The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
- Isaiah 61:1

Soul Winning

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 28

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 28

#2) Jesus judged according to what He heard from the Father; Jesus judged according to the word of God.

 

John 12:47-48  And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.  48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Every one of us is going to have our judgment… our words… our doctrine… compared against HIS words.

The only way to be justified, is BY PERFECT judgment… by HIS perfect WORDS… by pure unleavened DOCTRINE.

 

Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

“Oh I don’t judge”. Well then, (A) you’re lying, and (B) you’re not going to be justified at your judgment, because don’t understand true, righteous judgment.

You have to judge men in order to overcome in YOUR judgment.

 

1 Corinthians 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? …

 

Even under the law, it was required that men judge other men.

Leviticus 19:15 … in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

 

Jesus commands us not to judge, but also He commands us to judge.

Matthew 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.

John 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

 

Paul says similar:

1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 … I judge not mine own self.  4 …but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

 

Its not a contradiction… it’s a need to spiritually DIVIDE! Paul calls it:

Colossians 1:9  … spiritual understanding;

 

1 Corinthians 2:13-16  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him [contradictory even!]: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

If you want to NOT BE JUDGED… you need spiritual understanding, a true understanding of righteous judgment.

 

If you want to “overcome when thou art judged” (Rom 3:4), you need to judge righteous judgment.

You must have salvation doctrine – a spiritual understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ – LAID DOWN, perfectly! Like a perfect corner stone! Like a sure foundation!

Level and Plumb … Straight! And of perfect dimension!

 

Isaiah 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: …

Righteous Judgment! The DOCTRINE of Jesus Christ!

That is that we ought to lay down, if we are to truly lay down “our lives” (Christ – Col 3:4) for the brethren.

If a man did not lay down his life for you… lay down righteous judgment for you… as a foundation, then you could not have been saved!

You might say, “how do you make that conclusion from Isaiah 28:17?  How do you know its applicable to ‘laying down our lives for the brethren’, how do you know it’s applicable to laying down Jesus Christ?”

Well, because the verse right before it is this…

Isaiah 28:16  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

This is how God is going to build His house. He is going to lay down Jesus Christ, the corner stone, and then He is going to lay down, and measure every stone (every man and every man’s judgment) against Christ. And He will either accept that stone, and build that stone in, or reject that stone, and cast that stone away.

 

Jesus CHRIST must be LAID DOWN so that men can fall upon Him and become the same type of stone!

1 Peter 2:4-5 … a living stone … Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,…

Proverbs 10:25… the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

We lay down our lives, SPIRITUALLY, so that men can be built into the house; the body of Jesus Christ.

 

We do this by LAYING DOWN a foundation of DOCTRINE, such that men can REPENT, and be saved BY FAITH! (Rom 10:8-13)

Hebrews 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

If a Christian is not LAYING DOWN “the foundation of repentance FROM DEAD WORKS”, then he is not laying down his life for the brethren.

Salvation doctrine must be “LAID DOWN” perfectly, so that men can obtain the ETERNAL LIFE of Jesus Christ. We “lay down” DOCTRINE as a foundation, by preaching the gospel!

 

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 According to the grace of God … I have laid the foundation, …  which is Jesus Christ.

When a Christian preaches the gospel of grace, he is “laying down” his life, as a foundation.

The correct response for the lost hearer, is to enter into that PLACE of repentance, and DIE with Christ, to obtain HIS LIFE.

 

How?? By the word!

By repenting from works, and believing, and confessing… THE WORD!

THE WORD, is the stone, is the foundation!

1 Peter 2:4-9  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,  5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, …  8 … a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word… being disobedient: …

That is the stone, the meat, the water, the doctrine, the judgment and righteousness, THE LIFE that we Christians “lay down” for the brethren, as a sure foundation… we “lay down”, THE WORD!

 

And “the word” is laid down.. BY THE GOSPEL!

1 Peter 1:22-25 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:  23 Being born again, … by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  24 For all flesh is as grass … 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

 

We lay down our life, for the brethren, by laying down THE WORD.

The gospel, “the word” … is OUR LIFE!

Deuteronomy 32:46-47  And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.  47  For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

 

The word is our life. Preaching “the word… by the gospel”, is laying down “your life”!

So, we OUGHT TO lay down pure salvation doctrine for the brethren!

 

1 John 3:16 … we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

 

For Christians, we “lay down our lives” when we preach the gospel of grace out of our mouths.

For the lost, I believe there is a way in which they lay down “their life”, when they REPENT of their works, BELIEVE the gospel of grace, and CONFESS it unto salvation.

That is them LAYING DOWN the same foundation.

 

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. …  17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Loving… Giving… “in deed and in truth”, must be done by giving SPIRITUAL things that feed souls!

When someone lays down his life (his spiritual life, Jesus Christ) by preaching the gospel so that the SOULS of others are fed, are clothed, are SAVED… this is how we PERCEIVE the love of God.

 

Preaching the gospel of grace is TRUE, Unfeigned Love of the Brethren!

 

But loving other in the flesh, even sacrificing your fleshly life… is not true love, and it is not proof of the love of God in a person. Why? Because sinners love others that same way!

Luke 6:32-35 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.  33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.  34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Sinners love with the same love that Christians do, in the flesh! Are THEY ALL children of the Highest, with a heavenly reward awaiting them? Of course not…

If a sinner is already capable of the true, unfeigned love that Christian is… then there is no need to be “purified unto unfeigned love”.

So, fleshly good works CANNOT be TRUE LOVE of the brethren. No matter the “motivation”.

 

You just have to love your enemies one time, and then you become a son of God.

Well… Can’t sinners love their enemies?? Physically, yes! But spiritually, no!

 

The true enemy of a lost person is a saved person. And vice versa!

Romans 5:8-10  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  …  10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

A sinner loving another sinner, by doing fleshly good works, is NOT a man loving his enemy.

And a Christian loving another man in this world, by doing fleshly good works, is NOT him loving his ENEMY!

By • Binaryism, Christian Doctrine, False Prophets/Doctrine, Good Works, Identifying False Christians, Problem Texts, Soul Winning, Spiritual Circumcision, The Judgment • 0

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 26

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 26

Preaching the gospel, preaching Christ crucified, on the cross, is giving men the power to DIE in the flesh, but the power to LIVE in the spirit.

1 Peter 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh [Rom 6:23], but live according to God in the spirit.

We preach the gospel, Christ crucified, “that they might…LIVE…IN THE SPIRIT”.

To preach the gospel is to lay down our life  (Jesus Christ), so that the dead can LIVE.

 

THAT is true unfeigned love! That is how we can love others as Jesus loved us.

John 15:12-13 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

If you lay down Christ, you have loved exactly the same way that God loved us (John 3:16,6:33).

 

Me physically laying down my life in this world, even me dying on a physical cross in this world, like Jesus did, does not give ANYONE eternal life, IN THE SPIRIT!

I have no life in me to give!

John 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

John 6:53  …  Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

To “lay down your life” for the brethren, is to lay down Christ, as bread, as meat… so people can EAT HIM, and get LIFE!

 

You say, “What? In order to lay down our lives, we need to “lay down” meat for people?”

 

Yup! That’s what Jesus did in order to love us!

Hosea 11:4  I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

Deuteronomy 10:18  He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.

 

John 6:54-55 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

In order to pass from death unto life, we have to eat His flesh. Why?

 

Because we have to go with Christ through the operation of God… to pass through death, unto life… by going THROUGH HIS FLESH.

Colossians 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

How??? How does a man eat and drink Christ, so that he can pass through death unto life WITH Christ?

How do you LITERALLY eat His flesh?

 

John 6:60-64 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?  61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?  62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?  63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  64 But there are some of you that believe not.  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

The only way to eat and drink Christ crucified, and thus pass with Him through death unto life, is to receive the gospel! A man has to believe and confess HIS WORDS: the WORDS of eternal life.

John 6:67-68  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?  68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

To eat Jesus, and to obtain eternal life, is to BELIEVE His WORDS! Those words are OUR LIFE!

 

And thus, to “lay down” “OUR LIVES” is to lay down HIS WORDS.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

True unfeigned love, is laying down wisdom, laying down the gospel, so that those that receive it, receive LIFE.

 

Proverbs 16:22  Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.

This is why we PREACH “Christ crucified”.

Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

 

1 Peter 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached…that they might… live…in the spirit.

 

Laying down “my life” on earth, physically, by my physical death, is laying down a vain thing.

Laying down “my life”, spiritually, by preaching the gospel, is laying down a Rock; a Rock with living water inside of it.

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

Out of that dry flinty stone (Christ crucified), came a spiritual drink of LIVING water. (Deu 8:15, Psa 114:8, Isa 32:2, Neh 9:15, John 7:38)

Giving a spiritual drink of cold water (Jer 18:14, Pro 25:25, Mat 10:42), living water, out of the Rock, is giving ETERNAL LIFE to people.

Giving the gospel to people is “laying down” our life… THAT is true unfeigned love.

There is no greater love than that!

 

John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Refer back to Proverbs 10:11 and Proverbs 16:22!

Every Christian HAS received that water, that life, in them, and is capable of giving it out to others.

 

Psalms 84:4-7 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: …  6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.  7 … every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

This is why Peter says our souls have been purified unto unfeigned love of the brethren. Because we are CAPABLE of giving eternal life to people (i.e., to the brethren) out of our mouths!

 

And because we CAN, we OUGHT TO!

1 John 3:16 … we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

 

We OUGHT TO “lay down” … or perhaps, “drop down” (4 times – Deu 33:28, Pro 3:20, Isa 45:8, Joe 3:18 – dropping/raining down a drink of WATER!), a SPIRITUAL drink!

This “spiritual drink”, out of the Rock (1 Cor 10:4), that we “drop down” is our WORDS!

Job 29:22-23  After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.  23  And they waited for me as for the rain; …

Deuteronomy 32:2  My doctrine shall drop as the rain…

 

Psalms 78:16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

 

That salvation doctrine, that same spiritual drink, that cold, living water, is RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUDGMENT!

Amos 5:24  But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Righteousness (Heb 5:13) and Judgment are HUGELY important concepts in salvation doctrine.

And there are two “kinds” of each!

 

Psalms 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

 

Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; …

 

Matthew 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.

The false prophets love that one! Gasp! “You just judged me! You can’t do that! How dare you judge me!”

 

John 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

 

John 8:15-16  Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.  16  And yet if I judge, my judgment is true…

 

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. … 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?  …  6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  7 To [some] … eternal life:  8  But unto [others] … indignation and wrath,  [which will you deserve?]  9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, …  10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, … 11  For there is no respect of persons with God.

Which one are you? You think you will escape His judgment??

 

John 5:29-30  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. [which one are you?]   30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; …

So which one are you?

By • Binaryism, Christian Doctrine, False Prophets/Doctrine, Good Works, Identifying False Christians, LHBC Core Beliefs, Problem Texts, Soul Winning, The Judgment • 0

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 25

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 25

Romans 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

How is giving your life, the life in your dead, sinful, fleshly body, going to profit anyone unto eternal life?

You need to give them the Spirit. “that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.”

How do you give them spiritual life? You do it through righteousness!

 

Proverbs 10:2  Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Proverbs 11:19  … righteousness tendeth to life: …

 

To give people righteousness, is to give people LIFE – true life – ETERNAL LIFE.

Romans 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

If you give them grace, and they receive the gospel of grace, then they receive TRUE righteousness, and this righteousness (God’s righteousness) gives ETERNAL LIFE, in the Spirit.

 

But, YOUR LIFE (your fleshly life) is NOT what men need you to lay down for them.

 

Matthew 6:25,33  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, …  33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; …

We have no life in us, in our flesh. And we have no true righteousness, in this world.

So how can we give righteousness, and give our lives, to give LIFE to others???

We give them HIS righteousness!

 

To lay down “our lives” for the brethren…

to give people “the life” that is in us, is to give them Jesus!

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This is “the life” that we ought to lay down for the brethren. The TRUE life.

 

Jesus IS the true ETERNAL life!

1 John 5:20 … Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

This is the true, eternal life that we must receive in us, and which also we ”OUGHT TO” lay down for the brethren.

 

You can’t save anyone with YOUR fleshly life. You have no life in you.

But you CAN SAVE someone with HIS LIFE!!!

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

 

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: …

 

Colossians 3:4 …Christ who is our life …

So Christians ought to LAY DOWN Christ, for the brethren.

 

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

How do we do that?

 

Laying down Christ

LAYING DOWN “our life” is laying down Christ.

Christians are able to do this LITERALLY!! … How?

What exactly should we “lay down”, to LITERALLY “lay down” Christ?

 

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, …  11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

To truly lay down our lives for the brethren, so that they live TOGETHER WITH US… we have to lay down Christ, as a foundation.

We do it, as Paul did it, by PREACHING DOCTRINE.

“LAYING DOWN” the DOCTRINE of the grace of God, by PREACHING Christ, is laying down “our life”.

 

As Christians, we “lay down our lives” when we lay down our “foundation”: when we lay down Christ.

And we lay down Christ, when we PREACH CHRIST!

Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

Acts 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

 

Preaching the gospel of Christ, “preaching Christ”…. is literally laying down a stone – a living stone – as a foundation!

1 Corinthians 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, …

When we preach THE GOSPEL (Christ crucified), we are “laying down”, “our life”, as a STONE. To some, the life that we lay down (i.e., the gospel that we preach) is a sure foundation. But to others it is a stumblingblock!

 

Romans 9:32-33  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;  [the gospel of grace without works!]  33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Notice that: the gospel of grace through faith, without works, is equated with Jesus Christ Himself. Preaching the doctrine of grace IS preaching Christ.

So… preaching the gospel of grace is “laying down” “our life”, as a ROCK; as a STONE!

 

Luke 20:14-18  But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.  15  So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?  16  He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.  17  And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?  18  Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

When we preach Christ to the lost, we lay down our life – we lay down Christ – as a foundation stone.

Men either believe it, and are saved by it, or they reject it, and are destroyed by it.

 

To truly lay down our lives for the brethren, so that they live TOGETHER WITH US… we have to lay down Christ as a STONE, that people can fall upon, sow themselves into (“other fell on good ground”), and DIE with Him.

John 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

 

Romans 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

 

To lay down our lives for the brethren, we have to give people the GOSPEL!

We have to PREACH CHRIST, so that people can DIE with him.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach … Christ Jesus the Lord;…

 

But see… we don’t just preach a living, resurrected Christ. We also preach a DEAD, or DYING Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

 

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;

I am crucified. Not I WAS crucified.

Romans 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

And not only that, but…

Romans 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: …

And not only that, but…

Colossians 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

And not only that, but…

Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

 

Some part of Christ is in me, crucified, and is dying, and is dead, and is buried, and is risen, and is living in Heaven.

Do I understand how all of that works? No.

(Heb 5:11 “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered…”)

Do I know what part(s) of me and what part(s) of Christ is that true of? No!

 

But, I know that this operation required that I first be “crucified with Christ”.

HOW?!?!

There has to be a way for people today to be crucified with Christ.

 

I believe, I needed a preacher to come and “lay down” “Christ crucified”, so that I could go in and be crucified with Christ.

 

So when we preach, we preach “Christ crucified”!

1 Corinthians 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, …

 

Galatians 3:1  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?

In preaching the gospel… we are LAYING DOWN our life, laying down Christ crucified, that men might go with Him, through death, unto life. To die with Him, and live with Him.

 

1 John 3:14 … we have passed from death unto life, …

If they choose to enter in, and REST in Christ, then they are crucified with Him, and immediately also die with Him, are buried with Him, and rise again with Him, and live together with Him.

 

This is what the laying down of our life, that is what the preaching of THE GOSPEL, allows:

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

 

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

By • Christian Doctrine, False Prophets/Doctrine, LHBC Core Beliefs, Problem Texts, Salvation, Soul Winning • 0

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 24

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 24

Here is another requirement to meet: you have to give them YOUR LIFE!

Romans 5:8-10 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Jesus died to give us HIS LIFE – a life we didn’t already have.

Not, to FINITELY extend our OWN present lives.

Jesus died to give us HIS eternal life.

 

Hebrews 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Jesus gave us HIS LIFE. But me physically “dying for” someone else isn’t giving that person MY life.

And even if it were… IT isn’t the same thing that Jesus did, because His life, is an ETERNAL LIFE.

 

1 John 3:16 … he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

How is me laying down my own FINITE, fleshly life, EQUAL to Jesus laying down HIS ETERNAL LIFE?

 

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Jesus laid down something WAY more valuable than MY OWN life.

In my flesh, I’m going to die anyways. So what is the real loss for me?

But Jesus would NEVER have died!

 

Jesus laid down HIS ENDLESS life, so that those that believe in Him, would receive HIS ENDLESS life.

 

But, if you lay down your fleshly life for someone else in this world… do they live forever?

If not, then how can you apply these passages TO THE FLESH, and think that Christians are able to “lay down our lives” as Jesus did, IN THE FLESH?

 

Dying for someone else, in the flesh, is not giving someone a life that they didn’t already have. Much less is it giving anyone else an ETERNAL life!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

There’s another requirement that you have to meet: they have to BELIEVE in you for this to work!

Jesus laid down His life “that whosoever believeth… should not perish”.

Jumping in front of a bus for someone else… does that require men to BELIEVE anything in order to be “saved”?… Nope!

 

Here’s another qualification to meet:

You have to be innocent, and not fight condemnation at all!

1 Peter 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Matthew 27:4  Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. …

Not a single Christian meets this qualification!

 

Jesus willingly died, being SINLESS, being INNOCENT, and didn’t defend himself AT ALL.

Matthew 27:13-14  Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?  14  And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

 

Not even The Apostle Paul did that when he had a chance to do the same thing Jesus did IN THE FLESH! So how the heck can this be a requirement for salvation, imposed on anyone else IN THIS WORLD???

Acts 25:11  For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

This just CANNOT be imposed as a requirement on men’s fleshly lives. But it CAN be true of our SPIRITUAL lives IN CHRIST.

 

Here’s another qualification to meet:

You have to be sinless – it has to be impossible for you to sin!

Titus 1:2  … God, that cannot lie, …

Hebrews 6:18  … it was impossible for God to lie…

2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Not a single Christian meets this qualification!

 

Here’s another qualification to meet:

You have to take away their ABILITY TO SIN!

1 John 3:8-9  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

 

1 John 3:5-6  And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.  6  Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: …

 

2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

Here’s yet another qualification:

You have to die for sinners. You have to die for your enemies!

Romans 5:6-10  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. … 10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

 

1 Timothy 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

You have to die for ungodly SINNERS: your enemies, who you hate, and who hate you.

(Lev 20:23,26:30, Deu 32:41, 2Sa 22:18,41, Est 9:1,5, Psa 5:5,7:11,11:5,10:3,21:8,55:12,69:4, Dan 4:19, Hos 9:15, Zec 11:8, Luk 1:71,6:27)

 

Another requirement for you to meet, if you want to do this with your flesh:

They have to live IN YOU!

John 11:49-52 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,  50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.  51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;  52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

The reason for, and the effect of Jesus “dying for us”, was us, collectively, living with him, and IN HIM!

Is that what your PHYSICAL death can do for other men in this world??? Do they live IN you???

 

2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

So how can you apply these things to the FLESH, to the FLESHLY LIVES of men?

John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

1 John 3:16-18  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

 

You CAN’T apply this to the flesh. We CANNOT “lay down our lives” in the flesh, in TRUE UNFEIGNED love of the brethren.

Sinful flesh, dying for sinful flesh, is NOT a manifestation of true unfeigned love.

That CANNOT be the true interpretation of these passages!

 

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

How is me choosing to not commit sin, AS, or EQUAL TO, what Jesus did?

How is me choosing to serve my neighbor’s flesh instead of serving my own flesh, EQUAL what Jesus did?

Me living a more godly life in this world, is not laying down my life.

 

Even if we say that to “lay down my earthly life” is to physically die… then still…

How is my flesh, dying for another person’s flesh, EQUAL to what Jesus did?

It’s not!

 

And if that weren’t enough to convince you that this CANNOT BE about laying down YOUR FLESHLY LIFE, and even if it were, that you CAN’T DO IT, AS Jesus did it… there are yet a couple more requirements for you to meet:

 

You have to deliver them from this present world!

Galatians 1:4  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Can your death for another person, whether alive or dead, do that??

 

And then… another requirement… having delivered them from THIS world, you have to raise them up to live IN HEAVEN!

Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,  5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

How do you lay down YOUR life, and then take it up again, so you can live together, WITH those whom you save, IN YOU, IN HEAVEN?

This is true love. Not just laying down your life for someone else… but taking your life back up, and raising them up with you, to have YOUR life, WITH you, IN you, IN HEAVEN.

Can your physical death do that??

If not, then maybe we should consider that there must be some SPIRITUAL way to “lay down your life”.

 

There are so many problems with applying this concept to men’s FLESH:

  1. Unsaved people can do the same thing! And they do!

(“without me ye can do nothing”, “for a good man some would even dare to die”)

  1. You don’t have an eternal life to give.
  2. You can’t give men a life that they don’t already have.
  3. You can’t raise the dead.
  4. You can’t rise again after you die.

(“I lay down my life, that I might take it again.”)

  1. You can’t LIVE TOGETHER WITH the person you die for.
  2. The don’t have to BELIEVE in you, to be saved.
  3. You don’t have ETERNAL life in you.
  4. You can’t give them ETERNAL life.
  5. You are not INNOCENT, (and most likely will never go quietly into death, being innocent)
  6. You are not SINLESS.
  7. You can’t make THEM SINLESS (i.e. take away THEIR ability to sin).
  8. They can’t live IN you.
  9. They don’t escape this present evil world.
  10. They don’t live IN HEAVEN, with/in you.

 

 

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

How is my physical life, or even my physical DEATH, supposed to give anyone else a LIFE that they didn’t ALREADY have?

 

The problem with applying this to the flesh, is… I can’t give anyone else life, because…

I HAVE NO LIFE in me!

John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

If I WERE lay down my life, as in die physically, for someone else, COULD it give them (eternal) life?

 

Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? …

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

But people really think THAT is what God wants from us? To lay down OUR fleshly, worldly life, as in DIE PHYSICALLY for another person?

Is that going to profit anyone? Is that going to save anyone? … It’s a vain thing!

 

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

People think that God wants us to live THAT life, this fleshly life, for Him???

And people think that God wants us to lay down THAT life for the brethren?

 

Luke 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. …

Yet I hear things like, “you need to give YOUR LIFE to Jesus”.

“Let me tell you about what Jesus did for me, in MY LIFE!”

“You should tell people what Jesus did for YOUR LIFE.”

“Thanks for doing what you’re doing, you’re really making an impact on people’s LIVES.”

 

Our lives are a vain thing. Giving my life to God is giving him a “vain thing”.

And, a CORRUPT thing! (Mal 1:14, Rom 1:23, Gal 6:8, 1Co 15:50)

 

So how am I supposed to lay down my life for the brethren, AS Jesus did?

1 John 3:16-19 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? … 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth …

 

My fleshly life isn’t a “good thing”, … neither is there any “good thing” in my flesh that I can give to another man.

How can I give MY LIFE to others, when I have NO LIFE in me?

How can I give GOOD THINGS to others, when I have NO GOOD THING in me?

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: …

 

How can Christians do what Jesus did, AS Jesus did it??

How can you DIE… and through that death, give someone else a life that YOU have, but that THEY DON’T have, and then also rise again, so that you both live together in Christ, in heaven, as perfect sinless creatures with ENDLESS life??

 

So, how am I supposed to LAY DOWN MY LIFE, and GIVE GOOD THINGS to those that “have need”, and “hereby perceive…the love of God” in me, and “hereby…know” that I have the true, unfeigned love of God in me?

.

.

.

I believe… the only way… is to give them CHRIST!

We need to give them Christ, because Christ, IS OUR LIFE!

 

Colossians 3:1-4  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

By • Binaryism, Christian Doctrine, Christian Life, False Prophets/Doctrine, Good Works, Problem Texts, Soul Winning, The Judgment • 0

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 22

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 22

Christians love Christians in how they JUDGE.

Philippians 1:9  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

2 Corinthians 5:14  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

Judging with TRUE and RIGHTEOUS judgment… is TRUE LOVE! One vs. ALL.

Judging the world as dead and unclean, but those IN THE FAITH, as living and pure… not based on fleshly WORKS, but based on FAITH (Heb 11:1 – “faith… is the evidence”)… this judgment IS “the love of Christ”.

To love is to receive. But to hate is to reject.

Hebrews 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

So to receive the brethren, is to love the brethren. And to love the brethren, is to love Christ.

Matthew 10:40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.  …

That is how a person first loves the brethren. They receive their WORDS!

They receive the gospel from the mouth of a preacher!

In so doing, they love the brethren, and they love God… AT THE SAME TIME! In the SAME ACTION!

Luke 9:48  And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me:…

To receive a child of God PREACHING the gospel (not PHYSICALLY), is to receive Jesus Christ.

John 15:18-20 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  20  Remember the word that I said unto you, … if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

To LOVE the brethren is not to love anyone physically IN THIS WORLD!

To LOVE the brethren, you have to love someone who is OUT OF THE WORLD!

To LOVE the brethren is to believe their words! And to HATE the brethren is to reject their words!

Luke 10:16  He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

To become a Christian – to get saved – you have to love the brethren. Not in multiple actions. Not in your daily life. Not over and over. Just once!

To love the brethren is to receive their preaching and to get saved by it.

Notice another proof of this:

Matthew 10:40-42 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.  41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.  42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

This cup of cold water is the gospel (Pro 25:25, Jer 18:14), and is the Holy Spirit (Isa 52:7, Rom 10:15-16, Pro 15:30,25:25, John 4:14).

When I give the gospel to someone, I’m giving LIVING water and good fruit to them.

This is the true good work, the spiritual good work, for which I CANNOT lose my reward.

But not just me! Also the hearer, the receiver, HE also obtains an eternal reward, by receiving it, and confessing it.

Mark 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

When they receive my words and get saved (i.e., believe and confess), they produce the same living water and good fruit back to ME, who sowed it in them.

They brought forth fruit to God, and fruit to ME, and gave to ME, a cup of cold water, just like I gave to them.

It is an exchanging of the love of God, and of the love of the brethren.

He receives me, and I receive him.

I love him with the truth by preaching it, and he loves me by believing and confessing it.

I give him the love of God, and he gives me back the love of God.

You CANNOT get saved WITHOUT loving the brethren.

They say “faith without works is dead”… “a true faith works”.

Well yes. But that is all accomplished and sealed IN CHRIST… at the moment of salvation!

Galatians 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Putting people IN CHRIST… that is TRUE FAITH working by TRUE LOVE.

When a person receives the brethren preaching the gospel, true faith works them, IN CHRIST (1Pe 2:5), by true love.

Faith works… faith saves… by true unfeigned love, IN JESUS CHRIST.

Not in our fleshly lives! NOT by the worldly love of men’s sinful flesh! Not in sinners loving sinners.

In one action, at one time, you either love the brethren, and love Jesus, or you hate the brethren, and you hate Jesus.

All by whether you HEAR and RETAIN… the WORDS of the brethren!

  1. At salvation a man receives the love of God in him.

1 John 2:5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: …

“The love of God” is not JUST a action that you must perform (i.e., to love God).

It is ALSO a substance that you must receive and KEEP.

Romans 5:5  … because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

John 5:38-43 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.  … 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.  43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: …

The love of God must be received IN YOU, by receiving, by BELIEVING His word, IN YOU.

This is what it truly means to love God, in spirit and in truth: to KEEP (i.e., to receive and believe) His words. If you have the word of God abiding in you, then you have the love of God abiding in you.

And it is the same thing with the love of the brethren…

  1. At salvation a man receives the love of the brethren in him.

1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

How do you love God? You KEEP His words! (Joh 14:21)

Well it’s the same with the brethren. You KEEP their sayings.

John 15:18-20 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  …20… if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

That is loving the brethren just like it is loving Christ.

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

True love is a PLACE that we must abide in.

The place is IN CHRIST. The place is “in His love”.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

You cannot love God, and NOT love the brethren.

You cannot be saved and NOT love the brethren.

1 John 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

You can’t love God unless you (seemingly first) love the brethren, and you can’t love the brethren unless you (seemingly first) love God.

One cannot come without the other. One cannot really even come AFTER the other.

These actions MUST happen at the same time. These substances (the love of God, the unfeigned love of the brethren) must be put in you AT THE SAME TIME: at salvation.

1 Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

“Grace… was… with… love… in Christ Jesus”!

These substances are both put in a man (not in his flesh, on Earth, but in his spirit, in Christ) when he is saved:

2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2 John 1:1  The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

ALL THEY who have KNOWN the truth, and RECEIVED the truth, and are IN THE TRUTH… love all others that are also IN THE TRUTH.

 

  1. The love of God is in Christ.

Romans 8:39  … the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Timothy 1:14 … with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

The true love of God, that every Christian has, is not in US – that is, in our flesh. It is IN CHRIST.

Philemon 1:6  … every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

True love is not present or possible on the Earth. True love is only present and possible IN CHRIST.

  1. A saved person loves the brethren, in Christ.

1 Corinthians 16:24  My love be with you all in Christ Jesus…

3 John 1:1  The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

2 John 1:1  The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

This is where the true love of the brethren is. Not on Earth. Not in my flesh. But IN CHRIST.

  1. A saved person loves when he speaks, to wins souls.

Isaiah 38:17  Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

True love, the love that God had towards ALL the world… is DELIVERING SOULS!

Proverbs 14:25  A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

You need to PREACH the gospel! (Rom 10:14-15, 1Co 1:21)

Deuteronomy 10:18  He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.

A Christian loves lost people, in truth, by GIVING them spiritual food and drink. That is… by giving them the gospel.

John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

By • Christian Doctrine, Eternal Security, False Prophets/Doctrine, Good Works, Identifying False Christians, Problem Texts, Salvation, Soul Winning, Spiritual Anatomy, Spiritual Circumcision • 0

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 21

Hebrews 6 & 10 – The Impossibility of Salvation – Part 21

  1. To love God is to KEEP His commandments.

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: …

Spiritually, to love God is to KEEP His Commandments.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

  1. We must KEEP God’s commandments to get saved.

1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

If you don’t keep His commandments, then He is not abiding in you, and you are not abiding IN CHRIST.

John 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

If you don’t keep His commandments, then you are not abiding in His love.

1 John 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

“You don’t know my God”.

To keep is not “to do”. (Even if it were, you still don’t DO his commandments, at all times).

What does it mean to “KEEP” His commandments?

  1. To KEEP is to retain (i.e., to hold, to guard, to preserve).

To KEEP His commandments is actually not to DO anything with your flesh.

“Doing” and “keeping” are different things!

Leviticus 22:31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 26:3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

Deuteronomy 5:1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

You can’t DO His commandments, unless you first learn them, and KEEP them.

Joshua 23:6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

Here are the first 4 instances of “keep” in the Bible:

Genesis 2:15  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Genesis 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Genesis 6:19-20 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.  20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

To keep is not to obey, or to do…

To “keep” means to preserve, to guard, to protect, to hold, or to retain.

1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Christians keep, and do.  But we must FIRST KEEP, so that THEN… we can DO.

Deuteronomy 7:11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

Psalms 103:18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Doing and keeping are different actions. You have to first KEEP, so that you CAN… THEN… DO.

So a man must KEEP (i.e., retain, preserve) His commandments.

Well… what are His commandments?

  1. God’s Commandments are His words.

Proverbs 2:1  My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

Proverbs 13:13  Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

1 John 2:7  Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

You KEEP His commandments by RETAINING and believing His words, in your heart.

  1. To KEEP His commandments is to RETAIN His WORDS.

Proverbs 4:4  He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

You need to PRESERVE His WORDS, PERFECTLY. That is KEEPING His COMMANDMENTS.

John 14:21-24  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

You don’t have to do fleshly good works to love God. And you definitely don’t have to do them continually over the course of a good Christian life in this world.

“Keeping Jesus’ commandments” isn’t about obeying a set of rules, or living your life, as best you can, by a code of conduct. “Keeping Jesus’ commandments” isn’t about the way you live your life.

“Keeping Jesus’ commandments” is about RECEIVING and BELIEVING HIS WORDS!

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; [you have to go in!] 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed [kept it] in vain.

“In vain” means without fruit, or without profit. (Ecc 2:11, Jer 16:19, Lev 26:16,20, Isa 49:4)

If you don’t believe the gospel and call upon God, you produce no fruit, you receive no fruit. (Heb 4:2, 2Co 6:1, Ps 14:4, Joh 12:42)

But it isn’t just NOT believing and confessing it… It is also having the wrong things (Gal 5:9, Mar 7:20,12:17, Mat 7:15-16, Hos 9:16) … believing lies! (Hos 10:13, Jer 16:19)

I only see one clear instance of keeping something in vain. (1 Sam 25:21) David keeping Nabal’s STUFF for him (a “son of Belial”).

2 Sam 23:6 says the sons of Belial are THORNS!

“Keeping Jesus’ commandments” isn’t about how much more obedient you are than other sinners. It isn’t about how you live, or anything you do in your life.

“Keeping Jesus’ commandments” is about whether you BELIEVE THE TRUTH unto salvation.

  1. A person loves God when he believes the gospel unto salvation.

1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

1 John 2:3-5  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

John 5:38-44  And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.  39  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.  40  And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.  41  I receive not honour from men.  42  But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.  43  I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.  44  How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

Hear His word, and KEEP IT, by BELIEVING it. This, is what puts the love of God (eternal life) IN YOU.

A Christian loves God, unto perfection, and is GIVEN the love of God IN HIM, unto perfection… when he BELIEVES the truth. That is when a man first loves God in truth; in unfeigned love!

Likewise, loving THE BRETHREN, is done at the same time, in the same action: in believing the truth.

  1. A person loves the brethren when he believes the gospel unto salvation.

1 John 5:1-4  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.  2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.  3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: …

We love the brethren, at the same time we love God: WHEN we KEEP His words – when we get saved.

John equates loving God with BELIEVING  – believing His record (v10-12). The same is true of the love of the brethren: we love the brethren when we believe their RECORD – when we KEEP their WORDS.

We love the brethren when we receive their WORDS!

We love the brethren by RECEIVING their preaching.

John 15:17-23  These things I command you, that ye love one another.  18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  20  … if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. … 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.  23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

To love Jesus was to receive and believe (to “keep”) His words.

To hate Jesus was to reject His words.

Receiving the preaching of Christians is not only loving God, but loving THE BRETHREN.

Rejecting the preaching of Christians is not only hating God, but hating THE BRETHREN.

One cannot truly love Jesus, unless they FIRST love the brethren, by RECEIVING THE WORDS that the brethren preach.

You must receive the words of a saved preacher to get saved yourself. Even if it is just an Apostle.

So… a person who has believed the gospel, has ALREADY loved the brethren.

AND not only, HAS LOVED (past tense), but loves (present tense).

Titus 3:15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. …

We love our brethren IN THE FAITH. Christians love Christians in what they BELIEVE.

By • Christian Doctrine, Christian Liberty, Eternal Security, False Prophets/Doctrine, Good Works, Identifying False Christians, Problem Texts, Soul Winning, Spiritual Anatomy, Spiritual Circumcision • 0

Layla and Soul Winning

 

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Layla and Soul Winning

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The Lord’s Work – Part 37

 

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The Lord’s Work – Part 37

The Lord’s Work – Part 37

Matthew 10:42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

You won’t be rewarded for giving your enemy the world’s water, carnal water. But if give them eternal living water, you will be a child of The Highest, and receive thanks from God.

How do you love your enemy?

Matthew 25:34-36  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Clothe the naked. But you won’t be thanked for clothing them with man’s clothing, but rather for clothing them with spiritual clothing.

Clothe them with righteousness.

Job 29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

Give them God’s judgment, so they can judge righteous judgment. This clothes them.

Clothe them with salvation.

Isaiah 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Without Jesus Christ the world is NAKED.

The saved man needs to give his own clothing to his enemy.

The unsaved man needs to receive that clothing, and put on the clothing of his enemy.

Matthew 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me…

What does the Good Samaritan do?

Luke 10:33-34  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,  34  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And who did this? The Samaritan. The enemy!

Visit and heal them that are sick. Give them oil and wine: the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ.

How do you love your enemy? How do you heal the sick? Call him to repentance.

Mark 2:16-17  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?  17  When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

When we call sinners to repentance.. we are healing the sick!

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.

How do you love your enemy?

Matthew 25:34-36  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

You take a stranger… an enemy, and you turn him into a friend. You make him your brother, you bring him into the inn. You take him in to dwell in the house of God. (Only if they bring the right doctrine!!)

Ephesians 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Ephesians 2:18-19  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Those strangers-enemies, are those that are without Christ. Without of the promised of God to Israel.

The saved are no longer strangers. But they are now counted among the children of God by the blood of the covenant.

Isaiah 56:6-7  Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;  7  Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: …

That is how to love your enemy. That is how to take in strangers.

How do you love your enemy?

Matthew 25:34-36  … I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

How do you love your enemy? You free the strangers from their bondage that they were born with.

Romans 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Romans 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

You give them the Spirit of liberty, and free them from the spirit of bondage.

You go to those in Satan’s prison and you open the prison doors.

Isaiah 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

How do you do that? Is it done carnally? Through Politics? Social Justice? Prison reform? Through force?

Spiritually, men are sitting in darkness, already in the fire of hell. You pull them out of the fire. Was not what Paul and Silas did a figure of what Jesus did. And of what soulwinners do spiritually?

Luke 4:18-19  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

You free the prisoners with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of liberty.

You free the prisoners with the blood of Jesus Christ.

Zechariah 9:11  As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

1 Peter 1:18-19  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

But if you take in the strangers, and free the prisoners of this world, carnally, you have no thanks of the Lord.

How do you love your enemy?

You give them meat (the body of Christ), drink (the gospel), clothing (the righteousness of God), oil (the Holy Spirit), and wine (the blood of Christ). You preach and sing praise which shakes the prison and breaks open the prison doors.

You give to your enemy something that they CANNOT give back.

Luke 14:13-14  But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:  14  And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

If we give to them of whom we hope to receive (carnal things to carnal man), we have no reward of God.

But if we give to them of whom we cannot receive – the poor in spirit – them that cannot pay us back, we have an eternal reward.

If we give carnal things, they CAN be recompensed in this world. No matter what you give in this world, it CAN be recompensed. There always the possibility that they CAN be – the poor man could become rich. The empty could become full. The maimed the lame the blind COULD be healed, or COULD hit the lottery, and recompense you in the earth. The sick who you visit now, could be healthy later and could come to visit you while you are sick. The prisoner now, could end up visiting you later, when you are in prison. Its not impossible.

But if we give spiritual things, they CANNOT be recompensed in this life. The only way for us to be recompensed is by God, at our judgment.

Luke 6:35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great…

If you just “do good” once, give/lend just one TRUE good thing, which cannot be recompensed, the Lord owes you a recompense, a great reward. Give to the poor one time. One cup of cold water.

Now think about this…  SHOULD we do this physically, carnally? Call the sick and maimed and lame and blind and feed them? Yes. We should. That is a “good work”. Charity is a good work. Feeding and clothing the poor is a good work.

But what if you held a big feast, and called all the homeless in your local city, and all the injured in the local hospital, and you fed all of them with bread and wine.

So you feed them for one day with carnal bread and carnal wine but you don’t give them the gospel. You just fill their bellies, and send them on their way.

Will they not be thirsty again tomorrow?

John 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

Will they not be hungry again tomorrow?

John 6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, …

Of course they will. Because you gave them THIS water. The meat which perisheth. Will they still not spiritually still be dead men?

So could that really be what Jesus is commanding us to do? What eternal profit is there to the Lord when we do this carnally? Do you think He will reward us for giving the bread and water that perisheth??

Rather, what you are to do is have a feast of the word of God (Jesus Christ the living bread), and call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, bring them into your house to eat of THAT feast.

Feeding the poor is indeed a good work. But don’t labour to do it carnally, to carnal men who can recompense you again in return. Do it to the souls of lost men, which cannot recompense you.

These all are “good works”. But don’t do the figure of the good work, do the true good work!!!

Galatians 6:8-10  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

How awesome is the placement of verse 10? Its not on accident.

You can “do good” to men in the flesh, or in the Spirit. One will reap death, and one life.

You can’t sow to the Spirit by serving men’s flesh. That is what many think: it’s the motivation, right? Wrong! Its not just the reason you are going it. It’s the WHERE. It’s the WHO you are doing good to. To men in the flesh, or to the house of God – the Lord’s children – in the Spirit.

We ought not attempt to do the good to the flesh of our enemies, but to the Spirit – to the spirits/souls of the enemies.

We ought to do good unto all men. We should. But the true good, the especially good, is done to the household of faith. The eternal rewards are given for doing good to the eternal body, the body of Christ, and not the body of flesh.

A man should “do good” in his life, but he can’t do good in truth (and in Spirit), without Christ. Here is how the wise King Solomon said it.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-12  What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?  … 12  I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

Solomon said, there is no good in man’s works (in truth), but he should “do good” anyways. Why? Because that is the best that he can do in his life (in shadow).

You SHOULD do good here on this earth. You should do good and right, and live an honest life. And this was the case in the OT too, because that is all that man could do: a shadow of true good, under the law.

The only good man can do in the Earth is in shadow, where man can see you, where man can recompense you.

Solomon’s wisdom in Ecclesiastes is about what is true under heaven. This is what is good “under the sun”. (29 times – all in Ecc.) You should “do good” under the sun. But… everything under the sun is VANITY.

Ecclesiastes 1:14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

All the good that you can do under the sun, that you SHOULD do (Ecc 3:12)… its all vanity.

The OT saints could “do good”, but it was only a vain figure. Did they get to go to heaven? No. Were they counted righteous? No. Not by works. But they were counted righteous, justified, by faith.

This is the only time in the OT “good things” are found in a man: King Jehoshaphat.

2 Chronicles 19:3  Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

King Jehoshaphat was not more righteous than every other man in the Bible. No, but he was the one man that God chose in whom to show the figure of the true “good things”.

The figure in the OT shows the pattern for the spiritual truth today.

If a man prepares his heart to seek the Lord, if he has faith/believes the Lord, the Lord will count him righteous. He will count his things “good things”.

The OT saints could “do good”, but it was not in truth:

Isaiah 48:1  Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.

John 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

True good works must be done IN SPIRIT. We can’t do true good in the flesh. It is just not in our nature to be able to do it..

Jeremiah 13:23  Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

You cannot “do good”. Its not who you are. Its not how you were made.

You can’t change your skin color. You can’t remove your sins.

The only thing you can do is (1) try to cover it up with clothing. Or, (2) you can cut it off. Cut off the flesh.

If you could completely change the nature of your body, then could you also “do good”.

If one were to take away all the sin of his flesh and give himself a perfect, spiritual nature… without spot wrinkle or blemish, then one can “do good”. Then God would say of you “he is righteous”.

Isaiah 41:23-24  Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.  24  Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.

I believe this is teaching that no work done in the flesh is either true good or true evil. And if so, that’s a tough pill to swallow. But I think we may need to swallow it. They are all shadows, of good or evil.

Who does true good and true evil then? The gods do. The angels do. The devils do.

True things are done spiritually.

Adam and Eve received the knowledge of good and evil. But does that mean they could DO them? I would guess not!

Jeremiah 10:5  They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

What we do in the flesh is not true evil or good. If you will receive it, receive it.

The shadow, the figure, is not true good or true evil. TRUE evil or good is spiritual, and is defined by what spirit is working in it. For a man, true good and evil is defined by what is in, and what comes out of, the heart. What comes out of a saved man’s new heart (his water, his fruit) when he brings forth his things/treasures is good, and what comes out of an unsaved man’s heart (his water, his fruit) when he brings forth his treasures, is always evil.

By • Christian Doctrine, Good Works, Soul Winning • 0

The Election Count – Part 24

 

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The Election Count – Part 24

The Election Count – Part 24

Time to wake up and watch!

Romans 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Ephesians 5:14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Unsaved people are dead. Saved people are alive. But some saved people are still sleeping.

Now that you have been awaken, and raised from the dead, and given light, now, you ought to stay awake and watch. Don’t go back to sleep with the lost!

That is what unsaved people do: sleep on in the night. And this is why they will be destroyed. The sword is approaching, but because their watchmen can’t wake up and watch in the night, they can’t see the sword coming. They can’t sound the alarm, blow the trumpet to wake up the men who are dead and sleeping. We ought to wake up and watch, or we are allowing our house to be broken up. You will lose your treasures, your rewards,

Matthew 24:43-44  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.  44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

I have a hard time with Jesus being the thief in this parable. I think the goodman was Adam, and the thief was Satan. But, likewise, Jesus will come on Satan’s house AS a thief.

Jesus is coming “as a thief in the night” to break up and destroy the house of Satan, the house of mankind, while he sleeps.

If we sleep with the dead instead of watch with the living and awake, what happens? I don’t know for sure. But, we may lose our house. Lose our treasures and rewards. If this parable is applicable to soul-winning, and likely it is, then we’d say that if we sleep, we will lose lives, souls.

If you’re not WATCHING, then you will lose those people that you thought were safe; saved.

“In what watch” – Satan came in the night. Jesus is coming in the night.

Luke 12:37-38  Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: …  38  And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

He’s not coming in the daytime. He is coming in the night.

The night is divided up into “watches”.

These watches, even the final one called “the morning watch”, are all in the night.

Lamentations 2:19  Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: …

So it is in the night that the Lord will come. And it is in the night that we are to watch.

Micah 3:6-7  Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.  7  Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.

Remember the “falling away first”? The day of the Lord is coming when the true gospel is almost completely hidden.

Jesus is coming when it is NIGHT. When there is no vision, prophecy, divination. There is no revelation, no understanding, no word of the Lord. There is no LIGHT, but it is DARK.

“The day shall be dark over them” – its supposed to be day. The Son has risen. But instead the day is dark over the lost. The day is become the night unto the lost.

Most Christian historians/scholars believe there were about 400 years were between the writing of the last book of the OT and the first coming of Christ. Similarly, it has been about 400 years since the publication of the King James Bible. One could say that man has not been given additional revelation from the Lord since 1611. The Lord has once again been silent for about 400 years.  Possibly further evidence (maybe a bit speculatory) that the Lord could be coming back really soon.

There was also 430 years from the promise of Abraham to when the Israelites were delivered from Egypt and the law of Moses was given to them.

Have you thought about why men are wearing face masks? Scripturally? Have you thought about whether face coverings have significance scripturally? I have..

I think there is something Biblical about face coverings. Something we can watch over in Scripture, and see the day approaching, “watching” for the coming of the Lord.

Micah 3:7  Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; [WHY?] for there is no answer of God.

The whole world has been literally covering their faces. Has that ever happened before?

Maybe its not random at all. Maybe God has us covering our faces for a different reason than to stop the spread of a virus. Maybe its there is no light of the gospel. Because there is no answer of God. God is done speaking until the end. Maybe He is letting the transgressors come to the full. He is watching for the harvest to be come. For the fullness of wickedness to be accomplished. Maybe He is ready to judge in furious rebukes. Maybe these masks are a sign of the day of the Lord being at hand.

But the covering of our faces is not for our health. It’s for our shame.

Jeremiah 51:51  We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD’S house.

Shame is here on all faces, not because of a virus, but because of the strangers, the false brethren, the false prophets who have come into the Lord’s house, the Church.

Psalms 44:15  My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

Mankind is confused and is brought to shame without the true gospel.

Psalms 69:7-9  Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.  8  I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.  9  For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

This is a passage about the Lord Jesus. His face was covered, to bear OUR shame.

The fulfillment of this prophecy is in the NT.

The only time “cover” and “face” are in the same verse of the NT.

Mark 14:65  And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

Man wants to cover his face for his health, but it is actually for his shame. Jesus took our shame, as His face was covered for us. But unsaved man’s face will be covered for eternity in the Lake of Fire.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-11  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  [We are not dead, and we are not children of the night. We are “night and day” different than the lost] 6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; [quit sleeping! Quit resting. Quit being at ease in Zion] but let us watch and be sober.  7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. [don’t sleep with the world, don’t be drunken with the world’s drinks] 8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. [wake up, open your spiritual eyes and watch; be humble/serious/vigilant/wise/adult, put on your armour! pick up the sword (of the Lord) and put on your shoes (preparation of the gospel of peace!] 9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,  [if we get wrath, its not what God has appointed for this world!]  10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.  [you have eternal security. you will be saved either way, because you have been given light and life. But still, don’t sleep as those who are in the night, rather, watch!]  11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

The day is approaching. The time is short. This life is a vapour. Just a little time. Doesn’t feel like it, but God says it is so: I come quickly!

It is time to wake up and WATCH! What does that mean? Watch the sky?

Ecclesiastes 11:4  He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

If you sit there and watch the sky, you won’t be sowing and reaping. You won’t be WATCHING.

How do we watch? By 1) edifying and 2) praying!

Firstly, we watch in edifying: building the church. By learning and teaching doctrine.

It is by doctrine that we watch.

But what do we watch for and what do we watch against… in the doctrine?

There are 3 jobs of the Christian. There are 3 ways in which we are to watch in EDIFICATION.

Firstly, the Bible says that we are the shepherds and the sheep of his pasture.

Now as shepherds and sheep, how do we watch in EDIFICATION?

As shepherds, what do we watch for, and what do we watch against?

What do we watch for? We watch for the flock!

What do we watch against? We watch against wolves coming.

Acts 20:28-31  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.  29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.  31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Feed my sheep! Give the sheep life, and protect the sheep from the wolves who would take away their life. WATCH the house!

To watch, is to watch over the sheep, and watch against the wolves.

Even if you’re not a pastor, watch for those YOU oversee. Watch for yourself, watch for your wife, children, your friends, your family, for the lost which YOU have been given the unique position to help save. Watch in the church!

Why can’t the sheep can watch too?! When the wolf comes, he comes with subtlety. Call attention to the shepherd so he can warn and deliver the sheep. Warn the Pastor so He can protect the sheepfold.

Matthew 7:15-16  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

We watch for wolves in sheep’s clothing. WE all need to know how to identify them: by their FRUITS.

Their FRUIT is their WORDS. The fruit of their LIPS. Their fruit of a man’s mouth.

Hebrews 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

We watch for souls; for eternal life. For the sheep and against the wolves.

What is the second way in which we are to watch in EDIFICATION?

Secondly, the Bible says that we are like watchmen, upon the walls of the city.

Ezekiel 3:17  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

So then now as watchmen, what do we watch for, and what do we watch against?

We watch against the sword coming. And we watch for salvation!

Ezekiel 33:2-7  Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:  3  If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;  4  Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.  … 5  … But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.  …  7  So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

When The Lord comes, He comes with a sword. He comes as a thief. The watchman’s job is to watch for the sword coming, and to sound the trumpet, sound the alarm of war, to warn the people!

Jeremiah 4:19  My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

I think that is what the trumpet always is to the Lord. Think about the rapture, think about the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

See also: Isa 26:19-20 (hide thyself), Revelation 4:1-2 (a trumpet talking with me)

The trump, the sound of the trumpet, is a warning: an alarm of war.

The Lord calls with the trumpet to His people to come out from among the wicked city before He destroys her (Revelation 18:4, Song of Solomon 2:10-13).

Our job is to hear the word of God, and WARN the people from Him.

Lastly, the Bible also says that we are stewards of The Lord’s house, and thus, we watch for our Lord Jesus to return!

Luke 12:42  And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

We are “to feed the church of God”. But we don’t physically give them meat and drink. As the apostles said, “it is not meet that we should leave the word of God and serve tables”. Well then what are we stewards over? What do we minister to the house?

1 Corinthians 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Stewards like shepherds are to 1) feed the house with doctrine – with the body of Christ 2) oversee and protect the house.

Matthew 24:42-43  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

So the first thing we watch in is in EDIFICATION in the Word. For the flock against the wolves. Over the house, against the sword. We watch to edify, to feed the house, to feed the flock of God.

Secondly, we watch in PRAYER.

Colossians 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

1 Peter 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

Matthew 26:40-41  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?  41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Ephesians 6:13-18  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;  19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

As soldiers, we are to put on our whole armour, and watch in PRAYER for the people of God; for yourself and for the brethren. And for me!

Pray for those under your care. Pray that souls may be saved. Pray that you might have strength and wisdom to win them.

Its not just for pastors to watch. He says to all: watch!

Mark 13:37  And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Hear the word at His mouth and “give them warning from me”.

Watching is done in prayer and in edification; in praying, in studying, and in teaching doctrine.

How does a man find wisdom? Pray and search! Cry out and seek after it!

Mark 14:41-42  And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  42  Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

Jesus said sleep on and take your “rest”. Where do men “rest”?

Ruth 1:9  The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

Luke 11:24  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

We rest when we are home. We are not to be at ease, we are not to be at home, at rest, in this world.

Matthew 11:28-29  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Salvation without works is rest. Our spirits are at rest in heaven because they are home.

But what we have here, with our soul and spirit which is here in our bodies on the earth, we ought to labor until we are also taken home. It is not yet a time of rest.

Proverbs 24:30-34  I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;  31  And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.  32  Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.  33  Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:  34  So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

Sleeping, instead of waking and tending the fruit of the vineyard, will cause the vineyard to be ruined.

Sleeping will make you poor.  Sleeping will allow the sheep to be scattered by the wolves.

Sleeping is what the lost do. Just a little more sleep! Just a few more minutes. I’ll wake up soon. This is why people lose their jobs!

Romans 13:11-14  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.  13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

What manner of persons ought ye to be? And how can you be those persons, without awaking and watching? In edification, and in prayer.

By • Christian Life, Soul Winning • 0

The Election Count – Part 13

 

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The Election Count – Part 13

The Election Count – Part 13

The race

Hebrews 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

We have a race set before us. But it is not a fleshly race. We do not wrestle flesh AND spirit. We do not race fleshly AND spiritually.

It’s a race. And as with a race, there is the possibility that we may WIN the race.

It’s just one race. It’s just one day. It might feel like a long time, but its just a little time. It may be race, but like a marathon, to win it requires training, patience and mastery.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. [run to obtain what? Eternal life? No… but the prize, the crown!]  25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.  26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

We run a race. But the race is not to succeed in this world. It is not to retire with the most money, or experiences, or accomplishments. It is not to make a mark on this world, or leave a legacy for our children. It is not to get ahead in this world. It is not to make this world a better place. It is not to make this country a safer and better and more loving place. It is not to Make America Great Again. It is not to strive more than all the other countries of the world to make America First. That may be Donald Trump’s race. That may be America’s race. Man’s race. But it is not our race.

We run a spiritual race, to win a spiritual prize: an incorruptible crown.

Now that may not be super enlightening to you. Maybe you’ve heard all these things, seen all these passages before. You might get that at any church on any Sunday in this country. But its still vague isn’t it? You can say that, and still preach that we run the spiritual race by serving in the community, and donating to charity, and running a soup kitchen, and being a loving parent, a diligent worker, giving your children a good education, building a profitable business, or a non-profitable business, building houses for the homeless, fighting for justice. How do you know that’s not right? We haven’t seen enough Scripture yet to say otherwise. I haven’t shown you anything yet that explains the race.

What is “the race”? What is it not? How do we know? It could be anything really, right? Just work hard! Just get your business done well, and quickly, and don’t give up, don’t stop running, don’t stop working!

But thankfully, I can show you more. I can show you that those types of sermons would be garbage piles of lies. I can explain “the race” to you. Because Paul leaves no confusion as to what “the race” is, and how “the race” is run.

Our race that we run, is TO TESTIFY THE GOSPEL of the Grace of God.

Acts 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course [my race] with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Paul’s concern, much more than for his own life, was to have finished his course. He ran to finish HIS course. He ran to finish his ministry. To Testify the Gospel of Grace… to the Gentile churches where the Lord sent him. This was Paul’s course. The one set before him.

That was His course, and ours… is different, but it’s for the same goal. It has the same finish line, and it’s run in the same place. Our course, is ALSO in the Gospel. The purpose of the “the race set before us” is not to GET saved. Rather, it is TO TESTIFY THE GOSPEL so that many others may get saved. And if we run that race, and win it, we will receive a prize.

How do we win? By rejecting this world and testifying the gospel.

Philippians 3:13-15  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  14  I press toward the mark [I run to the finish line] for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

This was Paul’s race, his course, which he was chosen to run. A course of a high calling. Mine is similar, but not the exact same course. Yours is as well. We all have our own course, but we should all be like minded.

Because Paul wins his race, doesn’t mean I lose mine! Because I win my race, doesn’t mean you lose your race. We are on different courses. You win your crown by running and winning your course, the race that is set before you, while I will run my course, the race that is set before me, to win my prize. And we can both win / get crowns! But we both must run, BY TESTIFYING THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD. That is the only way to run it – Scripturally.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Many believe this passage says that Paul could lose his salvation, and that he was striving against his flesh to not lose his salvation. But there is no proof of that private interpretation. The word “castaway” does not appear  anywhere else in the Bible. So you can’t say for sure that a castaway is a lost person.

What is more conclusive is that the context of the passage is not “obtaining salvation”, but rather it is obtaining or winning rewards. Paul is speaking from his desire to be in the winner’s circle; champion’s ring. In the Master’s ring of honor, with those Masters that also won prizes; these are crowns of mastery.

Different courses, but all of our courses have the same purpose: to serve the Lord in the testifying of the Gospel. Your job is to contribute to souls being won with the gospel, however The Lord has enabled you and put upon you to do!

Maybe that is by preaching from a pulpit, or preaching by door-knocking, or warning and witnessing on the street or standing in line at the bank or supermarket. Maybe its just testifying to each of your friends and family in a one-on-one setting. Maybe its by arranging a meeting between your friend and your Pastor. Maybe its by arranging an opportunity for your Pastor to preach the gospel to your whole family at a wedding or funeral. Maybe that is simply by supporting those that do go forth and preach. For the wives, maybe its staying by the stuff, keeping the children safe at home while the preachers are out preaching. Maybe its training others to preach, and raising your children to understand and preach the gospel. Maybe any or all of these things.

(But if there is no preaching the gospel, testifying the gospel of the grace of God, there is no “running”.)

So the question you need to answer for yourself is, how can I run “the race”, “my course”, by testifying the gospel of the grace of God?

Maybe we have different courses, but we all run the same WAY. Because there is only ONE WAY. Jesus is The Way.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

We ought to get people in The Way of the Lord (Christ) that they may be saved, and then strengthen them to run their race, all the way to the Father / the finish line! You run in The Way. You run in Jesus. He is The Way. He is the beginning, the middle and the end of The Way. Jesus is your course, Jesus is your race.

Living a pretty good life is not running the race. Being a good Christian is not running the race. Managing soup kitchens and charity programs and non-profit organizations, and being a good parent, and being a diligent worker, and being an honest person, is not running the race.

The race is in The Way. And the Way is Jesus. The Way is the gospel, the way is eternal life. We ought to labour, work, RUN, in eternal life. RUN in Jesus. But RUN, with patience!

1 Corinthians 9:24-27  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.  25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

This race is about THE MASTERY. The crown won by the winner of the race, is a Crown of Mastery.

If you want to be a Master in heaven, you need to be a servant here. You need to be humble here.

You need to be Temperate here. This is what a Master, an expert, must be. Diligent and not distracted. Not easily discouraged. Not faint hearted. Calm. Patient. Focused. Not fearful.

A master doesn’t freak out about small things. He is experienced. Well-trained.

The master of a craft (a master baker, tailor, electrician, engineer, scientist, doctor, gymnast, quarterback, etc.) doesn’t have other hobbies. He doesn’t party and get drunk. He doesn’t waste his time. He uses every bit of it to perfect his works. He has one addiction: his craft. “they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints”.

We need to be Patient! You don’t run a marathon without patience. You don’t walk! No you RUN. But you run calmly… you run as fast as you can, but with temperance, with patience.

If you want to have mastery in Heaven, you need to be temperate in all things (eternal life). Temperate (calm, patient, focused, experienced) in testifying the gospel of the grace of God. This is how you ought to run.

The best runners don’t run marathons without good training and coaching. If you’re serious about The Mastery, then its time for you to get trained, and focused, and to start running to the Lord. Its time to “run the race” to win the prize. Its time to master testifying the gospel.

Maybe that is practicing your presentation of the gospel. Maybe that is practicing your opening, your warning. Maybe that is getting over your fears of warning members of your family or friends. Maybe that is getting over your fears of warning a complete stranger. Maybe it is getting over your fears of even offering a meeting with another soul-winner. Maybe it is studying the doctrine so you are confident in answering some of the most common questions you might get. Maybe it is all of this.

But this is what a Master runner does. He focuses, and trains himself, and practices, and labours, and then when he runs, he wins! It’s time to be a Master of your craft.

But how do I do it? How do I run? How do I win the prize? … again, its no mystery … you win souls!

Proverbs 11:30  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Acts 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God

Paul’s singular focus, rejecting this life, was to finish his course of testifying the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ.

And when he had done it, when he had “ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears”, being “pure from the blood of all men”, and “was ready to be offered” (die for Christ) then Paul was able to say that he HAD finished his race! Likewise, You can be assured to win the Master’s Crown, by warning every single person that God leads you to. Every one that God gives you the opportunity and responsibility to warn. Warn them all, and thus win many to the Lord.

2 Timothy 4:6-8  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  [nothing moved Paul from continuing to run the course] 8  Henceforth [from now on – now that I have worked my whole life and didn’t stop believing the gospel, and didn’t give up preaching it… henceforth, what? Henceforth I am saved from wrath and I get to go to Heaven? No…] there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

This race is not about obtaining salvation. His race is about obtaining a prize, a reward for fighting the fight, for diligently doing the work of the ministry, for testifying the gospel of the Grace of God.

This crown of righteousness is not given for being born a son. But rather for running and winning the race. For becoming a master. A master of the gospel.

We need to run the race, striving to WIN it. Striving for the prize. Striving to become masters.

But this is a spiritual race. It is not carnal. It is the opposite of carnal. The things of this world, and what the flesh desires and strives for desires, are contrary to running the race. You can’t run both races.

 

Ephesians 2:2-3  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:  3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The flesh has its own course. Its own race. Its own way. And the unsaved walk in that way. This way is not THEY WAY (Jesus), but the wide and broad way that leadeth many to destruction. The way of the American dream. The way of working and striving and fighting for a better place in this world. The way of world peace. The way of self righteousness. The way of striving for honour and praise of men. Running for a reward of men, and not of the Lord.

This is the way the world walks. And the way that your flesh still desires to walk.

And THIS is why Paul says:

1 Corinthians 9:26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly [with flesh]; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

The flesh wars against the Spirit. You need to wrangle it and bring it into subjection. You need to fight against it. Weaken it!

A castaway – Paul was not going to lose his salvation. But he could lose his crown of mastery.

This is the race we run: to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

We run this race, temperately, patiently, but speedily and diligently, to receive a prize.

A crown of righteousness. A Master’s crown.

Daniel 12:3  And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Turn many to righteousness. Win many souls. Win your race. Be a Master. And shine as the stars for ever and ever.

By • Christian Life, Soul Winning • 0

The Election Count – Part 1

 

Downloadable Word document:

The Election Count – Part 1

The Election Count – Part 1

The Election

We just had Election Day in the Unites States this past Tuesday. So I want to talk about the election. After winning a very close race, we have a new President-Elect. Also, if you haven’t heard there has been a lot of news about the counting of the election. I’ve been watching a fair amount of news coverage recently and I suppose maybe some of you have too. Some of these things have been, admittedly hard for me to watch. I think its worth discussing some of these things from a spiritual perspective.

This may or may not be for you today. But it certainly is for me. I need to hear it. So maybe God will be talking to you in this message. But I know he will be talking to me.

Maybe you will learn something, maybe you won’t. But this is how I believe we should be thinking of these strange and frightening (or exciting?) current events that we are living through.

Its very easy to get totally wrapped up in the news. Especially news that could affect your life. News that could dramatically change the place you live, and possibly the future of yourself and your family.

I’ve been watching it. To much of it, honestly. My flesh eats it up. Some of it is so interesting. Some is so dramatic. Some of it is so exciting. Some of it is downright frightening. Some of it makes me angry. Some of it pisses me off.

We don’t often talk about current events in this church, and we really NEVER talk politics, but this current situation is a BIG one for all of us. And its been on my mind a lot, and possibly its been on yours a lot too.

I can’t get to all of it today. But here is what you need to know, and what in time we will discuss:

  • The Election and the Election Count
  • Governments and Ordinances (Submit!)
  • Politics (not for Christians)
  • America is not our country! (We are strangers)
  • America offers us no safety! (our only trust is in the Lord)
  • The Kingdom of God (The Lord is our King, this is the kingdom of men. Mind not earthly things)
  • Our race, our fight (Spiritual – our focus should be on spiritual things)
  • An Open Door (We should pray for our rulers)
  • A Civil War? (this is not our fight)
  • That Dreadful Day (that day is approaching – Get ready!)
  • We Win

So I want to talk about the Election Count today.

But.. maybe not the Election that you are thinking of!

What Election am I talking about? The 2020 Presidential Election? The Congressional Race? We’ll touch on it… but No. I’m talking about the Election of the Bible.

1 Thessalonians 1:4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

There is an election according to the Bible. An election made of God. This is The Election to God. The only one He cares about.

Mark 13:20  And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect‘s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

God has chosen – elected His people. Us! The Brethren are elected of God. How?

The election is not by popular vote. The Election is not by works.

Romans 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

We didn’t campaign to be elected. We didn’t work at all!

We were elected before we were even born!

The Election is by grace.

Romans 11:5-6  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.  6  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Who is this election? We are the election of grace. We are God’s choice.

We have been called of God, chosen of Jesus Christ and confirmed of the Holy Spirit. We’ve been sworn in, not with a hand placed on the Bible, but by the living Word of God proceeding out of our mouths. We’ve not been appointed to a 4-year term. We’ve been established for ever. We are the Elect. How? By God’s grace. God is the elector!

With what reasoning have we been elected?

1 Peter 1:2  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: …

He just foreknew us. He foreknew that we would be saved. He would open our ears and we would believe on His Son. He foreknew that we would receive grace WITHOUT WORKS!

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Testimonies – Part 14

 

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Testimonies – Part 11

 

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Identifying the Unjust Steward – Part 11

 

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Identifying the Unjust Steward – Part 10

 

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