Bible Studies

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Divine forgiveness is always available, immediate, and complete (1John 1:9), but all of the consequences for our negative decisions will necessarily go away. Some can last for a lifetime, here on Earth.

“Don’t be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, that shall he also reap – Gal. 6: 7 NASB2020.”

Whatever God does not remove, He intends for the one’s involved to endure.

The same can be said for the adversity that we will be called to endure, as a result of having done the RIGHT thing (Phil.1: 29). As the old saying goes, no good deed goes “unpunished.” Trust me when I say, there is often a dear price to be paid for having done the right thing.

When we endure the adversity and undeserved suffering for having done the right thing, God is well-pleased, evidenced by the “great” reward in Heaven awaiting those who do so (Matt. 5: 11, 12).

There is nothing more frustrating for the devil or the Eph.6:12 forces of evil to experience, than when they have thrown their best punch, only to see an advancing disciple get back up and continue to move forward with the plan of God.

We need to keep in mind that nothing, good or bad, happens without God’s knowledge, His ability and means to intervene, and that everything that He sends or allows to take place has a divine objective in mind.

The adversity that God sends or allows to take place can be a very hard pill to swallow. Been there; done that!

Whatever adversity that we, or the people we are praying for, are facing that He does not remove (or provide the means to escape), He intends for us or them to endure, for our or their spiritual growth, and for His glory.

Sometimes, when we pray for such things as more strength and patience, His response will be to send or allow greater adversity, since it is in the tough times when we grow up the most.

Sometimes, His answers to our intercessory requests is to have all chaos break out in the personal lives of the ones we are praying for, if that is what it is going to take to wake them up and set them straight. For this reason, I always include a plea for mercy, that God will show others the same level of mercy that He has shown me when I start to drift away from the straight and narrow way.

The first response to the onset of adversity that humans will have is to seek the shortest and quickest path of escape, whereas the first response that an advancing disciple will have, is not to ask WHY this is happening, but to ask WHAT it is that God has in mind, for having sent or allowed the adversity to take place!
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The correct interpretation of 1Cor. 10: 13 is often missed because we only see the part of it that appeals to us. It is when we take in, and apply all of it, that we understand the actual message it is conveying.

In 1Cor. 10: 13 NASB2020 (parenthesis mine), we begin by reading, “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so that He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able (to handle), but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it”

While not specifically including adversity as well as temptation, the principle can be equally applied.

The problem that leads to a misunderstanding of 1Cor. 10: 13 is that there is a comma and not a period following the word “able.” One must continue on and read the whole verse to understand what the verse is actually saying. It’s not that we (or others) can’t find ourselves in over our heads in the midst of great temptation or adversity, but that WHEN we DO, God is faithful to provide us with the means to either escape or to endure it!

There’s a big difference between not being tempted, or facing overwhelming adversity, and being given the means to escape or to endure it, when it comes to our door.

One of the reasons God allows us to get in over our heads is to remind us that we need to prepare ourselves before the storms of life hit us (Matt. 7: 24-27).

We set the stage for major disappointment when we fail to distinguish the difference between conditional Biblical principles and unconditional Biblical promises.

Principles require that certain conditions must first be satisfied before the desired end result is received, whereas promises will take place regardless of what otherwise does or does not take place.

The classic example of a “principle” is found in Proverbs 22: 6.

“Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov. 22: 6 NASB2020).”

Rather or not he or she sticks with the plan of God or departs from it, is a daily choice he or she makes. If the child rejects the post salvation plan of God, he or she will not become “old” (spiritually mature) and will likely depart from the straight and narrow way of discipleship.

The Prov. 22: 6 outcome has conditions.

The first condition is that the “child” be trained, through proper instruction and discipline.

Becoming a “child” of God has nothing to do with biological age. An individual becomes a “child” of God the Father when he or she is sealed (Eph. 4: 30) by God the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. AFTER becoming a “child” of God, the newly born-again child (at any age) has the opportunity to go from being what Paul describes as being an infant in Christ- 1Cor: 3: 1) to becoming spiritually mature believer, through post salvation Biblical discipleship.

All too often, we are making prayer requests for ourselves and others to receive the blessings of an advancing disciple, when in fact, we, or they, are still “infants” in Christ.

An infant in Christ is a saved, Heaven bound, born-again believer, but has not yet become spiritually mature enough to experience the blessings of an advancing disciple here on earth.

The ONE and ONLY way to advance along the road to spiritual maturity is to learn and apply accurate Bible Doctrine to ALL that we think, do, and say, 24/7.

This will be an uphill battle all the way, and will be accomplished in the midst of increasing adversity as one passes through each level of spiritual growth, along the road to spiritual maturity.

I have found that the answer to our prayer requests for shortcuts (blessings without paying the cost of discipleship) for ourselves, and or for others, is usually No!

End of Part Three

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