There are two statements that are heard in heaven and hell, in hell they will be spoken throughout eternity, for those in the Kingdom of the Most High God they will be heard until all tears are wiped away.
“I wish I would have,” and “I wish I wouldn’t have.”
“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matt. 5:37)
To be sure that your yes means yes and your no means no infers forethought of action, as well as consideration of all available information concerning the current situation, and those responses are not only towards those we are in conversation with, but within our own minds as well.
To be either conformed to the world or transformed in our minds against the way of it and towards the will of God is a direct action of our free will.
We do what we have purposed to do, have calculated and counted the cost, our decision to not do will not be modified, no matter the circumstances or the possible consequences to ourselves. We are to be as sure as possible, in faith, that what the Lord is telling us is His will in our lives is indeed His will, and then do as Isaiah 50:7 states.
“For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
Over the centuries, and even more so today, we are witnessing what could be called the “wishy-washy” Christian, one whose yes was said in the current circumstance, but has been modified as those conditions were altered. Do God-fearing men and women sit in the pews of churches where the rainbow flag is flown and those who follow it are allowed to sit with the congregation? Do men who fear God remain in assemblies where known spots and blemishes are allowed to mingle within those assemblies? How should we speak of those in the eight percent of churches who refused to lock the church doors, who refused to wear the mask or roll up their sleeves, compared to how we speak of those in the ninety-two percent whose yes did not mean yes?
“Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, unless there is personal danger, or any possibility of temporary suffering upon those you meet with.”
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
And so, our yes always means yes and our no will never be modified to say maybe, or perhaps, or “We’ll have to see how it goes.”
The convictions we are to stand upon as those who are hid in Christ are never to be modified or altered.
“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1st Peter 2:12)
Just recently my lovely wife heard on a YouTube channel that receives many thousands of views each week an unrepentant man, wise in the ways of the world, make a passing joke about how many could run to the churches in times of dire need, if the doors are not locked.
Millions did not mean what they said, millions did not count the cost when they said yes. Apparently, and I see no possibility for contradiction in these words, they thought yes and no were interchangeable, they thought the Lord Jesus Christ told them to go run and hide.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1st John 4:18)
But only if your yes means yes and your no means no.
I will not calculate the truth of the following words, but they are worthy of contemplation. Is only eight percent of the population truly born-again? Are ninety-two percent of them only professing Him with their lips?
I know this truth, ninety-two percent of them want that eight percent to just forget those days ever happened.
