Incomplete Faithfulness Bible Study

Why do we rebel against God? Since the beginning man has went against God’s will. This started with Satan and eventually spread to ALL of mankind with the exception of Jesus. This is titled incomplete faithfulness because some people will not listen if you call them rebellious or disobedient. So I found a politically correct term to describe all of us who decide we know more than God. We continue to think that the little things do not matter, but the truth is that the little things to us are not so little to or father in Heaven. Let’s look at some examples.

Rebel

1. To refuse allegiance to and oppose by force an established government or ruling authority. We are part of a kingdom with a king and we must acknowledge our allegiance 100% no exceptions. 2. To resist or defy an authority or a generally accepted convention 3. To feel or express strong unwillingness to repugnance

1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Lev 10:1-2 (KJV)

 God cares about our obedience!! All they had to do is get fire from where they were told, but NO they knew more than God and decided to use strange fire from another place. Because of their disobedience they died and their father Aaron said nothing about it because he understood why they died.

19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. Ex 16:19-24 (KJV) 

The little things do matter. Why do we focus on ourselves with our own knowledge? God knew then that it was better for the people to get up every day and work for their food. The people thought they would just get enough in one day so they would not have to work the next day. Does this sound familiar? We need to follow the direction the word of God gives us no matter how silly or how unimportant it sounds. 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. 22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: 26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. 27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. 28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Jer 7:21-28 (KJV)

 God is rejecting the people’s sacrifices because they are disobedient. But wait didn’t God give us sacrifice for when we are disobedient? God made the rules of sacrifice and he expects us to follow them. Sacrifice was not put in place to give us a way out of our selfish desires so we can continue to do what we want. Sacrifice was given to us so we would know just how bad we need God and so we would know just how far we are from being what we need to be. Sacrifice should be painful not comfortable. If you do not do what the word of God tells you to do and you ask for forgiveness for that sin and it does not bother you for some time, then the odds are you do not feel remorse for what you did and you did not really repent of it at all. We are separated from our sins as far as the East is from the West. This is what the word tells us. I think the only way we can get that far from anything is if we run as fast and as hard as we can in the opposite direction of what we are trying to get away from. I say this because there has to be a deliberate exertion of energy on our part before Jesus will do his part. I know without Jesus we can never get away from our sins but we are instructed to act first. This is what my heart says, but I do believe this is from God because of what I find in his word. What about people who continue to do wrong and God does not do anything. 7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? 8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. 10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. 11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. 12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. 13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. 14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. 15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? 16 Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me. Job 21:7-16 (KJV) 

The wicked will prosper outside of the will of God, but God’s people will not. Are you God’s people?

41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper. 42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you. 44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah. Num 14:41-45 (KJV)

 There is no success outside of God’s will for God’s people. When we are God’s people he will stop us from continuing in sin. He will let us destroy ourselves also. The reason God will not do anything to the wicked is because he does not care about them. Kind of like when we go to the store and we see children acting completely disobedient, and we do nothing because they are not our children. 24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Ezek 18:23-24 (KJV) 

This is the righteous people not the unrighteous. This is God’s word and his character. Think hard about this. All unrighteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: I know this is the Old Testament and some times we come across people who will say they are New Testament Christians. When we put the whole thing together we can see God’s character and his will in the Old Testament, we can see his mercy and grace and instructions on how we should live in the New Testament, and then we will see his character and his punishment again in Revelations. We must pay attention to what God demands of us. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins Heb 10:26 (KJV) This is the New Testament. 10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. Rev 16:10-11 (KJV)

 They blasphemed God because of their pain that was caused by their sins, all this happened and they still repented not of their deeds. We have to repent. We must turn from our disobedience now. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Rev 2:4-5 (KJV)

 This is Jesus talking to the church at Ephesus. This was a mighty church that started most of the other churches in Revelations. Read this carefully and understand what Jesus is saying.

31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. 32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. Prov 15:31-32 (KJV) We must not refuse instruction or close our ears to reproof.

18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 1 Tim 1:18-19 (KJV) 

Holding faith and a good conscience, if we do not keep a good conscience about our actions we might also be made a shipwreck. Our conscience tells us what to do and not to do and I believe this is how the Holy Spirit directs us. We can and usually override this direction with our own fleshly wisdom. 14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.2 Thess 3:14-15 (KJV) 

We are not to associate with people who refuse to obey and follow the word of God. We should ignore them so they will be ashamed. They must know also why we are ignoring them. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Romans 8:23-25 (KJV)

 I put this scripture here because I believe the reason many Christians stray is because they lose hope or they believe they already have their complete salvation and there is nothing left. I do not see where we can obtain and maintain absolute salvation without working at it every day. This is why God gave the orders about the manna and why Jesus told us how to pray by saying, Give us this day our daily bread. We must be aware that obtaining our place with the Father should be our desire every minute of every day. Not just when we have time.