"For It Is Written"

Do you have a favorite quote from a movie or a book? Maybe from one of our famous, dear to the heart heroes from the past? I have plenty I like to share on occasion, if I can recall the quote and do it justice. My favorite though is "for it is written" or or "thus says the Lord".

This phrase is always followed with either conviction or encouragement (when the Word is shared unadulterated). And it's a very key part I believe to a Christian's walk and gaining of maturity in the faith. It's important that we are hiding God's Word in our hearts so as not to sin against Him. (Psalm 119:11)
I looked up how many times "It is written" is found in the Bible. According to one resource it's in the KJV 80 times.
In the OT I found over and over the Israelites commanded to learn and obey the Word of the Lord. Joshua was very strict on this.
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." - Joshua 1:8
"And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law." - Joshua 8:34
I'd like to point out that he read ALL the words of the law. He didn't brush aside the curses and head straight to the blessings. Joshua knew that every word of God was "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, ready for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16) He used God's Word in instruction in rigtheousness; "Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left..." -Joshua 23:6
I love reading through the book of Joshua and seeing the passion that Joshua and other leaders of the Israelites had for preserving, learning, and obeying God's Word. And no wonder, Joshua was close to Moses, can you imagine some of the conversations they must have had around the camp? Moses was God's instrument in writing the first 5 books of the Bible, Moses was given the ten commandments straight from God on Mount Sinai. Moses talked one-on-one with God, hearing His audible voice multiple times. It's understandable why Joshua then grew to love God's Word and defended it so mightily.

Later on we see the "man after God's own heart" on his death bed and giving last instructions to his son Solomon; "And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’" -I Kings 2:3-4 David knew from personal experience what happens when man seeks his own will and turns from God's commands. He sought to teach his son otherwise, he warned him to serve God fully, to not turn to the side, but to heed His commands. David knew the importance firsthand of God's Word. He loved His Lord and loved to obey Him, you see David's great remorse every time he sinned, not because of his own punishment, but because it hurt him to disobey his Lord.

In Jeremiah we see how people's lives turn when they seek their own will above God's, when they stop following His Word. Though they don't do "as it is written" our immutable God does; "So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations." -Jeremiah 25:13 In Daniel as well: "Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him." -Daniel 9:11

One of the most beautiful things we see though, is what all of these previous sections are leading up to, the coming of our Messiah Jesus Christ! Reading through the gospels you'll see "it is written" quite often as Jesus fulfills prophecy after prophecy after prophecy. It's beautiful to see that happening. Interestingly enough, Christ attest to the importance of Scripture over and over. When He grew angry at the unrighteousness going on at the temple and threw the money changers out, He quotes His Father's Word; " Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” -Mark 11:17

And of course, likely the most famous passage of Scripture quoting is in Matthew 4 when Jesus was in the desert being tempted by Satan and He defends against him by quoting Scripture. "But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” and Satan even responds by quoting Scripture; "and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and,‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus then responds again, "Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” "Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Brethren, Satan knows Scripture and he'll use it wrongly to blindly lead people astray. He cunningly takes bits and pieces, he being the chief of liars will convince people that his and our words taken out of context are better than our Lord's pure, complete Word. Satan started practicing this back in Genesis when he told Eve "you will not surely die", yet we see God clearly saying a chapter earlier, "you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die". He was bold enough to tempt the Lord Jesus and try to cause Him to stumble, and quote Scripture while doing so.
We must learn the Scriptures, hide them on our heart, be wise and gain wisdom and discernment, "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments." -Psalm 119:66, "That you may preserve discretion, And your lips may keep knowledge." -Proverbs 5:2
Almost every one of the 31 Proverbs has something to say of gaining wisdom and discretion. We MUST be discerning, in order to defend God's Word against the false teachers out there preaching a false gosple and making souls twice as fit for Hell as they are.

I pray that you read His Word daily, grow to love it ( "Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it." -Psalm 119:140), learn to heed it ( "How can a young man cleanse his way?By taking heed according to Your word." -Psalm 119:9), defend it ( "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." -Jude 1:3), and please preach it ( "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" )

Oh how I love to hear "it is written" I pray you do as well. Wield those swords brethren, fellow pilgrims, for the glory of our Most High God!

"We Cut The Board Three Times And It's Still Too Short!"

If you the reader have a little imagination, you can most likely envision a three stooges kind of scene by reading the title of this post. Sadly, I actually did see a board get cut several times and still measure up short, imagine that! What's even more sad though to me is that I've seen people go up the aisle and "get saved" multiple times and still doubt their salvation. My heart breaks to see this scenario.
In 2 Corinithians we are called to examine our faith, to make sure we are genuinely saved. "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?- unless indeed you are disqualified. -2 Corinthians 5:13
What are we looking for when we examine ourselves? Well, it can't be just our good works or our walking uprightly for Christ said : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also ouwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." -Matthew 23:27-28 OUCH!
Maybe our ivolvement in the church? Seriously if someone spends that much time ]in church they must be saved, right? Well Christ again said : “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" -Matthew 7:21-23
One more try, what if they claim to believe in God? James says: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble!" Ok that won't work as a proof of salvation, for the demons are assuredly not saved.

Ok, wow...I see why people are going up and getting "saved" repeatedly, how can we know our conversion was genuine, this looks discouraging. Well..back to our Authority.

A true Christian has a real repentance from their sins; "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." -2 Corinithians 7:10
"If we say we say that we have no sin, we decieve ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 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." 1 John 1:8-10

They have a desire to see God glorified; "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." -1 Corinthians 10:31
Thus says the LORD:“ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,Let not the mighty man glory in his might,Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD. " -Jeremiah 9:23-24

They will experiance sanctification and seperation from the world; "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." -1 Corinthians 2:12
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." -1 John 2:15-17

These are but a few fruits of a genuine faith in the Lord, a saving faith through Christ Jesus. If there are any doubts of your salvation, please do examine yourself, compare yourself to Scripture, for it is what condemns us, not us it. It is sharper than a two edged sword. Examine yourself, see if you are indeed a new creature, see if the old has died, with the sinful habits and ungodliness. Look back and see "have I grown past certain things, am I growing even a little in godliness?"
Afterwards, if you need to repent of sins and turn to Christ, please do. Put on Christ, don't just claim Him, abide in Him. Don't tear yourself down constantly and worry about not growing enough, not doing enough. You never will do enough, EVER. So cling to the wonderful, amazing grace of our Lord.
Cutting a board three times will not help you if it's already too short, going down the aisle and getting saved three times doesn't work either. You were either saved the first time, or not saved at all yet. You need only to be saved once, for our salvation was bought with a price and once given is not taken away.

Weild your swords dear brothers and sisters, defend the Truth, live a Christ centered, set apart life for God's glory.