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“Lord, is it I?”

 

On the night that our Lord had His last meal with our 11 brothers, He made this statement in Matthew 26:21-22, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

I want you to picture the setting here.  They are eating and fellowshipping together – the Lord and the 12 apostles.  And when they are done, He says to them all, “one of you will betray Me.” Notice that He didn’t just say it to Judas, but He said it to them all.  He wanted them to really think about it and say to themselves, “am I capable of something like this, could I betray Him tonight, is it in me to do such a thing???”

It’s in all of us to do such a thing!! When we sin, in essence we are doing just that.  We are betraying Him, because by default we are saying that He wasn’t enough (nor His blood enough) to keep us from sinning.  Do you remember in scripture that it says God is married to His people (Isaiah 54:5, “For your Maker is your Husband; the Lord Almighty is His name”)? And remember that the Lord said that a husband couldn’t divorce his wife except in the case of adultery.  You might find this interesting then…Genesis 3:24, “So God drove out the man from the garden of eden.” That word “drove” in the Hebrew means to divorce!! God divorced Adam for his spiritual adultery.  God sees sin and disobedience as adultery.

We have been given so much in reference to spiritual truth and insight.  The Lord said to whom much has been given, that much more is required of them.  I heard it said on the radio about 5 months ago that a Christian in America hears more spiritual truths in 1 week than the average Christian around the world will hear in 5 years!!  We had better wake up and repent and get ourselves out of this spiritual stupor that we’re in.  Jesus is coming, and that right quick.

Quit listening to all these false teachers that cry “grace, grace; love, love” all the time.  They will deceive you into thinking that everything is ok.  All of the New Testament writers speak of these men and what their end shall be.  Therefore separate yourselves from these men and these so-called “teachers” Jesus said over and over and over again, “take heed that no man deceive you.” TAKE HEED THAT YOU BE NOT DECEIVED!!!

It’s real simple brethren to discern who they are.  Are they warning people to flee from the wrath to come (Matt. 3:7), are they letting you know that the time has come that judgment must first began at the house of God (1^st peter 4:17)? Have you heard them say “without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)? Are they saying that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you shall in no way enter the kingdom of God (Matt. 5:20)????

And also be careful as to how these “teachers” try and water down the above verses and do commentaries on them that take away the strength and purity of God’s word.  Jesus said they would twist His words to mean other things.  Why do they do this? To draw away disciples unto themselves, and also to soothe over their own sin and consciences. Why do they do this? Because if they can get other people to join them or their views then it somehow makes their sin palatable.  (Acts 20:30).  Withdraw yourselves from these types of men who with smooth words soothe over the consciences of men.  Listen to the voice of Jesus in His word.  Quit listening to all these other voices that explain away the truth and conviction of God’s word.

I don’t want you to wake up one day and say, “It was I who betrayed Him by my unbelief, by my lifestyle, by my sin.” Brethren, unless you get into God’s word…you are satan-bait for all types of delusions and deceptions in these last days.  BE NOT DECEIVED!!! A brother emailed me the following quote and I think it will fit perfectly right here.

“God’s Word is an extension of God Himself.  To hear His Words that comprise the whole Bible is to hear Him.  To obey His Words is to obey Him.  To ignore His Words is to ignore Him.  God invests Himself in His Words, God so identifies Himself with His Words that our response to His Words is our response to Him. You can measure a person’s opinion of God by his or her opinion of God’s Word.  That’s why a person who loves God loves His Word.  God’s Word is an extension of Himself—His identity, purposes, affections, and power. The action of speaking is an expression of a person. There has been a satanic impulse inside each of us to separate God from His Word ever since the serpent said to Adam and Eve, ‘Did God actually say….?  It’s part of our fallen nature to say we love Him and yet give no heed to His Words.  We claim to love God, but how much time in the week do we spend reading the Bible? God’s Word gives witness to God.  I can assure you my wife would not be pleased if she e-mailed me at work or texted me and asked me to pick up five items at the store, but I picked up only three and explained, “I assumed your e-mail/text was merely giving witness to your words, and that I was free to pick and choose from the list.”

There’s a mystical impulse among many Evangelicals that wants to close its eyes and simply experience God’s presence and love.  But imagine sitting next to a friend on a couch and saying, “Don’t talk to me.  I just want to feel your presence.”  In Scripture, God communes with His people by communicating with them…through His Word.

Do you want to measure your regard for God?  Then consider your regard for the Bible.  It’s Him addressing you.  It’s Him drawing near with love and warning.  Are you listening?  Our attitude should be like Jeremiah’s who considered the false prophets of his day and trembled: “My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the Lord and because of His holy Words” (Jer 23:9)

These issues are serious business indeed brethren.  Wake up!! Sin no more!! Quit wrestling over words and get in His Word!!

Hopefully, I’ll see you on the front lines.