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Tag: On the road to Hell

Prostitution Bible

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Sexual Sin, What’s new?.

What does the Bible say about prostitution?

Prostitution is often referred to as the “oldest profession.” Indeed, it has always been a common way for women to make money, even in Bible times. The Bible tells us that prostitution is immoral. Proverbs 23:27-28 says, “For a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well. Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful among men.”

God forbids involvement with prostitutes because He knows such involvement is detrimental to both men and women. “For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell” (Proverbs 5:3-5 NKJV).

Prostitution not only destroys marriages, families, and lives, but it destroys the spirit and soul in a way that leads to physical and spiritual death. God’s desire is that we stay pure and use our bodies as tools for His use and glory (Romans 6:13). First Corinthians 6:13 says, “The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”

Although prostitution is sinful, prostitutes are not beyond God’s scope of forgiveness. The Bible records His use of a prostitute named Rahab to further the fulfillment of His plan. As a result of her obedience, she and her family were rewarded and blessed (Joshua 2:1; 6:17-25). In the New Testament, a woman who had been known for being a sexual sinner—before Jesus forgave and cleansed her from sin—found an opportunity to serve Jesus while He was visiting in the home of a Pharisee. The woman, recognizing Christ for who He is, brought a bottle of expensive perfume to Him. In regret and repentance, the woman wept and poured perfume on His feet, wiping it with her hair. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for accepting this act of love from the “immoral” woman, He admonished them and accepted the woman’s worship. Because of her faith, Christ had forgiven all her sins, and she was received into His kingdom (Luke 7:36-50).

When speaking to those who refused to believe the truth about Himself, Jesus Christ said, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him” (Matthew 21:31-32).

Just like anyone else, prostitutes have the opportunity to receive salvation and eternal life from God, to be cleansed of all their unrighteousness and be given a brand new life! All they must do is turn away from their sinful lifestyle and turn to the living God, whose grace and mercy are boundless. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Heavenly places / realms

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Ephesians, What’s new?.

What are the heavenly places/realms?

The phrase “heavenly places” or “heavenly realms” is used several times in the book of Ephesians (1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). This phrase is translated from the Greek word epouranios, meaning “the sphere of spiritual activities.” “Heavenly realms” can refer to both angelic and demonic activity. Ephesians 1:20 says that God “raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” But Ephesians 6:12 speaks of evil forces in the same realm: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

As flesh-and-blood humans, we have very little understanding of the spirit world. We cannot see, hear, or touch it. However, the Bible assumes it, and we can glean insight into a world we cannot see by studying what God tells us about it. First of all, God is spirit (John 4:24). He exists outside the bounds of time, space, and matter. His home is called heaven (Acts 7:55; Isaiah 63:15), but this is a distinct place, not to be confused with “the heavens,” referring to the atmosphere (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 148:4), or the “heavenly realms,” which encompass all spirit beings. In God’s heaven, He sits on a throne (Matthew 23:22; Hebrews 4:16), surrounded by adoring angels (Revelation 7:11; Psalm 99:1) who exist to serve God and minister to His saints (Hebrews 1:14; Matthew 4:11; Genesis 19:1). Angels also have the ability to appear as men when sent to deliver messages from God (Genesis 18:2, 16–17; 19:1–2; Daniel 10:5–6).

However, the dark side of the heavenly realms belongs to Satan and his evil spirits. Satan is not the counterpart to God. God has no challenger. Satan is a created being who has only the power God allows him to have for only as long as God allows it (Isaiah 14:12; Luke 22:31; Revelation 12:12). Yet, for reasons known only to God, Satan and his minions are allowed to wreak havoc upon the earth and the servants of God—if unchecked by spiritual warfare and the holy angels. Daniel 10 gives us the best glimpse into what happens in this world we cannot see. An angel was dispatched by God to deliver a message to Daniel as he prayed, but the messenger was detained for three weeks by “the prince of Persia,” a demon (verse 13). The angel later told Daniel that he had to have help from Michael the archangel in order to prevail and continue on the assignment God had given him.

This glimpse into the heavenly realms helps us understand a few things. First, we learn that there is fierce warfare taking place at all times. Satan and his demons are actively working to thwart the plans of God and destroy whatever they can (see John 10:10). If a mighty angel on a mission from God could be detained by demonic forces, then demons must have great power. Second, God does not leave His children defenseless against this evil army. Second Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” Ephesians 6:11–17 tells us exactly what armor we need to stand firm against the temptations and schemes of the devil. In ourselves, we are no match for Satan’s devices. We need spiritual armor to fight spiritual battles. The third truth we can learn from the Daniel passage is that prayer gets God’s attention and that His answer is on the way. There are forces unknown to us that may interfere with God’s desire to aid us, and we must continue to persevere in prayer until the answer comes (see Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18).

The heavenly realms are as real as the earthly realms. We will spend most of our lives living in the heavenly realms (2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 John 5:11). In contrast, our earthly existence is only a “vapor that appears for a little while and is gone” (James 4:14). Physical battles may seem intense, but the results are temporary. However, spiritual battles have eternal consequences. When we live our earthly lives in recognition of the unseen battles that rage all around us, we will be more careful about what we say and do (Ephesians 5:15–16; 2 Corinthians 2:11). We will be faithful to utilize our weapons of prayer and the armor of God, knowing that the real battles are fought and won in the heavenly realms.