PROVING THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD WHEN WE DON’T CONFORM TO THE WORLD. (17 SEPT 2016)

What are the different ways we can react to overwhelming evil, and what kind of stand will bring the best result?? A message on ROM 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” When we don’t conform, what is the good will of God?? Christ said, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire…He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”(A) “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy Spirit is good…”(B) However, IF we don’t learn God’s wisdom, THEN we are warned in His Word: “I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.”(C) Gulp!

RESPECT & REASON. One way people respond to overwhelming evil (which they may not realize even as being evil because of its disguised nature) is to naively think that evil will return the respect & reasonableness that is shown them. The Word says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit…”(D) and “The simple believe every word…”(E) It is so easy to think that others think like we do. So the good person tells himself, “Surely they would not do that, that is unreasonable… Surely a slave owner would not abuse his valuable property… Surely, the person will not abuse his expensive car, or his beautiful wife, or an innocent child… Surely, this person will treat me nicely because I am showing him respect.” With overwhelming evil, the good person who does not sense the danger, and in a sense compromises by being nice, gets eaten for lunch. Often niceness is taken for weakness. Using our reason is not an adequate defense. “Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee, to deliver thee from the way of the evil man…”(F) We need to understand evil.

DON’T FIGHT IN PUBLIC, RETREAT TO A PRIVATE RELIGION. Many good people simply retreat from evil, and hide. In fact, this is what the World keeps insisting Christians do: “Keep your values out of the public arena!”…but by doing so, the Christian singes his conscience by not speaking out against injustices around him. This is what the German people, who lived near Concentration Camps, did. It’s the see no evil, hear no evil…monkey w/ fingers in ear, hands-over-eyes reaction. But the Word demands the opposite of God’s people from what the World wants us to do, which is: “…put the evil away from the midst of thee.”(G) As the saying goes, the only thing for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. We are the light of the world, and Christ said not to hide that light.(H) “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.”(I)

BATTLES OVER NON-ESSENTIALS, CAUGHT UP IN SOME MINUTIA. There are a certain category of Christians (actually out of religious pride) who charge into the enemy over some trivial religious issue and argue with tenacity. “By pride comes only contention.”(J) “In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking.”(K) This approach can actually cause more problems: “Hatred stirreth up strifes…”(L) So this approach will eventually wear the contentious person down, and while he is worn out by arguing, he has not strategically fought over anything worthwhile. And “He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame.”(M) In other words, you get down into the pigpen with the pigs, you get dirty like them. Some of them will love to draw you down to their level.

FIGHTS ONLY FOR FREEDOM. Some people decide that the only thing worth really preserving is freedom, so they will sacrifice principle to maintain freedom. In other words, they are right where the devil wants them, because he will keep backing them with threats until he separates them from any principles or values they really believe in. “Envy not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.”(N) “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.”(O) Freedom by itself is not worth it, if one has to sell one’s soul to get it.(P)

FIGHTS ONLY WITH ONE’S CONSCIENCE & NOT GOD’S SPIRIT & OBEDIENCE. There are some who try to stand by themselves, without recourse to God. They battle evil with their own strength of conscience. One needs a greater strength than one’s conscience. This is similar to victims of t.b.m.c. trying to fight the Illuminati without God. Unless a person sees a power & strength stronger than the powers of darkness, he will despair and give up on his own. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”(Q) This is why God offers His help: “Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”(R)

THE PERSON WHO OBEYS GOD & HAS ALLIGIANCE TO THE KINGDOM. This is the way the prophet Elijah and John the Baptist, and others of faith confronted overwhelming evil. They obediently loved the Lord their God with all their soul, mind & heart…and refused to agree with, tolerate, or fear evil. These are the men of faith that it was said, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”(S) It is what allowed Micah to boldly say: “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord…”(T) If we answer the call of God on our lives, have that total faith in Him & His goodness, and are willing to responsibly & obediently move forward in faith, we may just be blessed with that powerful anointing that gave the men & women of faith in the past the ability to stand up to overwhelming evil. God’s Spirit goes where He wills; and if God be with us, who can be against us???

(A) REV 3:18a, 3:22 (B) PS 143:10 (C) PRV 1:26 (D) 1 JN 4:1a (E) PRV 14:15a (F) PRV 2:11-12a (G) DT 13:5, 17:7, 19:19, 21:21, 22:21, 24:7, JOB 22:23, 1 COR 5:13 (H) MT 5:14-16 (I) DAN 12:3 (J) PRV 13:10 (K) PRV 10:19a (L) PRV 10:12 (M) PRV 9:7 (N) PRV 3:31 (O) PRV 4:14-15 (P) MT 10:28 (Q) ROM 7:18 (R) ISA 41:10 (S) HEB 11:33-34 (T) MI 3:8a