GOD RESPONDS TO OUR FAITH,
NOT TO OUR KNOWLEDGE!
Another reason why this faith is missing in the hearts of millions of believers is that the preaching of the Word is generally done along a very specific line, namely, that…
BELIEVERS MUST FEEL GOOD AND BE SATISFIED AND NOT NECESSARILY GOD! THEY DESIRE SALVATION THAT WILL SATISFY THEIR EXPECTATIONS, UNDERSTANDING, HOPES. THEY MUST HAVE THEIR OWN WAY, KEEP THEIR NATURAL LIFE AND, PREFERABLY, THEIR WAY AND LIFE SHOULD BE “BLESSED BY GOD”.
THE CROSS, THEY SAY, WAS ONLY FOR JESUS CHRIST, NOT FOR BELIEVERS! THE LORD DIED ON THE CROSS, SO THEN BELIEVERS, THEY SAY, DO NOT HAVE TO. THIS IS THE MAIN DECEPTION AND IT HAS REACHED CATASTROPHIC PROPORTIONS IN ALL THE CHURCHES OF JESUS CHRIST! (Mt. 16:24)
Another truth and faith, which is completely missing in the Church is that believers are taught or encouraged to “stay out of temptations”. This is a false doctrine. I am not saying that believers should be looking for temptations and purposely crawling into them. Not at all. Yet, the Lord in His perfect timing allows temptations to get into our way in order that He may change us into His Image! TEMPTATION IS NOT A SIN! Temptation is a way to try our faith and heart. Yielding to it brings us into sin. The Lord was tempted Himself, yet, He never failed. (Mt. 4:3-10; 16:21-25// Heb. 4:15)
Our Lord tells us that we should “COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU FALL INTO DIVERS TEMPTATIONS; knowing this that the TRYING OF YOUR FAITH BRINGS (works into us) PATIENCE.” (Jam. 1:2,3)
Wow! How many Christians do you know that truly rejoice in their temptations? Have you ever counted them? And have you yourselves ever rejoiced being tempted? Judge yourselves. But if you do rejoice, it is a proof that your old nature is not ruling you completely because you are already DOING this Word of God… to whatever degree.
The Lord says, “BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT ENDURES TEMPTATION; FOR WHEN HE IS TRIED (AND ENDURES), HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.” (Jam. 1:12// Rev. 2:10)
WE MUST BE TEMPTED, TRIED AND ENDURE TO OBTAIN THE CROWN OF LIFE THAT THE LORD PROMISED TO US WHO LOVE HIM! THAT IS OUR ONLY PROOF THAT WE TRULY LOVE HIM…AND NOT JUST TALK ABOUT LOVING HIM.
Yet another truth and faith, which may be missing in the Church or is distorted concerns our tribulations. Apostle Paul writes: “…but WE GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS ALSO: knowing that tribulation works (into us) patience, and patience experience, and experience hope.” (Rom. 5:3,4)
Do we truly glory in our tribulations? Since when do we glory in them? As I remember from my young Christian life, any tribulation was a perfect cause to be miserable, long-faced, sad, even questioning God where He was and how come He allowed such a thing, and how are we going to survive it and what will our brethren think about us and about our Christianity, etc. Tribulation is a pure suffering of our flesh, so, how can we enjoy it or glory in it when our flesh is not dead in any detectable way? It is thus totally impossible to “rejoice or glory in our sufferings”, which idea in itself is illogical and squarely against our nature.
But if these basic truths and faith are missing in the hearts of believers, other truths cannot be as profitable as they should be. The reason is that all the other truths of the Word of God are vitally tied to the above basic truths in some way.
WITHOUT THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST, THERE WOULD BE NO CHRISTIANITY; WITHOUT OUR CROSSES, THERE WOULD BE NO ABILITY WHATSOEVER IN US TO DO OR LIVE THE WORD OF GOD IN OUR EARTHLY LIVES. TRUE? DOES YOUR HEART AGREE?
The Lord declares it saying: “…the WORD PREACHED DID NOT PROFIT THEM, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (Heb. 4:2)
Either their heart and conscience were closed or else the necessary faith was not there. If this basic faith about ourselves is missing, how can the other truths of the Word of God truly profit us? Their benefit is limited whether we are aware of it, or not.
When a “new truth” with a promised earthly prosperity or other blessing is preached, many believers may be very excited and it is usually written all over their faces and countenances. But tell them just a tiny truth about their true spiritual state, for example, unwillingness to suffer any pain for the sake of the Lord or of their brethren, unwillingness to admit their pride or arrogance or impatience or fears or spiritual impotence, stubbornness, unrighteousness, laziness, prejudices or any other facts, which the Lord can easily and clearly show through their life deeds… and you would see their real heart, the real face of their old nature.
Such believers are always deeply offended, their peace and joy taken away in a split second. You will lose their esteem, friendship and most certainly their “deep love for you” in no time. They will become your enemies because you spoke the truth to them (Gal. 4:16) and that, not according to your personal feelings or bias against them but based on their own fruit shown by the Lord to all those present.
There are many practical examples, which I could give regarding the above facts. Many of them have the same main feature. When the other party does not respond, you may be sure that you do not walk along their “religious road”. Their heart is closed! They either do not know what to say or they may be offended or “very busy” for the Lord or may have many other excuses. But the LORD has been recording their “deeds” or lack of them, in His books. (Dan. 7:10// Rev. 20:12) And they may have no clue about this reality either or they may not care about it at all.
It does not seem to register with many Christians that we all belong to the One Body of Jesus Christ and that Christ, being our Head, feels all our evil deeds. If your left hand hurts, your whole body hurts and not just your left hand. Even if your little toe is wounded, your whole body takes care of it as soon as possible. This is a living body. A dead body does not hurt, has no conscience about its various parts and members and does not take any care of any of them in any way. True?
Also, believers may have never read and understood in their heart what God says in Heb. 13:16. Communicating is indeed a SACRIFICE, which is to say, it does require an effort, overcoming and suffering of our flesh and that not always for our own good, but often for the good of others. So then, why should Christians communicate and thus suffer? They prefer to avoid communicating and remain “at peace”. But none of such believers can truly serve the Lord if they communicate only with those that they like or prefer or agree with. They may not salute even their own brethren… then, where do they truly stand in the Lord’s Judgment? (Mt. 5:47)
If you failed to communicate with another servant of the Lord, SATAN HAS A VICTORY because he succeeded in cutting the line of possible future life and blessings not just for the two in question, but possibly for many other souls!
IT IS PAINFUL TO OPEN ONE’S HEART AND SPEAK IT OUT OR WRITE IT ON A PAPER! IT IS PAINFUL BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BREAK THE POWER OF OUR ENEMY SATAN, WHO MUST KEEP OUR HEARTS CLOSED IF HE WANTS TO KEEP US IN HIS POWER, THAT IS, IN HIS DARKNESS, HIS LIES AND HIS DECEPTION!
HE MUST KEEP OUR NATURE, OUR OLD CREATION, WHICH IS HIS POSSESSION, HIS “FOOD”(GEN. 3:14,19) AND THE FIELD OF ALL HIS OPERATIONS, INTACT AND “LIVING”, THAT IS, KEEP IT FROM ITS DEATH ON OUR CROSS. (MT. 16:24// ROM. 8:13// GAL. 5:24, ETC.) WHEN HE LOSES IT, HE HAS NOTHING IN US AND WE BECOME LIKE CHRIST! (JN. 14:30)
Our faith is authored by Our Lord Jesus into our conscience (Heb. 12:2) and from there it gets into our heart[7] and NO FURTHER. Our heart is the only recipient and interpreter of faith, which is a spiritual substance and evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1) and no soul can ever produce it. Our mind can neither receive nor interpret faith.
But when believers keep the door of their heart closed to the Lord and to His true servants tried in fire (1Pet. 1:7// Rev. 3:18), they deprive themselves of the blessings, which would have followed. That includes faith and with it the hope for progress, for maturing, for spiritual growing up into Christ in all things. (Eph. 4:15)
Is this not a typical example of the failure of so many believers? Has it not been a dominant feature of the Church for a long time? It is like sitting at a mass going through all the prescribed ceremony and liturgy and hope that you will come home with a changed character! Not in two thousand years. My question is: Is this the true Church of Jesus Christ, where the “old man” never dies and the “New Man” never grows? Let your own heart answer this.
MY SIMPLE BELIEF IS THAT WHATEVER LIVES, GROWS… AND WHATEVER GROWS, CHANGES. IF SOMETHING DOES NOT CHANGE, IT DOES NOT GROW AND IF IT DOES NOT GROW, IT IS DEAD. IS YOUR BELIEF THE SAME?
Is not this fact clearly observable even in our physical world? Has God not created our physical world, plant and animal world to reflect also the spiritual world so that we would have a good guidance?
D. MINISTRY OF THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
Firstly, there are legitimate gifts of the Spirit given to every believer to profit withal (1Cor. 12:7-11// Rom. 12:6-8) and then there are fakes… because Satan and his ministers can imitate every such gift! In fact, they can also imitate God’s gifts to His Church – the offices of His servants. (Eph. 4:11// 2Cor. 11:13-15)
So, the first problem we face is to discern what gift (person) ministers or what gift is being ministered. The fact that gifts are ministered “in the NAME of Jesus Christ” does not guarantee that they are from Him! MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE AND IS STILL BEING DONE IN THE CHURCH “IN HIS NAME”!
Secondly, His gifts are given to us when we are born by His Spirit, that is, in our spiritual childhood. They are to help us (and others through us) in our spiritual younger age. Then, as we mature, if we mature, the gifts take a “second place” in our spiritual life and what should come into the forefront is the Life of Christ with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23). You see, THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT CAN NOT BE IMITATED! If you do not have it, you cannot pretend that you do, and vice versa. The true ministry for the maturing of believers must be done through the fruit of the Spirit and not just using His gifts. Love is not a gift, it is a fruit. (Eph. 4:15, etc.)
A Gift is something, anything, that can be given and received and used in a moment. It can also be neglected and unused or misused, imitated or covered.
A Fruit is something that grows slowly and it takes a living thing to produce it. It cannot be misused or neglected. If the fruit of the Spirit grows in me, I cannot pretend that I do not have it, and I cannot “misuse it”, neglect it or cover it! It is part of my life and it is acting spontaneously. That is why the Lord said: “Ye shall know them by their fruit.” (Mt. 7:16-20). The Lord never declared that we should know them, the true ministers or brethren, by their gifts of the Spirit! Nor should we know them by other things such as theological knowledge, oratory skills, smiles, pleasantness, human humbleness, a lot of good deeds, etc.
Thirdly, even the right ministry of the true gifts of the Spirit, chiefly healing, may not be viewed and understood as the Lord views and understands it. I do not believe that the Lord is just making for us a “miracle show” without any further considerations or aims (we will return to this topic later). The miracles and joy may seem to be sufficient for that moment and people may all be satisfied.
I do praise the Lord for His healings and actions of His Grace and Power. I do not desire to take away from His work anything or belittle it or judge it unrighteously in any way. The Lord knows my heart and can witness such statements by His Spirit. Therefore, I am not afraid to “go below the surface” and see and testify what is there and how the Lord views and judges this kind of ministry.
If the above statements were not true, how would the Lord justify His Own Word saying:
“Not every one that says unto Me, LORD, LORD, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that is doing the WILL OF MY FATHER, which is in Heaven. 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 (including miracles of healing and other gifts of the Spirit)?” (Mt. 7:21,22)
In other words, the Lord says that His servants will ask Him whether He knows that they ministered His gifts in His Name (such as prophesy, working of miracles, healing, raising dead, etc.). They will not ask Him this today or tomorrow but “in that day”, which is the day of His Judgment Seat and of His Coming to establish His Kingdom. (Rev. 19:11-16) It will be too late to do anything about it “in that day” because the Lord will declare to some particular servants ministering His gifts:
“And then will I profess unto them: I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY.” (Mt. 7:23).
What we should clearly see and realize is that this truth is not apparent today, it will be abundantly apparent “in that day”. In that day, we will all be there and the Lord will announce the truth publicly! It will be a totally different story from what we witness today, for nothing shall remain hidden and what is covered today shall be revealed in that day. (Mt. 10:26) Many believers will be utterly shocked.
At the end of the point on Eph. 4:23 (page 13), we mentioned that there were some important spiritual facts and experiences related to the healing of our bodies. The simplest fact is that Satan can imitate any gift of the Spirit, as we said at the beginning of this section. He can give false wisdom (it looks like wisdom but it is not), false knowledge, false faith (false sense of reality), false healing (imitated or temporary healing), false prophecies, false discernment, false tongues with false interpretation and, finally, working of miracles, which miracles may not be “false” as such, but are done by devils for deceptive and evil purposes. (Rev. 13:11-14; 16:14) The sphere of ministering the gifts of the Spirit is thus the prime target of Satan to penetrate, hide behind, confuse, deceive and ultimately use it for his evil purposes. His chief purpose is to keep all true believers from their ultimate goal, which is their full Salvation, not just their Redemption.
Believers must thus understand that Satan MUST keep them from their cross! (Mt. 16:24, etc.) Hence, he will try to entice them by false gifts or even false demonstrations of the Spirit. He will “heal” their bodies, give them a time of uncontrolled laughing, dancing, false joy, false prophecies, false “word of God”, false word of encouragement, false sense of peace and well-being, false anything as long as it keeps them satisfied and from the destruction of their old nature, “old man” and from putting on their “New Man” created by God in righteousness and true holiness! (Eph. 4:24)
We may at times be confused as to what is happening to us and whether it is from the Spirit of God, or not. Well, the best way to learn the difference, gain wisdom and avoid any future ‘gifts from Satan’ is to see the consequences of the demonstrations of such gifts. Is the experience of a gift leading us to a greater obedience to the Word of God? Are we drawn more to the Lord, to read His Word, to meditate? Is there any change in our personality indicating the work of the Spirit in our soul with the first signs of the fruit of the Spirit appearing? Simply said, is there any personal profit for us from such gifts? True gifts are for us to “profit withal”. (1Cor. 12:7) If these are the consequences of the gifts we experience, then the gifts are genuine.
If there is no positive change in the person, in his behaviour, intentions, desires or obedience, then we should question such gifts and their origin. If the person changes for worse, if he grows more stubborn, more disobedient, more proud and arrogant, less willing to read, meditate and obey the Word of God, then the origin of the “gifts” is clear.
These are very dangerous affairs because Satan can lead us AWAY from the Lord rather easily through false gifts. It may be easier to recognize false interpretations, false prophecies, false faith, false knowledge, false wisdom, but it may be very difficult to see and recognize, for example, a false healing of our bodies.
Let us be quite clear also on the point of healing of our bodies. We all desire to be healed whether we are believers or pagans. We cannot say that in believers, it is always the New Man who desires that our body would be healed. It is more so our old man, our old nature that has that same desire. The Lord is gracious and understands our desires concerning our healing especially when doctors can do nothing more. He may heal us sovereignly without us being aware why He did it, or whether our faith was “sufficient”, or not. (Mk. 9:24)
I do not believe that any of us can decipher the Lord’s mysterious ways or intentions with every healed person under all circumstances. The fruit of the healing itself or the Lord Himself may show us later on. There is, however, one specific fact, which we should never forget or misunderstand and it is the following. The Lord’s ULTIMATE PURPOSE is to bring believers into their Full Salvation according to His Will, which is to CHANGE US INTO HIS IMAGE-CHARACTER! I do not believe that it is His desire or intention to heal our bodies while He foreknows that it will not help us achieve any of His purposes. There is no grace in logic, but there may be logic in grace.
The Lord knows (and we know) that our present body will one day perish whether we believe in Him or not, whether we walk on the narrow way or the broad way. The Lord may heal a pagan foreknowing that he will become a believer and fulfil the Lord’s Desire and Purpose and Will.
The Lord says: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world (including his physical health) and lose his own soul?” (Mt. 16:26a)
His emphasis is on the soul (and spirit) and not on the body. Also, the Lord allows believers to become sick or wounded so that through their illnesses and weaknesses and pains, He might enable them to reach His ultimate purpose. This includes the cases where the Lord wounds us purposely to achieve His intentions and then He heals us! (Deut. 32:39) I know that “with His stripes we are healed“ (Is. 53:5), but we are healed IN Him, not outside of Him. And in order to grow up and get into Him and be healed by His stripes, He must wound us, use sicknesses and pains, otherwise, we would not “voluntarily“ grow up into Him! (Eph. 4:15)
We must see or begin to see and understand that many believers will not “move” toward Him or grow up into Him unless they are forced by circumstances and pain. Any believer in great danger or in great pain “suddenly knows” how to turn to the Lord and how to pray. He does not need anybody to teach him how to pray or prod him to it. True? Doesn’t this show a total depravity and an utmost selfishness of our old human nature as well as the need for this kind of “spiritual whip and reins”?
When we speak about the Lord purposely wounding and then healing us, the question should be asked: How is He healing us? Is He touching us by His gracious hand and healing us? In my faith, the answer is: NO! God does not heal us in ourselves just as He does not make us better or more righteous or more sanctified in ourselves. GOD HAS DONE AND FINISHED ALL HIS WORKS IN CHRIST– not outside of Him! Outside of Christ is destruction, death and hell.
We are healed IN Him, we have our righteousness and sanctification IN Him. We were crucified and are being crucified IN Him, we are dead and are dying IN Him! We are putting on our New Man by “growing up into Christ in all things”. (Eph. 4:15,24) Nothing is done outside of Christ, meaning, only in ourselves! God will not give us even our New Eternal Life, we find It IN Christ. (Col. 3:3) IN HIM WE ARE COMPLETE (Col. 2:10) and outside of Him we are nothing. So, even Is. 53:5 and 1Pet. 2:24 apply to us IN Christ Jesus. This is the principle of Salvation IN CHRIST JESUS established by Our Father, which is in Heaven. (Eph. 1:9,10) Yet, God may sovereignly and for His good reasons (ex. based on His foreknowledge) heal any one who may yet be pagan without faith (2Ki. 5:9-14// Mt. 8:13) or give gifts of His Spirit to any one who is yet a Gentile. (Acts 11:12-17)
It seems wise to conclude this point by saying that we also must focus on the ultimate purpose of the Lord and not just on secondary issues. Just to desire a physical healing and pay no attention to the Will of God, to His Word, to our spiritual development and change in our soul, would be very selfish and inappropriate. I do not know of any parent who would gladly give cookies or other sweet gifts to stubborn, arrogant or disobedient children who would not care one bit about their parents’ love, rules, interests or desires.
I also know that after we leave our spiritual childhood, the Lord takes extra care of us and of our affairs IF “we take care” of His affairs (please, understand this in the right spirit). Since I believed in Him, the Lord healed me of a number of chronic ailments, kept me from all hospitals and all medications, and kept me in very good health… and that, without me “begging Him” for it. It almost happened unnoticed throughout few years. He also granted me immunity against many hellish sicknesses and illnesses that ravage humanity including believers. I know I cannot contract them and I do not even age in the same way that many others do. Praise the Lord. That is not to say that my body is perfect and I never have any pain.
This is not mysterious to me because I am devoted to do His Will according to His Word, and I desire the same what He desires. How well I perform is another matter, but my heart has been focused on Him and His Word since day one of His “apprehending of me” by His Spirit. And I know that any believer, who will do likewise, will acquire from the Lord the same that I have acquired. That is His Justice, Grace and Wisdom. Also, His dealings with us are based on His foreknowledge, which we do not have, therefore, we are prone to misjudge easily His ways, judgments and dealings with us.
With the above facts in our conscience, we should be able to discern also the healing experiences and should not be deceived by false healing. False healing is usually temporary and the original symptoms return and may cause even more damage. But nobody will know because the “healed” person usually disappears from our horizon. When a wicked spirit or spirit of infirmity is able to return to man, he may take with him seven other spirits more wicked than he himself and the state of that man is always worse than before. (Mt. 12:43-45// Lk. 11:24-26)
All true ministers given to the Church by the Lord and responsible for shepherding believers should pray to the Lord to grant them the gift of spiritual discernment. Without that gift functioning properly, Satan then has an open “playground” in their churches or fellowships deceiving people through manifold false gifts, utterances, spiritual manifestations, “revelations” and other phenomena. They must not remain ignorant of his devices for through them he may cause a lot of irreparable damage to many congregations as well as to their ministers. (2Cor. 2:11)
In addition to Satan’s devices, there are countless believers and ministers who practice a “humanistic religion”. This is just as dangerous as any other deception from Satan. Humanism is the “earthly nature of man”, which already has this satanic character and cannot be accepted in the true Church of Jesus Christ in any form, shape or function! (see later the passage about the fruit of the Spirit) It is exactly this “earthly nature of man”, which desires to guide the Church and govern all the Church affaires! And it is exactly this nature that has to be destroyed and replaced with the DIVINE NATURE-CHARACTER! (2Pet. 1:4)
Without the gift of discernment, “humanistic religion” can play havoc in any congregation or fellowship and can destroy any part of the Church of Jesus Christ rendering it totally ineffective. Humanism is based on the foundation of an “inherent goodness in the human nature“, which is in total and absolute contradiction to the Word of God and of our Salvation! Hence, the Church is generally “governed and built“ by that “old man“, which brought Christ to His Cross and was crucified with Him by the Will of Our Father. (Rom. 6:6)
OUR HUMAN “SELF” (CHARACTER) IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL AND THUS GOD’S GREATEST ENEMY. IT LIVES INDEPENDENTLY OF GOD, DOES NOT SEEK GOD, DOES NOT TRUST GOD, DOES NOT BELIEVE GOD, DOES NOT OBEY GOD AND DOES NOT NEED GOD FOR HIS EARTHLY LIFE!
OUR SELF IS CAPABLE TO GUIDE AND GOVERN OUR LIFE WITHOUT GOD AND OPPOSE GOD IN EVERY IMPORTANT LIFE ISSUE. OUR “SELF” BROUGHT CHRIST TO HIS CROSS.
Humanism may also be defined as the “self living and directing his own earthly life and deeds”. We will devote more time and space to this subject in Chapter 3. At this point, I would only add the following notes from my own faith and experiences.
The earthly life, which we live IN OUR SELF is CREATED LIFE. It belongs to the old creation. It is a natural life and is polluted with sin and sinful spirits and is not eternal. We live it in our natural body and in our “old man”. There is no difference between the natural life of the “old man” in pagans and in believers. Sometimes, this natural life in pagans may be more pleasant, humble, kind, understanding or loving than the one in believers! Do you have your own experiences? I do.
Just as there is a natural body and a spiritual body, so there is a natural life and a spiritual life. (1Cor. 15:44) Unfortunately, most believers cannot tell the difference!
The Life of Christ, which we can live only IN CHRIST and not in our self, is UNCREATED LIFE, WHICH GOD HIMSELF LIVES! It is the spiritual Life and is Pure and Holy and Eternal. We live It only in our “New Man” and will live It in the New Creation of God. (Rev. 21:1)
THIS LIFE OF CHRIST MAKES THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEVERS AND PAGANS! THERE IS NONE OTHER.
The energy in which we do things in our natural life is also natural and not spiritual. It does not come from the Spirit of God, but from other spirits, which are not of God. Our nature–flesh is energized by other sources than the Spirit of God. Therefore, anything done in or through this natural energy, including “serving the Lord”, is undesirable and unacceptable to God because it is done, we may also say, in or through death. Because…
…NATURAL LIFE IS SPIRITUAL DEATH! AND…
SPIRITUAL LIFE IS DEATH TO ALL THE NATURAL!
There is only one way, one means, to destroy the natural with its root and sources and bring in the spiritual. The Cross of Christ and our cross destroy the sinful and natural, and bring in the living, holy and spiritual.
* * *
We may conclude this chapter by making a statement, which we will probably use and repeat in different forms and in different parts of this book. It may be a shocking statement to many believers and it is the following:
TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS NOT PRIMARILY A MATTER OF ATTENDING A CHURCH, READING OR HEARING THE BIBLE, SINGING, PRAYING, TITHING OR GIVING OFFERINGS, FELLOWSHIPPING, HELPING OTHERS OR DOING ANY OTHER ACTIVITY THAT WE MAY DEFINE AS “CHRISTIAN“ OR AS VERY IMPORTANT OR EVEN INDISPENSABLE.
ULTIMATELY, TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS SOLELY A MATTER OF SPIRITUAL LIFE – OR – SPIRITUAL DEATH!
ALL OF OUR CHRISTIAN ACTIVITIES ORIGINATE EITHER FROM OUR NATURAL LIFE OR FROM OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE. THEY ALL ARE SECONDARY TO WHAT IS THE PRIMARY AND ULTIMATE WILL OF GOD, WHICH IS – WHAT WE ARE IN SPIRIT AND NOT WHAT WE DO! (Num. 14:24// Pr. 16:2// Lk. 9:55, etc.)
WE, CHRISTIANS, ARE ALL EITHER SPIRITUALLY LIVING OR SPIRITUALLY DEAD. BUT IN BOTH CASES, WE ARE QUITE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED “CHRISTIAN ACTIVITIES”. THEREFORE, THESE ACTIVITIES ALONE DO NOT SHOW US WHO WE ARE AND WHETHER WE ARE IN CHRIST, OR NOT. OUR TO T REACTIONS HE TRUTH OF HIS WORD AS WELL AS TO ONE ANOTHER SHOW US WHETHER WE LIVE THAT NEW, SPIRITUAL LIFE, OR NOT.
Of course, when WE ARE in the right spirit, when we live spiritually, we also conduct the right and necessary Christian activities, we live the right earthly life, satisfying life, successful life, otherwise we cannot. We also enjoy peace and contentment and prosperity, because we must first prosper in our spirit, then we may prosper also in our soul and then in our body, never vice versa. The above fact will prepare us for the next chapter where the Lord will convince us that we are in a War for our spiritual Life, which War He declared and we cannot avoid it. Any notion that we do not have to do anything, to fight any battles just because we are under the Blood of Jesus and under the Grace of God is FALSE and squarely against about one half of the Bible!
To be continued next week in chapter 2
brother Hanola
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