Strong Man Of God Blog

          Why is it so hard for folk that profess to know and love Jesus Christ to own and repent from their transgressions, sins and iniquities when confronted by Him about these from His Word?  From what I have seen of myself, guilty professed Christians and humanity prominently including Israel in the Bible over the years, there are at least five key reasons I will address in this post to help anyone willing.  Meanwhile, we are not to deceive ourselves as many do.  “God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” leading to eternal death or life (Galatians 6:7-8, NKJV).  Too, Christ returns for a “holy” bride (Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 19:7-9, NKJV).  So, where does that leave you?

          As the Lord led in 2020, I again announced His call to repent to professed Christians on Palm Sunday in light of His Coronavirus judgment starting to surge globally and followed it after Resurrection Sunday with a post entitled, Does Anybody Repent Anymore.¹  In the latter post, I marveled at the lack of repentance among the millions that profess to be Christians in our nation as the Holy Spirit gave perception and Christian media no indication of any biblical signs of it--you know, confession like David when confronted by Nathan, brokenness over, renouncing of and turning from sin in godly sorrow (2 Samuel 12:1-15; Psalm 51:1-17; Acts 19:11-20; 2 Corinthians 7:6-12).

          By the fall of 2020 various prayer and revival events (which have become the norm) were ostensibly held for the purpose of calling Christians and the nation to repentance.  However, as the Lord has led me to write many times over the years, such events are a sham when some of the sins that He calls for repentance from such as defiantly allowing women as a show of worldly equality to stand with the men to lead out are put on display!²  For this reason, the Lord who has seen this movie before with Israel does not answer in the macro (Malachi 2:1-16), but only the micro among those sincere individuals who humbly come to Him as He requires (Psalm 130; Isaiah 57:15; Daniel 9:1-19).

          Pride therefore, is the number one reason many smug, professed Christians refuse to humble themselves before the Lord to fully confess and turn in repentance from all that is defined by Him as sin in His holy Word (Jeremiah 6:16-17)!  “Been there, done that!”  However, the Lord most excellent Father that He is continues to lead me to trust Him that His forgiveness obtained through confession and repentance is better than guilt in proudly refusing to own my sin.  He may not remove all the consequences, but His peace, presence and power operative in my life is more than what I deserve for the sin I was forgiven of.³  This leads to the second key reason many refuse to repent: shame.

          Bound up in the pride of refusing to repent is shame at and for our sin failure.  We are ashamed at the fact we were wrong--no, not me.  But yes, like Nathan told David, “You are the man,” (2 Samuel 12:7a, NKJV)!  Guilt and shame go together and is the reason Adam and Eve in this cause were covering up as the Lord exposed them (Genesis 3:6-11).  Herein is yet a third key reason many professed Christians find it hard to repent of sin: fear.  After the Lord exposed their disobedience, the first couple started the blame game out of fear of consequences.  So, we fear not only the Lord’s just judgment, but the loss of status and reputation since we are not as perfect as we have put on.⁴

          Because of the latter statement, I have sought to keep it real about myself without going into graphic detail of every flaw, fault and failure.⁵  I am a sinner under construction in righteousness and so are you if you are in Christ!  I shamefully sin against the Lord and get it wrong sometimes and so do you!  The Holy Spirit and God’s Word objectively interpreted and applied are reliable guides for making our sins known to us.  Thus, our greatest fear should be of not being transparent with God who sees us as we are, what we do and judges (Psalms 32:1-5, 94:1-11, 135:13-14, 139:1-12)!  Nevertheless, much of professing American Christianity refuses to repent because of the fear of man.

          This brings us to a fourth key reason many professed Christians refuse to repent: love of family.  The world ruled by Satan has deceitfully made standing against sin in its eyes hatred for the guilty person.  So, from worldly feminism to sexual immorality in the name of loving and accepting their family members, many Christians to include even conservative evangelical leaders across the nation no longer concur with God’s Word that their ungodly behavior is sin and are unwilling to call it out it for what it clearly is because they now, permit it.⁶  You can and will not repent from anything you do not believe is sin!  Hence, the many call to repentance events where not all sin is repented of.  Here finally then, is the fifth key reason many professed Christians are refusing to repent: obstinacy.

          The unwillingness at this hour to call out biblically defined sin and refusal to repent of it where guilty is leading to the natural spiritual consequence of hardened hearts (Jeremiah 5:3).  I personally thought (hoped) this was still far down the road.  But the doubling down and digging in to resist a need for any further talk about repentance or to be concerned about God’s continuing judgment beyond the Coronavirus pestilence I see and hear taking place among those who lead is telling.  Rank obstinacy is evidence of a hard heart or did you first get saved with such a heart?  I don’t think so!  All God wants from the guilty in humility and fullness is five words: “I have sinned, I repent” so, He can forgive.  His judgment continues as I have been warning (Proverbs 29:1; Jeremiah 14-15:9).⁷ 

1 See the April 5, 2020, God Is Speaking, followed by Does Anybody Repent Anymore? on April 19^th both under the category, Call To Repent.

2 The display of self-satisfied obedience to righteousness with open sin at these events is as pitiful to the Lord as the “bleating of the sheep…and the lowing of the oxen”
   Samuel  heard  while  king  Saul  insisted  he  had  done His will (1 Samuel 15:10-23, NKJV).  You cannot put on some contrived, superficial event and expect God the
   “great  King”  to  be  appeased  (Malachi 1:6-14, NKJV).  How little regard indeed, you have for Him!  Read the August 17, 2014 post, The Sham Cry For Revival under
   the  category,  Call  To Repent, also cited with related commentary in the sixth footnote of 2020’s, Does Anybody Repent Anymore?  In 2014 as well, see the August 31
   post, Soul Deep Repentance, under the category, Call To Repent.

3 The  Holy  Spirit would not have me fail to mention here another great motivator to help us be dislodged from our pride: God’s judgment for it on top of the sin(s) we are
   guilty of (Proverbs 3:34, 16:18-19; Jeremiah 6:18-21; James 4:1-10).

4 Here  is  where  many  pastors, elders, other church and ministry leaders live as I know from painful personal experience.  What won’t sin laden, success driven, reputa-
   tion  protecting  and  face  saving  men  in the flesh do to protect their carefully crafted image of righteousness?  See the October 26, 2014 post, Saving Face, under the
   category, Instruction.

5 Among  the  many  places  including years of this Blog and public articles one can see what God has been working in me as a redeemed sinner, is my book, The Strong
   Man  Of  God:  Back  To  Basics.  It is available at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store.  Also, I commend to you the testimony of my fellow as-
   piring  strong man of God in the image of Christ, Larry Lugo, a Northwest Native American, you can view in this Ministry’s first Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Gospel
   Reset, on its YouTube Channel.

6 They  have not  only permitted sin, but profited financially from it as in the case of replacing God’s order of mankind with their own to accommodate professed Christian
   women in their worldly feminism (Mark 7:5-13).

7 Read the two-part post beginning August 2, 2020, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless, under the category, Call To Repent and The Churches Under Judgment in two parts that
   begins August 23, 2020 under the category, Instruction.

          In presenting the final unintended corruption of Scripture sample in last week’s post,¹ I noted in parentheses that there are those that intentionally misinterpret and apply Galatians 3:26-29 for their own end primarily to give women their version of equality.  Now, I fully understand knowing the intent of the heart is exclusively the domain of God’s judgment which in fear, I also know He carries out (Proverbs 24:12; Jeremiah 17:9-10; John 2:23-24; 1 Corinthians 2:11, 4:1-5)!  Nevertheless, those that corrupt Scripture typically expose their motive(s) by their supporting explanation(s).  We judge their doctrine, actions and persons (Romans 16:17-20; 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Timothy 1:1-11, 4:12-16).

          The foregoing statement of course, and the apostolic teaching in the New Testament passages cited flies in the face of the contemporary falsehood held throughout much of Western professing Christianity that there is no place of judgment among believers!  However, this being so, where do local church, denominational and ministry leaders get off judging anyone’s doctrine and conduct as they govern, enlist those who serve or hire as examples?  Some also wrongly confuse the apostle Paul’s instruction not to judge a brother in things God grants us freedom of conscience as a prohibition to judge at all (Romans 14).  Biblically, nothing could be further from the truth! ² 

          In general, I prayerfully give most Bible teachers the benefit of the doubt about motive when from what I know about their love of Christ and the brethren, denomination (if any) and its tenets, doctrinal bent and broader context of their instruction a passage of Scripture is apparently corrupted by them.  With others more knowledgeable that enrich me, I declare God’s Word as it is written in accord with His calling and gifting as a corrective in the course of the messages and instruction He gives me so that if they will, these Bible teachers can repent as I have had to do in my own journey; in obedience striving not to quarrel with anyone (Ezekiel 33:1-9; 2 Timothy 2:23-26). 

          To the end of doing “nothing against…but for the truth” of God in His Word (2 Corinthians 13:8, NKJV), at His directive I have also at times fervently cried out against what is the blatant corruption of Scripture, rebellious doctrines and deeds that follow.  This includes the demonically inspired corruption of and casting aside of Scripture to justify adopting the worldly feminist view of women’s equality that is widely evident among American churches (1 Timothy 4:1-2).³  Besides Galatians 3:26-29, other Bible passages such as Genesis 3:16b are corrupted to tarnish and undo God’s original purposeful design of male headship as I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.⁴

          Genesis 3:16b is wickedly interpreted to be God imposing male headship as a judgment upon Eve instead of as a clarifying directive to her and the women coming after.  God’s clarifying command is obviously needed and firmly given since Eve ignored the facts from the ground that her husband was created first and tasked to lead!  She also willfully usurped him to lead them both into sin (1 Timothy 2:11-14).  If Genesis 3:16b is punitive, who authorized it to be revoked?  The pastors, elders, churches and other entities that have unilaterally chosen to corrupt or set aside God’s Word to dismiss His order of mankind from creation have committed grave transgression and iniquity.

          Tragically for the guilty unless they repent, here briefly are some other intended corruptions of Scripture supporting false doctrines and wicked actions I have called out writing at length about or touched on briefly previously.  One is the uniquely American constructed gospel of prosperity and health that falsely assures a Christian is to prosper financially, materially and physically at all times.  This false teaching corrupts passages such as Malachi 3:8-12 spoken to Israel from the Law and 3 John 2 by couching it solely in covetous and material terms.  A favorite for physical healing is Isaiah 53:5d though, the apostle Peter plainly shows its first priority application is spiritual (1 Peter 2:20-25).⁵

          Many of those that practice manmade Christianity the religion purposely welcome devils into their midst as church members by willfully corrupting the Lord’s interpretation of His own “tares of the field” parable (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, NKJV).  He says the field is the world; they say the local church.  A growing number of those among my ethnicity cry out corrupting Scripture, “black Jesus!”  I understand why you do it after centuries of corruptly having a “white Jesus” shoved in our faces.  Do “two wrongs make a right?”  Not His typical as foretold 1^st century Jew in the land olive complexion saves, but faith in His red blood poured out for all our sins (Isaiah 53:1-6; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 3:1-3)!  Finally, believers “left behind” at any return of Christ corrupts His promise in John 12:26 and 14:1-3.⁶

          God graciously calls professed Christian male and female feminists with all of the guilty corrupters of His Word to repent since you cannot serve Him and the world (Luke 16:1-18)!  Either God’s unchanging Word is right for all time or it has not been from the beginning.  Neither God nor His Word evolves with the times of sinful flesh (Psalm 119:144, 152; Matthew 24:35).  And if one believes only certain liked parts, but rejects the rest of the Word haven’t you become an evil judge of God who inspired it all (2 Timothy 3:16-17)?  If you are ashamed of biblical Christianity, why don’t you just walk away?  Your end as a rebel is the same (Mark 8:34-38; Hebrews 10:26-31)!  Therefore, receive God’s grace and repent or in proud obstinacy, His eternal damnation (Mark 9:42-48).

1 Read the September 12, 2021 post, Unintended Corruptions Of Scripture, under the category, Call To Repent.

2 The  same  apostle of Jesus Christ that instructs refraining from judging each other in liberties God grants us, also teaches in appropriate instances of doctrine and conduct
   that  corrupts or violates apostolic teaching (now, Scripture) we are to judge; meting out discipline in accord with God’s Word as it is written (Matthew 18:15-20)!  This is im-
   possible when a relative few honors God’s Word this way.  Hence, the spiritual chaos and conflict that is raging across Christendom.

3 To  be sure, the motives I have encountered for doing this by those convinced that God sees things their way in childishness, emotion, experiences and worldly thinking run
   the  evil  gambit  of  supporting  justifications (see all five of my May 2015 posts, under the category, The Cause).  Most common among the justifications is agreement with
   the world that Scripture is out of step with the times followed closely by the noble sounding objective of making the local church more acceptable to prospective worldly visi-
   tors and future members to increase the numbers.  Is Christ’s Church about numbers by any means or in obedience preaching the Gospel and letting Him add to it those to
   be saved (Acts 2:36-47)?

4 You can pick up a copy of my book at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store.

5 The  better verse in Isaiah 53 for hope in the Lord’s willingness to physically heal is 4a quoted in that sense as “fulfilled” by Matthew as he described the healing ministry of
   Christ  in  Israel  (Matthew 8:16-17, NKJV).  Not everyone was healed back then, nor is this the case today usually due to unbelief, but also the sovereign will of God (Mark
   6:1-6;  2 Corinthians 12:1-10).  Has  the Lord healed folk who were standing on Isaiah 53:5d?  Yes and why?  The Lord Jesus ultimately honors faith in Him (Matthew 9:18-
   22)!  His  stripes  work  God’s priority spiritual healing or restoration to relationship with Him and the resulting benefits as Paul celebrates in Romans 5:6-11 and throughout
   his Epistles along with Peter as cited.

6 If  a  professed  Christian  is  to be “left behind” by Christ in an any moment, secret appearing as the Tim LaHaye fictional work asserts or His biblically taught one and only
   globally seen and heard Second Coming, it would mean he or she was not an authentic Christian (Matthew 7:21-23), an apostate or a neglectful, unfruitful and disobedient
   servant  (Matthew 13:1-9,  18-23,  24:45-51).  In  the  false secret instance of Christ’s appearing, professed Christians that missed the cut are able to go through the “great
   tribulation”  as  a  sort  of  Protestant  version  of purgatory to earn a second chance to be with Him eternally (Matthew 24:15-28, NKJV).  In the biblical instance of Christ’s
   Second coming, there is no second chance; you are either faithfully in with Him at His appearing and Kingdom or left out forever (Matthew 24:29-31, 36-44, 25:1-13)!