Part 9: Faith in Jesus, or is it Faith in Something else?

Dan A. Rodriguez Articles, Books, and Podcasts

Faith in Christ Jesus must have a foundation of righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come. (Acts 24:24,25). We are to test ourselves to see whether we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). In this podcast we look closer at self-control.

Self-control means “self restraint- temperance- control of ones passions, desires, and sexual impulses.” It does not mean control of others. It means to control your self and your body. We are to take authority over our words and thoughts. We are to demand obedience out of ourselves according to God’s word, commandments, and requirements.

“A man has needs” and “a woman has needs” many say. People that say that mean that sexual union outside of marriage in necessary to quell those “needs.” That is a big fat lie! Paul taught that the body is not for sexual immorality (fornication) but for the Lord… so flee sexual immorality” (fornication) (1Cor. 6:13, 18 NASB). Only in marriage can a man and a woman have the spiritual and physical right to satisfy each other sexually. See 1 Corinthians 7:1-9. God blesses sex in marriage. Outside of marriage, it is cursed!

Sexual immorality includes all illicit forms of sex such as: adultery (sexual union with someone other than your spouse), fornication (sexual union between a man and a woman outside of marriage), homosexuality (includes bisexuals), lesbianism (includes all woman that want to act like men), men that are effeminate (includes all transgender), bestiality (sexual union between a human and an animal), and incest.

“Oh, I just couldn’t help it. He or she looked so good that I just had to do it.” Lies, lies, lies! People have actually used this excuse when they come for counseling. No, you did not have to do it. Self-control was needed! You didn’t submit to God, and you did not resist the devil! (James 4:7) Instead of controlling yourself, you yielded to the un-renewed mind, conformity to the world, and the old man. You yielded to works of the flesh (Galatians 5:17-21). Nobody made you do anything. You did it! The devil may have tempted you, but who said you has to obey him? No, we resist him and cast him out. We reject his temptation to sin sexually or in any other area that violates God’s Word.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate (self-controlled)in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified(Greek: adokimos)(1Cor. 9:24-27 NASB).

We discipline our body and we demand it to be in subjection to God and His Word so that we are not disqualified (adokimos). Adokimosis the same word translated “fail the test” or “disqualified” in 2 Corinthians 13:5.

I only refer to this in passing, but another area people need self control is with overeating or anything else that controls you. It could be worry and anxiety. It could be alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal drugs. It could be pornography. It could be masturbation. It could be the shopping channel! It could be any number of things in control of a human being! See Luke 21:34; 1 John 2:16, 17.

Is Jesus your Lord? Have you yielded control of your life to Him? (Romans 10:9) If we have, nothing else of this evil world should control us! If something ungodly is controlling us on some level then true repentance, which includes acknowledging sin and confession of sin, is needed. (See Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:7-10, 2:1.) Other important parts are becoming accountable to spiritual leaders at your church, changing your contributing environment, and getting rid of enabling people.

May you be richly blessed with the podcast! See the bottom of the page for PART 9 of this series.

From the Back Cover:

A Call to Return—Restoring the Roots of Our Relationship with Jesus explores the depths of the Scriptures to excavate, refine, and lift up its words of power, revealing deep truths that will radically change the lives of believers. By tapping into this rich vein of biblical insight, Dan Alan Rodriguez offers Christians the insights to enable them to set out upon paths of discipleship that follow Jesus closely and that lead to profound experiences of His presence and power.

Drawing upon the author’s study of first-century Judaism and Christianity and resting upon a diverse array of sources steeped in the foundational texts of these traditions, the twelve chapters of A Call to Return address a series of interlocking topics: a prophetic call to return; the revival of lawlessness; the revival, purpose, and preexistence of God’s commandments; the church’s commandments and their connections to faith, grace, and good works; the association of works of the law to Jewish tradition and ceremony; holiness; the fear of the Lord; each believer as a temple of the holy; and the meaning of loving the Lord Jesus.

If you have a sense that Jesus’s message and ministry are calling you to embark upon a walk with Him that might take you away from all in Christianity that requires no accountability or responsibility before God, then A Call to Return—Restoring the Roots of Our Relationship with Jesus is the right book for you to read. It will give you the keys for understanding and responding to the Lord’s call to return to Him and to follow where He leads.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:29 NASB).

The PDF of the entire book is free of charge! Use this link to go to the page and download it. Be mightily blessed

Unavailable until revision is complete.

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Faith that Receives the Grace of God is so important for you and me right now! There is an abundance of strange teaching in the area of grace. Grace has become for many a proposition "sin all you want without accountability", and a "do-nothing to receive from God." Grace for many is a rejection of Biblical moral commandments, and for others it is a denial of the words of Jesus. Grace, when it is in its right place Scripturally, is beautiful, abundant, and powerful, but it can be misused and misapplied. Unfortunately, grace is often taught wrongly. Instead of amazing grace, it has become gross, devilish, pseudo “grease” and not the Blood-bought-grace taught in the New Testament! This book was written so the Biblical perspective on faith and grace could be clearly presented by using verses in their context and according to the intent of the writers of the New Testament. If you have questions in this area, this free 266-page book is for you. Unavailable until revision is complete.

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Tres Días y Tres Noches en el Corazón de la Tierra debe ser una parte necesaria en la vida de todo Cristiano. El libro enseña específicamente acerca del sacrificio de Jesús. Esto incluye la cruz, resurrección, y especialmente lo que tomó lugar durante las horas en que el espíritu de Jesús dejó Su cuerpo, y cuando su cuerpo fue resucitado de entre los muertos. El mundo tiene sus héroes, pero lo que Jesús hizo por nosotros lo hace el Supremo y Máximo Héroe y Conquistador de todo el universo. La derrota de Satanás, y la potestad dada a la iglesia en el Nombre de Jesucristo, fueron actos sin igual en la eternidad. No te pierdas este libro GRATIS. Ninguna película ha mostrado el verdadero sufrimiento del Maestro en el Calvario y en el centro de la tierra. Prepárate para una aventura gloriosa. Unavailable until revision is complete.

Documento portátil (PDF) es completamente gratis. Unavailable until revision is complete.