The Apostle Paul wrote in 1st Timothy 4:1-2, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron..." He said the Spirit spoke "expressly." I think it is safe to assume that Paul was talking about the Holy Spirit. God told the apostle and perhaps the early believers that the day would come when there would be those who professed faith in Jesus Christ that would "depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils..." He said they would hypocritically tell lies "having their conscience seared with a hot iron."
The Holy Ghost spoke "expressly" of those who would forbid marriage and would command others to not eat meat, "which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." We are living in those days now. Paul went on and said in 1st Timothy 4:4-5, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." Then he told Timothy that if he would "put the brethren in remembrance of these things, (he would) be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto (he had) attained." Still good advice for today!
Let me say to you, whoever you are that may read this post, it is still possible to sear your conscience. Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:7-9 "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Now I know that Paul was dealing with Gentile Christians who were trying to go back and keep the Law of Moses. But he went on later in this chapter and said in Galatians 5:16-18, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." If we think that we can do any old thing we want because we are free and not under the Law, think again.
In the next three verses of scripture, Galatians 5:19-21, Paul enumerates the works of the flesh. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." If we begin to think within ourselves that the above passage doesn't apply to us, consider this, if I commit adultery, (See what Jesus had to say about adultery in Matthew 5:28), will I not eventually think it will be OK, as long as I continue to attend church, pay my tithes, etc. If I continue to commit, "fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like," as long as I don't hurt anybody else and have the approval of others, will I not eventually sear my conscience.
Wow, "...and such like" can cover a lot of territory. Anything we justify ourselves in doing that is not approved by God according to the Bible, will eventually seem OK. But remember what the scripture says in Ecclesiastes 811, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." I am made to think of the illustration of the frog in the pot of water. (We have all probably heard it used somewhere) A frog that is dropped into a pot of hot water will try to hop out. But the same frog put into a pot of cold water which is then heated until it is hot will be cooked to death. (I have never tried this to find out the accuracy of this illustration but it does make sense) If you go back to the beggarly elements of the world (See Galatians 4:9) and continually do things that you once considered sin in your life, will you not end up with a seared conscience? It doesn't have to be spelled out in the scripture to be wrong! We serve the living God, not in the letter of the Law but in the spirit. The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 3:6b that, "the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life,"
The Apostle John wrote in 1st John 2:15-17 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." It does not matter if or where you attend church, whether you are faithful in attendance, in giving, in witnessing for the Lord Jesus, etc., if you continue in sin, if you say you love God, all the while loving and doing the things of the world, "the love of the Father is not in..." you and you will eventually end up with a seared conscience. You will no longer be able to feel the convicting power of God in your life.
There is an old saying that goes like this, "if the shoe fits, wear it." If as you read this posting, you see that the things mentioned fit your life, let me encourage you to repent. God is merciful who will not be unmindful of your tears of repentance. But if, on the other hand, you think this doesn't apply to you, I feel sorry for you. Let me conclude with Apostle Paul's words to Timothy. In 1st Timothy 4:7-8 Paul wrote, "But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." As I said in the previous post, turn you eyes upon Jesus, you will never be sorry.
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