McDowell County
Many believers seem obsessed with certain aspects of Bible prophecy and at the same time blissfully ignorant of all the rest. I am frequently asked, “Where do you think we are in the end time events?” I am almost never asked, “Are God’s people fulfilling the Great Commission?”
No one appears to be interested in holiness in spite of the fact that holiness is both God’s will and the Church’s calling. I do not recall ever being asked to discuss how our current lives will compare to what we will experience during eternity. Anyone interested in that topic might be shocked to learn that much of what they now take for granted will be excluded. Specifically, Revelation 21:27 says that “nothing unclean” shall enter New Jerusalem. That verse goes on to say that everyone who does what is “detestable” will be excluded.
God has gone to great lengths to clarify His requirements. His instructions for living make it easy to recognize what is “unclean” or “detestable.” His requirements are called “Torah” in Hebrew and often called “The Law” in English. They are found within the first five books of the Bible. Despite what you have been taught, it is impossible to understand the ministry of Jesus or the work of the Church without first knowing what is contained in Torah.
One of satan’s most effective strategies is to convince Christians that they are free to ignore all that “old testament stuff.” He has shown himself to be a lying snake from the beginning, and yet vast numbers of people who claim to “follow Jesus” have fallen for the absurd notion that the incarnation of Jesus caused Unchanging God to forget almost everything He has told us since the time of Adam. He has always required “cleanness” and “holiness.” Those requirements did not evaporate when Jesus was crucified. At the core of God’s instructions we find two stark contrasts: holy v. common, and clean v. unclean.
Many take delight in telling me that it is impossible for people to be holy. If that is the case, then God cannot be trusted. He says to each of His followers, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) Peter was quoting the Torah, specifically Leviticus 11:44. “Holy” does not mean perfect. It means “set apart for Godly purpose.”
The reason God called Abraham and separated his family from the rest of the world is that He needed a “holy” group to do His work. From its beginning, the nation of Israel was called to be holy. Everyone else on earth is “common.” People who think of themselves as “gentile Christians” frequently tell me that they have no need to follow God’s instructions for living because they “are not Jews.” That perspective ignores the fact that faith in Israel’s Messiah causes one to be “grafted into” Israel. God requires us to be holy, and only Israel is holy.
The other core contrast in God’s instructions is the distinction between “clean” and “unclean.” The sole criteria here is divine revelation. Nothing that God declares “unclean” can become holy, and disciples of Jesus must be holy. People who are convinced that they are separate from Israel have particular difficulty understanding the necessity of being “clean and holy.” One of the first places to research the categories of clean and unclean is Leviticus 11.
I recently heard a radio preacher stating his gratitude for the life and ministry of Jesus. The first expression of his thankfulness was, “If Jesus had not come, I wouldn’t be able to eat bacon.” I was astounded by his honesty. He had summed up the incarnation as a means of fulfilling his own deviant dietary desire. God made it clear that the meat of pigs is not food. Leviticus 11:7 says that the pig is unclean. Same for shellfish, catfish, eels and many other creatures.
The Bible says that eating unclean meat is an “abomination” to God. Strongs 8441 is the most intense word in ancient Hebrew. It always refers to something that God finds disgusting. Unfortunately, satan has convinced many who claim to be Christians that, after Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience, God simply dropped all His standards. Isaiah chapters 65 and 66 say that when Messiah returns, He will destroy everyone He finds eating unclean meat.
The Bible also gives many examples of unclean behavior. God labels them all abomination: homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13), cross dressing (Deuteronomy 22:5), lying (Proverbs 12:22), prayer from one who refuses to listen to God’s Law (Proverbs 28:9), justifying the wicked or condemning the righteous (Proverbs 17:15), arrogance (Proverbs 16:5), deceitful business practice (Proverbs 20:10 and 11:1), wicked thoughts (Proverbs 15:26), consuming blood (Deuteronomy 12:16), offering pagan ritual as an act of worship (Deuteronomy 12:31) works of the flesh including sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, and orgies (Galatians 5:19-20).
People who insist that they can follow Israel’s Messiah without becoming part of Israel or conforming to Israel’s standards of behavior are living an absurd delusion. Leviticus 24:22 says, “You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native.” God has one set of rules. Those rules define holiness. They clarify what is and is not sin. They make the distinction between clean and unclean. They tell us how God expects us to live.
Many “believers” are convinced that they can wallow in uncleanness with impunity. They feel free to practice sexual deviance and gross immorality, eat whatever unclean meat they happen to like, and participate in any pagan ritual that strikes their fancy. A well-know southern woman who performs as a comedienne frequently flaunts her disregard for Godly behavior and then adds, “But it’s okay, we’ve been washed in the blood.” God insists that nothing unclean will make it from here to eternity.
Obedient Heart Fellowship meets on Second and Fourth Sabbaths near Marion, NC. 828-460-7913
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Jim & Beverly Huskins are members of Obedient Heart Fellowship in McDowell County. Beginning July 2, 2022 Obedient Heart Fellowship will meet at 10:00 Each Sabbath (Seventh Day) at 3023 US 221 N. Marion, NC. 10:00 A.M. Call 828-460-7913 for info.
You can read more good Christian news from Jim HERE.
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