Matthew 22:37-39 ... Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38
This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto
it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Exhortation: (Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet)
We love God (THE WORD) more than our own lives. We love God (THE WORD) more than our own well-being. And even when it might cost us something, we try to do and speak by the Spirit of God.
Jesus said: Mt 7 ... Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
The cost often appears so great when we are confronted with speaking truth. We know that most who hear the truth will hate and despise us. Even in church groups we know we will likely be hated by many when we repeat such truths as Mt. 5:32 ... The man who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
And what about those times when we speak in church groups against fornication. Sadly today in many church groups we find men and women who are having sexual relations without being married. Certainly in the world this is happening. But when it happen inside the church it is a terrible thing. And sometimes even the pastors are failing to speak against this knowing it would not be a popular thing to do.
Even homosexuals are being accepted in some church groups today. There are even some denominations that allow homosexuals to be their preachers. Terrible.
Those of us who are of God cannot go along with sin in the congregation. If the sin remains we would have to leave knowing that this church group puts themselves into the judgment of God spoken of in II Thess. 2 concerning the "falling away" where people will fall away from scripture and set up "another doctrine" in the church group. We cannot be a part of this.
So the cost of following scripture may even cost our own church group. That is one of the highest prices to pay. Few will go that way for the cost seems so great. And they end up explaining away scripture in order to stay in the church group bringing terrible penalty upon themselves.
Jesus said: few will find the way of life. Many will go in the way of destruction. Mt. 22
KJV ...I Cor. 6 ... Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye
are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
NASB
... I Cor. 6 ... Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
NIV
... I Cor. 6 ... Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the
kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor
idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Nothing is as important as the Word of God. It must not be explained away by other scripture. Over and over we are told: Be not deceived. We cannot love God and explain away scripture. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. And in church groups where preachers fail to say this, we just cannot remain for they are setting antichrist up to rule over the church group as they approve sin in the congregation.
For us the scriptures and truth must be as that pearl of great price. We must be willing to give up all that we have if needed in order to uphold the Word of God.
Mt. 13 ...Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
But Jesus said few would do this.