Yet there are believers that do go on unto perfection (Heb. 6:1) and do not continue on the merry-go-round of their religious kindergarten. They heed the call of the Lord and they are not afraid to step out of their boat and learn to walk on the water, which represents living and walking by faith. (Mt. 14:28,29// Rom. 1:17// Gal. 3:11// Heb. 10:38) What is the Word of God to such believers? If believers have any desire to truly know the Lord, His Character and be thereby changed into His Image, to follow Him and not their own self, then to such believers…
THE WORD OF GOD IS QUICKENING, POWERFUL, AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD, PIERCING…
(Heb. 4:12a// Rev. 1:16)
Believers are not used to that kind of the Word, nor do they desire it, nor yet are they ready or able to receive it and obey it without much delay or without “thinking about it”! That is the reason why they remain children drinking spiritual milk “for ever”. That includes those in the leadership of the organized Church that live in their religious souls and are “touched, pricked or offended” by any sharper word piercing something inside of their natural soul!
What is it that the Sharp and Powerful Word of God pierces? It pierces the “dividing asunder of SOUL and SPIRIT (fleshly barrier between soul and spirit – our VEIL) and joints and marrow (natural life is in blood, created in marrow), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (not of the mind).” (Heb. 4:12b) First, the Lord “knocks” on your heart, which means: He calls your SOUL from your SPIRIT. (Rev. 3:20)
IF YOU BORN-AGAIN BAPTIZED BELIEVER IN HIS CHURCH (of the Laodiceans or Lutherans or Baptists or Pentecostals or Catholics or Calvins, etc.) HEAR HIS VOICE AND OPEN THE DOOR TO HIM (to your heart and soul), HE WILL COME INTO YOUR SOUL and will sup with you and you with Him. Only then will you begin to have a fellowship with Christ Jesus and a chance to begin to know Him.
And, PLEASE, do not tell me that the Lord knocks on the heart of pagans. The Lord writes this to His own Church of Laodiceans, not to unbelievers! This Word should never be used for evangelistic purposes. It is BORN-AGAIN BELIEVERS, WHO HAVE HEARTS CLOSED TO THE LORD, who need their SAVIOUR to enter their SOUL and become also their LORD and replace their SELF which has been their “true lord” all their previous life!
“He that has an ear (among those that read this), let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.” (Rev. 3:22)
BUT, how many believers hear His voice? And how many are willing to open their heart to the Lord even though they may hear His voice? If they refuse to open their heart, the Lord sends His Word… piercing that barrier. Have you heard His Word that pierced your soul and spirit? Was it painful? Did you obey that Word afterwards? Why must the Lord get into our heart and soul? Because otherwise HE CANNOT SAVE IT! Otherwise OUR SELF-WILL WINS AND NOT OUR LORD!
THE LORD DOES NOT HAVE TO FIGHT SATAN, HE HAD ALREADY DEFEATED HIM. HE HAS TO FIGHT US SINCE THE LORD HAD NOT DEFEATED US AND SUBDUED OUR WILL BECAUSE WE RESIST HIM! AND QUITE OFTEN WE MAY RESIST GOD MORE THAN WE RESIST SATAN! ARE WE AWARE OF THAT? NO!
Our Salvation is a gift from God, but we must willingly receive it into our spirit AND WORK IT OUT INTO OUR SOUL AS PER Phil. 2:12b! We will say more about this in the next section.
Soulish believers commit some drastic errors in misinterpreting various parts of the Word of God. Their interpretation always follows their human, natural understanding which always suits their personal desires, their judgment, comfort, thinking, reasoning or feelings. Soulish believers are never inclined to assume from God any responsibility for their own Salvation. They deny the need for any works within their own soul and would like to spend all their time and efforts on their physical life or on other people.
The most basic error they commit is in interpreting the Word of God in Eph. 2:8,9:
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
That Word is true and correct and nothing in it is unclear. But the word “WORKS” is totally misinterpreted with respect to the rest of the Scripture! The core of this misinterpretation is in the KIND OF WORKS AND IN THE ORIGIN OF THE WORKS AND NOT IN THE TOTAL ABSENCE OF ALL WORKS! What is their error? Well, let us consider in our heart, mind and conscience the following picture from the Word of God.
WE CANNOT WORK FOR OUR REDEMPTION TO RECEIVE GOD’S SPIRIT (JN. 3:3), HIS FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND RECONCILIATION TO HIMSELF (JUST AS WE CANNOT SPLIT THE RED SEA BY OUR EFFORTS!) THIS IS HIS FREE GIFT TO US AND IT IS “NOT OF WORKS” LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST!
BUT THEN WE MUST WORK OUT OUR SALVATION IN OUR SPIRIT AND SOUL WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING ONCE WE ARE REDEEMED AND ARE RECONCILED TO GOD AND HAVE HIS SPIRIT DWELLING IN US! (PHIL. 2:12// 2COR. 7:1, ETC.) ONCE THE RED SEA IS SPLIT, WE MUST CROSS IT ON OUR OWN FEET AND WITH OUR OWN DECISION, WHICH IS THE WORK OF OUR FAITH.
THE WORD OF GOD IN EPH. 2:9 POINTS TO THE WORK OF MAN’S SINFUL FLESH, OF HIS NATURAL, CARNAL SOUL, OF HIS SELF. THIS “WORK” ALSO INCLUDES ANY WORK FOR THE LORD AND ALL THE SO CALLED “WORKS OF THE LAW”. (ROM. 3:28) IN BOTH CASES, IT IS THE WORK OF MAN’S SINFUL, NATURAL, CARNAL SOUL DESIRING TO BE “WORTHY OF HIS SALVATION”. BUT BY THIS WORK NO FLESH SHALL BE JUSTIFIED AND IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO GOD IN ANY WAY. (GAL. 2:16)
BUT THE WORK IN MT. 16:24,25// ACTS 2:38// 2COR. 6:17, 18; 7:1// GAL. 5:24// EPH. 4:15,22-24// PHIL. 2:12// HEB.6:1-6, ETC., IS OUR WORK OF THE FAITH RECEIVED FROM JESUS CHRIST AFTER OUR REDEMPTION! (1COR. 12:9// ROM. 12:3// HEB. 12:2, ETC.) THIS WORK IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY AND OUTRIGHT DEMANDED BY GOD FOR THE SALVATION OF OUR SPIRIT AND SOUL AFTER WE ARE REDEEMED!
OUR FULL SALVATION MUST INCLUDE THE PERFECTION OF OUR SPIRIT AND SOUL, WHICH IS THE CONTINUATION OF OUR REDEMPTION! WITHOUT THIS WORK WE CANNOT BE PERFECTED AS DESIRED BY OUR LORD.
THESE CONDITIONS OF GOD TOWARD BELIEVERS ARE CLEARLY DECLARED THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURE AND WITHOUT THESE WORKS OF FAITH WE CANNOT BE OVERCOMERS AND INHERIT ALL THINGS! WITHOUT THESE WORKS OF FAITH GOD CANNOT HAVE HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS – HIS TRUE FAMILY – BECAUSE WE CANNOT BE IN ANY WAY CONFORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST, WHICH IS THE TRUE AND FINAL PURPOSE OF GOD OUR FATHER FOR SAVING MAN. (Rom. 8:29)
He that is working out his own Salvation IS THE TRUE OVERCOMER and becomes a TRUE SON OF GOD. The Word of God does not say: “He that believed on Me and is redeemed shall inherit all things…” NO! It clearly says: “HE (the redeemed believer) THAT OVERCOMES SHALL INHERIT ALL THINGS, AND I WILL BE HIS GOD AND HE SHALL BE MY SON.” (REV. 21:7) Do we see that? Do we really?
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To be continued next week in chapter 3 – part 10
brother Hanola
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