Ezekiel 22:26
"Her priests have done violence to My law, and have profaned My holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them."
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Matthew 23:25,26
25
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
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The repent, and producing fruit worthy of repentance; was what the water baptism of John the Baptist ministered. The repent of sin was ministered by Prophets before John. But producing fruit worthy of repentance is what made a clear path for the Holy Spirit baptism.
The water baptism was a ritual, it cleansed the body, and the entire body being submerged represented the great flood of Noah's time. The flood washed away wickedness from the land. The water baptism submersed a body, symbolically cleansing it. This cleansing did not cleanse away sin, the repent and sin offerings did that for those who followed the path of righteousness.
But what was happening was sin was continuing to happen. The sinner would not repent then supply acts that were worthy of that repent, meaning they would continue to sin. Obedience to the Law was represented by obedience to the temple, but then obedience to the temple turned into placing faith in what gold could buy in terms of redemption for sin. This meant none would find faithfulness in the unseen qualities of God, but were instead placing faith in the power gold had through the temple to redeem.
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Romans 1:20
20
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
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What is common to man and what is the holiness of God became one and the same. The authority of the Lord was ignored, and instead gold became the authority of His temple. Because of this everything the Priests taught and instructed served to make a sinner worse than they were before.
Today, those who claim to be a part of the body of Christ, also struggle with this. False teachings, praying to idols, tithe requirements, cleansing rituals, celebration of pagan holidays, allowing inequality in the houses. But most importantly, they lack faith in the strength of the Lord in their weakness, and return to the ways they had when the Lord called them. They do this because they approach grace on their own terms. Instead of growing closer to the Father through His son, they continue sinning, and end up in a worse situation then they were before.
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2 Peter 2:20
20
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
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This is why, besides the chosen who are without consequence, the righteous and the sinners will all face judgement.
In Ezekiel's time, The Lord spoke strong words through His Prophets. In our time, we only have to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. This is why we are told to remain in prayer. We have to ask, seeking guidance, and request it from the Holy Spirit. Which brings me to what I must share with you today.
The silence in sin. Our human hearts and minds are not capable of goodness. If we do not seek first, we will act on our own. And then what is considered good will be done, instead of what is good. Everything not done in faith is sin.
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Isaiah 5:20
20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
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Righteousness is of the Father, and Jesus did the Father's will. The mind of Christ Jesus is within the Holy Spirit. There is nothing impossible through faith. Repent in faith, and bear fruit worthy of that repent through the strength of Christ in the Holy Spirit. Persevere, carry on.
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