For certain men have come in stealthily, those who long ago were designated unto this judgement, ungodly ones, who pervert the Grace, of the God of us, into sensuality and the only Master and Lord of us Jesus Christ they deny.1
These sneaky people pervert the Grace of God into sensuality. Now what does that mean? Sensuality is the condition of being pleasing or fulfilling to the senses. We usually hear and think of fulfilling our senses as in sexual sensuality, but if we look closer at this word we see it applies elsewhere. This word used for sensuality is asélgeia which means wantonness, lewdness (from aselgēs/"brutal") – properly, violent spite which rejects restraint and indulges in rude and disrespectful behavior. Wantonness means showing no thought or care for the rights, feelings, or safety of others and lewdness is to be obscene and vulgar.3 To please their senses, they will speak disrespectful, they have no thought or care for the rights, feelings, or safety of others. These are the people who have entered stealthily into the Church.
Sensuality is usually associated with the behavior of the sexually immoral, people who reject restraint and indulge in sexual promiscuity, we call them "loose." But we see that this looseness applies in the church in respect to principles. In other passages there is a distinction of sexual immorality and this sensuality. Paul makes a distinction; we should not walk in sexual immorality and sensuality.2 Peter writes that through this sensuality the way of truth will be mis-aligned.3 This word for misaligned is where our English word blaspheme comes from, it is from blasphēméō (from blapto, I hurt, injure and pheme, report, fame) – properly, I hurt by the report I give; it is refusing to acknowledge good; hence, to blaspheme which reverses moral values, to slander, hence to speak lightly or profanely of sacred things. This same word is used when referring to the people reviling Jesus, on the cross the people passed by him and they reviled him, saying look at you now, you who said you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, now save yourself.3
These people are loose in their values and operating principles, it is referred to in the business world as winging it. As a business owner who works with the government I must be viewed capable and mature to do the work that I say I can do. If I wing it, have no operating principles, processes; if my accounting process is not good then I will not be viewed as being capable and mature. To help us succeed we hire auditors and seek certifications that work to convince our customers we know what we are doing. We teach and create operating principles that show we are mature. As my business is a calling, it is his ministry, in his authority. If people attack me they come against God's authority and blaspheme him. There are Christian organizations that violently spite and show no thought nor care for the rights, feelings, nor safety of others. They operate in sensuality, loosely with principles, reviling the words of Jesus, not loving, not treating others as they would want to be treated. They are reviling and blaspheming children of God under the name of God. They are being used by the enemy, there is no name to call it good.
Christian leaders must operate to Godly principles or they allow Satan to influence God's people. Satan is allowed to work in our organizations because people adhere to doctrines of men, created by these people who have stealthily entered in. This spirit of sensuality creates an organization that is not accountable to anyone, it is a dictatorship in principle. Pride and sensuality is its banner. But in God's kingdom it works both ways, you can't blaspheme his children in the name of adopting more children into his family, in the name of evangelism, in the name of anything. Such breaks His higher principle and new commandment of loving each other, it breaks the golden rule. If I hire someone to work for me and they do a bad job, will I not say to the next person who asks about this person, he did not perform well? Can I not also do the same about a ministry? But we have a more excellent way, it is love. If we love His children we will implement operating principles in our businesses and ministries that reflect Christ, that seeks to prevent Satan from gaining a foot hold. I hope when this race is over Jesus will say well done good and faithful servant. I hope others will say the same; he sought justice, loved mercy, and walked humbly with his God.
When we operate without core values, Godly principles, and use tactics of the enemy we do nothing but operate to the principles of Satan, we give him influence in our organizations. There are Biblical procedures for conflict resolution, if we adopt and operate to these we create a better organization. A better organization reflects Christ. Or we can continue to make things up as we go, operate in our own sensuality, adopting worldly principles, and brutally reviling others. Christians are known as the ones who shoot their wounded, this is sad, but it is principles we have adopted that even the world finds disgusting or rotten to the core. We judge the world for drinking, smoking, and cussing while we ourselves live to no standards other than rules, and many of these rules have been made up to keep us and others from sinning, much like the Pharisees did. We have no core values, we wing it, we are not honorable, we do not live to our word, we attack our friends, we say we love but do not forgive, we despise the weak and revile our wounded, we revile the least of these. If we lived in the time of Jesus would we revile him too? Look at you now, you who tried to hold me accountable.
We say we are mature men but we act like children, blowing in the wind as the world changes. Our country was based upon principles under God, where he was the foundation stone. Other principles built upon the foundation stone; equality, inalienable rights, integrity, honor, loyalty, work ethics, etc... these are just some, created for and by the people, We The People... This idea has slowly eroded away and the church is not a light into such. Some teach an authority were you have no say, like a dictatorship in a foreign country. People can harass, make false accusations, have no accountability, there is no presumption of innocence. it is a free for all. And the church acts the same way. The church teaches one to take abuse freely, calling it different names, faith building or humility exercises as if it were from God, thus people who have stealthily entered in continue to act boldly in their sensuality. To question abuse is to come against God himself. Is this teaching from God? If even the elect could be deceived they would follow these people.
Sensuality is usually associated with the behavior of the sexually immoral, people who reject restraint and indulge in sexual promiscuity, we call them "loose." But we see that this looseness applies in the church in respect to principles. In other passages there is a distinction of sexual immorality and this sensuality. Paul makes a distinction; we should not walk in sexual immorality and sensuality.2 Peter writes that through this sensuality the way of truth will be mis-aligned.3 This word for misaligned is where our English word blaspheme comes from, it is from blasphēméō (from blapto, I hurt, injure and pheme, report, fame) – properly, I hurt by the report I give; it is refusing to acknowledge good; hence, to blaspheme which reverses moral values, to slander, hence to speak lightly or profanely of sacred things. This same word is used when referring to the people reviling Jesus, on the cross the people passed by him and they reviled him, saying look at you now, you who said you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, now save yourself.3
These people are loose in their values and operating principles, it is referred to in the business world as winging it. As a business owner who works with the government I must be viewed capable and mature to do the work that I say I can do. If I wing it, have no operating principles, processes; if my accounting process is not good then I will not be viewed as being capable and mature. To help us succeed we hire auditors and seek certifications that work to convince our customers we know what we are doing. We teach and create operating principles that show we are mature. As my business is a calling, it is his ministry, in his authority. If people attack me they come against God's authority and blaspheme him. There are Christian organizations that violently spite and show no thought nor care for the rights, feelings, nor safety of others. They operate in sensuality, loosely with principles, reviling the words of Jesus, not loving, not treating others as they would want to be treated. They are reviling and blaspheming children of God under the name of God. They are being used by the enemy, there is no name to call it good.
Christian leaders must operate to Godly principles or they allow Satan to influence God's people. Satan is allowed to work in our organizations because people adhere to doctrines of men, created by these people who have stealthily entered in. This spirit of sensuality creates an organization that is not accountable to anyone, it is a dictatorship in principle. Pride and sensuality is its banner. But in God's kingdom it works both ways, you can't blaspheme his children in the name of adopting more children into his family, in the name of evangelism, in the name of anything. Such breaks His higher principle and new commandment of loving each other, it breaks the golden rule. If I hire someone to work for me and they do a bad job, will I not say to the next person who asks about this person, he did not perform well? Can I not also do the same about a ministry? But we have a more excellent way, it is love. If we love His children we will implement operating principles in our businesses and ministries that reflect Christ, that seeks to prevent Satan from gaining a foot hold. I hope when this race is over Jesus will say well done good and faithful servant. I hope others will say the same; he sought justice, loved mercy, and walked humbly with his God.
When we operate without core values, Godly principles, and use tactics of the enemy we do nothing but operate to the principles of Satan, we give him influence in our organizations. There are Biblical procedures for conflict resolution, if we adopt and operate to these we create a better organization. A better organization reflects Christ. Or we can continue to make things up as we go, operate in our own sensuality, adopting worldly principles, and brutally reviling others. Christians are known as the ones who shoot their wounded, this is sad, but it is principles we have adopted that even the world finds disgusting or rotten to the core. We judge the world for drinking, smoking, and cussing while we ourselves live to no standards other than rules, and many of these rules have been made up to keep us and others from sinning, much like the Pharisees did. We have no core values, we wing it, we are not honorable, we do not live to our word, we attack our friends, we say we love but do not forgive, we despise the weak and revile our wounded, we revile the least of these. If we lived in the time of Jesus would we revile him too? Look at you now, you who tried to hold me accountable.
We say we are mature men but we act like children, blowing in the wind as the world changes. Our country was based upon principles under God, where he was the foundation stone. Other principles built upon the foundation stone; equality, inalienable rights, integrity, honor, loyalty, work ethics, etc... these are just some, created for and by the people, We The People... This idea has slowly eroded away and the church is not a light into such. Some teach an authority were you have no say, like a dictatorship in a foreign country. People can harass, make false accusations, have no accountability, there is no presumption of innocence. it is a free for all. And the church acts the same way. The church teaches one to take abuse freely, calling it different names, faith building or humility exercises as if it were from God, thus people who have stealthily entered in continue to act boldly in their sensuality. To question abuse is to come against God himself. Is this teaching from God? If even the elect could be deceived they would follow these people.
Operating principles define who we are, on a personal level, in business, and in ministry; there is no distinction. We can say we love and operate to His principles but it is our actions that speak. It is time to dig in, to set the perimeter, to be alert, to know the battle plan of the commander, to put on the armor of God, to stand firm not wavering, time to be a soldier of the great King. Be strong in Grace... entrust it to faithful men... suffer hardship as a good soldier of Jesus... who goes about the business of his commander... like the athlete who has to obey the rules of the race... like the farmer who must work hard to participate in the harvest... consider these things and God will give you understanding... and remember Jesus our example, raised from the dead according to the glory of the gospel, of which I am suffering and am bound to as an evildoer, but the word is not bound and because of this I endure for the sake of the elect that they too might obtain this eternal glory that is in Jesus Christ 3
Banner of Love
Banner of Love