“Blessed is the Man"

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1 ESV)

Humanity is unique in that we live between the righteous wrath of God, and salvation through Jesus Christ. To look at the world as it is today you would think everyone had gone crazy. Yet remember we were like the world. We were selfish, covetous, and rebellious towards God. We were slaves to sin and enjoyed defilement. There are two worlds in which one can live. The world in control of the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), or the world of Christ. My friends there is no gray area, no margin or buffer between the two.

In 2 Peter 2:5, Peter tells us of the destruction of the world in the time of Noah, and Lot.

Peter wrote,  "if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment," God saves the those who come to Him, His elect. On the other hand, God will keep the wicked blind to His grace.

This is the world today. Blinded because of their hardened hearts, "turned over to reprobate minds." In the Greek this phrase (ἀδόκιμος - adokimos, Strong’s 96) means unapproved, i.e. rejected, (by implication) worthless (literally or morally). They refuse to come to Christ out of their lust for the world, they have made themselves out to be their own God. They live in selected morality based on what makes them feel good. I hear people speak of their children who are lost in worldly morality and say, “well I just want them to be happy.” At what cost, their everlasting soul?

As believers we cannot walk this way nor condone that lifestyle when we, who have been regenerated, follow Christ. Paul wrote, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” (Colossians 3:1-6) When we do this we will be mocked. For as Paul also reminds us, “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away.” (v.7)

People remember who you were when you lived in the world. They remember the things you did and they mock you because you now proclaim something different, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was once told a leopard cannot change it’s spots, and this is very true, but God can. We could never change who we were and are. Even when we made a sincere effort, we were lured away from our intent to "be a good person." We are sinful in our nature and as Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and  fall short of the glory of God.”  However, God changes those who by His grace come to faith in Christ as the risen Son of God. We are regenerated, made new by God a new creature, the leopard without spots as it were.

Because of this you will be shunned. People will ask, “what happened to him or her.” You will be called a “BibleThumper”, a radical, a zealot, and people will talk behind your back, even those who love you the most. This is only expected and evidence of your justification. You are redeemed, reclaimed, and reborn. You are compelled to follow Christ and could no longer go back to the person you were than our friend the leopard, could change his spots.

You are permanently changed and as much as some may try, you will not be moved from the narrow path. John wrote of Jesus speaking these words, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”(John 10:28-30) Despite the fact that we will still sin, we repent these sins and are forgiven by the blood of Christ.

We cannot know the hearts of those around us which is why we preach the gospel to all. Even those who profess faith need the gospel every day. You have received the great commission to spread the gospel to the world? What have you done lately in His glorious name? Are you still in the company of mockers, sitting with scoffers

If you do not know Christ as your Savior, seek Him today. This message is for you who look around and say what am I doing? What are they doing? It is a time of awakening, and you are being called. Come to Christ and find forgiveness by His grace and your faith in Him alone.

Grace and Peace.