Today's message unveils some of the signs and symptoms of the decay underway in today's sin-stained world. There are a variety of causes and sources. To be specific, it truly is no secret that many have heard reports of, or have been made aware of these goings on concerning this virtual avalanche of ongoing and swirling emotions associated with a social-media-centric practice known as "cancel culture". And this has given rise to widespread anger, verbal abuse, aggravation, fault-finding, stress, disapproval and fierce opposition to the TRUTH, to the say the least.
Bottom-line, there is a self-appointed community who, so it seems, have assumed control of a public platform to govern the act of the spoken word, and by who, on social media! What? Well, think it not strange: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." (2 Peter 4:12-13).
Of course, another by-product of such societal slippage is the systematic erosion of civil and societal order, along with the gradual extinction of what was once upon a time deemed tolerance. And we are merely scratching the surface, my Beloved. Now, depending upon the source, the word "tolerance" is defined as: The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.
What we are truly discussing in the above narrative is the virtue of LONG-SUFFERING. The word Long-suffering, taken from the Greek language, is the word “makrothumia,” which means “long-tempered”, or patience. The word "patience" occurs as the fourth virtue that lives among those virtues that comprise the "fruit of the Spirit". These are preceded by the wicked "works of the flesh", or the self-reliant, self-indulgent, self-serving and self-righteous practices that pave the road to ruin. For purposes of remaining consistent with the above introduction, let's explore the truth of Scripture to expose what is really going on: "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." (Galatians 5:19-21).
Note the word "Fruit" and NOT "Fruits". There are a grand total of nine (9) virtues. As Paul the apostle writes: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23). To elaborate further, and for the sake of clarity, Paul also brings to light the freedom from being bound to the law of Moses, or more specifically, spiritual freedom by way of grace through the work of faith: " ...Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16).
On the basis of the inerrant, unchanging and immutable Bible, or the gospel of the truth Himself, the liberating words of the Lord Jesus Christ: "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32). These glorious words of truth and freedom form the basis of our salvation. In the Gospel of Luke, it provides us with the truth concerning Jesus' regular attendance at the synagogue on the sabbath day. In other words, Jesus attended church on a regularly basis: "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:16-19).
Additionally, the truth of Scripture provides those who are professed followers of Christ A sure-fire method of avoiding the condition of spiritual bondage. And how might one accomplish that, you ask? Well, in brief, the apostle Paul expresses that one must be spiritually bound, as opposed to being a slave to sin and fleshly desires: "And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:22-24).
But fret not because Jesus both knows and offers words of comfort, encouragement peace and His enduring love and precious promises, and in the midst of the storms of the trials of life: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world; 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." (John 16:33; 1 John 2:15-17). Furthermore, and to add insult to injury (so to speak), this is truly nothing new, and nor will it cease, because sin is sin is sin. Hear the godly wisdom of Solomon as he speaks to such matters: "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Let us commit to memory and remind ourselves that by virtue of what the Bible says, the truth is supremely valuable; and thus a sound investment that should be bought and sold: "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding; Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." (Proverbs 23:23; Matthew 13:44).
And, ultimately, that glorious road to the TRUTH serves as a GLORIOUS stepping stone to the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. We, undoubtedly, have work to do my Beloved: "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).
In conclusion of today's message, my Beloved, truth will remain the object of enemy fire. And we are well aware of the fact that unrelenting and menacing enemy forces persist in waging war on the truth. But be that as it may, we must stand firm with one mind, one spirit and one faith in courageously defending and boldly expressing our undying loyalty to the TRUTH! And thus, embracing this opportunity to fuel our FAITH, highlight our HOPE and loose our LOVE for the cause of FREEDOM, and In the Name of Jesus: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
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