Corruption
 

Galatians 6:7-8,

7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Corruption never overtakes anything in a moment. It's a slow burn, occurring little by easy to ignore little. A mis-step here, and/or a rationalization there, an unwarranted action or attitude that seemingly had no major consequences or repercussions. These all, through the flesh, can and will corrupt. But you might not notice it until years down the road, when you look at your ruined life, marriage, ministry, or relationships, and ask yourself in agony "How could this have happened?!"

And as you go about trying to figure things out, because the corruption was so slow to take hold, you'll never remember what it was specifically that got the ball rolling.

Hopefully though, a friend will come along at the right time and help you see that it all began the moment you decided to "mock God", then tried to get away with it.

If you are mocking God, you won't feel the effects for a long time. But they are coming, and in the final analysis, all that's going to remain of you is the decayed husk of what might have been.

Re: Corruption
 

Excellent words. A warning for us all to heed, and to search our hearts through the eyes of the Spirit.

Re: Corruption
 

Hiya, Kept. Welcome back!

Re: Corruption
 

[B]His NAMe is Jesus!/B]

Good words to ponder.

Brother Villa

Re: Corruption
 

Thanks! I've had computer troubles, but hopefully things are back on track now. :)

Re: Corruption
 

Wise and true words. I might add that when corruption is truly rampant, is when it is so blatant that it is expected. People justify it by "comparing themselves amongst themselves". He's doing it, they're doing it, everybody is doing it, so it must not be wrong. Eventually it will not even need to be hidden, because if everybody's doing it (whatever IT is), then it must be alright.

You only need read your Bible, both Old Testament and New, to realize that the church is susceptible to corruption.

Re: Corruption
 

I shared this first on Facebook, and a friend responded thus:

I wrote this in response to his valid criticism:

Hi, _____. It's final in the sense of, as long as such a person continues to sow to the flesh and so, continues to "mock God", the corruption will likewise continue, and if it continues unabated, reprobation, or even death, may occur.

It is not final however, if that friend comes along at the right time, and helps such a person see their error and leads them back to Christ (See James 5:19-20). Such a person can then begin to sow to the Spirit anew, and reap life everlasting.

But the one who rejects such a friend at such a time, is welcoming deception and the harvest of what he or she decided he or she wants to sow, which is to say, corruption.

2 Chronicles 36:15-16,

15. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
16. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Israel and Judah both knew God was Savior and King, and yet here the Saving God says things got so bad not even He could save them ("no remedy").

In Romans 1:28, those who are given up to a reprobate mind don't immediately start there, at reprobation. Instead, they start here:

20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

People who once knew God, who could clearly see and understand the invisible things of God, even His eternal power and Deity, can end up on the long road to reprobation, simply for refusing to glorify God "as God", and deciding to stop being thankful to Him.

Two seemingly small things at first, that one might feel they can justify, for whatever reason, are the catalysts for not just backsliding, but of being given up by God, all the way up to and including deserving to be "worthy of death" (Romans 1:32).

It truly is a "fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God" (Hebrews 10:31).

Re: Corruption
 

Thanks, Brother.

Re: Corruption
 

Excellent! I look forward to the continued communication.

Re: Corruption
 

Thanks. I especially like "I might add that when corruption is truly rampant, is when it is so blatant that it is expected."

Your comments remind me of this: http://lucifereffect.com/

Similarly, if you've read Lord of the Flies, it can be easy to see how a church or ministry can be overtaken so easily into corruption.

It makes me wonder how anyone might possibly think the phrase "But Lord, everyone else was doing it" is going to fly at the Judgment.