Many people would have us believe that biblical Christianity is outdated and needs to be updated. Sadly, some of those who insist upon changing God’s truth call themselves Christians. Instead of looking to God’s Word as the standard by which we make decisions we are convinced to compromise and accept worldly ways as normal. These compromises yoke us with the world and subvert God’s truth. God’s Word hasn’t changed. Christ hasn’t changed.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

If you are tempted to compromise God’s Word then you need to prayerfully study your Bible; God’s Word hasn’t changed and that’s where a Christian finds God’s truth.

Satan has always tried to blind people against the truth and God warned the Jews against being deceived and tempted by the pagans around them, who worshipped false, satanic gods.

“Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them” (Deuteronomy 11:16).

These words were written to the Jews, but Christians need to take heed also. Many Christians don’t study their Bibles and are led astray by deceit. You may think that you don’t worship a pagan god, but whenever you make a choice that is not biblical—then you are choosing to follow Satan and pagan ways.

There are many lies going around today and people try to compromise God’s Word. Satan will attempt to deceive Christians today just as the satanic Gnostic teachings threatened the first century Christians. If the foundation of Christianity can be brought into question, then it is a small step to destroy a person’s faith. The apostle John warned believers to abide in the doctrine of Christ.

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9).

The erroneous teachings of today are focused on removing the true doctrine of Christ from Christianity. God’s word has not changed. Jesus is God, He died for your sins and mine, and He alone gives eternal life.

There are many false teachers who proclaim that all paths lead to heaven. Is that true? The answer is in the Bible.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Jesus Himself said this…there is no other path to the Father. The sad truth is that Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, New Age (which
really isn’t new at all), Contemplative Spirituality, the Emerging Church or any other false religions that diminishes what Christ accomplished on the cross, are all leading their adherents to hell. Satan is the father of all lies and he is the initiator and leader of every false religion; he’s drawing multitudes down the path that leads to destruction.

Truth is only found in God’s inerrant word. Don’t twist Scripture to try to make it condone your own sins or to make it say something different than what it plainly says. All roads do not lead to salvation, but too many Christians aren’t grounded in God’s Word and are willing to embrace lies.

Many Christians are willing to compromise and see a need to re-establish Christianity and re-mold it into something they think fits today’s “evolving” post-modern culture. All false teachers attack Christ and His deity. Satan would have us believe the god the Muslims worship is the same as the Christian God.

I must emphatically state that this is a lie. The Muslim god is demonic and requires bloodshed from his followers; the one true God who Christians follow shed His own blood for our salvation. Muslims have no idea if they have ever done enough works to enter paradise. The answer is no. Why do Christians even listen to such tripe? There is only one way to heaven and that is through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Changing God’s truth doesn’t update it…it turns it into a lie.

The root of all deception was established way back in the Garden of Eden where Satan first put doubt in the mind of Eve. Satan’s lying words convinced Eve to reject God’s truth and accept the lie, the Adam joined in the sin. Satan still calls God’s truth into question and ensnares those who are naïve and scripturally uninformed. Charles Darwin was the willing instrument Satan used to undermine God’s Word.

We are clearly taught in the Bible that God created everything in six literal days and that sin and death entered creation only after Adam chose to eat the forbidden fruit. How does evolution compare to God’s truth? If evolution were true then sin and death existed for millions upon millions of years, there was no Garden of Eden, mankind would not be uniquely created in God’s image, and so on.

If Adam’s fall didn’t bring sin and death then Jesus (God incarnate) wouldn’t have had to die on the cross to purchase our redemption. Did God lie throughout the Bible, or are Darwinism and Secular Humanism lies? The simple answer is God cannot lie.

“God is not a man, that he should lie” (Numbers 23:19a).

Don’t compromise God’s Word.

Many attempts at compromise are aimed at young adults and children. Our schools are a source of Satan’s lies designed to bring into question God’s truth on every level.

It begins in kindergarten by trying to get our children to think it is okay for Johnny to have two mommies. Evolution is taught as truth, not as heresy. Colleges come right out and say there is no God and if a student stands up for God’s truth they are ridiculed.

Satan is working hard to steal our children’s souls and he seems to be winning. Christians must stop compromising and accepting lies and take a stand for Christ. We allow Christ to be attacked and our attitude is “so what.” Many Christians give lip service to Christ but never seem to take a stand. We allow Him to be mocked and we just don’t seem to care. Shame on us.

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said…” (Genesis 3:1a).

If Satan can place doubt in a person’s mind and get him to question God’s absolute truth then the forbidden fruit will be tempting and God’s word will be compromised.

Soon even the once faithful Christian will be drawn away from Christ. Satan’s goal is to bring a message that will ultimately derail true Christianity. It may seem that he’s succeeding, but we who truly believe and follow the living Christ know who ultimately succeeds in the end. You need to solidly embrace the winning side and eschew the lies of Satan.

Jesus Christ is the most important aspect of Christianity. Don’t compromise God’s Word and diminish who He is.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Jesus Christ is the center of Christianity and we know our salvation is only in Him. Our lives are His and we are to devote ourselves to Him. He isn’t the created brother of Satan.

He is the Creator of everything that is…He is God Almighty, our Savior, and salvation is found only in Him. If you try to change God’s Word you will diminish Christ and His finished work on the cross. You will begin to question His deity and then it is a short step to compromising what is and isn’t sin. Study His Word to learn His truth…then don’t compromise it in any way.

Many worship services do not embrace solid biblical truth, don’t teach who Christ is, and blur the lines of what is and isn’t sin. If the congregation you are a part of isn’t Christ centered and Bible based, they have compromised God’s Word. Some congregations have embraced rituals associated with Catholicism as well as nuances reflecting Eastern religions with their yoga, mysticism, and contemplative spirituality.

It’s not surprising that Jesus is hardly mentioned. Why would he be? Hindus and Buddhist don’t accept Jesus as their Saviour. Even many Catholics look to Mary for their salvation.

“The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD” (Proverbs 19:3).

Don’t pervert God’s truth.

Many people are looking for something different, something more exciting, something other than biblical Christianity. They are also looking for God to accept their sin because we are oh so modern today.

“And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:5-6).

You might think we need to “modernize” the Bible but what God originally breathed into His Scriptures is what He meant.

God knew there would be those who would pervert the gospel and He had the apostle John warn against it:

“If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 John 1:10-11).

John was quite adamant about these false doctrines. His second epistle is addressed to the elect lady, who many believe to be Mary the mother of Jesus, and admonishes her and all who are with her to heed his warning, even to the exclusion of inviting them into their homes. When was the last time you invited a Jehovah Witness into your home? Alas, if folks would stop compromising the Scriptures fewer would be deceived.

In these last days we see a push to accept evil as good and good as evil.

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).

In order for evil men to succeed they need to change God’s Word and make it seem as if Bible believing Christians are narrow minded. Study your Bible brothers; don’t compromise God’s word. Our Lord died for our sins and He is the only way to the Father. People can only make sin seem acceptable if they change God’s word and call evil good.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

This does not say, “If you love Me change my commandments.”Those who love Jesus and study His Word will not compromise His truth. He has not changed, nor has God’s inerrant Word.

We like to think of ourselves as modern and progressive. We like to embrace the latest technology and keep up on world events. It wasn’t very long ago that telephones were a novelty but now most people have cell phones that connect to the internet, snap pictures, take movies, and much more. With all the new innovations we begin to accept change as normal. Christians must remember that Christ has never changed.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

We need to stand firm on God’s Word and not change or compromise it in any way.

God bless you all,

Ron & Nathele Graham

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Solomon’s life was filled with every craving of the flesh. He had riches, wives, power, and everything a person could possibly want. The thing he lacked was peace. His name means peace, but his worldly pursuits in life left him empty and without the peace that comes from God – that comes from being right with God. For all of his wisdom the one thing Solomon forgot was to pursue God.

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6).

We all need certain things such as food and shelter to sustain us in life on earth, but these aren’t what Paul was talking about. He was talking about sin. How can a Christian chase after things that are of this world instead of pursuing the things of God? When a person accepts the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ a change should be evidenced by what that person desires.

Carnal lusts should be repented of (your mind changed about) and God’s ways should be pursued. If our thoughts are on carnal pleasure then we can’t be in a right relationship with God and our fellowship with Him is broken. The things of the world can never satisfy. It’s only when we turn our life over to God and submit our will to Him that we can move away from the grips of carnal temptations. When we put our minds on spiritual things, that’s when we find the peace of God.

When we pursue sin and are not godly in our ways, whatever pleasure we get from that sin is temporary and fleeting. Solomon found that out. Can you ever have enough money? The more money you have the more you spend, so you need more. Can you ever drink enough alcohol or do enough drugs? Once you sober up the troubles are still there. Can you ever have enough of any earthly pleasure to give you lasting peace and joy? The answer is a resounding no. Only knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior and pursuing His ways will bring real peace.

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Many people who claim to be Christians just want “fire insurance.” They say they are Christians to avoid the eternal fires of hell, but don’t seek to conform their way of life to Christ. Have they truly accepted Christ as their Savior? Maybe,, but they are missing out on the peace that comes from being in a right fellowship with God. Many people sit in a pew on Sunday morning, but come Sunday evening they are back to living a carnal life and chasing after worldly lusts.

A Christian must submit to God and His will or we are only giving lip service to God. We must make the choice to walk with Him daily or we have joined the camp of the enemy. The non-Christian world watches us and will judge God based upon what they see in us. If our life reflects worldly ways and turmoil, then what advantage can others see in accepting Christ?

If you stand firm in God’s ways you may be mocked as being “holier than thou”, but you just might cause someone to come to know Jesus. Our God is the one and only true God. His word is as true today as it was in the beginning. God has not changed and neither have people. People today still listen to Satan’s lies just like Adam and Eve did and those lies only lead to suffering. Only by putting God and His ways first can you find true peace and fulfillment.

What are the things of the flesh? To make it easy to understand, Paul gave a list.

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Do you see yourself anywhere in that list? You would be smart to look each of those items up in a good concordance to fully understand their meaning. If you pursue any of these things instead of pursuing God you are pursuing things of the flesh. You need to take a hard look at your spiritual life and ask yourself if you are truly born again. If your answer is that you truly have put your faith in God, then you need to pray for His help to move away from the things of the flesh in your life.

If you are truly born from God you focus on God and have turned your life over to Him. You study His word to know Him better and are willing to stand on His precepts no matter what temptations you face. Your life bears fruit for Him.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
If you are a born-again believer in Christ, honor Him and bear fruit. Put the temptations of this world behind you and pursue things of the Spirit.

Jesus took a firm stand about those who don’t follow His ways.

“He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matthew 12:30).

A Christian must live by the values of God, not of the world. Satan is the god of this world. If our life reflects works of the flesh then it is Satan who we follow and we are not with Jesus…we are against Him. That’s a bad place to be. “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8).

If we claim to be a Christian, yet continue in the same carnal sin as the non-Christian we cannot please God. Temptation may come our way, but if our desire is to please God then we will turn from that temptation. A Christian needs to pursue after the things of God and seek after His kingdom.

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?…But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31, 33).

In order to seek His kingdom, you need to study His word and apply it to your life. Use Jesus as the example of your way of life. He lived a simple life while He walked this earth; He knew that true treasure is in Heaven. His life was devoted to caring for people and for sharing the gospel. Now, I’m not saying that you should quit your job and go walking about the country. I am saying that you need to put Him first. Live your life so that your co-workers can see Christ in you.

Base your decisions in life upon biblical truth. Know what God says is sin and turn away from it. The Holy Spirit is sealed within every believer, so when we go after things of the flesh we take God with us. No wonder no peace can be found in sin. Pray about everything and ask God for guidance. Go back and read Galatians 5:19-21. These are the things of the flesh and have no place in a Christian’s life. Now read Galatians 5:22-23 again. These are things of the Spirit. These are the things to be sought after.

We humans like to blame someone else for our own failures. When we give in to the things of the flesh and reap the pain that comes from such pursuit we blame God. Why? It is our choice whether we give in to our carnal lusts or not. We make the choice to go to where sin can be found.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren” (James 1:13-16).

“Draw nearer to God every day and make the choice to avoid the temptation to sin. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14).

Live for Christ and you cannot go wrong.

One day the disciples asked Jesus how to pray and Jesus gave them a model prayer. We call it the Lord’s Prayer. First, acknowledge God’s holiness, then pray for His will to be done on earth, and then ask Him to supply your needs and ask Him to forgive your sin. Finally we are to ask for guidance.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13a).

If temptation is in your path you can be assured that God will give you the strength to withstand the devil and not follow the path of destruction. Everyone has times of testing but God will not allow more temptation than you and He together can withstand.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

When temptation comes your way, pray. There is always a way to avoid yielding to the things of the flesh. So often sin looks as if it offers pleasure and many people choose to follow the sin rather than praying to God for an escape from the temptation. God will show you a way out if you ask. Then you must choose to escape from the temptation.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

If you claim to be a Christian but are pursuing things of the flesh then you are conformed to this world. You need to pursue things of the Spirit and allow God to transform you. Seek after a right relationship with God based on faith in Him. Seek His will in all earthly endeavors and listen to His voice.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9).

Things of the Spirit or things of the flesh? You can’t have it both ways.

God bless you all,

Ron& Nathele Graham