Saturday, September 20, 2014

The Warnings of Paul in Romans 1-3

Following are serious warnings from Paul's writing in Romans. These are the warnings that are not being preached from the majority of preachers who at best are hirelings. They leave them alone or explain them away. Trust no man with your soul. I recommend you spend time and read them in context, but there is great value in focusing in on each warning. Many believers have never done this.

I see a pattern in much of the New Testament. The writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit greets, commends, praises and then warns. Some warnings clearly reject the so called "once saved always saved" teaching. 

In our day the warnings are left out of most preaching. 

Please brothers and sisters, judge yourselves. When you read the warnings do not read them thinking they do not apply to you and you cannot fall away. These warnings were given by Jesus to his disciples! It is a war to judge yourself. Jesus warned his disciples that if they did not abide in him they would be burned. Read Ezekiel 18. where Jesus gives the gospel.

The Warnings in the Book of Romans

Romans Chapter 1 NASB
      16For I am not ashamed of the gospelfor it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (the gentiles) 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
      18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
      24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
      26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
      28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longerGod gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Romans Chapter 2
      1Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things2And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.3But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: 7to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek10but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11For there is no partiality with God.
      12For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,16on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
Calv. 11

Romans Chapter 3
   9What then? Are we (the Jews) better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
10as it is written,
            “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUSNOT EVEN ONE;
      11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
            THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
      12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDETOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
            THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
            THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
      13“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
            WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
            “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
      14“WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
      15“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
      16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
      17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
      18“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
      19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
      21But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
      27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
      31Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

4 comments:

  1. This is Truth. Warren, thank you for your continuing obedience to God's word, and for not being ashamed of the Gospel of Truth. I have been struggling with an abusive, unbelieving friend whom I've known for most of my life. He says he's agnostic, he knows I'm a believer in the Lord Jesus. Tonight, after simply telling him the truth about something, I was taled to as though Satan himself was inhabiting this man. I do love him like a brother, yet he has stood so hard against the Truth, and has tried to make me feel as though I were wrong. I know I'm not. And I cannot ever go back to being the way he had seen me for most of our relationship. I have to move forward, thankful for each new day, and hoping to find brothers in Christ Jesus. True brothers, who only take the Word of the Lord and His apostles without twisting or distorting it to suit their desires.
    Warren, please pray that God will bring me to a brother in Christ, or him to me. I do not personally know any that believe. I agonize over this at times, and the only thing that comforts me is that I do know one sister in the Lord, and she has been invaluable in showing me, by her daily example, of how to love others. I hope to be like her in that regard as I go on.
    The Lord bless you and your true family,
    David

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    Replies
    1. David, I will be praying for you. As you wait for a truly Godly friend, stay in the scriptures, especially the New Testament. We are seeing God turning away from the West and to other nations. The nations that have had the gospel for centuries are apostatizing rapidly and are filled with false teachings.

      Hold on to Jesus and his word! You are not alone. If you have not, continue to pray to the Father that he will baptize/fill you with His Holy Spirit and give you power to overcome. As the disciples, we need power from the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave us a wonderful promise of the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:

      9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10“For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12“Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” NASB (Thank you for the encouragement!!! Warren)

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    2. Warren, Thank you for the timely response. I love the words of Jesus. You have been a blessing!
      I have been filled with the Holy Ghost, and I believe that is why I truly care about the salvation of others. It pains me to think of people walking through this life, not giving heed to what the Lord commands, perishing. Today is the day of salvation, and the only one we have. If, by the will of the Lord, we find ourselves in what we call 'tomorrow', it will be because of His mercy. That same mercy has been so long extended to people, that they have forgotten that they are not in control of their lives. The Lord has given them another day, for one purpose. To come to repentance. After that is servitude for the remainder of our time here. Sacrifice.
      How is it, my brother, that those who claim to be Believers do not even realize that the Greek and Hebrew meanings of 'believe' as recorded in Scripture entail obedience? God's people fear Him, humble themselves, and obey. The most sobering scripture of humility and obedience that one could read, as regards His servants is found in Luke 17: 7-10:

      7“Will any one of you who has a servantc plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,d and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
      No one can add anything to, or profit God. And no amount of sin from man, through disobedience, can take anything from Him.
      This is my life's lesson. And for a formally arrogant and defiant man like I was, it has been the one that has become my acid test. I feel about 2 inches tall everytime I read that scripture. It knocks me to my Spiritual knees. And I thank God for that!

      In brotherly Love,
      David

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