Complimentary Story
May 2026Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 – “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Psalms 119:89 – “For ever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven.”
Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”
I Peter 1:25 – “But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And His is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Oh, how my soul is troubled at the casual way God’s Holy Word is ignored, brushed aside and compromised today by lukewarm followers that call themselves the “Church.” Oh, how many times have I heard someone say to me, “Well, that’s just your opinion” or, “that’s not how I interpret it” or, “well, that’s in the Old Testament.” In other words, God doesn’t hold us to the same standards as He did with the people of the past.
“What was sin back then is no longer sin today. We are now no longer required to obey His laws. We are now under grace! His standards have been lowered or modified for us who are saved by grace. After all, we can’t work our way to salvation. It was different in the Old Testament.”
On and on the excuses, or false teachings go. To the extent today that the “Church” has become so much like the world that it’s very difficult to distinguish between them. They dress alike, basically talk alike, are entertained by the same venues and live by the same priorities and standards. One group may not “go to church,” but in essence, they both truly worship the same god! (Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25).
There is no way that I am “casting stones!” I have been and continue striving to grow out of my worldly habits. I still fall way short in living as close as I can to Christ through my ignorance, apathy and fleshly rebellion to His Word. But, we are without excuse! (Romans 1:20). God will not excuse sin (lawlessness). It must be forgiven by repentance and grace through faith!
Please allow me to reiterate the vital point that works do not and cannot save us! Our “works” of righteousness are as filthy (menstrual) rags! (Isaiah 64:6). We truly are saved by grace through faith! (Ephesians 2:8). However...We must not “tempt” God by excusing “intentional” sin by claiming grace as a cover! As satan tempted Christ to tempt His Father in Matthew 4:6-7, we are not to use the “liberty” we have in and through Christ, through His precious grace He paid for with His sacrifice on Calvary as a cloak to cover our sin (maliciousness)! But rather to do God’s will as a witness to people who do not know Christ! (I Peter 2:15-16).
Indeed, to say we have faith but continue in sin and use grace as a cover, we are still dead in our trespasses! “Dead” faith cannot save you! As James 2:14-26 so clearly and undeniably states, if you have true faith, you will have good works! Faith without works is dead! You are justified by works and not faith only (vs. 24).
Man has always been saved by grace! Even before the final blood sacrifice on the cross! Noah was saved by grace! If not, we would have never existed! (Genesis 6:8). Through the unmerited favor (grace) offered to Noah, which produced faith in God, and through that faith, Noah “obeyed” God and prepared the ark that saved his family and repopulated the earth. Hebrews chapter eleven proves that “saving” faith will produce works!
If the Scriptures in both Old and New Testaments that remind us many times that God’s Word (standard) never changes, why do we insist on “modernizing” them?! In Amos 7:7-8 Amos saw the Lord standing on a wall with a plumb line in His hand. If, by chance, you don’t know what a plumb line is, please take the time to find out. In this case, it is God’s immutable, infallible and uncompromising Word that was, and is, to be the standard for God’s people to live by! Christ fulfilled the ceremonial and sacrificial requirements and ordinances! Hallelujah! But, He did not change one bit of His Father’s moral laws that were written for our instruction unto righteousness! All of society was to maintain and live by His standards as written in His Word. Individuals, families, and nations are to be governed by His Kingdom’s laws! There are only two kingdoms. Christ’s or satan’s! (Colossians 1:12-13).
God is truly no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:35, Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25 & I Peter 1:17). Christ stated very clearly in Matthew 5:17 that God’s standards are the same yesterday, today and forever!
Will we heed Jeremiah 6:16-20 or continue on the paths of compromise and into destruction?! Many have said to me, “God looks on the inside, not on the outside.” While this statement is true, only God can see the inside (heart) of an individual, the people who we are to be a witness to only see the outside testimony (fruit) as evidence of a sincerely born again child of God. Let’s not deceive ourselves, folks! People can and will “judge” you by your works (fruits)! (Matthew 7:15-23). In other words, our appearance, demeanor and character show clearly whom we serve.
Do we not realize that to knowingly compromise God’s standards only tends to destroy society as a whole?! Where today are the standards the Church used to live by as a witness to the lost?! (Matthew 5:16).
In closing this article, let’s look at one passage that further proves the fact that works establish our faith and glorify our Father in Heaven! In Matthew 10:32-42 Christ Himself gives us a dire warning! If we deny Him before men in any way, word or deed, He will deny us before His Father! He also clearly stated that we will face confrontation with many people! Even our own families! He did not come to bring peace between His people and the unbelievers, but rather a division! Folks, to knowingly compromise with sin in your life, or in the lives of others, even your family, will send you to destruction. Pay heed to Titus 1:16.
