The Keepers of the Law – Part 2

So did (The Lord through) Paul – deal with this works of the Law false doctrine

Saved by MERCY, Not by works I’ve done but works JESUS FINISHED! Im justified by GRACE–not WORKS of the law. Im free. Good works r profitable-not necessary. Tit3:5-8

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 

Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 

“believe..” 318 times Let’s see what it means.

1^st mention – Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

What is the story? What is the context?

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 

Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. 

There was no OTHER action required. There was no other WORK required. None, right?? I mean, just believe what God said. God didn’t ask him to DO ANYTHING. Except believe.

But, get this…

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 

“faith” is in The Bible 247 times. 245 of them are in the NEW TESTAMENT!

That leaves 2 – and only 2 – for the entire OLD Testament. And, here they are…

Deuteronomy 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

That’s it. The Jews, God’s chosen people, had NO FAITH!!!

Hence, they COULD NOT LIVE. THEY WERE DEAD AND COULD NOT LIVE. Why? Habakkuk 2:4!!!!

THEN, in the NT “faith” is there 245 times. That is a 122.5 to 1 ratio. That is a 12,250% increase.

In the OT faith is basically NON-EXISTENT.

It shows up BIG TIME in the NT.

“faith is”, the exact phrase is in The Bible 9 times…

2^nd mention… (1^st is not hurtful but not helpful – just inapplicable here)

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

And 6 of the other 7…

3 – Romans 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

4 – Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

What does this say??????

If it is “not of faith” IT IS SIN. “Of faith” is in The Bible 33 times…

1^st 4…

Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Acts 11:24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

Acts 14:27  And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

The door?????

John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. … 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Hence, “the door of faith” is JESUS, through which we get salvation.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through (the door of) faith (faith is the door to GRACE); and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast (that would be pride). So, what of works?? 10 For we are his workmanship (we ARE HIS WORK!!), created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

We are His FINISHED WORK!!!!!!!!

Colosians 2:10 And ye are complete in him (IN JESUS, IN CHRIST, IN GRACE – having gone through the door “of faith”), which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom (IN JESUS, IN HIS BODY)  also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh (Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you) by the circumcision of Christ (Hence, the Sprit of God is IN YOU, but IN YOUR SPIRIT YOU – NOT YOUR FLESH YOU!!!! That’s what circumcision does. It puts off the body. That aint you any more! Thank God!!!! Not until you and I get new SINLESS bodies someday.) 12 Buried with him in baptism (spiritual baptism, you WERE DEAD -, BURIED UNDER THE WATER!! NOW YOU HAVE RISEN!!!!!), wherein also ye are risen (past tense) with him through the (“door of” faith) of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being (currently in this state right now) dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (raised, made alive, RISEN ALREADY!!) together with him, having forgiven you (where are YOU? Not in the FLESH, but in the SPIRIT!!!)  all trespasses (so, where are all of your trespasses ALREADY FORGIVEN??? In the SPIRIT, NOT IN THE FLESH!! That’s why we still ask forgiveness IN THE FLESH but NOT IN THE SPIRIT!!); 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us/”YOU”, which are in the spirit, which was contrary to us/”YOU”, which are in the spirit, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 THEREFORE, because of ALL of that which Paul just told you… Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink (the law), or in respect of an holyday (the law), or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days (the law): 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of [fallen] angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind

The Keepers of the Law – Part 1

Romans 10:1  Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Romans 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Romans 10:5  For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Romans 10:6  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7  Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Can u KEEP THE WHOLE LAW, PERFECTLY, like Jesus did?

John 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Galatians 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Nope, YOU cannot keep the Law! In fact, u can’t even do a single good work. Rom3:10-12,Ps14:1-3

Psalms 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Psalms 14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

Romans 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Here is a picture of mankind…

Romans 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

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

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

So, u r fallen from grace! Gal5:3-4.

Galatians 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

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

I am not under the Law. I am under grace!

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

I am saved by GRACE GIVEN TO ME, not by MY works 2Tim1:9 One has either Grace or Works. Not both. Never both. Rom11:6 Which do you have?

2Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

…………..

Jesus fulfilled the Law for me! But not for you!

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who (do, by default) walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh [did!], and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

…

Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

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

Acts 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

…………..

The law is BONDAGE under the OLD covenant. From the Bondwoman Hagar. Thats u. I’m FREEEEEEEEE! Gal4:21-26. U’ll die in ur sins–in works of the law.

Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

The Apostles dealt with this works of the Law false doctrine

Acts 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

Acts 15:25  It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Acts 15:26  Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 15:27  We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

Acts 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

Acts 15:29  That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

The Election Count – Part 20

Luke 9:3  And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.

Luke 22:35-36  And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.  36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

People tend to focus on the sword, but all the other things are just as important! All those things are essentials.

It was not about a physical sword. Neither was it about a physical purse, nor physical money, nor physical clothing, nor physical bread:

So why now? What is different about NOW? Jesus was NOT saying it is NOW time to buy carnal things because I’m leaving you on your own. What He WAS saying was, NOW, it is time to buy, to take, and to carry something BETTER. NOW, there is something BETTER available.

Hebrews 10:34  For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

If Jesus was saying that it was so important to have those carnal things, why should we take joyfully the spoiling of our goods? But its not about the physical things.

Now, better things are available. Better things are heavenly things. Now, a better sword is available. NOW, its time to buy a better sword, a spiritual sword!

Now, the better things, the Spiritual things, the heavenly things are to be provided. Now, it is time to buy those spiritual things. To take a spiritual purse with money in it, to buy a spiritual sword, a 2^nd coat, an additional pair of shoes. To put on the spiritual things. NOW, something is changing, and something NEW is available.

Luke 22:36-37  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.  37  For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

Now, these things are to be accomplished. The END of His earthly ministry is here. The end of the law. The end of the carnal things, and the beginning of the spiritual things. The availability of the heavenly things is NOW.

Before this time, the better things, the heavenly things, were not available.

Now, after His crucifixion and resurrection, now, we need to buy a sword – THE sword – the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

He wouldn’t have waited to say this until now if He didn’t have to. He would have told them to take these things before, had they been available. That’s why He didn’t say it before. That’s why He didn’t say it at the beginning of His ministry. That’s why He didn’t say it to Adam, or to Noah, or to Moses, or even to David. He never told any of His prophets or apostles something like this before. Why? Because it was never available before NOW. You couldn’t take these things before now because they weren’t available. But NOW, they are available, they are necessary, and it is now COMMANDED that we take them.

What things? A sword, a purse, a scrip, money, coats, shoes, bread. Those things aren’t different from each other. The sword doesn’t stand out against the rest. They are all necessities. God had provided those things – those physical needs to His own since the beginning, but the true things – the spiritual things – were not yet available, not yet made manifest.

But NOW, something has changed. New things are available. What things? Let’s talk about the things…

Thing #1 – Before, they didn’t need a sword, but NOW we need to buy a SPIRITUAL sword – the sword of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:17  And take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Take that sword now, or be killed by it at the last day.

Before, they didn’t need to take a sword. But now, we do!

Thing #2 – Before, they didn’t need to take/buy their own bread. But NOW we need to buy spiritual bread – the bread from heaven.

John 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: …

They didn’t need to buy bread in the wilderness. It was rained upon them from heaven. But that was not the true bread, was it? No, but now it is time to buy the living bread.

Isaiah 55:1-2  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  2  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? …

Until now, all that a man could buy was not true bread. It satisfied not.

But now, that which was prophesied was come. Now, Jesus was breaking His body – the true bread which came down from heaven.

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

This is how a man is proved. By his waters, and by his bread. Whence come your bread and your waters? Of what sort are they?

These things are your proof! Not your fleshly works or any of your carnal things.

These things are proof that you are true men, and not spies, because there is only one place to get these things. There is only one way to buy these things.

Before, they didn’t need to take a sword, or bread. But now, we do!

Thing #3 – Before, they didn’t need any other shoes. But now, we need to put on some new shoes – some spiritual shoes – shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel.

Ephesians 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Romans 10:15  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Deuteronomy 29:5  And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.

Before, they didn’t need to take shoes, but now, some new shoes are available, and now, it is time to put them on.

Before, they didn’t need to take a sword, or bread, or shoes. But now, we do!

Thing #4 – Before, they didn’t need to take clothes. But now, we need to put on spiritual clothes – white raiment washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 3:17-18  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

You think you’re protected when you take a sword, but you’re defenseless unless you’ve bought the sword of the Spirit.

You think you’re clothed when you get dressed in the morning, but you’re naked unless you’ve bought of the Lord white raiment, and washed your clothes in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

This isn’t about physical clothing, this is about forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Zechariah 3:3-4  Now Joshua [the high priest] was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.  4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

Before, they didn’t need to take a sword, or bread, or shoes, or clothes. But now, we do!

Thing #5 – Before, they didn’t need any purses, scrips, or bags for their money. But now, we need to take spiritual bags – and to lay up silver and gold in our bags. Spiritual bags. Bags in heaven. Not bags on the earth!!

Luke 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags [purses/scrips] which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Now, there are better bags to provide ourselves. Bags that are in a better place.

Matthew 6:19-20  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

We are talking about heavenly things in heavenly places. Those are the things we need to buy and take.

If it was so important for us to have physical swords why the Lord rebuke Peter for using them? If it was so important to buy a physical sword, why did Jesus command put it up into the sheath, warn not to take the sword, and then have Paul speak of taking a better sword?

And if it was so important to have bags filled with money, why would Jesus say, sell it all and give it away? Why would Jesus talk of laying up treasures in another place? Why did He talk of providing better bags? Bags in the heavens, which don’t have HOLES in them.

Haggai 1:6  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

Unless you eat Jesus, you’ll hunger. Unless you put your money in a bag IN HEAVEN, you put it into a bag (a purse, a scrip) with holes.

If taking a bag of money was now all of the sudden so important… Why did the early Christians sell all that they had and lay the money at the Apostles feet? And why would the Apostles accept that money?

It’s because the purses/bags that you need to take and fill with gold and silver are not on earth – its not about physical bags. The bags that Jesus was talking about taking and filling with money.. are in heaven.

And likewise, the swords that they so DESPERATELY needed to buy for each of themselves was that better sword: sword of His mouth: the word of God.

He..

commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, … no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:  … neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves

We need all of those things listed. Those are necessities. And we should take all of those things listed. But all of those things must be taken spiritually. We need all of those things, spiritually. We ought to BUY all those things, spiritually.

Matthew 6:31-32  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

All these things are physical needs. They are not optional. If you don’t have them, you don’t have joy and life, but shame and death. But the Lord’s people never needed to worry about those things before, neither yet now do we need to.

Matthew 6:33-34  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

If you seek Him and serve Him, He provides all these things.

BUT NOW, something is different. Now, we need to get ourselves some THINGS. Well what is so different now?

Revelation 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. …

What is so different about NOW? Now, all things are new. The new things, the better things, the heavenly things are now available. Now, it is time to buy them, and take them.

And if you have been saved by grace, you have received all things.

Romans 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

2 Peter 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

1 Corinthians 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

Before, they didn’t need to take #1 a sword, or #2 bread, or #3 shoes, or #4 clothes, or #5 bags of money. But now, we do! We need to buy all the new things – the heavenly things that are NOW available.  These are the things that Jesus was talking about.

Luke 22:36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

So why is the SWORD any different than the other things listed? Why have you been taught that Jesus will provide the other things, but that you need to buy your own sword?! (Why? You know why.. Because Christians want a scriptural commandment to buy weapons, and defend themselves, THAT’S why!!)

You’re free to buy weapons, you have Christian liberty. You can own a weapon. You can fight with a weapon. It doesn’t mean you should. But you have the freedom, the right, to do so. Not that it IS right, but that you have “liberty”. You’re free to buy a sword.

But let’s be honest with the word of God: Luke 22:36 is not direction to buy a physical sword.

Carnally, we do NOT need to take/buy all these things. But spiritually, we DO need to take all these things.

Matthew 6:31-34  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

All these things will be provided… so why is the sword any different than all the other things? (Because Christians want it to be different – THAT’s WHY!)

We don’t want to not possess weapons for our carnal defense. (should, not must)

We don’t want to sell all we have physically and not lay up for tomorrow. (should, not must)

Physically, your needs will be met. Physically, if you serve Him and wait on Him, you will have need of nothing on the Earth.

Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

And so Jesus commanded His disciples… Just go, and The Lord will provide “all these things”, “all your need.” The workman is worthy of his meat. You will have need of nothing! And that is exactly what He told them:

Mark 6:8  And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey…

Luke 9:3  And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey …

Luke 22:35-36  And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.  36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

His prophets, His disciples didn’t need anything before His crucifixion. You had need of NOTHING. He would provide all your need in the flesh. And He still will. “Take no thought for the things of tomorrow”. They had no need of providing themselves their physical needs (food, clothing, protection). And that hasn’t changed.

That hasn’t changed. But NOW, something has. Something is about to change, bigtime.

You never needed ANYTHING before. BUT NOW, something is different. NOW, you do have need of something. Now, you need to buy some things. Now, its time to lay up some things for a perilous time to come, to take the things you need for the journey to come. Now is the time to buy the spiritual things you have need of. You had need of NOTHING before. BUT NOW, you are in need of some things.

And the things you have need of are spiritual.

Revelation 3:17-18  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing [physically you have no need]; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: [spiritually you have great need] 18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

You had need of NOTHING before. BUT NOW, you are in need of something.

Buy of Me – “without money and without price”. It costs nothing, and yet everything.

BUY OF ME – If the Lord is telling men to buy something, its Spiritual. It’s a spiritual purse. It’s spiritual shoes. It’s spiritual bread. It’s a spiritual sword.

So why NOW? Why did Jesus say it NOW??

John 17:9-13  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.  10  And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.  11  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.  12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.  13  And now come I to thee; …

He said it now, because He was no longer in the world. He was departing the world, and He counted Himself as already departed. He says He WAS in the world. But NOW, He is going, going, gone. He already counted Himself GONE.

So when He said “but NOW… buy a sword”, He was speaking as one GONE. He was speaking as if He was no longer in the world. He was speaking as the time we currently are in now, when He has died, risen, and GONE to heaven.

“But NOW”, since He is gone, NOW, things are different. Now is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

NOW is the time to get saved! “Now”, was not the next few hours or days while He was crucified and buried. NOW, is the same present NOW that we live in: where Jesus has made His sacrifice, and is no longer in the world. NOW, is the day of Salvation. Now is the Church Age: the Age of Grace. Now, today, it is time to buy the spiritual things. Now it is time to buy the mighty, sharp, all-important, soul-saving Sword of the Lord.

The Resurrection Promise – Part 2

Without the resurrection, we cannot be saved

2 Corinthians 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

If Jesus did not rise, there is no resurrection.

If Jesus did not rise, none of the dead will rise. The dead will stay dead.

And if Jesus did not rise incorruptible, the elect will not either. The elect would rise corruptible. The dead would rise guilty of sin.

Romans 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Jesus must have been resurrected or we are not justified.

He could pay for our sins with his death, but yet if we are not raised again / born again, there is no righteousness imputed, there is so justification.

We had to be born again, in heaven, as sons of God with that righteousness. Born in the Spirit.

1 Peter 1:3-4  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Without the resurrection, we are not born again, and made heirs with our father Abraham in heaven.

The resurrection is the promise of eternal life. We must have hope in His resurrection, and in our resurrection by Him, being fully persuaded that God’s promise will be kept.

Romans 10:8-9  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Here is the gospel: The Lord, Jesus, died for us and rose again for us, and if we believe and confess Him, we are saved. Believe that, and only that, and you are saved. Is that all you have to believe? Yes, but you have to understand it:

Romans 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There is an understanding of it. But the simplicity of the gospel of Christ is really simple:

Repent of works + Believe the resurrection promise + Confess the Lord Jesus = Saved (righteousness imputed)

This is how men are saved. If we cannot believe, if we cannot be fully persuaded of the promise – the resurrection, both His and ours – we cannot be saved.

The resurrection doctrine is as important as any salvation doctrine that a Real Christian holds, and we must not let it be leavened, or souls cannot be saved.

2 Timothy 2:17-18  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;  18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

If you defile the resurrection doctrine, you defile the faith. And if some believe your false resurrection doctrine, those some will not be saved. They will not be trees of righteousness with good fruit, but they will be SPOILED. Their fruit STOLEN.

And it is those WORDS (false doctrine) that are the CANKERWORMS.

“Oh, the resurrection is just spiritual and not literal.”

“Oh, Jesus didn’t resurrect himself.”

“Oh, its not our physical bodies that are resurrected.”

These words eat like a cankerworm. There cankerworDs… are really cankerworMs.

It doesn’t take much to eat up the vine. Just a little cankerworm. It’s like leaven. Just add a little, and mix until the whole is leavened. Just add one canker  spoil the fruit. If there is just one canker, it will multiply and eat the whole vine. One cankerworD becomes an army of cankerworDs.

Nahum 3:15-17  There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.  16  Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.  17  … when the sun ariseth they flee away …

These are the words of false prophets. They are cankerworms: cankerwords.

This is what hirelings do: promise life to the flock, but when the wolf comes, they flee away, and cannot deliver. When the sun rises, they and all their trees wither.

Jonah 4:7  But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.

Beware of the cankerwords!

Jesus resurrected Himself, with His own power

2 Timothy 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Remember that we emphasized how critical the resurrection of Jesus Christ is. If you mess up the resurrection of Jesus, and/or you mess up our own resurrection by Him, and you overthrow the faith.

It is incredibly easy to ruin the doctrine of Christ. Just take a thing or two out, just add a thing or two in. Observe:

If Jesus is God, as some churches teach, who resurrected Jesus?

Jesus is not God​—whose name is Jehovah—​but he is the Son of God. Jehovah resurrected Jesus from the dead. (Romans 10:9) One Bible scholar comments: “It is unthinkable that anyone​—even Christ—​could raise himself.”

• https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/wp20130301/resurrection-of-jesus/

This is incredibly dangerous. These words will eat as doth a canker. This is not a faithful saying. These words will overthrow faith. So I think its very much worth our time to strengthen our faith in the resurrection.

–

When Paul preached the resurrection, he had open resistance.

Acts 17:30-32  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:  31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.  32  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

Jesus and His apostles dealt with those that outright denied, mocked the resurrection. In Jesus’ and Paul’s day, many Jews and Jewish converts didn’t even believe in a resurrection of the dead.

Paul preached to a the Jewish proselyte King Aggripa:

Acts 26:8  Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

The Lord put all this confusion to SHAME with his answers to the Sadducees.

Mark 12:24-27  And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?  25  For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; … 27 … ye therefore do greatly err.

And so now, no organization that I am aware of, that calls themselves “Christians”, still maintains that there is “no resurrection” of the dead or that Jesus did not “rise”. So we don’t encounter that doctrine very often when dealing with the false brethren. But, there are those that defile the resurrection in other ways. And here is one way: they take the power of resurrection away from Christ. If God raised Jesus, but Jesus is not God, then Jesus did not raise Himself.

“It is unthinkable that anyone​—even Christ—​could raise himself.”

It is unthinkable, incredible, to a JW, that Christ could raise Himself. I agree: it is indeed “unthinkable” that a JW would be able to comprehend that Jesus Christ could raise Himself, because the JW refuses to BELIEVE the words written of and spoken by Jesus Christ. The JW refuses to give Jesus the honour of God (John 5:23) or to give Him His own glory (John 17:5). And he refuses to give Jesus the wisdom and the power of God.

1 Chronicles 16:28-29  Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.  29  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: …

If we give Jesus the glory due Him, as the Creator, the Holy One that made the heavens and the earth by His wisdom and by His power, why is it “unthinkable” and “incredible” that He could conquer death of His own power?

Philippians 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

The resurrection is a power of God, and a power that Christ, as God, had in Himself.

Could the Father hold this power and the Son, Christ, not have it?

1 Corinthians 1:23-24  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;  24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Christ raised himself. Being the power of God and the wisdom of God, He raised Himself by His own power and wisdom.

You won’t get this from all the theorizings and reasonings, theology and philosophy, of the Watchtower cult. But from Scripture alone, we see that Christ very clearly has and had POWER to resurrect Himself.

John 10:17-18  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Nobody handed Jesus His eternal life. Jesus TOOK IT. He took His own life up again, by His own power.

John 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

This is spoken before the crucifixion and resurrection, not AFTER. Jesus already had the power of eternal life in Himself.

Whatever power of life was in the Father to resurrect the dead, the same was in the Son.

John 2:19-21  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.  20  Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?  21  But he spake of the temple of his body.

Jesus did not say, “it will be raised up” or “my Father will raise it up”. He said, “I will raise it up”.

So, if the JWs are right, and Jesus could not raise Himself from the dead, then Jesus was a liar. He took credit for the Lord’s work, which He Himself did not do. He did not sanctify the Father, but rather His own self before men.

If Jesus did not raise himself, then He committed the same sin as Moses did at Meribah, and should receive the same punishment as Moses: death, and rejection from the promised land.

Acts 2:24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Who is “he”?

It was not possible that HE (Jesus) could be holden of death. Well then, you must admit that Jesus had power to conquer death, and raise himself. Death could not hold Him.

It was not possible that HE (God) could be holden of death. Well then, you must admit that Jesus is God.

Death had power to hold every man before Christ. But it was not possible that death would hold God himself. It is “unthinkable”, “incredible”, unimaginable, impossible, that it could.

—

Hebrews 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

It was Jesus who conquered death and destroyed the devil.

1 Corinthians 6:14  And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Not God raised up the Son. But God raised up God. God raised up HIMSELF.

How could you know who Jesus is, and still think that Jesus could not raise himself?

John 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: …

Why should it be “unthinkable” that Christ, who IS the resurrection, could resurrect himself?

Unless Jesus is just a liar.

If you don’t believe in “the resurrection”, then you don’t believe in Jesus. Because that is who Jesus is.

And if you take the power of resurrection out of Jesus, you take away His own power and glory.

John 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

John 5:21-23  For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.  …  23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

But that is exactly what the JWs refuse to do: honour the Son with the same life and power that they give to the Father. They deny that Jesus has life IN HIMSELF.

To say that Jesus could not raise Himself is a denial of the record of Jesus Christ:

1 John 5:10-12  He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.  11  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  12  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Do you see how just a little leaven, can leaven the whole lump?

Do you see how just a little cankerword, can destroy the whole tree of life?

To say that Christ could not raise Himself is to speak foolish, blasphemous cankerwords.

Matthew 22:28-29  Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.  29  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

Mark 12:27  … ye therefore do greatly err.

They do err, not knowing Jesus, who is the power of God, and who is the resurrection!

They don’t understand Jesus, and they don’t understand the resurrection. They do greatly err.

But this is what happens when fools bring their own reason and logic and philosophy into Bible interpretation. They greatly err, and they overthrow the faith of some.

In his own body

2 Timothy 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

Another defiling of the resurrection doctrine that Satan can do to “overthrow the faith of some” is to deny the bodily resurrection. JWs believe Jesus came back as a spirit / an angel and not as a man with a man’s body.

“When someone is resurrected to heaven, he is not brought back to life as a human with a human body. He is resurrected to life in heaven as a spirit person. … Jesus was not resurrected with a human body. The apostle Peter explains that Jesus “was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”  (1 Peter 3:18) Jesus was brought back to life as a powerful spirit person!”

• https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/bible-study/there-will-be-a-resurrection/

Is that so? Jesus was made alive “in the spirit”?

1 Peter 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Jesus was not quickened as a spirit, or in the spirit, but “by the Spirit”.

Not only is this a bold and clear lie. This is an incredibly dangerous lie. This is a big deal. A lie about the resurrection overthrows faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

IF you mess up the resurrection, you mess up the gospel: You mess up eternal life.

What I’m learning is that the JWs don’t change the Bible doctrines that are obvious and well-understood. What they rather do is more subtle. Like their father the devil: “yea, hath God said…?”

They are very good at seizing on the natural mind’s confusions and unknowns, they prey on men concerning the mysteries of Christ, and where men are uncertain or confused, where we just “see through a glass darkly”, THEN, they insert their own private interpretations and doctrines. And of course, they then must obscure and change the words of God to support their interpretation.

But here are a few quick thoughts to build up your faith and instill confidence in Jesus’ bodily resurrection, and thus also OURS.

Luke 24:36-40  And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  37  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.  38  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?  39  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.  40  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

Nowhere in the OT do we have men touching and handling angels.

Maybe Jacob wrestling with the Angel? But this particular “Angel” was also called “a man”, and “God”. This WAS Jesus that Jacob wrestled with.

There was something very different about Jesus standing before them with flesh and bones, and saying “handle me”.

—

The JWs belief is that Jesus’ body was destroyed completely, and instead Jesus resurrected as a spirit, as an angel: the archangel Michael. Well, I believe that doctrine is completely proven a lie by this:

Acts 2:31  He [David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

Acts 13:37  But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Jesus’ body was not completely destroyed. From this, I would say it didn’t even begin to be destroyed.

Why is that important? Because OUR bodily resurrection is dependent on His bodily resurrection.

Romans 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Acts 2:25-26  For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:  26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

We say “RIP – rest in peace”, but for a Christian, it should be “Rest in Hope”.

Job 19:26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Philippians 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

We are not going to lose our body and it be replaced by a spirit. It is a body that Jesus has, and that we will have.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:  43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:  44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

IT is sown and IT is raised. Not “it is sown and we are raised.” The same IT that was sown is the same IT that is raised.

It, is not just “a spirit”. It, is “a spiritual body”.

That is all I can tell you. Because this is all WE KNOW. I can’t explain it more because the rest of it… WE DON’T KNOW.

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

But where WE DON’T KNOW, and where men have not understood or been stablished, where we see things through a glass darkly, this is where Satan and the false prophets work subtilly to confuse Christians and leaven the doctrine (in this case the resurrection).

The Holy Spirit does not teach that Christ is come back NOT in the flesh. The spirit that teaches that Christ is risen NOT in the flesh, is a spirit of antichrist.

1 John 4:2-3  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

2 John 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Is not just that Jesus Christ WAS come in the flesh, but that He also IS NOW come in the flesh.

We can be assured that Jesus resurrected in His own body, and through Him, we can be assured that we will be resurrected in our own bodies as well.

And we can be assured that the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower organization is of the devil. It is a deceiver, and an antichrist.

You might say, “so what? I don’t care if I come back in this body or as an angel, so long as I am alive and conscious of myself and have no more pain, sadness, etc. etc.” But doctrinally, it must have been a physical resurrection, as a man, and not as a spirit.

God came to save man. So when The Lord came down from heaven to save man, He did not take on the form of an angel, but of a man. And when God resurrected from the dead and ascended on high as the true High Priest bearing His own blood to perform reconciliation for the sins of man, He did so again, as a man. God did not resurrect himself as an angel to atone for man, but as a man.

If Christ died and was resurrected as an angel, the fallen angels have redemption, and not mankind.

If Christ is not resurrected in a man’s body, mankind is not to be resurrected, and the elect of them are not to be saved. He did not come as a spirit, nor go as a spirit, but as a man with flesh and bones.

Jesus didn’t come to raise spirits. He didn’t come to redeem the devils, or any fallen angels.

He came to redeem mankind. He came to resurrect Adam’s mankind: who are made of flesh and bones.

It had to be the physical body of Jesus resurrected. Our faith is in the resurrection of Jesus’ physical body, because our resurrection and eternal life depends on it.

2 Corinthians 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

The Resurrection Promise – Part 1

We preach the resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:1-8  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:  5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:  6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.  7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.  8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

We often take it for granted. Its so foundational that we don’t often teach on it. But the resurrection is the singular most important event in the past, present and future of mankind’s existence.

There are other things that we often focus on when we preach and teach the gospel, and when we divide truth from error and the pure gospel from the leavened bread. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ is singular the most important part of our gospel.

It is essential, it is required. It is required to have happened, and it is required for us to believe.

If you don’t believe in the resurrection, you don’t believe the gospel of Jesus Christ..

Acts 4:1-2  And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,  2  Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

The Sadducees held the doctrine there is no resurrection, and subsequently after He rose they denied His resurrection. And when they infiltrated the churches, they held that we will not rise.

That is why they were “sad, you see”!?

We don’t encounter many modern day Sadducees, so we don’t often feel the need to preach against these errors on resurrection doctrine. But nonetheless, there are those that defile the doctrine, so we do need to strengthen ourselves, and be sure we divide truth from error on the resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most essential, critical piece of the gospel for a Christian to understand and believe. I don’t think that is unfair to say.  Our salvation, our gospel, stands or falls based on the truth of, and one’s belief in, that singular event.

Acts 17:18  Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

Paul preached the resurrection. All the Apostles preached the resurrection. When we preach the gospel, we preach the resurrection. But the resurrection is not just a part of the gospel. It IS the gospel.

2 Timothy 2:8  Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

The resurrection is a required thing to believe and to confess to be saved: to be a Christian.

Romans 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The resurrection is foundational: it is part of the foundation of the Church, and it is a required doctrine to understand and confess as part of one’s salvation.

Hebrews 6:1-2  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,  2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

When the writer lists the foundation principles, the foundation stones, the resurrection is there.

It is a foundational stone of the Church. Its so foundational a piece of the gospel that I believe it is fair to say, the resurrection is the chief and very first stone of the foundation.

Mark 12:10  And have ye not read this scripture; The stone [Jesus] which the builders rejected [killed] is become [resurrected and ascended] the head of the corner [the foundation – the chief corner stone]:

The rejection of Jesus, and His resurrection WAS ITSELF the laying of the chief corner stone. The foundation of the doctrine of Christ, the foundation of the Church, the foundation of New Jerusalem is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without the resurrection (the laying of the chief corner stone), there is no house of God, there is no Church, there is no eternal life.

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It is a foundational doctrine (THE foundational doctrine) of the Church. And it is not a new doctrine. It is not a new thing at all. It was a mystery, it was hidden, but it was ordained and prophesied from the beginning.

Acts 26:21-23  For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.  22  Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:  23  That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

It was kept secret since the world began, but it was prophesied and it was promised. And if Satan had known and understood it, he would never have killed Jesus. (1Co 2:7-8)

Promise of Resurrection

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is much more than a historical event that Christians believe happened. I The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a promise.

Acts 13:29-33  And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.  30  But God raised him from the dead:  31  And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.  32  And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,  33  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; …

Belief in the resurrection of Jesus is crucial to our faith. It is required for true belief unto salvation. If you don’t believe the resurrection, you are not saved.

Why is that? Because the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a promise. It is THE PROMISE that God made to Abraham. It’s the promise of eternal life that God made to all of mankind in Abraham Isaac and Jacob.

Acts 2:31  He [David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.  32  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

What was the promise Jesus received of the Father? The Holy Ghost. The Spirit of Life. Eternal life. The promise was the resurrection. The resurrection is the promise that was promised to Abraham, fulfilled in Jesus, the seed of Abraham. Jesus received the promise of resurrection. He had to become a man to receive the promise for men. (Psalms 68:18)

Titus 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

1 John 2:25  And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

The resurrection of Jesus is a PROMISE. The resurrection of Jesus was a fulfillment of God’s promise, and also a sign to all men that God has kept for Abraham, and will keep for all Abraham’s children, His promise of resurrection and eternal life. And He will keep it through the Seed of Abraham: God’s Son Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

It’s a promise of eternal inheritance, and you don’t get an eternal inheritance without eternal life. The promise to Abraham was that His seed, and HIMSELF included would inherit the earth in the resurrection.

Gen 17:8  And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Romans 4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

The promise to Abraham was eternal inheritance, eternal life, through his own Seed: Jesus Christ.

The promise to Abraham and to his Seed was an eternal inheritance in the resurrection.

This is the promise that we must believe to be saved: the promise of eternal life in the resurrection.

And this promise is to us, if we are of faith.

Romans 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law [Jesus – the lawful Seed], but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

If we are “of faith”, “of the faith of Abraham”, then we are counted as the children of Abraham, and are also inheritors – heirs of the world.

Galatians 3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

They who are “of faith” are counted for the seed and SURELY receive the promise of Abraham.

We receive the promise of Abraham (the resurrection) through faith. But notice: “of the faith of Abraham”. It must be the same faith that Abraham had.

Romans 4:11-12  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:  12  And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

That’s a big deal. We have to walk in the steps of that faith of Abraham or we do not receive the promise of Abraham: eternal life: the resurrection.

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Romans 4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

So what are the steps of this faith of Abraham that we must walk in to be counted children of Abraham and receive the promise of eternal life in Abraham?

Firstly, what did Abraham believe? Abraham believed God’s promise. The promise that God would make of him, by his own Seed proceeding out of his own bowels, and also out of Sarah’s womb, a son, a Seed. And all the promises of God to Abraham (“an everlasting possession”) would be through this Seed.

“In Isaac shall thy seed be called.”

But there are two times / events concerning which Abraham is said to have believed God’s promise.

Romans 4:19-22  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:  20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;  21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.  22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

The First event – Abraham believed that God would bring life out of his own (possibly dead) body and out of a dead place (Sarah’s womb). Jesus is called “the first begotten of the dead”, and also “the firstborn from the dead”. Isaac (as a figure of Christ) was born of the dead – life out of death. Abraham believed in the resurrection (the promise) before Isaac’s birth: that God would cause Isaac to be born of the dead: Sara and himself.

The Second event – Abraham believed in the resurrection (the promise), when he offered Isaac. Abraham believed that God was able to resurrect Isaac from the dead. He believed that Isaac would be raised from the dead.

Hebrews 11:17-19  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:  19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

And this is when the Scripture was fulfilled which saith “Abraham believed God.”

Abraham believed no matter if he was dead, or Sarah was dead, or Isaac was dead, God’s promise would be kept IN ISAAC. Abraham had to believe in the resurrection of the dead: the promise of God.

Abraham had to believe in the promise (the resurrection) to receive the promise (the resurrection).

And we, walking in these same steps of the faith of Abraham, must believe that God will keep His promise to us: the promise of eternal life in Jesus. We must believe in the resurrection (being fully persuaded) to receive the resurrection.

To receive the promise, we must be fully persuaded that God is both able to, and will raise us from the dead to an eternal inheritance. But, if God is not able to resurrect this mortal body from the dead, if God cannot keep His promise through my death, if my body, or my sins, or my works or my own death could make void His promise, then I have not believed God according to the faith of Abraham, and thus I am not a child of Abraham.

Like Abraham, I must believe in the resurrection and life of Jesus (Isaac), and that I will partake of that promise of inheritance and life in Jesus, NO MATTER WHAT.

We must believe that the dead will be raised. We cannot be Sadducee.

1 Corinthians 15:12-18  Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?  13  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:  14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.  15  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.  16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:  17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.  18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

If there is no resurrection, then Christ is not raised, and if Christ is not raised, then there is no resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is not just about whether Jesus rose from the dead. It is about whether we will rise from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is our only hope for resurrection.

If you don’t believe the resurrection, you are not saved. If you don’t have this hope (expectation) in you, you are not saved.

John 11:23-25  Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.  24  Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.  25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Jesus IS the resurrection. There is no one rising without Jesus. The dead cannot rise without Jesus. There is no resurrection at the last day without Jesus.

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

If Jesus did not rise, then NO ONE will rise. If Jesus, who is the resurrection, did not conquer death, and him that had the power of death, that is the devil, then there can be no resurrection and there can be no ending, and final judgment and giving of eternal life.

Revelation 5:3-5  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.  4  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.  5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, the end cannot come; and the dead cannot rise, but all the dead would stay in the grave. And if Jesus did not rise incorruptible, the saved will not rise incorruptible.

If you don’t believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you don’t believe you will be raised, and if you don’t believe that you will be raised, you don’t believe in eternal salvation. You neither understand nor believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe in your own eternal salvation, if you don’t have an assurance of your salvation in the resurrection, you don’t have it.

The Sadducees could never be saved holding their doctrine. Thus Jesus told them:

Mark 12:26 … ye therefore do greatly err.

Because the resurrection of Jesus is the assurance of OUR resurrection.

Acts 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

The resurrection is a promise. And the resurrection of Jesus was an assurance to us that God has kept and will keep His promise. The promise that we have life in Christ. A promise that we, in Christ have, and will have, conquered death.

2 Timothy 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 3:6  That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

The promise of Abraham, which promise we must believe to obtain, is the promise of resurrection and eternal life in Jesus Christ, obtained by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:10-12  He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.  11  And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  12  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

This is the record of Jesus Christ. This is believing on Jesus. I must believe that God gave His Son Jesus to be my resurrection and eternal life.  If I have Jesus, I have the resurrection, and if I don’t have Jesus , I will not have the resurrection.

You either believe this promise, the promise of resurrection in Jesus, or you don’t have eternal life.

Owen asked me, what if you die with Him, but you don’t come back to life with Him?

That CANNOT happen. Unless God is a liar. But if God keeps His promises, we cannot stay dead.

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

2 Timothy 2:11  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

Not only can it not happen, but we cannot believe that it will happen.

“Yeah, well I gave my life to Jesus, so I died with him, but if I became a serial killer, uh yeah, that would probably hurt my chances…” THAT is NOT a faithful saying.

The resurrection of Christ, and our future resurrection in Him, is what our whole faith stands on.

2 Timothy 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

IF you mess up the resurrection, you overthrow faith. You defile up the gospel. You hinder your salvation. You reject your eternal life.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event that ever has or ever will take place. It was the fulfilling of the promise of eternal life to Abraham, and it is the assurance to all men that God will keep His promise to all those that be “of faith”.

The resurrection of Jesus is the promise of life that we must believe. If it did not happen, or if we do not believe it happened, then we cannot believe that WE will have eternal life, and thus we CANNOT one day have it.

The Lord’s Work – Part 15

Carnal ordinances, carnal things, and carnal man himself, are (like) shadows.

Hebrews 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

In other words, if Jesus was earthly, carnal… If His ministry was according to the flesh, if His sacrifice/atonement/service was earthly instead of heavenly, He should not be a high priest… Because God already had earthly high priests. High priests…

Hebrews 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

The things of the law – earthly things – are the example and shadow of heavenly things.

This is what man’s good works are: unto examples and shadows of heavenly things.

This is what the whole world serves unto: examples and shadows of heavenly things.

When man does a good work, it is according to a pattern, an example shown to him. A shadow shown to him. Maybe shown by God, maybe shown by their father the devil, or maybe by other men (Adam?).

Moses built the tabernacle according to a pattern shown to him in the mount. A mere description of the form of the true tabernacle.

Israel was working according to a pattern shown to them in the mount: the ten commandments. A mere description of the form of a perfect man. A shadow of a perfect man!

Man’s good works are unto an example. Unto a shadow. And as long as they are carnal works in carnal things, which things are done unto (to look like) an example given to us, they are a shadow.

All of man’s works are attempts to do what can only be truly done, or build what can only be truly built, or look like what can only be truly observed in the Spirit, and in the truth. We’ve seen shadows of good things, and we try to do those same things shown to us. We pattern ourselves after those works. We are acting like true men, because we are spies, and we have been shown a pattern. But our works are reprobate.

Our works are unto a good pattern.  It’s a good pattern. Nothing is wrong with the pattern. But it is JUST a patter. We’ve been told what a good man looks like, and we build ourselves according to that pattern. We tell ourselves, “God says a good man must be righteous, and love, give, and don’t lie, and don’t steal, don’t hate your neighbor, don’t commit adultery, don’t sin. So, we will establish ourselves as that! We will build ourselves according to that pattern!” We go here:

Psalms 15:1-5  … LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?  2  He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.  3  He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.  4  In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.  5  He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Here are the things! Here are the doings. Here is the pattern, the shadow! Here is the outline of a true man.  Here are the markings of a perfect man!

Psalms 37:37  Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

A perfect man will have peace. He will ascend to heaven. Man says, “Aha, here I have marked his pattern. I will establish myself as that!”

But you have not seen a true perfect man. You’ve only seen his shadow. You’ve marked the shadow!

You say, “I will establish myself as a perfect man!” But you can’t be that!

Ecclesiastes 7:20  For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

You can mark that perfect man’s shadow, but with your eyes you have not marked a true perfect man.

You cannot be a true perfect man. You cannot NOT sin.

Now, man can work according to that shadow, and according to that pattern. But man can’t do these things IN truth. You can’t do the pattern perfectly, without iniquity.

You cannot perfectly emulate a perfect man.

And even if you could, even if you stopped sinning and only did good things… you would STILL only be established as the shadow of a perfect man. You would not be a true perfect man. You would just have a similar shadow! One shadow can look like another, but that does not mean the true things that control the shadows are identical.

Job was called a “perfect man”, but I must believe it was only in shadow, under whatever carnal ordinances / law was given to him for the time then present. According to the shadow, he was a perfect and upright man. I have to believe that because there is only one true perfect man, but He is not upon earth:

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Ephesians 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

He and His body are the perfect man. We, by knowledge of Him and faith in Him, will one day, in flesh as in spirit, dwell in Him and BE that man. That man will forever be the ONLY perfect man. You must live in Him, or you are not a true perfect man.

We’ve marked His shadow, but there is only one way to be a perfect man: to be IN Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

You cannot be perfect outside of Jesus. But you CAN be outside of Him and serve unto the shadow of that perfect man.

Men are working to build fake (shadows of) good works. Man brings forth fake fruit. Shadows of real good fruit.

Even the high priests serving the Lord in Israel were not doing true good things. They were doing a shadow of good things. They were serving unto a shadow of the true heavenly things.

Hebrews 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, …

Is there a better carnal work than that? Is there a better vocation? If being a minister of God is not true good, then what carnal work/vocation is? If making offerings and sprinkling blood to cleanse the house of God is not true good, then what offering is? If entering in to the most holy place once a year to atone for the sins of others was not true good, then what carnal work/vocation is? None! If those things were not true good, then there is no true good in this world. They are ALL fake – at best, goodly looking shadows!

Hebrews 9:19-21  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,  20  Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.  21  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

What things did He sprinkle with blood? He sprinkled the people, and all the things of the service of the Lord. All the good things. Those are the very best of the good things that this world offers!

Hebrews 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.  23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens [that is, the things on the Earth] should be purified with these [carnal sacrifices]; but the heavenly things themselves [the true things] with better sacrifices than these [i.e., heavenly things].  24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Jesus Christ was the true high priest who entered into the true tabernacle in heaven with His own pure spiritual blood. If his sacrifice was carnal (a shadow), it would not have profited in heavenly places.

There is (rather was) a way to be clean, under the law. BLOOD and water. Jesus came, not by water only, but by water and blood. Without blood and water, there is no remission of sins.

These carnal sacrifices under the law cleansed one’s flesh, but could not clean one’s spirit. One was still guilty. One was still alive in the flesh, and dead in sins. One’s nature was unchanged. One’s conscience was unchanged as well. After an OT sacrifice, one was still completely carnal.

If all Jesus did was an earthly sacrifice, death, and resurrection, we would have no eternal life. Those are the shadows, the figures of the true. He needed to do the true! He needed to atone for sins in the true tabernacle in heaven itself! That was required to atone for sins in truth! That is the only way a soul could be cleansed, spiritually: by a spiritual, heavenly sacrifice.

There is a cleanliness that can be achieved, there is good that can be done… under the law!  But those things are not the true. Those are the figures of the true. Carnal things, carnal works are the shadows, figures of the true. The things made with hands are figures, shadows, of the true. Moses’ tabernacle. Solomon’s temple. Jerusalem. The giving of the law, the good works of the law. All shadows.

The things we do, the good things man works in this world, are shadows, figures.

The best that man can work is a figure of the true. Talk about idolatry! The good things that we work are idolatry.

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The law is good. But the law is not TRUE good. At least, it does not give man the ability to work true good. The best that a man can work under the law is a shadow, a pattern of righteousness.

Galatians 3:21  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

If the natural/carnal laws could give eternal life, righteousness would have been by the law.

If righteousness were by the law, we would be able to make ourselves righteous by obeying the law.

If a man can work true good, he IS good, and he will have eternal life.

If a single work of the law was TRUE good, we would be able to do it and thus have TRUE righteousness.

And we could save ourselves with our righteousness! With our true good works!

But the law does not have true good, it only has a shadow of true good, and thus true righteousness – God’s righteousness, eternal life – is not by the law.

There is a righteousness which is of the law, but it is “mine own righteousness, which is of the law” and the Bible says “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”. So the righteousness of the law is a shadow, made of filthy rags. It is not true righteousness. The law was a shadow of true good, and not the very true good itself.

Galatians 3:15  Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

Yes it was given by God, written by His hand. But it was OF man, FOR man, to be seen of MEN. It was fleshly, worldly. It stood in carnal things. It stood in carnal, fleshly sacrifices. Thus, it was temporary, and thus it was WEAK!

Romans 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Obeying the law does not constitute true good. But this is man’s hope. This is his justification. This is his proof. Carnal works. Weak carnal laws. There is weakness in his hope! Man is trusting a shadow, that will flee away when the sun rises. A flower that will wither, a vapour that will vanish when the heat of the Son comes on that day.

Figures

Man’s works are fake!

FAKE? How are they fake? What are they, if not true?

They are figures.. figures of the true!

Hebrews 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens [that is, the things on the Earth] should be purified with these [carnal sacrifices]; but the heavenly things themselves [the true things] with better sacrifices than these [heavenly things].  24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

“Heavenly things” are the true things, and earthly things are the figures.

Things made with hands are the figures of the true!!!!

You saw these 2 of 3 occurrences of “heavenly things”:

Hebrews 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Hebrews 8:5  …  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things …

There are “heavenly things” which are the true things, and there are earthly things which are figures.

Heavenly things are the true good things. Earthly things, man-made things, things made with hands, man’s works, our good works, our good things, they are examples and shadows of the true good things; they are patterns of the heavenly things.

Earthly things are a shadow of heavenly things. Earthly things are not THE TRUE.

And this is the 3^rd and ONLY other instance of “heavenly things” in the Bible.

John 3:6-12  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7  … Ye must be born again. … 12  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Whatsoever things are born of flesh, are not the true things.

It is the spiritual things that are the true things. One must be born spiritually to be accepted as a true man, and not a spy.

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Heavenly things are “the true”, and earthly things …

Hebrews 9:24  … are the figures of the true; …

Let’s talk about “THE TRUE”. (14 times) Those things under the law were figures of THE TRUE. But there is one body, one vine, one building, one tabernacle that is THE TRUE.

Hebrews 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

THE TRUE is what the Lord builds (works), and not man. Nothing we work is THE TRUE. No matter how accurate the pattern! Heavenly things are THE TRUE, and earthly things are NOT the true. THE TRUE must be built spiritually IN HEAVEN. New Jerusalem is THE TRUE temple.

Luke 16:11  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

The saved souls of mankind, and the substance that feeds them in eternity, are THE TRUE riches.

In this world, people are the real riches are they not? Possessions can be replaced, but not people. Power, Money, Fame will not make you happy. People, friends, family, are what we should, and often do, most value.

Has anyone ever gotten to the end of their lives and said, “Man, I just had too many children… I had too big of a family”? “I just spent too much time with my family.”

To man, people are the true riches. People are what really has true value.

And yet, carnal, unrighteous mankind are not THE TRUE riches. True riches are spiritual people. God’s family, His friends, His loved ones.

“The True” is spiritual!

John 6:31-32  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

The Scripture was not wrong. God indeed gave them bread from heaven (angel’s food)… so how can Jesus say that He did not?!?!

Because carnal things are not THE TRUE. Moses truly gave them bread from heaven, but Moses did NOT give Israel THE TRUE bread from heaven. That bread was a shadow, a figure of the true. That bread was corruptible. To eat that bread did not give eternal life, and to eat that bread did not count as having eaten THE TRUE bread from heaven. Moses gave them water out of a rock. But Moses did not give them THE TRUE water out of the Rock. Having drunk of that Rock, as long as the water was carnal and not spiritual, did not count as having drunk THE TRUE living water from the Rock.

Carnal things are not the true. The true is the spiritual. The true is the body of Christ. True good works must be done in THE TRUE. Do your works in THE TRUE. Work good in THE TRUE! How??

John 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. … 5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Jesus is the true. Only in that vine – THE TRUE vine can one produce good fruit. Abide in that vine, or there is no ability to work TRUE good. Without (outside of) Christ, ye do NOTHING. Unsaved, natural man, abiding outside of THE TRUE vine, can do nothing!!

This is where we must draw the line! Your works are in the flesh or in the Holy Spirit. Divide! Flesh vs. Spirit. The True vs. the figure of the true.

The law is light the Bible says… but that light was like a little candle in darkness…

It, the law itself, as it stood in carnal, natural things, was a shadow; a figure.

It could guide you. It could keep you near to where the Lord wanted you to be, it could keep you humble and prepare you to hear the truth. But the law was a temporary candle. A figure of the true. The law was not THE TRUE light of God.

1 John 2:8  Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

The Gospel is the TRUE light. Jesus is THE TRUE. Jesus is the only way for us to do THE TRUE.

Jesus is the only way for us to do the true will of God.

Jesus is the only way for us to do the true works of the Lord.

Jesus is the only way for us to do the true good works.

Jesus is the only way for us to bring forth the true good fruit.

The Lord’s Work – Part 14

Fake Good Works

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

What sort is your work? There’s only two sorts that it could be. What did you work? What did you bring forth. What is your finished work? What is your fruit? What sort is it?

Good or evil? Heavenly or earthly? Carnal or Spiritual? Will it abide the fire of God, or no?

No one can work some good and some evil. No one can work good sometimes and evil some other times. Your work is of one sort.

Romans 2:6-10  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  … 9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, … But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, …

You will receive according to your work. We teach that one cannot go to heaven, not because he did evil, but because he is evil; because he CAN sin. Because he is a sinner.

There can’t be a middle ground. There are only two sorts. Man himself is all good or all evil. The work of a man is all good or it is all evil.

What a man is and what he has in his heart comes out of his heart. You know that right?

Well then how do you get out of this?

Ecclesiastes 9:3  … yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

We are full of evil. What comes out of our hearts is evil. You say, “that CAN’T apply to ME!”

These things are hard for us to hear and believe. Because we are mad with Satan’s blood-lusts-lies.

If a man can sin, he is a sinner and will receive according to his deeds (sins). If a man can work good, he is one that “worketh good” (none do!) and will receive according to his righteousnesses.

If a man CAN sin, he is a sinner, and he cannot go to heaven.

Alternatively, if a man CAN work good, he is righteous, and he cannot go to the lake of fire.

It has to be that black and white. No gray!

A man cannot do both good and evil.

1 John 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Don’t be deceived by this. There is no gray area!

If a man CAN do true good works, if he CAN make good fruit, the Lord cannot be just to put him in the Lake of Fire. IF a man has worked good in his life, then:

• He is righteous and the Lord cannot be just judge to send him to Death
• The Lord cannot be just to withhold eternal rewards.

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

Hebrews 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

If one can work good, he cannot justly be denied. The Bible says, “he that doeth righteousness is righteous”, and “he that doeth good is of God”. So if one can truly love his neighbor, truly give to the poor, truly raise children, truly wash the saints feet, truly visit the prisoners, truthfully give a cup of water to a thirsty little one, and if in fact he has done it….. He is righteous, he is born of God, and he cannot be denied, and he cannot be unrewarded. Otherwise, God is unrighteous to judge so.

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

But, if we can do good things and thus deserve a good reward, yet we can also do evil things and thus deserve an evil reward, then how can God judge righteously? He can’t.

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

God is not going to judge on a curve (no percentages, no extra credit). 100% Good or 100% Evil. He’s not going to judge in grey area (no partiality, no mixed motivation). He’s not going to add and subtract the good and evil things.

He’s not going to give good things to those that do evil things, or vice versa!

He’s not going to give good things to those that go to the LoF, and he will not give evil things to those that dwell in New Jerusalem.

If we can do both good and evil, we have a big problem! God is found an unrighteous judge. Or, God is found a liar. Which is exactly Satan’s goal – Prove God a liar, or prove Him an unjust judge!

If we allow that man’s good works are true good works, we are in this quagmire of unrighteous judgment. We all do the same things! I doest the same things as others! And if some get life and others get death, when we all do the same things.. there is a problem with the judge!

I have determined that the only way to reconcile this is to admit that our carnal works are not TRUE.

I have determined that mas has done evil, and man has never once done good.

I have determined that man’s work… IT BE bad.

Man’s works LOOK righteous, but they are counterfeit.

Man’s works LOOK good, but they are ALL evil.

Man’s works LOOK true, but they are fake.

Man appears to work good, but he is a reprobate… a spy, an actor, a liar.

We’ve touched on the “WHY?” man’s works are not real, but fake.

• Because they are done in the flesh. They are carnal, to be seen of men.
• Because they are not done IN the Spirit, IN Christ.

Let’s talk about the HOW!?

How are they fake? What are they, if not true?

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They are:

• Shadows, Figures, and Patterns
• Vanity
• Idols

Shadows

The wicked does FAKE good works.

FAKE? How are they fake? What are they, if not true?

They are shadows!

Psalms 144:4  Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

Psalms 102:11  My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

1 Chronicles 29:15  For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

Job 14:1-2  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.  2  He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

For what is your life? It is even a vapour/shadow.

Job 17:7  Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

Man is like a shadow. Our lives are like a shadow. Our bodies are like shadows. They are like a flower, and all the glory of man (and his great and beautiful works) flees away like a shadow.

Song of Solomon 2:17  Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, …

Our works looks good. They look real… But we’re in the night, in the dark. We have (outside of Jesus) no light. And we don’t realize we are like shadows, shadows in the dark! Shadows in the dark don’t stand out. In the night, you can’t tell what they are: real or not. We can’t see the true, because there is no light. Plato’s Cave?

When the day breaks, the shadows flee away! We as shadows, will continue to look good and true, until that day of the Lord when the sun rises, and the shadows (all flesh / all carnal lives) flee away. Then the true will be manifested.

James 1:10-11  But the rich, [let him glory] in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.  11  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

That is what a flower does – withers in the sun. That is what a shadow does – FADE AWAY in the light.

Hebrews 9:1,10  Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. …  10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

The first covenant (the old testament, the law) was made of carnal ordinances.

ORDINANCES: laws, rules, commandments, ceremonies, services, signs… works.

The old testament, the first covenant, the law, had carnal works. It stood in carnal things. Thus it was temporary – only for a time. It was a shadow.

For a carnal man to abstain from sin and do the service of the Lord… in truth… it’s just a carnal ordinance. It’s a carnal shadow. It’s just a CARNAL SHOW.

How do I know that? How can I say that doing good according to the law is just a worldly show?

“How can you say that?” What about Moses? What about David and Daniel? What about all their works?

Because the Bible says it. Of those carnal ordinances, Paul says they are a SHOW – shew.

Colossians 2:20-23  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  [of the law of Moses and all ordinances of the natural law in the world – that is: works of the flesh]  21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;  22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? [not just those ordained by men, but also those carnally ordained by God of the first covenant, for men in the flesh] 23  Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Abstaining from sin and doing the services (ordinances) of the Lord… they are like a show of shadows – shadow puppets!

Its just an empty, vain SHOW. They look like true worship, but they are a SHOW.

You say, “no, not the things written in scripture!” Yes, even the OT law. If it is an ordinance/work in the world, it is a show.

Worldly ordinances, whether natural or divine, whether of man, or of Moses and God, are really no different. Blasphemy!?!

That’s how the Bible puts it: the Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves. They had the work of the law written in their hearts. By nature, they were no different. By nature, “there is no difference” between Jews and Gentiles. The nature of their ordinances are the same: carnal. They are shadows!

Colossians 2:16-17  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  [ordinances, works, laws – these are all the “good things” under the law] 17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Everything under the law of Moses was a shadow of things to come. They were figures of the true.

There will be TRUE meat, drink, holy days, new moons and sabbaths in heaven and eternity. But those here are shadows of these future true ordinances.

Man’s “good works”, all carnal good works, all works of the law (whether of the law of nature or of the law of Moses) are a mere figure – a shadow – of true good works.

The ordinances of the OT law given by God were more complete shadows than man’s, but shadows, nonetheless!

What about Moses? What about David and Daniel? What about all their works? “How can you say that?”

Because the Bible says it:

Hebrews 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

My shadow has my pattern, but not my very image.

Our good works, those defined by the natural law, they are patterned after God’s works. Like a two-dimensional shadow of a man. Sure, it has the form of a man, but its not true. How can you even be sure that what is making the shadow is even a true man?

Our good works are a shadow of true good works. Like a two-dimensional shadow of your mother. It looks good, but it can’t make you soup when you’re sick. Like a two-dimensional shadow of a police officer. It looks good, but it can’t help you when you’re being robbed.

Ultimately, they are useless shadows, images, patterns. They look great! Maybe they make you feel good. But they’re fake.

The true body, the true works which will be rewarded good, are not done on Earth, under the laws of nature, according to carnal ordinances, but are done in the body of Christ, in heavenly places.

The Lord’s Work – Part 13

Because if you do what the Pharisees do (after their works), which ALL that are in the flesh do ALL their works to look like… ye have no reward.

Matthew 6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Their works are not counted good, and they are not rewarded good according to their works. ALL their works (the good ones and the justly motivated ones too!) they do to be seen of men. And by nature, ALL our works that we ALL do are the same: to be seen of men.

Thus all our works are reprobate – false, not true – and unrewarded.

… I didn’t say it.. the Lord did!!

I believe it’s not about their motivation at all. I think it’s only because man’s works CAN be seen of men, and not rather of the Lord only. Because man’s work is BEFORE MEN, and not before the Lord. I think it’s because it is a carnal work, instead of a spiritual work. I think if the works can be seen of men (i.e., if they are fleshly works out of a fleshly heart), they are not TRUE, and thus they are unrewarded. A carnal work does not receive an eternal reward.

Galatians 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

If you sow to the flesh, you shall of the flesh reap… If you do carnal works, you will have carnal rewards (which will corrupt).

A carnal work, of the flesh, in the flesh, is to be seen of men. It will be rewarded of men, but it will not be rewarded of God. It will be rewarded in this earth, but will not be rewarded in the new earth.

I don’t understand everything, and I have many questions of my own, but this makes sense to me, and I believe this is the truth: All man’s works are to be seen of men, and unrewarded, because they are carnal. I don’t know that I have fully proved this for you Scripturally, but I would say its likely. All their works they do for to be seen of men.

It’s not about the motivation. It’s about the sort of work it be. A carnal work is not a true work. A good work in the flesh is not a true good work.

But I could be wrong. And if I’m wrong about this, no matter how hard it is to believe, it very well could be that every work that an unsaved man does IS motivated to be seen and praised of men, and of self (a man), and not of the Lord only. Maybe, if even a tiny little bit is for to be seen of men, its rejected. Maybe… I know I can’t claim my motivation is ever pure. Maybe all of man’s never is. I don’t know their hearts. I don’t know their entire motivations. Neither do you. Neither do THEY. So if the Lord says it, how can either of us disagree?

Matthew 23:28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

These “good works” appear righteous to men (US!).

What about this one here? What about that one there! … all to be seen of men and unrewarded. I didn’t say it, the Lord did.

It’s not because you do bad things. It’s not because you do a good thing but your motivation is evil. It’s because you are bad. You are full of iniquity within. Out of man’s flesh can come (fake) good, but out of his heart comes true evil.

Don’t excuse yourself. This is all of mankind. This is spoken of the very best of mankind, and applies to all of mankind. These were the religious lawyers. Those that dedicated their lives to studying, debating, and teaching religion. Those that lived / appeared as clean as could be, outwardly. This was spoken of Saul, who was, as concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. These weren’t sinners above all men. They were the best of men!

This was spoken in the temple in Jerusalem. This is the last sermon that Jesus gave publicly before his crucifixion. In it, He leaves a very important message for them: Beware of reprobate works – those that are righteous in appearance, but not in truth. Beware of cleaning the outside of the cup (the flesh). You appear righteous to no one but UNTO MEN.

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Ephesians 5:11-12  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.  12  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

It is not out in the open. It is in secret, it is in heart, it is in spirit, that the works are clearly dark and unfruitful.  In the flesh they look good, but in secret, they are evil.

Proverbs 11:18  The wicked worketh a deceitful work: …

The wicked’s works are not openly evil. They are secretly evil. That’s why you can’t prove a man by works. Openly, before men, their works LOOK good, but they are deceitful. They are deceiving you with their works. And since you are told to prove yourself, if you attempt to prove yourself by works… Your works are deceiving even you! Why are the works deceitful??? Because of where they come from. They come forth from a deceitful heart!

Man’s heart is deceitful!

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

If the heart is deceitful, then its works/fruits are deceitful. Your heart is deceitful. Your own heart is deceiving you. And subsequently your own works are deceiving you!

Jesus said that the things that come out of the heart defile the man. You are being defiled by your own deceitful works. They look good and righteous unto you, but they are defiling you.

Proverbs 11:18  The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

That’s a big fat BUT! The wicked worketh a deceitful work, BUT the righteous soweth righteousness.

If you are not one that soweth righteousness, then your works are deceitful – fake. They are evil, but with the appearance of good.

You may say, “so if I do a good thing, one selfless good work, sow righteousness one time, I have an eternal reward.”

The answer is Yes. Absolutely true! One TRUE good work gets an eternal reward. But remember:

• You can’t do both. That is a big fat line. No grey area. That is a great gulf fixed. You can’t get both the reward of a righteous man and of a wicked man. You can’t be both, nor receive both, nor can you do both. You can LOOK like you can do both (to men), but if you can do evil, you can’t do true good.
• You need to know How! HOW can you sow righteousness, not in appearance, but in truth? Be very careful here – because there are fake ministers of righteousness. Sowing must be done IN THE SPIRIT. One must sow, to the Spirit, not to the flesh.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

A bad guy can look good!! A bad guy can transform, disguise himself! Satan himself appears righteous.

Just like our father the devil, We transform ourselves. Our good works are fake good works, our sowing is sowing FAKE righteousness, sown to the flesh. Our works have the appearance of righteousness, but they are fake, they are deceitful, and they are carnal/fleshly.

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The ministers, and pastors, and bishops, and deacons, and elders, and evangelists, and apostles, and reverends, and popes, and cardinals. The Pharisees and Sadducees. They (the best of mankind) look good and righteous. (Of course they do, they believe they must “show their faith by their works”, “prove themselves, by their works” / “justify themselves”, they must “work out their own salvation”!) They look like they have righteousness all figured out. They look like they work the Lord’s works, but it is all deceitful works.

The wicked WILL NOT receive good for their “good works”. Their good works are deceitful – fake. They are an act. They are counterfeit. They are, in truth, evil works.

Look, they do “good works”:

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

They believe they have, in His name, done many wonderful works?!!

You may believe they have too. I do! No one on earth will argue that they do “good works”.

You can make the case that their motivation was wrong, or their evil works counteracted their good ones, or take the stance that I have.

But man won’t say they are not good works. But God will. But they will not be counted good before God.

What’s the answer of God? “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Why? Because they are brought forth out of a wicked heart to be seen of wicked mankind. They’re fleshly!  It will all be shown to be deceitful. It will be exposed as false. It will be proven as FAKE!

I met a very nice, very confused Pastor recently. He got the hard question (murder one) wrong. But yet he taught grace “without a mixture of works”.

He said his works are different now. How? He said, “now my motivation is different.”

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

He will be one of these ^^!

Its not about one’s motivation. “Motive” or “motivation” is not even in the Bible!! And that is how you choose to distinguish yourself from a reprobate?

When it comes down to it, he believes his work is cleaner, purer, better. He believes his heart is more righteous. Indeed, the outside of the cup IS (appears) more righteous and beautiful now…

And yet, he got the hard question wrong. Out of his own mouth, he has the possibility of sin.

And if one is not free from sin, there is the possibility, nay the inevitability of sin. And where there is envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil work. His fruit is eternal death.

A Christian is not “better now”. A Christian is not “better”. A Christian is RIGHTEOUS. All his works are righteousness! A Christian is not mostly good. A Christian is PERFECTED.

And if you don’t get a hold of that, rightly dividing TRUTH: flesh from Spirit,  you’ll be deceived by the works and the doctrine of the world, of the false brethren. I wish he were a true brother, but he was a false brother. He was a deceitful worker.

I work true good works, but that Pastor does not. His works are reprobate.

My works are to be seen of God, and his are to be seen of men.

But not because of our motivations! I’m not better than that Pastor. My motives are not better than his. I’m not a better servant or more trained to deny my fleshly lusts. I’m no less likely to commit murder.

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The only difference between us is that I understand something that he does not.

The only difference between us is that I HAVE something that he does not.

The only difference between us is that I have been given a new heart, and he has worked to change his old heart.

The only difference between us is that I am full of something and he is full of something else.

The only difference between us is that my good works are in a place that his are not.

The only difference between us is that I have proved myself by bread. I am approved in the faith by doctrine, while He is completely unaware that his doctrine is leavened.

All his works are IN THE FLESH. He looks good. But he is reprobate. He is a deceitful worker. He is a fraud.

If he truly tried himself against the word of God, tried himself with hard questions, tried himself with the wrath of God, tried himself with bread, tried himself with mercy, grace and faith, if he understood what the word of God says, what the law says, he’d understand that his doctrine is no different than the world’s doctrine, or a Catholic’s doctrine.  He’d understand that he is no better now than before he “came to Christ”. He is the same sinner. His work is the same. He doest the same things! He appears righteous unto men, but shine the true Light (Jesus) on him… heck, even shine the light (the law) on Him, and he is revealed to be… a sinner. He tries to be better, to put away his sins (in the name of the Lord, of course), but he’s just like every other unsaved man: in sin, under the law. If he sins, he dies. He’s in bondage. His “good works” proceed from his own heart, the fleshly heart, and thus they are rejected as FAKE good works. He himself will be found to BE reprobate.

That pastor said, “I agree with everything you are saying, except when you say that I am trusting in my works”. He was nice, clean, loving, neighborly, He appeared righteous.. he just couldn’t see. He couldn’t see the truth of his own doctrine. He couldn’t see himself. Why? He had clothed himself with his works. And then, when he tried himself by his works, and he judged himself to be righteous. He couldn’t identify his own self as a spy.

He was zealous for the Lord, his motivation was pure… at least that is what he told himself and me… but he lacked knowledge (will be destroyed). He was ignorant of his leaven.

I think the Lord led me to him, partly because it educated me, but also partly because of his clean motivation and partly because of his doctrine/teaching. But the Lord led me to him because he was lost, and blind and ignorant of what he really was. The Lord led me to him to open his eyes, to show him his leaven. He didn’t have a lot. Just a little leaven!

We had a good conversation, and shook hands when we parted ways. I hope the Lord opens his eyes and we see him in heaven one day.

The reprobate can appear righteous!