Anonymous
"name aaron minch im separate from you and people because your all carnally minded and its death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace and its sinful to think the way the world thinks and your carnal minds are enmity against god for it is not subject to the law of god neither indeed can be so you that are in the flesh cannot please god but me im not in the flesh no more im in the spirit and the spirit of god dwells in me forever and im spiritually minded and have life and peace inside me as long as i live and there is therefore now no condemnation for me because im in Christ Jesus and the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death and god knows my heart and thoughts not you and no man in this world and you and my mom and everyone are the enemies of the cross of christ whose end is destruction whose glory is in your shame whose god is your own belly who mind earthly things my conversation is in heaven as long as i live for i look for my savior my Lord jesus Christ im troubled on every side yet not distressed and i look to the things that are unseen as long as i live because the unseen things are eternal but the things that are seen are temporal and i want to be alone with god in quietness and peacefulness away from the world and distractions and confusions from people and the world so i can worship god in spirit and in truth abiding in jesus and his words praying in faith as long as live and jesus is all need want and have forever not you and no man in this world and his presence goes with me and he gives me rest and i trust alone in jesus christ and i trust no one in this world and im not lucky im blessed everything have is because of gods grace and favor and i will never mur mur complain about anything i will be blessed grateful and thankful as long as i live and im separate from sinners and the world my kingdom is not of this world i have a home eternal home in heaven with god forever where i belong and im on my way home to spend eternal life with jesus christ in heaven forever where i belong when i die and im jesus sheep i hear his voice and i know him and he knows me and i follow him and he has given me eternal life and i will never perish neither shall any man pluck me out of his hands and god knows my heart and thoughts not you and no man in this world im separate from sinners and the world and im separate from smokers cussers blasphemers fornicators idolaters and i avoid strife and vain babbling empty constant worldly talk and chatter and empty discussions like god said to be separate in the bible wherefore i come out from among all of you people and i touch not the unclean thing and im separate saith the lord almighty like god said in the bible and i avoid arguing bickering like the bible says because i have a personal loving relationship with my heavenly father it destroys my unity and peace and joy that god gives me and im in fellowship with jesus christ and communion with the holy spirit and i reject people who cause divisions within the body of christ after a second warning and have nothing more to do with such people i am the body of christ and i stay away from people who sow discord and i live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty like god wants me to and i live peaceable and harmony with others like god said in the bible and i will never be unequally yoked together with unbelievers because righteousness and unrighteousness have nothing and common and i have received the righteousness of god through my faith and trust in jesus christ and im saved by gods grace through my faith and trust in jesus christ and the gift of god is eternal life through jesus christ our Lord and im on my way home to spend eternal life in heaven with sweet holy jesus forever when i die where i belong and i have forsaken everyone and everything for jesus name sake because jesus gave me eternal life and the flesh is unsaved carnally minded no holy spirit child of the satan and spirit saved spiritually minded child of god indwelling of the holy spirit according to gods words in romans 8:9 KJV Holy Bible\n\n Paul has just urged the Corinthians to open their hearts to him again. Now he turns to a direct command: that believers in Christ not be yoked with unbelievers. The imagery of the yoke brings to mind the rigid harness used to keep livestock locked together and pulling in a consistent direction. The O T used a form of the word to forbid mating cattle of different species Leviticus 19:19. The Law also forbids harnessing together an ox and a donkey to plow a field Deut. 22:10\nThe point of this phrase will soon become clear. Those in Christ are something other than those who are not in Christ. They are not the same spiritually and should not be locked together into any kind of binding relationship. Paul begins to ask a series of questions to show the absurdity of a believer in Jesus being unequally yoked with an unbeliever.\nPaul asks what cooperation can there be between virtue and wickedness? Those in Christ have become the righteousness of God 2 Cor. 5:21 Those outside of Christ continue in their status as unrepentant, lawless sinners. The two cannot must not be joined together. To do so makes as little sense as trying to join light and darkness in fellowship. It can't be done. As soon as the light arrives, the darkness must vanish.\nIt's essential to realize Paul is not saying believers should never associate with unbelievers, at all 1 Cor. 5:9\u201310. Believers should continue to live and function in the world which includes contact with unbelievers 1 Cor. 10:25\u201326 He has written to the Corinthians previously, though, not to sue each other in pagan courts of law 1 Cor.6:1\u201311 not to join themselves sexually to temple prostitutes 1 Cor. 6:12\u201320 and not marry unbelievers 1 Corinthians 7:39.\nRather, Scripture's teaching here is that Christians must not enter into binding, partnering agreements with non-Christians.\n2 Cor. 6:14\u201318 begins with Paul's command to the Corinthians not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Light and darkness cannot be in fellowship. Christ and Satan cannot work together. Christians are God's temples on earth since His Spirit lives in them. That's why they must separate themselves from any kind of formal binding relationship with unbelievers. Paul references several O T Scriptures to show that believers in Jesus must separate themselves from being yoked to unbelievers since God is their Father and lives among them.This passage appeals to the Corinthians not to miss the day of salvation. Paul insists that he and those who work with him have done nothing to keep anyone from believing in Christ. He points to the evidence that he has been a true apostle and representative of Christ and asks the Corinthians to open their hearts to him again. He commands them not to harness themselves to unbelievers since Christ can have nothing to do with Satan or darkness. God lives in them through the Holy Spirit, so they must separate from everything that is opposed to God.\n\n2 Corinthians 6:14-18\nKing James Version\n14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?\n\n15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?\n\n16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.\n\n17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.\n\n18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.\n\nRomans 16:17-22\nKing James Version\n17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.\n\n18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.\n\n19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.\n\n20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.\n\n21 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.\n\n22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. Philippians 3:18-20\nKing James Version\n18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:\n\n19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)\n\n20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:\nromans 8 5 8 kjv holy bible name aaron minch im separate from you and people because your all carnally minded and its death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace and its sinful to think the way the world thinks and im not in the flesh no more im in the spirit and the spirit of god dwells in me and im spiritually minded and i have life and peace inside me as long as i live and your carnal minds are enmity against god for it is not subject to the law of god neither indeed can be so you that are in the flesh cannot please god To Be Carnally Minded is Death - Romans 8: 5-8\nFor they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be .spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. - Romans 8: 5-8\njesus christ is the holy spirit the image of the invisible God.Romans 8:9-11\nKing James Version\n9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.\n\n10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.\n\n11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.\nHe will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them.\nBut be holy now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy who invited you to be His child. He Himself has said, \u201cYou must be holy, for I am holy.\u201d \u2013 1 Peter 1:15-16\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\nPeter tells us to be like our heavenly Father \u2013 holy in everything we do. Holiness means being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for His special use, and set apart from sin and its influence. We\u2019re not to blend in with the crowd, yet we shouldn\u2019t be different just to be different. What makes us different are God\u2019s qualities in our lives. Our focus and priorities must be His. All this is in direct contrast to our old ways. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. Don\u2019t use the excuse that you can\u2019t help slipping into sin. Ask all-powerful God to free you from sin\u2019s grip.\n\nThe God of Israel and the Christian church is holy \u2013 He sets the standard for morality. Unlike the Roman gods of the pagan cults popular in the first century, He is not bloodthirsty or promiscuous. He is a God of mercy and justice who cares personally for each of His followers. Our holy God expects us to imitate Him by following His high moral standards and by being both merciful and just.\n\nWe are therefore reproducing 1 Peter 2:1-25 \u2013 to stress the point that the Lord has set us apart for a new lifestyle. Christianity is practical. It requires us to live new lives that reflect that we have power to live righteously doing what is right, working hard, relating to one another in love and fearing and revering God.\n\nA LIVING STONE FOR GOD\u2019S HOUSE.\n\nSo get rid of your feelings of hatred. Don\u2019t just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs. Now that you realize how kind the Lord has been to you, put away all evil, deception, envy and fraud. Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for his milk. Come to Christ, who is the living Foundation of Rock upon which God builds; though men have spurned Him, He is very precious to God who has chosen Him above all others.\n\nAnd now you have become living building \u2013 stones for God\u2019s use in building His house. What\u2019s more, you are His holy priests; so come to Him \u2013 (you who are acceptable to Him because of Jesus Christ) \u2013 and offer to God those things that please Him. As the Scriptures express it, \u201cSee, I am sending Christ to be the carefully chosen, precious Cornerstone of my church, and I will never disappoint those who trust in Him.\u201d\n\nYes, He is very precious to you who believe; and to those who reject Him, well \u2013 \u201cThe same Stone that was rejected by the builders has become the Cornerstone, the most honoured and important part of the building.\u201d And the Scriptures also say, \u201cHe is the Stone that some will stumble over, and the Rock that will make them fall.\u201d They will stumble because they will not listen to God\u2019s Word nor obey it, and so this punishment must follow \u2013 that they will fall.\n\nBut you are not like that, for you have been chosen by God Himself \u2013 you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are God\u2019s very own \u2013 all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were less than nothing; now you are God\u2019s own. Once you knew very little of God\u2019s kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it. Dear brothers, you are only visitors here. Since your real home is in heaven, I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls. Be careful how you behave among your unsaved neighbours; for then, even if they are suspicious of you and talk against you, they will end up praising God for your good works when Christ returns. For the Lord\u2019s sake, obey every law of your government: those of the King as head of the state, and those of the king\u2019s officers, for he has sent them to punish all who do wrong, and to honour those who do right. It is God\u2019s will that your good lives should silence those who foolishly condemn the Gospel without knowing what it can do for them, having never experienced its power. You are free from the law, but that doesn\u2019t mean you are free to do wrong. Live as those who are free to do only God\u2019s will at all times.\n\nShow respect for everyone. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God and honour the government. Servants you must respect your masters and do whatever they tell you \u2013 not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are tough and cruel. Praise the Lord if you are punished for doing right!\n\nOf course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong; but if you do right and suffer for it, and are patient beneath the blows, God is well pleased. This suffering is all part of the work of God has given you. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in His steps: He never sinned, never told a lie, never answered back when insulted; when He suffered He did not threaten to get even; He left His case in the hands of God who always judges fairly. He personally carried the load of our sins in His own body when He died on the cross so that we can be finished with sin and live a good life from now on. For His wounds have healed ours! Like sheep you wandered away from God, but now you have returned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls who keeps you safe from all attacks. \u2013 1 Peter 2:1-25, Today\u2019s Living Bible.\n\nHow Can I Live a Holy Life?\n\nWe can live a holy life by being obedient to God in all areas of life. Knowing and obeying God\u2019s Word is key. \u201cSanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.\u201d \u2013 John 17:17. Hiding God\u2019s Word in our hearts keeps us from sin. \u201cI have hidden your word in my heart\nthat I might not sin against you\u201d \u2013 Psalm 119:11. When we live in obedience to God, we are staying separate from evil. We are offering our bodies as \u201cliving sacrifices\u201d to God. The purpose of living a holy life is to glorify God and display His nature to those around us. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven \u2013 Matthew 5:16. Living a holy life of obedience to God is living in true freedom from the bondage of sin. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin \u2013 Romans 6:6.\n\nIt\u2019s not always easy to choose obedience to God, especially if we\u2019re trying to do it all on our own. Satan would love nothing more than to bring us back into bondage through disobedience. But we have the promise, \u201cYou, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world\u201d \u2013 1 John 4:4. The Holy Spirit will produce Christlikeness in us, and, as we yield to Him, we can live a holy life. \u201cSo I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.\u201d \u2013 Galatians 5:16.\n\n \n\nStay blessed!\n \n\n \nChristians are called to be set apart from this world. However we are not the first people to be called out from among this world. As we journey through you will begin to understand what set apart means, who is set apart, and how being set apart affects you. Throughout this bible study we will add history in blue to coincide with this bible study.\n\n\nWe will begin with history through the Word of God of who was selected to be called\nWhy did God call Abraham?\nWhat Does It Mean To Be Set Apart?\nYou Are Set Apart By God For a Special Purpose\nWho Is Set Apart\nWhy did God choose Israel?\nHow Is Being Set Apart Affect You\nWhat Does Being Set Apart Look Like\nWhat Did God Tell The Gentiles?\nHow Did Jesus Respond?\nWho Hates Those Set Apart\nWhat Is Satan\u2019s Goal?\nWhy is it important to study and know God, His Son, His will and purpose?\nWhat does my being set apart give me?\nWe Will Begin With History Through The Word Of God Of Who Was Selected To Be Called\nset apart, abraham-humbling-himself-to-God\nAbraham humbling himself to God | Contributed by Sweet Publishing, freebibleimages.org\nGenesis 12:2-3 KJV 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.\n\nGenesis 18:18-19 KJV 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.\n\nIn Genesis God called Abraham to be set apart from his family, friends, and where he lived. At that moment he had a choice to make to either ignore the calling or accept the calling. What did Abraham do, he chose to obey the call of God. When he chose to obey God that set him apart, not just physically from everyone, but mentally, emotionally and in his actions.\n\nWhy Did God Call Abraham?\nWho knows, but the most important part of this is he was called. In scripture it says that many are called but few are chosen ( Matthew 22:14 ). So, Abraham accepted the calling and did what God asked him to do. We will see what happens further down.\n\nWhat Does It Mean To Be Set Apart?\nTo be set apart means God chose us specifically for His Glory. The church has been set apart to be holy as God is holy and to tell the world that God through Jesus Christ called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. As a Christian I am set apart to show the great and marvelous love God has for us and to live a life that is holy before God. This means living a life that is not conformed to the ways of this world.\n\nTo be set apart means = select something or someone for a specific purpose; by Websters-Dictionary\n\nWhy has God set apart Christians? He does have a very specific purpose for the church, which is made up of both Jew and Gentile.\n\n1 Peter 2:9-10 KJV 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.\n\nYou Are Set Apart By God For A Special Purpose\nThe good news is, unlike worldly clicks and groups, the kingdom of heaven is extended to \u201cwhosoever will\u201d believe in Jesus in their heart to save them from their sins. This means you and I (we are set apart by God for a special purpose). You through faith in Jesus Christ will also be given understanding and wisdom of God\u2019s word. You do not have to be on the outside looking in (God\u2019s Kingdom). Know that all believers in Jesus Christ were at one time on the outside, Ephesians 2.\n\nabraham-annointed-as-Gods-chosen\nAbraham chosen by God | Contributed by Sweet Publishing, freebibleimages.org\nAbraham chose to be set apart. So what does this mean? In scripture it says:\n\nDeuteronomy 7:6-9 KJV 6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:\n\n8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;\n\nWho Is Set Apart?\nJust like Abraham, it is important for every Christian to know God called us to be set apart. He has set us apart from the ways, thoughts and attitudes of the world. This means every Christian who is called by God to His Son to receive Salvation is to live their life in such a way others see and know they are not molded by the world, Romans 12:1-2. Once someone receives Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, they are set apart from the world and unto God.\n\n1 Peter 1:2, 15-16\nThe expectation God has of those chosen is they be holy. Why, because God is holy. How are Christians holy, by the Holy Spirit. The holy standard of behavior God commands of believers is offensive to the unholy nature of man and living by these standards of God makes Christians a hated target in the world.\n\nJohn 15:16-21\nJesus tells His disciples, you didn\u2019t choose Me, I chose you. What is the purpose of a disciple of Christ? It is to bear fruit and keep bearing fruit. The prayer of a disciple of Jesus Christ is prayer that represents the character of God. Praying scripture is the truest prayer, not my will Lord, but Your will guiding my life. The life of a Christian is lived according to a different set of values and morals which sets us apart from the world.\n\nabrahams-family Genesis\nAbraham\u2019s descendants | Contributed by Sweet Publishing, freebibleimages.org\nAbraham\u2019s acceptance of God\u2019s calling not only changed his life but the life of his descendants and the world. Can you imagine if he did not accept this calling? Today God has put Israel on hold, so to speak, and for now the focus is on His church, meaning, each believer in Jesus Christ is set apart by and for God.\n\nIsrael was first to be set apart but interwoven in His Word is the promise of salvation to the Gentiles. When Jesus, God in flesh, came from heaven the Jews had no idea that through Him they and the Gentiles would one day be one body.\n\nWhy Did God Choose Israel?\nDeuteronomy 7:6-9 and 1 Chronicles 17:22 God chose them because He loves them and to keep the covenant He made with Abraham. What we know from this is God is faithful to His Word and He loves because He is love. Notice God did not choose them for their greatness or anything they could offer Him.\n\nRecap \u2013 the who, is Christians (which make up the church), who are now the believing Jews and Gentiles.\n\nHow Is Being Set Apart Affect You?\nNow is the time to see and believe that the world truly hates True Christianity!\n\nThe world is becoming increasingly a place of accepted immorality and violence is hitting every area. The news headline confirms this and conveys evil is now good and good is now evil. The biblical God, Christ Jesus, and Holy Spirit are being blurred into the world. The world, worldly Christians, and false Christians are wanting Jesus to be a man only, because of this the deity of Jesus Christ is mocked and at every turn the brunt of jokes. In today\u2019s world of cultural Christianity and good ole boy Jesus, true Christians will need a solid foundation of understanding \u2013 I have been set apart.\n\nWhat Does Being Set Apart Look Like?\n2 timothy 4_turning away from god\nTurn to Jesus and be set apart from the world and its ways.\nBeing set apart you will be persecuted because the world has no affection or love for Jesus Christ. Christians who are set apart do not belong to this world, they belong to Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus was and is hated by the world, so is a Christian when their life exhibits His character. As Christians refuse to agree with the world (who denies Jesus is the living Son of God and God in the flesh) they become targets of the world who purposely look for those who are set apart to act out this hatred (by arresting, prosecuting, and killing them to silence them). When you are set apart, though it is the world acting out hostility, you have a real enemy who instigates the hatred of the world towards you.\n\nAbraham\u2019s descendants became the nation of Israel, and those in Christ are the seed of Abraham and share in the blessings of Abraham all because he chose to be set apart.\n\nThis mystery of salvation for the Gentiles was revealed through Jesus Christ. Gentiles are now heirs with Jews (Ephesians 3:3-6). This had been hidden from all past generations (2 Peter 1:21). The Jews knew to look for their Messiah but they believed it was to defeat the Romans, set them free, and set up God\u2019s kingdom, not to bring equality between them and Gentiles.\n\nWhat Did God Tell The Gentiles?\nIsaiah 42:6 KJV I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;\n\nThere was no detailed description as to how this would happen, so the Jews filled in the details, and history keeps repeating itself even today. There are still things no one understands and the same thing is done, man\u2019s reasoning is added to scripture. The Jews believed their being given the law by Moses and Abraham being their father is what set them apart. But Jesus, Who is God, came and began to say it is time for change (this is now).\n\nHow Did Jesus Respond?\nmatthew-14-jesus-praying\nJesus came to save the lost.\nJesus voiced \u2013 \u201cI have come to seek and save the lost\u201d. He read from Isaiah which says \u201cThe Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed (who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down )\u2026\u201d\n\nJesus told \u2013 Jesus told a parable about two men coming to pray. One came and gave himself a glowing review of how good he is and does everything right. The other would not even look up to heaven but could only cry out to God about his sinfulness. Jesus said, this person was justified before God. Jesus Is saying God is looking at what motivates the outward actions, but they did not recognize Him or hear Him because He did not fit their mold. A Christian who seeks God with ALL their heart and mind will be shown the Truth according to God. For a disciple of Jesus Christ this is the greatest knowledge and wisdom to be possessed.\n\nJesus spoke \u2013 He spoke differently to those set apart. To crowds He spoke in parables (Matthew 13:35 with Psalm 78:2) and His disciples ask Him why (Matthew 13:3, 10-11, 34-36). Jesus answered, because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven are for the Disciples of Christ (those set apart). Those who have not received Christ as Lord and Savior and reject Jesus as God they do not understand the heavenly application. They will have shallow or worldly understanding and apply God\u2019s Word as rules and religious rituals but there will be the absence of true understanding.\n\nWho Hates Those Set Apart\nWhen you accept the call of God you have declared war on the kingdom of darkness. You will now struggle with Satan who is your enemy, Ephesians 6:12.\n\nI will be god \u2013 Satan says!\n\nIsaiah 14:13-15 Satan was determined he would dethrone God and he would be god. Satan still has that goal today even though God defeated him. For the time being God has given him rule over the kingdoms of this world, however his time is short.\n\nWhat Is Satan\u2019s Goal?\ndevour 1 Peter roaring lion\nSatan\u2019s goal to kill, steal and destroy you!\nSatan has one goal for everyone, even those who worship him and that is to steal, kill, and destroy them. Jesus has one goal, to give eternal life to the lost, John 10:10. When the Son of God came from heaven to earth, Satan believed he could steal His character, kill His body, and destroy His power. Crucifying Jesus was his opportunity to achieve this, so Satan thought, 1 Corinthians 2:6-8. Satan is a real enemy who plays mind games. But Christians have the mind of Christ. We are to surrender all thoughts to His authority and He will bring them into obedience, 2 Corinthians 10:2-5. Satan wars against true believers because Christ is in them and they live in Christ Jesus. This makes the Spirit filled believer an absolute threat to the kingdom of darkness.\n\nJohn 14:30 KJV Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.\n\nSatan has no claim on Jesus. Jesus is life and Satan is death. Satan and Jesus have nothing in common. Jesus is without sin and Satan loves sin. Satan has no power over Jesus Christ. This means Jesus Christ\u2019s death, burial, and resurrection have destroyed the power of death and sin. Those who live in Christ Jesus know they have eternal life in heaven. Christians no longer have sin and death in common with Satan.\n\nWhy Is It Important To Study And Know God, His Son, His Will And Purpose?\nThe world is becoming darker and your Light will shine bright and reveal the Rock upon which you stand. This Foundation will offend the world and it will eventually deny you the right to live peacefully in your faith. The ruler of darkness will come to steal your joy in Christ Jesus. Kill your faith in Him and destroy you and your family. Jesus said \u201cBe of good cheer, I have overcome the world for you, John 16:33.\n\nWhat Does My Being Set Apart Give Me?\n1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.\n\n2 Corinthians 12:4 KJV How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.\n\n1 Peter 3:14 ESV But even if you should suffer for righteousness\u2019 sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,\n\n\n\nJames 1:2-4 says, \u201cConsider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.\u201d This is the very first thing James writes in his letter after his salutation. Why? Because of its import. Many Christians think once they\u2019ve made that decision for Christ that everything will fall into place and life will be that proverbial bowl of cherries. And when trials and tough times come upon them or continue, they begin to question, \u201cwhy?\u201d Wondering how they could possibly endure horrible circumstances and consider it joy.\n\nPeter also tackles this subject of joy through trials. \u201cIn this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith\u2014of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire\u2014may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls\u201d (1 Peter 1:6-9).\n\nIn both of these passages, we see the instruction of what we should do. \u2018Consider it pure joy\u2026\u2019 \u2018In this you greatly rejoice\u2026\u2019 Why? Because trials make us stronger. The James passage clearly states that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. And the Peter passage states that our faith, which is priceless, will be proved genuine and result in praise to God. But how? How can we find joy in the midst of all the junk, hardships, and painful circumstances?\n\nFirst, we need to understand that the joy the world gives is not the same as the joy the Spirit gives. Worldly joy or happiness comes and goes as often as waves hitting the shore. It isn\u2019t something you can cling to when you\u2019ve lost a loved one or are facing bankruptcy. The Spirit\u2019s joy or happiness, on the other hand, can stay with you for the long haul. For the believer, the fruit of the Spirit, including joy, is like a bottomless well of water\u2014there\u2019s always an abundant supply. Even in the darkest days, when sadness, grief, and loss may threaten to overwhelm you, God\u2019s joy is there.\n\nSecond, we need to understand that God\u2019s joy cannot be taken away. Oh, you might think that it\u2019s gone\u2014that the hands of misfortune have snatched it from you\u2014but it\u2019s not. As believers, we are promised the constant presence of the Holy Spirit. We are promised His joy. Just as our salvation is assured through Jesus\u2019 one-time sacrifice for all. Jesus\u2019 words in John 15:11, \u201cI have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.\u201d Other examples, Acts 13:52, \u201cAnd the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.\u201d Acts 16:34, \u201cThe jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God\u2014he and his whole family.\u201d\n\nThird, we need to stop wallowing, whining, and complaining and grab onto God\u2019s joy. Just like salvation, joy is a free and perfect gift from Him, and we must reach out and accept that gift. Grab onto it. Like a lifeline. Choose joy. Over bitterness, anger, and sorrow. Make a decision to choose joy every day. No matter what. Look at these great examples in Scripture: \u201cOut of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability\u201d (2 Corinthians 8:2-3). \u201cYou became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit\u201d (1 Thessalonians 1:6). \u201cBe joyful always\u201d (1 Thessalonians 5:16). \u201cYou sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions\u201d (Hebrews 10:34). And the best illustration of all, \u201cLet us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God\u201d (Hebrews 12:2).\n\nAll through Scripture we see the persecution of the church, the trials and hardships that believers have faced. The challenge then is to truly learn how to consider each trial joy.\n\nThis topic is very near and dear to my heart because it is a lesson I\u2019m relearning each and every day. My daughter has a rare nerve disorder, she\u2019s had brain surgery, and we\u2019ve faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, mountains of medical bills, bankruptcy, and foreclosure. But you know what I have discovered? God\u2019s joy really is there. You can consider each trial joy, you can greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory even when you feel like you are face-first in the mud puddle. You can endure whatever circumstances are making you quake in your boots right now. If you have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ\u2014you have all you need.\n\nGrab onto God\u2019s joy.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WATCHMAN\nEzekiel 33:6 \u201cBut if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman\u2019s hand.\u201d (Amplified Bible)\nIsrael\u2019s responsibility was to destroy the people of Canaan along with everything connected with their religion, so that nothing would remain in the land that might corrupt God\u2019s people (7:1-5). Israel\u2019s favoured place as God\u2019s chosen people was not an excuse for them to do as they liked, but a reason for them to avoid corruption and be holy. If they were disobedient, they would surely be punished (6-11). But if they were obedient, they would enjoy the blessings of national growth, agricultural prosperity and good health (12-16).\nGod would lead his people to victory over enemies in the future as he had in the past (17-21), but for the present he would give them only that amount of territory that they could capably control. As their numbers and needs increased, he would lead them to further conquest and expansion. But at all times they had to conduct their wars according to God\u2019s laws of holiness (22-26).\nThe varied experiences of life in the wilderness had taught Israel that life depends on more than the food people eat. It depends upon spiritual forces that are found only in God (8:1-4). The Israelites were to keep this in mind when they settled in Canaan, a land they would find to be rich in natural resources. They were to fear God and thank him for his gifts, not take everything for granted (5-10). If in their prosperity they forgot God and ignored his law, he would punish them as he had punished the Canaanites before them (11-20).\n\n\n\n\"And he will deliver their kings into thy hand, and thou shalt make their names to perish from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them. The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire; thou shalt not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee lest thou be snared therein; for it is an abomination to Jehovah thy God. And thou shalt not bring an abomination into thy house, and become a devoted thing like unto it: thou shalt utterly detest it. and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a devoted thing.\"\n\n\"Lest thou be snared therein ...\" (Deuteronomy 7:25). The meaning is not that the silver and gold in itself would be a snare, but that in being a devoted thing as part of their false gods, it would contaminate all that came in contact with it. The tragic story of Achan in Joshua (Joshua 7) shows what a dreadful snare such as gold and silver really were. For a full explanation of what was meant by the \"war ban\" of all devoted things, see last paragraph of Deuteronomy 2, where three degrees of this ban are outlined.\n\n\"Thou shalt make their name to perish from under heaven ...\" (Deuteronomy 7:24). The final and ultimate fate of everything detested by God appears in a word like this, and the sorrowful aspect of this is that it applies, absolutely, to the entire race of Adam to the full extent of the sinful and rebellious part of the race. \"And I will cut man (Adam) off the face of the ground\" (Zephaniah 1:2). Throughout the Bible, the Great Terminator, like the sword of Damocles, is poised for the destruction of mankind in the final judgment, the sole survivors of which catastrophe will be the redeemed \"in Christ.\" \"To fall under God's ban is to forfeit all covenant privilege and come under the anathema of God.\"[38] \"Even the name of false gods should be obliterated from memory.\"[39] Amazingly, this anathema against false gods is pronounced especially against the pagan priests. Zephaniah has this: \"And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarim with the priests\" (Zephaniah 1:4). Note: \"[~Chemarim] is the usual Aramaic word, which comes from a root whose meaning is `to be black.'\"[40] \"The word means `black robed' and is applied to idolatrous priests (2 Kings 23:5; Hosea 10:5).\"[41]\n\n\nWhen God brings you into the land and cast out these enemies that are bigger and stronger than you are; And he delivers them from before you; and smites them, and destroys them; you're not to make any covenant with them, nor show any mercy unto them: Neither shall you make any marriages with them. For they will turn away your son from following me, that they may serve other gods: and so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and you be destroyed suddenly. But you shall deal with them; and destroy their altars, break down their images, cut down their groves, burn their graven images in the fire. For thou art a holy [or a separated] people unto the LORD thy God: and the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the LORD did set his love upon you, did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than the people; for you were the fewest of all: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house when you were bondmen, in the hand of the Pharaoh in Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenants and mercy with those that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations ( Deuteronomy 7:1-9 );\n\nNow earlier, we skipped over the law the second time through because we've gone through it in Exodus but in the law he said for-actually brings judgment upon the third and fourth generations to those that hate Him. But now here he declares that he shows mercy to a thousand generations to those that follow Him. So, how important that we follow the covenants of the Lord.\n\nNow in verse twelve.\n\nWherefore it shall come to pass, if you will hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD shall keep unto thee the covenant of mercy which he swore to your fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee ( Deuteronomy 7:12-13 ):\n\nSo they are a special people. They are need to-they need to be aware of the special privileges even as you, today, are a special people unto God; separate, holy, chosen. And God didn't choose you because you're so good-looking or because you were so loveable, but here is the sovereign grace of God in choosing. He chose you because He chose you, because He wanted to choose you and He has a right to choose whomever He wants. Oh, how I thank God for choosing me. What a thrill, what a blessing that God has chosen me.\n\nNow some people get upset for the fact that God chooses but you really shouldn't. God has every right to choose who He wants to associate with even as you have the right to choose who you want to associate with. Why should I deny God the rights that I want for myself? There are some people I don't choose to associate with at all. Not that I'm snobbish or anything else but their lifestyles are so diverse from mine; there's nothing that we could share in common. I really choose not to have any fellowship, close fellowship, with people who smoke cigars. I can't stand the smell. Now I have that right to choose not to get in a car and be polluted. And God has a right to choose who he wants to associate with. That doesn't bother me at all. It thrills me to think that He chose me, that He chose to associate with me. That is what really excites me. You say, \"But that isn't fair if God chooses not to associate with some people\".\n\nI don't know if it's fair or not but that's the right that God has and He has exercised that right. And who are you to challenge the fairness of God? You say but, \"He may not have chosen me\". \"Oh, how do you know?\" \"Well, I'm not a Christian.\" \"Well, why aren't you a Christian?\" \"I don't know. I've never seen a need to be one.\" \"Well, do you want to be a Christian?\" \"No.\" \"Then maybe He didn't choose you. But don't blame Him. You haven't chosen Him either, have you?\"\n\nNow, let me assure you this. He has never rejected anyone either but He certainly leaves the choice up to you. And He says, \"Choose you this day whom you will serve\"( Joshua 24:15 ) and he said, \"Whosoever comes unto me I will no wise cast out\"( John 6:37 ). So if you don't know if He's chosen you or not, just accept Jesus Christ and you'll find He did. And then you won't argue with it anymore because He chose you, and after all why should you argue with that? You say, \"But I don't want to accept him\". Well then, that's your problem. He probably didn't choose you, and you're in bad shape.\n\nBut here God elected by His own sovereign will to choose these people not because they were so great, not because they were so faithful or anything else, just He exercised His power of choice. His love for their fathers, the faithfulness of Abraham, that He made the promise to Abraham that through him, through his seed would the Messiah come. \"All the nations of the earth be blessed\"( Genesis 18:18 ). And so they are actually reaping the benefits of the faith of their father Abraham.\n\nNow the warning again to keep the commandments,\n\ndo them and so God will keep you and he will love you and bless you and multiply you: he'll bless the fruit of your womb, the fruit of the land, your corn, your wine, your oil, the increase of your cows and the flocks and your sheep, the land which he sware to give to your fathers. And you'll be blessed of all the people: and there shall not be a male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee ( Deuteronomy 7:12-15 ).\n\nNow, again this is the covenant that God is making. It's a conditional covenant; if you will obey, if you will do, if you will keep. Now it is interesting as you go back into the commandments of the Lord, much of what you read in Exodus and Leviticus is health codes. God tells them the kind of food they ought to eat. No junk food. Now it isn't really right for you to just put all kinds of junk into your body and then ask God to keep you strong and healthy.\n\nAnd so God gave to them laws that dealt with their diet, laws that dealt with sanitation and then he says, \"Now, if you will keep these laws, if you will do them, obey them, then none of the diseases that came upon the Egyptians will come upon you\". Why? Because you're following the good health practices that God has laid out. I think that it is wrong to deliberately dissipate our bodies and then ask God to keep us in good health. I think that he has given us good sense to use these promises and none of these diseases were conditional promises upon their doing and keeping, obeying, the commandment and the law of God.\n\nThou shalt consume all the people which the LORD shall deliver to you; you're not to have pity upon them: neither shall you serve their gods; for that will be a snare to you. If you shall say in your heart, The nations are more than we are; how can we dispossess them? Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but remember the LORD thy God did to Pharaoh, and all of Egypt; Moreover God will send the hornets in front of you to drive out the inhabitants. He'll not destroy them all at once, lest the wild beasts increase upon the field [and all] ( Deuteronomy 7:16-18 , Deuteronomy 7:20 , Deuteronomy 7:22 ).\n\nBut little by little, He'll conquer the land.\n\nThe LORD will deliver to you, and destroy them with a mighty destruction [and so forth] ( Deuteronomy 7:23 )\n\nMoses continues with the warnings. Now these are important because if they fail at this point to enter in, then who knows what would have happened. It's so important that they not become frightened and that they not lose faith and hesitate again. It's important that they go in and conquer the land. So Moses is doing all that he can to build him and bolster their faith and their confidence in God.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\"These clearly are not laws or commandments as such but primarily series of parenetic homilies in which Moses exhorted the people to certain courses of action in light of the upcoming conquest and occupation of Canaan. Within these sections, however, are specific and explicit injunctions based upon the Decalogue and anticipatory of further elaboration in the large section of detailed stipulations that follows (Deuteronomy 12:1 to Deuteronomy 26:15).\" [Note: Ibid., p. 176.]\n\nCommand to destroy the Canaanites and their idolatry ch. 7\n\nThis chapter is a logical development of what Moses said in chapters 5 and 6. God had called on His people to acknowledge that He is the only true God and to be completely loyal to Him. In Canaan they would encounter temptations that might divert them from their fidelity (cf. Deuteronomy 6:14). Now we have a full explanation of how the Israelites were to deal with these temptations. These instructions amplify the second commandment (Deuteronomy 5:8-10).\n\nObedience would bring blessing. Moses enumerated the blessings for remaining completely devoted to God and refusing to practice idolatry (Deuteronomy 7:13-16). Grain, wine, and oil (Deuteronomy 7:13) represent the three principle food products of Canaan. [Note: S. R. Driver, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Deuteronomy, p. 103.] The Israelites could obtain encouragement in battle by remembering God\u2019s past faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:17-21). God told the Israelites He would drive out the Canaanites gradually (Deuteronomy 7:22). He would not allow them to destroy the Canaanites totally until they had grown large enough numerically to care for the land adequately (cf. Exodus 23:27-33). This gradual extermination would be hard for the Israelites in that the temptations to idolatry would abound on every hand. Nevertheless it would be better for them than sudden annihilation of their enemies because in that case the land would become wild and unmanageable. The Israelites were not to take the gold and silver from the Canaanite idols for themselves (Deuteronomy 7:25). The whole idol was under the ban (Heb. herem), and they were to destroy it and give the precious metals to God for His use. They would do this by bringing these offerings to the tabernacle.\n\nBelievers should not make defiling alliances with unbelievers who are pursuing lives of rebellion against God but should oppose their actions (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).\n\nAnd he shall deliver their kings into thine hand,.... Who were very numerous, for though there were but seven nations, there were more kings, even one and thirty, Joshua 12:9,\n\nthou shall destroy their name from under heaven; not only destroy the name of the reigning kings, so as that they should not be remembered and made mention of any more, but put an end to the name and race of kings among them, so that they should never have any more, as they never had:\n\nthere shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them; the nations and their kings.\n\n 12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: 13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. 15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. 16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee. 17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them? 18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; 19 The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid. 20 Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed. 21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible. 22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee. 23 But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed. 24 And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them. 25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. 26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.\n\n Here, I. The caution against idolatry is repeated, and against communion with idolaters: \"Thou shalt consume the people, and not serve their gods.\" Deuteronomy 7:16; Deuteronomy 7:16. We are in danger of having fellowship with the works of darkness if we take pleasure in fellowship with those that do those works. Here is also a repetition of the charge to destroy the images, Deuteronomy 7:25; Deuteronomy 7:26. The idols which the heathen had worshipped were an abomination to God, and therefore must be so to them: all that truly love God hat what he hates. Observe how this is urged upon them: Thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; such a holy indignation as this must we conceive against sin, that abominable thing which the Lord hates. They must not retain the images to gratify their covetousness: Thou shalt not desire the silver nor gold that is on them, nor think it a pity to have that destroyed. Achan paid dearly for converting that to his own use which was an anathema. Nor must they retain them to gratify their curiosity: \"Neither shalt thou bring it into thy house, to be hung up as an ornament, or preserved as a monument of antiquity. No, to the fire with it, that is the fittest place for it.\" Two reasons are given for this caution:-- 1. Lest thou be snared therein (Deuteronomy 7:25; Deuteronomy 7:25), that is, \"Lest thou be drawn, ere thou art aware, to like it and love it, to fancy it and pay respect to it\" 2. Lest thou be a cursed thing like it,Deuteronomy 7:26; Deuteronomy 7:26. Those that make images are said to be like the, stupid and senseless; here they are said to be in a worse sense like them, accursed of God and devoted to destruction. Compare these two reasons together, and observe that whatever brings us into a snare brings us under a curse.\n\n II. The promise of God's favour to them, if they would be obedient, is enlarged upon with a most affecting copiousness and fluency of expression, which intimates how much it is both God's desire and our own interest that we be religious. All possible assurance is here given them,\n\n 1. That, if they would sincerely endeavour to do their part of the covenant, God would certainly perform his part. He shall keep the mercy which he swore to thy fathers,Deuteronomy 7:12; Deuteronomy 7:12. Let us be constant in our duty, and we cannot question the constancy of God's mercy.\n\n 2. That if they would love God and serve him, and devote themselves and theirs to him, he would love them, and bless them, and multiply them greatly, Deuteronomy 7:13; Deuteronomy 7:14. What could they desire more to make them happy? (1.) \"He will love thee.\" He began in love to us (1 John 4:10), and, if we return his love in filial duty, then, and then only, we may expect the continuance of it, John 14:21. (2.) \"He will bless thee with the tokens of his love above all people.\" If they would distinguish themselves from their neighbours by singular services, God would dignify them above their neighbours by singular blessings. (3.) \"He will multiply thee.\" Increase was the ancient blessing for the peopling of the world, once and again (Genesis 1:28; Genesis 9:1), and here for the peopling of Canaan, that little world by itself. The increase both of their families and of their stock is promised: they should neither have estates without heirs nor heirs without estates, but should have the complete satisfaction of having many children and plentiful provisions and portions for them.\n\n 3. That, if they would keep themselves pure from the idolatries of Egypt, God would keep them clear form the diseases of Egypt,Deuteronomy 7:15; Deuteronomy 7:15. It seems to refer not only to those plagues of Egypt by the force of which they were delivered, but to some other epidemical country disease (as we call it), which they remembered the prevalency of among the Egyptians, and by which God had chastised them for their national sins. Diseases are God's servants; they go where he sends them, and do what he bids them. It is therefore good for the health of our bodies to mortify the sin of our souls.\n\n 4. That, if they would cut off the devoted nations, they should cut them off, and none should be able to stand before them. Their duty in this matter would itself be their advantage: Thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee--this is the precept (Deuteronomy 7:16; Deuteronomy 7:16); and the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them--this is the promise, Deuteronomy 7:23; Deuteronomy 7:23. Thus we are commanded not to let sin reign, not to indulge ourselves in it nor give countenance to it, but to hate it and strive against it; and then God has promised that sin shall not have dominion over us (Romans 6:12; Romans 6:14), but that we shall be more than conquerors over it. The difficulty and doubtfulness of the conquest of Canaan having been a stone of stumbling to their fathers, Moses here animates them against those things which were most likely to discourage them, bidding them not to be afraid of them,Deuteronomy 7:18; Deuteronomy 7:18, and again, Deuteronomy 7:21; Deuteronomy 7:21. (1.) Let them not be disheartened by the number and strength of their enemies: Say not, They are more than I, how can I dispossess them?Deuteronomy 7:17; Deuteronomy 7:17. We are apt to think that the most numerous must needs be victorious: but, to fortify Israel against this temptation, Moses reminds them of the destruction of Pharaoh and all the power of Egypt, Deuteronomy 7:18; Deuteronomy 7:19. They had seen the great temptations, or miracles (so the Chaldee reads it), the signs and wonders, wherewith God had brought them out of Egypt, in order to his bringing them into Canaan, and thence might easily infer that God could dispossess the Canaanites (who, though formidable enough, had not such advantages against Israel as the Egyptians had; he that had done the greater could do the less), and that he would dispossess them, otherwise his bringing Israel out of Egypt had been no kindness to them. He that begun would finish. Thou shalt therefore well remember this, Deuteronomy 7:18; Deuteronomy 7:18. The word and works of God are well remembered when they are improved as helps to our faith and obedience. That is well laid up which is ready to us when we have occasion to use it. (2.) Let them not be disheartened by the weakness and deficiency of their own forces; for God will send them in auxiliary troops of hornets, or wasps, as some read it (Deuteronomy 7:20; Deuteronomy 7:20), probably larger than ordinary, which would so terrify and molest their enemies (and perhaps be the death of many to them) that their most numerous armies would become an easy prey to Israel. God plagued the Egyptians with flies, but the Canaanites with hornets. Those who take not warning by less judgments on others may expect greater on themselves. But the great encouragement of Israel was that they had God among them, a mighty God and terrible,Deuteronomy 7:21; Deuteronomy 7:21. And if God be for us, if God be with us, we need not fear the power of any creature against us. (3.) Let them not be disheartened by the slow progress of their arms, nor think that the Canaanites would never be subdued if they were not expelled the first year; no, they must be put out by little and little, and not all at once,Deuteronomy 7:22; Deuteronomy 7:22. Note, We must not think that, because the deliverance of the church and the destruction of its enemies are not effected immediately, therefore they will never be effected. God will do his own work in his own method and time, and we may be sure that they are always the best. Thus corruption is driven out of the hearts of believers by little and little. The work of sanctification is carried on gradually; but that judgment will at length be brought forth into a complete victory. The reason here given (as before, Exodus 23:29; Exodus 23:30) is, Lest the beast of the field increase upon thee. The earth God has given to the children of men; and therefore there shall rather be a remainder of Canaanites to keep possession till Israel become numerous enough to replenish it than that it should be a habitation of dragons, and a court for the wild beasts of the desert,Isaiah 34:13; Isaiah 34:14. Yet God could have prevented this mischief from the beasts, Leviticus 26:6. But pride and security, and other sins that are the common effects of a settled prosperity, were enemies more dangerous than the beasts of the field, and these would be apt to increase upon them. See Judges 3:1; Judges 3:4.\n\n\nThe Joy of Everlasting Life\nRomans 14:17\nROMANS 14:17\n\u201cThe kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.\u201d\n\nHaving summarized the great truths of the Christian faith on the nature of God and redemption, the Apostles\u2019 Creed concludes with a confession of belief in \u201cthe life everlasting.\u201d Knowing that we have eternal life in the blessed presence of God comforts us greatly. Question and answer 58 of the Heidelbe
2 years ago
Read Walmart Reviews
Walmart has a 2.0 average rating from 1,080 reviews

Start Your Free Trial Today

Send 400 review invitations for FREE!

Activate Your Account

Book your activation call by clicking the button below. Or call us now on +1 213-325-5109 . Book a Call

Alice, Customer Support

Start Your Free Trial