Jun 30

A Time To Refrain From Embracing

Submitted by on as 2024

 

Ecclesiastes 3:5   …a time to refrain from embracing.

 

   I am going to be honest. I am trying to keep on track with the studies, but when I read the comments after I post previous studies there is so much more I want to go back and continue. After we finish with these seasons in Ecclesiastes, I will go back. So many of these "seasons” tie into each other. It helps to explain what is going on in our world and helps us cope with why certain things happen whether good or bad. God is drawing us a picture of Him, His heart, His ways, His understandings, His compassion, His disdain for sin, His allowance of things to happen. This week we are now looking at the opposite of last week, "A time to refrain from embracing”. I will also be approaching this Study in the same since I did last week. We will be focusing on God’s love for us, and how He Himself will allow us to not be embraced by Him.

 

Let’s get started with this.

 

Galatians 5:19-21 (19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

  Here are things that Paul is saying that God loathes! God will not embrace those who do such works as these. Take a minute and reread these. God will not embrace sin. He will refrain from embracing sin. For we know that in Romans 6:23 "the wages of sin are death….”. So Like wise when we studied last week the meaning to embrace, one meaning was to "encircle, surround, enclose, adopt…”. We can see here that God himself is showing us there is a time to refrain from embracing. We should never in any part associate ourselves with any of the abominations that God hates, and likewise we need to not embrace and hold dear to those who also participate in these activities. We can be forgiving of those who do things and us and still not embrace them or the lifestyle. Truly loving people means letting them go and for them to be acceptable for their own actions whether good or bad. God truly loves us but will let us go and literally destroy our selves. Of course that is not God’s desire.

 

2nd Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 

 God does not want any man to perish, but many will, for God cannot embrace sin. And his example for us should be the same, we also should not be embracing sin. I want to be clear and make sure I do not get you to misunderstand God. God does not remove His embrace on us. He cannot. His love for us is unconditional. It is us who remove ourselves from His embrace. When we sin, that means we have moved further from God, not God moving further from us. Just with Adam and Eve in the Garden, when they sinned, they hid from God. God was looking for them. He was still wanting to fellowship with them, but their sin made them distance themselves from God. We tend to do the same. We need to learn to let go of the Things that go against God’s nature. The more we can do that the more we can be surrounded by Him. The more we will allow ourselves to draw close to Him.

 

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

 

Let’s move on.

 

Matthew 10:14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

 

 Here we see Jesus talking to His disciples about going to the cities and preaching. He is making it very clear, not embrace and continue along with those who will not receive the Word of God. Does not mean you do not love them but move on. Don’t keep embracing people that do not accept you and your walk in Christ. Yes, we are to preach the Gospel to everyone, but we should take care and only truly surround ourselves with like believers. We need to get out of the mind set that we can change them. WE CANNOT!. Only God can make the changes in them. I believe this is one of the hardest things for Christians to do, and that is to not embrace others.


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COMMENTS


[ posted by Cindy, 07/04/2024 02:55 PM ]

Mike has described very well what certain types of "refrain

from embracing" means.
God wants us to know what to embrace and what not to embrace. Mike listed the abominations God hates.
We can love people, but we do not have to embrace their behaviors or addictions, etc. God wants us to love people for them being part of His creation, but we can't change them, stop them or participate in their bad actions and behaviors.
We can be strong enough to stand up to it, refuse it or stay away from it. We can love people but we do not have to embrace their wickedness or evil behavior.
Mike I would like to mention an example of "refraining from embracing" here your friendship with the ladies at Dutyman. They were your friends and co-workers. When they decided to marry and invited you, you declined because you did not believe in same sex marriage. It did not change your friendship, your working together, having lunches together, sharing laughs, life stories, etc. But you did not embrace what you found to be ungodly. You stood your ground for what you did not believe in; what you were unwilling to embrace, or accept.
Tough love is also not embracing ones behavior. When we don't stand up against those types of behaviors it only makes a person an enabler, and creates agony and frustration to people around the situation. People have to grow and learn from their mistakes. We can only hope they add God into their life. Refrain from embracing can also mean to "let go" of the bad, say goodbye, get bad things out of your life. Turn away people who slow down or stop your growth in Jesus.
Solomon did not give any specifics about the "what" to embrace or refrain from embracing. So we have to look at it as good and bad things. 
But embracing (hugging) also takes wisdom. Why you ask?
Well sometimes when we embrace someone...they may not be a hugger. We may be invading their personal space. Some cultures don't use embracing, use it like social boundaries. 
Remember covid, heck you weren't allowed to be within 6ft of others! That was society's measure of a time to refrain from embracing sure! But in all seriousness, the prodigal son story showed us a wonderful meaning of embracing. In Sol 2:6 and 8:3, he talks of a husband embracing his wife. But in Prov 4:8 it talks of the wrong embracing in the bosom of a stranger.
As Christians we need to be gentle, forgiving, compassionate and loving. But there is no compromising about the message of the Gospel. There is no confusion about the path to salvation. Do not accept or embrace anything that glosses over the truths of the Bible and God's word. If we embrace a lesser version, an easier version, a friendlier version to make it acceptable and embraceable, we condemn our salvation and any others we teach that to. Many of these new age pastors "embrace" Christianity as a religion that offers Jesus' salvation and the benefits without the repentance or confession of sin.
Luke 15:10 Luke 13:3 Luke 5:32 Luke 24: 45-47 Acts 2:38
Acts 3:19
Paul wrote in Acts 20:27 " For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." He is saying he is telling the truth and the whole truth, is he not?
There is a world of difference between embrace and accept.
Embrace your place in the Gospel story and the future.
One last comment about Mike saying God never stops embracing us. He is 100% right. People let sin, grief, etc separate themselves from God. And it is normal, we get so caught up in the emotions and daily things that affect us, we don't realize we have built up a wall or backed away. As you all know about Deanes passing. Several times Jamie would cry to me that "God has forgotten me" Not only is that so heartbreaking to hear but to tell someone she is the one who has pulled away from God. But in her tremendous grief she felt like she was alone. That God abandoned her and that's why Deane died. I have never stopped telling her to talk to God, cry out to God, cling to God and His words, get back in His arms.... She is doing better, and thanks me for always talking her back towards God. SometimesI felt like I was being mean. I told her no matter what, Deane's day of standing in the line of death was up. We are all in that line.
I am not perfect and I never will be.
But there is One who is, and He will provide. 

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