Author Archives: pastor Pedro Montoya

Iniquity, transgression, and the Righteousness of the Kingdom. PART THREE. Reading corresponding to the module of The Doctrine of the Foundation of Dead Works.

PART THREE: RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE KINGDOM

Kingdom Righteousness is not, nor is it reduced to, a collection of doctrines by which Righteousness is established.

Although the people of Israel received the Law of Moses, and it was established to them that whoever fulfilled them would live by them,

5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Romans 10:5

However, in Moses’ teaching it was also stipulated that it was not only a matter of “fulfilling” the commandments of the Law, but of doing them for the love of God,

20 that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Deuteronomy 30:20

In the testimony of the prophets, it is also stipulated that it is the love and fear of God that determines the Righteousness of the Law,

24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Ezekiel 18:24

19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

Ezekiel 33:19

It may be the case of someone who complies, but if in his heart there is wickedness, his compliance with the Law becomes unrighteousness,

9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

Deuteronomy 15:9

The Righteousness of the Kingdom depends on the Righteousness and judgment of the attitude with which the person does all things. Therefore, in the teaching of the Gospel established by the apostle Paul, it is emphasized that the Righteousness of the Kingdom begins from the decision of the person to build a life of faith,

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:8-9

This teaching is not Paul’s own; he took it from the Law. Moses established it in his time to explain how the Righteousness of the Kingdom operates,

11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it…    16 in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

Deuteronomy 30:11-16

The Righteousness of the Kingdom consists in the conviction that a person develops about the transcendence of his acts in observance of what he knows of God, whether this is written or received as spiritual instruction.

The righteousness of the Kingdom is based on the conviction of the Will of God, from the personal commitment that each person develops in his intimate communion with God.

14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psalm 25:14

The Righteousness of the Kingdom is built upon the life of faith, through the establishment of right judgment according to the Will and Purposes of God.

5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness…    9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness…    11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

Romans 4:5-11

This makes the righteousness of the Kingdom to be founded on the life of faith of each one, as it is discovered from the conviction of Abraham in his subjection to the revelation he had received from Jehovah God.

6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 15:6

The life of faith arises from the deposit of Revelation that each one receives in his interior, by the Spirit of God, in the interaction and submission to His Will.

33 but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:33

Note how the prophet establishes the value of the personal relationship by making use of two terms that concern the individuality of personal existence. The use of the words, bowels, and, hearts, are to indicate not the life product of collectivity, but the life in oneself born of conviction and covenant with God.

This conception does not belong only to the Old Covenant according to the Law, it is presented as part of the New Covenant, cited on two consecutive occasions in the most emblematic epistle of the church.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Hebrews 8:10

16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

Hebrews 10:16

This Word belongs to a prophetic Word about the deportation of Judah to Babylon, we find it in the book of the prophet Ezekiel. It emphasizes that although the Word is addressed to an entire people, its activation depends on the individual value that each one gives to the life of faith,

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

Ezekiel 11:19

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26

Faith is by measure, as the following text reveals,

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith…   6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

Romans 12:3-6

Not everyone has the same measure of faith, and therefore, not everyone has the same level of Justice, and it is in the first place, because not everyone has the same commitment before His Will; and in the second place, because not everyone abominates in the same intensity the things that are abominable to God, and this because they do not know what God abominates.

In reading the first five books of the Bible, the books of Moses, one discovers the principle of the life of faith. It is simple. Faith, and therefore, the Righteousness of the Kingdom, is founded on the knowledge of what is sin and what is wickedness; of what is pleasing to God, and what is abominable in His sight.

How can one develop fear of God if one does not know what He abominates?

No one can claim to have faith if in his actions he is tolerant of acts of injustice. No one can grow in faith if his actions do not establish justice. The Righteousness of the Kingdom is founded upon acts carried out in the consciousness that such are done in the presence of the Almighty.

Knowing what is pleasing and displeasing in the eyes of God is important, and vital to grow in Justice. It is the didactics of the Law of Moses. Let us note that before he died, Moses read the blessings and curses to all the people.

15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 16 in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16

Even to go out to war it was necessary to have knowledge about life and good, death and evil. It is the protocol of the Kingdom upon which the development of the spiritual life rests.

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Moses commanded that once they entered the land, and possessed it, they would read to the people the blessing and curse contained in the Law,

29 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.

Deuteronomy 11:29

Joshua carried out the act as commanded by Moses,

33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

Joshua 8:33

Why the importance of this ritual of reading the blessing and curse? Simple. Because Justice is not built on ignorance. Faith is knowledge and conviction.

And here it is useful for us to establish the teaching of the apostle Paul addressed to the community of Rome,

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Romans 7:7

The apostle establishes the process of the construction of the righteousness of the Kingdom, and the formation of a life of faith: The Law-Word brings to light what is hidden in me, names it, and declares it an abomination to the Lord God. From there on, the life of faith takes charge of eradicating it from the substance of the person. Acts of Righteousness begin to emerge.

The doctrine of Christ does not set aside what was established by Moses, it reveals to me what is happening spiritually so that with conscience I can work it with greater accuracy. Once the Law has shown me the actions that are sin in me, it introduces me to Christ so that through faith in believing in Him, I may be free from the law of sin.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Galatians 3:24

Christ Jesus is symbolically present in each sacrificed animal that the priest presented in propitiation for the sinful actions that came to light.

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Peter 3:18

So again, the Righteousness of the Kingdom and the life of faith is not ignorance, but knowledge of what is in me that is displeasing to God.

The didactics of the Law uses the knowledge of what is abominable in the eyes of God, so that by identifying and naming them, they can be brought in sacrifice before the altar.

Here we have to denounce the deficiency of contemporary Gospel proclamation, which does not consider it necessary to read the Law of Moses. Its ignorance has led to the establishment of human, philosophical doctrines, which are based on moral knowledge and discard the Revelation of God. Many seminaries and centers of theological studies should consider integrating in their respective curricula the exhaustive study of the Law.

The second principle of the righteousness of the Kingdom and of the life of faith is: Establish truth.

32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32

It is not enough to know what is abominable in the sight of Jehovah God, it is necessary to establish His Truth. In the conjugation of both, knowledge of what is abominable in His sight, and the establishing of Truth, the Gospel of the Kingdom is built.

What is truth?

Unlike as presented by various modern trends, truth is not the affirmation of facts, as defined by philosophy; or the opposite of a lie, as promoted by religion; nor the antithesis of deception, as propagated by atheistic existentialism.

Truth is the establishment of God’s Revelation as to the knowledge He allows us to have. Anything that does not proceed from or to God’s Revelation is a lie and deception. We find it in the final words of Moses,

29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Deuteronomy 29:29

Note how the text ends: all the words of this law. The commandment is inclusive. It means to teach not only what is pleasing to Him, but to teach also about what is displeasing, what is abominable to Him, so that the man of God develops discernment and learns to execute the Righteousness of the Kingdom.

Truth is that which is established by God. This is faith and its development. Hence the importance of Moses’ command to Joshua to read the blessing and the curse of the Law.

Truth demands the right knowledge, the knowledge established by God. A knowledge not originating from God is a lie, and establishes deception, and must be discarded. God’s truth is truth even if the facts indicate or pretend to establish the contrary.

The life of faith is the result of living according to the righteousness of the Kingdom. The righteousness of the Kingdom is based on knowledge of God’s truth.

Truth demands that naivety and ignorance be annulled. It is appropriate to point out the words of the book of Ezra,

10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

Ezra 7:10

Restoration, even, is the result of a life of faith that discards naivety and ignorance as a way of life,

13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.

Nehemiah 8:13

Truth is the foundation of the Gospel of the Kingdom,

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Ephesians 4:25

The revelation of God, and the openness of the congregation to it, depends on the degree of truth that the community develops,

26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

1 Corinthians 14:26

Paul teaches it in all his epistles, it is part of the proclamation of his Gospel.

19 speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Ephesians 5:19

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16

In the West we will soon have a collapse of faith among many Christian communities, and it is due to a bubble life that has been built on the false knowledge that God seeks our welfare.

A secular knowledge of financial cut-throat has been mixed with the proclamation that God makes us prosper in our land. Many today are building their own fortunes on this basis and forgetting to build in faith and righteousness.

I conclude by quoting the words of the prophet Micah,

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Micah 6:8

And the words of the prophet Hosea,

19 And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

Hosea 2:19

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Hosea 10:12

7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

Hosea 12:7

6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

Hosea 12:6

The purpose of Grace is for everyone to draw closer to Jesus, and to learn to live in direct dependence on the Lord. The problem, however, does not consist in an absence of teaching about who Jesus is, but in the fact that many times the man and/or woman of faith result in “developing” actions, habits and customs that they do not know that such acts are an abomination to the Lord. According to your understanding of the reading, what is wickedness?

The purpose of Grace is for everyone to draw closer to Jesus, and to learn to live in direct dependence on the Lord. The problem, however, does not consist in an absence of teaching about who Jesus is, but in the fact that many times the man and/or woman of faith result in “developing” actions, habits and customs that are not built according to the principles of Righteousness of the Kingdom of God. What principles of Righteousness have you implemented in your life?

All Bible texts are taken from the Authorized King James Version (AKJV).

pastor Pedro Montoya

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Iniquity, transgression, and the Righteousness of the Kingdom. PART TWO. Reading corresponding to the module of The Doctrine of the Foundation of Dead Works.

PART TWO: WHAT IS SIN?

Unlike what we learned as children, that sin is an action pointed out by the elders, and penalized by God, we will realize from the Scriptures themselves, that sin is a natural condition in which the person or persons live. It is not an action. Actions are simply the degree of visible evaluation of the condition of sin in which the person lives.

Sin is a state of life, and the person cannot, no matter how hard he or she tries, get out of that condition on his or her own.

The apostle Paul dealt with the subject in a masterful way when, guided by the Holy Spirit, he established that sin obeys a spiritual law, and defined it as the law of sin.

23 but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 7:23-25

As such, because it is a genetic and spiritual condition, the condition of sin can only be broken through the process of regeneration.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Romans 8:2-3

Sin is also an argument from wickedness. By argument from wickedness, we refer to any verbal or factual process by means of which valid justification is established to oppose the work of God.

And it is not only a philosophical, logical justification, because in the reading of the Scriptures we find that there are also of a spiritual type.

The clearest example is found in the account of chapter three of Genesis, which describes the “argument” that the serpent put before Eve, by virtue of which both Adam and Eve opposed the Word that Jehovah Elohim had determined with respect to the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:4-5

Sin is to be under the effects of the satanic argument interposed to cause the man of faith to resist the voice of God.

17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus; 18 who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

2 Timothy 2:17-18

Sin as such has the capacity to fascinate people,

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Galatians 3:1

For this reason, and knowing the havoc it causes, the apostle Paul recommended both Titus and Timothy to beware of all vain speech, of all repetition, and even of theological discussions.

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

1 Timothy 6:20

16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

2 Timothy 2:16

5 having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Timothy 3:5

9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

Titus 3:9

Even the Word itself, if interpreted, can provoke fascination among the people to whom it is sent,

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Matthew 4:5-6

Sin is subjection to Satan.  It is not about “mistakes”, conscious or unconscious, committed under the pressure of some situation, it is about an authority and subjection that Satan maintains over the person, the families, the communities, the regions, which have been transformed into the personality of each person.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 3:4-9

Sinful tendencies are evidence of the presence and establishment of Satan, and of the movement of the kingdom of darkness.

As for the dynamics that sin develops to introduce sin within any community, we denounce the following,

The first arises from Adam and Eve’s act of disobedience: sin leads a person to transgress the Word of God,

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 3:4

All transgression of biblical and spiritual principles, consciously or in ignorance and/or by accident, is sin, and involves those who were led to transgress in a state of insanity, bewitchment, or hypnotism.

The second stage is a little more complex since it does not necessarily involve the transgression of the Word of God as the basis of sin. This stage is defined by the attitude, intention and/or posture that the person adopts towards something or someone,

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James 4:17

This definition applies to anyone who has knowledge and conviction of what he has to do, but does not do it. His inaction is counted as sin.

Third, sin is doing nothing to stop wickedness. When wickedness is not stopped, it accumulates and generates sin. Sin is the accumulation of wickedness.

17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

1 John 5:17

Sin is not reduced to an “action”. A person is not a sinner because of his actions, he is a sinner even if there is no action involved. The actions simply reveal the type of deviation or inclination towards sin.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 7:20

The type of action serves to evaluate the areas of the “flesh” that must be worked on to remove Satan’s yoke on the person.

22 that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Ephesians 4:22

All Bible texts are taken from the Authorized King James Version (AKJV).

pastor Pedro Montoya

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Iniquity, transgression, and the Righteousness of the Kingdom. PART ONE. Reading corresponding to the module of The Doctrine of the Foundation of Dead Works.

 The contemporary Gospel does not teach people how to develop a life of faith. It is more concerned with getting them into a church, and keeping them there, than it is with getting them to know God, and depend on Him.

18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy.

Micah 7:18

I have thought it convenient to write about these three topics, and to combine them, because Christian generations are rising who do not know God, who do not know how He acts, and therefore, who do not know how to discern between the holy and the profane.

The deficiency is that the format used for the proclamation of the Gospel does not teach people how to develop a life of faith.

It is more concerned with getting them into a church, and keeping them there, than it is with getting them to know God, and depend on Him.

This way of processing the Gospel has led many faith communities to nurture evil behavior, and they don’t know it.

26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 22:26

And I say that they are feeding a conduct of evil, precisely because they tolerate secular behaviors built on moralistic premises, which have no foundation or testimony of the Word or of the Spirit.

20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Isaiah 8:20

The purpose of Grace is for everyone to draw closer to Jesus, and to learn to live in direct dependence on the Lord.

The theological task, interpretation, exegesis, hermeneutics, is unfocused, or better we should say, biased, and is leading many communities to sin in naivety.

So, as the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews warned, we need to be re-taught the first rudiments of the Word of God, to stop being infants in the sense and to seek perfection.

The Gospel of the Kingdom is not based on preaching, accepting Jesus. The Gospel of the Kingdom is based on the proclamation of repent and be converted.

Before accepting Jesus, it is paramount to first repent of the wickedness under which one has lived all this time, and then live in subjection to the Lordship of Jesus. This message was established from the time of John the Baptist.

8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Luke 3:8

What should we repent of? That we are sinners. This applies to men and women of faith: we must repent of living according to sinful standards and behaviors….

19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Romans 5:19

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:10

To accept Jesus means to be willing to submit to his Lordship. But one who has not recognized that sin has alienated him from God cannot submit under his Lordship, so the first step is to repent of his sinful condition, to receive forgiveness of sins,

And Peter saith unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:38

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out; for the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord,

Acts 3:19

Repentance is a unique act that is executed at the moment when each one of us makes the decision to get in touch with the Lord, and to approach his presence.

However, to the extent that we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus, to that extent we denounce and surrender evil behaviors that have governed our lives and have been the hallmark of our personal self.

So, as we can see, it is necessary first of all to identify what we need to repent of, and receive forgiveness for sins, in order to then live in submission under His Lordship.

WHAT IS WICKEDNESS? WHAT ARE WICKED BEHAVIORS?

Wickedness is the harm caused to something or someone, whether or not it has been done. Wickedness is measured according to the magnitude of the harm caused or expected to be caused.

A wicked behavior is any perverse intention towards something or someone, which is forged, cultivated, and fertilized in the heart of the person, and which is kept hidden from everyone, even from the person himself.

We define perverse intention as any atheistic attitude, contrary to God, unwilling to submit to the Lordship of Jesus, and which seeks to harm that, or to whom, it is directed.

Wicked behaviors arise from the wickedness of the person’s attitude. They have the characteristic of being reiterative actions.

Hypocrisy is wickedness. Hypocrisy is all pretense of intention. It is accompanied by a visible appearance, by way of a screen, to hide the true intentionality of the person.

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward…   5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward…    16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mathew 6:2-16

Wickedness behavior based on hypocrisy develops a tolerance and use of lying, and makes it seen in many cases as a necessary and justifiable action.

Iniquity is wickedness. Iniquity is the attitude and/or action of revolting against another person. Iniquity can take the form of physical aggression,

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him…   13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My iniquity is too great to be forgiven.

Genesis 4:8-13

Iniquity can be carried out through offensive, denigrating, and defamatory words.

If iniquity be in thine hand, and thou cast it from thee, And consent not to wickedness in thy dwellings;

Job 11.14

The conduct of wickedness based on iniquity develops an attitude of constant criticism, backbiting, gossip, mockery, humiliation, and the raising of accusations against others.

3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity,
which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

Psalm 28:3

Iniquity can also take the form of revenge,

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Romans 12:19

Idolatry is wickedness. Idolatry is any attitude and activity of prostrating oneself before an image of value and following it as the strength of one’s actions.

5 thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Exodus 20:5

It is also considered as idolatry, the use of talismans, amulets, in short, the use of any object that confers security in situations of fear.

19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.

Jeremiah 2:19

Idolatry may also be abstract.

3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

Ezekiel 14:3

Wicked behavior based on idolatry develops a codependency to people, objects, places, and even situations. Generally speaking, idolatrous values generate a need for something, or someone.

Abuse of power is wickedness. Abuse of power is taking advantage of a position of authority, or privilege, to force others to act in capricious and pre-established ways.

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.

Leviticus 18:17

Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

Leviticus 19:29

Wicked behavior based on the abuse of power develops an attitude of arrogance, of superiority, and leads others to feel guilty if they do not act in the way they are imposed to act.

43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God…    46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen forever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

Leviticus 25:43-46

Adultery is wickedness,

Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

Proverbs 30:20

Adultery has a spiritual foundation. It is the result of a life that has practiced and/or tolerated prostitution. Access to prostitutes opens doors of adultery for future generations.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

Hosea 4:14

A conduct of wickedness based on adultery promotes idolatry,

23 because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:23

The conduct of wickedness based on adultery develops unbelief and hardness of the heart.

24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

Jeremiah 7:24

8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

Matthew 19:8

Deception is wickedness. Deception is any usurpation of the truth and the imposition of biased situations to provoke the one who is deceived to act as premeditated. Deception and abuse of power go hand in hand.

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanity:

Psalm 10:7

A behavior of wickedness based on deception develops a satanic movement in the environment where the person moves.

10 and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

Acts 13:10

Setting up a trap is wickedness,

23 Yet, Lord, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.

Jeremiah 18:23

Setting a trap is equivalent to setting a stumbling block in front of a blind man,

14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:14

A wickedness behavior based on the attitude of setting a trap for the downfall of others develops an environment of death and destruction in its surroundings.

3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

Esther 8:3

Setting traps causes the very downfall of the generation that comes out of the one who is used to setting traps,

18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

Proverbs 1:18

26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

Jeremiah 5:26

To misrepresent is wickedness. To misrepresent is to present data more than the actual data. It is any intention to deliver less value than is expected or offered.

Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.

Proverbs 20:23

The conduct of wickedness based on the action of embezzlement establishes hindrance, and the person who practices it, even his relatives, cannot approach God.

 He is a merchant, the balances of  deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

Hosea 12:7

Lying and deceit are also considered as embezzling the truth.

5 saying, when will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

Amos 8:5

Whoever is used to embezzling promotes an atheistic environment.

11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?

Micah 6:11

Sorcery is wickedness. Sorcery is any ritual act by which another person is enveloped in a hypnotic condition.

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 3:5

Sorcery is developed through actions. A gift to obtain something in return is sorcery. Sorcery is by all means executed to obtain something in return.

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 21:8

A wicked behavior based on sorcery develops manipulative activity with words and actions. Actions of sorcery are promoted through gifts, bribery, gallantry, seduction, flattery.

Enchantments are wickedness. Incantations are hypnotic forms. A song is an incantation. Prayers and vain repetitions, like mantras are incantations.

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

2 Timothy 2:16

Incantations are given by means of chanted and/or hummed refrains, slogans, famous phrases, mantras.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Colossians 2:8

The music, the rhythms, the repeated sounds, also serve as incantations.

from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling.

1 Timothy 1:6

Incantations are anything that stimulates the senses to coerce the person to seek that which is promoted. The sound of the music of a traveling ice cream cart enchants those who listen and moves them to buy.

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

1 Timothy 6:20

Raising rumors against someone is wickedness,

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Exodus 20:16

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Deuteronomy 5:20

A wicked behavior based on raising rumors develops speculation, gossip, nonsense comments. Rumors promote an environment of lies, deception, falsehood.

Rumors are double-meaning talk, and even underground communications.

A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

Proverbs 25:18

Slandering someone behind their back is wickedness,

13 If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her, 14 and give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid: 15 then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate: 16 and the damsel’s father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; 17 and, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. 18 And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him; 19 and they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

Deuteronomy 22:13-19

Wicked behavior based on defamation promotes an environment of falsehood, theft, abuse, embezzlement, bribery. The environment is one of poverty and scarcity.

In general terms, wicked behaviors are any intentionality that is forged in the mind of the person, with the purpose of taking advantage of someone, to obtain personal benefits, or to harm one or several people.

Wickedness accumulates and produces over time sin and disease. Wickedness is a condition, not a state. Wickedness is an abomination to the Lord.

Many of these actions are present in the attitudes and intentions of those who confess to being believers and are unaware of the seriousness of their wickedness.

There are behaviors of wickedness that are provoked by positions, and even by frequenting wrong places.

A yoga position is a position of invocation of spirits. A man of faith who adopts that same position is contaminated, and adopts, an attitude of wickedness that will begin to affect his performances.

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psalm 1:1

Likewise, there are behaviors of wickedness that are generated by worldly feelings that are not permitted to us. Adopting a social feeling about someone, or for something, that is not in accordance with God’s Will or purposes, generates wickedness.

11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:11

2 fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Philippians 2:2

Wickedness is nourished by human intentions, by the capacity to generate contrary feelings towards something or someone.

That is why we pointed out at the beginning of this topic, that many times it happens that a person can belong to a congregation of faith, but still maintain a behavior of wickedness unpleasant to the Lord, and that will eventually lead him to sin.

The reason this way of conducting oneself is because one has not been taught to work with the wickedness accumulated in the heart. It has been erroneously proclaimed that by accepting Jesus everything will change for the time being.

The Bible clearly points out that it is necessary to first repent, and ask for forgiveness, in order to be justified from sin, and receive sanctification.

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Matthew 15:18-20

All Bible texts are taken from the Authorized King James Version (AKJV).

pastor Pedro Montoya

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