Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries |
Nehemiah. Part 20.
Friday, January 20, 2012
A phrase was coined in honor of this man’s work, spoken by people who would settle for nothing less than
“the real McCoy.”
Nehemiah was a real McCoy – a genuine, authentic follower of God.
We are allowed to observe, not only the strengths of Nehemiah, but also his weaknesses. We are able to watch him when he is fearless and courageous, and also when he is weak and afraid.
“Queen” – Hebrew noun shegal = a close intimate friend, a close contact, a partner and one the king consults with.
Because Nehemiah was doing a great job. He was not the type of individual who would make a decision or a commitment and then take on another one without fulfilling the original one.
ECC 5:4-5, When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for {He takes} no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
PRO 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your plans will be established.
“Commit yourself”
“Commit your ways”
“Commit your works”
NUM 30:2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
If you have or if you do, it begins with you making the vow or commitment privately to God and then, if so required, to God’s people.
DEU 23:21-23, When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God, what you have promised.
ECC 5:4-5, When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
We are living in a very troublesome time in which there are alleged authorities who feel that it is their calling to relieve us from any guilt… whatsoever.
We call it another word, we call it conviction, but it is there nevertheless.
Conviction is the process of being rebuked by one’s own conscience because of God’s demands.
JOH 16:8 “And He [Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment”
1TH 1:5 “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction”
Be careful about relieving all commitments so that you can be “free!”
These people are usually the type who are in bondage to their liberty.
GAL 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
1PE 2:16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
ROM 3:19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become guilty before God;
Once an individual believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, guilt and condemnation are no longer an issue, and have no place in the Christian way of life, JOH 3:18.
JOH 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Many believers have a difficult time learning the difference between condemnation and conviction.
We need to learn to identify the difference between true guilt (i.e. conviction by Holy Spirit), and false guilt (i.e. condemnation by Satanic accusation).
True guilt or conviction will always free us and produce rest, whereas false guilt will divide us from the Lord and make us feel condemned and without hope.
Conviction is simply the act of convincing a person of his error, and preparing him to admit the truth about his condition.
Once the believer receives this conviction and he names and cites his sins; then he is free from any condemnation that would follow.
This does not mean that he or she should not keep the vows and commitments that they’ve made to the Lord or His people.
True guilt from above is really conviction, and will always produce freedom and never condemnation –
JOH 8:32 “and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
Satan’s policy is to place us on a guilt trip so that when Godly conviction comes into play the believer will be confused as to which is conviction (legitimate guilt) and which is condemnation (illegitimate guilt).
Bible doctrine in a believer’s soul will give the believer the ability to spiritually discern when God is correcting, and when Satan is accusing.
True guilt or Holy Spirit conviction will always produce freedom and liberty.
False guilt will produce legalism, religion, manipulation, and condemnation.
Ultimately the Lord desires restoration not destruction.
The only guilt the believer should ever experience is the conviction that comes from God the Holy Spirit.
True guilt or conviction will always free us and produce rest, whereas false guilt will divide us from the Lord and make us feel condemned and without hope.
ECC 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for {He takes} no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!
ECC 5:5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
ECC 5:6 Do not let your speech cause you to sin [in context, by not paying what you’ve vowed] and do not say in the presence of the messenger {of God} that it [the vow that you made that he knows about] it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?