CHAPTER 8
AS THE DAYS OF NOAH WERE
Before we conclude this brief work on the MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE for believers, let us pause and realize that we can read books, articles, brochures even the Bible itself from morning till evening and not profit from it at all! Many writings may be very interesting and we may feel good after having read them; we may also feel bad and distressed. But our feelings when we read such writings do not matter just as our thoughts do not matter either. What matters is whether our soul (heart) IS SEEKING TRUTH OR NOT. Our soul may be seeking entertainment or “good reading” or self-satisfaction. This normally happens when the writer expresses our own understanding and convictions about the matter because it always “feels good”. But this is not seeking truth, seeking the Lord, seeking the Kingdom and its righteousness. (Mt. 6:33)
When our soul SEEKS TRUTH, then we have to register what we read including all the parts which may NOT satisfy the feelings or understanding of our mind or heart about the matter. Because when our soul SEEKS THE TRUTH INDEED, the Lord knows about it and He begins to open our spiritual eyes and our spiritual understanding. He desires more than we do that we would find the truth, see it, understand it and receive it. He knows well that our natural soul is unable to find, see, understand or receive any spiritual truth. The Lord has to open our understanding whether we read the Scripture or the writings of His true servants. (Lk. 24:45)
Therefore, ideally, we should ask the Lord to open our understanding before we read spiritual writings or when, during or after our reading, we see that what we read does not quite answer our understanding. But though He would start opening our eyes, we would have to persevere and repeat the reading once, twice or more times before we could begin to see its truth sufficiently clearly. The Lord can show us this fact from His Word. Two examples:
1) Mk. 8:22-26 – When Jesus was asked to heal a blind man, He had first LED HIM OUT of the town of Bethsaida. Why? Because the people of the town were spiritually blind, regarded nothing of the miracles of the Lord and the Lord pronounced WOE to that place. (Mt.11:21,22) Then He spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him and then asked him what he saw. The man saw people as trees walking. Jesus repeated the procedure and then the man started to see clearly. The Lord desires that we would SEE in this passage of His Word the following fact. Before He gave the man his eyesight, He first led him OUT of the town of Bethsaida. And after He gave the blind man eyesight, He commanded him NOT TO GO BACK and NOT TO TELL ANY ONE IN THAT TOWN! Why? Because He will not give you eyesight in the midst of people who are blind, even to His miracles, and understand nothing. Therefore, if you are in the midst of a blind congregation, fellowship, group or other gathering, the Lord has to first take you out. If you are not willing to go out, you will never receive your spiritual sight! And when you do go out and receive your spiritual sight, you will not return back nor will you tell those people about it. That is precisely what had happened to me and will happen to many others whose heart is seeking Truth, who desire to SEE in spirit and understand in heart.
2) Job 33:14 – God speaks to us once, even twice, yet we do not perceive what He says to us verbally through preachers or in His written Word or in the writings of His true servants. We must listen or read more than once or twice to be able to start registering the truth. So, read this book twice or three times and you will see the difference.
Our soul (mind, heart, will) must be sufficiently transformed so that we may start registering the truth, seeing it, understanding it, receiving it and finally living it. This spiritual transformation in our soul should begin after our water baptism. If this transformation does not take place during our earthly Christian life, our soul will be required to be transformed after our physical death, this time through FIRE and through far greater and longer sufferings and pains.
One basic fact which we must declare at this point is the following:
THE PHYSICAL DEATH OR RAPTURE OF BELIEVERS DOES NOT CHANGE THEIR SOUL, DOES NOT DELIVER THEIR SOUL FROM ITS SINFUL NATURE, DOES NOT PERFECT THEIR SOUL IN A “TWINKLING OF AN EYE” AS MAY BE IMAGINED BY MANY BELIEVERS. IT IS ONLY THEIR BODY WHICH WILL BE CHANGED FROM CORRUPTION TO INCORRUPTION, FROM MORTALITY TO IMMORTALITY. (1Cor. 15:51-53// Lk. 16:19-31)
If their soul could be delivered and perfected by their physical death or rapture, then too many passages of the Scripture would become absolutely meaningless (ex. Mt. 7:13,14,18-27; Mt. 8:12; Mt. 16:24,25; Mt. 22:2-14; Mt. 23:13-33; Mt. 25:1-14,30// Lk. 13:24-30// 1.Cor. 16:22// 2Cor. 7:1// Eph. 4:22-24// Phil. 2:12; Phil. 3:14// Col. 3:5// 1Pet. 3:19,20, etc.) If our perfection should only wait for our physical death or rapture, then we would not have to do any Word from the above examples or be engaged in any working out of our Salvation, to put off our old man and put on our new man. We would not have to worry about any overcoming or walking on the narrow road or taking up our cross or denying ourselves. We could not be told by the Lord “I know you not” and we could not be thrown into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. All these above passages of the Word of God would become meaningless and absurd! It should not be difficult to see and understand that our “flesh-sinful nature” resides in our SOUL and not in our body. Hence, any future change in our body will not affect our soul. The rich man’s pride, lusts and selfishness remained with him in the Hades. (Lk. 16:19-31)
Yet, there is what may appear as an exception to the above where Apostle John writes: “but we know that, when He shall appear (at our rapture), we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” (1Jn. 3:2b)
This Word does NOT mean that believers will become like Him because they shall see Him as He is! Oh no. The Word means that those who are already the sons of God, (1Jn. 3:2a) that is to say, Overcomers that have already crucified their flesh and purified themselves (1Jn. 3:3) and who are of God because they do righteousness and love their brethren; (1Jn. 3:10) all these shall realize that they are like Him when they shall see Him. All those taken in the pre-Tribulation Coming of the Lord are already “like Him”. (Mt. 24:40,41// Rev. 3:10; 12:5) Yet, when we shall be “like Him” does not mean that we shall be as perfect as Christ is. “Like Him” does not mean “identical to Him”. Our full perfection may await us in New Jerusalem… 1,000 years after our rapture and reigning with Christ. There will also be saved nations walking in the light of the New Jerusalem, the Wife of Christ, and they shall not be perfect even at that time. They were hurt (also of the second death) and they need the leaves of the Tree of Life for their healing. (Rev. 2:11; 22:2) If you need healing, you are not perfect.
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To be continued next week in chapter 8 – part 2
brother Hanola
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