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You can download a PDF of this study: Let us go on to Perfection
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Introduction
“Therefore, having left the beginning teaching of the Christ, we should go on to MATURITY [Perfection], not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and faith in God, instruction about baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” Hebrews 6:1-2.
The main objective of this study is to show what a Christian believer should be in the pursuit of, which Paul described as “we should go on to maturity,” which is also translated as, “let us go on to perfection.” The main point is this, maturity and perfection are terms that are used to illustrate our goal, which is none other than to grow to the fullness of the measure of Christ, to a perfect man through the process of Sanctification in the knowledge of Him. [Ephesians 4:13-14.] As such Sanctification or sometimes expressed as purification is expressed in two forms, one in respect to the SOUL the other in respect to the BODY. And in this study we will illustrate the means by which each is meant to be sanctified; the Soul by the Blood of Jesus Christ and the Body by the Spirit of God, and the significance these processes have in the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. The important point for us to distinguish is that of the growth of Christians from infancy to maturity, with a growing measure of accountability as our knowledge increases for which we are held responsible.
Sanctified by the Blood
The main point we want to illustrate here is the specific purpose the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ served, to Sanctify our conscience from evil as Paul says, “How much more will the BLOOD of CHRIST, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, PURIFY our CONSCIENCE from DEAD works, in order to serve the living God! And because of this, He is the mediator of a New COVENANT, so that, DEATH having taken place for redemption of the transgressions under the First Covenant, those having been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” Hebrews 9:14-15. Now, when Paul says “Dead Works,” he means works that are designed to produce death in us, as Paul says, “For while we were in the FLESH, the passions of sins that were through the Law were at work in our members, to the bringing forth of fruit to death.” Romans 7:5. For which reason, the First Covenant was called a ministry of condemnation on the account the Law was given to reveal the passions of sins that were in our flesh, as such the commandments were given in a physical tablet of stone, “in a Letter that kills.” [2 Corinthians 3:4,7.] This Covenant of the flesh was brought to an end by the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ for the purpose of Sanctifying our Conscience from sins that were committed WHILE in the flesh, in order to establish us to a New Covenant of the Spirit.
Now, we have to understand the Soul is composed of the mind, will, emotion and conscience, so when he says, “purify the conscience from dead works,” he is speaking of the aspect of our soul that was condemned from which God saves us, as Paul says, “And you, being once alienated and hostile in MIND, in the evil deeds, but now He has reconciled in His body of flesh through death.” Colossians 1:21-22. The hostility of mind is specifically towards God, in being far from Him resulting in works that are evil. This evil conscience toward God was born out of Guilt and Condemnation, in which regard Paul says, “And having a Great Priest over the house of God, we should DRAW NEAR with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, our HEARTS having been sprinkled CLEAN from an EVIL CONSCIENCE and our BODY having been WASHED with pure WATER.” Hebrews 10:21-22. Now, when Paul says we should draw near to God, he is making this statement in contrast to Adam and Eve, who fled from the presence of God through an evil conscience, that is a mind condemned in guilt on the account of their disobedience, their body being cloaked with a spirit of bondage and fear. [Romans 8:15, 1 Cor. 1:12, 2 Timothy 1:7.] The purpose of the spirit of fear is to drive us away from the presence of God, to a perpetual state that compounds itself through guilt and condemnation into greater measures of depravity. [Romans 1:28.] And the answer of a conscience that is set free from evil is, “the body being washed with pure water,” as to be set free from the bondage of sin of the flesh in being conformed to the death and burial of the Lord Jesus Christ. [Romans 6:3-4, 6-7.] In which respect Peter says, “The baptism now saving you, not a putting away of the filth of flesh, but the demand of a GOOD conscience TOWARD God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:21. So, both Paul and Peter are speaking about our Soul being cleansed and our Body buried.
And this process is illustrated in the testimony of Peter when he proclaimed to the house of Cornelius that, “To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone believing in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” Acts 10:43. The result of which was that, “And the heart-knowing God bore witness to them, having given them the Holy Spirit, as also to us. And He made no distinction between both us and them, having PURIFIED their hearts by the faith.” Acts 15:8-9. That is to say, God gave them the Holy Spirit having Purified, that is Sanctified, their Conscience from Evil. And Peter witnessing this, commanded that they should be baptised in water. [Acts 10:47-48.] The important point we want to emphasis in this process is that, the Blood was always intended to purify the Soul, as Moses wrote, “For it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’” Leviticus 17:11. In which respect Isaiah says of the Lord, “When You make His soul an offering for sin.” Isaiah 53:10. Which is a reference to the blood of the Lord, as Paul says, “But through [His] own BLOOD, He entered once for all into the holy places, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12. So purifying our conscience from dead works is to precisely say, to sanctify our soul from the condemnation of sins and transgressions which we committed WHILE in the flesh.
So Paul says, “Therefore there is now NO CONDEMNATION to those in Christ Jesus. For the Law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the Law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2. Adam and Eve’s act of disobedience in believing the lie of the devil, was immediately followed in being cloaked in their flesh, with a spirit of bondage and fear bringing forth condemnation, which resulted in them fleeing from the presence of God. Now, our obedience to the truth of the gospel, in believing the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ in the forgiveness of our sins and His resurrection from the dead, is also immediately followed by the Spirit of His Son, that is the Holy Spirit making His dwelling in us on the account of the Lord Jesus Christ. [Romans 8:15, 1 Corinthians 2:12, Galatians 4:6, 2 Timothy 1:7.] The result of which is that we are drawn towards God, being reconciled to Him. And in respect to our conscience being cleansed from evil, Paul says, “Who will bring an accusation against the elect of God? God is the One justifying. Who is the one condemning? For it is Christ Jesus, the one having died, now rather having been raised up, who is also at the right hand of God, and who is interceding for us.” Romans 8:33-34. The point is, accusation and condemnation are the work of a person, that is the spirit of bondage and fear, who exercised his power through the Law of sin and death, from whose domain we are now set free.
So, the Blood of Jesus is a Redemption from the kingdom of Darkness that is from the power of Satan through the forgiveness of sins. In which regard John says, “And they have overcome him [the devil] by reason of the BLOOD of the Lamb, and by reason of the word of their testimony.” Revelation 12:11. So just as, Sin entered the world by the disobedience of one man, Adam, now sin is also put away by the obedience of one Man, Jesus Christ. Sin was the means by which the devil exercised his power over mankind, in guilt and condemnation to bring forth death. And as long as we are sin conscious as to be law minded he gains leverage over us. However, when we whole heartily understand SIN is ONCE and for all DONE away with through the Blood of Jesus Christ, then Satan is TOTALLY disarmed, he has no right, no power, and no dominion over us. The Blood of Jesus Christ, gives us ABSOLUTE power over the enemy because it has ANNULLED the covenant of sin and death by which the devil ruled. [Hebrews 10:17-18.]
And as it pertains to God, He has redeemed us to Himself, meaning He has SATISFIED His word of judgment which He spoke over Adam saying, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19. PLEASE NOTE: This is the Judgement of the First Death, from which our Lord Jesus Christ came in the FLESH to save us, NOT HELL. So when God poured out the Judgment of our sins upon His Son, the Lord became a substitute for our DEATH, and He sanctified our Soul by His blood, as to separate us from our sins. As it says in Psalms, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12. Thereby annulling the covenant of Death and Hades. [Isaiah 28:18.] We have to remember we are baptised into His death, and it is through His death we are separated from Sin and the Law. [Romans 6.7, Romans 7:4.] So, the Lord in taking the place of our death, imparts to us His perfect, blameless conscience as to have been washed by His blood.
And this is the very foundation of the Christian faith, which Paul described in many places as having been reconciled to God through the Death of His Son, which the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ represents. As he says in Romans, “Therefore much more, having been justified now by His blood, we will be saved by Him from wrath! For if, being enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” Romans 5:9-10. [2 Corinthians 5:19.] Now, there is NOTHING anyone can ADD to this, as Paul says, “For no one is able to lay another foundation, besides the one being already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11. That is the foundation of, “Jesus Christ and Him having been crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2. And we are instructed not to be moved from this truth of the Gospel, as Paul says, “To present you holy and unblemished and blameless before Him, if indeed you continue in the faith, established and firm, and not being moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard.” Colossians 1:23. [Hebrews 10:23.] So, the main point we need to see in respect to the Blood of Jesus Christ, which sanctifies our conscience, is that of the COMPLETE victory that is given to us over Sin, knowing the judgment associated with Sin that is of the First Death is Once and for ALL FINISHED.
Now, there are two concepts of GRACE we need to address, one in terms of the Lord Jesus Christ, the other that is of God, in which regard Paul says, “How much more did the GRACE of God and the gift in GRACE, which is of the one man Jesus Christ, abound to the many!” Romans 5:15. Now, when Paul says, “The gift in grace, in terms of the Lord,” he is specifically referring to His death, as he said in another place, “Being justified freely by His GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in His BLOOD, for a showing forth of His righteousness, because of the forbearance of the SINS having taken place BEFOREHAND.” Romans 3:24-25. That is to say, this GRACE is specifically tailored to address sin that abounded when the Law was added, as Paul wrote, “Now the Law entered so that trespass might abound; But where Sin abounded, Grace overabounded.” Romans 5:20. In which respect he also writes, “He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, DEATH having taken place for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant.” Hebrews 9:15. So when we say, GRACE Over-Abounded, we are speaking about the COMPLETE deliverance we have from sin through the DEATH of the Son of God, that is in the grace of Christ.
Now, the main point we need to grasp in regard to the GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ is in respect to its EFFECT. Paul writes, “For sin will not rule over you, for you are not under law, but under GRACE.” Romans 6:14. So when he says, you are under Grace, He is specifically referring to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, as to say you are under the Blood of the Lord. It is in this regard that he says, “KNOWING this, that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be annulled, that we are NO LONGER enslaved to sin. For the one having DIED has been FREED from sin.” Romans 6:6-7. That is to say, SIN will NOT rule over you, when you realise sin is put away once and for all in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. [Hebrews 9:26.] So armed with this knowledge Paul says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, in order to obey its desires.” [vs. 12.] Here is the effect, if anyone says he is under grace and continues in sin, he has not understood Grace. Because GRACE is the knowledge that the power of sin is broken once and for all, as to have NO DOMINION over the one who believes. The image we should have in our mind is that of Israel beyond the Red Sea, having been set free from the bondage of slavery, no longer to obey the dictates of slave masters, likewise, we are also set free from bondage of sin, no longer to obey its desires.
The Second concept of GRACE is as it pertains to the, “the GRACE of God,” which is specifically referring to the Righteousness of God Himself, given to us in the gift of the Promised Holy Spirit. That is, just as by one man’s disobedience sin entered the world and through the sin death. Now, by one Man’s obedience also the Righteousness of God has entered the world through the Holy Spirit leading to Eternal Life. [Romans 8:11, 1 Peter 3:18.] So, the Blood of Jesus Christ gives us COMPLETE Victory over sin, and we are also given the Holy Spirit as the gift of righteousness in order to EMPOWER us to reign in life. [Romans 5:17.] So Paul says, “Now I say, walk by the Spirit, and you should not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16. So GRACE is a combination of the two, on one hand it is victory over sin by the blood of Jesus Christ and on the other it is empowerment to live righteous lives by the Spirit of God. As Paul says, “So that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness, unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21. That is, the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in redeeming us from sin once and for all, NOW gives us His Holy Spirit so that we may live for righteousness for the purpose of Eternal Life.
GRACE is meant to DECLARE the finality of sin, through which we are now assigned to a new purpose in life, which is Righteousness! As Peter says, “Who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having been DEAD to sins, we might LIVE to righteousness.” 1 Peter 2:24. The ministry of the Law was of condemnation because it was given to reveal sin, but now sin is put away once and for all by the Blood of Jesus Christ, the ministry of the Spirit has come to effect. And He is given for the purpose of revealing the GLORY of God, that is His righteousness and Holiness, which is meant to be manifested in our mortal BODY, in the conduct of our walk. As Paul says, “And we all having been unveiled in face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. [2 Corinthians 4:10-11.]
So, thus far we have addressed the First concept of Sanctification which we can illustrate through the analogy of Israel coming out of Egypt through the Red Sea, through which God sanctified a people to Himself. [Exodus 19:6, 14.] This relates to us as we are also brought out of the kingdom of darkness that was ruled by the Law of sin and death through the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, in taking part in His death and burial. And this is the INFANCY aspect of the Christian walk, which is the foundation of the faith.
Sanctified by the Spirit
Now, the Second concept of sanctification is expressed in Israel through the giving of the Law, which dictated the conduct of their Life by separating them from all the WAYS of the nations that were around them. [Exodus 20:25-26.] Likewise, in this section we will explore how we are also sanctified from the WAYS of the world by the Holy Spirit, in the manner of life we are expected to live in exhibiting the Divine Nature, being able to distinguish the clean from the unclean. [Hebrews 5:14, Hebrews 12:11.] Paul summarises this concept as, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. WALK as children of LIGHT— for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth— DISCERNING what is well-pleasing to the Lord. And do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even expose them.” Ephesians 5:8-11. [1 Thess. 5:5-9.] This walk of Light is expressed in a BODY sanctified by the Spirit of God, which is an aspect of MATURITY to which EVERY Christian is CALLED. So, just as the First Covenant of Law which was in regard to the Flesh, was dictated by the words engraved on a tablet of stones. The New Covenant of Righteousness which is in regard to the Spirit, is also dictated by the leading of the Spirit of God. That is, the Holy Spirit is given to us, to guide our life in Righteousness and Holiness, which is meant to be manifested in our body, that is our walk. [2 Cor. 4:10-11.]
The main verse we are going to use for this section is, the statement of Paul that describes the spiritual aspect of salvation saying, “But if Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead on account of sin, but the SPIRIT is LIFE on account of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He by His Spirit will also give LIFE to your mortal BODIES.” Romans 8:10-11. In this statement Paul defined the two main aspects of the Christian walk. First he described LIFE coming to our spirit when the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling in us on the account of our Conscience having been purified from evil, then he describes LIFE to be given to our mortal body by the same Spirit. And, we know what was necessary for us to have Life in our Spirit, which Paul defined as, “If you CONFESS with your MOUTH, “Jesus is Lord,” and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him out from the dead, you will be saved. For in the heart is belief unto righteousness, and in the mouth is confession unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10. That is through the exercise of the spirit of faith, in the belief of the TRUTH in our hearts and the SPEAKING with our mouth. [2 Corinthians 4:13.]
Then the question becomes, what is necessary for us to know in order for the Spirit to give life to our mortal body? To answer this, we need to understand the principles by which the Spirit of God works. Paul said, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh?” Galatians 3:2-3. The Flesh, Sin and the Law was brought to an end by the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ, to bring to effect the principle, “the righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17. [Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38.] So, what we hear and are taught is of great importance, because it either leads us to the Spirit, faith and life or to the flesh, law and death. The main point being, we in the present are being perfected by the Spirit, the working of which is determined by “the hearing of faith.”
The working of this principle is illustrated in the writing of Paul which stated, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, in order to obey its desires. … For sin will not rule over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:12,14. And again he portrays the same sentiment from the perspective of the Spirit saying, “Now I say, walk by the Spirit, and you should not gratify the desires of the flesh. … But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” Galatians 5:16,18. In Romans 6, Paul was focused on bringing us to the KNOWLEDGE of the TRUTH that by the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we are delivered from the domain of Sin through death once and for all. And he illustrated what the effect of this knowledge was going to be like in giving us victory over sin, but he ALSO put the responsibility on us, as the one who is expected to put it to practice saying, “do not let, and present yourselves.” And, in Galatians 5, he described the power of the working of the Spirit, to the one who exercised faith in the knowledge of the truth. The process of which Paul described as, “if by the Spirit YOU put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13. And again he describes the effect saying, “Now those of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, we should also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:24-25. The point is, it is a working of agreement with the Holy Spirit in the knowledge of truth. The Spirit ALWAYS works, through GRACE by FAITH in the TRUTH, which, Pastor Joseph Prince terms as, the Spirit bearing witness to the Truth.
Now, in the first instance the Conscience aspect of our Soul was cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, when we first believed in the truth of the Gospel. Now, the Mind aspect of our Soul needs to be renewed in the knowledge of God, in order for us to live a life acceptable to God, so that we may do those things that are pleasing in His sight, which Paul describes as, “For just as you yielded your members [bodies] in bondage to impurity and to lawlessness unto lawlessness, so now yield your members [bodies] in bondage to righteousness unto sanctification.” Romans 6:19. Paul is saying our lives must be separated from the manner of the ways of the world, in which we ourselves once lived, in revelries, drunkenness and sexual immorality and so on. [Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 4:17-24, 1 Thess. 4:3-7, 1 Peter 4:2-3.] And he describes the working of this process as, “To present your BODIES as a living sacrifice, holy to God, well-pleasing, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this age, but be TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING of the MIND, for YOU to PROVE what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2. [Col. 1:9-10.] The effect of which he describes as, “So that the OFFERING of the Gentiles might become acceptable, having been SANCTIFIED in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:16. The point is this, we are EXPECTED to make an offering to God of our lives SANCTIFIED by the Holy Spirit, on the account we were REDEEMED from sin and have PEACE with God by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, the main aspect of this sanctification process is ROOTED in the renewing of the spirit of the MIND, through the knowledge of the will of God, which it is our RESPONSIBILITY to discover. And in Ephesians 4:17-24, Paul establishes this concept by contrasting against those in the world, who walk to the lust of their flesh being without the knowledge of God, and sternly warns the believer not to practice the same things and gives the reason as, “But you have not LEARNED Christ this way, if indeed you have HEARD Him and have been TAUGHT in Him just as the truth is in Jesus.” And he ends his admonishment with, “be RENEWED in the spirit of your mind, and to have put on the new man, having been created according to God in RIGHTEOUSNESS and HOLINESS of TRUTH.” And in Colossians he says, “Having put off the old man with his practices, and having put on the new, the one being RENEWED in KNOWLEDGE according to the IMAGE of the one having created him.” Colossians 3:9-10. In each instance the common factor is our mind being renewed in the TRUTH of God’s will, producing Holiness of life.
In this regard Paul wrote to Titus saying, “For the GRACE of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, INSTRUCTING us that, having DENIED ungodliness and worldly passions, we should LIVE discreetly and righteously and piously in the present age, awaiting the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might REDEEM us from all lawlessness and might PURIFY to Himself a people specially chosen, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:11-14. The emphasis Paul makes here is that, we have to be instructed in the ways of righteousness by the Spirit of God [in GRACE], in order to be purified, which is in respect to the manner of life we are to LIVE. [Ephesians 5:25-27.] Please Note, we are Redeemed SO THAT we may be Purified. And in Thessalonians, Paul plainly states what the practical outcome of this purification is meant to look like saying, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: You are to abstain from sexual immorality; each of you to know how to win mastery over his own vessel in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust, as also the Gentiles, not knowing God; … For God has not called us to impurity, but into holiness. So then, the one rejecting this does not disregard man but God, the One also giving His Holy Spirit to you.” 1 Thess. 4:3-5, 7-8. So there ought to be no ambiguity about the expectation God has for our body.
Now, NONE of us are able, by our own effort, to put off the desires of the flesh. But Paul planily puts the responsibility of putting off the old and the putting on of the new to be our own, saying, “But now you also put off all these things: anger, malice, …” And he follows with, “put on hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, …” Colossians 3:8, 12. This is a difficult thing to do, if any of us sought to take it as a list of things to implement. Now, this life is meant to be lived by the Spirit of God, in which respect Ezekiel says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27. Meaning, to walk in the ways of God, is meant to be by the power of the Spirit, BUT this is NOT apart from our willingness in discovering the truth of the will of God. NOTE: We have to know the STATUES of God in order to WALK in them, and we have to know the JUDGMENTS of God in order to KEEP them, but the key is that it is by the SPIRIT.
Meaning, the Spirit Himself works when we come to the realisation of the truth, in the HEARING of FAITH. That is, as we come to agreement in acknowledging the fundamental truth, that we were delivered from the power of sin once and for all through the GRACE that is in Christ having died with Him, the power of the Spirit works to put to death the deeds of the flesh. Our AGREEMENT is expressed in the confession of our mouth, it is the word of our testimony. [Revelation 12:11.] Likewise, as we come to agreement with the knowledge of the truth, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus having been raised with Him, the Spirit of God works [in Grace] to conform us to the image of the Son of God as His glory is revealed to us in the knowledge of Him. [2 Corinthians 3:18.] The point is, Death is working in us ACCORDING to Jesus in His crucifixion, so that the Life of Jesus can also be Manifested in our mortal bodies ACCORDING to His Spirit. [2 Corinthians 4:10.] Please Note, it is the FULL knowledge of GRACE be it in DEATH according to Sin, or LIFE according to Righteousness that enables us to live a life of godliness.
The Holy Spirit is called, “the Helper,” meaning He works WITH our willingness to put to effect His power when we act by faith in the knowledge of the truth. Peter says, “Accordingly, His divine power has given us all things toward LIFE and GODLINESS, through the knowledge of the One having called us by His own glory and excellence, through which He has given to us the precious and magnificent PROMISES, so that through these you might become PARTAKERS of the DIVINE Nature, having ESCAPED the decay in the world in desire.” 2 Peter 1:3-4. Peter clearly states to us, Godliness is provided to us in the form of a PROMISE, meaning we ourselves have to appropriate it by FAITH, which is meant to be the pursuit of every Christian. [1 Timothy 4:7-8.] And Godliness simply means God-Likeness. So, the Fruit of the Spirit, is describing to us the Divine Nature, that is the Characteristics of God Himself being manifested in our mortal bodies. This is what we need to realise, it is His Peace, Joy, Gentleness, Righteousness, Love, Forbearance and so on, all of which we can appropriate by faith knowing that His Holy Spirit dwells in us. [Romans 5:5, Romans 12:3, Romans 14:17, Ephesians 5:9, Colossians 1:11, 2 Timothy 1:7.]
Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Let the WORD of Christ dwell in you richly, TEACHING and admonishing each other in all wisdom, SINGING psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with GRACE in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16. And in Ephesians he wrote, “Because of this, do not be foolish, but UNDERSTAND what is the Lord’s WILL, and not to be drunk with wine in which is debauchery. Instead be FILLED with the Spirit, SPEAKING to each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, SINGING and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:17-19. Pastor Joseph Prince teaches that the Word of Christ is the teaching of GRACE that is made available through Him. In regards to which Paul says, “For Christ to dwell in your hearts through faith, being rooted and being founded in love, so that you may be FULLY able, with all the saints, to COMPREHEND what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the LOVE of Christ surpassing knowledge, so that you may be FILLED unto all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19.
The FULL and Complete knowledge of the Love of Christ, that was expressed on the Cross when He delivered us from the power of Sin, causes us to be filled with all the fullness of the Spirit of God. [John 15:13.] And the Spirit of God is in full manifestation in our lives when we are aligned to the Will of God, that is the Spirit ALWAYS and ONLY works by the Word. And Paul describes the effective working of this partnership saying, “And now I commit you to God and to the WORD of His GRACE, being able to BUILD you up and to give you an INHERITANCE among all those having been SANCTIFIED.” Acts 20:32. The Word of His Grace is the Word of Faith, it is an expression of the power of God being released in our lives having come to AGREEMENT with our willingness in the knowledge of the Truth of God’s will. And Our agreement is expressed in the confession of our mouth, Paul said, “The righteousness of faith speaks thus: … “The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart.” That is, the word of faith which we proclaim.” Romans 10:6,8. The point is, to express the words of TRUTH of the Gospel, be it by SPEAKING or SINGING. [Deuteronomy 31:19.] Now, we should by the same measure, also consider the CONSEQUENCES of putting false doctrines in our mouth and confessing that on a regular basis!
PLEASE NOTE: This process of walking by the Spirit is NOT one size fits all, for which the range varies from the INFANT to the MATURE, all of whom are expected to walk to the level of revelation they have attained. Paul describing the pursuit of his life says, “To know Him and the POWER of His resurrection and the FELLOWSHIP of His sufferings, being CONFORMED to His death.” Philippians 3:10. Then he states, “Therefore as many as are MATURE should be of this MIND. And if you are minded in anything differently, even this God will REVEAL to you. Nevertheless, to that which we have attained, we are to WALK by the same.” Philippians 3:15-16. The point is this, there is an age of accountability even in the Spirit. That is, the forgiveness of Sin is NOT the measuring line, but the Life born to righteousness. Meaning, it is not JUST an escape from the decay of the world which qualifies us to inherit the Kingdom of God, but the expression of the Divine Nature according to the knowledge of God. So Paul says, “Therefore much more, HAVING been JUSTIFIED now by His blood, we WILL be SAVED by Him [in His life] from WRATH!” Romans 5:9,10. And Paul repeatedly warns those who seek to live according to the flesh, that they will not inherit the kingdom of God. That is, even though they have counted on the forgiveness of sins, having received the truth of the Gospel, however they have fallen short in the practice of the LIFE of righteousness by the Spirit of God.
In which regard Paul says, “God has CHOSEN you from the beginning unto SALVATION in the SANCTIFICATION of the Spirit, and by FAITH of the TRUTH; to THIS also He CALLED you through our GOSPEL to the obtaining of the GLORY of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thess. 2:13-14. Here, Paul separates, the CALLING, which is by the Gospel IN the grace of Christ, that is being redeemed from the kingdom of darkness ruled by the Law of Sin and Death, to that of the CHOOSING, which is by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, through the knowledge of TRUTH in the practice of righteousness. Please Note, Sanctification of the Spirit is DEPENDENT on the belief of the truth, that is why we need to be renewed in the spirit of our mind in the knowledge of God. So the doctrines we are taught will affect our inheritance of the kingdom of God. Meaning, if we are LULLED to accept sin as part of us, in the manner of our life, we by our agreement to such doctrine will live a life that will bear the consequences of falling short from the calling of righteousness.
God said through Jeremiah, “Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant which I commanded your fathers in the Day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,’ that I may establish the OATH which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is this day.” ’ ” Jeremiah 11:3-5. [Jeremiah 7:22-23.] NOTE: God declared His EXPECTATION to Israel EVEN before giving them a single commandment, when they were days away from the shores of the Red Sea, which was the CONDITION for inheriting the Promised Land. This incident is recorded in Exodus 15, at the Waters of Marah meaning bitterness. Pastor Joseph Prince teaches that the Waters of Marah, which is a representation of the Soul of Mankind, were made sweet when Moses cast the Tree into the water at the command of God, representing the Soul being PURIFIED and the BITTERNESS of death having been taken away by the Cross of Christ.
However, this was not APART from the Curse. And this is the SECOND place where God pronounces a CURSE on the bases of a covenant, as He did with Adam, on the day he was brought into the Garden. In which regard Paul wrote, “For in [the Gospel of Christ] the righteousness of God is REVEALED from faith to faith, as it has been written: “And the righteous will live by faith.” For the WRATH of God is REVEALED from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, suppressing the TRUTH by unrighteousness.” Romans 1:17-18. Please Note: the wrath of God is now revealed ON the ACCOUNT the righteousness of God having been revealed in the Gospel of Christ. The point for us is this: the Curse of the Second Death is a consequence that is ESTABLISHED on account of the bitterness of the First Death having been taken away! [Romans 5:9-10.] We NEED to distinguish between, being SAVED from the First Death and the CONDITION for the inheritance of the Kingdom of God, on the account of which have come the judgement of the Second Death. That is why Paul repeatedly says to us, those who CONTINUE in the practice of the deeds of the flesh will NOT inherit the kingdom of God, because WRATH is coming on the account of it. [1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-7.] Sanctification of LIFE by the Spirit of God, in the conduct of our BODY for holiness and honour is what God EXPECTS, it is our reasonable service to Him, and is a DECIDING factor for the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. [Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thess. 4:3-7.]
Now, having said all this, one of the MAIN reasons why God wants us to hold our bodies in holiness and honour is because the HOLY SPIRIT has made His dwelling in us, and Paul gives a STERN warning saying, “Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys [defiles] God’s temple, God will DESTROY him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. [1 Corinthians 6:18-20.] So, we need to KNOW the difference between being saved from sin and the judgment of righteousness, which is based on God’s expectation of us, to LIVE in the manner He has EMPOWERED us by His Word and Spirit.
The Falling Away
In this section we are going to address the danger that awaits those who reject the work of sanctification by the Spirit, and those who have not given due regard to this process through ignorance. The most IMPORTANT point being, the realisation of the consequences of the doctrines we are taught, AFTER having been saved from the corruption that is in the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So, we hope to realign our Christian Walk in these last days to be for the pursuit of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Colossians 3:2-4.]
The main text for this section is the statement of Paul that describes the fall of a believer saying, “For it is IMPOSSIBLE for those once having been enlightened, and having tasted of the heavenly gift, and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and having tasted the goodness of God’s word and the power of the coming age— and THEN having fallen away—to RESTORE them AGAIN to repentance, CRUCIFYING in themselves the Son of God and subjecting Him to open shame.” Hebrews 6:4-6. We begin with this statement to show, this person was UNDOUBTEDLY one that “having escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” and one we consider to be “Born Again,” since he has partaken of the Holy Spirit, yet the person is described as having fallen away into Sin to be consumed by it. The crucifixion of the Lord is purposely and SINGULARLY designed to address our deliverance from Sin, Law and the Flesh. So, the implication is that this person has gone back and continued to LIVE to the dictates of the desires of their flesh to the point of no turning back, which Paul calls such people to be, “an enemy of the Cross of Christ,” in Philippians 3:18-19. The point is to illustrate, Sanctification of the BODY by the Spirit, in our WILLINGNESS to walk in the WAYS of God, is a VITAL aspect of the Christian Life, through which we are meant to INHERIT the kingdom of God.
However, we, by the reason of our own understanding of what it means to be born again, have come up with many ways to explain why some who claim to be followers of Christ choose not to walk in His ways. So, we have grabbed hold of one verse and disregarded others, and we have let our theology dictate our understanding. And in a bid for UNITY of the Church that seem so scattered, we have tried to draw on the Common Factors, but this does NOT WORK, because our agreement goes as far as it concerns ESCAPE from the First Death in the knowledge of the sufficiency of Christ Crucified, from which some even have departed. And we fall SHORT of the requirements of the inheritance of the kingdom of God, which is the MAIN goal, that is, “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” So, we miss the vital importance of doctrines, even knowing in the history of the first church, many believers because of doctrines were either qualified or disqualified while holding to the common factors which we also claim to hold. Every false way that detracts from the upward call in Christ starts with a false teaching, even when the foundation seems sound. The problem simply is, we have NOT given place to the VALUE, which the HOLY SPIRIT plays in bringing us into the kingdom of God.
So many, having the foundation of the forgiveness of sins, and an ESCAPE from the First Death, are DECEIVED by false doctrines that suit their life and are destroyed, because they have failed to realise the requirement of a life sanctified by the Holy Spirit, which is the CONDITION for escaping the Second Death. Please Note, the Judgment for Adam’s Sin was the First Death, from which we are ALL SAVED by the Blood of Jesus Christ in the forgiveness of sins. HOWEVER, the Judgment of Righteousness, is measured in the Life of Jesus Christ, that is, a life that exhibits His nature which is the qualification for escaping WRATH. That is why the Doctrines that we are taught AFTER having been saved in the conduct of this life have GREAT consequences.
In the Parable of the Sower, only the one sown by the wayside rejected the word being blinded by the devil, while all the rest had received the word and that with joy. Yet, only the last ground that bore fruit to God was accepted, while the middle two, though they have received the good news of the word in being saved from the first death, yet were rejected because they have failed to walk by the Spirit in separation from the ways of the world. [Matthew 13:18-23.] And Paul summarised this parable as, “For land having drunk in the rain coming often upon it and producing vegetation useful for those for the sake of whom also it is tilled, partakes of blessing from God. But that bringing forth thorns and thistles is worthless and near to a curse, of which the end is unto burning.” Hebrews 6:7-8. The SIMPLE fact of the Gospel of Christ is that, ALL who call in the name of the Lord are SAVED from First Death, since “no one is able to say, “Jesus is Lord,” if not in the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3. [Romans 10:13.]
Now the persistent problem is this, we ALL see our redemption from the kingdom of Darkness that was ruled by Sin to be all the qualification that is required to inherit the kingdom of God, being focused on the Death of the Lord without giving due regard to His Life, that is the Spirit. And this is what explains the condition of the present Church, though we may have the common foundation, we fail to see the VITAL requirements of a life lived by the Spirit of God through the knowledge of TRUTH. That is why in the teaching of Paul, the pursuit is ALWAYS in regard to growing to the fullness of the stature of Christ through the knowledge of Him, because it is His Life that saves us from the WRATH to come. The Lord described this concept in another parabel, where He compared the kingdom of God to a dragnet, where after the angels have drawn the net to shore sorted out the bad from the good, even though ALL were caught in the SAME net of the Gospel. [Matthew 13:47-40.]
The point is, NONE are EXEMPT from the Judgment of Righteousness that is to come, for which Christ Himself is the measuring line. But in our failure to distinguish between the conditions for the judgment of the First Death from that of the Second, we have concluded Christians are exempt from all Judgement. But this is not true, everyone of us are held accountable for the deeds we have done in the body, as Paul says, “For we must ALL be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive back the things done through the BODY according to what he did, whether GOOD or EVIL.” 2 Corinthians 5:10. Meaning, what we offered the Temple of the Lord to be used for will bear consequences. [1 Corinthians 3:16-17.] The Judgment of righteousness is PAID in REWARD, even when it is negative. God has given to us ALL that is required for Life and Godliness, and He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, having redeemed us from the power of satan. All that is left is for us to appropriate it by faith in the belief of the truth, for which we are REWARDED. The Lord said in respect to Jezebel who misled some into idolatry and immorality, “All the CHURCHES will know that I am the One searching affections and hearts; and I will give to each of you according to your works.” Revelation 2:23. [Revelation 22:12.] That is she and her followers were rewarded accordingly, even when being given over to death.
The Judgment of righteousness in Christ Jesus is INTENDED for the purpose of rewarding LIFE, meaning His expectation is of good works that are born out of a purified life and NOT of Sin. The commandment of the Lord in the New Testament, which is of Righteousness, is to LOVE. And the Lord gave us a preview of what the Judgment Seat of Christ is going to be like in Matthew 25:31-46. In which, those who are ACCEPTED and those who are REJECTED were equally presented before Him, and the VERY SAME measuring line is used for both, signifying NONE are EXEMPT from this judgment. And a WHOLE new standard is applied, in that He DID NOT charge a SINGLE one for Sin, but He judged the nations on the bases of the GOOD He expected from them. So, He did not say, “you lied, stole, or killed,” but rather they failed to express LOVE, saying, “you have not fed, clothed, or visited.” That is ACTS of righteousness born out of faith and love. [1 Thess. 5:8.]
So, we have to understand the qualification for the inheritance of the kingdom of God goes beyond that of the forgiveness of sins, it is a Life lived in His presence according to the TRUTH. Israel did not pay attention to the words spoken days after the Red Sea, that stated the condition for the inheritance of the Promised Land and many were rejected. And we also do the same thing, because we also see escape from sin to be ALL that there is, and have disregarded the requirement to live by His Spirit in the knowledge of truth. There is a CALLING and there is a CHOOSING. God is looking for the FRUIT of righteousness which is exhibited by faith in Holiness of Truth.
The Lord gave us many examples in regards to this concept, the Stony and Thorny grounds in the parable of the Sower. [Matthew 13:18-23.] The Wicked Steward in Luke 12:45-48, the Lawless Mighty Worker in Matthew 7:15-23, the Wedding Guest without a Garment in Matthew 22:11-14, the Five Foolish Virgins in Matthew 25:1-12, and the Lazy Steward in Matthew 25:24-30, all of whom have one common factor, they all received the knowledge of truth yet have fallen away. Paul said, “For if we sin WILLINGLY after we are to RECEIVE the knowledge of the TRUTH, no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment and fury of fire being about to devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27. The WILLINGLY aspect comes in various forms, but the most common is this, because we have given our ear to false doctrines according to our own desires. [2 Peter 2:18-22.]
We are living in the dispensation of FAITH. The implication of which is that Faith requires the knowledge of TRUTH on which to base its hope. Paul said, “If a man should be caught in some trespass, you the spiritual ones restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1. And James expresses the same sentiment but from the perspective of doctrine and says, “If anyone among you might wander from the truth, and someone should bring him back, let him know that the one having brought back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20. Both Paul and James are speaking of people who are led away into sin, but James identifies the root cause to be departing from the TRUTH.
The fact is, there is NO LONGER a judgment for sin, only the consequence of rejecting the righteous life given to us by the Spirit of God. This might seem like splitting hairs, but it is a total change in perception of the manner of life we are expected to live. As long as we are preoccupied with sin we fall short of the expectation of righteousness. Paul says, “Do not be misled: “Bad companionships corrupt good morals.” Sober up righteously and do not sin, for some have ignorance of God.” 1 Corinthians 15:33-34. That is to say, as we come to the realisation of our present state in Christ in being the righteousness of God, we will not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Now, there is a WARNING to the fact we are no longer judged for Sin, which Paul and Peter give saying, do not use this LIBERTY in being set free from sins to be an excuse for your flesh. [Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16.] In which regard Paul says, “having laid aside every weight and the Sin easily entangling, should run with endurance the race lying before us.” Hebrews 12:1. And Peter says, “Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and sojourners, to ABSTAIN from fleshly desires, which WAR against the SOUL.” 1 Peter 2:11. The point being giving way to this dictates as to allow sin to reign in our mortal body, will eventually serve to defile our conscience and to those who persist in it, the end of which will be a conscience that is hardened from which there is no turning back. [Hebrews 3:13.]
And Jude describes the end of the defiled and hardened conscience as, “Clouds without water, being carried about by winds; autumnal trees without fruit, TWICE having DIED, having been uprooted;” Jude 1:12. Meaning, they were once dead in trespasses and sins in respect to Adam, from which they were saved in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, having their Conscience cleansed. However, they have continued in pursuit of fleshly practices unwilling to turn from the previous way of life, leading to their SECOND death in having their Conscience defiled, only this time as spirits, from which there is no return, hence he says they are TWICE DEAD. He also calls them, “Autumnal Tree without fruit,” as a tree that passed MATURITY yet yielded NOTHING, so these are ones that are DISAPPROVED from the faith. [Philippians 3:18-19, Hebrews 6:4-6, Hebrews 10:26-27, Hebrews 12:14-17, 2 Peter 2:20-22, Jude 1:4, 12-13.]
The point is this, our Sanctified Conscience is not beyond being defiled, in regards to which John writes, “you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments.” Revelation 3:4. Soiled Garment is a reference to a defiled conscience, which we can infer from the statement, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:4. And we know that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses our conscience from evil. [Hebrews 9:14.] So, in the Church of Sardis, through the failure of the one having charge over them in departing from the truth he heard, the result of which is that many have defiled their conscience and are rejected.
And Paul describes to us the importance of maintaining good conscience in his letter to Timothy, where he compared those who turned towards the Law and all manner idle talk for which he gave, Hymenaeus and Alexander as an example, saying, “Timothy, my child, according to the prophecies going before as to you, that by them you might wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some, having cast away, have caused a shipwreck concerning the faith.” 1 Timothy 1:18-19. Please Note: by going towards the Law, the consequence was that they cast away good conscience in bringing condemnation upon themselves. [Galatians 2:17-18.] This downward trajectory for Hymenaeus continued, in the second letter of Paul where he stated, “But avoid worldly, empty babblings, for they will lead on to more ungodliness, …, among whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have gone astray concerning the truth, asserting the resurrection already to have taken place; and they are overthrowing the faith of some.” 2 Timothy 2:17-18. That is, he went into deeper error and even became a cause by which others were made to stumble, and it all started from a good conscience having been cast aside by the Law.
The point is, our WILLINGNESS to entertain false doctrines bears serious consequences. And this warning is given to the members of the Body of Christ, that is people who once have come to know the truth of Christ Crucified. And Paul relays this to us from both perspectives, first from those who propagate false doctrine saying, “But the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, in the hypocrisy of liars, having been SEARED in the own CONSCIENCE, forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from foods that God created for reception with thanksgiving by the faithful and those knowing the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:1-3. And then from the perspective of the common believer, who themselves seek out this false teachers, and says, “For there will be a time when they will not endure sound TEACHING, but according to the own desires, having an itching ear, they will gather around them teachers to suit themselves, and indeed they will turn away from hearing the truth, and will be turned aside unto myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4. So, both the teacher and the one taught are equally held responsible.
Paul says to Timothy, “The bond-servant of the Lord not to quarrel, but to be gentle toward all, able to teach, forbearing, in gentleness disciplining those opposing, lest ever God may give them REPENTANCE unto a knowledge of the TRUTH, and they might come to their SENSE out of the SNARE of the devil, having been captured by him for his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26. Meaning, these false doctrines are a snare of the devil, with the intended purpose of leading people away from the truth in a state of bewilderment, through those who are deceived and are deceiving others. [2 Timothy 3:13.] And this ranges from those who seek to ENTANGLE people into the Law, such as the ones Paul described in Galatians, and Titus 1:10-16, whom he called ministers of Satan in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, to those who seek to ENTANGLE people into Sin, which 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 2 Peter 2:13-22 and Jude 1 describe as being implemented by those having been disapproved from every good work. [2 Timothy 3:6-8, Titus 1:15-16.] The point is all of them are expressed after having received the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And in EVERY instance the Lord displays His patience, giving time for repentance for people to amend the ERROR of their ways, for which the Five Churches out of the Seven in the book of Revelation are an example. Meaning, the Lord will give us opportunity to hear those who will declare to us the TRUTH, but whether we accept it in repentance to the truth or reject it stubbornly giving our ears to myths and fables is up to us.
In the story of Israel, Moses records, “Now the MIXED MULTITUDE who were among them yielded to intense CRAVING; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; But now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this MANNA before our eyes!” Numbers 11:4-6. [Exodus 12:37-38.] The mixed multitude is a reference to those who married Egyptians and had children with them. [Leviticus 24:10.] The implication of which is that to express those who seek to straddle both the world and God. These he says, “yielded to intense CRAVING,” in desiring the things of Egypt, that is the things of the flesh and despised the Pure Word of God, that is the Manna that came down from Heaven. The illustration is that of 2 Timothy 4, in those who turn away from truth seeking to satisfy their own desires.
The DOCTRINES we learn, AFTER having been SAVED are of VITAL importance. However, we think just because we have escaped from the First Death, nothing else is of any consequence. But in EVERY instance of the examples given above, NOT one is given in the case of those who rebelled against the foundation, Christ Crucified. Nonetheless in some cases it is expressed as, “even denying the Master that bought them.” Now, when we think of denying the Lord, the thought that comes to our mind is that of Peter in the courtyard of Caiaphas. But, this is not the context the denial of the Lord is described, as Peter says, “There will be false teachers among you also, who will stealthily introduce destructive heresies, EVEN DENYING the Master having BOUGHT them.” 2 Peter 2:1-2. And Jude also says, “For certain men came in stealthily, those having been designated long ago unto this condemnation, ungodly ones changing the GRACE of our God into SENSUALITY and DENYING our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:4. The point is this, the denial of the Lord is EXPRESSED in the rejection of His sacrifice by the works that are CONTRARY to the purpose He died for. So Paul says, “They profess to know God, but in their WORKS they DENY Him.” Titus 1:16. [Philippians 3:18.] The death of the Lord is INTENDED to redeem us from sin, so when we live in the practice of sin we are effectively denying the purpose for which He died.
We have reached the end of this study, and we hope we have impressed upon you the importance of distinguishing between the First and Second Death and the IMPORTANT role the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit play in relation to our SALVATION. Our failure to distinguish this VITAL difference, at times has caused us to belittle the things that are necessary for a successful spiritual life. The Spirit of God works by GRACE through Faith in the knowledge of TRUTH. Meaning, the doctrines we give heed to and the times we spend in Scripture and prayer are of GREAT importance. Paul said, “Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, having been fully equipped toward every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The Spirit NEEDS the Word to work! Pastor Joseph Prince said, “Grace is NOT inactivity but Spirit led Activity.” So, reading the word of God and prayer should be a natural response for every child of God, for which we must be exhorted.
The Spirit of Truth is given to everyone who believes, in the all sufficiency of the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ in delivering from the power of Sin and Satan. And the Holy Spirit is ready and willing to teach us, because HE CAME specifically for this purpose, as the Lord says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will TEACH you all things and will bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.” John 14:26. And Paul also says, “Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, that we may KNOW the things having been granted to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12. This being said, it is our responsibility to seek Him by faith. Paul said, “As many as are mature should be of this mind. And if you are MINDED in anything DIFFERENTLY, even this God will REVEAL to you.” Philippians 3:15. We have to SEEK and we have to ASK.
Paul in 1 Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 4, clearly related to us the responsibility both teachers and those who are taught bear in seeking out the Truth of God. So the Lord says to us all, “And TAKE HEED to yourselves, lest your hearts ever be burdened with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of life—and that day would come upon you SUDDENLY as a SNARE. For it will come upon all those sitting upon the face of all the earth. WATCH also at every season, PRAYING that you may have STRENGTH to escape all these things that are about to come to pass and to STAND before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36. [Mark 13:35-37.] To WATCH and PRAY, is the ADVICE the Lord has given to us, in order to to escape the SNARE the world falls into, being carried away by the cares of life. The Lord did not take it for GRANTED, when He exhorted us in this matter.
Watching has to do with giving heed to the Word of God. The Lord said to His disciples, “Blessed are those servants whom, having come, the master will find WATCHING.” Luke 12:37. Then, when Peter said, “Lord, do You speak this parable to us, or also to all?” The Lord explained saying, “Who then is the faithful, wise manager, whom the master will set over the care of his servants, to give them the measure of FOOD in season?” Luke 12:41-42. In this statement the Lord associated watching, to giving the due season word of God. Meaning, it is being actively engaged in the work the Lord has given, ESPECIALLY as it relates to His Word, for which both the teacher and the one taught are expected to be actively engaged in WATCHING.
The purpose of this study is not to cast doubt, but to exhort us to take our salvation seriously, the fate of our eternal souls is not something we can afford to be passive about. We are saved from Sin by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we may bear fruit by the Spirit of God, which is the FRUIT of Righteousness that is Holiness. In which regard Paul said, “But now, having been SET FREE from sin, and having become slaves to God [Righteousness], you have your FRUIT unto sanctification, and the end is eternal life.” Romans 6:19, 22. And we are continually exhorted to be established, strengthened, and to grow in the GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, GRACE as it relates to our knowledge of our ABSOLUTE deliverance from Sin by the Blood of Jesus, and the GRACE as it pertains to a life of GODLINESS by the Spirit of God through the knowledge of Him. Which Paul SUMMARISED as, “Through faith from Christ, the righteousness of God on the basis of faith, to KNOW Him and the POWER of His resurrection and the FELLOWSHIP of His sufferings, being CONFORMED to His death, if, by any means, I may ATTAIN to the resurrection from out of dead.” Philippians 3:9-11. And EVERYONE of us should have the SAME perspective!
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