This weeks lesson is a good one. It is one that a lot of people have questions about. It's the kind of topic that I'm personally am not attracted to, but it is important none the less.
It's about the three kingdoms of glory.
🌞
1. Celestial - The highest kingdom, where you will find those who truly believe in and follow Christ. They will dwell with our heavenly father and Christ.
D&C 76:56-57 "They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fullness, and of his glory; And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son."
🌙
2. Terrestrial - The middle kingdom. Some say this is where you find good people who do good things, but don't accept Christ and his atonement. They will receive the presence of Christ, but not of the father in heaven.
D&C 76:75 " These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men."
⭐
3. Telestial - This is basically hell, but not they way hell is described in earthly literature. There is no fire nor eternal torment. It is a good place, better than where we are now, but not the best place. I guess these are people who don't follow Christ nor do good. They will be visited only by the Holy Ghost.
D&C 76: 89 "And thus we saw, in the heavenly vision, the glory of the telestial, which surpasses all understanding;"
Though all kingdoms seem nice, we definitely want to have eternity in the celestial kingdom. It is the most wonderful and glorious.
It isn't so complicated to get there.
D&C 78:7 reads, "For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you." So though it is not complicated it isn't easy either. We must be obedient to all of God's commandments. Those by his mouth and by the mouth of his servants, the prophets.
D&C 132:23 "But if ye receive me in the world, them shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also."
I know that the only way to an eternally happy life is to return to our father in heaven's presence. In order for us to accomplish this, he sent his only begotten son to die for us. He paid for our sins so that we may be made clean again. I know that as we accept his love and generous gift, we are made whole, and that only through him can we repent and be perfected.
<3
Erin
Showing posts with label Sunday school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunday school. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Monday, February 22, 2016
Lesson 9: My Soul Deligheth in the Words of Isaiah
When I saw what would be this week's lesson in Sunday school, I was tempted to skip it!
They ask us to study the lesson ahead of time each week, but no one ever does.
I just so happened to remember this week and it just so happens to be on Isaiah.
Elder Boyd K Packer said this about reading the Book of Mormon,
"Then, just as you settle in to move comfortably along, you will meet a barrier. The style of the language changes to Old Testament prophecy style. For, interspersed in the narrative, are chapters reciting the prophecies of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. They loom as a barrier, like a roadblock or a checkpoint beyond which the casual reader, one with idle curiosity, generally will not go. You, too, may be tempted to stop there, but do not do it! Do not stop reading! Move forward through those difficult-to-understand chapters of Old Testament prophecy, even if you understand very little of it."
So let's do it!
This week's lesson is in 2 Nephi chapters 11-25.
Here are some of my favorite verses from this week's reading
"And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words..." 2 Nephi 11: 2
"Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him." 2 Nephi 11:4
"For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time." 2 Nephi 11:7
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it." 2 Nephi 12:2
"O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, everyone to his wicked ways." 2 Nephi 12:5
"O ye wicked ones, enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for the fear of the Lord and the glory of his majesty shall smite thee." 2 Nephi 12:10
"And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." 2 Nephi 12:17
"And I will give children unto them to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them." 2 Nephi 13:4
"For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory." 2 Nephi 13:8
"Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet--" 2 Nephi 13:16
"And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain." 2 Nephi 14:6
"Therefore, my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.' 2 Nephi 15:13
"Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" 2 Nephi 15:20
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me." 2 Nephi 16:8
"Then said I: Lord, how long? And he said; Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate;" 2 Nephi 16:11
"Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign--Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." 2 Nephi 17:14
"And when they shall say unto you: Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter--should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead? To the law and to the testimony; and if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them," 2 Nephi 18:19-20
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 2 Nephi 19:6
"For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return; the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness." 2 Nephi 20:22
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." 2 Nephi 21:9
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and song; he also has become my salvation." 2 Nephi 22:2
"Therefore shall all hands be faint, every man's heart shall melt;" 2 Nephi 23:7
"And it shall come to pass in that day the the Lord shall give thee rest, from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve." 2 Nephi 24:3
"How are thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!" 2 Nephi 24:12
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." 2 Nephi 25:23
"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ ,we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 25:26
"And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out." 2 Nephi 25:29
Overall Isaiah's prophecies are about Christ, our savior and redeemer. That is why, though they may be difficult to understand, they are so very important.
I know that Christ is our savior. He came to this earth and suffered our sins. He died and resurrected that we may live again. He is alive and will come again. Let us all prepare.
Thanks for studying with me. I hope to see you next time.
With love,
Erin
They ask us to study the lesson ahead of time each week, but no one ever does.
I just so happened to remember this week and it just so happens to be on Isaiah.
Elder Boyd K Packer said this about reading the Book of Mormon,
"Then, just as you settle in to move comfortably along, you will meet a barrier. The style of the language changes to Old Testament prophecy style. For, interspersed in the narrative, are chapters reciting the prophecies of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. They loom as a barrier, like a roadblock or a checkpoint beyond which the casual reader, one with idle curiosity, generally will not go. You, too, may be tempted to stop there, but do not do it! Do not stop reading! Move forward through those difficult-to-understand chapters of Old Testament prophecy, even if you understand very little of it."
So let's do it!
This week's lesson is in 2 Nephi chapters 11-25.
Here are some of my favorite verses from this week's reading
"And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words..." 2 Nephi 11: 2
"Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him." 2 Nephi 11:4
"For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time." 2 Nephi 11:7
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it." 2 Nephi 12:2
"O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, everyone to his wicked ways." 2 Nephi 12:5
"O ye wicked ones, enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for the fear of the Lord and the glory of his majesty shall smite thee." 2 Nephi 12:10
"And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." 2 Nephi 12:17
"And I will give children unto them to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them." 2 Nephi 13:4
"For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory." 2 Nephi 13:8
"Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet--" 2 Nephi 13:16
"And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain." 2 Nephi 14:6
"Therefore, my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.' 2 Nephi 15:13
"Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" 2 Nephi 15:20
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me." 2 Nephi 16:8
"Then said I: Lord, how long? And he said; Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate;" 2 Nephi 16:11
"Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign--Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." 2 Nephi 17:14
"And when they shall say unto you: Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter--should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead? To the law and to the testimony; and if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them," 2 Nephi 18:19-20
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 2 Nephi 19:6
"For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return; the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness." 2 Nephi 20:22
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." 2 Nephi 21:9
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and song; he also has become my salvation." 2 Nephi 22:2
"Therefore shall all hands be faint, every man's heart shall melt;" 2 Nephi 23:7
"And it shall come to pass in that day the the Lord shall give thee rest, from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve." 2 Nephi 24:3
"How are thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!" 2 Nephi 24:12
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." 2 Nephi 25:23
"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ ,we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 25:26
"And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out." 2 Nephi 25:29
Overall Isaiah's prophecies are about Christ, our savior and redeemer. That is why, though they may be difficult to understand, they are so very important.
I know that Christ is our savior. He came to this earth and suffered our sins. He died and resurrected that we may live again. He is alive and will come again. Let us all prepare.
Thanks for studying with me. I hope to see you next time.
With love,
Erin
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Lesson 42 "Pure Religion" James
For today's post read I prepared for this weeks sunday school class. I read James and wanted to post some scriptures that stuck out to me.
1:5-6 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
1:8 “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
1:12 blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when
he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised
to them that love him.
1:19 “wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift
to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
1:22-24 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer,
he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he
was.””
1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father
is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world.”
2:5 “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the
poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath
promised to them that love him?”
2:17-18 “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being
alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou
hast faith , and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will
shew thee my faith by me works.”
2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith
without works is dead also.”
3:2-5 “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend
not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle to whole body.
Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey is; and we turn
about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great,
and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small
helm, whithersoever the governor listesth. Even so the tongue is a little
member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire
kindleth!”
3:8 “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil,
full of deadly poison.”
3:10 Out of the same mouth preceedeth blessing and cursing.
My brethren, these things ought not so to be. “
3:17-18 “But the wisdom that is from above id first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he
shall lift you up”
4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For
what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and
then vanisheth away.
4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it
not, to him it is sin.”
5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.”
5:20 “Let him know, that he which conveteth the sinner from
the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude
of sins.”
Friday, October 30, 2015
Chapter 41 "I have finished my course"
Today I am studying the next chapter in sunday school. My ward will be discussing chapter 41 this week.
It is an interesting title. I was curious to see what these chapters would be about. I decided to get a head start by listening to the chapters on my phone while taking a shower.
Tip: I am a slow reader and impatient. Listening to suggested chapters is a good way to start to get in the mood to study. From there I pick certain chapters or verses that caught my attention and go into them more deeply. You can listen to chapters of scriptures as well other resources in English as well as many other languages through the church's Gospel Library app. It's Free!
This week is 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus.
In these chapters I noticed a lot of talk about the world and about sin.
1 Timothy 4 talks about "latter times" or basically life at present day. In the chapter Paul tells of how men will be seduced by "spirits and doctrines of the devil". Then he reminds the reader that people are good at heart if they will follow Christ. If they will follow christ they can know all things. Godliness is goodness.
Paul asks Timothy to work and teach, he says "neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of hands of the presbytery." in verse 14. He is talking about the priesthood here, a power and gift from god, authority to act in his name. The priesthood is really a tremendous gift. It gives me hope and comfort. I feel safe to know that the Church is lead by those who are called by God and given permission to act in his name. I can trust in leaders if they are men of God. If I know that God has sent them into my life to guide me.
Sometimes it can be hard to choose God in Today's world. Paul asks us not to waste our youth. "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Tim 4:12) I remember being young and having to choose to be faithful when many were making worldly choices. For me it was relatively easy because I had been raised in the gospel of Jesus Christ by a loving family. For many it is more difficult. We don't naturally want to be different. We don't want to be made fun of. But it is much easier is we do not despise it. I never regretted choosing good. I never hated being pure. We are often naturally curious to know what it is like on the other side of our choices. We wonder "what if". It is better to wonder "what if" than to think "I wish I hadn't".
In 2 Timothy 3, Paul speaks more of latter day men. He tells of their egotistical nature and unrighteous choices. In Verse 7 he says, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." The study guide asks what this means and how we can be sure our learning brings us to truth. This scripture reminded me of a quote I love by T.S. Elliot "Where is the life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?" In society today I have noticed that a lot of people work for the wrong reasons. Many work to gain money or stature. Many study to appear civilized or intelligent. Men desire to deceive and work to compete. Many hearts are cold and selfish. They work for their own cause. They work to be better, not better than they were yesterday but better than everyone else. I have been guilty of this.
I dropped out of school because I couldn't pick a major. I was wasting time and money. I also had a boyfriend far away that I wanted to visit, so I needed to work up money to buy a plane ticket. Today, I still consider my education half done. Sometimes I want to study because I like to study. Often times I want to go back to school for my own sense of self worth. I feel like I am less than so many others. I feel like I need to go back and "make something of myself". I need to get a bachelors and then a masters and then cure some kind of worldwide trauma or invent something or make an incredible discovery. I need to accomplish more to keep up with so many who have accomplished so much. It is good to be learned and it is good to make a positive difference, but it must be for the right reasons. As I stress about where I am in my life right now and all the things I haven't done, I am missing out on opportunities. There are ways all around me to apply what I have already learned. If I do not use or share the information I already know I have not knowledge. And if I do not act upon the knowledge I have already received I am not wise. If I run around stressed and working to accomplish something to build myself up, I am not living. I have seen teachers before who know a lot of things but make bad choices. I have seen smart and talented students lose scholarships or athletic opportunities because they chose to drink and drive or use illegal drugs.
Some people "are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." That truth is that Jesus Christ is our savior and through him we can be saved. Baptism in his name by those who are in authority is the gateway to purity.
As children of God we must seek purity. He needs us to be pure in order for us to return to his presence. Paul speaks to his son Titus about purity in Titus 1:15-16 "Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
The truth is that we are made pure through the blood of Christ. Sometimes we are distracted by things of this world, but the things of this world will not last. Money and fame is gone in the blink of an eye, but Christ is eternal. He paid a price we can not pay. The world does not always believe or accept his sacrifice, but he did. He is real.
2 Timothy 1:7-8
For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;"
John 8:31-32
It is an interesting title. I was curious to see what these chapters would be about. I decided to get a head start by listening to the chapters on my phone while taking a shower.
Tip: I am a slow reader and impatient. Listening to suggested chapters is a good way to start to get in the mood to study. From there I pick certain chapters or verses that caught my attention and go into them more deeply. You can listen to chapters of scriptures as well other resources in English as well as many other languages through the church's Gospel Library app. It's Free!
This week is 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus.
In these chapters I noticed a lot of talk about the world and about sin.
1 Timothy 4 talks about "latter times" or basically life at present day. In the chapter Paul tells of how men will be seduced by "spirits and doctrines of the devil". Then he reminds the reader that people are good at heart if they will follow Christ. If they will follow christ they can know all things. Godliness is goodness.
Paul asks Timothy to work and teach, he says "neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of hands of the presbytery." in verse 14. He is talking about the priesthood here, a power and gift from god, authority to act in his name. The priesthood is really a tremendous gift. It gives me hope and comfort. I feel safe to know that the Church is lead by those who are called by God and given permission to act in his name. I can trust in leaders if they are men of God. If I know that God has sent them into my life to guide me.
Sometimes it can be hard to choose God in Today's world. Paul asks us not to waste our youth. "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Tim 4:12) I remember being young and having to choose to be faithful when many were making worldly choices. For me it was relatively easy because I had been raised in the gospel of Jesus Christ by a loving family. For many it is more difficult. We don't naturally want to be different. We don't want to be made fun of. But it is much easier is we do not despise it. I never regretted choosing good. I never hated being pure. We are often naturally curious to know what it is like on the other side of our choices. We wonder "what if". It is better to wonder "what if" than to think "I wish I hadn't".
In 2 Timothy 3, Paul speaks more of latter day men. He tells of their egotistical nature and unrighteous choices. In Verse 7 he says, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." The study guide asks what this means and how we can be sure our learning brings us to truth. This scripture reminded me of a quote I love by T.S. Elliot "Where is the life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?" In society today I have noticed that a lot of people work for the wrong reasons. Many work to gain money or stature. Many study to appear civilized or intelligent. Men desire to deceive and work to compete. Many hearts are cold and selfish. They work for their own cause. They work to be better, not better than they were yesterday but better than everyone else. I have been guilty of this.
I dropped out of school because I couldn't pick a major. I was wasting time and money. I also had a boyfriend far away that I wanted to visit, so I needed to work up money to buy a plane ticket. Today, I still consider my education half done. Sometimes I want to study because I like to study. Often times I want to go back to school for my own sense of self worth. I feel like I am less than so many others. I feel like I need to go back and "make something of myself". I need to get a bachelors and then a masters and then cure some kind of worldwide trauma or invent something or make an incredible discovery. I need to accomplish more to keep up with so many who have accomplished so much. It is good to be learned and it is good to make a positive difference, but it must be for the right reasons. As I stress about where I am in my life right now and all the things I haven't done, I am missing out on opportunities. There are ways all around me to apply what I have already learned. If I do not use or share the information I already know I have not knowledge. And if I do not act upon the knowledge I have already received I am not wise. If I run around stressed and working to accomplish something to build myself up, I am not living. I have seen teachers before who know a lot of things but make bad choices. I have seen smart and talented students lose scholarships or athletic opportunities because they chose to drink and drive or use illegal drugs.
Some people "are ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." That truth is that Jesus Christ is our savior and through him we can be saved. Baptism in his name by those who are in authority is the gateway to purity.
As children of God we must seek purity. He needs us to be pure in order for us to return to his presence. Paul speaks to his son Titus about purity in Titus 1:15-16 "Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
The truth is that we are made pure through the blood of Christ. Sometimes we are distracted by things of this world, but the things of this world will not last. Money and fame is gone in the blink of an eye, but Christ is eternal. He paid a price we can not pay. The world does not always believe or accept his sacrifice, but he did. He is real.
2 Timothy 1:7-8
For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;"
John 8:31-32
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