Dragons means in the Bible

Dragons means in the Bible

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads." (Revelation 12:3)

It seems like that everywhere we look we see dragons; dragons of all sizes, colors, and types. As a matter of fact we see dragons in books, statues, pictures, videos, movies and even in pottery.

Emblems of dragons are on clothing; sporting goods; and yes, even cute dragons as toys for little children.

If you look up dragons on the internet you will find literally hundreds of sites dedicated to this one subject alone. Hundreds of pictures of dragons are available.

You cannot help but notice the numerous pictures of dragons in the video games. And many of them look so menacing; evil; wicked; ungodly; scary, and downright demonic.

What is happening? Why such a fascinating interest in dragons? It never used to be this way.

As most Christians know the dragon has always represented Satan. The Bible is full of references to the dragon and his influence in the last days. He will empower the antichrist. He will control the world.

"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." (Revelation 13:2)

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:9) 

The world will be totally deceived by the dragon and the world is obviously getting ready for him now. Never before in the history of mankind has there been so much interest in Satanism; witchcraft; the occult and other evil practices.

"And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast..." (Revelation 13:4)

"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." (Revelation 16:13-14)

We are also in a day when people and yes even Christians are looking for miracles. The Bible states clearly that God can perform miracles, but so can the devil and God help the person that cannot tell the difference.

The Bible says that we should be walking by faith and not by sight according to Biblical principles. Today many professing Christians are walking in the flesh; following so called prophets that supposedly perform miracles.

Job warns against trying to deal with leviathan (the dragon) over in the book of job chapter 41.

"Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up..." (Job 41:9-10)

"Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about." (Job 41:14)

"Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. (Job 41:19-21)

"Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear." He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride." (Job 41:33-34)

Praise God the Devil will one day be thrown down and conquered by the Lord and his power on this earth will cease.

"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:2)

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)

Until then however we need to ever be on guard against the wiles of the devil and stand fast in the whole armour of God.

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:11-12)

What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others.

What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others


This is an issue that has confused many people. On one hand, we are commanded by the Lord Jesus, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). On the other hand, the Bible also exhorts us to beware of evildoers and false prophets and to avoid those who practice all kinds of evil. How are we to discern who these people are if we do not make some kind of judgment about them? 

Christians are often accused of "judging" whenever they speak out against a sinful activity. However, that is not the meaning of the Scripture verses that state, "Do not judge." There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise—with careful discernment (John 7:24). When Jesus told us not to judge (Matthew 7:1), He was telling us not to judge hypocritically. Matthew 7:2-5 declares, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." What Jesus was condemning here was hypocritical, self-righteous judgments of others.

In Matthew 7:2-5, Jesus warns against judging someone else for his sin when you yourself are sinning even worse. That is the kind of judging Jesus commanded us not to do. If a believer sees another believer sinning, it is his Christian duty to lovingly and respectfully confront the person with his sin (Matthew 18:15-17). This is not judging, but rather pointing out the truth in hope—and with the ultimate goal—of bringing repentance in the other person (James 5:20) and restoration to the fellowship. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We are to proclaim what God's Word says about sin. 2 Timothy 4:2 instructs us, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction." We are to "judge" sin, but always with the goal of presenting the solution for sin and its consequences—the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

God's Forgiveness

God's Forgiveness

Some people's excuse for rejecting a faith in Christ is that they're too deep into whatever sin they're in to be saved -- that it's just too late for them. This sort of an explanation is actually just a front; it's not that they're too deep in to whatever to be saved, it's that they're too deep into whatever to want to be saved.

There is really no such thing as being too far gone into sin to be saved. Jesus's blood covers any sin and washes it away, no matter how much of it there is, because Jesus possesses the unique quality of being able to forgive everything. There might be some things that we might not be able to forgive other people of, certain crimes or transgressions that are simply too much to forgive and forget. But what separates humans from God is that God forgives anything, forgets the wrongdoing, and will give someone a new life in his light if they will only accept it.

Jesus himself points out how God will forgive and forget, how that is Jesus's whole purpose in coming to earth and dying for us, and how there is literally rejoicing in heaven because of one sinner repenting:

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answering said unto them, "They that are whole don't need a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

-Luke 5:30-32

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he finds it? I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

-Luke 15:4,7

The Bible gives some excellent examples of Jesus's forgiveness. One is the account of the "sinner" woman who gives Jesus a welcome better than that of the religious leaders of the time:


And, behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had invited him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him; for she is a sinner." And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon (the Pharisee), "See this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet; but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. You gave me no kiss; but this woman, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil you did not anoint; but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto you, 'her sins, which are many are forgiven.'" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

-Luke 7:37-39,44-47a,50

If this isn't an example of someone being rescued from "too deep" sin, I don't know what is. This woman was probably a prostitute, someone who was as far from being godly as a person can get. And yet, when she heard that Jesus was near to her, she left her profession, and basically groveled before Jesus's feet, giving him a gesture of love and repentance that would be rivaled for all time to come. She is actually, in my opinion, one of the most fortunate people in history. How many other people have had the opportunity to be that close to Jesus in his physical form, to be forgiven of such deep sin right at the feet of the Master before those feet were pierced on the cross?

A deeper look into forgiveness is given to us by the account of the woman caught in adultery. This account from the book of John is where we get our expression "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" from, as the old King James version puts it.

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said unto him, "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned; but what do you say?" This they said, tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he didn't hear them. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, "he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, "woman, where are those your accusers? Has no man condemned you?" She said "no man, Lord." And Jesus said unto her, "neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more."

-John 8:3-11

You want to talk about being deep into trouble, this woman had reached the end of her rope for sure. Not only had she been caught committing adultery, but that required that she be stoned to death (not a humane execution by any means.) Can you imagine how bad it must have looked for this woman, a convicted adulteress, about to be killed, accused before the Lord himself? But Jesus saw things differently. What Jesus saw was a woman who just needed forgiving, and a bunch of people standing around her who just wanted to trap Jesus and get him out of their way permanently. (FYI: some Bible scholars think that the people who brought the woman to Jesus were the ones she was committing adultery with, and that Jesus was writing their names in the ground.)

After saving the woman's life, Jesus forgave her. She was blatantly guilty of adultery, there was no question that sin had been done, but Jesus forgave her. And the last part is perhaps the most important, "go, and sin no more." When Jesus rescues us from something, it is important that we don't go back to it. Jesus doesn't save us just so we can go back to sin again.

As is illustrated by these accounts, Jesus will forgive people no matter how deep they are into sin. It's never too late, it's just a matter of how willing the people themselves are to be forgiven. Jesus reaches out his hand to everyone, all they have to do is take it. That, in fact, is the whole reason why Jesus came to earth and died for us, as stated above in the account of the woman who rubbed Jesus's feet with her hair. It's the sin that controls some people that makes them think they're in too deep; but Jesus is here for everyone.


The truth is, we need to tell the devil to back up, we have every right to every benefit God has for his children. We need to resist the devil and he will flee when we come back with right and truth on our side with the word of God that says all things are ours, whether things present or things to come. Heaven is ours and no demon in hell can keep it from us if we don't believe a lie. Truth is, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ.


Anyway, don't ever let the devil tell you different.How true this is! Jesus died to give us access to God's love and forgiveness. The only way the devil can keep us from God is by tricking us into not going to him. Today, don't let the weight and guilt of your past (or your present) keep you from the Lord who "is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Hard Times Bible Verses

Hard Times Bible Verses

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? (NIV)

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (NIV)

Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

John 14:27 (NLT)

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." 

Prayer ; 

Dear Heavenly Father Lord,
My fear has trapped and consumed me. But I am tired of living under the weight of my fears. These verses reassure me of your presence and confirm that you are able to deliver me from my trouble. Please give me your love and your power to replace these fears. Your perfect love casts out my fear. I thank you for promising to give me the peace that only you can give. I receive that peace now as I ask you to still my troubled heart. Because you are with me, I don't have to be afraid.
Amen

Glory of God Bible Verses

Glory of God Bible Verses

God is good to those who look to Him:

Ezra 8:22b The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him; but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him.

God is the Ultimate Power:

Isaiah 43:10-13 "You are My witnesses", says the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore you are My witnesses", says the LORD, "that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am He; and there is none that can deliver out of My hand: I will work, and who shall let it?"

God always comes through for the patient:

Isaiah 49:23c And you shall know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.

If you're going to boast, boast about the Lord:

Jeremiah 9:24 "But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD which exercise loving-kindngess, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight", says the LORD.

Persistence pays off:

Luke 11:9,10 And I say unto you, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened."

By believing Jesus' words, we have life:

John 5:24-26 Truthfully I say unto you, he that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into the condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Truthfully I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself.

God is our provider; Jesus gives us our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who lives in us; we are loved by the Father, and we show our love by following Jesus:

John 14:13-18,21 And whatsoever you shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask any thing in My Name, I will do it. If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwels with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. He that has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.

How we show our love to Jesus, and our reward:

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

We must remain in Jesus and bear fruit, be pruned and refined, and we will be blessed:

John 15:1-5,7-10 I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that bears not fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through the word wich I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you: continue you in My love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.

We have peace with God:

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Spirit pleads for us:

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Itself maks intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

We are God's children, glorified as the brothers of Jesus, who is the first among many brothers:

Romans 8:29,30 For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many bretheren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified.

Call to God!:

Romans 10:9-13 That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dad, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed.' For there is not difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Our bodies are God's holy temples:

1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19,20 Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are... Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

We were made for immortality with God:

2 Corinthians 5:4b,5 (NIV) We do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

We'll be with God forever:

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and reamin shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

We are with Christ:

2 Timothy 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us: if we believe not, yet He abides faithful: He cannot deny Himself.

God is long-suffering for us all to repent and live:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God has forgiven the whole world's sins:

1 John 1:9-2:2 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

We have hope as God's children if we purify ourselves from the world:

1 John 3:1-3 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when [Jesus] appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

The ultimate future of God's people:

Revelation 21:3-7 And I heard a great voice out of the heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." And He that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said unto me, "Write: for these words are true and faithful." And He said unto me, "It is done. I am Alpha nd Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that thirsts of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son."

Religious Confusion,  Division, and Disagreement

Why is there so much disagreement, confusion, and division in religion ? Even "Christian" denominations often disagree and contradict one another. Does Jesus approve of such division, or does He want religious unity ? Does division occur because the Bible contradicts itself or cannot be understood? Is it caused by ignorance, lack of Bible study, human religious authority, and man-made creeds ? What does God's word say ?

Why there is so much confusion, disagreement, and division. Does Jesus approve of it, or does He seek religious unity ? Does the Bible contradict itself ? Is it impossible to understand ? Do people fail to study diligently enough, resulting in ignorance ? Are the problems caused by following man-made creeds and authority instead of following the Bible ? What does God's word say ?

Things that Should Not Be Blamed

Sometimes people suggest invalid explanations, which are not the real sources of the problem.

Not Because God's Will Is Unrevealed or Incomplete :

Some people say that disagreement exists because God has never told us everything we need to know. Or perhaps truths have been lost or changed over the centuries. But consider:

2 Timothy 3:15-17 - The Scriptures provide us completely to all good works. God has told us everything we need to know to be saved.

1 Corinthians 14:37; John 16:13 -Inspired men wrote God's commands and revealed all truth.

1 Peter 1:22-25 - This gospel lives and abides forever. It will always be here to teach us God's will.

When people are religiously divided, it is not because God's word is unavailable to us today.

Not Because the Bible Contains Errors or Contradictions :

Some people suggest that Bible believers contradict one another because parts of the Bible contradict other parts. Or perhaps the Bible is in error or inaccurate on some points.

John 17:17; Psalms 119:128; 33:4 - God's word is truth. It is always right and can never be wrong. And truth will never contradict other truth.

Mark 3:24,25 - A house or kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. If the Bible contradicts itself, then God would be divided against Himself.

1 Corinthians 1:13 - The Corinthians were divided and confused. Was this because Jesus contradicted Himself and led them into confusion? No! Christ is not divided against Himself.

Not Because the Bible Is Impossible to Understand :

God's word is infallible, harmonious and unified. It cannot be wrong, and it cannot contradict itself. If people disagree with the Bible, then it is the people who are wrong, not the Bible - Romans 3:4.

Some people think that the average person cannot possibly understand the Scriptures, so people just naturally disagree about what it means.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 - The Scriptures make us wise to salvation, profitably instructing us to all good works. How could they do so if we cannot understand them?

Mark 7:14 - Jesus expected all the multitudes who heard Him to understand His teachings.

Acts 17:11 - The Scriptures give the average man a way to distinguish truth from error.

God revealed the Bible to make known his will. If we cannot understand the message, then God has failed. But how can an all-wise, all-powerful God fail? He did not fail; therefore we can understand.

Not Because God Approves Division :

Some people think God does not object if sincere people are religiously divided. "All the churches follow Jesus, so just join the church of your choice."

John 17:20,21 - Jesus prayed for all who believe in Him to be one as He and His Father are one. Do Jesus and the Father continually disagree and contradict one another?

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 - Paul told the Corinthians to cease their divisions. Jesus is not divided, so His followers must not be divided. If "all the churches are following Jesus," why are they divided? His teaching does not divide people. So they must be divided because some are not following Jesus.

Ephesians 4:3-6 - True unity is based on seven things of which there is only one each. Following many false gods creates confusion, but following the one true God would promote unity. Likewise, there are many false faiths and false churches, which create division. But there is only one true faith and only one true body (which is the church - Eph. 1:22,23; 5:22ff). Following God's true way produces unity in truth.

We have now studied several suggestions people offer to explain religious confusion and division. The problem with all these explanations is that they place the blame on God and the Bible. But God is not the author of confusion - 1 Cor. 14:33. We must look elsewhere for the real causes of the problem.

Things that Do Cause Confusion and Disagreement

Lack of Knowledge

Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Ignorance causes confusion and division.

Matthew 22:29 - The Sadducees were in error because they did not know the Scriptures.

Romans 10:1-3 - The Israelites had zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Many circumstances may lead to a lack of knowledge of the truth. Consider some of them.

Some people simply have never had opportunity to learn the truth.

This was the case of Cornelius (Acts 10:1-11:18) and the Ethiopian treasurer (Acts 8:26-39). Such people need to hear words whereby they can be saved (Acts 11:14).

Some people simply do not study the Bible diligently enough.

To discern good from evil, we must have our senses exercised by reason of use - Hebrews 5:12-14. We must "search the Scriptures daily" - Acts 17:11. Much religious error and division result from lack of study.

Some people do not handle the Bible properly - 2 Timothy 2:15.

Even if a person studies and quotes the Bible, he may not be using it properly (Matt. 4:5-7).

For example, some people try to prove their practices by the Old Testament, not knowing it has been removed by Christ and is no longer in effect (Rom. 7:2-6; Heb. 10:9,10; Gal. 3:24,25; Col. 2:14,16).

Other people take only part of the Bible teaching about a subject but ignore other verses on the same subject. As a result, they reach conclusions that contradict other Scriptures (Matt. 4:4-7; Acts 3:22,23; Matt. 28:20).

We can truly be made free from sin only if we know the truth - John 8:32.

Human Religious Guides

Much division results because people follow doctrines invented by men, but not found in the Bible. They may determine their beliefs by human guides such as the following:

Preachers

Some people think, "It must be right, because Rev. so-and-so says so." Preachers are useful if they preach the truth, but many teach error (2 Tim. 4:2-4; Matt. 7:15; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). We must check out all teachings by the Bible (Acts 17:11).

Family or friends

"I was brought up in this church. If it's good enough for my loved ones, it's good enough for me." It is wonderful if our family and friends really serve God. But most people's families are in error (Matt. 7:13,14). We must obey Jesus, even when loved ones disagree (Matt. 10:34-37).

Creed books, church laws, and traditions

Most denominations have man-made rules that the denomination follows. These rules are often written down as official statements of church doctrine (manuals, catechisms, creeds, disciplines, etc.). But men have no right to make religious laws (Matt. 15:9; Eph. 1:22,23; James 4:12). No human writing or teaching should be viewed as an official, authoritative statement of church doctrine.

Other human religious guides

People sometimes follow other human guides such as conscience, feelings, beliefs of the majority, etc. All such standards can lead us into error.

Matthew 15:9,13 - Following human doctrines makes worship vain.

2 John 9 - Whoever goes beyond the teachings of Jesus, does not have the Father and the Son.

Galatians 1:8,9 - Any one who preaches any doctrine other than the one true gospel, is accursed.

Preconceived Ideas, Pride, Lack of Love for Truth

Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 14:12 - The way a man should walk is not found within man himself. A way may seem right to men yet result in death. We must trust in God's word, not in human wisdom.

Matthew 13:14,15 - People often close their eyes and ears to the truth. They may have believed a certain way for years, so they refuse to consider evidence for other views and they reject the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - People who do not love truth enough, will instead believe a lie and be condemned. Such attitudes invariably lead to religious disagreement and confusion. [Proverbs 18:13]

To accept the truth, we must "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matt. 5:6). We must honestly study what God's word says, then accept truth with "readiness of mind" (James 1:19-21; Acts 17:11).

Personal Desires and Self-Will

Matthew 13:20-22 - Serving God requires self-sacrifice and effort. Some people will not pay the price, so they justify themselves in disobedience.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; 2 Timothy 4:2-4 - Some reject truth because they just enjoy unrighteousness. They want preachers to justify their sins.

Acts 7:51 - Other people just rebel against authority and seek to please themselves.

Confession and the Power of Words / Acting in Faith

Confession and the Power of Words

"With the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10). Confessing Christ as your Living Lord and Saviour with your mouth releases God's salvation into your life. Since salvation includes many benefits and blessings our right mouth confession is a major key to receiving what God has provided for us by his grace.

We should realise that "Death and life is in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21). The power of the tongue is in the power of the words we speak. All our words have an effect on the spiritual atmosphere around us, either for good or bad. It is through words that covenants and promises are established. It is through words that our faith or our fears are expressed. Bad words open the door for bad spirits to work. Good words open the door for God and His angels to work.

Angels heed the VOICE of God's Word (Psalms 103:20). Words are spiritual seeds. Words of life produce life. Words of faith produce faith. Words of love produce love. Words of hope produce hope, and so on. Words of death attract spirits of death, words of doubt attract doubt, words of fear attract spirits of fear, and so on. Therefore we must guard carefully what we SAY. The Bible has much to say on this subject, especially in the Book of Proverbs (e.g. Proverbs 10:19, 20, 31, 32; 12:18, 22; 14:23, 33; 15:1, 4, 28). Jesus said, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. " (Matthew 12:36,37). Paul said, "And WHATEVER you do, IN WORD or deed, do ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17)

Confession (Gk: homologeo) means literally "to say the same thing". To confess the Word of God then means to say the same thing as God's Word says. When you say it, it tends to produce faith because in saying it you must also hear it from your own mouth, and hearing the Word causes faith to come (Romans 10:17). In saying the Word yourself, you identify YOURSELF with the truth of God's Word. It is one thing to hear someone else say something, another to say that thing yourself. The more you say God's Word, the more you will believe it, and the more you believe it, the more you will say it.

"A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled." (Proverbs 18:20, see Proverbs 12:14). This means that we feed on the words we speak. What we say comes back to affect our own heart and our own spiritual condition. That is another reason why confessing the Word and not negative things will greatly help our faith.

At times it is difficult to speak consistently with what the Bible says because our minds are not sufficiently renewed. We still have doubt in our souls. We must reprogram our subconscious minds to accept God's principles and God's promises without doubt (Romans 12:2). Meditation, repeated pondering, listening to good preaching, confession of the Scripture, as well as informed study will help here. The Word must enter deeply into us. This will change the way we are, the way we speak, the way we respond to difficulties and challenges. If it does not we have been too superficial in our treatment of the Word. We have substituted the mental knowledge and recognition of the words for real meditation and confession.

God talks in faith. God "gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17). Through faith-filled words, God created the universe (Hebrews 11:3). As sons of God we are called to be imitators of God, filled with God's Spirit (Eph 5:1,18). When we are in Christ and we have the promise of God, we have the right to speak about something God has promised as if it existed even before our natural senses are conscious of it. It is our faith that gives substance to this confession of things not seen. For example, if we have believed God for a car, we can talk about our car before we see it. We should realise that God has already "given us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3) and all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). But the effective receiving depends on our faith. Faith is confident of the faithfulness of God in His declared promises and talks and acts so, even before the natural eye sees.

Acting in Faith

Real faith has corresponding actions. Looking at Hebrews 11:4-37 we see that all those who are commended for their faith did something as well. It is possible to have actions, even religious actions, without real faith - but these actions are dead works. Without faith you can't please God. (Hebrews 11:6).

Sometimes confusion arises in this matter of faith and works. There is a radical difference between works or actions that spring from real faith, and works which spring from SELF in an effort to earn God's approval. The former cannot be separated from real faith. The latter are as filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6), and are wrong because the man occupied with them cannot understand or accept God's free grace - that it is by GRACE, by CHRIST that we are saved, and not by our own works.

Faith hears the word of God, the voice of God and acts in obedience with a trusting heart. God often speaks to us through our consciences by His Spirit, pressing us towards a particular kind of action which is based on God's Word. Real faith yields to God's suggestion and does it.

Jesus told the blind man to go to the pool to wash. The blind man, by acting in obedience to Jesus' words BEFORE he received healing, demonstrated the kind of faith which God required of him in that situation, and he was healed. (John 9:7). If he had not obeyed, he would not have been healed.

God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac up as a sacrifice. Abraham's obedience in this matter demonstrated the reality of his faith. (James 2:20-24). Even justifying faith is not passive. It does not rest in sin. Justifying faith works with repentance to open the door for the receiving of God's great salvation.