Turning from the Truth

This is from our lights guy. We try to get everyone who works with us to be focused in the same direction as we are and I think that as you read this you'll see that Mitch has a great calling and the band is incredibly blessed to work with someone like him. So without further delay,here is...

"Turning from the Truth"

God calls all those who are "Christians" to live according to the truth and the truth is Jesus Christ. The goal of every Christian's morals are to be reflections of how Jesus lived and commanded us to live when he was on earth. So how can someone be a Christian and not show the truth in them? The answer is, they cannot be. A Christian today is someone who has pronounced their faith in Jesus dying on the cross for his or her sins, but not someone who necessarily follows God as he calls his people to do, and that is NOT how things should be. I am not saying that all Christians should be perfect and if they are not, then they are not Christians, because everyone will make mistakes and God will and has forgiven them, but Christians today still continue to ignore the truth. However, although Christians in the past did the same, I feel it is grabbing and pulling the church of the present harder than before. God calls us to live according to the truth and does not like it when we do not!
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known to God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his internal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans (1:18-20)
The wrath of God is being revealed against those who know the truth and suppress it. That is a scary thought to be given! Paul tells exactly what that wrath is later, but I only want God's favor definitely not his wrath after reading some of the old testament. This explains that God really does want Christians to follow the truth, because if he did not, then there would be no wrath against his people. Paul also tells that he has been clearly seen, and therefore we have no excuse to not live according to the truth. However, he says "that men are without excuse." Paul does not specify believer vs. non-believer because even those who have not become Christians have no excuse either, which means Christians especially have no excuses.
"Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen." Romans (1:24 - 25)
"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what naught to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Romans (1: 28 -32)
Wow, so God's wrath was allowing the people to crumple under their sinful desires and lusts! What a punishment for those who reject God! If we do not stand up under God, then why should God standup under us to support us? The verse says they " worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator", most people today do not create idols or things of that nature, but they do serve created things. Sports, video games, and money are just some of those things people today worship over God. When these people, the Romans in this case, denied God, God turned from them and did not hold them up under temptation and fleshly desires, for they knew that what they did were things that are told by God that deserve death and continued to do them. Many present Christians know what they do is wrong and ignore God anyways, which will result in God's wrath upon them.
"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile " Romans (2:7-10)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." 1 John (1:9-10)
There is forgiveness even if Christians turn from God and that is the glory of our father in heaven. That forgiveness does not come and will not come until we admit we have sinned and repent from the sins, which means turn from them completely. Repentance is to turn completely away from the sin, not stop briefly and come back to it. There is no favor in someone who says they are a Christian and does not follow the truth. Hypocrisy, wrath, self-destruction, and failure will only surround those who know the truth and ignore it. My point here, Christians need to bring honor back to the title they once held. God will do that in the end regardless, but how about we as his people just do something for our God that he does not have to! This truth is not about perfection, but about the will to follow the almighty and glorious GOD! So for those who know the truth, let us not turn from it and share it with the world!

Mitch