The Heaton File

“Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor, and do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,” says the Lord.” (Zechariah 8:17)

What God Hates

Hate is a strong word. It connotates a feeling of strong antagonism and dislike. The idea of hatred is seldom referenced to God’s character, but there are many things the scriptures say God hates. Among them are pride, lies, murder, wicked hearts, falsehood, and the spirit of discord, to name a few. The purity of God is manifested by His love for righteousness and His wrath described by his hatred of those who defile His name and His character. When men begin to rationalize the nature of God to be a kind and loving, benevolent Father incapable of discipline or wrath, they fail to understand the character of the Lord’s righteousness fully. What God hates comes from what God loves. Men hate with a cruel passion. The hatred of God is the purest form of righteousness against the works of the evil one, Satan.

There is no middle ground with evil. The message from the beginning of time is there are only two paths a man can walk. He can choose the broad way of self-satisfaction and pleasure or choose a narrow and challenging path of obedience. The roads of life have an inevitable ending, and that is where God’s nature is discovered. Willful disobedience to the word of the Lord will bring the wrath of God because the Lord God hates those who rebel against Him. The broad path of life ends in destruction. Only at the end of the narrow path of righteousness will joy and life be found. There is no other path a man can follow. He will choose the path that leads to the eternal love of God, or he will find the way leading to the eternal condemnation of the Father.

Zechariah the prophet lived in a day after the captivity of Israel to Babylon and Persia. Returning to their fathers’ land, the Jews struggled to regain their place in the worship of the Lord. The prevalent sins in the prophet’s days were not idolatry but cheating and lying, and injustice. Captivity had cured the hearts of the people from the idolatry that destroyed their nation earlier. Sin stilled burdened the hearts of the people with their neglect to consider their neighbor, and the prophet Zechariah admonishes the nation to see God’s view of their evil. God hates sin. He punished the generation before them, and He would punish them if they did not turn from their wickedness. Why does God warn of impending doom? He hated sin before, and He still hates sin.

God is a loving and kind Father, but He hates sin. His desire is for His children to speak truth to their neighbors with judgments of truth, justice, and peace. Anything short of that God hates with divine wrath. Men try to excuse their actions by pleading to the mercy and kindness of the Lord. This does not change the nature of God that He hates what sin does to His people. The hatred of God will determine the damnation of those who refuse to follow His word. This hatred is not a spiteful and evil emotion but the purity of divine righteousness. It is real. God’s love is unsearchable, and His hatred of evil is unending. He is a God of mercy and kindness, and He is a God of severity and punishment. It is proper to view God for whom He is and for whom He will be when all men stand before Him.

“For all these things I hate,” says the Lord. These are hard words. It is difficult to image God hating anything, and while He is not willing that any should perish and that all men should come to the blood of Jesus Christ – the wrath of God is against evil. The nature of God cannot abide by the spirit of rebellion. Sin was so severe and hated so much by God that it took the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to die for the sins of all men. God’s love is found in how He answered the question of sin. He loved the world and gave His only begotten Son. The cross is the answer to sin. Found in the blood of Christ is the love of God against all that He hates.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-4)

As Little Children

There is something magical about the innocence of a little child. The character of a pure heart fills the mind of children with trust, love, and devotion. Their allegiance is a natural acceptance of the world they are born in, with dependence measured by an inability to care for themselves. One of the greatest attributes of a child’s heart is the absence of pride and arrogance. These are learned later in life by hearts that have been corrupted with the envy of self-worth. Children can be fighting one minute, and the next to be the best of friends with all slights forgiven. The heart of a child cannot harbor anger and hatred. Innocence is not a failing but a noble attribute of their nature that makes beautiful children.

Jesus was an amazing man. He could cast out demons, raise the dead, heal all manner of diseases, and walk on water. The Lord rebuked the Jewish leaders’ hypocrisy, debate with impunity the cleverest of legal Jewish minds, and rebuke the harsh critics who attacked Him. There was a gentle side of the man from Nazareth as He enjoyed spending time with little children. Mothers would bring their little boys and girls for Jesus to bless them. He would take them in His arms and tell them words from His Father. It seems that children were often in the company of Jesus as on one occasion when the adults were arguing about greatness, Jesus took a little boy and set him in the midst of the disciples. He takes the little boy and tells the disciples that they will not enter the kingdom of heaven unless they become like a child. Jesus must have amazed the adults as they looked upon the pure face of a little boy who had little idea how important he was to Jesus. What was the boy’s name? Who were his parents? What became of the little boy that became an object lesson for Jesus?

Children are born in innocence and grow to adulthood where sin fills the heart. Salvation comes by conversion and this transformation happens when the spirit of the man returns to his childhood. Unless a man changes his heart to be trusting, loving, and forgiving, he cannot be pleasing to God. Adults are tasked to teach children, but adults must learn how to be faithful to the Lord.  The greatest in the kingdom are those who are humble. A child is not filled with pride. They depend wholly on others. When conflict arises, they forgive easily. The safest place they find themselves is in the bosom of their parents. When danger comes, they immediately run to the safety of their parents. Children of God depend wholly on their heavenly Father in a humble spirit of love. When conflicts arise in the family of God, they forgive easily. Their security is in the word of God, and when danger comes, they seek the word of the Lord through prayer. Christians must learn from children how to serve the Lord.

Life problems will be solved if children are placed in the midst of those who seek greatness. Jesus was a humble Son devoted to the will of His Father fully trusting in His Father’s will. The life of Jesus is a testimony to the heart of a child. If the Lord did not have the heart of a little child, He would never have accepted the cross and its suffering. Thank God Jesus had a child-like heart. His followers must develop a heart that is like a child. A servant’s heart. The spirit of love. A pure heart. Willing to sacrifice for others. Forgiving heart. A heart filled with God. Overflowing.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:20-26)

Faith In Prayer

Prayer is the most fundamental part of the relationship between God and man. It is not so much for God as it is for man to learn to talk with his Creator and trust the Lord to care for his needs. God created man to show the glory of the Divine. There is a dependence of the creature to his Maker. Prayer is the exercise of knowledge where a man learns the Father’s will and conveys his needs to God. The challenge of prayer is that it is more than just words spoken to impress or say the right things. Rooted in the character of talking to God is the germ of faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God, and this is especially true of prayer.

Faith believes in something unseen with the assurance that what is hoped for is real. The word of God opens the door of faith, accepting the Father’s promises as the heart obeys God’s will. From the beginning of time, men have prayed to God. It is in the nature of humanity to express deep feelings to his Creator. Jesus spent many hours in prayer. As the Son of God, He longed to speak to His Father and share His thoughts with His Father. The remarkable faith of Jesus is found in His prayer on the cross when He begged the Father to forgive those who were killing Him. These were not words of insincerity. The prayer of Jesus was as pure as His sinless heart. Faith and prayer are essential to one another.

A few weeks before Jesus was crucified, He came out of Bethany and was hungry. Seeing a fig tree afar off, the Lord went over to take of its fruit. When He arrived at the tree, He found nothing because it was not the season for figs. In response, Jesus cursed the tree. The next day, as the disciples and Jesus passed by the condemned fig tree, Peter took note the tree had withered. The Lord used the occasion to teach a lesson about faith and prayer. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus had cursed the tree, and it withered. The miracle of the cursing showed the power of faith in God to do an incredible thing. Jesus encouraged His disciples that prayer, coupled with faith, could move mountains. Doubt is a hindrance to effective prayer. When men pray to God, they must possess the spirit of faith to believe what they ask is possible. If God can show His power by withering a fig tree, what can He not accomplish in men?

Faith in prayer takes away the vain repetitions of impressive prayer. Some men like to hear their own prayers for verbosity, cleverness, and pride. Their words are not directed to God but to impress the heart of men. These careless words have no faith in their boasting. True prayer begins with faith and lives in faith. Jesus tells His disciples they can pray for anything, and if they believe that they will receive it, it will be theirs. Faith exemplified.

One of the most challenging parts of prayer is forgiveness. It is easy to ask God to forgive oneself, but it is hard to forgive others. Prayer comes with requirements. If a man prays and he is unwilling to forgive another, God will refuse to forgive him. Prayer is a vertical relationship between God and man, but it depends on man’s horizontal relationship with others. The will of the Lord is clear: if a man does not forgive his brother, God will not forgive the man. Faith can move mountains, and sometimes it requires greater faith to forgive another. Loving enemies and praying for them demands faith that will move the world. Without faith as the center of prayer, the plea becomes nothing but useless words. Faith in prayer allows God to take the reins of the heart and guide the soul of man according to His will. Trusting in the love of the Father is where faith finds its home in prayer. Pray fervently but pray in faith.

And according to the Law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (Hebrews 9:22-23)

It Was Necessary

Blood is essential for life. Without blood, life cannot survive. Following the flood, the Lord told Noah that life is sanctified in the blood because men are made in the image of God. Many animals have blood, but no creature is made in the image of God but man. Killing an animal is not murder but killing a man is an abomination before God. Before Christ, blood was used as the sacrificial offering for the sins of those under the Law of Moses. Untold numbers of bulls, goats, sheep, and oxen were slaughtered, and their blood poured upon the altar to appease the wrath of God. After all the blood that was shed by animals, sin still had not been defeated.

God commanded the offering of animals in the Law of Moses. Without blood, nothing was purified. The High Priest garments were stained with the centuries of sacrificial blood offered to atone the sins of the people as a reminder that nothing could wash away the defilement of sin. In those sacrifices, there was a reminder of sins every year. The blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins, although their blood was used to atone the people. Blood was the central image of the Law, but something was lacking.

The purpose of animal sacrifice was to impress upon the hearts of the Jews the sanctity of life. Something had to die so the people could live. Animals are sacred to the Creator and using them as a sacrifice was not without cause. Their blood was used to atone the people, but the problem lay in the reality that animals were not made in the Divine’s similitude. Only man’s blood would establish the reality of sin and the price required to pay for redemption. But human sacrifice was an abomination to the Lord. Under the Law, only animals without blemish were to be sacrificed. The problem with finding a man who had no sin was evident. There was never a man who did not battle sin and allow its corruption to defile them. Every man was blemished and forbidden to be offered as a sacrifice.

It was necessary for the blood of bulls and goats to be offered, seeking atonement for man’s sins because that was the will of God. However, because of its failure, there was a greater necessity to redeem man with the blood of a person who was without blemish. This person must be sinless. From Adam to Moses and David and all the great saints of God who lived righteous lives, no one was innocent. Therefore, the Son of God needed to take man’s form and shed His blood as an offering without blemish. It was required for the blood of Jesus to redeem man from sin. The death of Jesus was not a mistake. His sacrifice was a necessary part of saving men from the wrath of God.

For more than thirty years, Jesus suffered in the flesh resisting sin and battling Satan at every corner so that He could offer His blood for the redemption of humanity. He knew His death was necessary. It was a requirement to save men. Nothing could take the place of the blood of Jesus. As He faced the cross, He knew what He must do was necessary. His suffering was all that stood between man and God. In His agony, the Son of God cried out with the realization that His blood would redeem men. Thank God for what became necessary for His Son to endure. Thank God.

I listened and heard, but they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Everyone turned to his own course, as the horse rushes into the battle. Even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord. How can you say, “We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us”? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; so what wisdom do they have? (Jeremiah 8:6-9)

The Stork Is Wiser Than A Man

Animals are amazing creatures. The Arctic Tern is an example of the incredible power of a small bird no larger than 14 inches and weighing no more than 3 to 5 ounces. Each year the migration of the Arctic Tern covers around 25,000 miles flying from one end of the globe to the other. They do not have any roadmaps or GPS to guide them on their way. Their migrations have continued since the beginning of time without the aid and assistance of man. Embedded within their tiny brains is the imprint of God’s creative power to know their appointed seasons and times.

The prophet Jeremiah may not have known what an Arctic Tern was but his comparison of God’s creation and the wisdom of man is clearly evident. Israel had fallen into the darkness of idolatry rejecting the word of God for their own wisdom. Based upon their carnal desires the people of God had rejected the word of the Lord to follow after broken down trees carved into idols. Sin had so consumed the hearts of the people that no one was sorry for doing wrong. There was no remorse for the evil brought through immorality, corruption, wickedness, and false worship. It seems as if the nation was running headlong as fast as they could into everything vile and depraved. The Lord compares the wisdom of birds to the wisdom of men and finds the wisdom of men lacking. Birds may have small brains but they know the time of migration. Men are made in the image of the Divine and show no wisdom in following their Creator.

The law of nature determines the course of the sun, moon, and stars. Oceans and rivers flow around the world according to the divine plan of creation. Animals go about their lives without the aid of man’s wisdom. They know instinctively when to move to warmer climates or when to return to their spawning origins and do so without the guidance of human wisdom. Since the beginning of time, God has given man His word so that he can know and understand the eternal truth of the nature of man. What separates man from animal is that man is an eternal being that will never cease to exist. Animals die and they are no more. Men possess the intellect of eternal wisdom but animals live by instinct. The law of God is given to guide man and give him direction but he refuses to listen. History repeatedly shows the failure of human wisdom. Compared to human wisdom, animals are the wiser species.

Human wisdom is a quagmire of foolishness that has never elevated man to a higher plane. As hard as a man will try, his knowledge will fail him every time. Only when the creation listens to his Creator will the human spirit find the purpose to which they were created. Human wisdom makes man nothing more than an animal with no purpose in life. Animals have a purpose in life and live each day fulfilling the divine pattern of life prescribed by God. The stork is smarter than a man who does not follow the word of God. Men twist the word of God to their destruction and make themselves more foolish before all the animals of the world. Is a man so wise after all when he rejects the word of God? What wisdom do they have? Consider the stork.

Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:1-4)

The Johnstown Flood

Located about sixty miles east of Pittsburgh, the town of Johnstown was an industrious and booming coal-and-steel town in the late 1900s. It was a hard life for the people of Johnstown as the dawn of the twentieth century ushered in an industrial boom that would change the landscape of what was once a quiet town nestled in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Like many communities across the land, Johnstown had its share of disasters in the form of floods, fires, and epidemics that seem hardest on the children. In 1879, diphtheria killed over a hundred children in a short time. Accidents at the mills and mines would always be a present danger. Located in the mountains above the town was a reservoir built in the 1850s with an earthen dam roughly 72 feet above the valley floor and more than 900 feet long. The locals called it the South Fork dam.

The purpose of the dam was to cater to the rich and privileged who built the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club on the shores of the lake. Members included men like Andrew Carnegie. Over the years the dam would suffer damage and breaks due to lack of maintenance and repair. This led to the complacency of the danger lurking above the town. Warnings would be sounded and when nothing happened, the residents would quickly return to the lives. Finally, an air of contentment settled among the citizens that few took to heart any warnings about the dam. Most turned a deaf ear to the impending disaster that never came. They believed the owners of the dam, who were powerful and wealthy industrial leaders of the day, would take care to make certain nothing would happen. On May 31, 1889, the people of Johnstown got their answer.

An unusually severe storm hit the area of east Pennsylvania causing rivers and lakes to swell in size. Warnings of the dam being compromised went out, but few heeded the message. At 3:10 pm, the dam broke sending a wall of water rushing through the valley. The water tore through Johnstown with a thunderous roar killing 2,209 men, women, and children. Destruction was everywhere. The town was nearly wiped off the face of the earth. Many lives would have been saved if only the warnings had been heeded but because of the complacency of those who lived in the shadow of the dam, those warnings were ignored.

The apostle Peter through the direction of the Holy Spirit penned an epistle warning of impending doom that will not be a local catastrophe but global destruction. There is coming a day when the world will come to an end in a conflagration of eternal consequence. Everyone will see the coming of the Lord and His holy angels. No one will escape the brilliance of the image of Jesus Christ as He brings the world to an end with a great noise. The heavens will pass away and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. God’s wrath will be brought upon the world against those who deny Him and His grace upon those who serve Him.

No one knows the time of the great day of the Lord but it will come. Sadly, most do not believe the world will be destroyed and that God would judge them. They go about their lives living in the shadow of death and the end of the world with no regard for their eternal destiny. That day will come. Unlike the Johnstown story where warnings were given of the impending failure of the dam, there will be no warnings of the coming of the Lord. When God sends His Son, there will be no second chances. Are you ready? There’s a great day coming.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

Was Jesus Born West Of Nazareth?

The birth of Jesus was not only an incredible miracle of a virgin birth, but it was also a fulfillment of some amazing prophecies made hundreds of years before. More than seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Micah declared the place the Christ would be born. It was a time of upheaval in the land of God’s people as the fall of Samaria was imminent and within one hundred fifty years, Jerusalem would be burned and the Temple destroyed. Micah tells of hope for a restored Zion and universal peace including the coming of a shepherd king who is to be born at Bethlehem. From the pen of God’s prophet, the place of Christ’s birth is determined to be in the tribal land of Judah.

Bethlehem of Judea was a small village of no particular importance. Located some five miles south of Jerusalem, it had a long and important history in the story of God’s people. This was the place that Rachel, wife of Jacob, died and was buried. East of the village was the field Ruth the Moabitess gleaned when she met Boaz. Her great-grandson, David, was born in Bethlehem and became one of the kings of Israel and notable figures of the Old Testament. Joseph and Mary returned to Bethlehem when Caesar Augustus decreed a universal census. This must have been a most difficult journey for Mary as she was full with child and arriving in Bethlehem, gave birth to Jesus. A few years later, wise men from the East came looking for the Christ. They first inquired in Jerusalem where the King of the Jews was born and the chief priests and scribes said the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah. The wise men found the child Jesus with his parents in a house and after leaving gifts for the young boy, returned home.

The significance of Bethlehem of Judea is to know there is another Bethlehem located about six miles west-north-west of Nazareth. When Herod learned how the wise men had deceived him, he sent his soldiers into the Bethlehem of Judea and killed all the male children from two years old and under. Warned by God, Joseph had taken his family to Egypt and stayed there until the death of Herod. Instead of returning to Bethlehem of Judea, Joseph took his family seventy miles north to Nazareth. Jesus would grow up in the northern border of the Plain of Esdraelon just a few miles from Bethlehem of Galilee. Throughout His life, Jesus would be known as the man from Nazareth.

During His ministry, many argued about where the Christ was born and rejected Jesus because was not from Bethlehem. They knew the Christ would not come out of Galilee and that the Messiah would come from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was born. It seems remarkable that no one asked Jesus directly where He was born. Jesus was born in the town prophesied by Micah to fulfill the divine will of the Father. He was not born in Nazareth and He was not born in Bethlehem west of Nazareth. The timing of Jesus’ birth was in accordance with the plan of God as Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea and not Nazareth.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

The Main Thing Is The Only Thing

Paul was a former blasphemer, persecutor and as he would reflect to his traveling companion, Timothy, the worst sinner for what he had done to the church of Christ. Through the grace of God, the man from Tarsus became an apostle of Jesus Christ spending the rest of his life fully dedicated and purposed to preaching the good news of the risen Christ. His preaching was direct and simple. He did not try to impress men with human wisdom. The style of Paul’s preaching was not to receive the praise of men but only to teach what the Holy Spirit guided his mind to say. This would not please the ears of most people and he often would find himself at odds with his fellow brethren, the Jews. He suffered a great deal because of what he preached. At Lystra, the mob tried to kill him. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. What would cause men to want to kill the apostle? Jews from Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra persuading the multitudes to kill the preacher because he taught a resurrected Christ.

The preaching of Paul brought many hardships to him personally. He told the Corinthian brethren he spent many days in prison, he was whipped often facing death on numerous occasions. Five different times he was beaten by the Jewish leaders and three times he was beaten with rods. He faced danger almost constantly but he never flinched or stopped preaching his message. With all the dangers that swirled around him, Paul never gave up on the God who saved him and gave him mercy. Why did so many people hate the apostle and want to kill him? He preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The main thing in the preaching of Paul was the only thing that mattered to him. He preached Jesus Christ. There was no fanfare, fluff, exciting stories to regale the crowds with and the apostle did not present a health and wealth philosophy of everyone was going to heaven preaching. Preaching a crucified Christ required a crucified message from a heart crucified by the message of Jesus Christ.

Many preachers preach a message of hope and joy based upon the desires of the carnal spirit. Jesus taught the purest doctrine of God and they killed Him. Paul was not popular in the world because he preached Christ crucified. Many would accept and follow the message of Jesus Christ because they recognized the message of saving truth. The message of Paul was not to bring in large crowds and tickle the ears of the multitudes. Three thousand devout Jews believed the message of a crucified Christ on the day of Pentecost because their hearts were open to the grace of God. Peter boldly declared to those gathered in Jerusalem that God made Jesus, whom they crucified, both Lord and Christ. Many people were angered by this message and refused to believe the preaching of the apostles but Peter was not going to preach any other message. The main thing was the only thing he could preach.

The preaching of Jesus Christ has not changed. To love God and obey His commandments requires a message of a risen Christ that demands His followers to take up a cross and follow Him. This cross does not come with padding and is not equipped with a wheel to make it easy. Jesus refused the anesthetic gall at the cross because He wanted the world to know He bore the sins of all men in its full measure. When preachers offer a diluted or softened message of an accepting God for all the sins of men, they deny the Lord they falsely preach. There is only one message a true preacher of the gospel can preach and that is the only truth found in the word of God. Those who preach the gospel will receive a heavier penalty in judgment. If the message is not Christ crucified there can be no hope. Preach the word! There is only one way, one truth, and one life and this is the foundation of any true sermon. The main thing is the only thing.

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12)

The Influence Of A Godly Life

One of the most powerful tools in the arsenal of a child of God is the influence of their life on others. Nothing shines as bright as the example of how a person conducts himself before the world. It is impossible to lose influence because everyone influences another whether good or bad. We suggest a person can lose their influence but what we mean is the conduct of a person’s life can have a negative impact on others. In fact, the influence remains and it can be one that helps to encourage, exhort, and uplift the lives of others or it can bring harm, hatred, and mistrust. This is especially true for those who profess to follow Jesus Christ. The world judges the character of a Christian by the conduct he follows as a child of God. Whatever the life of that man or woman is will reflect upon the nature of God.

The influence of a person’s life leaves an indelible impression on others. Peter begs and warns the early disciples to stay away from the influences of the world that will damage their impact as righteous, faithful, and holy people. In a world filled with the desires of the flesh, the Christian must rise above the carnal pleasures and show a life of purity devoted to the will of God. Hypocrisy will turn the hearts of people away from the truth that will save their souls if they see the Christian preach purity and yet indulge in the same sins. The lusts of the flesh war against all souls – righteous and unrighteous. Ungodly people do not resist their desires because they are not living after the righteousness of God. There is no hypocrisy in their lives because they do not profess to be different. It is the child of God that declares they will serve the will of the Father and follow guidelines of holiness that set them apart from the world.

With all the efforts of the Christian to live a good and peaceable life before all men, there will be criticism. Righteousness has always suffered at the hand of persecution. Even when a person lives with noble aspirations, the world will speak evil of them. Desiring to live a godly life will bring persecution from a world that has no restraint and no love for God. The Holy Spirit never suggests that living a righteous life will be without oppression. What He does say is that if a man is to be spoken evil of, let the evil that is spoken be the good a person is doing. It seems a conflict but the world does not recognize the value of righteousness. Honorable conduct will be spoken evil of because the world is threatened by the judgments of God’s will. The Christian must conduct their life in keeping with the character of Christ. Jesus never reviled any man and yet they killed Him. The world will do the same with the Christian so by the good works of the child of God, the world will see the glory of the Father. Everything should be for the glory of God so the world can know how much God loves the world.

The influence of a godly life may be the only way some will come to know the truth. Evangelism requires more than a good example but without the proper influence, it will be impossible for a heart to see God when the life of the Christian is without God. The world is only a temporary place for those who see God. This becomes the basis of life to show the world that life is but a vapor and eternity is the most important part of life. The conduct of the Christian is to show the world that life is a brief moment but eternity is without end. Any life that is measured by eternity will live with a fully purposed life glorifying God. The sad reality of those who measure their lives by the world will find nothing at the end of life. As temporary residents of a world destined to be destroyed, the influence of the child of God will show what is of greater value. Honorable conduct can change a life.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

The Reality Of False Teachers

Satan is the father of lies. He deceived the woman in the garden of Eden and his onslaught against truth and righteousness has continued unabated. The sad reality is that because of the lies of Satan, most people will be condemned to eternal fire. Jesus told the multitude on the mountain that few would find salvation. Most people will find the broad way an easy path and listening to the sirens of Satan’s whisper will lead them not to life but to damnation. God has never left men without knowledge of the truth. His word has always instructed the way of man but the lust of the flesh and eye and pride of life takes a greater hold on the desires of men. Many souls are lost because of the lusts of the flesh but one of the tools used by Satan is to allow men to believe in God but accept a perverted form of worship.

False teaching is just as effective as tempting a man with the lusts of the flesh. The world is filled with religion in various forms and doctrines tempting men to worship how they believe. Worship is one of the strongest emotions driving men to create systems of belief whether idol worship or a tainted view of worship to Jesus Christ. At the end of the day, man is a deeply religious creation. The difference is what he worships that will determine his eternal destiny and the reality has always been there is only one way to worship. There is one God and one way and one truth. This is the way the world was created. Adam and Eve rejected obedience to God and His way and the truth given by the Creator. They accepted the word of a false doctrine. Sin is the rejection of the word of God for the word of Satan. Today the world is filled with multitudes blindly following a form of worship that serves the will of self rather than the will of God.

Paul warned the early disciples of those who would depart from the faith. That is an astonishing fact that was not easy for the apostle to write. Consider the implications of those who tasted the heavenly gift and tasted the good word of God and then to turn away from salvation. Giving heed to deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons, people will follow the lure of Satan’s call and find nothing but condemnation. They will become hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. That is tragic. It is an eternal consequence. The end is deceived religious people lost in a lake of fire. That seems impossible but it is more reality on a larger scale.

What most people refuse to accept is there is such a thing as false teaching and false teachers. It seems that if a man and woman present a pleasing presence of truth that everyone should accept them as followers of God. The Holy Spirit expressly said that many will arise that will lead the masses to Hell. They will teach things not found in the word of God. This is a reality. The world is filled with religions that deny Jesus as the Son of God. Among the followers of Christ, salvation is offered as nothing more than a feeling. Churches abound throughout the world that teach different doctrines, call themselves by different names, worship God in a variety of ways and all call themselves faithful to God.

The early disciples taught one church, one way, one truth and one avenue of salvation. False teachers will have a person believe it does not matter what is believed. This is a lie. Jesus preached in the sermon on the mount that some religious people will be condemned because they did not follow the will of the Father. Are there false teachers? Yes – lots of them. The truth is found in one book – the Bible. Salvation is found through one man – Jesus Christ. Hope can only be offered in one way – the will of God. If you do not follow the truth you will be lost. Do not follow a man – follow Jesus Christ and His word alone. If it is not in the Bible – IT IS NOT!