Unacceptable

Goodmorning and welcome in everyone.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 5:9-11  Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.  Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

The Apostle Paul talks about being accepted by the Lord, but what’s it mean to be accepted?  Accepted means doing something that’s acceptable or having acceptable behavior.  If you accept someone, it means to receive, especially with a consent, with favour, or with approval.  It also means to be found worthy. 

Acts 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

When you do good, God approves of that.  When you obey Him and do His will, this pleases Him.  A Christian should greatly desire to live their life in a manner that is accepted and approved by God.  This requires having actions and deeds that line up with the truth of biblical teachings.  The disobedient are certainly not accepted by God.  They are only proving themselves to be unworthy.  People who live in fornication and lasciviousness and other wicked behavior, are not acceptable in God’s sight.  The impenitent, who chose to rebel against God’s will, do not find favor with Him.  We must prove what is acceptable to Him.

Ephesians 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Paul was warning the church day by day to repent, and turn away from their sins and do works that’s show that you are repentant.  Paul preached that message all across the countryside.

Acts 26:19-20  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

John the Baptist taught the same thing.

Matthew 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Doing works meet for repentance means to change your behavior so that it is acceptable to God.  Its about doing a 180, and doing what is right in His sight.

Imagine if your dad told you to do something after school, but you tell him no, refusing to obey His authority.  Do you really believe that this disobedient behavior pleases your dad?  How foolish.  God is the greatest authority that their is.  Do you think that disobedient behavior to His commands and teachings please Him? Of course not!

How do you think a school teacher feels when they tell you to sit down and put your hands in your lap, but you stomp your feet and refuse to obey. That’s called rebellion and it’s completely unacceptable.  Paul was preaching that people should repent of their sins, which means; to turn away from displeasing behavior; turn to Christ; and do works that were appropriate for a professing Christian.

Hebrews 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

There are some who profess Christianity today, who are no different than the religious leaders of Jesus day, because they want to keep their Christianity, but refuse to become compliant to God’s will.  This behavior is unacceptable.  True conversion and repentance is about submitting to God’s purpose rather than your own.  It’s about denying yourself in order to please God perfectly. Its about having obedient outward evidence of an inner change.

Romans 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Someone might go out and rob a bank, but later on, becomes a Christian.  Now, instead of stealing, they become a heartfelt giver.  Moses was a man who was a leader in Egypt and could have inherited the throne, but he turned away from it all to faithfully serve God, and became a leader of the Israelites. The Apostle Paul was very high up in Judaism but he walked away from it, to become a Christian, and became a leader of the Christian faith.  Genuine repentance has to do with a course correction in your life.  If we confess sin, we can find forgiveness with God, but God gives us grace so we can alter our direction and become obedient to His will.  If that change really never takes place, it is unacceptable with God.

Romans 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Lasting repentance its turning around and going the opposite direction.  Its about leaving sin behind you, and striving to please God.  If there’s no desire to do the will of God, lasting repentance can’t happen.  Not everybody is going to be accepted by the Lord, otherwise there wouldn’t be a place of punishment called the lake of fire. 

Matthew 7:21-23  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Some will be castaway because they never truly repented and changed from their sinful behavior to do God’s will, and they’ll miss out on paradise because of it.  A truly repentant heart will not want to live the way they used to in the past, but will undergo a complete change, transforming into a new person.  Christians are called to depart from iniquity, not to live in iniquity.  Sin is anything that is against the will of God found in the Scriptures.  

….,…..Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;

The Apostle Paul was trying to persuade people to turn from sin because he was well aware of the terror of the Lord, knowing that God will punish the impenitent.  This is why John the Baptist was preaching to people to turn from their wickedness.  God is going to punish sin, and the time to amend your way is right now.  Someday there is going to be weeping and gnashing of teeth at the final judgement.  This will happened to those who never truly transformed and converted to the will of God.  They never really went through a change and became obedient to scriptural truth.  Genuine repentance begins by admitting the truth and confessing the error of your way, leading to a changed mind and a changed life.

Remember, if we confess our sins, we can find forgiveness with God, but if there is no lasting change, if their is no obedience to the will of God in the future, a lasting conversion cannot take place, and those who do not convert to the will of God are not going to inherit the kingdom of heaven.  They will only be found…….

……. Unacceptable

Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow.  Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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