2 Esdras 9 (KJV)

1 He answered me then, and said, Measure thou the time diligently in itself: and when thou seest part of the signs past, which I have told thee before,

2 Then shalt thou understand, that it is the very same time, wherein the Highest will begin to visit the world which he made.

3 Therefore when there shall be seen earthquakes and uproars of the people in the world:

4 Then shalt thou well understand, that the most High spake of those things from the days that were before thee, even from the beginning.

5 For like as all that is made in the world hath a beginning and an end, and the end is manifest:

6 Even so the times also of the Highest have plain beginnings in wonder and powerful works, and endings in effects and signs.

7 And every one that shall be saved, and shall be able to escape by his works, and by faith, whereby ye have believed,

8 Shall be preserved from the said perils, and shall see my salvation in my land, and within my borders: for I have sanctified them for me from the beginning.

9 Then shall they be in pitiful case, which now have abused my ways: and they that have cast them away despitefully shall dwell in torments.

10 For such as in their life have received benefits, and have not known me;

11 And they that have loathed my law, while they had yet liberty, and, when as yet place of repentance was open unto them, understood not, but despised it;

12 The same must know it after death by pain.

13 And therefore be thou not curious how the ungodly shall be punished, and when: but enquire how the righteous shall be saved, whose the world is, and for whom the world is created.

14 Then answered I and said,

15 I have said before, and now do speak, and will speak it also hereafter, that there be many more of them which perish, than of them which shall be saved:

16 Like as a wave is greater than a drop.

30 And thou spakest saying, Hear me, O Israel; and mark my words, thou seed of Jacob.

31 For, behold, I sow my law in you, and it shall bring fruit in you, and ye shall be honoured in it for ever.

Habakkuk 1 (KJV)

4 Therefore the law is slacked (neglected), and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass (attack) about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

Exodus 18 (KJV)

19 Hearken (listen attentively) now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness ( an intense selfish desire for wealth or possessions); and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

Luke 2 (KJV)

23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

Romans 5 (KJV)

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations (sufferings) also: knowing that tribulation (suffering) worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The negative forces that may come your way while at work or otherwise is testing your ability to be patient.  Giving you experience to deal with froward people and how to respond to their negativity and bad energies.  Also, giving you hope; knowing that God has you there for a reason beyond what your goals are.  You are an example to those around you of what it means to have self control, determination and peace.  ~ Karmen

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

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

Peace / Galatians 5 (KJV)

 
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness (humbleness), temperance (self control) : against such there is no law.

Sin does not sleep (Satan does not sleep). The Holy Spirit does not sleep (God does not sleep). Don't fall into the wrong bed. Watch the company you keep and what you feed your heart, mind and soul. Keep the Holy Spirit fed with the Word of God, Prayer and working on you to become more like the Fruits of the Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 9 (KJV)

11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal (corrupt) things?

14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Galatians 3 (KJV)

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

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Sinful Nature vs Holy Spirit

Romans 7 (KJV)

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (lustful), sold under sin.

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.  
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  

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.

Am sure all can relate to this Romans 7:14-25 ~ Karmen

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. The law of your mind. Satan will deceive you by closing your mind off and when this happens unwise decisions will be made. Like choosing one bad apple over another one. Why do we do this? The sinful nature is mastering our mind. We must always be conscious of this. 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

We have the sinful nature and Holy Spirit battling within us

This information I pulled from http://www.realtime.net/~wdoud/philemon/phlm02.html Reason for placing it on my notes was to show that even when you are trying to do right by God, Satan is right there tempting you to do wrong. 

Please before you decide to do something like voting or making big changes in your life, consider the scriptures in Romans 7 about the sinful nature attacking your body, just when you are trying to allow the Holy Spirit to protect and guide you the right way.  

Evil is a very strong word. If you are not making righteous decisions, good decisions, then they are evil. Do not allow Satan to deceive you. Evil is the reasoning and policy of Satan in his desire to become God. And just as the concept of grace represents the reasoning and policy of God, evil represents the thinking of Satan. And the influence of the souls of mankind are the objective. Evil, then, may be a simple distortion of God's Word and His directives. Evil invades all aspects of thought and life as it pertains to mankind: religion, legalism, socialism, politics,apostasy, etc.  

Under the concept of religion, evil includes any system of religious function outside of the 'church,' which church has been ordained by God. This means that certain denominations, movements and organizations within religion can be evil. And one of the most harmful things that can befall any believer is to become influenced by evil -- Satan's system.  

Spiritually mature believers are said to be able to differentiate between good and evil, Hebrews 5:14, which says, "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." And according to Romans 7:19-21, a good thing done in an evil manner is evil: "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me."  

Philippians 3:2 warns believers to beware of evil men, "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh." And the saints are not to keep company with evil, and influence by evil explains why prayers are not answered: Job 35:8,9, says, "He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with wicked men. For he says, 'It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God.'"  

Ecclesiastes 9:3 makes the somber and astounding statements that false religious teachings are evil and can lead to insanity, "This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead."  

Spiritually mature believers are protected from evil, according to the following verses: Psalm 21:11, Proverbs 12:12,20,21; 23:4; Genesis 50:20; 48:16; Psalm 37:16-19; 97:10; 119:101; 121:7, and Proverbs 1:33; 2:10-14; 19:23. Within the souls of believers, the question is: Is the believer influenced by God's Word and grace, or by evil? This question is clearly asked in Proverbs 15:3; 16:6; 22:3, and 24:1-4, which says, "Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." God's Word overcomes evil; Romans 12:21 says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." And Psalm 54:5 says, "Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them."  

Apostasy is shaped by evil, according to John 3:19, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." And Psalm 36:1-4 makes it even more lucid, "An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong." So here, then, we have the sins of arrogance and hatred included in evil, and helping to form apostasy in the believer's soul.  

Thinking evil leads to a complete reversal of standards, Isaiah 5:20, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." And the thinkers of evil destroy themselves (God using evil to destroy evil), according to Psalm 34:21, "Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned." Evil has no loyalty to anyone or anything, Psalm 35:12, "They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn." And finally, and efficiently, James 1:13 asserts that there is no evil in God, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." 

And God will judge evil, Isaiah 13:11, "I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless." Here we have sin and evil mentioned as two components of the same system. 'Haughty' thinking (evil) leads to 'arrogant' actions (sin). And 'ruthlessness' (hate as a system of thought or evil) leads to 'pride' (self-esteem and self-sufficiency). "In the present age, man proves his separation from his Creator by his spirit of self-sufficiency and positive rejection of God. The present issue between God and man is one of whether man will accept God's estimate of him, abandon his hopeless self-struggle, and cast himself only on the grace of God which alone is sufficient to accomplish his needed transformation." Paul's aim, then, is to influence Philemon with God's way, grace, rather than Satan's way, evil and coercion.