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Flee Sin!
Fred R. Coulter
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I'm going to start this one a little differently. I'm going to pick up a little bit from a couple of statements that we made last week in 1-Corinthians 15:34: "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin, for some of you do not have the knowledge of God. I say this to your shame."
I have quite a few clippings here, all put together, and we're going to see why it's possible for this to happen. 2-Thess. 2 is going to be very important in the days that lie ahead, and why these things are going to happen.
2-Thessalonians 2:9: "Even the one whose coming is according to the inner working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing because they did not receive the love of the Truth, so that they might be saved" (vs 9-10). Remember that phrase "…because they did not receive the love of the Truth…"
- Thy Word is Truth
- I am the Way, the Life and the Truth
- Jesus is the Word
All those things tie together there.
Verse 11: "And for this cause, God will send upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie, so that all may be judged who did not believe the Truth, but who took pleasure in unrighteousness" (vs 11-12).
How is that going to take place? Before I read this, I just want to preface it with an article that my wife read that how most people look for churches that fit their social inclinations. They don't go to church for doctrine, but for their social inclinations.
Here's an article that was sent to me:
Some Reasons for the Perverted Society (no source given or found)
The perverted society that we live in.
Here are the results of a poll of Protestant clergymen conducted by socialist Jeffery Hayden. Hayden contacted 10,000 clergymen of whom 7,441 replied.
So, he had three-fourths reply.
The clergymen were asked whether they believed in the physical resurrection of Jesus from the grave. Fifty-one percent of the Methodists said that they did not accept Jesus' resurrection as an historical fact.
You're going to be shaking your head when I'm done. That's just the first one. That's not too bad of one, really.
1-John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." This tells us something very important—doesn't it? Demonic spirits are with false prophets. That's what it says.
Verse 2: "By this test you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." Even the Catholics say that Jesus came in the flesh, but not quite, because Jesus did not have—according to Catholic doctrine—flesh as we have because He was born of the immaculate conception and did not have the 'law of sin and death' in Him, therefore, He wasn't like us; He was a little different than we are. The immaculate conception of Mary: Jesus was conceived immaculately; did not have the stain of Adam's sin on His soul, is the way the Catholics put it. They literally do not believe that Jesus came in the flesh, that is the flesh as you and I are. You can't understand that verse unless you believe that Jesus came in the flesh; that He Himself had 'the law of sin and death' in Him.
51% of the Methodists said they do not accept Jesus' resurrection as an historical fact
What are you going to base your Christianity on?
35% of the Presbyterians could not accept it
30% of the Episcopalian ministry could not
33% of the Baptists could not
13% of the American Lutherans could not
7% of the Missouri Synod Lutherans could not
The Missouri Synod Lutherans are those that split away when the Lutherans became more and more liberal back in the mid-sixties or the first part of the seventies. It says:
93% of the Synod Lutheran ministers believe in the resurrection of Christ.
Which is pretty good as Protestants go.
When asked if they believe in the virgin birth of Jesus is a biological miracle:
60% of the Methodists said no
so did:
44% of the Episcopalians
49% of the Presbyterians
44% of the Baptists
19% of the American Lutherans
5% of the Missouri Synod Lutherans
So, there is one group of the Protestants out here that still believe in the Bible.
When asked if they believed in Satan and the existence of evil, demonic powers, 62% of the Methodists said no
Just watch what's going to happen to the Methodist Church. They're the highest percentage of all. As did:
37% of the Episcopalians
40% of the Presbyterians
33% of the Baptists
14% of the American Lutherans
I suppose of the Missouri Synod Lutherans was 100% that believe in Satan, so they didn't even include them.
When asked if they believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God:
There's the basis to begin with. I just read the Scripture that they received not the love of the Truth.
82% of the Methodists said no
How are you going to preach out of the Word of God if you don't believe it? I mean, you might as well get Grimm's Fairytales. Just like I said, I wanted to preface this with the report that my wife read in the paper that most people go to church because it's a social thing, and they sort have their own little acceptance of love and joy. That's religion to them. It's a social thing.
Why even show up if the purpose of going to church is to have worship and contact with God somehow, and you don't believe that the Bible is His Word—why go? Yet, this is from clergymen; it's not just lay members. The ones standing in the pulpit—8 out of 10 of the Methodists' ministers, almost 9 out of 10—in attendance get up there and preach social this and social that.
We have right now in the State of California a self-esteem department, that the way for people to succeed is to have more self-esteem. Now what we need to do is find out how we can get self-esteem in Californians so they can love their neighbors more, because people with self-esteem treat others nicer. I'm not kidding; I'm serious, they have a board, a commission of 15 members.
They should have started with the Bible! Can you truly love yourself if you don't love God? If they're going to do it right they should have started in kindergarten.
89% of the Episcopalian clergy said they do not believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God
81% of the Presbyterians
57% of the American Lutherans
no figure was given for the Missouri Synod Lutherans
If most of them believe that the Bible is the Word of God, then one of these days they're going to have to answer the question concerning the Sabbath and other things.
A 1979 Gallop Poll survey: 49% of all Protestants and only 44% of all Catholics could name more than four of the Ten Commandments. But over 75% of all American's polled believe that the Bible is the Word of God.
'Oh yes, I believe it's the Word of God.' Would you obey it? Well now, come on let's not get religious on us! I believe it's the Word of God, but don't apply it to me! Typical American! It's amazing!
Gallop Poll—July 1984—Attitudes of the U.S.:
72% said they lie when a superior ask them to, that they would
63% said they take companies goods home when they can
One time right out here at this Ford Assembly Plant, right down in Freemont, they were going to call a special meeting and everyone thought that they were going to have a search that day, and all they were going to do was inform them of some company benefit. There were tools found lying all over the parking lot where they assembled them to talk to them because they thought they were going to have to go through the gate and be searched.
75% take time off when only mentally tired
76% consider society's honesty and integrity are on the decline
40% of college religion teachers and pastoral counselors believe that it is immoral for an unmarried man and woman to have sex.
16% think that adultery is wrong
87% did not believe that adultery should be a crime
91% believe the government should not regulate sex between homosexuals
53% thought that the legal system should limit marriage to opposite sex couples
71% would approve of a male homosexual teaching elementary school
They believe a lie because they don't receive the love of the Truth!
Here's another Bible thing in America; here are the facts:
Only half of those who attend church can name the four Gospels. Less than half know who delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Less than half could name three of the Ten Commandments. Of Evangelicals, 30% read the Bible daily: of mainline churches 17-26%; of Catholics 7%.
There's no knowledge of God in the land!
Hosea 4: "Hear the Word of the LORD, children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, 'There is no Truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.'" If there's not Truth, you can't love it! And if you tell them the Truth, you're a nut! You really are!
Verse 2: "By swearing, and lying, and killing…" I just saw a report that they're more murderers getting brutal with policemen. They don't even give the policemen a chance anymore. The policemen are getting gunned down before they even have a chance to draw a weapon. There was a funeral just last month in Florida where they buried eight policemen in different towns. It's getting crazy!
"…and stealing, and the committing of adultery they break out; and blood touches blood. Therefore, shall the land mourn…" Is the land mourning? Yes, we're flooded over here, and drought over here, cold over here, and heat over here! Is the land mourning? Yes, it is!
"…and everyone who dwells in it shall languish… [Is that true? Yes, it is! Every one of us is walking around with some little toxin in us.] …with the beasts of the field and with the birds of the heavens. Yes, the fish of the sea shall also be taken away" (v 3).
El Nino is a strange thing. You figure putting a huge pot on your stove, on one burner, and figure how long it's going to take you—with ice cold water—to heat that. I want you to think in gigantic terms, because the Pacific Ocean was raised 15 degrees in temperature because of El Nino. To heat the ocean 15 degrees is a powerful amount of energy. Now we're inundated with catfish farms; it's unclean food—it's crazy!
Verse 6: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being as a priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children." This is reading today's newspaper, brethren, right here in this prophecy.
Verse 7: "As they were increased, so they sinned against Me. I will change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity" (vs 7-8).
This is kind of a long way around to come into 1-Cor. 5, but I think this will help us understand what was going on there.
Verse 9: "And it has become, like people, like priest…" Priests are no longer Holy; a priest is not anything; priests no longer represent God.
"…and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings, For they shall eat and not have enough. They shall commit whoredom and not increase…" (vs 9-10). Isn't that what's happening; our population is going down proportionally. How many women cannot have children because they're infertile? How many are infertile because all they did was play around when they were younger—etc., etc. Same way with the men.
"…because they have stopped taking heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart" (v 11).
I want to read you an article here; this is a summary of the one that came up the day before. I just read to you about the Episcopal leaders; here they are; Episcopal leaders don't believe the inspired Word of God; don't believe in the virgin birth; don't believe there is Satan.
Episcopal Leaders Debate Sexual Issues: Priests divided on pre-marital sex:
In an emotionally charged debate Friday, leaders of the Episcopal churches Newark, N.J., diocese divided on a report that urges the church to give its blessing to sexual relations between homosexual, unmarried, divorced or widowed adult couples.
"I think we're crossing a line of advocacy and I don't want to be a part of it," said Chuck Meredith of Maywood. The Grotto's news stories about the report have prompted telephone calls from distressed parishioners in a proportion to nothing else. More than women entering the ministry, which occurred a decade ago.
They had a big furor and now they have women in the ministry. What happens when you have a big furor? Wherever it's a political thing and it's steamrolling and Satan is behind it, it's going to go in; you're guaranteed it's going to go in.
Other delegates to the diocese reported a similar flood of phone calls, some supported the report. Because of the report we have people coming into the church looking for what we have to offer.
Isn't that wonderful! The 'First Church of Sodom' is going to open up right down the road here. It doesn't matter what your preference is.
The task force findings embraced by diocesan leader Bishop John Sprung, were a minority view among the nation's 3-million Episcopalians.
When they get down to the crunch and someone says 'The Bible says this…' They're going to say, 'That was written for a time long ago; that's not for us today. You really don't believe that the Word of God is for us today? How many of you learned ministers here believe the Word of God is for us today?' No you don't! We have to modify it—right? You know that's how they're going to answer it.
Today, the 200 priests and 500 lay members will vote on whether to distribute the report among the church's 55,000 members for debate. Sprung says that he intends to ignite national debate on sexual ethics with the report in hopes that it will prompt religious leaders to amend doctrine to embrace all believers.
How far should you amend doctrine to embrace all believers? That's sounds like a wonderful statement—doesn't it? 'We want to include everybody!' What if God amended everything so that all believers would come into the Church? What would you have to do?
James 2:19: "Do you believe that God is one? You do well to believe this. Even the demons believe—and tremble in fear." Let's take this statement to embrace all believers. If you extended it to that then you would have to also include even demons. It sounds like a good statement. We can understand all of these things; remember when we were talking about how the people are deceived by which sounds good and appears good? 'We don't want to exclude anybody. We love everybody.'
Members of the task force acknowledged to some 50 or so people who packed the hotel conference room to overflowing, but they did not attempt to include all points in the report. That prompted angry comments: 'Are we going to re-write the Bible?' shouted one priest.
Hey, at least someone is saying something!
The task force said that because attitudes toward marriage had changed as more women defer marriage and reject it for careers, the church should accept pre-marital sex.
You see what we're opening with this before we get to 1-Cor. 5.
Homosexuals also have as much right to worship God as heterosexuals.
Ah ha! The end-line of democracy is what? See where all this leads? You can take all those good sounding things…
Their rights to church recognition and ministry should not be ignored. Unselfish sexual relationships should be recognized if they maintain feeling, consideration, compassion, mutuality, concern for others.
Silly standard!
However, one of the 'reverends'—Al Salt of the All Saints Church in Millington—finds "no healing message in this doctrine at all. Homosexuals who have come to the knowledge of Christ can be healed of homosexuality."
He apparently one of the few that still believes in God.
That comment drew moans of disapproval, quoted one: "I am tired of hearing that homosexuality is a sickness. There is no convincing moral basis for homosexuality being a sickness."
How should we react toward these people? It's answered in 1-Cor. 5! I would say this, there are some people who would go so far as to be zealous and take the sword of the Lord in their hand and kill them. Obviously, we shouldn't do that. Obviously, we can't go to the other extreme and say, 'God loves everybody regardless of who you are and what you are.' There are the two extremes.
How should we view them? I'll tell you how I view them! I have to do business with them. I just completed a loan for homosexuals that owned a home. I do business with them; that's it!
If you know anyone who is or a relative who is and pray for them to the extent that God deals in their lives, that they would come to the understanding of what they need to deal with, but let it go at that.
The same way with someone who is thief. Keep everything locked up! What if someone in your family came down with AIDS, you'd hate to have someone turn their back on them completely. There comes a point where everybody has to stand on their own alone whether for good or whether for evil.
I don't know whether God is going to reject them or not. That's not my judgment to make. But He has punished them for their sin and he's punishing the whole society because a greater proportion of the society than ever before are homosexuals; therefore, God is punishing with fury! If you don't think AIDS is fury; it is fury!
Just like a read a couple of weeks ago concerning King Manasseh when he let the land become filled with demonism and things like this, much innocent blood was shed!
- It's a shame that babies are born with AIDS!
- It's a shame that people who are hemophiliacs and get transfusions and come down with AIDS!
- It's a shame that these things take place!
However, it gets back to where, if somewhere along the line, however close or far back, that were not these sins against God, they wouldn't be getting AIDS.
God is going to have to take care of that. But one thing we need to understand is, we do not need to accept the argument of all of the 'bleeding hearts.' God is going to take care of it in the long run and in His way. In the meantime, because as I've just read to you in Hosea 4, 'because you've forgotten God, I'll forget your children.' That's exactly what we're seeing. People have forgotten God, so they say, 'Oh, God, why did You do this to my children. That's part of you. We're responsible for our children.'
We are responsible to take care of our lives so that before we're married we can come into a marriage with an acceptable inheritance and sexual life that is going to result in the kind of children that God can bless. When people don't do that they cut themselves off from God! Those results happen. I don't care if it's in America; I don't care what country, race, nationality, whatever, that's His living law that God has set forth.
How far should someone go in taking care of someone, a family member, who has AIDS? Sooner or later you're going to have to get to the point of what it was in the Bible, to quarantine those who have those kinds of communicable diseases. When they get to the point—and I've seen some of the pictures of those in the hospital and things like this who have AIDS—that they are at, they're going to have to suffer on their own.
Sure you can comfort them, sure you can do all those kinds of things, but nobody is learning a lesson out of it. Everyone is 'bleeding hearts' about it; it's incredible! I don't know if their exposed or contaminated; you may have to wait 6-10 years before you really know. But that's the thing about it, the whole lesson is that no one who is going to defy God; no one is going to mock God and get away with it.
If you have to take care of someone like that, you would have to take every precaution to keep clean. Make sure you are clean; make sure that you don't carry any of that around; you make sure that you take a bath everyday and put on clean clothes everyday, and if you're going to take care of someone that had hepatitis and is ready to die, you'd have to do that. However, if I were compelled, and in a circumstance to do it, I would take care of whomever I had to take care of, but I would put them in an isolated room and I would make sure that they were clean, comfortable, and I would wear gloves and a mask at all times. Hepatitis is not as deadly as AIDS.
Let's go to 1-Corinthians 5. This has been a long way around 'the mulberry bush' to start out, but it gives us a little better understanding.
1-Corinthians 5:1: "It is commonly reported that there is sexual immorality [fornication (KJV)] among you…" Fornication is from the Greek word 'porneia' from which we get the English word pornography—photographs of 'porneia.' Porneia is not restricted to the English word fornication. The English meaning of fornication means heterosexual relations before marriage; that is fornication. The Greek word 'porneia' means any sexual relationship outside of marriage, be it homosexual, heterosexual, and also includes the term 'adultery.' Adultery we will cover when we get to 1-Cor. 7, when we talk about marriages that are binding or marriages that are not binding.
"…commonly reported…" In other words, it's understood by the whole congregation. 'Oh, look at that guy.' Yeah, that's the one who sleeps with his mother-in-law. 'Oh, but they have a wonderful spiritual church. Judge not lest you be judged.' You can hear it all! "…commonly reported…" Oh well, that doesn't bother me, I'm in the 'revelation' group over here.
"…to the and such immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles…" (v 1). That's a little exaggeration on Paul's part there, because we're going to read that the ones who were kicked out of the land of Canaan had that plus much more.
"…—allowing one to have his own father's wife…. [apparently with his stepmother.] …You are puffed up…" (vs 1-2). Why did they get puffed up?
1-Corinthians 3:3: "For you are still carnal…." That's why they're puffed up. They thought they were spiritual.
1-Corinthians 4:18: "Now some of you are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you." Just like these things that I've read to you out of this report which say that we should 'accept all' sexual relationships if they manifest healing, reconciliation, compassion, mutual concern for others. That's puffed up! That's the biggest example of puffed up religious nonsense that I've heard in years. It's amazing how that fits in exactly right here: they are puffed up!
1-Corinthians 5:2: "You are puffed up and did not grieve instead…" They should have mourned to clean this thing up instead of standing around talking about it. 'He's such a nice young man, and his mother-in-law is so nice. It must be something that God wouldn't condemn.' I can almost hear it!
"…so that he who did this deed might be taken out of your midst. For I indeed, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged concerning him who has so shamelessly committed this evil deed as if I were present. In the name…" (vs 2-4). Very seldom do you see the Apostle Paul say:
"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit, together with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good…." (vs 2-6). That's exactly what we just read here. We're an educated society. You shall accept all people as long as they are loving, healing, reconciling, and after all, homosexuals have right to worship God as well as anybody else.
Verse 6: "Your glorying is not good. Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore, purge out the old leaven, so that you may become a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us" (vs 6-7).
Now maybe we can get the emphasis on it. I don't like to go through all kinds of things like this. Very seldom do I bring a sermon like this, but there it is in the Bible and we have to cover that when it's appropriate. I tell you one thing, when you see and understand what Jesus Christ has done, which you can't see. If you're following Paul; if you're following Peter; if you're following Apollos or those apostles that say they're following Christ, and you're going down the wrong way, you can't understand what it is about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and what that means to you as an individual in what God has done for you.
You're all blinded by the self-justification of your own sins! It blinds you! I'm not talking about this congregation, I'm using 'you' as a generic term. We're beyond that. I'm talking about 'you' in a general sense of people. If someone comes up and condemns a homosexual for his acts, he is going to justify it. That is being 'puffed up.' He doesn't know anything about Christ. How can a homosexual worship Christ unless he's repentant? There's no way! It's impossible! That's why it's saying, 'I'll meet you at sunrise when it sets.'
Whether these people will be saved or not is not for us to judge. We leave that in God's hands. Our judgment is limited to the Church. We can judge and see how the society is going.
Verse 8: "For this reason, let us… [those who are Christians] …keep the Feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and Truth. I wrote to you in an epistle… [this was an ongoing problem; he's referring to another letter] …not to associate with the sexually immoral…" (vs 8-10)—in the Church, because they shouldn't be in the Church.
"…and yet, you can not altogether avoid contact with the sexually immoral of this world…" (v 10). You're going to go out and have contact. You'll meet homosexuals. You'll meet people who are 'shacking up' and all this sort of thing. You deal with them in the world in a different sense: treat them nicely and decently; you don't accept their sins, but you don't castigate them and reject them as individuals.
(go to the next track)
You don't bring them into your home and make them part of your family. It's a matter of being decent to people in the world regardless of who or what they are. But if it gets down to the nitty-gritty and they try and foist something off upon you, you reject it. And if you have to, let them have it.
Verse 9: "I wrote to you in an epistle…' there is reference to at least two other writings, perhaps three.
1-Corinthians 7:1: "Now concerning the things that you wrote to me…" So, they wrote to him. They were communicating back and forth.
1 Corinthians 5:9: "I wrote to you in an epistle not to associate with the sexually immoral; and yet, you can not altogether avoid contact with the sexually immoral of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world" (vs 9-10). Sometimes we wish we could; put me in this little capsule and send me into orbit and get away from this evil place.
Here they had the same problem exactly. How do I handle this problem? I've got mother-in-law, sister-in-law, my uncle, my aunt or somebody and they are devotees of Zeus, and they have pictures of Zeus all over their house. I won't ever set foot in their house. Or someone who is a fornicator, or whatever, you have to conduct business and live in the world.
You go to the grocery store and you don't know what the clerk's moral background is. You don't know if they're stealing from the boss. You don't know if they're embezzling out of the cash register or if they're taking goods home. You don't know anything about them. You talk to them or you checkout your groceries or ask them to bring you something from the backroom and you go on about your business. All these things come from within, which we'll see in a little bit.
Verse 11: "But now, I have written to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother, if he be either sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a person you are not even to eat." This is where then you have the famous or infamous—however you want to look at it—authority to disfellowship, which we've seen the abuses of it, and I'm not going to belabor the point.
Verse 12: "For what responsibility do I have to judge those who are outside the Church?…." That's your answer.
- We don't judge whether they're going to be saved or not; God's going to take care of whether they're saved or not!
- We don't judge whether they will repent or not; God's will judge whether they repent or not!
We've got all we can do to take care of ourselves.
"…Are not you yourselves to judge those who are within? But God judges those who are outside. So then, put the wicked person out from among yourselves" (vs 12-13). It's to be out of the Church. You're not get rid of them in society.
You couldn't even raise up someone worse than Hitler to get rid of all the sinful people in the world, just to get rid of them. There's no way, because sin is in the heart.
Let's look at some other Scriptures that go along with this. First of all, I want to start out with the 'flee' Scriptures. It is amazing! It is used four times in the New Testament for specific things.
1-Corinthians 6:18: "Flee sexual immorality…. [that's an extension of 1-Cor. 5] …Every sin that a man may commit is outside the body… [If you steal something—unless it's something to eat—it's outside your body.] …but the one who commits sexual immorality is sinning against his own body." There is no mental rational defense against it.
Once you let lust and emotions get involved, there is no man or woman who has the strength to completely resist on their own. They may put up a good fight for a long time; resist for a long time, but in the long run the only protection is flee fornication! Get away from it!
This Church at Corinth was something! I imagine after the Apostle Paul they had debates like the Episcopalians. 'All these good people in Corinth, we can't…our membership is going down because we're to hard-lined now.
1-Corinthians 10:14: "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry."
Example: The other day we had to go way out south of Hollister finishing up a loan for this one family. They built a nice new house and they needed permanent financing on their loan. I called her and said that I had a couple of things that they needed to sign to get it finalized and I'll bring it out. They lived about ten miles out from where we lived, but the road was closed going south, so I had to go clear around and come in the back way.
Delores and I went out there and this woman was very religious. She belonged to the Apostolic Church. She liked doing business with me because she knows I'm a minister. I haven't told her that we believe in the Sabbath and all this sort of thing, just a few general things.
So, she was showing my wife the house, and she let it be known that she just came off a three-day spiritual fast. What did Jesus say about fasting? When you fast, you do it to God! Anyway she let us know that she had a three-day spiritual fast. She was taking Delores around to show her the house and she said, 'Here's my prayer closet.' Doesn't the Bible say that when you pray enter in to your closet…' So, she opened up her little prayer closet and there was a 'wonderful picture of Jesus' with long hair and all this sort of thing.
It says here "…flee from idolatry." It can be in those churches that think they're Christian. It's amazing! I tell you, brethren, as a minister I'm getting an education studying this book myself. I mean, literally! It's one thing to study on your own, it's another thing to sit down and prepare it for a Bible Study for everyone.
These next Scriptures are 'flee' Scriptures for ministers. I know ministers that would have been better off if they fled these things.
1-Timothy 6:3: "If anyone teaches any different doctrine, and does not adhere to sound words, even those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine that is according to Godliness… [that excludes everything that I just read in the report] …he is proud… [puffed up] …and knows nothing. Rather, he has a morbid attraction to questions and disputes over words…" (vs 3-4).
Remember what we just read in this report; they're arguing: should we let them in the church or not let them in the church. No one has asked God!
"…from which come envy, arguments, blasphemy, wicked suspicions, vain reasonings of men who have been corrupted in their minds and are destitute of the Truth—men who believe that gain… [money or members] …is Godliness. From such withdraw yourself. But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is evident that neither do we have the power to carry anything out of the world" (vs 4-7). Amen to that!
Verse 8: "But having food and clothing, we should be satisfied with these, for those who desire to become rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which cause men to sink into destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all evils; by which some, while striving after riches, were seduced from the faith, and have impaled themselves with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, endurance and meekness. Fight the good fight of the faith! Take hold of eternal life to which you were also called, and did profess a good profession in the presence of many witnesses" (vs 8-12).
2-Timothy 2:22: "But flee youthful lusts… [What does this tell us about that Greek society? There were many temptations! He had to tell Timothy twice, 'Get away from these things, man! Don't let them pull you down!'] …and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who are calling on the Lord out of a pure heart."
There are the four 'flee' Scriptures of the New Testament:
- flee idolatry
- flee fornication
- flee evil
- Flee all of those things; get away from them!
There's one place in the Old Testament where that literally took place, and that was with Joseph; with the first man that took care of him after he was sold into slavery. The wife kept coming around and saying, 'sleep with me.' No! I wouldn't want to sin against my master. Then she ripped off his cloak and ran running screaming to the other servants, 'Oh, I've been raped.' He went to prison because he said no! He fled! He obeyed God!
What if you purged the whole earth of this? You started out again and you had only two descendants and started all over again just like with Noah and his wife and his three sons. A fresh start! Hooray! No more sin! God buried it all! Just give it a little time and you're going to have trouble.
Mark 7:21—this is where it comes from: "For from within, out of the hearts of men, go forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications… [adultery and fornication are different; there Jesus makes a distinction. Fornication is any kind of 'porneia' act.] …murders."
Isn't it interesting that the possession of these thoughts all sort of run together. You watch the news, you're going to find someone who is involved in stealing or drugs and they're going to be involved in illicit sex. Sooner or later they all go hand-in-hand. If you commit adultery or fornication you're stealing. Did you know that? Stealing from that person's marriage! or their future generation! or their children!
It has to do with sex before marriage, or any kind of sex activity, before marriage or during marriage. Adultery has to do with only illegal heterosexual activities. The other includes everything else. Just remember: fornication—'porneia'—pornography. Remember those three things and you'll remember it.
Verse 22: "Thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, guile, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evils go forth from within, and these defile a man" (vs 22-23).
There are even those who are advocating this: Remember the supposed organization 'Just Say No' and how that Mrs. Reagan was the one who supposedly started it when someone asked her how can a person stop from taking drugs, and she said, 'Just say no'? So, they had this whole movement with young people to 'Just Say No' to drugs.
Now they've got a whole movement of 'Just Say No to Sex Before Marriage.' It's amazing! Sooner or later, because the penalties coming around, God is going to grind it back on them. A lot of these psychologists when I was going to college you would read about Freud. They would always decry the Victorian Age in England. The Victorian Age was setup as the 'prudent' age. Women wore dresses clear down to the floor with sleeves to the wrists; and how that no one should ever enter into any kind of sex unless it is in marriage.
Well, they forget the historical background that led up to that. Europe was almost desolate. Twenty-five percent of the population died because of syphilis. There was a reason for the Victorian Age. Whereas there's a new Victorian Age coming; and AIDS is going to be the reason. We can see part of it in these organizations like 'Just Say No To Any Sex Before Marriage.' This is a contract; a pre-nuptial contract that you hereby swear before God that you haven't had AIDS. You wait and see, there will be those contracts.
There's a reason, because there's a backlash. God puts an automatic check when a population goes so far and He slams the door on them. They better come to their senses or they're going to die. The only thing they respect is when there's death.
Leviticus 18:1: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, "I am the LORD your God."'" (vs 1-2). Whenever you see where God says, I am the LORD your God, you might want to put a little star by it. All through the way through the book of Leviticus and Ezekiel, He says, 'I am the LORD' or 'The mouth of the LORD has spoken it.' Whenever it says that, God it's getting your attention! There's more emphasis!
Verse 3: "As they do in the land of Egypt where you dwelt, you shall not do. And you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Neither shall you walk in their ordinances."
Revelation 11:8 talks about this society and it's epitomized in the city of Jerusalem:. "And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." That's the way God looks at this society. And you know something, that's what that city is going to represent. I got a Time Magazine article where all the religious leaders gathered at CC; it shows how the pope did it, and he's the one who called it.
I mentioned about the coming new religion. It's going to come! Who believes in the Bible anymore? It's going to be so easy. Just do some miracles, heal some people, say everyone is lovely, wonderful and good—Sodom and Egypt! Not only does it tell us what it is spiritually, but it also tells us what the sexual morality will be physically.
Leviticus 18:3: "As they do in the land of Egypt… [It tells us what they did here] …where you dwelt, you shall not do. And you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Neither shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall do My judgments and keep My ordinances, and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am the LORD" (vs 3-5).
What is the biggest sexual problem today? Incest! The unspoken sexual crime! The Bible deals with it.
Verse 6: "None of you shall approach to any who are near of kin to him to uncover their nakedness. I am the LORD." To uncover their nakedness is a polite expression to come toward them in a manner of sexual activity! If they were truly, in the city of Corinth, trying to follow the Bible; they had the Bible with Lev. 18.
Verse 7: "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife. It is your father's nakedness" (vs 7-8). There it is! A direct commandment.
We saw the same thing when there were sexual sins within the Worldwide Church of God. Instead of those being exposed, what happened? We had vanity! Puffed up! Instead of getting rid of the sin, they got all puffed up with their projects and their own greatness.
Verse 9: "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or the daughter of your mother, born at home or born away. Their nakedness you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your son's daughter, or of your daughter's daughter, you shall not uncover their nakedness, for theirs is your own nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of the daughter of your father's wife, begotten of your father. She is your sister. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister. She is your father's near kinswoman. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister. She is your mother's near kinswoman. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother. You shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife. It is your brother's nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shall you undertake to uncover her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter. They are her near kinswomen; it is wickedness. Nor shall you take a woman along with her sister as wives, causing rivalry to uncover her nakedness during her lifetime. Also you shall not approach to a woman to uncover her nakedness in the impurity of her uncleanness. And you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife to defile yourself with her. And you shall not let any of your children pass through the fire to Molech, neither shall you profane the name of your God. I am the LORD" (vs 9-21).
Have you ever wondered why that verse was put there? It seems to change topics—doesn't it? A lot of these frenzied sex acts took place after they had their dancing and whipping around the fire and jumping over the coals. They had their potions and drugs and all of those things. Society is no different! Opium poppies grew back then as well as now.
Verse 22: "You shall not lie with mankind as with womankind. It is an abomination to God. And you shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. And a woman shall not stand before an animal to lie down to it. It is a perversion. Do not defile yourselves in any of these things, for in all these the nations which I cast out before you are defiled. And the land is defiled…." (vs 22-25). It affects everything! True ecology begins with the love of God! It really does!
"…Therefore, I visit its wickedness against it, and the land itself vomits out those who live in it…. [Brethren, in this nation it is coming!] …You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither the native, nor any stranger that lives among you; for the men of the land who were before you have done all these abominations, and the land is defiled. You shall not do these so that the land may not spew you out also when you defile it, as it spewed out the nations that were before you; for whoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. And you shall keep My ordinance, so as not to do any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves in them. I am the LORD your God" (vs 25-30).
I don't know how anyone could misunderstand that; that is plain straight Scripture. Just think what a glorious and wonderful land; what glorious and wonderful children that this whole nation could have if it only adhered to the one law: you shall not commit adultery! Of course, all of these other laws fit under the Ten Commandments. Just that one commandment; it would be amazing!
We wouldn't have to have the March of Dimes for birth defects, because there wouldn't be any. God would bless instead of curse. We wouldn't have to have research to try and get a vaccine for AIDS, and spend billions to try and take care of them.
Let's go back and cover the things concerning the Church and then what is called spiritual fornication. Ephesians 5 is the opposite. I imagine the Apostle Paul loved the Church at Ephesus and the Church at Philippi. Just reading those two epistles, he loved those two churches. He was inspired to write inspiring and uplifting letters to both of them.
Ephesians 5:1: "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children." What a difference in attitude. Just think of the difference that he's saying to these people compared to the Corinthians.
Verse 2: "And walk in love, even as Christ also loved us, and gave Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, do not permit it even to be named among you, as is fitting for saints" (vs 2-3). Quite a different tone!
In Corinth Paul is saying, 'Get that guy out of this church! You people, don't you know!' What a difference. As I said before, I would not have wanted to pastor the Church in Corinth. But it shows you how much that the Church can be corrupted and how much God will put up with if there is real repentance.
Verse 4: "Nor filthiness, nor foolish talking or jesting, which are not becoming; but instead, thanksgiving. For this you know that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. Do not let anyone deceive you with vain words…" (vs 4-6). They had a few problems with deceivers, too.
"…for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience" (v 6). Paul is saying that Lev. 18 was in full force during his day.
Verse 7: "Therefore, do not be joint partakers with them…. [the children of disobedience in the world] …For you were once darkness; but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, (because the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth); proving what is well pleasing to the Lord; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them; for it is shameful even to mention the things being done by them in secret' (vs 7-12). Quite a different situation there in that Church.
Now let's cover one other aspect of fornication where it is used in the Bible, where it talks about the great whore; Revelation 17:1: "And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials came and spoke with me, saying to me, 'Come here; I will show you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters; with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication…" (vs 1-2)—that they have their 'religious' alliance with this spiritual Babylonian whore!
Incidentally, the gold that is being mined and processed in the Philippines is being handled by the middleman who guarantees purity, weight and delivery. Do you know who the middleman of that is of those transactions? The Vatican! I read it in the newspaper.
As far as what's going on in the world, we're stupid, ignorant and dumb—and I include myself! I don't want to be enlightened to what's going on in the world. If you want to really be discouraged, you just see if there's any way you can save this world with any movement of men. It won't work! "…with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication…" They've embraced that 'religion' rather than the Truth of God, rather than worshiping God.
"…and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." (v 2). What happens with a drunk person? They can't see straight! They can't think straight! They can't understand! Furthermore, you can't talk to them because they're in such a stupor they can't understand you anyway. Many go zonkers and wake up with a hangover and they won't remember a word.
Now maybe you can understand why the two witnesses are going to come on with such power. Maybe you can understand why the two witnesses, when they speak, fire is going to come out of their mouths and devour the adversaries. That will be something! It really is! It's called fornication because it's greater than adultery. It's worse than adultery.
Revelation 18:2: "And he cried out mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hated bird; because all nations have drunk of the wine of the fury of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her luxury.' And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, 'Come out of her, My people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and that you do not receive of her plagues, for her sins have reached as far as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities'" (vs 2-5).
So, the day is coming! The day is going to come! When it comes, when God sets His hand, look out! It's going to be something! I want to be way out of the way before that happens, literally. I want to be out of it, completely. Like it says: "…Come out of her, My people…' out if it! It's something the days we're living in.
This Bible is more real and living than ever before right today while we sit here and study it. There things are happening and going on just incredibly. And it's an amazing thing:
- the more that you study the Bible
- the more that you love God
- the more that you believe His Word
- the more that you understand
- the more that these things become alive and real to you
One of the tremendous things that we have been experiencing today in our little group here, I tell you, it's something!
Revelation 19:1: "And after these things I heard the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Hallelujah!…. [These are all of those on the Sea of Glass; it's going to be us! When this system goes down, we're going to say, 'Praise God! Hallelujah!] …The salvation and the glory and the honor and the power belong to the Lord our God. For true and righteous are His judgments; for He hasjudged the great whore, who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and He has avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.'" (vs 1-2). All of this is going to be put down and we'll look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version by Fred R. Coulter
Scriptural References:
- 1 Corinthians 15:34
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
- 1 John 4:1-2
- Hosea 4:1-3, 6-11
- James 2:19
- 1 Corinthians 5:1-2
- 1 Corinthians 3:3
- 1 Corinthians 4:18
- 1 Corinthians 5:2-10
- 1 Corinthians 7:1
- 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
- 1 Corinthians 10:14
- 1 Timothy 6:3-12
- 2 Timothy 2:22
- Mark 7:21-23
- Leviticus 18:1-3
- Revelation 11:8
- Leviticus 18:3-30
- Ephesians 5:1-12
- Revelation 17:1-2
- Revelation 18: 2-5
- Revelation 19:1-2
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 3-15-13
