“The Knowledge of the Holy”

What’s the worst part about our sin? What is the core issue of sin?

THE WORST PART ABOUT OUR SIN IS NOT THE PHYSICAL EFFECT IT WILL HAVE ON OUR LIVES BUT RATHER THAT WE HAVE OFFENDED GOD WHO IS “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.” (ISAIAH 6:3; REVELATION 4:8) THE WORST THINGS ABOUT OUR SIN PERTAINS TO OUR VIOLATING THE HOLINESS OF THE ALMIGHTY WHO IS THE MAKER AND JUDGE OF OUR ETERNAL SOULS. THE WORST PART ABOUT OUR SIN IS NOT A DAMAGED LIVER DUE TO TOO MUCH ALCOHOL OR AN STD DUE TO FORNICATION. WE MUST PREACH THIS WITH GOD’S GLORY IN MIND AND NOT TO ENTICE MEN ON A SUPERFICIAL LEVEL. OUR PREACHING MUST BE FROM GOD’S HEART WHICH HE GAVE US IN HIS WRITTEN WORD (PSALMS 33:11). IN HIS HOLY FEAR, WHEN WE ADDRESS SIN, WE MUST ALWAYS SPEAK BEGINNING WITH THE ROOT OFFENSE AGAINST GOD.

“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…” Habakkuk 1:13

Fearing God is a command and an essential. When we truly begin to fear Him, we then begin to gain and grasp “the knowledge of the holy.”

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10

May our LORD bless each of His true disciples with His holy fear and begin to teach us “the knowledge of the holy” which He alone can do.

“The knowledge of the holy” is what each true disciple is in great need of. When we have His holy fear we will know His holy divine nature and it is then that He alone will be first in our lives and not ourselves or any other mere human. Then, His Word will take place in our lives and all false teachings exposed in the light of His truth (Psalms 119:104, 128).

Those who choose to fear the LORD “shall come forth of them all” in the end (Ecclesiastes 7:18). Yet, those who do not “choose the fear of the LORD” will be found wanting in the end and for all eternity.

“Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: ²⁹For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: ³⁰They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. ³¹Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. ³²For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. ³³But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:28-31

The worst part about our sin is that it is an offense to our “Holy, holy, holy” God and Judge with whom we have to do (Isaiah 6:3; Rev. 4:8). Learning, knowing, embracing, and keeping ever in mind the truth that the LORD our God is “Holy, holy, holy” will help guide you into truth and the discernment of that which is off camber.

“This is certainly unfortunate and alarming to say the least (STD’s being spread through fornication). However, even though sexually transmitted diseases are quite horrible, and can even cause loss of life; the Christian, (and especially the Christian minister), must not use the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases as a deterrent to fornication in the youth, or anyone else for that matter. Instead we should preach the word of the Lord and give them warning from HIM who said that fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God. It is not the threat of disease that the bible warns of, but the danger of Hellfire and eternal torment. This should be the true motivation for our young people to avoid fornication, and come to Christ. Remember, even if that young person remained a virgin until marriage, they will still go to Hell when they die unless they repent toward God, and have faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jimmy Lathan

Holiness is the work of God in the heart of one of His children. He is moving on and sanctifying the born again believer, causing him to walk in the new man, putting off the old man (Colossians 3:1-14).

First and foremost, if or when we sin, it is against God because He alone is Holy in His divine nature and our being holy is completely contingent upon our abiding in Him who is the Holy One. When false teachers simply speak about the effects of sin (VD, liver damage, etc.), this is a red flag. When false programs like CR (Celebrate Recovery) never mention our vertical offense against a God who is Holy and only deal with the horizontal offense against mere men, this is a direct denial of the LORD and reveals great blindness of darkened hearts.

Nevermind Rick “the devil” Warren‘s “recovery” garbage, it’s time to recover the original Gospel of Jesus which is the only answer to man’s sin problem! (Jude 3-4) SIN is still man’s core dilemma for which Christ came! Oh and the original Gospel begins with the divine command to “repent.” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Acts 2:38, etc.)

The point of this message is to underscore that only God is independently holy and so if we choose to sin, it is first and foremost an offense against Him who is “Holy, holy, holy,” and “harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” (Hebrews 7:26) Secondarily, if we choose to sin, it’s a sin against others and our own bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. Most ministry today never points this out but is man-centered and so only speaks of sin in respect to its effect upon men.

“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight…” Psalms 51:4

Here David speaks of his sin and calls it “evil.” Note that this man after God’s heart never referred to sin as a “mistake” or a “bad habit” like many modern wolves and betrayers of the LORD. Honesty is a high premium with God (Luke 8:15).

Whenever we have offended or done our fellow man wrong, we have first sinned against the Maker of that man. So, even then, we have first and foremost sinned against God Himself  “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:16)

Think about it: Only God is “Holy, holy, holy” and so if we sin it is a violation of His Law first and foremost. Yet, many modern pop-psycho programs and the wolves who facilitate them deny, dismiss, ignore and/or deal only with the temporal effects of sin. They are dealing only with the surface level instead of getting to the root of the unbelief and rebellion. Putting God first is essential and the dividing line between those who know and truly serve Him and those who feign to represent Him. We must personally live and call for “repentance toward God” which alone will bring His deliverance, refreshing, and healing (Acts 3:19; 20:21). “Times of refreshing” come as we “repent” according to Acts 3:19.

The sins of others are no greater than yours because God is “Holy, holy, holy.” Is 6:3; Rev 4:8 Selah!

“False Burdens and Causes of Banishment”

“Thy prophets (false) have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” Lamentations 2:14

The prophet Jeremiah says here that the false leaders of his day “have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.”

“False Burdens” – Jeremiah reveals that instead of leading the LORD’s people into recognizing that He is Holy and into repentance from unholy things, those false prophets “have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” In other words, those leaders, like the false teachers in our day, tended to the fanfare of lighter things like the modern-day prosperity message, church growth, self-help programs, how to cope with problems and various dainty non-essentials taught by fad authors. Simply put, false leaders, who far outnumber the true ones, misdirect and mislead souls and they are only able to do so with people who are not learning God’s Word for themselves (John 8:31-32; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17). One such antichrist wolf is Rick Warren.

Concerning his his Celebrate Recovery program, Rick Warren writes:

“What we need is a biblical and balanced program to help people overcome their hurts, habits and hang-ups. Celebrate Recovery is that program. Based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory, our recovery program is unique, and more effective in helping people change than anything else I’ve seen or heard of.”

Notice the misdirection or curb ball he throws in the first sentence here when he speaks of a “balanced program.” Yet the whole title and premise is not to honor, worship, and celebrate Jesus Christ but rather to celebrate recovery! Do you see this deception? Then this vile wolf goes out of his way to say that his program is biblical and not psychological and lies about his program “helping people.” Yet, just like the false leaders of Jeremiah’s day and every generation, Warren has “not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” (Lamentations 2:14) No, instead Rick Warren says his program (not God’s) will “help people overcome their hurts, habits and hang-ups.” What’s missing? Notice the absence of calling sin, sin?!!!!!!! Bingo!

In the text below, let us look at what Jeremiah says further concerning those who held positions of leadership among the LORD’s people in that day. Also, we should ask: Has anything changed? Is this what the LORD sees among those in leadership today who have come in His name but don’t bear His fruit and doctrine?

“The wise men (leaders) are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken (morally weakened through sin): lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?…for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush (hardened hearts, seared consciences): therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 8:9-12

By removing from the message the eternal, divine truth that God is “Holy, holy, holy”and the need for His people to come to repentance, the false prophets had “healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly (superficially), saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” They removed the essential message of the holiness of God and the need of repentance from sin before a holy God and the very Judge of our eternal souls – “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Lk. 13:3) These men had “rejected the word of the LORD” in their personal lives and therefore in their service to the LORD. Though they once personally embraced and preached the holiness of the Most High and repentance, they now became wiser than the Almighty and therefore leaned to their own darkened understanding, vainly believing they knew what their modern generation needed more than the LORD – “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” (Rom. 1:22) After all, things had changed right? They lived in a new age, more enlightened than any previous time in history – correct? Wrong. Since the fall of man in the Garden, the heart of the human problem has been the problem of the human heart. God is holy and we have sinned against Him who is holy and must render repentance from sin and not call it something or anything else than that which it is in His holy eyes – sin. This is the divine prescription and is man’s only hope in contacting His Maker’s grace and mercy (Acts 3:19). In order to be justified – exonerated from the punishment and penalty of sin – one must fall upon the sheer mercy of the One who is “full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” (Ps. 86:15)

Why were God’s people not “ashamed when they had committed abomination”? Because they didn’t follow the LORD but rather they followed the false leaders who dealt “falsely” as they were“handling the word of God deceitfully.” (2 Corinthians 4:2) There was no convicting teaching on sin and holiness and judgment and repentance among them. Their leaders were betraying the LORD and His people for their own self-gain (“covetousness”). Nothing has changed in our day. So, beware when you hear a man not speaking of the holiness of the Almighty and His requirement for all that will be with Him to “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) Beware of those who refuse to use the biblical word “sin” and instead replace it with minimizing words like “mistake” and “habits.” Those two words never appear in Holy Writ. Modern wolves like Rick Warren and those beguiling leaders who follow him also speak of “hurts” which in their corrupted definition, deals only on a human level which reveals the idolatrous religion of humanism they espouse and perpetrate. This simply means that they treat man as his own little god around which the world revolves instead of the true Christian whose world revolves around the LORD Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20; 6:14). This is luciferic (Isaiah 14:12-15).

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; ¹⁶Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

There is no hiding that each of us whom He has found and saved, have needed to repent and confess our sins along the way. This is essential to continually being washed by the very precious blood of Christ (1 John 1:7, 9). Yet, if we begin to subvert divine truth by covering our sins and not acknowledging them before Him, we are in big trouble.

“He that covereth (tries to hide) his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13  

We must be aware of the tendency of the flesh to depart from the light of Christ’s truth and migrate to smooth talking wolves who pretend to be helping us while simultaneously guiding us safely into the bowels of eternal punishment (2 Timothy 4:2-4). God really is “Holy, holy, holy” and only those who draw their last breath in this life in a state of holiness will be with Him eternally.

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14

Consequence of our Sin

Is that sin really worthy it?

“Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel (remorse, regret).” Proverbs 20:17

The idiom used here to convey the reaping, the remorse for our sin is “afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel (regret).”

THE DEVIL IS A LIAR! He’s never going to tempt you to sin against the LORD and then remind you of the consequences.

Rick Warren: Purpose Driven Deception

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Christology |  Be Ready in the Morning [podcast] | The Sure Mercies of David [podcast] | That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached [podcast] | At His Feet

FEEDBACK:

“I just finished reading an article on your website about psychology, and it’s so true! I tried to kill myself (guilt over sins) about 4 years ago, and was put in the pavillion. Afterwards, I loved the attention I got from everyone. I was ordered to go to counseling twice a week, and I looked forward to those meetings. Why? I got to talk about myself. I also used that as an excuse as to why I did stupid things in those few months. After being born again, I realized that I needed to take responsibility for my actions and not blame anyone or some “mental illness.” The doctor still tries to put me on antidepressants. I won’t take them. I don’t need them. I have Jesus.” Misty N.