Divine Sugar Sticks for May 2001

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Tuesday, May 1, 2001

Separation of Church and State

1. Religion as a principle always tries to dominate the political situation.
   
2. Religion must never gain ascendancy in any nation that values its freedom.
   
3. Christianity recognizes the freedom of the individual.
   
4. This freedom cannot exist unless there is a separation of Church and state.
   
5. When religion and state become one, there is no freedom for the people in that national entity.
   
6. Religion takes over the state when there is no separation of Church and state.
   
7. Bible Christianity cannot reach the nation when these distinctions are blurred.
   
8. No nation has ever been ruled by religion without being enslaved. Example: India. This applies to Christianity, too.
   
9. The local Church, or any organization within the local Church, Christian institutions, which communicate the Word of God, allow the individual to use his volition in regard to it.
   
10. The local Church functions as an entity separate from the government, state, but it can have a great deal of influence on government through witnessing, evangelism, and the presentation of the Word of God in a clear way.
    
11. The influence of believers with Doctrine overflows into the life of a nation ...”The salt of the Earth,” Matt 5:13.
    
12. The most patriotic thing a believer can do for his nation is to be a believer with Bible Doctrine, eventually growing into maturity, and being spiritually self-sustaining.“The light of the world.”

”Except the Lord left us a remnant, we would be as Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Satan's Strategy

Satan seeks to get the eyes of the believer off the Lord Jesus Christ, obscuring the focus of the believer.

1. Eyes on yourself.
   1 Cor 1:10-11, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.” Gen 3:1, “ Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
   
   Elijah in 1 Kings 19:10, “ And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
   
   Peter in Matt 26:31-35, “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of Me this night: for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto Him, Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice. Peter said unto Him, Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”
   
2. Eyes on things.
   Heb 13:5-6, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
   
3. Eyes on people.
   Jer 17:5. Jealousy of people or admiration of people. “ Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.”

Answer: Heb 12:2, “ Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Col 3:1-2, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the Earth.”

“Looking unto Jesus.”

Satan’s Strategy – Part Two

1. Satan encourages believers to worry.
   1 Pet 5:7-9, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
   
2. Satan gets believers occupied with the temporal solution to man’s problems and therefore to neglect Divine solutions.
   
3. Satan instills the fear of death in believers.
   Job 5:1, “Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?” Psa 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.”
   
4. Satan blinds the minds of the unbeliever.
   2 Cor 4:3-4, “But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Thes 2:9-10, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved.”
   
5. Satan deceives nations.
   Rev 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” 20:3, 8, “And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”
   

   

Satan’s Strategy – Part Three

1. Heaven – Satan accuses believers to hinder the work of the Lord on Earth. Satan has access to Heaven.
   Job 1:6-11, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the Earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the Earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.” 2 Cor 2:11, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” Zech 3:1, “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.”
   The believer’s Defense Attorney is the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
   
2. Earth – Satan invites believers to ignore the Word of God and accept false doctrine.
   1 Tim 4:1, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” 1 Cor 10:19-20, “What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” 2 Cor 11:3, ”But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Cor 13-15; 1 Chr 21:1, “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”
   
3. Satan seeks to frustrate God’s will.
   A. Operational will.
   James 4:7-8, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” Gal 5:7, “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the Truth?”
   
   B. Geographical will.
   1 Thes 2:18, “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.”
   

   

Sanctification – The Greek Word is “HAGIOS”

1. Sanctification describes the modus operandi whereby God the Father makes the believer like His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and that is Grace.
   
2. “Sanctification” is the word “HAGIOS,” which is the root word for holy, holiness, sanctification, consecrate, or sanctify, meaning “to set apart.”
   
3. The believer is called a saint, literally, a “set apart one.” 1 Cor 1:2.
   
4. Sanctification is Grace in function.
   
5. There are three categories of sanctification. Rom 8:29.
   A. Positional – Union with Christ, 1 Cor 1:2, 30, 6:11, 1 Pet 1:2. Phase One, which is salvation. Heb 10:10, 14, 13:12, 2 Thes 2:13.
   B. Experiential – Spiritually, 1 Thes 4:3, Rom 6. This is Phase Two, the Christian walk. sometimes called progressive.
   1. Experiential emphasizes spirituality.
   2. Progressive emphasizes growth. John 17:17, 2 Pet 3:18.
   Both experiential and progressive are mentioned in Eph 5:26, 1 Thes 5:23.
   C. Ultimate sanctification – The Rapture. 1 John 3:1-2, 1 Cor 15:51-57, Phil 3:21.
   
6. Agents of sanctification – Always the work of God, not of man.
   A. God the Son. Heb 10:10-14, provision.
   B. God the Holy Spirit. 1 Pet 1:2, mechanics.
   C. God’s Word. John 17:17, Eph 5:26.
   
7. The mechanics of progressive sanctification.
   The use of confession of sin, 1 John 1:9, which results in the cleansing and filling of the Holy Spirit. Eph 5:18. Also compare John 17:17 with 2 Tim 2:15, with 3:16-17.

”Sanctify them with Thy Truth. Thy Word is Truth.”

Wednesday, May 2, 2001

Separation From Believers

1. We are to separate from carnal believers who are obviously perpetually out of fellowship.
   1 Cor 5:10-11, “Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”
   
2. We are to separate from believers who reject the Word of God.
   2 Cor 3:14-15, “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.”
   2 Thes 3:6, “Now we command you, brethren, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”
   
3. We are to separate from believers who are in emotional revolt as a habit of life and from believers who operate under some false system of spirituality.
   Rom 16:17-18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
   
4. We are to separate from the fast crowd.
   1 Pet 4:4, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:” Prov 1:10-19.
   Also 1 Cor 5:11 and context (But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”
   This prohibition is for both classifications – believer and unbeliever.
   
5. Sometimes the unbeliever – we are to separate from unbelievers in those relationships where the Word of God is compromised.
   2 Cor 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
   Heb 13:13, “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.”
   
   A. Marriage: A believer is prohibited from marrying an unbeliever.
   2 Cor 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
   
   B. Certain business relationships: This does not mean that you do not associate with unbelievers, or can’t do business with unbelievers. This would be a partnership.
   
   C. It can involve organizations such as frats or sororities.
   
6. We are to separate from worldly human viewpoint thinking. This is a mental separation. Rom 12:2 says worldliness is what you think. It has a mental viewpoint. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
   
   A. Worldliness is becoming a sucker for a social action.
   B. Worldliness is being hung up in liberalism.
   C. Worldliness is thinking that the war on poverty has merit.
   D. Worldliness is disrespect for the law.
   

   

Category of Sin – Colossians 3:5-10

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the Earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

1. Verse 5, “Mortify” means to render impotent. Use 1 John 1:9, Rom 8:13. Mortify through the Holy Spirit. ”Members which are upon the Earth,” the old sin nature, sin area.
   
   One overt and four mental attitude sins.
   A. “Fornication” – Overt sin, both technically referring to the phallic cult and general.
   B. “Uncleanness” – Mental adultery, lewdness, impurity of mind.
   C. “Inordinate affections” – Depraved passion.
   D. “Evil concupiscence” – Evil desire, lust, mental sin.
   E. “Covetousness which is idolatry” – Mental attitude sin, putting anything before the Lord.
   
2. Verse 6, Divine discipline for believers.
   
3. Verse 7, the carnal believer imitates the unbeliever.
   
4. Verse 8, “Put off” – Take off dirty clothes. Be restored back to fellowship and render impotent the old sin nature.
   
   A. “Anger” – ORGE, emotion caused by jealousy, mental attitude sin. May be a sudden burst of activity or an inward burn which results in violence.
   
   B. “Wrath” – A turbulence of emotions expressed outwardly. Mental attitude sin-like tantrums.
   
   C. “Malice” – Mental attitude sin. Lust to hurt someone. This may come from jealousy or frustration. It generally expresses itself through the sins of the tongue.
   
   D. “Blasphemy” – Malign or slander, usually God, either His character or His work. A tongue sin. It runs the gamut from legalism to the expression of false doctrine.
   
   E. “Filthy communication out of your mouth” – A tongue sin. Obscene language which indicates a foul mind.
   
5. Inner conflict between the old sin nature and the Holy Spirit. Rom 8:13, “Die,” temporal death. “Live,” temporal life. The filling of the Holy Spirit.
   

   

Galatians 5:19-21 – Categories of Sin

1. Sexual sins. Gal 5:19.
   A. Adultery – Overt sin.
   B. Fornication – Sex in the name of religion.
   C. Uncleanness – Mental adultery.
   D. Lasciviousness – Sexual lust.
   
2. Directional sin, toward sin. Gal 5:20. The old sin nature can control the believer directionally.
   A. Toward God – Idolatry.
   B. Toward self – Witchcraft. Literally, “Pharmacies” in the Greek, meaning drugs. Any type of addition, drugs, etc.
   C. Towards others.
   1. Hatred – Mental
   2. Variance – Discord.
   3. Emulation – Jealousy seeking to outdo others. Playing spiritual “king of the mountain.”
   4. Wraths – emotional sins, tantrums.
   5. Strife – Taking sides without knowledge.
   D. Towards the Word of God. Gal 6:20.
   1. Seditions – Revolt against the Word of God.
   2. Heresies – Opinion contrary to the Word of God, either principle or application.
   
3. Person sins. Gal 5:21.
   A. Inner, envy, jealousy, etc. Mental
   B. Outer, murder, drunkenness, reveling, orgy. Overt.
   

Alternative to the control of the old sin nature – Gal 5:22-23 the fruit of the Spirit. In Greek culture, the body was beautiful. Sex was a religious ceremony. So when they became born-again, this was a real problem to them, the boundaries of marriage, etc.

Did God Create Sin?

1. No! God is not the Author of sin. God is not the Author of temptation. James 1:13. It would be incompatible with Divine essence. All sins come from the old sin nature. James 1:14-15.
   
2. Sin originated with Satan through negative volition.
   
3. God created Adam in innocence.
   
4. Adam was a free moral agent, as Satan was. Adam had free will. The only way that Adam could sin in innocence was negative volition, acting independently of God.
   
5. God did not create Adam with an old sin nature. Adam acquired an old sin nature through negative volition.
   
6. The sovereignty of God and the free will of man are co-existent on this Earth. The ideal situation is when the volition of man crosses the sovereignty of God, compatible at the Cross.
   
7. The sovereignty of God gave man free will. Why? To resolve the angelic conflict. Free will gave man the right to choose for himself, even in opposition to the will of God.
   
8. Adam’s choice was made against God’s will. “God is not willing that any should perish,” 2 Pet 3:9.
   
9. If Adam hadn’t sinned, would he have lived forever? No! He didn’t have eternal life. Man receives eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as personal Saviour.
   
10. Argument: God made all things and since sin is a thing, God made sin.
    Answer: Sin is not a thing. Sin is acting independently of God, either mental or overt.
    
11. God did not create sin. Sin is a result of negative volition.
    

    

“Not Thinking Grace”

1. Spirit of pride – exalted feeling based on success or position or because of good training, appearance of natural gift and abilities, an inner feeling of self-importance.
   
2. Love or lust for human approbation or praise – A secret fondness to be noticed and recognized by Christians. A love of supremacy, a drawing attention by conversion, exhibitionism, or by playing spiritual “king of the mountain.”
   
3. Social interaction – Anger or impatience, touchy and sensitive nature. Resentment and retaliation when disproved and contradicted, jealousy, sour grapes, envy, etc.
   
4. Self-will – The concept of the stubborn or unteachable nature. A disposition to be argumentative, harsh, bitter, a nit-picker, one who is critical, one who minds the business of others more than his own, one who has a long proboscis.
   
5. Tendency to magnify the faults and failings of others while emphasizing your own virtues. It is having an unpleasant feeling when others succeed and prosper.
   
6. Negative disposition – Peevish, fretful disposition, that loves to be coaxed and honored, a dishonest, deceitful disposition, a disposition that tends toward discouragement and despondency under pressure or an attempt to solve one’s problems by hysteria and tantrums.
   
7. Apathy – Indifference to the Word of God and Scriptures in general.

The above are all manifestations of emotional revolt. It is the soul in revolt. It is a carnal revolt piled high.

The Biblical Stability of a Nation!

1. Stability through law and order. Rom 13:1-7.
   
   A. God has ordained certain laws for each nation. They come out of the Divine Institutions. Rom 13:1.
   B. God is not the Author of confusion. Rom 13:2, 1 Cor 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
   C. Rulers have the authority to uphold the laws of the land. Rom 13:3.
   D. For enforcing the law of the land there are various degrees of punishment, including capital punishment. Rom 13:4.
   E. For financing the nation, God has ordained the principle of taxation – that is taxation with representation. Rom 13:6-7.
   F. When a national entity violates the Divine Institutions, such as the USSR, Red China, the citizens of that country are under obligation to the Word of God and not the slavery laws of that country which usually means miraculous deliverance or death.
   G. It is not “as the people” confusion, or the priest or the pastor confusion, but as the pastor giving out the Word of God to the people receiving the Word of God.
   
   More to come ...
   

   

   The Biblical Stability of a Nation – Part Two

2. The stability through the salt and light principle. Matt 5:13-16.
   Principle: The number of born-again believers does not guarantee the deliverance of a nation. A majority of them may be carnal, but the number of mature believers, the remnant, is the key to the nation’s deliverance.
   
   A. Salt principle. Matt 5:13.
   1. Unseen preservative.
   a. Pastor-teacher studying and teaching daily, the believers functioning under the principle of growing in Grace, maturing daily.
   b. Congregation – taking in the Word of God through the principles of growing in Grace and privacy of the priesthood.
   
   2. Flavor principle of “lost its savor” – meaning out of fellowship.
   a. Robbing the Word of its power, sterile teaching of the Word.
   b. Insipid, flavor not there, tastelessness.
   c. “It is good for nothing”– it has ability for nothing.
   This is a believer out of fellowship, not filled with the Spirit. Not filled with the Spirit means no Divine ability. No Divine ability means filled with human ability.
   d. “Cast out” is a believer out of fellowship.
   e. “Trodden under foot” is Divine discipline.
   
   More to come on the stability of a nation ...
   

   

   The Biblical Stability of a Nation – Part Three
   The Light Principle – Matthew 5:14-16, John 8:12

3. “You all are the lights of the world,” plural.
   A. This is a phrase designating a mature believer. There is an inner spiritual structure in the soul, edification, a building in the mature believer.
   B. A believer who is not in emotional revolt – emotions dictating principles to the mentality of the soul.
   
4. “A city” – a group of mature believers now as a Local Church.
   A. “Cannot be hid” – This type of Church has an impact. Testimony.
   B. The reflecting of the glory of God in the devil’s world.
   
5. “A lamp” – A lamp under a big clay pot, out of fellowship, no maturity. Walking in darkness. Don’t contribute darkness to a world of darkness.
   
6. “Put it on a lamp stand and give light to the whole world.”
   
7. Verse 16, “Let your light so shine,” command for maturity. Daily study, daily function under growing in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
   
8. “Good works” – the production of Divine Good, filling of the Holy Spirit, the exhale of the Word of God and reaching maturity.
   
9. “Glorify” – Reflect the glory of God – very important!
   

   

Thursday, May 3, 2001

Three Types of Sin – Three Parts of a Whole

1. Definition: Sin is acting independently of God and God’s provision – coming short of the glory of God. Rom 3:23.
   
2. Three types of sin – three parts of a whole.
   
   A. Imputed sin. 1 Cor 15:22, Rom 5:12, Rom 3:23. The human race was counted guilty when Adam sinned. “For as in Adam all die.” First, spiritual death, then the second death.
   
   B. Inherent sin. Rom 5:12, “Wherefore as by one man (Adam) sin (the old sin nature) entered into the world.” When Adam sinned, he acquired an old sin nature and brought into existence the old sin nature. The human race inherits the old sin nature through physical birth by means of an human father, Psa 51:5, and retains the old sin nature after salvation. A sinner saved by Grace.
   
   C. Personal sin. Personal sin is a manifestation and result of having an old sin nature. Use 1 John 1:9 because if we say we have no sin, we call God a liar, and deceive ourselves.
   

   

The Sequence of the Three Types of Sin

It is like three dominoes in a row on edge.

1. Imputed sin – Results in spiritual death. Domino number one. When Adam sinned, the human race sinned, hence when Adam was counted guilty. The human race is born of Adam’s seed.
   
2. Inherent sin – Which makes man a sinner. Domino number two. When Adam sinned, he acquired an old sin nature and brought into existence the old sin nature. Rom 5:12a.
   
   A. The human race acquired an old sin nature because of physical birth. By means of a human father, every person is a sinner. We inherit our old sin nature from our human father.
   
   B. The human race is born spiritually dead because of imputed sin. Spiritual death means no fellowship with God. Minus righteousness cannot have fellowship with Absolute Righteousness.
   
3. Personal sin – Domino number three. The human race from Adam on sins personally because of an old sin nature, both before and after spiritual birth.

When domino one falls, domino numbers two and three follow.

What Sins Do You Think God Hates?? Proverbs 6:16-19

In this passage there are seven things that God hates. The phrase “an abomination” is the worst. There are four sins of the tongue, two mental attitude sins, and one overt sin.

1. “A proud look” comes through the eye gate. It is a mental sin. Pride. Pride plus lust equals jealousy. Thinking pride, wicked imagination.
   
2. “A lying tongue” is lying, a habitual liar, a sin of the tongue.
   
3. “Hands that shed innocent blood.” Murder is not debatable. An overt sin. Murder. Killing during a war is not murder. Exodus, “Thou shalt not kill.” This is the Hebrew word for murder, not kill.
   
4. “A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations.” The heart is the mind. This is the mind controlled by the emotions, and it is a mental attitude sin. This is the mind filled with jealousy, jealousy breeds suspicion, and suspicion thinks the worst. The worst in the mind is the imagination.
   
5. “Feet that be swift in running to mischief.” This is a sin of the tongue and overt sin. This is a person going around and making trouble. Most trouble is caused by the use of the tongue. This involves gossip, resulting in an overt sin making trouble for others.
   
6. “A false witness that speaketh lies” is a sin of the tongue. Perjury, downgrading someone, playing spiritual “king of the mountain.”
   
7. “He that soweth discord among the brethren” is a sin of the tongue, maligning.

”As a man thinketh in his mind, so is he.”

”Guard your mind with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.”

The Sin Unto Death!

1. The sin unto death as a principle.
   A. 1 John 5:16, “There is a sin unto death.”
   B. Psa 118:17-18, Ezek 18:21-32.
   
2. Characteristics of the sin not unto death.
   A. It is a sin that is confessed. 1 John 1:9, 1 Cor 11:31, Psa 32:5, Psa 38
   B. It is can also be characterized by a sin which is discontinued. Heb 12:1, Ezek 18:21-33.
   C. It is a sin which responds to discipline. Heb 12:6 compared with Heb 12:11-15.
   
3. Characteristics of a sin unto death. 1 John 5:16b.
   A. An unconfessed sin, therefore persistent, never uses confession.
   B. It is a sin that persists unchecked.
   C. It is a sin that ignores Grace – warning and discipline. Lev 26.
   D. It is a sin that has a maximum adverse affect on other believers. Acts 5, Annias and Sapphira.
   
4. Case histories of the sin unto death. 1 John 5:16b.
   A. Cornithian incest. 1 Cor 5:1-5.
   B. Lying to the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:1-10, trying to get credit for something you didn’t do.
   C. Persistent carnality at the Lord’s table. 1 Cor 11:30-31.
   D. Disobedience to the Word of God. Example: King Saul. 1 Chr 10:13, 14, 1 Sam 13:9-14. Saul had no business offering sacrifices. He was a king, not a priest. The priest didn’t show up when Saul thought he should. Saul was told to annihilate Agag. He didn’t, so Saul consulted a medium, the witch of Endor.
   E. Self-righteousness and dependence upon man perpetuated. Isa 38, Hezekiah.
   F. A believer turned apostate. Num 31:8, Balaam. 1 Tim 1:19-20, Hymenaeus and Alexander.
   
5. Some of these sins are gross and overt and some are mental attitude.
   
6. Conclusion: The sin unto death is not a particular sin, but a continual carnality.
   

Friday, May 4, 2001

The Unpardonable Sin!

1. Definition:
   A. The unpardonable sin is an unpardonable act. It is in unbelief, the rejection of Jesus Christ as personal Saviour.
   B. The unpardonable sin is listed as a sin against the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we need to understand the following.
   C. The unpardonable sin is not:
   1. Adultery, suicide, using profanity – the willful sin.
   2. The constant repetition of any sin – the sin unto death.
   3. Not calling your brother a fool, falling away, etc.
   The above are the most common concepts of the unpardonable sin and they are all wrong.
   D. “All sins shall be forgiven,” Mark 3:28, is a source of comfort. Correlate this with the Doctrine of unlimited atonement.
   E. The unpardonable sin was not poured out on Jesus Christ and therefore was not judged. All sins are pardonable except rejection of Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. 1 Pet 2:24, 2 Cor 5:21.
   
2. Characteristics of the unpardonable sin.
   A. It is a sin, act, committed by an unbeliever.
   B. It is impossible for the believer to commit the unpardonable sin. Isa 1:18, 44:22, 1 John 1:7, Psa 103:12.
   C. It is not a single sin or act. It is not progressive. It is not repetitious except in its expression. If you reject the Gospel when you hear it again, you may continue to reject it.
   D. It is unpardonable. There is nothing in the plan of God which provides forgiveness for it. Acts 4:12.
   E. It is condemned. When this act of unbelief is operational, it is always condemned. John 3:18.
   F. The alternative to this unpardonable act is to believe and be saved. But if rejection persists to the point of physical death, then there is no hope and no help.

”He that believeth not on Him, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Slave Market of Sin!

1. Because of procreation we all come into the world spiritually dead. Romans 5:12.
   
2. There are three categories in the human race:
   A. Immoral. Rom 1:18-32.
   B. Moral. Rom 2:1-16, Isa 64:6.
   C. Religious. Rom 2:17-19, 4:4.
   
3. All categories have sinned and come short of God’s standard. Rom 3:23.
   
4. All are born in the slave market of sin.
   A. John 8:34-35, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant (bond slave) of sin.”
   B. Gal 3:31. The law cannot get one out of the slave market of sin.
   
5. Only a free man can free a slave.
   Only Jesus Christ was born free from sin, without an old sin nature, and did not commit personal sin. 2 Cor 5:21. Why? Virgin birth. The old sin nature is passed down by the father, Psa 51:5. Jesus Christ had no human father, Matt 1:20. Therefore, He had no old sin nature and was a Free Man not born in the slave market of sin.
   
6. The Lord Jesus Christ bought us, paid the price, from the slave market of sin.
   A. 1 Pet 1:18-19, “Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.”
   B. 1 Cor 6:20, “Ye are bought with a price.”
   
7. This freedom, from the slave market of sin, and from debt, is dependent upon the exercise of the individual’s positive volition. The gate has been removed.
   
8. There is only one way out of the slave market of sin.
   A. John 14:5, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.”
   B. John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
   
9. The issue: What are you going to do with Jesus Christ?
   

   

The Origin of Spiritual Gifts

1. Modus operandi of the Jewish Age was special empowering for special jobs – that is, to perform miracles. Matt 10:1.
   
2. When Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven after His resurrection, He emptied Paradise and transferred the soul and the spirit of the Old Testament saints to the third Heaven.
   Eph 4:8, “Led captivity” – soul and spirit, no resurrection body – “captive.”
   Soul and spirit to Heaven, still no resurrection body.
   
3. “He also gave gifts unto men,” Eph 4:8, spiritual gifts.
   
4. All Members of the Godhead are involved in spiritual gifts.
   
5. Each believer in the Church Age receives a spiritual gift at the moment of salvation. 1 Cor 12:11.
   
6. You do not seek a spiritual gift. You do not earn or work for spiritual gifts. You do not get one on the basis of any human ability. Whatever gift you have is the sovereign decision of the Holy Spirit.
   
7. Since God the Father is the Planner, we assume He decided we needed X number of Pastors-Teachers, Helps, etc. 1 Cor 12:28, “And God,” that is God the Father.
   
8. Jesus Christ provided the basis for spiritual gifts. Eph 4:8-11.
   
9. The Holy Spirit appoints the gift to the person. 1 Cor 12:11.
   
10. Spiritual gifts are the Father’s organized witness to the plan of salvation. Heb 2:4. Behind any mass evangelistic campaign are all kinds of spiritual gifts – a team concept. All members of the same team, but they play different positions.
    
11. Eph 4:12 gives the purpose of spiritual gifts.
    A. Equipping: “For the equipping of the saints.”
    B. Production: “For the work of the ministry” – every believer represents the Lord Jesus Christ.
    C. Supply: “For the edifying, building up, of the body of Christ.”

You build on the body of Christ by adding new believers and helping other believers to grow in Grace.

Spiritual Gifts – PNEUMATIKOS”

1. Scripture: 1 Cor 12, Rom 12, Eph 4:11. All spiritual gifts are not listed in Scripture, but are merely representative of categorical concepts. Some require preparation, therefore, they are mentioned, “teaching types.” The purpose of some of the spiritual gifts are mentioned in Eph 4:8-11.
   
2. Every believer receives at least one spiritual gift at the moment of salvation. 1 Cor 2:11.
   
3. Each spiritual gift is necessary for you to function in the body of Christ. The body of Christ is a team working together. Your spiritual gift is your position on the team.
   
4. It is not necessary for you to recognize your spiritual gift for you to function under it. Function is dependent upon the filling of the Holy Spirit, and growing in Grace, rather than knowledge of your spiritual gift.
   
5. For Divine production from your spiritual gift, you need the filling of the Holy Spirit and the transfer of the knowledge of the Word of God into your human spirit.
   
6. Spiritual gifts are the Father’s organized witness to the plan of salvation. Heb 2:4. In evangelism many more gifts are operating than the gift of evangelism. It is a team effort, a Divine Good effort, by the body of Christ.
   
7. The attitude toward spiritual gifts is given in Rom 12:3. One is not to feel inferior or superior. It is a gift.
   
8. Perspective of the spiritual gifts is given in 1 Cor 12. Possession of a spiritual gift does not indicate merit or spirituality. “Gift” connotes Grace. Paul was the worst sinner, 1 Tim 1:12, who ever lived, and he had several gifts.
   
9. There are two categories of spiritual gifts:
   A. Permanent – Which exist throughout the Church Age.
   B. Temporary – Those used between the day of Pentecost and the completed Canon of Scripture. Approximately 32–95 A.D. Most were spectacular.
   
10. Temporary gifts were necessary to get the Church started without a completed Bible. 1 Cor 13:8-10. They functioned in the place of a completed Canon.
    
11. Temporary gifts were used by God to focus attention on the message of the Gospel. Heb 2:4.
    

    

Modifications of the Body

With the recent report on “modifications of the body” with tattoos, etc. we see the emphasis is once again on the body to the exclusion of the real you, the soul. This body we have is only temporal and is spoken of in Scripture as a tent, which is a temporary dwelling place for the permanent soul.

We will receive a resurrection body, just like the one that the Lord Jesus Christ has.

There will be no markings in our resurrection bodies. But the Lord’s body will be the only One with any markings at all. He will appear as a Lamb freshly slain.

They will look upon Him “Whom they have pierced.”

Lev 19:28, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh, for the dead, nor print any marks upon, I am the Lord.”

Saturday, May 5, 2001

Spiritual Gifts in the Corinthian Church

1. It is obvious from 1 Cor 1:7 that the Corinthian Church abounded in spiritual gifts. They had spectacular gifts and many of them.
   1 Cor 1:7, “So that ye come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
   
2. It is also obvious from the rest of the epistle that this was one of the most carnal churches that ever assembled in the Name of the Lord. The Corinthians were noted for their envy, jealousy, childishness, spiritual bullying, litigation, divorce, drunkenness, and other carnal activity.
   
3. Conclusion: The possession of a spiritual gift does not mean spirituality.
   
4. Principle: If the Corinthians with all their carnality could have more people with spectacular spiritual gifts, then there is definitely no correlation between possessing a certain type of spiritual gift and spirituality.
   
5. It is important to distinguish between spiritual gifts and spirituality. A spiritual gift for its proper function depends upon spirituality, but they are not the same.
   
6. False teaching based on legalism and emotionalism had infiltrated the Church at Corinth. Consequently we have chapters 12, 13, and 14 to refute the legalism and emotionalism there. Also, it was written to deal with some of the false impressions which came out of speaking in tongues. What was happening in Corinth is happening today.
   
7. One of the abuses in the Corinthian Church was that there were many people speaking in tongues and they felt that they were the spiritual giants in the assembly. They said the rest were peons and possibly not even saved. They were looking down their spiritual noses at the rest and saying that until they spoke in tongues they were not spiritual, or possibly not even saved.
   
8. “Brother foot” has a inferiority complex. “Brother hand” has a superiority complex. Both are ignorant of the Doctrine. They are both on the same team, but play different positions. One is not better than the other.
   
9. The spiritual gift you possess is not the important factor, but the filling of the Spirit, the power on which the spiritual gift operated. 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
   
10. 1 Cor 14. The gift of tongues was regulated. In the Church worship certain spiritual gifts are to function and others are to be minimized or avoided.
    

Identification of Spiritual Gifts

1. Spiritual gifts are sovereignly bestowed by God the Holy Spirit.
   A. The Holy Spirit is the Instrument at the moment of salvation Who appoints the spiritual gift. 1 Cor 12:11.
   B. No spiritual gifts are given until after the ascension of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ provided the spiritual gifts. Eph 4:8-11.
   C. You do not seek a spiritual gift. Be satisfied with the one the Holy Spirit has given you.
   
2. Spiritual gifts in order of merit, all spectacular. 1 Cor 12:28-30.
   A. Apostles – Temporary gift, necessary when the Canon of Scripture was incomplete in order to carry the Church through those difficult beginning days. The gift of absolute spiritual dictatorship was set aside with the completed Canon, with the Canon now being the absolute authority. No one now has authority over more than one Church.
   B. Prophets – The gift of both:
   1. Foretelling – Prophecy, temporary.
   2. Forth telling – Preaching, permanent..
   C. Pastor-teachers, permanent.
   D. Miracles, temporary. The person’s faith not involved.
   E. Healings – Temporary. Person’s faith not involved.
   1. Physiological
   2. Mental
   3. Demon-induced illness.
   F. Helps – Permanent. Gift of administration.
   G. Governments – Permanent. Gift of administration.
   H. Diversities of tongues. Temporary. A gift of speaking in a foreign language not previously known, not ecstatics, last in order. Note this is dealing with the 1 Cor 12:28-30 passage.
   
3. The use of spiritual gifts does not mean spirituality. However, the filling of the Holy Spirit allows you to use the spiritual gift to the maximum.

1 Cor 12:31 introduces chapter 13. “But covet,” as a Church, “the best gifts.” Prophecy vs. tongues. Subject of chapter 14, “More excellent way”. This is love produced by the filling of the Holy Spirit. Gal 5:22-23, which is spirituality.

Six Greek Words for Forming Calluses on Your Soul and Having a Seared Conscience

1. “MATAIOTES” – the emptiness or vacuum in the soul sucking in darkness, legalism, cosmic wisdom, the English word “vanity” as used in Eph 4:17.
   
2. “DIANOIA” – The thoughts of the soul. Translated by the English words “understanding” or “mind.”
   A. Darkness – Satanic thoughts, Eph 4:18, Col 1:21.
   B. Doctrine – Divine perception, 2 Pet 3:1.
   
3. “SKOTIZO” – Have become blacked out, the blackout of the soul. Rom 1:21, 11:10. Translated by the English word “darkness.”
   
4. “APALLOTRIOO” – Alienated from the life of God. Eph 2:12, Eph 4:18, Col 1:21. Translated by the English word “alienated” or “aliens.”
   
5. “AGNOIA” – Ignorance. Eph 4:18.
   
6. “POROSIS” – Calluses in the soul. Translated “blindness” in Eph 4:18. Likewise in Rom 11:25.
   Calluses on the soul and having the old sin nature in control of your life results in an emotional revolt of the soul and self-induced misery.
   Self-consciousness of the soul, not occupied with Christ.
   Mentality of the soul, not thinking Divine Viewpoint.
   Volition of the soul, not making decisions for the Lord.
   Emotions, no appreciation for the Lord or His Word.
   Conscience, seared, void of Divine norms or standards.

The old sin nature in control distorting the bona fide operation of the soul. Past feeling.

Calluses on the Soul Are Built Up in Several Ways, Ephesians 4:17-19

1. Adultery. Prov 6:32, Eph 4:19. Single or married.
   
2. Mental attitude sins. 1 John 2:9, 11. Mental attitude sins include bitterness, pride, jealousy, hate, revenge tactics in the thought pattern, spite, guilt complex, etc.
   
3. Also darkness and drugs can cause calluses on the soul.
   
4. How calluses are removed:
   
   A. The unbeliever loses the calluses at the point of salvation. Isa 43:25, 44:22. All calluses are removed.
   
   B. The believer’s recovery from calluses formed on the soul.
   1. Confession of sin, which provides the filling of the Spirit and sets up the believer for the filling of the Holy Spirit, so that it can be removed. 1 John 1:9, Eph 5:18.
   2. Crash program. Learning the Word of God. Hebrews chapter 6. The exhale of the Word of God from the human spirit which results in forming a spiritual structure in the soul, edification, which results in Grace orientation, the mastery of the details of life, a relaxed mental attitude, and the capacity for life and love and inner happiness.
   
5. Calluses can completely cover the soul.
   A. For an unbeliever, like Judas Iscariot, resulting in suicide. Matt 27:1-10.
   B. For a believer, like Ananias or Sapphira, it means the sin unto death. 1 John 5:16. Suicide can take place in believers as well, but they are still saved, however. Suicide cannot separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38-39.
   

   

The Doctrine of Shadows, Colossians 2:17

1. Before the Cross, B.C., revelation was given by shadows.
   After the Cross, revelation changes to reality, the Canon of Scripture.
   
2. Before the Cross, shadows anticipate.
   After the Cross, when reality comes, the shadows no longer have a bona fide place.
   
3. Before the Cross, in shadow systems you do something over and over again. A lot of ritual is involved.
   After the Cross, once you are looking back at this and it is in writing, then it becomes a matter of perception instead of ritual.
   Col 2:17:
   A. “Shadow” – “SKIA,” an image or a shadow cast by an object and representing its form without being its form. Heb 10:1.
   B. “Body” – “SOMA,” substance, reality. The Reality of the shadows is the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the Reality which fulfills the shadows.

”Me and my Shadow”

A Verse a Day for the Month of May!

“If I say, Surely the darkness shall hide me, and the light become darkness around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you, the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you,” Psalm 139:11-12.

”My God turns my darkness into light,” Psalm 18:20.

”Wake up, O sleeper, Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you,” Eph 4:14.

”Light that shineth in darkness.”

”They that sat in darkness have seen a great light.”

A Verse a Day for the Month of May!

“He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds,” Psa 147:3.

”Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you,” 1 Pet 5:7.

”And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,” Phil 4:7.

A Verse a Day for the Month of May!

Raised in Glory!

“So it will be with the resurrection of the dead.”
”The body that is sown is perishable.”
”It is raised imperishable.”
”It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory.”
”It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power.”
”It is sown a natural body.”
”It is raised a spiritual body,” 1 Cor 15:42-44.

”Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are in this body, we are far away from the Lord,” 2 Cor 5:6.

”But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us,” 2 Cor 4:7.

Think not, of course,
That this is me,
This withered shoot,
This house of clay,
This hill of dust,
Soon blown away.
This staggering fragile child you see,
This bodily-prison isn’t me.

Death I know will set me free,
Will melt my shackles,
Break my chains,
Release my soul,
Ease my pains,
And land me on the crystal sea.

My death will finally set me free.

A Verse a Day for the Month of May!

“The eternal God is our Refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms,” Deut 33:27.

”Your love, O Lord, reaches to the Heavens,
”Your faithfulness to the skies,
”How precious is Your unfailing love.
”Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings,” Psa 36:5-7.

Pilate Asked the Question of Questions???

“Whence art Thou?” John 19:9.

The whole Word of God answers that question.

He is pictured in Psalm 8 as “One who was for a little while made lower than ELOHIM,” for that is the correct rendering of Psa 8:5. ELOHIM is the plural Name by which we are first introduced to God in Gen 1:1. God, the Strong One, EL, is singular and ELOHIM is plural.

The Lord Jesus Christ is seen in this uni-plural name. In the beginning was the Triune God. “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness,” Gen 1:26.

The Great Creator became our Saviour. The Second Person of the Godhead stepped down from that excellent glory “and made of Himself no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a Servant, and was make in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God hath also highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name,” Phil 2:6-9.

The Book of Hebrews is the commentary on Psalm 8.

Heb 2:9, “We see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than ELOHIM for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the Grace of God should taste death for every man.”

Eight Prophecies Fulfilled When Christ Was Born

1. He was to be the Seed of a woman. Every other person ever born is the seed of a man. Gen 3:15, Gal 3:16.
   
2. He was to born at a special time in history. Gen 49:10.
   
3. He was to come from the tribe of Judah. Gen 49:10, Heb 7:14.
   
4. He was to be the Son of Abraham and the son of David. 2 Sam 7:12, Matt 1:1.
   
5. He was to be called the Son of God. Psa 2:7, Isa 9:6, Prov 30:4, Luke 1:32.
   
6. He was to be born of a virgin. That is the only way He could be the Seed of a woman. Isa 7:14, Matt 1:18-23.
   
7. His name was to be called Immanuel. Isa 7:14, Matt 1:23.
   
8. He was to be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2, Matt 2:1.

These are all Old Testament Jewish Scriptures.

Sunday, May 6, 2001

Maybe Today!

Come Almighty to deliver
Let us all Thy life receive.
Suddenly return and never,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.

Thee we would always be blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above;
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish then Thy new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in Thee.

Changed from glory into glory,
Till in Heaven we take our place.
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and Grace.

Why the Messiah the Jews Are Looking For Cannot Come Today!

Since the Jews have rejected Christ as their Messiah, they expect their Messiah to come any day now. Some of Israel’s leaders are saying, “If you listen carefully, you can hear the footsteps of the Messiah.”

But their Messiah cannot be born today.

Some of our orthodox Jewish friends believe He will come any day in fulfillment of the Messianic hope. Is it possible for Him to be born today?

”The fullness of time was come 2000 years ago. God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law,” Gal 4:4-5.

”He came unto His own (the Jews), and His own received Him not; but as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name; which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” John 1:11-13.

The Sceptre Held Out!

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah. Nor a law giver from between his feet, until Shiloh (peace) come, and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be,” Gen 49:10.

Just as Esther could not approach the king years ago, unless the golden sceptre was held out to her, so today no person, Jew or Gentile, can approach God unless the sceptre, the Lord Jesus Christ, is held out. He says to all who have ears, “I am the way, the Truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me,” John 14:6.

“Do This in Remembrance of Me”

“For as oft as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till He come again.”

By Christ redeemed, by Christ restored,
We keep the memory adored,
And show the death of our dear Lord
Until He come.

His body broken in our stead
Is here, in this memorial bread,
And so our feeble love is fed
Until He come

His fearful drops of agony,
His life blood shed for us we see.
The wine shall tell the mystery
Until He come.

And thus that dark betrayed night
With the last advent we unite.
The shame, the glory, by this rite
Until He come.

Until the trump of God be heard,
Until the ancient graves be stirred,
And with the great commanding Word,
The Lord shall come.

Monday, May 7, 2001

“Afterwards”

For 2000 years it has been impossible to carry out the Biblical instructions for the “Day of Atonement” because there has been no temple. In 70 A.D. the temple was destroyed and the prophecy uttered by Hosea has been in effect these 20 centuries.

”For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days,” Hosea 3:4-5. What a remarkable prophecy!

The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as the “awesome days.” They were the ten days of repentance when the Jewish people were commanded to search their hearts and to “afflict their souls.” In Biblical times, the emphasis on this was so strong that anyone who did not “afflict his soul” would suffer death.

Hear again the pronouncement, “For whatsoever soul it shall be that shall not be afflicted, in that same day he shall be cut off from among his people,” Lev 23:29.

Where is there today a real affliction of the soul? The very fact that the Jewish people do not so afflict their souls proves that God is dealing with the Jews. Beating their breasts, but not afflicting souls.

Salvation

God has only one way of salvation – whether it be in that future day for Israel as a nation or for individual Jews and Gentiles today.

That one way of salvation is “JESHUA HAMASHIAH.” Obey Him Who said through the prophet Isaiah, “Look unto Me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth, for I am God and there is none else,” Isa 45:22.

That is the way the nation Israel will be saved in that future day and that is the only way any Jew or Gentile can be saved today.

”Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world,” John 1:29.

Jews celebrate the establishment of the state of Israel, but they do not consider their individual salvation. “He,” JESHUA, the Messiah, “bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” 1 Pet 2:24. Believe in Him and you will have an eternal celebration in your soul and life.

“HATIKVAH”

Ezek 37:11 reveals a heart cry of the Jewish people. “Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost. We are cut off for our parts.”

How wonderful that we have lived to hear Israel’s national anthem. “HATIKVAH” means “the Hope.” Israel’s stirring anthem contains nine stanzas which speak of the longing for Zion and the desire to return to it. The refrain is:

”Yet is our hope not lost
The ancient hope
To dwell in the land of our fathers
In the city where David encamped.”

Israel’s true Hope is not to dwell in the land. But in all part of God’s plan for His covenant people, “the Messiah is their true hope.”

But with Job they are saying, “Where is now our Hope?” Job 17:15. Israel’s heart will continue to be sick. Prov 13:12. Until they say with David of old, “Lord, What wait I for? My hope is in Thee,” Psa 39:7.

”Looking for the Blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

“Firstfruits”

Both in the prophecy of Lev 23:10 and in the fulfillment in 1 Cor 15:23, it is not called “firstfruit,” singular, but “firstfruits,” plural.

Not one ear, but a sheaf! “Christ the Firstfruits. Afterwards they that are Christ’s at His coming.” ”Firstfruits” refers to the whole harvest. Christ first. Afterwards those of us who are true believers.

So, just as Christ arose from the dead, they that are Christ’s will also be resurrected from the dead at His coming.

1 Thes 4:13-18, 1 Cor 15:23, 1 Cor 15:51-52.

“Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye ...”

“Family”

We are being told today what constitutes a family. There are many different descriptions today of what a family really is. It is coming from the news media, from our senators and congressmen, social workers, and even from some pulpits. We hear all this talk about lifestyles and families and what constitutes a marriage and a mother and a father.

The Lord created the first family. This is the way in which the One who created the family described in detail what a family really is. He should know because He created the family. Regardless of what is taught as to what a family is, here it is:

”It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.”

”And Adam gave names to all the cattle and to the fowls of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him.”

”And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept. And He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof.”

”And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.”

”And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.”

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

There is the Creator’s description of a family. “A help meet, a rib, a woman, wife, one flesh.”

One man and one woman constitutes a family.

One rib. No spare ribs. Not two Adams. Not two Eves. Only Adam and Eve.

Tuesday, May 8, 2001

Spirituality!

1. What makes a person spiritual?
   A. Is it an experience some Christians achieve to a greater degree than others?
   B. Is it a stimulating feeling within which produces an ecstatic reaction?
   C. Should we try to imitate the experience of another great believer in order to become spiritual?
   D. What does the Bible teach about spirituality?
   
2. Spirituality is open to all believers just as salvation is open to all unbelievers.
   
3. Spirituality is not an elusive and mysterious experience which some can have that will set them apart from other believers.
   
4. Spirituality in the Church Age is a relationship with God the Holy Spirit.
   
5. Christianity is a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
6. I am a Christian because of my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
7. I am spiritual because the Holy Spirit controls my life.
   
8. Spirituality is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit, nor is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the basis of spirituality.
   
9. Spirituality is the result of the filling of the Holy Spirit.
   
10. Divine love is a manifestation of the filling of the Holy Spirit, which is spirituality. Divine love is from the source of God, the Trinity.
    
11. Spirituality gets its title from the Third Person of the Trinity.
    
12. An understanding of growth is necessary to the understanding of spirituality.
    
13. Maturity is a result of growth and is often mistaken for spirituality.
    
14. You can be a baby and be spiritual or carnal. An adolescent can be spiritual or carnal. A mature believer can be spiritual or carnal.
    
15. The issue of spirituality is that at any point I am either controlled by God the Holy Spirit or by the old sin nature.
    
16. The issue is growth/maturity and is progressive or retrogressive, depending upon knowledge of the Word of God.
    

    

Spirituality is an Absolute

1. God is not the author of sin. God does not therefore solicit to sin.
   
2. It is incompatible with the Divine essence to originate, condone, or to sponsor sin.
   
3. What the old sin nature always promotes leads to sin.
   
4. Therefore, what God has provided, the indwelling Holy Spirit, Who is God, cannot sin, but promotes spirituality.
   
5. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the basis for spirituality.
   
6. Every creature must live according to his nature.
   
7. The unbeliever has only the old sin nature.
   
8. The believer has both the indwelling Holy Spirit and the old sin nature. Therefore, we have this inner struggle. Rom 5:16-17, “The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, and they are contrary one to another.” “Contrary” is literally “entrenched.” Galatians.
   
9. To be born of God means living in union with Christ, indwelt by Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
   
10. Through the filling of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit produces the character of Christ in the believer. In this status it is impossible to sin. Gal 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
    
11. The unbeliever has the nature to sin and lives habitually under the control of the old sin nature. Gal 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
    
12. The believer has God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and in principle should produce the character of Christ.
    
13. In practice believers can walk in the light, fellowship, or in darkness, out of fellowship. 1 John 1: 4-10, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the Truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.”
    
14. The believer has God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, Who cannot sin, and a nature which can sin, the old sin nature. Human volition is the control switch.
    
15. In principle, the believer is born of God and cannot sin.
    
16. In practice, he flips the control switch of volition, and comes under the control of the old sin nature, and produces sin and dead works.
    
17. 1 John 3 emphasizes the principle, while Galatians 5 emphasizes the practice.
    

    

The Believer’s Walk – Spirituality

Areas of the believer’s walk – The filling of the Holy Spirit necessary for all

1. We are told to walk in Doctrine. 1 John 3. The believer cannot learn Doctrine if he is out of fellowship. This means to take in Doctrine and transfer it by faith to the human spirit, making it applicable Doctrine.
   
2. We are to walk in faith. Heb 4:1-3, the filling of the Holy Spirit is necessary. Rom 14:23.
   
3. Walk in the Spirit, Gal 5:16, which is a command to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
   
4. Walk in newness of life. Rom 6:4. The filling of the Holy Spirit produces a different life, an inner love. You love one another. You love the Lord. You are oriented to the Grace of God. You fulfill the principle of worship, prayer, witnessing, and studying.
   
5. Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Eph 4:1. Every believer is in full-time Christian service. This is being filled with the Spirit and fulfilling your ambassadorship.
   
6. Walk in the light. 1 John 1:7. The emphasis is on reflecting the glory of God by being filled with the Spirit.
   
7. Walk worthy of the Lord. Col 1:10. The filling of the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
8. Walk honestly as in the day. Rom 13:13-14. This means to stay in fellowship and develop maturity and your life will have impact for the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
9. Walk in good works. Eph 2:10. You produce Divine good works when filled with the Spirit and functioning under growing in Grace.
   
10. Walk in love.Eph 5:2. The filling of the Holy Spirit and maturity has this by product, love, the fruit of the Spirit. Rom 5:5, “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit.”
    
11. Walk in wisdom. Gal 4:5. This is the application of the Word of God. The Holy Spirit teaches our human spirit when the believer is in fellowship. It is a matter of Divine guidance.
    
12. To fulfill these “walk admonitions” is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, transferring knowledge as it goes into the mind from the printed page to the human spirit by faith, which becomes the basis and the frame of reference for learning more Doctrine.
    

    

Spirituality and the Command to Awake – Ephesians 5:14-18

1. Verse 13, “Awake” – Wake up and find out how to operate all the wonderful Grace equipment available.
   ”Thou that sleepest” – Those ignorant of the Word of God.
   ”Arise from the dead” – Temporal death, the prodigal son. Indifference and apathy result when the old sin nature controls the life.
   ”And Christ shall give thee light” – The light that Christ gives is produced by God the Holy Spirit. This light is a reflected light and a structure in the soul. This light is a reflected light and brings glory to His Name. The Holy Spirit animates the Christian life.
   
2. Verse 15, “Fools” – A carnal Christian under the control of the old sin nature.
   “Wise” – A spiritual Christian, under the control of the Holy Spirit.
   
3. “Redeeming the time” – Purchasing the time. They keep on buying up time by being filled with the Spirit. Verse 16.
   
4. Verse 17, “But understanding what the will of the Lord is.” The will of the Lord in context is verse 18. A believer is to understand what the will of the Lord is, that is, the filling of the Holy Spirit. It is a command to spirituality.
   
5. Verse 18, “Be not drunk with wine” – negative.
   ”But be filled with the Spirit” – positive.
   
   This is a present tense and means keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is in the imperative mood, which is a command.
   
   The analogy is liquor controls a person. Results – negative.
   The filling of the Holy Spirit controls the believer. Results – positive.
   
   The motivating Force on the inside that changes you should be the filling of the Holy Spirit.
   

   

Commands Regarding Spirituality

There are two negative commands and one positive command.

1. The first command, Eph 4:3, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit.”
   A. Grieving the Holy Spirit is caused by any sin in the life of the believer which involves a moral or ethical issue.
   B. Grieving the Holy Spirit is producing sins from your area of weakness in the old sin nature, such as immorality, sins of the tongue, mental attitude sins.
   C. These get the believer out of fellowship.
   
2. The second command, 1 Thes 5:19, “Quench not the Holy Spirit.”
   A. Quenching the Holy Spirit is disobedience to the Word of God that doesn’t involve a moral or ethical issue.
   B. It is producing human good from the area of strength in the old sin nature.
   C. Human good soothes your conscience and thus you fail to be restored back to fellowship, 1 John 1:9. When you quench the Holy Spirit, it keeps Him from controlling your life.
   D. Disobedience to God’s Word, that is Eph 5:18. This keeps you out of fellowship and keeps you from using 1 John 1:9.
   
   The first two commands show that we can do something “not to be spiritual.” The third commands shows “that we can do nothing” to be spiritual. It is a supernatural way of life which demands a supernatural means of execution.
   
3. The third command, Eph 5:18, “Be filled with the Spirit” indicating that we are not always filled.
   A. The present tense means “keep on being filled” and indicates that we are not always filled.
   B. The Holy Spirit is God, and God cannot control when there is sin in the life.
   C. So, to be controlled by God the Holy Spirit, we must get into fellowship by means of 1 John 1:9, confession of sin. Acknowledge it.
   D. Confess means to identify or name our sin, which is non-meritorious. We do nothing.
   

   

False Criteria for Spirituality

1. Spirituality by tabooism.
   A false idea that if a believer does not play cards, smoke, mixed bathe, go to the movies, dance, etc. he is spiritual “I am spiritual because I observe certain taboos.” One is not spiritual by outward externals, but by being in fellowship. Some of the above taboos are not named as sins in the Bible, but in principle the believer in fellowship may be led to not indulge in them. Fine, but they are not a means to spirituality.
   
2. Spirituality by relativity.
   This means by comparing myself with others, I find that I am a better or more spiritual person than they. Perhaps my sins are more refined than other believers’ sins. This is wrong, first to compare people with people. And then second, to make spirituality have degrees. There are degrees of growth but no degrees of spirituality. You are either in fellowship (spiritual) or out of fellowship (carnal). Spirituality is an absolute as is carnality.
   
3. Spirituality by crucifying self.
   This is self trying to cancel out self. This is impossible. Perhaps a believer is frustrated, discouraged, defeated, as he decides to nail the flesh to the Cross. He may do it through trying harder and going through a system of sorrow for his sins, penance. Vowing to live as Jesus Christ lived, all to no avail. One is spiritual because the Spirit of God controls the believer. If one is not controlled by the Holy Spirit, then he is out of fellowship and he gets back in by acknowledging the sin or sins that the Holy Spirit points out. Rom 12:1, 1 John 1:9.
   
4. Spirituality by prayer.
   This is subtle. Prayer is wonderful. It is ordained of God for believers. But one does not become spiritual by saying, “O Lord, help me to be spiritual. Lord do it.” We do not pray for the filling of the Spirit. The filling of the Holy Spirit comes with Biblical confession of sin. Once the sin or sins are confessed, the automatic result is spirituality.
   
5. Spirituality by asceticism.
   This is extreme self-denial. The not eating of certain foods to be spiritual, even monasticism, fasting to be spiritual, even doing things to the point of self-torture to be spiritual. This is again just human works which is no good. Spirituality is thus abused.
   
6. Spirituality by discipline.
   I make myself do certain things to be spiritual. I try harder. I get under a schedule. I try to pray an hour a day and study the Word another hour. But it doesn’t work for spirituality. Discipline is a part of the believer’s walk with the Lord, but it is not the basis of spirituality.
   
7. Spirituality by ecstatics.
   This is spirituality by emotionalism. One of the facets of the soul is emotions. It is the appreciator of the soul. But it is never a criteria for spirituality, never.
   
   More to come ...
   

   

   False Criteria for Spirituality – Part Two

8. Spirituality by facial expression or body language. This is superficial hypocrisy.
   A. A long, sad face is not a manifestation of spirituality, but neither is a smiling face.
   B. Spirituality cannot be judged on the basis of facial expression.
   C. Spirituality is on the inside, and if in fellowship, there may be an outward animation. But the outward manifestation is not the important factor. Unbelievers can smile or frown. Anything an unbeliever can do is not spirituality.
   
9. Spirituality by the second blessing.
   Never! This is the so-called area of maturity by panacea. One day I am carnal and a Christian failure, the next day I wake up and I have a great experience and from then on I am a power for God. Never!
   A. The filling of the Holy Spirit is needed whenever a person gets out of fellowship. His Grace is not limited to two blessings. You have received the fullness of God’s Grace at the point of salvation. “Grace heaped upon Grace.”
   B. Believers can have numerous blessings, but not of the so-called second-blessing type.
   
10. Spirituality by yieldedness.
    This is the most popular error today in the field of spirituality. Rom 6:13 and Rom 12:1-2. “Yield,” forms the basis for this approach,
    they say. However, yieldedness does not produce spirituality. Yieldedness is explained as something the believer must do. No, on human works. There is nothing you can do to be yielded. It is a non-meritorious operation. True yieldedness is actually 1 John 1:9. When you confess your sin, Biblically you are in fellowship, yielded. When you are out of fellowship, you are unyielded. Only a faith operation puts you back in fellowship. Anything more than confession is human works and it only muddies the waters.

Not of works for salvation. Not of works for spirituality.

God is Light and in Him is No Darkness at All

1. God is light, no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5.
   
2. No darkness means no sin or sinfulness in God. God is perfect. Psalm 18:30.
   
3. Positionally every believer is in union with Christ, 1 Cor 12:13, in union “with the Light.”
   
4. Experientially, the believer “walks in the Light” only when he is filled with the Spirit. When he sins, he is walking in darkness.
   A. He is carnal.
   B. He is out of fellowship.
   C. He is under the control of the old sin nature.
   
5. The believer then cannot have fellowship with God when his old sin nature controls his life.
   
6. Even though positionally the believer has fellowship with God forever, temporal fellowship depends upon 1 John 1:9, confession.
   
7. Just as absolute darkness and light are mutually exclusive, so spirituality and carnality are mutually exclusive.
   
8. Illustrated by two sides of one coin. Vocabulary.
   A. John, walking in the light, the Holy Spirit controls.
   Walking in darkness, the old sin nature controls.
   B. Paul, walking in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit controls.
   Walking in the flesh, the old sin nature controls.
   
9. Negative volition gets you out from under the control of the Holy Spirit. And you sin, confession of sin gets you back under the control of the Holy Spirit.
   
10. Because of our position, “in union with the Light,” we are told to “walk in the Light.”
    
11. When a believer is out of fellowship, he is called a weak believer, Rom 14:1.
    
12. “Walking in darkness” is emphasizing ignorance of the Word of God.
    

Wednesday, May 9, 2001

Suicide!

When I was growing up, the Catholic Church told me that if I committed suicide, I would never go to Heaven, that this was an unpardonable sin.

1. Jesus Christ died for the sin of suicide. 1 John 2:2, Isa 53. He bore all sins, paying the penalty for everyone. This does not mean that everyone is automatically saved.
   
2. Saul, a believer, died of suicide. 1 Sam 31:1-6.
   A. Saul was a believer. Study 1 Sam 10, 11.
   B. Saul went to Heaven after he died. 1 Sam 28:19, “You and your sons will be with me” in Heaven.
   
3. A believer cannot lose his salvation, or be separated from the love of God for any reason, Rom 8:35-39. When verse 28 says that “death cannot separate the believer from the Lord,” it includes suicide. Study the Doctrine of eternal security. John 10:28, 29, etc.
   
4. A believer may be out of fellowship when he dies, but not out of an eternal relationship. Apply the Doctrine of the Cross. Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira, and 1 John 5:16.
   
5. A believer or an unbeliever commits suicide when they have a “seared conscience” and close up the eyes of the soul. Study the life of the unbeliever Judas in Matt 27:3-10.
   
6. A misunderstanding of some major Doctrines like union with Christ and positional Truth cause many believers to be off in their understanding of suicide. Suicide is horrible, but it doesn’t mean loss of salvation.
   

Why Suffering???

1. Six circumstances under which the human race suffers.
   A. Health
   B. People
   C. Privation
   D. Weather
   E. Mental
   F. Justice
   
2. Categories of suffering in time.
   A. The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, suffering of the Cross.
   B. The unbeliever, to awaken him to his need of the Lord Jesus Christ.
   C. The believer, 19 reasons why we suffer.

More to follow on why we suffer …

Nineteen Reasons Why Believers Suffer

1. Suffering caused by the details of life, Ecclesiastes. With a seared conscience everything you touch turns to misery.
   
2. Suffering from a guilt reaction to sin and the suppression of the sin in the self-conscious. 1 Tim 1:5, 6, 19-20, 3:9.
   
3. Suffering because of calluses formed on the soul. Eph 4:17-19.
   
4. Suffering from failure to isolate sin. Heb 12:15. The Doctrine of chain sinning, lighting a new sin off of a confessed sin.
   
5. Suffering from the rejection of authority. Judges 18-21, Matt 7:29-8:13, Jer 7, Prov 30.
   
6. Suffering from the rapid and accelerated growth to maturity. James 1:1-6.
   
7. Suffering from inter-relationship with those who suffer. 1 Cor 12:26, Rom 14:7, 1 Chr 21.
   
8. Suffering from the rejection of Right-Man/Right-Woman. Ezek 16, 23.
   
9. Suffering from Divine discipline. Heb 12:6.
   
10. Suffering from the rejection of the Word of God, therefore rejection of the Lord as the Right-Man. Jer 13.
    
    More to come ...
    

    

    Why Christians Suffer – Part Two

11. Suffering directly related to the angelic conflict. 1 Pet 1:12, 1 Pet 3:17, Eph 3:9-13.
    
12. Suffering to demonstrate the power and provision of Grace. 2 Cor 12:1-10.
    
13. Suffering in order to learn the value of the Word of God. Psa 119. Especially notice verses 67, 68, 71. “Good for me to be afflicted, for therein have I learned more of Thy Word.” “Before I was afflicted, I went astray.”
    
14. Suffering from national disaster. Isa 59:15-21.
    
15. Suffering from the temporary loss of norms. Jer 2:24-25.
    
16. Suffering from war. Deut 21, 24, Matt 24:6-7.
    
17. Suffering from emotional short circuit in time of tragedy or disaster. John 20:9-18.
    
18. Suffering in the process of dying. Job 5:20ff.
    
19. Suffering because of a specific spiritual gift, as Paul suffered. Many passages.

Now, when someone asks you why you are suffering, you can show them your scars.

A Christian Survival Kit!

1. In the days to come, you are going to need a survival kit – the Word of God in the mind and a full knowledge in the human spirit. You will need to function under growing in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and stay off of emotional revolt.
   
2. Whether you survive or not depends upon the Doctrine you learn from the Word of God.
   
3. The Word of God determines what is going to happen to you in any given set of circumstances in the days to come, “perilous times.”
   
4. You carry the Word of God around with you. Or, if not, nox mix.
   
5. Your rate of learning differs. But the important thing is to be consistent. Isa 33:6, “Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times.”
   
6. Salvation. John 1:12. It is impossible to survive apart from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
7. The Doctrine of eternal security. Rom 8:35-39.
   A. Salvation is the work of God.
   B. God is perfect. His work is perfect.
   C. You cannot do anything to lose it.
   D. No one can ever take it from you. John 10:28-30.
   
   More to follow …
   

   

   Christian Survival Kit – Part Two

8. The use of the techniques in the Christian life. The techniques are designed to keep you in line until you take in the Word of God as a mature believer. However, you will always use them.
   A. Restoration back to fellowship. The consistent use of 1 John 1:9, resulting in
   B. The filling of the Holy Spirit. This is when the Holy Spirit controls your life and produces Divine good in your life. Eph 5:14-18.
   C. Faith in the Promises of God. Heb 3:7-4:16, knowing and believing and claiming the Promises of God.
   D. Living in the Word. You have to function under growing in Grace. 2 Tim 2:15, Psa 119: 9-11.
   E. Occupation with Christ, Heb 12:1-2, thinking Divine Viewpoint, a mental attitude that is fixed on Christ.
   
9. Start using the promises. Begin with at least ten.
   A. Rom 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good.”
   B. Matt 21:22, “And all things whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
   C. 1 Pet 5:7, “Casting all your cares upon Him for He careth for you.”
   D. Psa 55:22, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee.”
   E. Isa 41:10, “Fear thou not, for I am with you, Be not dismayed for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”
   F. Psa 37:4-5, “Delight thyself also in the Lord.”
   G. 1 Sam 17:47, “For the battle is the Lord’s.”
   H. Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
   I. Isa 26:3-4, “Thou wilt keep him in peace, peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.”
   J. Psa 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”
   K. 1 John 1:9, the believer’s aspirin. Look it up and use it.
   
   More to come on survival ...
   

   

   Survival Kit – Part Two

10. Growth to maturity.
    A. There must be a communicator of the Word of God and people to take in the Word of God.
    B. The Word of God must be comprehended.
    C. Then faith must be applied to the Word and the Word stored in the human spirit.
    D. Then the Word is cycled into the mind filling the frame of reference with memory center, the conscience with Biblical norms, and giving that believer a viewpoint which reflects the mind of Christ.
    E. The Word of God is applied and used in daily living.
    F. And finally, a spiritual structure is erected with Grace orientation, mastery over the details of life, living in the Word, capacity for love with inner happiness.
    G. This preserves our nation, under the salt and light principle.
    
11. Understand Doctrines and categories.
    A. The essence of God – A foundational Doctrine.
    B. Dispensations – Time Doctrine, understanding God’s time clock.
    C. Christology – Who Christ is and what He did for you on the Dross, now, and in the future.
    D. The Holy Spirit – Understanding His part in salvation and spirituality.
    E. Divine guidance – How to know the will of God at any point, under any circumstance.
    F. Volitional principles – Very important.
    G. Suffering – A vast subject, and needed for the believer’s orientation.
    H. Death – The concept of dying in Grace, and related Doctrines.
    
    More to come …
    

    

    Survival Kit for Believers – Part Three

12. Orientation to the Grace of God.
    A. We do not earn or deserve anything from God.
    B. Everything depends on who and what the Lord is.
    C. God has a purpose for you. Live as a believer.
    D. If you fulfill the reason for being here, you are going to have a wonderful life and you will live through anything.
    E. If you do not fulfill that purpose, you will live miserably.
    F. You need to understand the wedding of Grace and faith at the Cross.
    1. Only Grace, God’s plan, and faith, man’s non-meritorious system of perception, can conceive, result in, the new birth.
    2. If a substitute is made for faith, i.e., works, then a Biblical spiritual conception does not take place.
    3. Bringing works to Grace, makes Grace step aside. Grace will not tolerate a harem of works.
    a. Believe and ... for the unbeliever – Wrong.
    b. Confess and ... for the believer – Wrong.
    
13. Understand the Doctrine of the Grace apparatus for perception.
    ”Not of works” is the order of the day, both for salvation and spirituality.
    

Temptation for the Believer

1. The three sources of temptation.
   A. The world, Rom 12:2 – thought temptation.
   B. The flesh, Rom 8 – the old sin nature.
   C. The devil, John 8 – religion and false Doctrines.
   
2. The source of sin – the old sin nature.
   
3. The areas of control in the believer’s life.
   A. Control of the Holy Spirit.
   B. Control of the old sin nature.
   
4. Volition is the switch.
   
5. There is nothing wrong in being tempted.
   
6. Everyone has different areas of temptation.
   
7. Sequence of action.
   A. You are tempted.
   B. You decide, volition, negative volition against God.
   C. If, first class condition, this action, deed, etc, is a sin, and it is, your decision puts you under the control of the old sin nature, even if you were ignorant of the fact that this deed, etc, was a sin.
   D. Now you are under the control of the old sin nature and you have committed an act of sin and are dominated by the old sin nature.
   
8. To reverse the action.
   A. You realize you are out of fellowship.
   B. You know the Doctrine of restoration back to fellowship, so the switch is switched to positive.
   C. You confess your sin and you are cleansed.
   D. Now you are under the control of the Holy Spirit.
   E. The Holy Spirit is God and cannot sin.
   
9. You cannot sin while under the control of the Holy Spirit. You go negative at the point of temptation and come under the control of the old sin nature, at which point you sin.
   
10. Front door to old sin nature control – volition and knowledge
    Back door to old sin nature control – volition without knowledge
    Ignorance of what sin is. Both involve willful sin. Why? You can’t sin without the exercise of your volition, negative.
    

    

Test Your Knowledge of the Scriptures

“He that is slow to ____________ is better than the mighty,” Prov 16:32.

”For our Gospel came not n Word only, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much ____________,” 1 Thes 1:5.

”In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good _________, I have overcome the world,” John 16:33.

”Wait on the Lord, be of good ___________ and He shall strengthen thy heart. Wait, I say on the Lord,” Psa 27:14.

”For to me to live is Christ and to ________ is gain,” Phil 1:21.

Did you pass??

Thursday, May 10, 2001

Taxation

1. Taxation is a bona fide operation in a national entity. Rom 13:1-7, Matt 22:15-22.
   A. Simply because keeping law and order costs money. Rom 13:4.
   B. Because certain privileges enjoyed in a national entity cost money. Rom 13:5, “Subject,” like highways, park systems, etc.
   C. Because bona fide welfare costs money – the poor in the land.
   D. Because government leaders need support. Rom 13:6, full-time job.
   
2. Taxation was enjoined by the Lord Jesus Christ. Matt 22:15-22.
   A. “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
   B. From the standpoint of the one being supported by taxes, it is a Grace method. Why? They don’t earn or deserve it.
   
3. The Old Testament tithing system was a method of taxation. Num 18:21-24, Deut 14:22-24, Deut 14:28-29.
   
4. Taxation can be abused.
   A. By graft, the split of the kingdom. 1 Kings 12:1-15, this causes excessive taxation, excessive because luxurious living is promoted.
   B. By non-bona fide welfare programs, supporting those who can work. 2 Thes 3:6, 10, 11, 12, Prov 24:30ff.
   C. By guaranteed annual income programs. 2 Thes 3:6ff, condemns.
   D. By socialized medicine. Cradle-to-the-grave programs, violate free enterprise, take private practice and makes it a federal program with resultant red tape that violates volition. You must participate or be damned. This violates the discipline of God. Life is designed with trial, heartache, difficulty. It makes you violate Divine Institution number four, nationalism.
   E. By federal laws bailing out bankrupt companies.
   
   Whenever the federal government takes over and you get some payment, that payment has strings attached. That takes some of your freedom away. As the paperwork grows more and more, they need more staff to produce the slavery. Before too long, the goose that laid the golden egg is dead.
   
5. Abused taxation can ultimately bankrupt a nation. Lev 26:26.
   
6. Abused taxation will cause slavery. Lev 26:25. Slaves don’t pay taxes, however.
   
   The term “taxation” does not appear in the English Bible. The words for “taxation” are translated “tithe” or “tribute” or occasionally “yoke.”
   

   

Truthfulness – What is Promised for Truthfulness?

“He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within My house, he that telleth lies shall not tarry in My sight,” Psa 101:7.

”Lying lips are abomination to the Lord, but they that deal truly are His delight,” Prov 12:22.

”A false witness shall not be unpunished and he that speaketh lies shall perish,” Prov 19:9.

”Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him,” Col 3:9-10.

”The lips of Truth shall be established for ever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment,” Prov 12:19.

”These are the things that ye shall do, Speak every man the truth to his neighbor, execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates, and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath, for all these things are things that I hate, saith the Lord,” Zech 8:16-17.

”In your gates” is talking about government.

Lies and speaking lies are sins of the tongue, the worst. Notice what God hates.