The MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE for any believer described in this book is a very personal matter between God and the believer. God FIRST looks at our SOUL – WHO WE ARE. ARE WE NATURAL SOULS OR SPIRITUAL SOULS? Are we worthy of Him and of the Kingdom of God or are we not? (1Thes. 2:12 // 2Thes. 1:5,11)
THEN He looks at our WORKS – WHAT WE HAVE DONE. WERE THEY DONE BY OUR NATURAL SOUL OR BY OUR SPIRITUAL SOUL? He will reward us according to our works. God will not give any good reward to our “old man”, but He will assuredly reward him for his evil works. (Mt. 16:27// 2Tim. 4:14) Please, consider diligently this fact in your heart and conscience distinguishing God’s priorities and Judgments of believers after their physical death or rapture.
Why is this fact so important especially at this end time? The Church has been engaged in all kinds of activities and works especially evangelism, teaching, preaching, discussing and publishing biblical theology and prophecies and doing a lot of social works. The Church is also trying to solve the problems of this world like poverty, HIV and other diseases, “global warming”, terrorism, war and peace, political problems, economic problems, morality problems and many other problems of the world even trying to “improve the world and bring peace to it”. These are NOT the tasks that the Lord assigned to the Church and to Her leadership. The area of problems and responsibilities of the Church is NOT IN THE WORLD, but in the heavenlies, where the powers of darkness and evil dwell and from where they govern the affairs of the world AND of the fallen Church! (Eph. 6:12) So, THE FALLEN CHURCH HAS BEEN DOING THE WILL OF MEN AND NOT THE WILL OF OUR FATHER!
Let us see and realize in our mind and heart and conscience that there is nothing wrong with taking care of an orphan child or helping the poor, bringing food to the hungry, provide shelters or other needful things to them that do need them, to do good works of this nature. There are many Christians, who are engaged exactly in these types of good works. Yet, the Lord desires to show us here two important points concerning our good works:
1) Believers should first direct their help toward their brethren rather than toward pagans. (Jam. 2:15// Gal. 6:10) When they desire to help pagans, they should always enquire of the Lord. Why?
2) His Spirit does not lead us to such good works at every place, every time and with every man where we may see such needs! Just as He may forbid us to preach the Word of God in some areas or to some peoples (Acts 16:6), so He may likewise forbid us to render help in some areas or to some peoples. We need the necessary discernment not to commit blunders in our natural, humanistic soul. The Lord knows that the Church, in general, does not have this kind of discernment. Too often the monies of believers sent abroad were misused to acquire weapons or send people to destruction rather than help them during various catastrophes; or “Christian” help was sent to the places which God judged by sending there famine or natural disasters by His own hand! Do we see the blunders that we may often commit? (ex. Ez. 14:13-22// Lk. 4:25-29)
The Lord had given to the Church “SOME APOSTLES, AND SOME PROPHETS, AND SOME EVANGELISTS, AND SOME PASTORS AND TEACHERS FOR (1) THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS, (2) FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, (3) FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.” (Eph. 4:11,12).
These servants of the Lord were not given to the Church to help solve the problems of global warming, world poverty, social problems, political problems, economic problems or other problems of this world. This is not to say that the Lord may never lead us to help some people in some way. But the Lord had given His servants to the Church to FIRST solve the spiritual problems of the Church and build Her up! And the Lord says that THE CHURCH HAS ABSOLUTELY FAILED THIS TASK TO PERFECT THE SAINTS WHICH THE LORD ADDED TO HIS CHURCH. As we are (1) perfected (our flesh crucified), so we may start (2) ministering and (3) edifying the Body of Christ in spirit, not mentally. But believers in their natural souls prefer to do social works and activities and evade working out their own Salvation with fear and trembling before God! Why? The working out of their own Salvation is much harder, frustrating and painful and testing than all the other works and religious activities put together. So we prefer to take from the treasures of the House of God and spend it on the heathen world which is the enemy of God instead of on the children of God!
Do we not understand that all the problems of this world are in their roots spiritual problems? And that all the problems within the Church of Jesus Christ are also spiritual problems? If we do understand it, then we should also understand that…
THERE ARE NO HUMAN SOLUTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS.
Yet, how often are we ready to devise and apply our logical and humanistic solutions to solve problems around us and chart our own ways to achieve them and not enquire of the Lord? But the Lord will not accept the works of our “flesh”, of our natural soul and their fruit. I believe we do not have to spend more time on this.
The Lord desires at this point that, from a very practical viewpoint, we would repeat the following spiritual facts.
Our knowledge means nothing, our wisdom means nothing, our doctrines mean nothing, whether we agree with some doctrines and disagree with others means nothing! Even the right doctrines are only good as direction pointers, “traffic signs”, but if we do not move in their direction, if we do not obey them, we do not need them… except, perhaps, for arguing and dividing His Church and thus making a mockery of the One Faith and One Lord. (Eph. 4:5) Many of our doctrines, much of our knowledge and wisdom are fashioned and influenced by our own character, mentality, imaginations, pride and our own interests, goals and hopes. All such doctrines, knowledge and wisdom have been lacking spiritual life, spiritual values and thus their usefulness for the Salvation of our soul.
Our HEART and MIND are two organs of our SOUL, yet, they may be quite opposite in character, nature and virtues. What the mind accepts, the heart may reject or vice-versa. What the heart understands, the mind may not understand at all, or vice-versa. What the heart can see, the mind can be blind to or vice-versa. They are like unto two “spouses” in one house or like unto two lobbyists in the corridors of power and of government which “corridors” are in our will. And our will decides on the basis of which of the two has a greater influence, louder voice, greater persuasion or better reasoning. But while our will is also selfish, while it is a self-will, it will always listen to the “spouse” in the house or the lobbyist which demands self-interests. Hence, all three organs of our soul must be “purged” from their selfishness and other flesh in order that they may be able to accept the Will and the Government of Our Lord.
We naturally care for our earthly state and life and “modify” the things of the Spirit to suit our earthly life, goals, hopes and self-satisfaction. We seldom give a thought to our future destiny and life promised to us by Our Lord and to His conditions for reaching that life and living it. Even our imaginations must be very misty and ‘fairy-tale’ like lacking any reality. So, the Word of God sounds very true and real saying “…Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for THEM THAT LOVE HIM.” (1Cor. 2:9)
This Word in principle applies to all true believers, but it ends there for the natural believers, who cannot love Him. For the spiritual believers the Word continues saying “But God has revealed them (things He prepared for us) unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1Cor. 2:10)
We are now repeating the most important facts about man and his SPIRIT and SOUL which facts show us also our future life in God and the THINGS which He prepared for us and which we can know NOW as they are being revealed to us. Let us again realize the depth of the Word of God saying “For what man knows the things of a man (including himself), save the SPIRIT OF MAN which is in him? Even so the THINGS OF GOD knows no man, but the Spirit of God.” (1Cor. 2:11 in conjunction with verse 14)
Therefore, if the Spirit of God is not allowed by our consent to work in our SOUL and to dispose of our flesh, He cannot grant us any revelations concerning our future or show us “those things” that He prepared for us. While we remain natural believers, we cannot possibly SEE and comprehend Our Lord’s prayer where He prayed to His Father saying “That they all may be ONE; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be ONE IN US:” (Jn. 17:21) This also means that in the New Jerusalem…
WE SHALL NOT BE WITH GOD, WE SHALL BE IN GOD!
Can we fathom this truth? NO! I believe we shall start coming out of our deep spiritual unconsciousness and ignorance only in the Kingdom of Heaven where we shall finally be with Christ personally and will begin to experience Him and the above truth. We will undoubtedly also experience how sweet and glorious is the mystery of oneness – unity – marriage – with Our Own Creator and Saviour and Lord. Only Overcomers are enabled to start to see it partially now, comprehend it, fathom it, enjoy it, glory in it and live it partially in their earthly lives! Natural believers are not able to do it because human nature can never be united with God’s Nature; there can be no marriage, no unity, no oneness of these two enemies!
WE MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN GOD’S NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE AND THAT CONSCIOUSLY, TRUTHFULLY AND DEFINITELY so that our decision would be clear to Our Lord, to us, and to all around us. If we do not do it now, we will have to do it later, but under much different circumstances. Procrastination and passivity is a sure way to TRAGEDY. The Word of God indicates this clearly. (Lk. 13:24)
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To be continued next week in chapter 8 – part 3
brother Hanola
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