Whoso despiseth the Word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
- Proverbs 13:13
And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
- Luke 12:47-48
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As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. - Romans 3:10-12 |
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There are young adults and older people that have rejected and left unopened, for fifteen years or longer, "letters" of greater affection and invitation to reconciliation than Elizabeth Browning's. To coldly reject God's Word and invitation, personally sent to us, is a crime of unspeakable seriousness and consequence. God's ''letters'' to us must never be left unopened, despised, or dealt with lightly! How does an unopened Bible testify of a person's enmity and hardness of heart? |
As Prophet, Christ not only teaches objectively or outwardly. If this were so, no sinner would ever be saved. Left to ourselves, our totally-depraved hearts would always reject God and His will and choose for ourselves and our own wills. Our sinful hearts desire the rejection of God's way and the establishment of our own; enmity against God and loyal service to self.
But, blessed be God! Christ also teaches subjectively by His Word and Spirit, in an internal manner. Christ's objective teaching only reaches the minds, but not the hearts of men; for in outward instruction, the Word does not become light-giving, soul-renewing, and life-controlling. But, by means of His Spirit, Christ teaches subjectively. The Holy Spirit enlightens, renews, and turns the heart from sin to God, from lies to truth. The Spirit reveals Christ
