Spiritual\nProstitutes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lord calls Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, the\nGreat Whore. (Rev.17) The mystery of Babylon is that her citizens do\nnot see her or themselves as spiritual prostitutes. Spiritual prostitution is\ncommitted anytime and every time anyone tries to pay God for His favors. The\nglorious person and accomplished work of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is our\nonly and full ground of acceptance before God. Anything else offered to barter\nGod\u2019s approval, whether it be in hand or heart, is of that great whore Babylon.\nIf we attempt to approach God with our good works or our good intentions we are\ncommitting spiritual prostitution and proving ourselves to be the offspring of\nthe Mother of Harlots. Add anything to Christ, ANYTHING, and you are on a\nfutile mission to allure Him into the fornicating land of Babylon. He will not\ngo there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coming to Christ with nothing but our sin, leaving all our righteousness\nbehind requires a miracle of grace in regeneration. It remains a mystery to the\nnatural man. Someone might say; \u2018but my sin is too great\u2019. This too is nothing\nbut Babylonian self-righteousness veiled in false humility. Would you be more\nfit for salvation had you not committed such a grievous offense? No, my friend,\nyou would not. Another may think; \u2018I don\u2019t know if I am committed enough\u2019.\nAgain, spiritual prostitution. You will never win God\u2019s favor by the depth of\nyour commitment. Come to Christ just like you are. Come with all your\nhypocrisies, all your shallow insincerities, and all the ugliness of your sin.\nIt\u2019s all you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our commitment will deepen, our love will grow, and our faith will mature\nonly as we see that these things have absolutely nothing to do with our\nacceptance before God. Our acceptance is found only in the Beloved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t be seduced by the harlot of Babylon. She is the \u2018strange woman\u2019 of\nProverbs 5. She is full of deceit. \u201cRemove thy way far from her and come not\nnigh the door of her house. Her end is bitter as wormwood\u201d. In contrast to this\ngreat whore is the chaste bride of Christ, a virgin. May God be pleased to show\nus and make us to differ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Astonished, bewildered, and overpowered!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Octavius Winslow, “From Grace to Glory”\n1864)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The unregenerate man does not worship the God of\nthe Bible. Worshiping a god of his own imagination, he rears his altar to\n“THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Divesting the God of Scripture of His divine\nperfections . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His holiness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His justice,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His truth,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His power<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His wrath \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
he completely undeifies Him, robbing Him of His\nglory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But when he is born again, lo! the God of the Bible\nbursts upon his new-found vision and his wondering gaze, as a ‘newly revealed\nGod’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clothed with new attributes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
arrayed with new perfections,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
bathed with new glory,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
standing in a new relation \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the new creature falls down at His feet in adoring\nadmiration and love, exclaiming, “I have heard of You by the hearing of\nthe ear; but now my eye sees You! Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust\nand ashes!” Never did . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the being of God, appear so true,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the perfections of God, appear so glorious,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the character of God, appear so great,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the government of God, appear so holy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the relation of God, appear so endearing \u2014 as now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born into a new world, the GOD of the new creation\nunveils to the eye as infinitely, ineffably lovely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like a being born and grown up in a dark mine, and\nbrought to the earth’s surface to gaze upon the sun in its noontide effulgence\n\u2014 the new created soul is astonished, bewildered, and overpowered by the\nsplendor, glory, and greatness of the being, character, and perfections of\nJehovah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The god of modern religion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
by Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The Lord does whatever pleases him <\/p>\n\n\n\n
throughout all heaven and earth,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and on the seas and in their depths.” Psalm\n135:6<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The very foundation of our confidence<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and faith in our God is his sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Were he not sovereign, absolutely, universally<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sovereign, we could not trust him implicitly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
believe his promises, or depend upon him to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
fulfill his Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only an absolute sovereign can be trusted absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can and should trust our God implicitly because<\/p>\n\n\n\n
he is sovereign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing is more delightful to the hearts of God\u2019s\nchildren<\/p>\n\n\n\n
than the fact of his great and glorious\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most<\/p>\n\n\n\n
severe troubles, and when enduring the most heavy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
trials, we rejoice to know that our God has\nsovereignly<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ordained our afflictions, that he sovereignly\noverrules<\/p>\n\n\n\n
them, and that he sovereignly sanctifies them to\nour<\/p>\n\n\n\n
good and his own glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The God of the Bible is utterly unknown in this\nreligious<\/p>\n\n\n\n
generation. A God who is not sovereign is as much a<\/p>\n\n\n\n
contradiction as a God who is not holy, eternal,\nand<\/p>\n\n\n\n
immutable. A God who is not sovereign is no God at\nall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the god you worship is not totally sovereign,\nyou are<\/p>\n\n\n\n
a pagan, and your religion is idolatry. You would\nbe just<\/p>\n\n\n\n
as well off worshipping a statue of Mary, a totem\npole,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
a spider, or the devil himself as to worship a god\nwho<\/p>\n\n\n\n
lacks total sovereignty over all things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The god of this generation no more resembles the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sovereign Lord of heaven and earth than a\nflickering<\/p>\n\n\n\n
candle resembles the noon-day sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The god of modern religion is nothing but an idol,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the invention of men, a figment of man’s\nimagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pagans in the dark ages used to carve their gods\nout<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of wood and stone and overlay them with silver and\ngold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, in these much darker days, pagans inside the\nchurch<\/p>\n\n\n\n
carve their god out of their own depraved\nimaginations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In reality, the religionists of our day are\natheists, for there<\/p>\n\n\n\n
is no possible alternative between a God who is\nabsolutely<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sovereign and no God at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A god whose will can be resisted,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
whose purpose can be frustrated,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
whose power can be thwarted,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
whose grace can be nullified,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
whose work can be overturned,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
has no title to Deity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such a god is not a fit object of worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such a puny, pigmy god merits nothing but contempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I say that God is sovereign, I<\/p>\n\n\n\n
am simply declaring that God is God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the most High, Lord of heaven<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and earth, overall, blessed forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is subject to none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is influenced by none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God is absolutely independent of, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sovereign over, all his creatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He does as he pleases,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
only as he pleases,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and always as he pleases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
None can thwart him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
None can resist him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
None can change him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
None can stop him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
None can hinder him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He declares, “Everything I plan will come to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
pass, for I do whatever I wish.” Isaiah 46:10<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as\nnothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back<\/p>\n\n\n\n
his hand or say to him: “What have you\ndone?” Daniel 4:35<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Divine sovereignty means that God sits upon the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
throne of universal dominion, directing all things,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ruling all things, and “working all things\nafter the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
counsel of his own will” (Ephes. 1:11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God\u2019s sovereignty is irrefutably revealed in<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the eternal predestination of all things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God chose certain men and women in eternity to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
be the objects of his saving grace and\npredestinated<\/p>\n\n\n\n
those elect ones to be conformed to the image of\nhis<\/p>\n\n\n\n
dear Son (Rom. 8:28-29). Before the world began God<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sovereignly determined that he would save some, who<\/p>\n\n\n\n
they would be, and when he would save them. Having<\/p>\n\n\n\n
determined these things, our great God infallibly\nsecured<\/p>\n\n\n\n
his eternal purpose of grace by sovereign predestination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eternal election marked the house into which God\u2019s<\/p>\n\n\n\n
saving grace must come. Eternal predestination\nmarked<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the path upon which grace must come. And sovereign<\/p>\n\n\n\n
providence led grace down the path to the house at<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the appointed time of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God’s indisputable sovereignty is conspicuously\nrevealed<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in the salvation of sinners by his almighty grace\n(Rom. 9:8-24).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God chose to save some, but not all. He gave Christ\nto die for<\/p>\n\n\n\n
some, but not all. He sends his gospel to some, but\nnot all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He gives his Spirit to some, but not all. He causes\nsome to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
hear his voice, but not all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He planned it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He purchased it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He performs it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He preserves it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He perfects it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shall have all the praise for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever\npleases him.” Psalm 115:3<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us, therefore–<\/p>\n\n\n\n
believe him confidently,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
walk with him in peace,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
submit to him cheerfully,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
serve him faithfully,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and honor him supremely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A fictitious god?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Winslow’s, “The Enmity of the Carnal\nMind”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The carnal mind is enmity against God.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romans 8:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How completely this declaration sweeps away<\/p>\n\n\n\n
all the fancied reverence and admiration for God<\/p>\n\n\n\n
which floats before the imagination of the carnal<\/p>\n\n\n\n
mind in its profound slumber! The carnal mind may<\/p>\n\n\n\n
own its belief in the existence of a god. But what<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God? Plainly not the God of the Bible; but a deity<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of its imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The god of whom he has thus been dreaming, is not<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the God of Scripture, but the god of his own\ncreation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is not the holy God whom the Bible makes known;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of whom Jesus is the living and visible embodiment;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
but an imaginary being clothed with attributes, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
administering a government harmonizing with the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
corrupt tastes and sinful propensities of his\ncarnal mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Away with your religion of nature, of sentiment, of\npoetry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The god whom you profess to adore and worship is\nnot<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the God manifested in Christ, whose justice and\nholiness,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
whose wisdom and truth, are blended and harmonized<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with grace and love in the cross of Calvary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Anyone who hates Me hates My Father as\nwell.” John 15:23<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of what value is your fancied admiration of God’s<\/p>\n\n\n\n
character, while yet hating, despising, and\nrejecting<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the Son, who is the “radiance of God’s glory\nand<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the exact representation of His being”?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your heart is a stranger to holiness, and your mind<\/p>\n\n\n\n
to peace, while prostrate before a deity of your\nown<\/p>\n\n\n\n
imagination; a fictitious god!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is nothing in your creed; nothing in your\nvague,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
shadowy, unreal conception of deity, to fix your\nthoughts,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
to soothe your spirit, to allay your fears, to\nawaken your<\/p>\n\n\n\n
affections, and to inspire your hope. Your altar is\nreared,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and your incense is offered, but it is to the\n“unknown god.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus Christ is completely sufficient!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(author unknown)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the\nGodhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all\nprincipality and power!” Colossians 2:9-10<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the great tenets of Scripture, is the claim\nthat Jesus Christ is completely sufficient for all matters of life and\ngodliness (2 Peter 1:3-4)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is sufficient for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
creation (Colossians 1:16-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
salvation (Hebrews 10:10-12)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sanctification (Ephesians 5:26-27)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and glorification (Romans 8:30).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So pure is He, that there is no blemish, stain,\nspot of sin, defilement, deception, corruption, error, or imperfection in Him!\n(1 Peter 1:18-20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So complete is He, that . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
there is no other God besides Him (Isaiah 45:5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the only begotten Son (John 1:14, John 1:18)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in\nHim (Colossians 2:3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him\n(Colossians 2:9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He created all things\u2014and all things were made<\/p>\n\n\n\n
by Him, through Him, and for Him (Colossians 1:16)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He upholds all things by the word of His power\n(Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the firstborn of all creation (Colossians\n1:15)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the exact representation of God (Hebrews\n1:3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has no beginning and no end (Revelation 1:17-18)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is our peace (Ephesians 2:14)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is our hope (1 Timothy 1:1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is our life (Colossians 3:4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the living and true Way (John 14:6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright\nand Morning Star (Revelation 22:16)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews\n12:1-2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is Captain of our Salvation (Hebrews 2:10)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Elect One (Isaiah 42:1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Apostle and High-Priest of our confession\n(Hebrews 3:1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Righteous Servant (Isaiah 53:11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Redeemer (Isaiah 41:14)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 54:5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the God of the whole earth (Isaiah 54:5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Light of the world (John 9:5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Son of Man (Matthew 20:28)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the true Vine (John 15:5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Bread of Life (John 6:48)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Door to Heaven (John 10:7)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Sovereign Lord (Philippians 2:10-13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is Prophet, Priest and King (Hebrews 1:1-3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah\n9:6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Rock of Salvation (Psalm 62:2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Counselor and Comforter (John 14:26)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the Messiah (John 4:25-26) and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is the great I AM! (John 8:58)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Spiritual Prostitutes The Lord calls Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, the Great Whore. (Rev.17) The mystery of Babylon is that her citizens do not see her or themselves as spiritual prostitutes. Spiritual prostitution is committed anytime and every time anyone tries to pay God for His favors. The glorious person and accomplished work […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5421"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5422,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5421\/revisions\/5422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}