I would most certainly agree with podcaster Ann M. Wolf that America
has been shown grace and mercy once more [1] as the hearts of the people have been moved to select godly and
principled leadership but as she does point out, [2] our nation which was founded upon a philosophy of liberty which was
in itself founded upon a theistic philosophy and not just any theistic religion
but upon a religion which declares that there is a God by whom all things are
made and since He is the Maker of all things, He is also the sole author of our
liberty just as He is the sole definer of what is right and wrong and good and
evil and if we are to retain the very freedoms and liberties that have made our
nation, in its own way, set apart from all others, we have to be a moral and
godly people and as founder, second president of the United States and Declaration
signer John Adams admonished in his day,
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. [3]
It is not by chance or accident that America was made a nation unique
unto itself in many ways. It was created
that way for a reason and it was only because its founders had applied a set of
principles in the establishment of this nation that were not established in the
founding of most others before it and if you really want to understand what is
going right or wrong with a nation and its people, learn about what principles
that nation was founded upon and what it has adopted into its culture since its
establishment.
In order to restore our nation to what its founders originally
intended for it to be, it is going to take a lot more than just a change in
leadership. It is going to take a
dramatic change throughout the entire culture at every level and within every
branch and sector and that is going to require an inward spiritual
transformation within every soul.
If we are a nation that is becoming less free than it was in its
beginning, that is because there has been a change within the spiritual
condition of the nation and its people that has resulted in the diminishing of
their liberties because they have been giving themselves over to things that
have been moving them further and further away from the source of liberty.
The loss of liberty and the beginning of tyranny does not begin from
without. It begins from within us and
before there can be academic, intellectual, economic, social, and political
enslavement, there must be first an enslavement of the mind and heart that
enslaves us spiritually and we invite that tyranny in when we place our trust
in anything other than the author and source of our liberty and there has been
an age long war between the Spirit and source of all liberty and the spirit and
source of all tyranny and it began before the creation of the world in the
Kingdom of Heaven when a certain angel named lucifer who served as a covering
cherub at the throne of God was so lifted up in pride that he thought he could
make himself equal to God and share in the glory that was to God alone and as a
consequence he and all who sided with him were cast from their places in
Heaven. (Is. 14:11-21, Ezek. 28:12-19)
Afterwards, the Lord God created the universe and the earth and all that is in them; the sun, moon, stars, planets, and galaxies, and every creature of the water, every flying creature of the air, every animal both great and small, every plant and tree, and finally man himself (Gen. 1) and when God had created our world, it was a world in which no evil dwelt, but instead was a world in which there was only goodness, light, life, happiness, joy, and peace and in which existed a harmony between God, man, and nature. And when God created man, he gave him dominion over all the earth and over every living thing (Gen. 1:26) but there was one thing withheld from him and that was a fruit from a certain tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, having been warned that in the day that they ate thereof, they would surely die (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:3) but Lucifer, now better known as Satan, who had lost his first battle with God in Heaven, in the form of a serpent, crept into the newly formed world (what he could not take by force, he would now take by subtlety) and caused the first man Adam and his wife Eve the first woman to commit that very transgression that would change the world from the good and perfect place that it had once been into what it presently is today; filled with sin, death, decay, evil, and every kind, sort, form, level, and degree of suffering and misery that there ever has been, could be, and will be and that very act that he caused them to do was to eat of that forbidden fruit of which God had warned them to not eat and he led them into that fateful act of disobedience by falsely assuring them that they would not surely die as they had been warned but that they would become as gods knowing good from evil (Gen. 3:4-5) and that was the very first known lie in history ever recorded and it is this very lie that made Satan the father of lies (Jn. 8:44) and believing the words of the serpent instead of heeding the warning of God, the first woman Eve and her husband Adam, the first man, ate of that forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6) thinking that they would become more enlightened and superior in status but instead of receiving the wisdom that they thought they would receive, they only became enlightened to the shame of their nakedness (v. 7) for it was in the moment that they ate of that forbidden fruit that sin had entered into both of them and changed them from the inside out, but the more serious change that took place within them was that of their inward person having once been pure would now be corrupted by the sin that entered into them by way of eating that very fruit that they had been told not to eat from and as a consequence, the sentence of death was pronounced upon them as they had been warned (Gen. 3:19) and to which they eventually succumbed but the sentence of death did not end with them as the sentence of death was also passed down from them to all of mankind because we are all descended from them and by way of descent, we have inherited from Adam and Eve the sin that entered into them; sin not being merely confined to our actions or even what we say, but defined as the corrupted condition of our nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve (Rom. 5:12) into whom it first entered and it is a condition that does not just influence what we say and do but also defiles our thoughts, corrupts our motives, and darkens our hearts which is why it is written that we are not defiled by the things from without, but by what is from within (Mt. 15:11, 17-20) and it is that from within that causes us to sin and as a consequence, we are subjugated to death (Rom. 6:23) just as Adam and Eve became subject to death when by way of their transgression, sin entered into them and in causing Adam and Eve to commit the act of disobedience that caused sin to enter into them which brought upon them the sentence of death, Satan, through the lie that led them into that fateful act of disobedience, not only became the father of lies, he also became a murderer (Jn. 8:44) and not only of Adam and Eve but of every person who has ever been born, is born, and will be born into this world by way of the sin that entered into Adam and Eve which became that inwardly corrupted condition passed down from them to all of mankind and into which we are all born for it is in sin that death has its power and it is in all people in which sin dwells. That which was intended to be immortal and live forever was now by way of sin made mortal and subject to death and not only that but the dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26) that was initially given to man over the entire earth was diminished because that act of disobedience then gave Satan justification to claim lordship over the nations, peoples, and kingdoms of the world (Mt. 4:8-9, Lk. 4:6-7) which is why he is called the prince of this world (Jn. 12:31, 16:11) which then made him a thief (Jn. 10:10) because by causing Adam and Eve to disobey the commandment forbidding them from eating of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Satan stole dominion from them and from all of mankind but the consequence of Adam’s disobedience were not just confined to mankind but also extended to all of creation by way of a curse brought upon it by the sin of man which is why it is written that the creation groans and travails in pain to this day (Rom. 8:19-22) which is why there is so much evil, suffering, and death in this world and it is the curse of sin that is subjugated creation to dying a very slow death and so not only is Satan, who caused Adam and Eve to eat of that forbidden fruit, a liar, murderer, and thief, but he is also a destroyer for by causing Adam and Eve to commit that one act of disobedience, he caused sin to enter into them which was then inherited by all of mankind who descend from them and by way of sin, he has caused everyone born into this world to eventually die, has stolen mankind dominion, and has brought a slow death upon creation thus making the father of lies also a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy but not only is he a destroyer of lives and of creation, but worst of all, he is a destroyer of souls because sin separates us from our Creator who is sinless and holy and because we are all born into sin, we are all born estranged from our Creator and because sin taints, corrupts, perverts, twists, and destroys all that it touches, no one who is sin can enter into the Kingdom of God in which there is no sin and there is nothing that we ourselves can do to cleanse our souls of the stain of sin; there is no amount of good works that can be done and no amount of religious rituals that can be performed that can take away our sins because our own merit will always fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) because of sin ever present within us because our own merit, due to sin, will never meet what God requires of us in order to be given entry into His Kingdom and what God requires of each of us is moral perfection, meaning we would have to be perfect not just in our deeds and in our speech, but also in our thoughts, motives, and attitudes of the heart; all of which will be taken into account on the day that we stand before our Creator to answer for all that we have said and done in this life but God, in His love for us is not willing that any should perish but that would come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9) and in His love, He desires to show us mercy and grace, not judgment, wrath, and punishment which is why in His love and mercy He has provided redemption for us not by way of our own merit which falls short of perfection, but on the merit of one who is sinless (2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 4:15) as He Himself is sinless and that is Jesus Christ our Lord who has been with God always and is Himself God (Jn. 1:1) having entered into the world as a man (Jn. 1:14) to take upon Himself the demanded penalty for all sin which He did through His death upon the cross on which He was crucified thereby purchasing redemption in His death through the shedding of His blood and after having died for our sins was raised again from the dead so that we by our faith in Him will be justified in Him (Rom. 4:25) if we will but call upon His name so that we might be saved from what would otherwise be a terrifying everlasting punishment if we will but call upon His name (Rom. 10:9, 13) and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9) for it is by calling upon His name in sincere repentance that salvation is granted and our souls made clean from sin thereby liberating us from the threat of eternal damnation and with that cleansing comes a new spiritual transformation (2 Cor. 5:17) that causes us to no longer desire to follow after selfish and worldly pursuits but after those things that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven,
to no longer take pleasure in those things that are evil and displeasing in the sight of the Lord, but in that which is good, right, and pleasing in His sight,
to no longer desire to walk in the lies of this present world, but only in the truth that comes from Christ Almighty, (Jn. 14:6) no longer placing our hopes in the things of this present world, but looking forward to that new and better world to come, (Rev. 21-22)
to no longer rely on worldly resources, men, or even our own power, abilities, skills, and wisdom for our needs and provision but upon God who is able to meet all of our needs, (Mt. 6:33) recognizing that the resources of this world and even the people He brings into our lives are but instruments and vessels through which God meets our needs and that the skills, power, knowledge, and wisdom by which we might acquire our provision are provided and instilled in us by God,
to no longer fear what men can do to us, but rather fearing the God before whom we will have to one day give an account for how we lived our lives, (Mt. 10:28)
to no longer look to corruptible institutions within our society for direction and order in our lives but to God who, by His written Word has given us laws and precepts to be applied to our lives and which serve to produce and maintain an ordered life, and who, by His Holy Spirit which comes to dwell within us upon repentance, establishes in our lives a course and direction in our lives to pursue for His glory,
to no longer seek our own glory but the glory of God,
to no longer rally behind corruptible men, but instead behind the incorruptible God in Heaven bearing in mind that those men and women God raises up for our edification are but instruments and servants of His for that respective purpose to which He has called them,
to no longer seek to align ourselves with the things of darkness but only with the things of the light,
to no longer trust in the wisdom of the world but only on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from above, (Jas. 1:5) nor depend on corruptible earthly authorities to swiftly administer justice, but only in the power of God to deliver us from evil.
And it is this new inward transformation that reconciles us to our Creator (2 Cor. 5:18) from whom we had once been estranged and just as our souls are cleansed from sin and our spirits regenerated in Christ Jesus thereby liberating us from the eternal tormenting punishment that must come upon all who remain in their sins and it is this very change, if received by enough people, that potentially can bring about a change for the better in entire households in the manner of how they are run and maintained, and from there, the nature and condition of entire neighborhoods, communities, states/provinces, and entire nations, which then will have an impact and an affect upon the course of the culture and society; how education is taught, how businesses and corporations are operated, how news is reported, the quality and nature of entertainment that is produced, and finally how politics and civic governance are conducted.
Tyranny began with a lie and the lie it began with was that lie that
offered something better apart from God who is the source of our liberty but instead
subjugated Adam and Eve who believed the lie to a tyranny and oppression that
they had never known before: The tyranny of sin and death and not only they themselves,
but all of mankind as well because the sin that entered into them and corrupted
them was also passed down to us, causing everyone born into this world to be subject
to that same tyranny but not only has mankind been subjugated by that tyranny,
but all of creation as well; subjugated to the tyranny of evil, death, decay, and
all kinds of grief, sorrow, misery, and suffering because behind the scenes,
the world that man was initially set to rule over has been placed under the
dominion of Satan who is the source of all tyranny and who fights and continues
to fight to hold on to his power by any and all means necessary and he does
this by doing all he can to suppress the very thing from which freedom must
begin and that is truth (Jn. 8:32) and the truth with which freedom begins is spiritual
which redeems the soul from judgment and reforms the inward person and if
embraced by enough people, has the power to change entire households,
neighborhoods, communities, states, provinces, and nations from places and
vessels of darkness to sanctuaries and vessels of light so it should no small
wonder to those desiring to share their faith in Christ Jesus that Satan should
stand in opposition to this effort through lies, deceits, perversions and
misrepresentations of the faith, infiltrating the ranks of the saints and
spreading heresies and false doctrines amongst them, causing needless
dissention and discord amongst saints who might otherwise be united, leading
them into sin and causing them to disgrace themselves in the sight of the
entire world and thereby destroying the credibility of their testimony, and he
will try to intimidate they who might otherwise boldly preach the Gospel
message into silence and when he cannot deceive them with false doctrine, lead
them into sin, nor intimidate them into silence, he will then bring varying
degrees of persecution against them ranging from mere ridicule and social
ostracization to violence and even death in his relentless attempts to keep the
souls who might otherwise be won over to our Lord blind to His truth and
anything that might lead them to that truth by hiding, suppressing, and even
destroying any evidences that might open the eyes of the lost to the truth of the
Gospel message by which their souls may be saved from damnation and which upon
reception, brings a spiritual transformation to the recipients thereof.
Is it then any wonder that the Islamists demand the death of those who dare preach the Gospel in Muslim dominated nations and of those who dare to turn from Islam to Christianity?
Or that Christians in India should suffer violence at the hands of radical Hindus?
Should it be any surprise that Christianity should find itself either severely restricted or even repressed in Communist nations?
And should it then come to any surprise that Christians should find themselves persecuted even in nation in which the Word of God ought to be given free course?
It is also for this very reason that the Church, when it was first established, faced harassment and persecution from the unbelieving Jews, and then from time to time the Romans, and why the reformers were declared heretics by the Papacy.
Knowing then that it should be expected of Satan to bring against the Church any and all manner of persecution when all else should fail, it should then be no surprise that he would also seek to remove any and all safeguards that would enable the Word of God to be preached freely without civic reprisal and that includes precious liberties that our own Constitution was designed to uphold and defend liberties such as the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceable assembly, and the free exercise of religion, or that there would be such relentless efforts to eliminate all Christian influence from places of learning for the Gospel of salvation that sets free is a threat to Satan’s power and influence on the earth and that spirit of tyranny does not nor will not relinquish power so easily, neither can he be expected to and he would rather that we place our faith in anything else but the God who is the author and establisher of our liberty in order to keep us in spiritual darkness and estranged from our Creator, for it is Satan’s aim to destroy as many lives and souls as he can in his relentless war against God and because Satan seeks to keep as many souls captive as he possibly can, he is ever at work at the hearts and minds of his own servants and vessels to oppose all efforts to persuade as many as possible to embrace that very truth that sets free and what is that truth that sets free?
The truth that though we are all born into sin which estranges us from
God and renders us condemned before Him, there is redemption from that
condemnation provided in Christ Jesus who gave Himself as an offering for that
demanded penalty required for all sin through the shedding of His blood upon
the cross on which He was crucified and then after having paid the penalty for
all sin, was raised again from the dead for our justification so that anyone believing
in Him will not perish but have everlasting life and when people place their
faith and trust in Christ Jesus, they cannot not help but share the freedom and
redemption that they have received in Jesus with others because in Christ, they
have eternal peace, a newfound sense of purpose and meaning in life, and a
desire to do that which is good and pleasing in the sight of the Lord and in
doing so, they are no longer a vessel of darkness but a servant of light and in
doing so, they make the world a little less dark but the liberty that Christ
offers us will not stop with just the spiritual for it is a liberty that is
meant to go beyond the spiritual, for just as we are spiritually redeemed in
Christ through the forgiveness of sins, so one day we will also experience a
bodily redemption by which we will also be liberated from the death of our
bodies when our present forms which were born inherently corrupt and sinful are
changed into that which is incorruptible and sinless (1 Cor. 15:51-55, 1 Thess.
4:13-18) and lastly, creation itself will be liberated when Satan is cast out
of this world and is given his final sentence when he and all who have followed
him are cast into everlasting perdition in which there is nothing to look
forward to but everlasting torment and eternal separation from God Almighty,
(Rev. 20:1-3, 10-15) and from the curse that came upon it because of sin when
it is made anew and when it is made anew, there will be no sin, no death, no
decay, no evil, and no suffering of any sort, but it will be a place in which
there will dwell only peace, joy, and happiness before the Lord God Almighty.
(Rev. 21-22)
If you have not done so already and wish to know what it is to be inwardly
free, then I urge you today reader to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus for
the forgiveness of sins because repentance is where that inward liberty begins and
it must begin inwardly and from there must be shared with others before we can
ever see its effects. It is but a simple
sincere prayer of repentance away:
"Lord Jesus I need you.
I realize that I am a sinner
who has fallen short of the glory of God
and that my goodness falls short
of your standard of Moral perfection.
Please forgive me of all of my sins.
Come into my heart and into my life
to be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make me into the servant and follower
that you want me to be.
In your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen."
Know that God is not concerned with the words that you use to call upon Him forgiveness, but with the attitude of your heart and if you have, with all sincerity, have asked Christ to forgive you of your sins, placing your trust in Him only for your salvation and in nothing else, then your sins are forgiven and your place in Heaven is certain.
End notes:
1. Ann M. Wolf; Ann M. Wolf
Media, “Our Role in Restoration by Mercy and Grace,” 0:23-0:40,
Rumble, January 2, 2025
https://rumble.com/v65dpha-our-role-in-restoration-by-mercy-and-grace.html
2.
Ibid.
3.
John Adams, “To The Officers of the First Brigade
of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts", 11 October, 1798; contained in “Revolutionary Services and Civil Life of General William Hull” by Maria Campbell and James Freeman Clarke pg. 266, New York 1848
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=43oEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Revolutionary+Services+and+Civil+Life+of+General+William+Hull&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiu9Ij3vajiAhUJSN8KHTJiCbAQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=Revolutionary%20Services%20and%20Civil%20Life%20of%20General%20William%20Hull&f=false
Scripture references:
1. Isaiah 14:11-21, Ezekiel 28:12-19
2. Genesis 1
3. Genesis 1:26
4. Genesis 2:16-17, 3:3
5. Genesis 3:4-5
6. John 8:44
7. Genesis 3:6
8. Genesis 3:7
9. Genesis 3:19
10. Romans 5:12
11. Matthew 15:11, 17-20
12. Romans 6:23
13. Matthew 4:8-9, Luke 4:6-7
14. John 12:31, 16:11
15. John 10:10
16. Romans 8:19-22
17. Romans 3:23
18. 2 Peter 3:9
19. John 1:1
20. John 1:14
21. 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15
22. Romans 4:25
23. Romans 10:9, 13
24. 2 Corinthians 5:17
25. John 14:6
26. Revelation 21-22
27. Matthew 6:33
28. Matthew 10:28
29. James 1:5
30. 2 Corinthians 5:18
31. 1 Corinthians 15:51-55
32. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. [3]
Afterwards, the Lord God created the universe and the earth and all that is in them; the sun, moon, stars, planets, and galaxies, and every creature of the water, every flying creature of the air, every animal both great and small, every plant and tree, and finally man himself (Gen. 1) and when God had created our world, it was a world in which no evil dwelt, but instead was a world in which there was only goodness, light, life, happiness, joy, and peace and in which existed a harmony between God, man, and nature. And when God created man, he gave him dominion over all the earth and over every living thing (Gen. 1:26) but there was one thing withheld from him and that was a fruit from a certain tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, having been warned that in the day that they ate thereof, they would surely die (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:3) but Lucifer, now better known as Satan, who had lost his first battle with God in Heaven, in the form of a serpent, crept into the newly formed world (what he could not take by force, he would now take by subtlety) and caused the first man Adam and his wife Eve the first woman to commit that very transgression that would change the world from the good and perfect place that it had once been into what it presently is today; filled with sin, death, decay, evil, and every kind, sort, form, level, and degree of suffering and misery that there ever has been, could be, and will be and that very act that he caused them to do was to eat of that forbidden fruit of which God had warned them to not eat and he led them into that fateful act of disobedience by falsely assuring them that they would not surely die as they had been warned but that they would become as gods knowing good from evil (Gen. 3:4-5) and that was the very first known lie in history ever recorded and it is this very lie that made Satan the father of lies (Jn. 8:44) and believing the words of the serpent instead of heeding the warning of God, the first woman Eve and her husband Adam, the first man, ate of that forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6) thinking that they would become more enlightened and superior in status but instead of receiving the wisdom that they thought they would receive, they only became enlightened to the shame of their nakedness (v. 7) for it was in the moment that they ate of that forbidden fruit that sin had entered into both of them and changed them from the inside out, but the more serious change that took place within them was that of their inward person having once been pure would now be corrupted by the sin that entered into them by way of eating that very fruit that they had been told not to eat from and as a consequence, the sentence of death was pronounced upon them as they had been warned (Gen. 3:19) and to which they eventually succumbed but the sentence of death did not end with them as the sentence of death was also passed down from them to all of mankind because we are all descended from them and by way of descent, we have inherited from Adam and Eve the sin that entered into them; sin not being merely confined to our actions or even what we say, but defined as the corrupted condition of our nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve (Rom. 5:12) into whom it first entered and it is a condition that does not just influence what we say and do but also defiles our thoughts, corrupts our motives, and darkens our hearts which is why it is written that we are not defiled by the things from without, but by what is from within (Mt. 15:11, 17-20) and it is that from within that causes us to sin and as a consequence, we are subjugated to death (Rom. 6:23) just as Adam and Eve became subject to death when by way of their transgression, sin entered into them and in causing Adam and Eve to commit the act of disobedience that caused sin to enter into them which brought upon them the sentence of death, Satan, through the lie that led them into that fateful act of disobedience, not only became the father of lies, he also became a murderer (Jn. 8:44) and not only of Adam and Eve but of every person who has ever been born, is born, and will be born into this world by way of the sin that entered into Adam and Eve which became that inwardly corrupted condition passed down from them to all of mankind and into which we are all born for it is in sin that death has its power and it is in all people in which sin dwells. That which was intended to be immortal and live forever was now by way of sin made mortal and subject to death and not only that but the dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26) that was initially given to man over the entire earth was diminished because that act of disobedience then gave Satan justification to claim lordship over the nations, peoples, and kingdoms of the world (Mt. 4:8-9, Lk. 4:6-7) which is why he is called the prince of this world (Jn. 12:31, 16:11) which then made him a thief (Jn. 10:10) because by causing Adam and Eve to disobey the commandment forbidding them from eating of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Satan stole dominion from them and from all of mankind but the consequence of Adam’s disobedience were not just confined to mankind but also extended to all of creation by way of a curse brought upon it by the sin of man which is why it is written that the creation groans and travails in pain to this day (Rom. 8:19-22) which is why there is so much evil, suffering, and death in this world and it is the curse of sin that is subjugated creation to dying a very slow death and so not only is Satan, who caused Adam and Eve to eat of that forbidden fruit, a liar, murderer, and thief, but he is also a destroyer for by causing Adam and Eve to commit that one act of disobedience, he caused sin to enter into them which was then inherited by all of mankind who descend from them and by way of sin, he has caused everyone born into this world to eventually die, has stolen mankind dominion, and has brought a slow death upon creation thus making the father of lies also a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy but not only is he a destroyer of lives and of creation, but worst of all, he is a destroyer of souls because sin separates us from our Creator who is sinless and holy and because we are all born into sin, we are all born estranged from our Creator and because sin taints, corrupts, perverts, twists, and destroys all that it touches, no one who is sin can enter into the Kingdom of God in which there is no sin and there is nothing that we ourselves can do to cleanse our souls of the stain of sin; there is no amount of good works that can be done and no amount of religious rituals that can be performed that can take away our sins because our own merit will always fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) because of sin ever present within us because our own merit, due to sin, will never meet what God requires of us in order to be given entry into His Kingdom and what God requires of each of us is moral perfection, meaning we would have to be perfect not just in our deeds and in our speech, but also in our thoughts, motives, and attitudes of the heart; all of which will be taken into account on the day that we stand before our Creator to answer for all that we have said and done in this life but God, in His love for us is not willing that any should perish but that would come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9) and in His love, He desires to show us mercy and grace, not judgment, wrath, and punishment which is why in His love and mercy He has provided redemption for us not by way of our own merit which falls short of perfection, but on the merit of one who is sinless (2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 4:15) as He Himself is sinless and that is Jesus Christ our Lord who has been with God always and is Himself God (Jn. 1:1) having entered into the world as a man (Jn. 1:14) to take upon Himself the demanded penalty for all sin which He did through His death upon the cross on which He was crucified thereby purchasing redemption in His death through the shedding of His blood and after having died for our sins was raised again from the dead so that we by our faith in Him will be justified in Him (Rom. 4:25) if we will but call upon His name so that we might be saved from what would otherwise be a terrifying everlasting punishment if we will but call upon His name (Rom. 10:9, 13) and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9) for it is by calling upon His name in sincere repentance that salvation is granted and our souls made clean from sin thereby liberating us from the threat of eternal damnation and with that cleansing comes a new spiritual transformation (2 Cor. 5:17) that causes us to no longer desire to follow after selfish and worldly pursuits but after those things that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven,
to no longer take pleasure in those things that are evil and displeasing in the sight of the Lord, but in that which is good, right, and pleasing in His sight,
to no longer desire to walk in the lies of this present world, but only in the truth that comes from Christ Almighty, (Jn. 14:6) no longer placing our hopes in the things of this present world, but looking forward to that new and better world to come, (Rev. 21-22)
to no longer rely on worldly resources, men, or even our own power, abilities, skills, and wisdom for our needs and provision but upon God who is able to meet all of our needs, (Mt. 6:33) recognizing that the resources of this world and even the people He brings into our lives are but instruments and vessels through which God meets our needs and that the skills, power, knowledge, and wisdom by which we might acquire our provision are provided and instilled in us by God,
to no longer fear what men can do to us, but rather fearing the God before whom we will have to one day give an account for how we lived our lives, (Mt. 10:28)
to no longer look to corruptible institutions within our society for direction and order in our lives but to God who, by His written Word has given us laws and precepts to be applied to our lives and which serve to produce and maintain an ordered life, and who, by His Holy Spirit which comes to dwell within us upon repentance, establishes in our lives a course and direction in our lives to pursue for His glory,
to no longer seek our own glory but the glory of God,
to no longer rally behind corruptible men, but instead behind the incorruptible God in Heaven bearing in mind that those men and women God raises up for our edification are but instruments and servants of His for that respective purpose to which He has called them,
to no longer seek to align ourselves with the things of darkness but only with the things of the light,
to no longer trust in the wisdom of the world but only on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from above, (Jas. 1:5) nor depend on corruptible earthly authorities to swiftly administer justice, but only in the power of God to deliver us from evil.
And it is this new inward transformation that reconciles us to our Creator (2 Cor. 5:18) from whom we had once been estranged and just as our souls are cleansed from sin and our spirits regenerated in Christ Jesus thereby liberating us from the eternal tormenting punishment that must come upon all who remain in their sins and it is this very change, if received by enough people, that potentially can bring about a change for the better in entire households in the manner of how they are run and maintained, and from there, the nature and condition of entire neighborhoods, communities, states/provinces, and entire nations, which then will have an impact and an affect upon the course of the culture and society; how education is taught, how businesses and corporations are operated, how news is reported, the quality and nature of entertainment that is produced, and finally how politics and civic governance are conducted.
Is it then any wonder that the Islamists demand the death of those who dare preach the Gospel in Muslim dominated nations and of those who dare to turn from Islam to Christianity?
Or that Christians in India should suffer violence at the hands of radical Hindus?
Should it be any surprise that Christianity should find itself either severely restricted or even repressed in Communist nations?
And should it then come to any surprise that Christians should find themselves persecuted even in nation in which the Word of God ought to be given free course?
It is also for this very reason that the Church, when it was first established, faced harassment and persecution from the unbelieving Jews, and then from time to time the Romans, and why the reformers were declared heretics by the Papacy.
Knowing then that it should be expected of Satan to bring against the Church any and all manner of persecution when all else should fail, it should then be no surprise that he would also seek to remove any and all safeguards that would enable the Word of God to be preached freely without civic reprisal and that includes precious liberties that our own Constitution was designed to uphold and defend liberties such as the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceable assembly, and the free exercise of religion, or that there would be such relentless efforts to eliminate all Christian influence from places of learning for the Gospel of salvation that sets free is a threat to Satan’s power and influence on the earth and that spirit of tyranny does not nor will not relinquish power so easily, neither can he be expected to and he would rather that we place our faith in anything else but the God who is the author and establisher of our liberty in order to keep us in spiritual darkness and estranged from our Creator, for it is Satan’s aim to destroy as many lives and souls as he can in his relentless war against God and because Satan seeks to keep as many souls captive as he possibly can, he is ever at work at the hearts and minds of his own servants and vessels to oppose all efforts to persuade as many as possible to embrace that very truth that sets free and what is that truth that sets free?
I realize that I am a sinner
who has fallen short of the glory of God
and that my goodness falls short
of your standard of Moral perfection.
Please forgive me of all of my sins.
Come into my heart and into my life
to be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make me into the servant and follower
that you want me to be.
In your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen."
Know that God is not concerned with the words that you use to call upon Him forgiveness, but with the attitude of your heart and if you have, with all sincerity, have asked Christ to forgive you of your sins, placing your trust in Him only for your salvation and in nothing else, then your sins are forgiven and your place in Heaven is certain.
End notes:
Rumble, January 2, 2025
https://rumble.com/v65dpha-our-role-in-restoration-by-mercy-and-grace.html
of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts", 11 October, 1798; contained in “Revolutionary Services and Civil Life of General William Hull” by Maria Campbell and James Freeman Clarke pg. 266, New York 1848
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=43oEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Revolutionary+Services+and+Civil+Life+of+General+William+Hull&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiu9Ij3vajiAhUJSN8KHTJiCbAQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=Revolutionary%20Services%20and%20Civil%20Life%20of%20General%20William%20Hull&f=false
2. Genesis 1
3. Genesis 1:26
4. Genesis 2:16-17, 3:3
5. Genesis 3:4-5
6. John 8:44
7. Genesis 3:6
8. Genesis 3:7
9. Genesis 3:19
10. Romans 5:12
11. Matthew 15:11, 17-20
12. Romans 6:23
13. Matthew 4:8-9, Luke 4:6-7
14. John 12:31, 16:11
15. John 10:10
16. Romans 8:19-22
17. Romans 3:23
18. 2 Peter 3:9
19. John 1:1
20. John 1:14
21. 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15
22. Romans 4:25
23. Romans 10:9, 13
24. 2 Corinthians 5:17
25. John 14:6
26. Revelation 21-22
27. Matthew 6:33
28. Matthew 10:28
29. James 1:5
30. 2 Corinthians 5:18
31. 1 Corinthians 15:51-55
32. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
33. Revelation 20:1-3, 10:15
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