worry about those of us who are true believers in Christ thinking and living this grace-polluting lifestyle. However, just as the early church needed to be on guard against wolves entering the flock with false and destructive ideas and lifestyles, we need to beware in our church era as well.

As much as I'm a grammar and structure guy (drilled into me through years of rigorous training...), content is king--and, you have great content in your postings, brother!

“content is king--and, you have great content in your postings, brother!”

I’m rubber your glue ?

thats the pot calling’ the ole kettle black ?

why did the chicken cross the …. Wait no no , that one doesn’t work ( lol high blood sugar I guess )

But I’m saying I also think the same of your posts yu always have something that helps or adds to or even helps me think of a different idea like with those numbers regarding the apostles in heaven and elders I always took those literal also but was asking you “ how do people take the numbers in rev. Literal ?”

i always appreciate discussing when the person has the right spirit and the lord blesses the interaction with some edification or correction in thinking

you also have great posts and they are appreciated

That's the beauty of like-minded Christian fellowship. Iron sharpens iron!!!

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:11-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We are all of one body and need one another to be complete and to grow up together in faith rather than being seperated by it because of envy and strife and bickering and disagreements and accusations

If we intend to learn and share and edify and receive edification we will together if we bicker and argue each point we won’t