January 9, 2024

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”   mat 16:25-27 nkjv

To be honest, I think the above scriptures can be hard to fully comprehend… that is, unless you are willing to agree that Yahweh is always right (always right choice), and trust Him at face value and believe that we will learn, along the way, what the deep meaning of these things mean. Consider it a choice of faith. Because the meaning of “love the world” concept, or “save his life will lose it,” likely means different things to different people… especially to the new convert to the faith. I think we grow in understanding as our fellowship with Yeshua builds in our walk with Him. Especially if we allow the Holy Spirit access to our inner man. And some religious thinkers (i.e., many Catholic’s who truly love Yeshua) are taught it’s best to believe what their “priest” says than to be confused by reading the Bible. I have been told that very thing by Catholic people. How will that play out in the end?

Perhaps these verses in 1 John will help:

“ This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. “8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”   1 jn 1:5-10 nkjv

What do you think it means… “and His word is not in us?” What is the consequence of that? Was his word once alive in us, or did we just know about it and not “practice it [the truth],” as noted above? The truth and the word are one in the same… Jn 17:17

Now… will we be honest about learning what is sin and what is not? Will we address this task first hand with open mind and willing heart? The real questions is, if we “know” what we think to be sin as the Bible defines it, what will we do about it? Of course the only choice is to acknowledge our sin [confess it to Yeshua] and choose to separate it from our lives. What if this choice involves others that may not like our choice? What if the cost is a serious relationship split... or financial or career loss? Who shall we offend, Yahweh, or the person not in step with our decision to faithfully walk as Yeshua walks? Think… “gain the whole world and loose one’s soul.”

There are a number of relationship examples in the Bible that use the marriage of a man and woman as a parallel theme to the “marriage” of a man [woman] to Yeshua (bridegroom). Clearly the redeemed are referred to as the “bride” of Yeshua [born again “betrothed,” until Yeshua returns for us]. Now, after a fellow’s engagement… awaiting wedding, should the “betrothed” bride go off to party with some other man… well, you will find several harsh opinions of that narrative from Yahweh Himself… seems that was one of the main [repeated] offenses of the Israelite's [recorded in their rap sheet] that finally got them imprisoned in Babylon… Maybe I should ask, what is “sin?”   Is it something we need to take seriously, before Yeshua returns for His bride?

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.“  rom 6:33 nkjv

Shalom, John