This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men, Isa2913.
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Isa2909-16.
They that trust in their wealth, and boast
themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can
by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for
him: 8(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth
for ever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption,
Pss4906-09.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever
shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall
save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of
me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of
him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the
glory of his Father with the holy angels, Mrk0835-38.
For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves
for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without moneyIsa5203.
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth
according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning
here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe
in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory;
that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified
your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned
love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure
heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever. 1Pe0117-23.
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and
in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the
scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for
the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they
preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad
tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I
say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all
the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world, Rom1008-18.
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy,
we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty,
not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully;
but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every
man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus
the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God,
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2Co0401-06.
I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD, Jer2325-32.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest, Heb0810,11.
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being
left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come
short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto
them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith in them that heard it, Heb0401,02.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him, Heb1106.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory, Col0206-0304.
http://www.precepts.org
e-mail: bryanspencer@precepts.org
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