Heavens Light 4-27-10 The Deadly Sin of Adultery Part 1

April 28, 2010 shaan Leave a comment

Adultery and its Deadly Consequences

Proverbs 2:16-19

It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth

and ignored the covenant she made before God.

For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. NIV

It seems that in today’s American culture the marriage and family are under attack like never before. Of course this is to be expected from the unbelieving, Christ rejecting world. But what is even more alarming is the utter disregard for “holy matrimony” and the sacred vows of marriage even within the church. It seems that nothing is sacred anymore, not even the most profound and intimate commitments we make in our lives. The really tragic thing about it all is people’s utter disregard for God in all of this. He will not hold the guilty unpunished! Here are a few verses from the bible about the sin of adultery.

Here the word of the Lord all you people and take heed that you not fall into this deadly trap!

A ticket to hell

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – 9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. NIV

Leviticus 20:10 -10 “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife — with the wife of his neighbor — both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.

It is a great sin against God

1 Corinthians 6:14-20 – 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. NIV

Hebrews 13:4-5 – 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. NIV

Exodus 20:14 – 14 “You shall not commit adultery. NIV

Malachi 3:5 – 5 “So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty. NIV

It is an attractive sin, she is very seductive

Proverbs 6:23-35 – 3 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life, 24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife. 25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, 26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? 29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. 31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. 32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. 33 Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away; 34 for jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. 35 He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is. NIV

It has tremendous consequences

Proverbs 5:1-23 – My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, 2 that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. 3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. 6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not. 7 Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. 8 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, 9 lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel, 10 lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man’s house. 11 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. 12 You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! 13 I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. 14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.” 15 Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. 16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? 17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. 18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful deer — may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. 20 Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife? 21 For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. 22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. 23 He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. NIV

Her seduction is smooth and sweet, but the end is death!

Proverbs 7:5-27 – 5 they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words. 6 At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice. 7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment. 8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house 9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. 10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. 11(She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home; 12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) 13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: 14 “I have fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows. 15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! 16 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. 18 Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! 19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. 20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.” 21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. 22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose 23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. 24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. 25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. NIV

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

Or read about the Christian Gospel here: http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Shaan Sloan

Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ

505-348–5092

The Lord is the Strength of My Life

Heavens Light 4-3-10 By Grace – Through Faith – In Christ – Plus Nothing PART 2

April 14, 2010 shaan Leave a comment

By Grace – Through Faith – In Christ – Plus Nothing

Part 2

Romans 5:19

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners,

even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. NASB

In Christ

Jesus Christ is a great Savior. Consider with me the text in Romans 5:8-10…..Notice here that it is crystal clear that salvation comes through the person of Jesus Christ, and is on the basis of His life and death only.

Romans 5:8-10 – 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. NASB

Here in this text we see three very important points. We are, according to the Bible here…

· Christ died for us so we are justified by His blood

· Saved from the wrath of God through Him

· Reconciled to God through the death of His Son

Now here Paul is discussing the demonstration of the “love of God” and tells us that it is seen in the fact that while we were “sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ did NOT die for good people who were already righteous before God, but rather He died for the “helpless and ungodly” (v-6), and the “sinners” (v-8), who were under “the wrath of God” (v-9), and who were God’s “enemies” (v-10). Moreover, He did “die for us” and because of this we have been “justified by His blood.” That means His death, (the shedding of His blood), brings “justification for us.” And this he says, saves us “from the wrath of God through Him.” Notice we are saved from the wrath of God “through Him.” It is through Jesus, and His death, the shedding of His blood that we are saved. Furthermore, it is from the “wrath of God” that we are saved, yes even from God Himself that we are saved. Make no mistake about it, there is a Heaven to have and a Hell to shun. You need a Savior to save you from the wrath of God, and you need one real bad. The good news of the Gospel is, all you need to do to be saved is believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ! Look at verse 10….It is through this faith in Christ that you can be “reconciled to God.” Yes and amen, we can have our relationship with God restored and we can be at peace with Him, forever. But look again how this comes to us verse 10…. “through the death of His Son.” Make no mistake about it family, it is crystal clear in this passage that salvation, justification and reconciliation all come IN CHRIST ALONE.

And this brings us to our last point, that salvation is by grace, through faith, in Christ…..

Plus Nothing

This is to say that Christ’s life and death are sufficient means to save us. Nothing needs to be added to Jesus life and death to save us from God’s wrath and reconcile us to God. Jesus death on the cross was a sufficient price to cancel the debt of our sin and redeem us from the curse of the Law. As the old hymn says, “it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.” The fact that our sins have been canceled by the sacrificial death of Jesus is only half the story. Jesus also lived a perfect life of obedience to the Law which is imputed to us and our righteousness before God. In Theology we call this the active and passive obedience of Christ for believers. In His passive obedience He died in our place for the debt which was due to our sins and paid the redemption price in full. But in His active obedience He lived a perfect life which is now granted to us as our righteousness before God. Look with me at the passage in Romans 5:19.

Romans 5:19 – 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. NASB

Now this passage again makes it crystal clear what our righteousness is before God. In no uncertain terms Paul describes it as “the obedience of the One.” It is through the obedience of Christ that we are declared righteous in the sight of God and right here in Romans 5:19 that is as clear and bright as the noonday sun!

So here is your answer family when you kneel down in your prayer closet to pour out your heart before God and you wonder if it is right between you and Him…..“the obedience of the One.” Or when you stand before God on the great Day of Judgment and God asks why He ought to let you into His glorious Heaven…..“the obedience of the One.” …..Or when that old Devil comes pounding on your door laying some huge guilt trip on your back because your such a sinner and telling you that you have done nothing acceptable to God and asking how God could ever forgive you of the terrible things you have done….God forgives me for “the obedience of the One.”

Here is the answer….

“My faith has found a resting place, From guilt my soul is freed;

I trust the ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument, I need no other plea,

It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me.”

Now that is the Christian Gospel and that is the good news!

Jesus is a great savior…..AMEN.

Or read about the Christian Gospel here: http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Shaan Sloan

Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ

505-348–5092

The Lord is the Strength of My Life

Heavens Light 4-3-10 By Grace – Through Faith – In Christ – Plus Nothing PART 1

April 3, 2010 shaan 25 Comments

By Grace – Through Faith – In Christ – Plus Nothing

Part 1

Romans 5:19

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners,

even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. NASB

By Grace

When we say that salvation is by grace alone, we mean it is something that is given to us by God. It is a free gift and cannot be merited or earned. In biblical terms, grace is the unmerited favor of God. God’s grace is the origin of salvation and it is free. All elements of salvation are an unmerited gift from God. He is the One who elects, predestines, calls, justifies, sanctifies and glorifies. In short, salvation is wholly the work of God, from first to last, its origin and completion is His work. Therefore, salvation is “not merited” by any work of mankind nor can it be, in any sense, merited or earned by anything we can do. We cannot work for or buy salvation.

God isn’t going to let you into Heaven because you were a good person or did many good things in your life. That is simply not true. By His standards you are not a good person, you are a sinner deserving of everlasting banishment from His good presence. You are lawless and disobedient, unholy and profane, defiled and unbelieving and you have provoked Him to anger 1000 times. In fact it is a miracle of God’s amazing patience that He lets us take another breath or lets this planet spin one more day. Therefore the last thing that the Bible is saying is that somehow we can merit, or earn the good favor of God, or that we can work for, or buy salvation in any way, shape or form. Rather, salvation is the “free gift” (Rom 6:23) of God, “not of works” (Eph 2:9), and justification is a “gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). Look with me at Romans 5:1-2….

Romans 5:1-2 – 5 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. NASB

Here Paul points out that we have been “justified by faith.” By simply believing in what Christ has done, and trusting in and relying upon Him, we receive justification in the sight of God. This Paul says, gives us “peace with God.” In this “justification,” we have “peace with God.” This he says, is “through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.” What Paul is saying is that it is because of Jesus Christ and what He has done that we now “stand in the grace” of God. We stand in the favor of God, saved from His wrath, all of our sins forgiven, and abiding in eternal life, because of what Christ has done in earning our favor with God. Grace comes to us on the basis of what Christ has done for us and in our place. Salvation by grace means salvation by the free gift of God. Salvation is a free gift by God’s grace. Look with me at verses 5:15-17….

Romans 5:15-17 – 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. NASB

Here Paul tells us in crystal clear terms that the grace of God comes to us a “free gift.” Now if it is a “free gift,” that means you cannot buy it and you cannot earn it. Moreover, he explains that through this “free gift” (v-15) we receive “justification” (v-16) and “righteousness” (v-17) through “the free gift” of God’s grace. Therefore, the Gospel holds out a salvation which is a free gift of God’s grace. Because salvation, and here in this context, “justification” and “righteousness,” is a free gift, then it is said that salvation is “not of works lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:9). In other words, the Gospel holds out a salvation which comes to us by God’s free grace only and that it cannot be bought or worked for, but rather is a free gift. Now this is good news, and it is very clear right here in Romans 5, and it is what we mean that salvation is by grace.

Through Faith

That brings us to our next point, that salvation is received through faith….Look with me at Romans 3:20-24….

Romans 3:20-24 – 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; NASB

Here Paul is again discussing “the righteousness of God” (which is “right-standing” with God) and “justification” before God. Notice first that he says that this “righteousness” is “apart from the Law.” That means it is not through the Law that one is justified before God because as verse 20 states, “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” The Law doesn’t justify us, it shows us plainly that we are law breaking sinners. But God’s “righteousness has been manifested,” and that “apart from the Law.” Here we ask then, what is the “righteousness” that “has been manifested” and how can it be apart from God’s Holy Law which is His standard for righteousness? Paul’s point comes shining through in verse 22… “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe;”…Here he points out that “the righteousness of God” is received “through faith in Jesus Christ,” and this is for “all those who believe.” Then in verse 24 he tells us what the “righteousness” is that “has been manifested.” It is “the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” Christ’s redemption, His perfect life of obedience to the Law, and His sacrificial death to pay the debt and penalty of sin is the “manifested righteousness of God.” Now this is good news. The Gospel holds out “right-standing with God” and “justification in His sight,” “through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe.” We receive or appropriate the righteousness and justification by simply believing (or having faith) that Christ has merited it for us. Summarizing this passage then, we see that it is not by obedience to the Law that we can be righteous or justified in God’s sight (v-20), but rather through faith and believing that Jesus is God’s righteousness for us (v-22), that we are made right with God.

This also means then that salvation is not on the basis of good works but rather on the basis of faith in Christ, (whose work alone is sufficient for righteousness in God’s sight). This is why when Jesus was asked by the crowds in John 6:28-29….

John 6:28-29 – 28 “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” NASB

The Apostle Paul also makes this crystal clear when he summarizes the Romans 3 passage in verse 28 in unmistakable terms….

Romans 3:28 – 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. NASB

To be sure, we must qualify that the kind of faith that saves people is NOT just a mere profession of believing in Christ, but is one that proves itself true by repentance from sin. If one truly is broken and sorrowful about their sins, for which Christ had to die, then they will prove their repentance by their deeds (Acts 26:20) and their faith will bear the fruit of good works, because faith without works is dead (James 2:14). Salvation doesn’t come because of the good works, but true saving faith produces good works in our lives and causes us to see the reality of true faith.

Salvation therefore is the gift of God by grace and is received through faith. The Gospel announces salvation from God’s wrath, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life through simply believing in the person and the work of Jesus Christ the righteous One. Now this is good news.

Now most important of all in this matter is the fact that the person and work of Christ alone is the basis on which this salvation is available. This is why we say that salvation is by grace, through faith, IN CHRIST….

Or read about the Christian Gospel here: http://www.ligonier.org/welcome_whatisthegospel.php

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Shaan Sloan

Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ

505-348–5092

The Lord is the Strength of My Life