Abiding in God's House

It was God who founded and created His church. The local church is the house of God. If He’s “the man of the house”, He has the right to make the church rules. Only a fool would go into another man’s house and try to change the rules. If we don’t like His rules then we just go to another house. The problem has been this: pastors have altered God’s rules in order to accommodate people who don’t appreciate God’s rules. No matter what your pet beliefs are, it makes no difference. Their motto: “Our doors and minds are always open.”

1 Timothy 3:15 If I tarry long, you should know how you ought to behave yourself in the House of God which is the church of the living God, the pillar and mainstay of the truth.

The church is the house of the LIVING God, He lives in His own house. You’re welcome to my house, but you will abide by my rules. A neighbor once entered my house with a cigarette in his mouth and I told him to take it outside. My heathen neighbor had more respect for my rules than some Christians do in God’s house. Some folks enter God’s house with all these compromises and they “think” they’re welcome.

1 Corinthians 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornications among you and such fornications as is not so much as named among the heathen that one man should have his father’s wife.

This man was not an invited guest in God’s house. He was a trespasser. Paul was angry with that church because they compromised God’s rules for admittance. The church didn’t want to offend the man, his father’s wife or his supporters in the church. Listen, if I have a choice between offending you or God, prepare to have  your feelings stomped on. One day a man and his girlfriend came to visit us. The man’s pastor called me and told me that his girlfriend was still married. I confronted the man about the choice he had made and they took their sin elsewhere. I have had couples come to church who were living together. I gave them time to hear the Word and get their lives in line with God’s Word and most of them do.

Mark 11:17 My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.

When man abides by God’s rules he creates an atmosphere of godliness. When men compromise they create a place that becomes attractive to those who don’t want to live by God’s rules. Men will waste their time in supporting such a house. If they think God abides in that mess, they deceive only themselves. This is commonly referred to  as “playing church”. They compromise in order to cater to their fleshly desires. These are the same people who have a form of godliness, but they deny His power. Why do they do this? Because if they never experience His power, it can’t possibly be real. God’s power is still available to them if they will repent. Then they will know the power of His forgiveness.