The Lord’s Work – Part 10

John 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

The manna was the pattern, but not the true. So what are the parallels? What does the pattern say about the true?

If one laid it up until the morning, it was no longer available to eat. Why did it spoil?

As the pattern, it foreshadowed Jesus, but also stood for the old covenant.

• When the sun waxed hot, it melted. As a pattern of the law… work was allowed, required. There was a time to gather the manna, to work, and there was a time when there was no more work possible.
• When the sun rises the next day, that old meat spoiled. As a pattern of the law itself… There is a time to work and a time when works are not longer profitable. There is a time to eat this bread (the law), and a time when one cannot eat those old things. The old things were “done away”.
• When the sun rises the next day, that old meat spoiled. As a pattern of Christ… Why did it spoil? How long do we live? ONE day. You need to eat the Lord’s bread (Jesus) in THAT day. You can’t eat it after you die.
• The new meat (Jesus), in the day of rest (in the millennium and in eternity), will not spoil. So we are to eat it now, and lay it up now, and then enjoy it in the day of rest.
• On the sabbath day, one COULD not search for it. Why? One had to have already laid it up. It was already with you, in the camp. The millennium, Jesus is on the earth as King. Then, its time to eat the fruit of our labors. If you’re searching you’re going to find the wrong bread.

What is “the true bread” by which a man is tried? Jesus Christ. Not manna. Not a wafer. It would be pretty easy to disapprove a man that trusts in a wafer. You still hunger again. The wafer spoils. The wafer wastes.

It is the spiritual bread that is “the true bread”, not the carnal. Its the Word and word of God.

John 6:58-63  This is that bread which came down from heaven: … the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

This is what a man is proved by: doctrine, of the word of God. That is the true fire, that is the true bread, that is the true living water. And if a man is to be approved, he must be tried with the words, the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Judges 3:1  Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, …  4  And they [the heathen nations with their gods] were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

The Lord left some heathen, some false gods, and some false prophets in the land to prove Israel by them. He left some defiled bread there. He left some false doctrine. To prove them, whether they would eat His bread, or the bread of idols.

Deuteronomy 13:3  Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Do you wonder why these things are so hidden? Why are they called mysteries? Why are they so hard to see? Why is the truth so hard to find? Why is there so much doubt about who to believe? Why are there so many religions? Why are there so many “denominations”? Why are there so many false prophets? Why are the false prophets able to deceive so many? Why are they allowed to?? Why is there so much leavened bread???? Why does the Lord allow it?

To prove you. To try you. Whether you will eat His bread, or the bread of the false prophets.

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Philippians 2:19-22  But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, …  22  But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

It is the gospel coming out of your mouth that is the proof of you.

Prove your own selves… know ye not your own selves… Where is the proof?!?

2 Corinthians 2:9  For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

The proof of you is whether ye be obedient in “all things” (the gospel, eternal life).

Try the heart to see if it is obedient in all things (i.e., the gospel).

Try the heart, prove it with hard questions, to see what is within the man. All things? Eternal life? Or confusion – and thus every evil work?

Your carnal works cannot be used to prove yourself. The works of the law prove you unrighteous, and under sin.

Romans 3:9-10  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;  10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

If you call yourself righteous, when none is but God, it proves you perverse. Proclaiming your own righteousness proves you preserve.

Job 9:20  If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

Your worKs cannot be used to prove yourself. Rather, your worDs prove you.

It is the gospel coming out of your mouth that proves you a true man.

It is anything else coming out of your mouth that proves you a spy.

It is your works (your own righteousness) coming out of your mouth that proves you perverse.

Galatians 6:4  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

This verse doesn’t say what the false prophets would like it to say.

It doesn’t say: but let every man prove himself by his own works.

It doesn’t say: but let every man prove, demonstrate, his true faith by doing good works.

Your works don’t prove you. Rather, you are to prove your work.

Don’t use your works to prove yourself! Rather, prove your work, with the word of God. With fire, with bread, with doctrine.

You ought to try, test, examine your work (singular) by the word of God, to judge whether your work be good and true, or whether it be evil. What sort is your work? Try it now, because He will try it soon.

Good fruit or evil fruit? Pure oil or stinking ointment? Clean bread or defiled? Leavened or unleavened? Spiritual or natural? A living stone or a natural stone. New Jerusalem or old Jerusalem. Eternal life or death? Jesus or anything else?

What is your work? Paul knew where his work was… it was in the gospel.

1 Thessalonians 3:2  And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

Our work is in the gospel. Our work is in the word of God. Prove your own work. Are your works spiritual or natural?

Paul knew where His work was.. it was in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 9:1  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

Paul knew what his was… it was people.

Paul’s work was New Jerusalem. Paul’s work was husbandry. Paul’s work was the body of Christ.

Paul proved his work (the brethren, the churches) with the word of God.

Have you proved your work? Do the people you have preached to have eternal life? Or are they confused? Or are YOU not sure? What do they teach.. is their doctrine pure? Prove your own work!

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Matthew 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

MANY will stand before the Lord and say, “we did many wonderful works”, to which He will say “ye work iniquity”. They had not proved their own work. If they had, they would have found it to be fake.

I don’t want that to be me! Do you want that to be you?

We better prove our doctrine. We better try our gospel. We better test our prophecies!

Jeremiah 14:14  Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

The false prophets don’t KNOW they are false. They are sincere. They believe it. But they are deceived.

IF you have not proved your doctrines, your prophecies, you’re a false prophet.

“Lord, Lord, I prophesied in your name, I did many wonderful works in your name.”

Matthew 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

You need to prove your doctrine, and you also need to prove your own work. These have proved neither, but were deceived. Their doctrine was false/fake, and their work is false/fake.

We better figure out what a true good work is, and whether that work is our work. Is your work good? Are your “good works” true good works, or are they reprobate? Prove them! Try them. Put them on trial!

2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Prove yourself. Put yourself on trial!

In court, we use evidence to prove innocence or guilt. You need evidence that Jesus Christ is on you! You need evidence that you are “in the faith”! Well, guess what the evidence is?

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is the evidence, of course. Do you have faith in you? That is evidence.

If faith comes out of your mouth, with no works involved, that is evidence.

Works are not called “evidence”, but faith IS.

Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The evidence is faith alone. Faith, without mixture. Without works. Without boasting. Without confusion.

Now, I suppose finished works (fruit) will be evidence at the judgment, but carnal works (what you do and don’t do) are not evidence to us now. You can’t use them to prove yourself. If you use them to prove yourself, then you will be completely blindsided when one day the Lord proves you with FIRE.

How does one prove himself? How does one test to know that he is not a reprobate?

By faith, by words, by meat and drink, by fire, by doctrine, by the word of God, with hard questions.

Certainly not by works. There is nothing else with which you should try yourself. Nothing else to prove yourself by, other than by the Word of God.

Finally, once something is proved, and found to be good and true and obedient, it is called “approved”. And we are approved by – no surprise – the word of God.

2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

How else should one be proved, and by what else can one be deemed approved? Nothing.

Work in that book. Dig in that book.

Divide the word… divide truth from error. Divide flesh from Spirit. Divide Jesus Christ from everything else. Divide true doctrine from error.  Divide strange fire from fire. Divide pure oil from stinking ointment. Divide leavened bread from unleavened. Divide faith from works. Divide carnal works from spiritual works. Divide our works from the Lord’s works. Divide our faith from His faith. Divide false prophets from true. Divide false apostles from true. Divide false brethren from the brethren. Divide spies from true men. Divide reprobates from Real Christians. DIVIDE! Lay down THE LINE!

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Acts 2:22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Does this contradict what we’ve established?

God himself was approved by the Lord’s work: working what only He can work. By bringing forth bread and water. By healing the sick, by raising the dead. By working salvation in the Earth. How? With His word. The only way for us to do the Lord’s work is in the gospel.

Build the city of New Jerusalem (with words, with wisdom), that work (when it is tried) will stand witness for you, that you are approved.

Lay the line down between man’s work and the Lord’s work.

1 Corinthians 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

The false prophets are here to PROVE YOU. Heresies are present to TEST YOU.

The Lord does not prove you with works, but with doctrine – MEAT (bread).

You will be justified or condemned not by your works, but by your words.

How else can we approve a man? How else can we know ourselves? How else can we distinguish between Real Christians and false brethren. How else can we distinguish between true pastors and false prophets? By their worDs. Whether their words are His words. Whether they are faith and hope, or they are doubt and confusion.

Romans 16:10  Salute Apelles approved in Christ. …

A man is not approved by his works. A man, and his works, must be approved IN CHRIST.

Either one is IN CHRIST (approved), or in works (reprobate).

The Lord’s Work – Part 9

Prove yourself

Now back to 2 Cor. 13:

2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, …

How can you prove your own self that you are not a reprobate and your works are not fake??

What does it mean to prove one’s self? What does it mean to prove a person?

Psalms 26:2  Examine me, O LORD, and prove me…

To examine, to try, to inspect, to test.

Pass (proven and approved) or fail (proven and disapproved).

1^st instance of “prove” in the Bible:

Genesis 42:15-16  Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.  16  Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

To prove them was to try them. To determine if they were true men, or liars (FAKE). Were they full of truth or deceit?

Proving someone is testing them to know who they are. To know if what they say they are (true men/Christians) is true or false.

A man is proved by proving his words, whether they are true or false. If there is deceit in them, then surely he is a spy.

If a man presents himself as a Christian, he is one of two things, true or a spy.

“prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, …” How??

Spy/spies – 25 times in the OT, but only 3 times in the NT.

Luke 20:20  And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

Who is a true man and who are spies today? Those that feign themselves just men.

This is what spies (the unsaved) are: FAKE just men.  We should prove ourselves to find out if we are true just men, or fake!

You say, “Oh I get it, so we should watch our words and our actions to see what we and other people do! And if we say and do bad things, then we are spies!” No! I’m not giving you more ammo to do what you’ve been doing your whole life: judging based on works. Don’t watch their works.

Spies don’t say and do bad things. Spies assimilate. Spies are very skilled, very subtle liars.

Jesus “perceived their craftiness”, and “knew their hypocrisy”.

You won’t know based on works. Works are the very thing they use to fool you!

Galatians 2:4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

A true man does not take away liberty and bring men into the bondage of the law. That is the exact opposite of what a true man does. A spy looks to see what he can take away. A spy takes away liberty and bring others into bondage.

We should prove ourselves, and we should prove others (especially our teachers) to be either true men, or false brethren. Believers or unbelievers. Real Christians or Reprobates (Fakes).

Deuteronomy 8:2  And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

The Lord proved Israel in order to know, not what they did, but what they would do (good or evil – obey or disobey) by trying their heart… to know what was in their heart (obedience or disobedience).

The Lord tries (and will try) a man’s heart. Pulling out (manifesting) what is in a man’s heart (their fruit) is how we prove a man. We need to see whether there is any truth in you. Not if you can say a true thing. Is there truth in you?

What a man truly is, and what a man has, and subsequently what he does and says, proceeds from his heart. You’ve got to try the heart, to know the person. Otherwise, you will not know whether they are true men, or spies – reprobates!

Psalms 26:2  Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

To prove a man is to try, test, examine his heart. To know what is in his heart.

We need to get to the source!

2 Chronicles 32:31  Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him [King Hezekiah] to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

Psalms 66:10  For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

Proverbs 17:3  The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

The Lord is going to try your heart. And He is going to try it with FIRE, to know all that is in it. To see what sort your work is. Whether it be good silver, or it be reprobate silver.

You better prove/try it first. You better know all that is in it, what comes out of it, and of what sort it be.

Psalms 139:23-24  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

If he finds wickedness in your heart, then you will be judged as a spy (wicked).

If the Lord tries (proves) your heart and finds ANYthing evil in it, you will be disapproved, and not approved. You will be found a spy, a reprobate!

You need to have a heart with NO evil in it.

Psalms 17:3  Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

I don’t think this is David in the flesh (liar, adulterer, and murderer just like all men) talking. This is David in Spirit. This is Jesus Christ speaking.

You need to have His heart. You need to be given a new heart from Him.

This is what we are examining… the sort and contents of the heart!

2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, …

So how do we prove (try) a person? How do we search, try, test his heart as silver and gold? How do we draw out what is in it? How do we prove it, to see which sort it be?

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1 Kings 10:1  And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

You need to be proven (prove yourself) with hard questions! We have 2 we like to ask.

“Who are you to ask me that? I don’t have to answer to you”, they say! Why are they so offended?

Because it’s a hard question, and they don’t have the answers.

If you fail those hard questions, you have manifested yourself as a reprobate. Just like reprobate SILVER.

Psalms 66:10  For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

How is silver tried… Silver is tried in a furnace with FIRE of course. So how do we try the heart? With FIRE, of course!!

The word of God is that fire.

Jeremiah 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Want to know if one’s heart is good silver or reprobate? Put fire to it!

Want to know if one’s heart is good ground or stony ground? Take a hammer to it!

Try them with FIRE. Prove a man, with FIRE.

Jeremiah 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Jeremiah 20:9  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Man’s spirit is a candle. Which sort of oil do you have? Which fire burns within you?

Either that light is inside a man’s heart, burning with oil.

Test them with the Lord’s fire, and see if they consume or they abide.

Hebrews 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Test them with the Lord’s wrath, and see if they abide, or they die.

Ezekiel 22:21  Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.

Our questions are hard questions of the Lord’s wrath.

Prove yourself (and others), whether ye be true men or spies/reprobates, with hard questions of the word of God.

This is not new. This is not unprecedented. In the OT, there was the precedent of this.

Daniel 1:12-15  Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.  13  Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.  14  So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.  15  And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

A man is proved with bread!

This is the precedent. The figure of the true. And the precedent is the pattern of the spiritually true.

If we were to prove a man according to this pattern, we’d examine his bread. We’d prove him with his choice of bread. We’d offer him good bread or the bread of the king of Babylon. We’d attempt to learn which bread he desires/trusts. We’d present both, and watch what happens. We’d see whether he eats pure and true bread (Jesus) and grows by it (receives life), or if he eats defiled bread (leavened) gets lean (retains death).

Exodus 16:4  Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

He said don’t leave of it until the morning, but they did.

He said don’t go out on the 7^th day to gather, but they did.

A man is proved by bread.

That is how The Lord is proved. By His meat!

Malachi 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

We should look at a man’s offering to the Lord. We should prove The Lord by His MEAT.

We should prove a man with his own bread. Has his bread been blessed? Has his bread given him eternal life?

Psalms 95:8-9  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:  9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

How was God proved? By his meat and drink. What did the people see as the result? His work! What??? So when we are proving a man we should look at his work? Well, yes. But, what work?

His work was bringing forth bread from heaven. His work was bringing forth water out of a rock.

When they tried God, they saw His work: His meat and His drink.

Of course, that manna in the wilderness was not the true meat and drink,

John 6:32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

But we now have the true:

John 6:35-58  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. …  55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  …  58  … he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

This is the bread, the meat, the drink that one should be proved by.

Prove yourselves with THAT work, with THAT bread. Have you eaten THAT bread? When you give others to eat, is it of THAT bread?

When you give others to drink of your water, do they thirst again?

When others eat of your bread, do they hunger again? Shall they live for ever? Or maybe not???

“I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.” How do we know ourselves? By meat and drink.

1 Corinthians 10:4  And [Israel] did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

That is how God was proved. And it’s the same for us. We prove ourselves by that same work: by bringing forth water out of a Rock. Can you do that?? Can you? … Speak to the rock.

A man is to be proved by the bread that he eats. By the water that comes out of his well.

Your mouth is a well, drawing water out of your heart.

Proverbs 18:4  The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

The water in your well, is the DOCTRINE that comes out of your heart.

Deuteronomy 32:2  My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

Jesus “perceived their craftiness”, and “knew their hypocrisy”.

If you want to prove a man, pull his water out of his heart, and see what sort it be.

Matthew 15:18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

It is the source. It is the bitter water that is in your wicked heart that proves you a reprobate.

I didn’t intend to explain any of this in this lesson, but how can I not? Its difficult to thoroughly teach one thing without tying it in with all the other pieces of the greater structure. I can’t dig down deep here without digging areas close by. I may not be able to open one door for you without revealing the key to all the others.

John 6:5-6  When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?  6  And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

Here is how Jesus proved Philip: by bread.

Here is how you can prove a man: with a hard question about bread. Ask him where he should buy his bread. Find out where his bread comes from. Find out if his bread comes from heaven or from the earth. Find out if its pure, or if it is leavened.  Does he even know there is an heavenly option??

The Lord’s Work – Part 8

Deuteronomy 7:9-10  Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;  10  And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

Man has worked, man will be repaid. Man will be rewarded, according to his works.

You do NOT want to be repaid for the works of your flesh!

We need to find MERCY before judgment. You will find no mercy at your judgment.

Isaiah 3:10-11  Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.  11  Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

The righteous will eat of his own fruit, and the wicked will eat of his own fruit.

It’s the fruit: the finished, tried work. And one tree does not bring forth both good and bad fruit.

They do not do of both sorts, and they will not receive of both sorts.

Proverbs 13:21  Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.

If at our judgment, we are found sinners, instead of completely righteous (made so by His mercy), evil will be repaid.

BUT! That is a line:

Sinners | Righteous

^

“but”

The righteous are NOT sinners. Sinners are NOT the righteous. And they are not rewarded with the same things. You can’t be repaid both, and you can’t be both.

Psalms 32:10  Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

There is a line. There are no people that will be repayed both good and evil.

You’re either all righteous or you’re all wicked. Likewise, you will be repayed either all good or all evil.

They are different people. In fact, they are judged in different resurrections entirely.

John 5:28-29  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  29  And shall come forth; they that have done good [TRUE GOOD], unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Each person will be judged after their sort. The righteous will be justified (because He IS good), But the wicked will be condemned (because he IS evil). And each will receive according to their works.

So I believe an unsaved man will not be rewarded good for his “good works” because a carnal man cannot do TRUE good works. I’d like to address each person and their sort of works.

Caution: These things are hard sayings. I am still struggling with them. So, as I attempt to teach you what I believe is truth, hold onto this understanding. There is a line between the righteous and the wicked.

1) The Wicked’s Works

First, lest address the wicked man and his works.

How? How is it that this person is not rewarded good for his “good works”?

I think of the atheist that is somewhat liberal with his money, and is often honest even when its hard, and doesn’t take, steal, or skim off the top, but repays his debts.

I think of the church goers that give to the church, and sing praises in the choir, and organize youth activities.

I think of the dissenters in the Holocaust. Or what about those Germans soldiers that saved some lives and killed others? They did evil and “good”. What about Schindler? Saving 1,100 Jewish lives from extermination. Certainly that was doing “good works”! But yet, he was no angel. He could have saved more. I’m sure he worked evil too. Maybe committed adultery, maybe committed fraud or lied to make some money.

But they all will only receive of according to the one singular SORT or their work (whichever it be – good or bad).

Why? Why shouldn’t these people receive both good and bad? Why should they receive only bad and not be credited for the “good” that they did?

How is it righteous of God to not reward one’s “good works”?

I believe it is because these “good works” are not TRUE good works. They are not good in truth. In the world they are called good. Under the law they could be counted good. Under the Old Testament they could be considered good.

And in a form, they are good. But ONLY in form.

How is it that this man’s “good works” are not counted as true good works?

Because they LOOK good in form, but in truth they are FAKE.

Reprobate

Titus 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Being in works, and not in Christ.

It’s in those very works, which they think are good, that they deny him. Believing that their works are good, they deny the truth.

The truth is that a wicked (unsaved) man’s good works are NOT TRUE good works. And thus, justly, fairly, they are not counted good at his judgment.

The wicked cannot do true good works. He is incapable of it. Not because they don’t do “good things”, but because they believe they are good works. Because they are unbelieving, unrepented, wicked sinners, and thus all of their righteousnesses are reprobate. What is a “reprobate”?

Jeremiah 6:30  Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

A reprobate is a FAKE. A reprobate is rejected as FALSE. Rejected as FAKE.

Oh, “fool’s gold” looks like gold to many people. And oh, reprobate silver looks like real silver, probably feels like real silver. Probably can trick a lot of poor, uneducated, untrained people… but when it is examined, when it is weighed, and when it is tried… its true nature is manifest.

Counterfeit cash looks like real cash. It can fool a lot of people.

Poisonous berries look like good fruit. They can trick a lot of people.

Poison Ivy looks like a fine leaf to wipe your butt with when you’re out in the woods.

But if you understood what these “good things” really are, you would reject them.

2 Timothy 3:8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

It is concerning the truth which they (we) are in error. It is concerning faith that they are reprobate – counterfeit.

It is not just the works that are reprobate… it is THEM who are reprobate.

If it grows on a poison ivy vine, its not true. If it was made in a thief’s basement, its not true.

Psalms 33:4  For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

Mankind can do “good” and evil. But what mankind brings forth is always the same: reprobate.

Why? Because mankind is not in the truth. Mankind is not in the Spirit of God.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?  6  But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

There is a line here!

A reprobate is not IN CHRIST. A Reprobate is not IN THE FAITH.

A reprobate is IN THE FLESH, not IN THE SPIRIT.

A reprobate is IN WORKS, and not IN THE GRACE OF GOD.

“In works they deny him, being disobedient… and unto every good work reprobate.”

They deny him in that they believe their works are truly good. Because they don’t know their own selves in truth.

Their works are not real because they themselves are fake. Like a thief’s basement.

Their good works are not good, because they (themselves) ARE reprobate (outside of Christ).

The wicked cannot do good works. Not because they don’t do “good things”, but because all of their works are performed outside of Christ.

If you are a reprobate, then all of your works are, and will be, rejected as reprobate. This is really important, so I want to spend some time here.

How do we know we are not reprobates? How and where do we draw the line between a true man, and a reprobate? Let’s examine ourselves!

In the faith

2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; …

To be “in the faith” is to understand and hold the doctrine of the gospel of grace. To study and grow in understanding allows one to be strong and well stablished “in the faith”. But to simply “be in the faith”, is to be saved by the gospel of Christ, to have understood, repented, believed, and confessed the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 16:13  Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Colossians 2:7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

1 Timothy 3:13  For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

We should be STRONG and BOLD “in the faith”, by being taught in the doctrine. This is not by good works!

Romans 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Even one that is weak in the faith (a baby Christian) is still “in the faith”. He may need to be strengthened by teaching, but he is still saved, and at no risk of losing salvation.

Colossians 1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

One is “in the faith” by receiving the preaching of the hope of the gospel.

One who is saved, is living, abiding, continuing, in the faith, by the Spirit.

One who is saved, or a church which is saved, could possibly be moved away by false teachers in the flesh, but the spirit is still living in the faith, in Jesus.

If we lost faith, so what? He abideth faithful! There is no loss of salvation!

So even if an individual can be “moved away”, it would not be by evil works, but by not preaching, or by falsely preaching, the HOPE of the gospel.

The exhortation to examine ourselves and determine if we are “in the faith”, is to determine if we are in the gospel.

Titus 1:5  For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Crete, where Paul left Titus to oversee the church(es), to set the doctrine in order and to ordain elders, had a problem with false prophets.

Titus 1:10-14  For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:  11  Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.  12  One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. 13  This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;  14  Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

“evil beasts”: These are not mere evil men – these are false prophets, called: “brute beasts” in 2 Peter 2:12 & Jude 1:10.

Titus was to rebuke the Cretians, especially the pastors and elders, that they would not give heed to these evil beasts who were of old ordained to condemnation, and which taught heresy for money and praise of men.

To lay down the lines of the gospel so that the people MAY be SOUND, secure, well established, “in the faith.”

To be “in the faith” is to be in the doctrine – the truth. To be SOUND in the faith, is to be emboldened and assured of the HOPE we have in Christ, and to not be able to be moved by false teachers of WORKS (commandments of Judaism or of natural man).

This is what I believe about being “in the faith”.

The phrase “in the faith” is always about doctrine. The references are about either being in the doctrine, or being STRONG in the doctrine. It is not about works – not about being good and righteous or maintaining good works.

Commandments to be good and obey the works of the law (either law) turn people from the truth.

This is what I’ve concluded: I’ll not go any deeper into the phrase “in the faith”, which occurs 12 times (we’ve seen 7). I believe this summary should do. I welcome you to look at each one and let me know if this explanation does not line up.

Just a little surprise for you, see the next 2 verses after this warning and explanation of “in the faith”:

Titus 1:15-16  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.  16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

One is either “in the faith”, or “in works”. And if one is “in works”, “they deny Him… being… unto every good work reprobate.”

If one is “in works”, he is not “in the faith”. For me, this passage proves that being “in the faith” is not by works. In fact, it’s the opposite.

It is having a DOCTRINE of WORKS instead of the doctrine of the hope of the gospel (eternal security in Jesus), that is the problem.

If one is in works, and not “in the faith” all his works are reprobate: rejected as FAKE.

The Lord’s Work – Part 7

Numerous times the Bible says that we will be judged ACCORDING TO our works.

But it does not say, nor does it mean, that we will go to one place or another based on our works.

It does not say, nor does it mean, that if we do evil we will go to an evil place, and if we do good we will go to a good place.

That isn’t how it worked under the law (e.g., theft, false witness, murder), and its not (for the most part) how it works here.

We are not sentenced to bad places, we are sentenced to receive evil things.

To be judged according to our works, is to be given back, recompensed, rewarded… exactly what we deserve, according to our works.

Psalms 62:12  Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

When you are judged by the Lord it’s: here is what you did, and here is what you deserve in return.

You will be REPAID according to your works.

Isaiah 59:18  According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

You will be REPAID. You will be RECOMPENSED according to your works.

If your work was good, you will be recompensed good. And if it was evil, you will be recompensed evil.

You will RECEIVE according to your works.

2 Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Colossians 3:25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

There is NO respect of persons!

You will be REWARDED according to your works.

Matthew 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Revelation 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

And that is NOT always a good thing…

2 Samuel 3:39  … the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

He’s not just going to give him evil because he is a doer of evil. He is going to give him an amount of evil according to his wickedness. It is proportional.

You will receive the due reward – the deserving portion – of your deeds.

You will be rewarded (given good, or given evil) according to your works.

God will judge the wicked and determine what evil he hath done, and how much evil in return is the just and fair recompense.

This is what it means to be judged ACCORDING TO your works.

Not that you will go where your works determine. But that you will receive what you deserve. You will reap what you sow. You will be repaid what you gave out. You will be recompensed according to what your works were.

NOT: if you do good things, you will go to a good place, and if you do evil things you will go to an evil place.

That may be how man judges according to works, but it is not how God judges according to works.

RATHER: If you do good things, you will receive (have) good things, and if you do evil things, you will receive (have) evil things.

Revelation 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Your works follow you. Their works will be with those that die in the Lord. Their works will go through the fire with them. And those that are not in the Lord, well, I believe they will have their works too: their works will remain in the Lake of Fire with them.

We know that the righteous in NJ will get rewards for eternity. They will reap what they sow. But I believe the wicked with receive eternal “rewards” too. Not eternal good things, but eternal evil things.

All of your sins, all of your wickednesses will be in the fire with you.

Ezekiel 24:12  She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.

Some will have “more abundant life”, and some will have “greater condemnation”… according to their work.

John 5:28-29  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

There are 2, and only 2, resurrections: the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation. Which one is yours?

There are 2, and only 2, sorts of people: they that have done good (the righteous) and they that have done evil (the wicked). There are no people that have done both good and evil.

There are 2, and only 2, sorts of people: the righteous and the wicked. There are no people that are both righteous and wicked. There are no people that have done both good and evil.

(Which resurrection is yours, having done “both”? Confused?)

If an unsaved man can do both good and evil, then God is an unjust judge to give him damnation instead of life. There has to be a line.

You have to divide flesh from Spirit to understand this. The works of the world – the flesh – are evil.

Likewise, there are only 2 sorts of work.

1 Corinthians 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Oh don’t you worry. It will be manifest. It will be evidenced. Your works will not be forgotten, or stricken from the record, or deemed inadmissible in court.

And the sort of your work will be clear. There will be no doubt. There will be no marginal judgments. No difficult cases. No grey area. No shadow of a doubt. It will be manifest of what sort your work is.

Notice: it, not they. It is a singular entity. It is of a singular type.

You are one thing, one tree. All your works result in one thing. You bring forth one type of fruit.  Once we identify the tree by its fruit (which is the easy part), the only question is: how much? How much fruit was brought forth – how extensive is your work – how much reward is deserved?

Matthew 13:23  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

There’s good fruit, and there is evil fruit. A good tree does not bear evil fruit and an evil tree does not bear good fruit.

A good tree is very different than an evil tree. Their fruit is very different. One is a tree of life, one is a tree of death.

But.. a good tree (at least now) is no different from another good tree. If it’s a good tree it will be harvested.

IT is only different in quantity.  And that is what you will be judged according to: how much good or how much evil.

2 Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

All those things (plural) are judged as one work, and IT is either good or bad.

Once it is determined which sort it is, then you will receive according to it – that work. A just and fair and equal reward, which is ACCORDING TO the amount of the work.

Ecclesiastes 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Your work is not of two sorts. Your work (it) shall be found to be good, or evil.

We do not receive both good and bad. Its whether “it” (not “they”, not “most”) be good or bad. It not the average or the difference. No percentages!

Your work (when finished, when revealed) is either all good or all evil. Your works (all of them) are found to be, and are judged as either a singular good work, or an evil work. It’s the end product that is evaluated. The finished work: the fruit.

It’s the FRUIT, not the works, that determines whether the tree will be gathered into the barn, or be hewn down and burned.

It’s the FRUIT, not the works, that determines the SORT of tree IT BE.

Jump back..

2 Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Again, not whether THEY ARE, but whether IT BE.  It is only of one SORT. It is all one work.

And not whether it WAS, but whether it BE. We are talking about something present, not something passed away. We are talking about the finished work. What is done.

The things (plural) you have done, your finished work, will be tried to reveal whether IT be good or bad. Then you will receive ACCORDING TO that work.

This is not the summation or the difference. This is not the average. All man’s works are the same. They are all one SORT.

These doingS are not evaluated and judged individually, but as one product. One product that is of one sort. Everything you did and everything you strove for your whole life and every thing that came out of your heart will be one complete work: wholly good, or wholly evil.

This is the finished work. This is the FRUIT of your tree. The only remaining question is: how much?

Jeremiah 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

It can only be of one SORT. The things done are of a singular sort.

If it is good, how much good? You’ll receive as much – proportionally – again.

If it is evil, how much evil? You’ll receive proportionally again.

This is being judged according to your works.

A fig tree doesn’t bear thorns and thorn bush doesn’t bear grapes. If you’ve seen one fruit, you’ve seen enough.

“Lord, Lord, what about the good things I did?” Don’t worry, you’ll have your trial: Present them!

James 3:16  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

If there is one evil work, there is confusion and every evil work.

Confused? I wonder why? … Maybe its because your works (all of them) are evil.

No one will go to heaven because they did good, but rather because they ARE good.

Likewise no one will go to the LoF because they did evil, but rather because they ARE evil.

All trees drink, all trees grow. All trees bring forth fruit. All trees sow their seeds. Those are works.

But it’s the resulting FRUIT, not the works, that determines the SORT of tree it BE.

Romans 2:6-10  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality [them that do good, the righteous], eternal life:  8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness [them that do evil, the wicked], indignation and wrath,  9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;  10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

You doeth one or the other. Not both. You receive according to one or the other. Not both.

There is no middle ground. No grey area. EVERY means EVERY.

If we have all done both good and evil then we all will be given both peace and tribulation, both eternal life and wrath, both honour and indignation. That is not going to happen. They have separate resurrections entirely!

We have to draw a line: There are no people that have done both good and evil. IT is good or IT is evil. You are good or you are evil.

There is a line, and there are no people that are on both sides of it; doeth both good and evil.

There is no “mostly” here. It is “every”. If you worketh evil, you will receive according to it. There is no lessened sentence. There is no mercy or leniency.

Every one who doeth evil and receives evil at his judgment, will not also receive (some) eternal life.

Every one who doeth good and receives peace and eternal life at his judgment, will not also receive (some) tribulation and anguish.

John 10:10  … I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Eternal life is a reward. Not that we must continually work to get or keep access to eternal life, but that we who have eternal life, can and should continually work to get MORE eternal life rewarded to us.

The first work(s) grant us eternal life (by grace). Then, according to the works -> fruit we produce in the Spirit, we will receive more eternal life… more abundant.

There is a “harsh judgment theory”, I think its called. Really its an inability to divide flesh from Spirit. But, if you do take that stance for EVERY Christian then you must take the opposite for EVERY unsaved man: he gets eternal life, right?  Of course not. No way!

Eternal death will not be with rewards of glory, honour, and peace – or eternal life. That is not death.

Eternal life will not be with rewards of tribulation and anguish – or eternal death. That is not life / peace.

And this all has to hold true. A good work gets a good reward. An evil work gets an evil reward.

If you do even one true good work, you will receive eternal life.

Getting saved is one first true good work which brings forth good fruit. No one will receive eternal life unless they are saved by grace through faith. Repent, believe, and confess.

Thus, my belief, and what I will attempt to prove and explain to you in Scripture, is that man in the flesh does not have the ability to do TRUE good works.

Remember this: man’s good works cannot be true good works. If they were, he would already have eternal life. If they were, Christ would have died in vain.

The Lord’s Work – Part 6

Titus 3:10-11  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;  11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

An heretick is one that is subverted from the doctrine of Christ by another gospel. We are to warn them! Warn them once, twice, and if they will not repent, you reject them.

Seeing as I’m not an Apostle and have not been given authority or even permission to speak in others churches, its not in my power nor my line of duty to admonish every false prophet. But if we happen across them, one attempts to come into our flock and teach error, this is how we are supposed to deal with them.

An heretick, a hypocrite, one teaching heresy, can be very easy to spot when you know what to look for: in judging others based on works, they condemn themselves.

An heretick, by his own words, condemns himself.

An heretick teaches faith AND works. Sometimes very subtilly. And in doing so, in teaching condemnation based on works, they condemn themselves. Because in those SUCH THINGS wherein they judge another, they doest the SAME THINGS.

Romans 8:33-34  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.  34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

If you condemn a man – a Christian – based on his works, you’ve condemned Christ. You’ve condemned the guiltless.

God despises this: wrong judgment. Condemning the guilty and justifying the righteous. This is what a heretick does. This is what a false prophet does. This is how God will judge them. The same way they judge. If you lay anything of the law to His charge, He will lay the whole law to your charge. If you judge another, you will be judged.

Matthew 7:1-2  Judge not, that ye be not judged.  2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

After the judgment that you judge, you will be judged:

If your neighbor’s eternal life is based on his works…

If your neighbor can go to Hell based on his works…

If Jesus Christ is of no effect unto your neighbor because of his works…

If your neighbor has to put away his sins to ascend into heaven…

If your neighbor has to live the rest of his live for the Lord and never turn back…

If your neighbor has to work to define himself…

If your neighbor has to be good and righteous in the flesh to ascend into heaven…

… don’t judge, don’t condemn! Why? Because thou doest the same things!

Romans 10:-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

That is all that is required to be saved. Its simple. But it has to be pure, without leaven.

Paul explains this in the context of the passage: understanding of the gospel must be without judgment of others. Without accusing or else excusing one another based on man’s works.

Romans 10:3-13  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness [which is by works], have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God [which is by grace through faith].  4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. [whether of Moses or of nature] 5  For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. [and none can!] 6  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise [here is how we are supposed to speak, such that our faith is counted for righteousness], Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? [who is so righteous? Who has proved themselves to be good? Who has turned from their sin and truly became a true unrelenting follower of Christ?] (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)  7  Or, Who shall descend into the deep? [who is so unrighteous? Who has messed up, or will not be able to go to heaven? Who has unforgiven sin at their death?] (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)  [This is called judging and condemning – accusing or else excusing one another based on their carnal works. In doing so, they are judging and condemning Christ, and making His work of none effect.] 8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; [Here is faith, here is the gospel, here is what we preach!] 9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  [It’s done. He descended, He ascended. There is no more work.] 11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.  12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.  13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

There is (in effect) no difference between the law of Moses and the law of nature.

You’re either a Jew or a Greek by nature (no difference), or a child of God by the Spirit (difference).

If you judge based on works of the law, you will be judged based on the works of the law.

And on that day, you will find that your works (all of them) are evil.

Galatians 3:1-3  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched 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?

The law (of Moses or of nature) has nothing to do with your salvation.

Your flesh is not involved in your salvation.. Your works of your flesh were not involved to start and they are not involved now.

We cannot do the Lord’s work in the flesh, and no works of the flesh are required to attain, or to keep, or to confirm, to define, or to prove our salvation.

And if you trust in works of the law (any law), you have been deceived, bewitched.

Faith is made perfect by works (James 2). But there is only 1 work required.

Faith is made perfect by works (James 2). But not our works. Not the works of the flesh. Not the works of the law. They are His works. Jesus did the works: the works of the Lord. And by those works, we have already been made perfect, in the Spirit.

According to your works

We will be judged according to our works.

Those things that mankind judges as evil, we do the same things… in the flesh.

Those things what mankind considers “the Lord’s work”, all of mankind does those same things.

Their works do not prove them good. Their “good works” will not cause them to be forgiven or to escape judgment. They are “breakers of the law”. And all of them, all of us (in the flesh), do the same things, and deserve the same judgment… that judgment is fair and just and equal. It is appropriate. It is according to your works. The punishment fits the crime.

I got to thinking about George Floyd’s manner of death.

Joshua 10:24-25  And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.  25  And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

This is a special kind of oppression. This is for the Lord’s enemies. I have to ponder, consider its significance.

Was George Floyd’s death unjust? George Floyd should not have been killed according to man. It may have been straight-up murder. But can you say that if the Lord caused this, or arranged this occurrence, that it was unjust?

Maybe that was not mere injustice from his fellow man. Maybe the Lord arranged that special for Mr. George Floyd.

Would you condemn the Lord’s judgment?

Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

I don’t know much about George Floyd, but I know that he deserved to have his neck pressed under an oppressor.

What?? How could you say that!! No one deserves to be treated like that!

Wrong. The Bible doesn’t agree. The Lord’s enemies deserve to be treated like that.

Whether or not George Floyd deserved this punishment from man, he definitely is deserving of it from the Lord. And if you are an enemy of the Lord, you do too.

George Floyd called out, “I can’t breathe!”

Psalms 104:29  Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Genesis 6:17  And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

This is man’s judgment for his violence. The Lord will take away his breath.

And in the Lake of Fire you’ll be squeezed, pressed, deprived of your breath.

Job 9:18  He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

One day God is going to have YOU put your foot upon the necks of your enemies. All these people screaming and shouting and rioting about an injustice to one man… they don’t understand justice and judgment. They think they do!

These are the same people (the mob) that wanted Barabbas over Jesus.

Acts 3:14  But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

They justify the wicked and condemn the righteous.

I say this not to condemn one man, or a mob of men, but all of mankind!

John 8:40  But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

I think they (mankind) are coming for us. Satan is behind all of this and he will take away our freedom to preach the gospel. They (mankind) will kill you if you tell the truth.

If you oppress, you DESERVE to be oppressed.

You are NOT a law abiding citizen to the Lord; in heart, in spirit. You did not just get drunk or high and be in the wrong place at the wrong time with some fake money in your hand. You have broken his law. You continually break it. You are disobedient. You are an oppressor. You are a destroyer. You are a murderer. You have put your foot on the neck of the innocent and when he cried for mercy, you showed none. In heart, you deserve that same fate. Whether you know it or not. Whether you believe it or not. You deserve to have your breath taken away!

BUT, Jesus took that punishment for you. They took away HIS breath, for your sins.

Ecclesiastes 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

You will be judged according to your works.

1 Peter 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

Revelation 20:12-15  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Your works will be found out. They will be manifested. They will be tried and judged. And you will be judged according to your works. What does that mean!?!?!

What this does not mean is that your works will determine whether you go to heaven (i.e., are justified) or the lake of fire (i.e., are condemned).

If it were to mean that, then Christ is dead and risen in vain.

Works do not decide eternity. These people are NOT justified or condemned because of their works. The deciding factor in the passage is whether their name is in the book of life!!

What this DOES mean is that you will receive the due REWARD of your works. He will REPAY you ACCORDING TO your works.

You will be GIVEN TO according to your works.

Revelation 2:23  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

1 Kings 8:32  Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

Psalms 28:4  Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

Desert: a reward or punishment merited. Merits, earnings, deservings.

He is going to GIVE to you what you deserve.

You will be RENDERED TO according to your works.

Romans 2:6-11  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

The Lord’s Work – Part 5

Let’s back up there in Galatians 5 (works of the flesh, fruit of the Spirit):

Galatians 5:1-4  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  2  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.  3  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.  4  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

If you must be circumcised and keep the law, you are still in bondage.

If you must love your neighbor, do humanitarian work, fight for freedom of Religion, build houses for the homeless, go to church, go door-knocking, hand out tracts, teach Sunday school, or even try to, or desire to do these things… If you must be better, if you must WORK, you are seeking to be justified by the works of the law.

Ye are fallen from grace, Christ has profited you nothing, and you are still in bondage under the law.

“But, we don’t do the law”, you say. “No, we don’t do the law of Moses! We just believe in Jesus and try to be like him, to live like Paul. We just try to maintain good works.”

Oh, that’s not “the law”? Remember the 1^st commandment? Remember the 2^nd commandment – love thy neighbor as thyself? All the law and the prophets hang on those 2 commandments.

The law is nothing but to do “good works”, “good things”. The laws of Moses are really no different than the laws of men.

Romans 2:14-15  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:  15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another😉

Who are thou that judgest another… thou that judgest does the same things!

The Gentiles do the SAME THINGS!!! It may not be Moses’ law, but they do have a law.

The work of the law is written in their hearts… by NATURE!! By nature, the law that they are to themselves, the law that their conscience uses to judge and condemn others, says the same things contained in the law of Moses. That is what they are using to judge each other, while they excuse themselves. And while they judge those that do SUCH THINGS, they do the SAME THINGS.

They are a law unto themselves, by nature. I’ll call this law: the natural law – the law of nature.

The whole world seeks to be justified by this law: the natural law. The law of themselves. The law of their conscience.

If I do enough good, and not too much evil, I will be convinced/excused. I will have proved my faith.

In effect, this is not a different law than the law of Moses. The two laws contain the same things.

Galatians 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Every false Christian will add works into salvation. Mormons, JWs, Amish, Mennonites, Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, and all other supposed “Christians” who do not simply believe in Jesus Christ ALONE.

But when they see these verses, regarding “the works of the law”, they believe that THOSE works are only contained in the law of Moses, and thus they are exempt from this condemnation of being “justified by the law” and thus “fallen from grace”.

Galatians 5:4  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

“Oh no, I don’t believe we are saved by good works, we are saved by Jesus, BUT… AND…”, here comes the leaven!, “…true faith requires, or prompts, or is defined by good works.”

“Oh, but we don’t follow the law!” Yeah, you do.. you follow the natural law.

The work of the law has always been written in the hearts of men. Now is no different.

Any good works that men strive to do are works of the law. They are the same works.

The commandments of that natural law are the against the doing of the SAME THINGS – touch not, taste not, handle not… adultery fornication, idolatry.. and such like! You think you are not under the law of Moses, but you are under the law of yourself which contains the SAME THINGS.

If any good works are required for salvation (to obtain, to keep, or to prove), then one is seeking to be justified by the works of the law. These condemnations do not only apply to justification by the law of Moses. It applies to justification by ALL works of nature – all works of the flesh.

Romans 2:27  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

While the Gentiles were far off and without God.. they had the same things contained in the law of Moses… written in their hearts.

Hypothetically, if the Gentiles, who had not the law of Moses, were able to keep the natural law, they would be saved. They would not be accused of the law as transgressors. The law would not allow them to be stung by sin and death.

Romans 2:25-26  For circumcision [being under the law of Moses] verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.  [The law of Moses does not protect you from death if you break it]  26  Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? [the law of nature is no different!]

Not “if thou break the law”… but “if thou BE a breaker of the law”.

Circumcision (being a Jew) does a man no good if he is a breaker of the law. Circumcision (of the heart, in the Spirit) does US good because we are no longer breakers of the law. We are no longer under the law (the natural law). We are FREE from the law. We are FREE from the flesh. We have LIBERTY from the law, and from the sin and death it allows to sting us.

Adam wasn’t circumcised. He didn’t need to be. We wasn’t a breaker of the law. He was free from the law, until that moment of his eating the fruit, when he was placed under the law. He wasn’t circumcised, and didn’t need to be. His uncircumcision was counted for circumcision because he was righteous… he kept the righteousness of the law.

You can circumcise your heart all you want, but if you ARE a breaker of the law…

Unless the Lord frees you from the law, and then circumcises your heart by the Spirit and births you as a new creature, your self-made circumcision (i.e., repenting from your sin, determining to put away your sins, promising to live the rest of your life for God) is counted for uncircumcision.

Put Simply: Whether circumcised or uncircumcised, if you are a breaker of the law (of Moses or nature) you cannot be counted righteous.

You have to keep the law perfectly in all points, or you’re guilty of all. And since none do so in the flesh.. we are all counted unclean, uncircumcised.

No matter how sincere your “heart change” or how intently you vow to turn from your sin and live your life for Christ, no matter how you try to show your love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance… and no matter how much you sincerely try…

“if thou be a breaker of the law”…

This is what a false Christian does not understand. This is how he messes up true doctrine.

He thinks he can keep the law. He thinks he does better than others. He thinks he does the Lord’s work.

He looks at the fruit, and tries to emulate it. Acting!

He is like a corrupt tree, let’s say a thorn bush, that hears a description of a good tree’s fruit, let’s say an apple tree, and thinks, I can make that! The fruit of the Apple tree is sweet, its juicy, its crisp, just a hint of tart. I can make that! I can look like that! I WILL do that, I promise!

Its dark now, but by morning light, I will have worked those things.

He is LITERALLY like that. That thorn bush can strive and try, and clean himself up, and do as many good works as he wants, he will never make an sweet, crisp juicy apple.

He wants to be good… by being good. If he can just do enough good, then he will be good, right? He wants to do “the Lord’s work”. He wants to obey the righteousness of the law.

Just be a good person, just be what God made us to be! Salvation does that right?

No, salvation makes a NEW man, a NEW creature, in the Spirit. And this carnal creature is completely unchanged and unrighteous.

Back to Galatians 5…

Galatians 5:7-9  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?  8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.  9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Just a little leaven. Just a little works required. Just do a little of “the Lord’s work”, just to prove you were sincere.

Galatians 5 SUMMARY: A Christian is free from the law. If the law effects you, Christ does not. Get those hypocrites, those hereticks, those false teachers out of the church, they are subverting souls. And if we live in the Spirit, we should walk in the Spirit.

What does a baby Christian have to know?

No matter what I do or have done, no matter what law I break in this life, no matter if I serve the Lord or not, I will have eternal life because of what Jesus Christ did for me.

Without knowing all the doctrine and the Scripture, he knows that he is free from the law.

Without knowing all the doctrine and the Scripture, he knows that God has promised that he will not be counted as “a breaker of the law”.

How awesome is that?! We are not COUNTED as breakers of the law.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute iniquity.

Because we’ve believed only, we are COUNTED righteous.

Romans 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but [ONLY] believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

“Works don’t save us, but works define us.” Fallwell, TRBC – on James 2

1 – that is exactly the opposite of that the passage says.

2 – it does not use the word “define”. That word is not even in the Bible.

Works “define” us? Where? Before men, or before God? In the flesh, or in the spirit? How? As real or fake? Will you know a real Christian based on his works? What if you don’t serve and obey for the rest of your life? What if you do some of those same things that you condemn? How do those works define you?

I’m not sure how a reasonable person listening to this garbage, would not either believe works are required for salvation, or at least be very confused.

Are they saved? We’d need to check their fruit. But it’s very much in question.

The Lord’s Work – Part 4

Our works – the Lord’s works – are salvation, eternal life. We believe to receive eternal life. We preach to give eternal life.

As long as we preach the doctrine unleavened, our work is not in vain.

“The works of Christ” only appears 1 time in Scripture.

Matthew 11:2-5  Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,  3  And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?  4  Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:  5  The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

His works showed to the Jews signs. But the signs were the demonstration/proof of his power to do those things in the spirit.

Mark 2:9-12  Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?  10  But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)  11  I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.  12  And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

He did those temporal works so that mankind would know that He had power to do the true work of the Lord.

Those are works that we, in the flesh cannot do. And yet.. every one of those marvelous works is performed in that very last phrase.

The gospel does every one of those things at the same time: Makes a man perfectly whole and cleansed from all sin.

Back to Matthew 11…

Matthew 11:5-6  … and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  6  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Who did he heal? Who did he heal on behalf of? Those that had faith – those that believed.

Those that were not offended – did not disbelieve. They receive healing, eternal life IN HIM.

“The works of Christ” are what HE does, and yet, in the gospel, they are what is GIVEN TO a believer.

We as Christians HAVE those works in us, and we GIVE those works to dwell in others.

We as Christians ARE those works, and we MAKE others to BE those works too.

1 Corinthians 9:1  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

Those that you lead to Christ (the work of the Lord) are your work in the Lord. You will not have laboured in vain.

“The work of Christ” only appears 1 time in Scripture.

Philippians 2:25,30  Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.  …  30  Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

Paul says Epaphroditus is his companion in labour.

Paul says Epaphroditus is his fellowsoldier.

The work of Christ can only be done by a Christian brother.

The work of Christ is the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now does the work of the Lord include “ministering to my wants”? We’d need another witness. Even so, Paul is on the frontlines and Epaphroditus is one of his right-hand men. His companion in labour is preaching the gospel, and suffering the same tribulations and persecutions. That is the Lord’s work!

Now, if on top of that, he was working to supply Paul with the carnal things that he needed (food, clothes, a tent) while Paul was praying and preaching, does that mean that you running a soup kitchen is the work of Christ? Feeding the poor is the same as being on the frontlines of the spiritual battle for the souls of mankind? I think not.

But.. supporting the ministry. Supporting those that are going the works of Christ. Ministering to those that are ministering the gospel. I think you have a part in the reward for the work of the Lord.

The work of Christ (as we are made able to do it) is giving eternal life. That is the one and only important work. Find the words of God and give the words of God.

This is the work that is not yet finished. This is the work that He is still working:

Hebrews 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Romans 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

Ecclesiastes 11:5  As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

The work of God is spiritual. An unsaved man cannot know it.

The World’s Work

Matthew 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:  20  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Mark 7:21-23  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

The things – the works and the fruit of those works – that come out of men’s hearts are evil.

John 7:7  The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

The works of the world are evil.

2 Corinthians 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

The world worketh death. But even the weakness of God works eternal life. The weakness of God is stronger than men. (what about the joy of the world? – “the world shall rejoice”)

The works of the world (all, not some!) are evil and they bring forth death.

What about the good works of the world? The works thereof are evil. It has none..

Romans 6:20-22  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  21  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?  [just the evil ones? Doubt it.. ] for the end of those things is death.  22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

In your flesh all your fruit is to death. All the works of the world result in death. All the works of the world are evil.

Galatians 5:19-21  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.

which are these – not SOME of which are these.

These are things that man does. These are the works of your flesh. This things come from your heart, your fleshly heart. These are things that you both do, and say, from your heart.

We are all guilty of such things..

Romans 2:1-3  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.  2  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.  3  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

If you do such things, and we all do.. you will not escape the judgment. You will be found guilty. You will not inherit the kingdom of God. You are worth of death.

Romans 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Romans 3:19-20  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The works of the world are evil. They all result in death and if you have SUCH works, you will not be justified.

Even with all this here, mankind still accuses or else excuses one another.

Even with all of this here, mankind still wants to compare their works.

Here is what they do:

Galatians 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, … and such like: … that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

…

Galatians 5:22-25  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

“Man, if I can just do these things, instead of the same things that the Bible says are the works of the flesh… If I can just do the Lord’s works… if I can just do the works of the Spirit!” … OOPS!

What does it say there? “The fruit of the Spirit”, not “the works”. This is fruit.

Could these possibly be called fruitS? Maybe. But the Bible doesn’t call THEM fruitS, it calls THIS “the fruit of the Spirit”.

But they are NOT works. If you think they are, please “do them”. You can’t.

You can have them, you can be them, but you cannot do them – e.g., faith, longsuffering.

These are things that one HAS, or one IS, not things that one DOES.

Maybe fruits? Maybe … But definitely not works!

We may not even HAVE these currently in us. It may be something that we will receive.

And notice:

Galatians 5:24-5  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

None of these good fruits come from the flesh. They are of the Spirit, in the Spirit.

You need to get rid of the flesh entirely: it is free from righteousness. The works of the flesh are THESE SUCH THINGS.

“We did the Lord’s work!” That’s what the world will claim.

Matthew 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

We were righteous! We did the Lord’s works! We did good works! We had the proof of salvation!

Oh the Lord will reveal their works and their fruit… by fire. He will show them their fruit.

Matthew 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

You may have done some “good works”. But that is not what you work. You work evil. You work iniquity. You do the works of the flesh. You never did the Lord’s works. You never were righteous and perfect in all your works. You never even did one work FOR the Lord. Not even once. Not even one thing.

Deuteronomy 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

The world’s work is with iniquity. You do your works in unrighteousness. Works done in the flesh are never without iniquity. You will never be justified by those works. Even as proof.