I remember speaking to a man who had gone through a near-death experience. He was a believer in Christ and also a very affluent and accomplished businessman. And he said something which really struck me.
He stated that being minutes away from death, being less than 10 minutes away from death made him truly understand the verse Galatians 6:14. and why the only thing Paul boasted on was the cross of Christ. This gentleman stated that during those testing moments when he did not know whether he was going to live or die, all he had to hold on to was the cross of Christ.
Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world had been crucified to me and I to the world. " And this is true for all of us. We prioritize a lot of things.
But when we are faced with eternity, the only thing that will matter is the cross of Christ. The only thing that will matter is the Lord Jesus Christ. In this man's situation, the business meeting that he had scheduled next week became insignificant.
It became a complete and utter distant afterthought to him. And we can learn a lot from this situation. The things we prioritize in this life mean nothing when we are faced with eternity.
This man did not think about making money, nor did he think about his favorite basketball team. No, all that mattered to him at that moment was the cross of Christ. His job became insignificant.
His home that he purchased and that he was very proud of became insignificant. His 401k became insignificant. The truth is death comes to us all one by one.
And the day it comes, all the things you prioritized over the cross of Christ will become insignificant. And you know, you know this because your consciousness tells you that this is true. And yet you do not prioritize God.
What happens when we die? Is there a such thing called purgatory? Do we just go to sleep until the resurrection?
Hebrews 9 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. There is no purgatory in the word of God.
The Bible tells us after death there is a judgment. And once an individual knows there is a judgment coming, they cannot live the same. Once you know that your life will be reviewed by a holy eternal God, you cannot live the same.
Once you know that even the very words you speak will be analyzed, examined and reviewed. You cannot live the same. Judgment is coming.
It is coming. Judgment is coming. It is coming.
And on this judgment there is one thing that separates people's eternal destination. 1 Corinthians 1:18. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.
Once again, this word cross comes up. The cross separates all of mankind. First it came up in Galatians 6:14 as being the only thing that the apostle could boast on.
And now this word quote the cross has come up again. As we there is a dividing line between those who are perishing and those who are being saved. The cross of Christ is why our sins have been forgiven.
The cross. Galatians 6:14. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
The Apostle Paul begins with the statement, quote, God forbid, meaning literally, may it never come to be that I may boast on anything other than Christ. What Paul is telling us here is look to Jesus. Look to the cross.
look unto the author and finisher of our faith. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things this world wants you to look unto except the cross. This world wants you to look at yourself and your goodness.
And religion wants you to look at your righteousness. Allow me to focus on these two things. One, the world wants you to look at yourself and your goodness.
The world we live in wants you to boast in how much of a good person you are. I am a good person. I pay my bills.
I support my community. I look after my family. I obey the law.
I am nice. I am kind. I am loving.
I am a really good person. This is how most of the world and unbelievers view themselves as good people. They do not see themselves as sinners who are heading towards hell.
They only view criminals who have killed someone or committed a robbery as sinners. This is why a lot of unbelievers have a problem with the gospel message because the gospel message points the finger at you. You, you and me, and tells each and every one of us that we are all sinners.
It is not only those who are criminals who are sinners. It's not only those who have committed some hideous evil crime who are sinners. Each and every one of us are sinners who have offended a holy God.
The truth is people don't like to hear that about themselves. I am not a sinner. I'm a good person.
This is why the gospel message offends people because the gospel message is direct and very blunt and tells us all directly that we are sinners. Yet this world will want you to look at yourself and your own goodness. And they believe the devil's lie that you don't need the message of the cross.
Therefore, the message of the cross is foolishness to them. Two, people look at their own righteousness. Unfortunately, there are churchgoers who will be surprised at the day of judgment because they are focusing and boasting on themselves rather than the message of the cross.
They are so holy in their own eyes that they deserve to go to heaven. They are so holy in their own eyes that heaven is not heaven without them. They are so holy in their own eyes.
They begin to boast to God about how good they are. Religion. They are not followers of Christ, but rather followers of religion.
They are not children of God, but rather they are children of religion. Allow me to say that one more time. They are so holy in their own eyes.
They begin to boast to God about how good they are. Does this not remind you of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector? Luke 18:es 9-14.
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisees stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank thee that I am not as these other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. " And the publican standing a far off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smoteed upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that exaltth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Do you see this Pharisee exalted himself?
He had the audacity to boast to God about himself. But notice that Paul said the only thing I can boast of is Christ. Yet this Pharisee in all of his pride and self-importance was giving a lecture to God about how good he is.
I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess.
Can you imagine? Can you imagine stepping into the presence of the Lord and boasting about how good you are? Do you remember in the year King Uzza died, Isaiah high and lifted up?
The first thing the first thing prophet of the Lord said after seeing the Lord was Isaiah 6:5 then said I woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the king the Lord of hosts. Isaiah saw his own sinfulness. Yet this Pharisee went ahead and boasted in himself.
Remember what I stated earlier. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things this world wants you to look at except the cross. One, this world wants you to look at yourself and your goodness.
Two, and religion wants you to look at your righteousness. However, the prophet here tells us, "God forbid that we should boast in anything else. " Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
" Within the Galatian letters, Jesus Christ is mentioned over 40 times, which means that onethird of the verses contain some reference to him. This right here is the Christian life, and the apostle reveals it to us. The person of Jesus Christ captivated Paul and it was Christ who made the cross glorious to him.
It was who Christ is and what he did for us that made the cross glorious to Paul. Who is Christ and what did he do for us? Christ the only begotten son of God.
And what he did was live a perfect life and become the propitiation of our sins. He died the death of all deaths for our sins. Make a commitment today not to be like the world and boast in your own goodness.
Make a commitment today not to be like a religious person and boast in your own righteousness, but make a commitment today to be a child of God that boasts in the cross of Christ. Back to the man I told you about at the start of the sermon. When death came knocking at his door and when he was only minutes minutes away from judgment, all he could hold on to is Jesus Christ and the cross of Christ.
This is a sobering message. This is a humbling message. This is a serious message.
Hebrews 9 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. It is an appointment that all men and women must keep.
Who fixes the appointment? God is the one who fixes the appointment. And you and I do not know when your appointment or my appointment will be.
But one thing is for sure, the appointment is coming. God has made an appointment for each man and each woman. An appointment for each boy and woman.
And the appointment is called death. And when this appointment comes, what will really matter? What will a person boast of?
What are you boasting about? Are you boasting about how good and wonderful your life is on earth? Are you boasting about how good and holy you are?
Are you boasting about material possessions? The cold hard truth, the cold hard truth that you will not hear in most pulpits across our nation is the only thing that matters and that will matter to you when you are about to step into eternity is the cross of Christ. Hold on to Jesus as he holds on to you.
All that will matter in those minutes leading up into entering eternity is the name of Jesus. The sweet name of Jesus. He is the only way to the father.
He is the only way to the kingdom of God. He is the one. Six things God hates.
Proverbs 6 16 through to 19 introduces us to a series of sins that God hates. I would like to go on record and clearly state that all sins should be avoided, but we should particularly avoid these sins. These six things doth the Lord hate.
Proverbs 6:16-19. These six things doth the Lord hate. Yay, seven are an abomination unto him, a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, and heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift, and running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that sweth discord among brethren.
When God expresses his hatred towards something, it is a matter of utmost seriousness. Therefore, we must exercise great caution and refrain from developing affinities or engaging in activities that align with the things God detests in order to safeguard ourselves. Today, we will embark on an in-depth examination of the passages in the book of Proverbs that shed light on the specific things that God hates.
A proud look. Pride can be defined as an irrational overestimation of one's superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, rank, and other aspects. It manifests in displaying an air of superiority, keeping others at a distance, and often showing contempt towards them.
Pride revolves around self, self-exaltation, self- adoration, and self admiration. A proud individual looks down upon others due to their perceived status or possessions. For instance, someone might say, "I have so much money in the bank.
I am far better than these poor people. " Or, "I am exceptionally good-looking, much more so than anyone else. " Or, "I am highly intelligent compared to these simple-minded individuals.
" Or, "I am more holier compared to these other sinners. " Any person consumed by pride disregards God, assuming they can achieve success on their own. Pride involves considering oneself wise without acknowledging God's role in all that one possesses and is.
It comes as no surprise that pride tops the list of things that God detests. Pride is at the core of evil, mirroring the very nature of Satan himself. It was pride that caused war in heaven and resulted in his expulsion.
Pride is not something to be taken lightly or flirted with in our lives. God actively opposed the proud as stated in James 4:6. But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. In all honesty, pride is essentially self- worship. Even among believers, this issue of self- worship is prevalent.
Often, believers feel superior to others when they receive godly wisdom and exhibit remarkable resistance against sin. We fail to recognize that these gifts were given by God through Christ and kindled by the Holy Spirit, not because of our inherent goodness. In this generation dominated by social media, many people find themselves at the altar of self, engaging in self- worship.
They exalt and worship themselves, oblivious to the fact that any good thing in their lives is not of their own making, but a gift from God. The second evil thing God hates is a lying tongue. Speaking falsehood knowingly and willingly with the intention to deceive others, hurt someone's character or flatter a friend is an abhorrent evil in the sight of God.
Our God is a god of truth and falsehood has no place in him. The origin of all deception is the devil which is why he is referred to as the father of all lies. Nothing makes us resemble Satan more closely than engaging in lies.
John 8:44. You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources. For he is a liar and the father of it. I want to draw your attention to a powerful story from the early days of the church.
A story that teaches us about the dangers of lying and the importance of living in truth. It is the account of Ananas and Safh whose lives were marred by covetousness, hypocrisy, and a desire for the praise of others. In the book of Acts, we come across the story of Ananas and Safh, a married couple who were part of the early Christian community.
The believers were known for their radical generosity, willingly sharing their possessions with one another. Inspired by this, Ananas and Safh decided to sell a piece of property, but withheld a portion of the proceeds for themselves. However, they presented it to the apostles as the full amount, lying about their act of generosity.
Sadly, their deceit had grave consequences as both Ananas and later his wife Safh faced sudden death as a result of their dishonesty. Covetousness, hypocrisy, and a desire for the praise of others were the underlying factors that led to Ananas and Safh's tragic downfall. Covetousness crept into their hearts, making them prioritize personal gain over the principles of honesty and integrity.
They wanted to appear generous to receive admiration and praise from others. Hypocrisy became their way of life as they pretended to be selfless while secretly holding back a portion of their wealth. Their desire for the praise of men outweighed their commitment to living in truth before God and their fellow believers.
God sees the heart. The story of Ananas and Safh reminds us that God sees beyond our outward actions. He discerns the intentions of our hearts.
We cannot deceive God with false appearances or half-hearted devotion. He desires sincerity and truth in all aspects of our lives. Honesty and integrity matter.
Covetousness and deceit have no place in the life of a believer. We are called to be people of integrity reflecting the character of our God who is the embodiment of truth. Our words and actions should align with the principles of honesty and righteousness.
Beware of hypocrisy. Anonyas and safus hypocrisy led to severe consequences. It is a dangerous path to pretend to be something we are not.
Let us strive for authenticity and transparency both in our relationship with God and with one another. This should show us how quickly and suddenly the judgment of the Lord can fall on a person's life. Imagine if God dealt with every single lie in this manner.
All of us, every single one of us would not be here today. God hates lies. God hates deceit.
God hates a double life. Do not be a deceptive person. If you're hiding a secret affair from your spouse, that is being a deceptive person.
If you are lying about your whereabouts, that is being a deceptive person. God hates lies. The third on the list of the things God hates is hands that shed innocent blood.
God's message is clear. He abhores those who shed innocent blood. a characteristic that has defined the devil from the very beginning.
When we speak of hands that shed innocent blood, we are referring to the act of cold-hearted murder. You may argue that you have never taken a life or committed such an atrocity. But allow me to share with you a teaching from Jesus that sheds light on this matter.
Matthew 5:21 through to 24. You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, "You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. " But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.
Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, "Raqa," is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, "You fool," will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.
First go and be reconciled to them, then come and offer your gift. The teaching of the scribes and Pharisees, which focused on the commandment, you shall not murder, was partially accurate. However, they also conveyed the notion that actions falling short of actual murder might be permissible.
Jesus corrects this misconception and clarifies that not only those who physically commit murder are subject to judgment, but also those who harbor a murderous intent in their hearts. It is important to emphasize that Jesus is not equating anger with murder. It is morally misguided to consider someone who expresses anger towards another as having committed a sin on par with someone who murders in a fit of rage.
Jesus highlights that while both actions are condemned by the law, they are not considered identical transgressions. The laws of the people could only address the outward act of murder. But Jesus reveals that his followers comprehend that God's moral standards encompass not only the final act but also the initial seeds of murder.
The fourth on the list is a heart that devises wicked plans. God knows us from the depths of our hearts. Every thought is clearly seen by God.
Prophet Jeremiah wrote like this. Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? " If God can open the hearts of men and allow us to see inside of them, we might be shocked to see what wicked plans are going around their hearts.
Let it be known that nothing is hidden in the eyes of God. God knows everything. Psalms 44:21.
Would not God search this out, for he knows the secrets of the heart? We must pray to God for a new clean heart. Ezekiel 36:26, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.
I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. The fifth on the list is feet that are swift in running to evil. Those who eagerly rush into evil with their feet, show no resistance to sin.
Are you someone who plans and accommodates sin? Do you structure your schedule to make time and space for sin? True wisdom lies in fleeing from evil at all costs.
It becomes utter foolishness when one is observed sprinting towards evil deeds. Solomon in his wisdom eloquently expressed this concept. Proverbs 14:16, "A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident.
Our feet should run towards the Lord, towards righteousness, towards holiness. What have your feet been running to? " The sixth thing on the list is a false witness who speaks lies.
As witnesses, it is our duty to consistently speak the truth. We must strive to be faithful witnesses wherever we are called to testify. By doing so, we will find favor in the eyes of God.
