Culture: A Seared Conscience. In our later times, there has been a major shift. We have moved from meeting people with a seared conscience to an entire global society of deception.
Culture: A Seared Conscience. In our later times, there has been a major shift. We have moved from meeting people with a seared conscience to an entire global society of deception.
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.
Stephen, great post. The only thing that troubles me is when you said that a demon can take over the mind of a believer. One who’s faith rests in the Lord Jesus Christ and who is indwelt with the Holy Spirit cannot be possessed by a demon at the same time (2 Corinthians 6), influenced certainly but not possessed. We also know that no-one can snatch us out of His hand lest our salvation be based in our “works”. Therefore I would argue that these folks were never true believers in the first place. Hebrews 6:4-6 tells us that those who have tasted the heavenly gift and fallen away (or in my view taken over by an evil entity) can never be brought back to repentance. For these reasons I don’t know how it would be possible for a demon to take over the mind of an authentic believer. Perhaps I’m missing something or misinterpreted.
When the churches that we went to in the past 30 years got to be bigger and bigger it seemed to water down many folks faith. Because we need the river of life flowing through us. We need to thirst for His word, not because of a guilt seared conscience construction of some type of devotion life, but because we have a heart of gratitude of what He has done in our lives. Having the perfectly constructed sermon doesn’t bring the thirst. Many of us didn’t keep growing in our faith and inadvertently served the enemies camp. To chew on His word is so nourishing. If we will take the time to put His word in, the Holy Spirit will enable it in our lives. If I could do a do over the one thing I would is to get Gods word in me more consistently and frequently. Instead I got on the trap of raising kids and working hard to provide. The story of many of us.
Stephen, great post. The only thing that troubles me is when you said that a demon can take over the mind of a believer. One who’s faith rests in the Lord Jesus Christ and who is indwelt with the Holy Spirit cannot be possessed by a demon at the same time (2 Corinthians 6), influenced certainly but not possessed. We also know that no-one can snatch us out of His hand lest our salvation be based in our “works”. Therefore I would argue that these folks were never true believers in the first place. Hebrews 6:4-6 tells us that those who have tasted the heavenly gift and fallen away (or in my view taken over by an evil entity) can never be brought back to repentance. For these reasons I don’t know how it would be possible for a demon to take over the mind of an authentic believer. Perhaps I’m missing something or misinterpreted.
When the churches that we went to in the past 30 years got to be bigger and bigger it seemed to water down many folks faith. Because we need the river of life flowing through us. We need to thirst for His word, not because of a guilt seared conscience construction of some type of devotion life, but because we have a heart of gratitude of what He has done in our lives. Having the perfectly constructed sermon doesn’t bring the thirst. Many of us didn’t keep growing in our faith and inadvertently served the enemies camp. To chew on His word is so nourishing. If we will take the time to put His word in, the Holy Spirit will enable it in our lives. If I could do a do over the one thing I would is to get Gods word in me more consistently and frequently. Instead I got on the trap of raising kids and working hard to provide. The story of many of us.