THE WHAT NOW ANSWER
Please bear with me because I am going to try to explain what happened to me. I stand in a finite world as a finite man with finite words trying to describe the infinite experiences I have had with an infinite Jesus. Like I said earlier I was not from a church going family and I was as dumb as a sack of potatoes concerning a Biblical God.
In Section 1 I allegorically explained salvation as an event with a semi-Stranger and that is a true assessment. In my nearly two years of going to church I had heard a lot about Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit but I didn’t know their identity and I didn’t know Jesus. (John 12:44 keyword: draw) I did not understand the ever-increasing sweet misery and tentative longing within me was the drawing of me toward Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Then one Sunday night it happened!
I met God in His Holy Spirit form and accepted Jesus as my Saviour. I was astonished by the magnitude of the salvation experience He had given me. I have been in the ocean many times and have experienced the power of its waves tumbling me around. Salvation was a little like that except it was a great wave of Jesus’ love tumbling me as it washed over me in a gladding flood and I just knew I had experienced something from which I would never be the same again. I loved Jesus with all my heart but I didn’t know Him a bit better than I had before my salvation event.
Basically I knew Jesus but I didn’t know Him. I was in a euphoric state about what had happened. “Man, I’m on easy street now! I’ve got it made!” That little country church didn’t have much of a reputation for anything except going to church. To me church was church, there were big ones and little ones but they were all the same. Just church! Like I said; “Dumber than a sack of potatoes.” Either I wasn’t listening or nobody had told me in just plain old English that I was expected to have an ever growing relationship with Jesus. I thought my salvation event was the relationship.
In some dim way I had this idea I would just go to church every Sunday, worship God, listen to some singing, listen to some preaching, throw a couple of dollars in the collection plate, praise God, go home and that was it. It was what everybody else did so that’s what I expected for me. “Dumber than a sack of potatoes.” I was saved, I was on easy street, I knew I’d not be like other Christians I’d heard about, I’d show them, I’d never sin again! In my euphoria of salvation I didn’t know I was swimming in a sea of ignorance.
Then that man tried to run my son down with a tractor. The evidence was the fear on all three of my son’s faces in their telling of it, tractor tracks in the grass and paint on the tree trunk where Jimmie had taken shelter. Christianity went out the window! Towering anger slashed through me like hot lightening, I was filled with red hot malice, hatred burned in me and that man and I fought it out in the road beside my house. After it was over it took time to cool down. I was a sight; anger washed through me in waves and at the same time waves of regret went through me too. As my rage cooled more and more regret and shame washed over me. As I wrote on Part 1:
I HAD NOT BEEN TAUGHT AND I DID NOT REALIZE the indwelling Holy Spirit was fighting against my normal human nature so I wouldn’t throw away my salvation. (Gal. 5:17) Within me was the war between the Holy Spirit and my humanly natural inclination that had punished the man who had so callously endangered my son. As days passed, I felt more and more guilty even though I was praying and asking forgiveness. No relief!
Of course the devil was also right in it screaming in my soul; “You ain’t no Christian! A real Christian wouldn’t have done that! You didn’t get saved in the first place.” But, through the Holy Spirit’s witness and my own first-hand experience I knew I had gotten saved and I knew I would have to go apologize for what I had done. I was so ashamed I could die, but I went. I was humble but ready for and expecting more trouble when I got to his house. I did my apology, he accepted it, I told him about Jesus’ and salvation and explained that I wasn’t a very good Christian yet but I’d do better. I didn’t realize I had covered a whole lot of scripture with those four words.
Before I had gone to his house I had desperately asked God to forgive me of my awful sin. I knew I didn’t get it because the good feeling I’d had before wouldn’t come back and I was eaten up with guilt. I didn’t realize God was giving me the option to make a choice and a giving of time to straighten out the sin mess I was in. After I went and apologized to that man, I prayed for forgiveness on the way home and immediately I was restored and the happy “I’m a Christian” feeling was back. I was thankful beyond words.
TWO RULES OF A LOVE RELATIONSHIP
Questions: Would you call it love and think it meant something if you had to use force to make the other say “I love you” and force them to do deeds to show you they love you? Of course not, the concept is foolish! Love must be given; it cannot be taken. #1) The giving of love is a choice. Love must grow as time passes. Love of friendship, love of family, love of wife or husband must grow and #2) growth of love takes time. Love is proved by actions and deeds. These words speak of making a choice and a giving of time.
If love doesn’t grow it stops, then stagnates, then disintegrates into a selfishness of ignoring the other, then it is only a “used to be” love relationship. Love is a spiritual union. (Eph. 2:10 keywords: created in Christ Jesus unto good works: defined: toil, act, deed, labor) These two rules of relationship also apply to a Christian’s love for Jesus which is also proved by actions and deeds.
THE CHOICE PRINCIPAL AND A GIVING OF TIME
I know you have sinned since you got saved and you know I have sinned since I got saved. (1John 1:9-10) God also knows we have sinned and if either of us say we haven’t we are calling God a liar. SO: How does God accomplish this choice principal and giving of time in spite of our sins; yours, mine and all of us?
(Rom. 6:12-16) (V.12) “Let not sin therefore reign (sovereignty, authority, rule) in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Translated this means DON’T SIN! But somehow we do.
(1Cor. 10:1-13) (V.1-11 esp. V11 keyword: ensamples: defined: examples) In this scripture is given a list of OT sins the Israelites committed such as idolatry, fornication, tempting God and murmuring. It is located in (Num. 16:41-47 esp. V.41 keyword: murmured: defined: grumble, indignant, complaining and displeasure) and they were destroyed (destruction, perishing, eternal ruin). (V.11) They are examples for Christians (V.12) and Christians are to pay attention lest we fall (defection, apostasy, revolt) the same way they did.
(1Cor. 10:13 again) This verse of scripture is explained by definitions and two interior notes below. It is very, very, very important to understand this is a “gateway verse“ that guides us to a place where we can understand the effect our sin has on God and how to release God’s final escape plan when we sin. So please study it because your eternal destination may very well depend upon your understanding of God’s throne of grace and your reaction to God’s offer of mercy we will study in the second paragraph below in (Heb. 4:14-16).
(1Cor. 10:13 once more) “There hath no temptation (make proof of, test) taken (seize, assail, grasp) you but such as is common to man: (note: sometimes we isolate ourselves by feeling or thinking we are the only one to have this happen to them OR that nobody understands OR that nobody cares) but God is faithful, who will not suffer (to permit) you to be tempted (tested) above that ye are able; (note: God knows exactly how much we can take but we don’t and sometimes we just give up and do the sin OR we sin without thinking about it); but will with the temptation also make a way to escape (flee away), that ye may be able to bear it (carry the burden).”
The choice principal and a giving of time has also held true in the above scripture.
(Heb. 4:14-16) (V.16) Jesus is our (Christians) great high priest (V.15) who understands the feeling (weakness, frailty) of our infirmities (suffering) because He was tempted (trial, tested) in all points (exactly) like we are but Jesus did not sin. Jesus won! Jesus beat sin! He did not sin but He sure understands what it feels like to be tested. EXAMPLE: (John 4:4-42) A woman who had been divorced five times and was living out of wedlock with another man met Jesus at a well. She must have been a beauty in that she could attract so many men who were willing to marry her.
Obviously, she was a woman used to receiving the attention of men. At the beginning of their conversation I can only imagine how she might have used body signals and eye invitations. Do you understand what I’m saying? I make no accusations against Jesus; I am simply relating the realities of the woman’s human nature.
But Jesus stuck to His business of being Messiah. And it got her attention because she thought he was a prophet and eventually she realized Jesus was the Messiah (the Anointed One, the Deliverer). (John 4:28-29 and 39-42) She became Jesus’ testifier and many Samaritans became believers. (Acts 8:5-17) They were ready for the message of salvation (Acts 8:5-17) Philip would bring.
(V.16) “Let us therefore come boldly (confidence, freedom of speech) unto the throne (seat occupied by a king) of grace (favor, kindness), that we may (faith, belief, trust, confidence) obtain mercy (pity, compassion), and find grace (favor, gift) to help (take interest in, cooperate with) in time of need (poverty, want).”
Written again using the underlined definitions in place of the scripture to enhance understanding: (V.16) Let us therefore come with confidence and freedom of speech unto the King’s seat of favor and kindness that we with faith, trust and confidence will obtain pity and compassion and find the King’s favor and gift to take an interest in us and cooperate with us in our time of poverty and want. Poverty is in the soul when God convicts us of our sin to draw us back to Him and want is our desire to renew our personal love relationship of union with Him and get back to our joy of serving Him.
(V.16 discussed) “Let us therefore come” expresses God’s urging through the Holy Spirit to come and do something. God says; “I’m urging you to come boldly to Jesus’ throne but it’s your choice to come.” AND YOU SAY; “Lord it’s me again, I’ve sinned again, I’m sorry I did, I’m gonna do better, I’ve stopped that business right here, will you forgive me one more time?” It’s a giving of time so you can fix it. And this scripture, (V.16), fits right in with God giving us the choice principal and a giving of time.
Remember the lists of seemingly endless sins Christians can and do commit in Section 2? (1John 1:7 thru the first 8 words of 2:2) Since becoming a Christian I have sinned, you have sinned and every other Christian has sinned, all of us multiple times on purpose, or because of ignorance, or losing control. (1Cor. 10:13) “but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (carry a burden).” When a Christian has committed a sin, is genuinely sorry (carry a burden) and needs forgiveness the final escape is:
The Last Stand, The Last Hope
(Heb. 4:16) In Action
(1John 1:1 thru 2:2) (V.1-7) John describes Jesus, identifies this scripture is directed to Christians, that our joy may be full and stresses the fact “the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin“. (V.8) “If we (John includes himself) say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (V.9) If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (V.10) If we say we have not sinned, we make him (Jesus) a liar, and his word is not in us.”
(2:1-2) “My little children (Christians), these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (intercessor, pleader, defense counsel) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins.” Ultimately, propitiation is the turning away of God’s wrath by a blood offering of atoning sacrifice. This is the purity (the pure sinless blood of Jesus) of the choice principal and a giving of time.
The High Court Of Heaven
(Rev. 12:9-10) (V.9) Satan is identified from the beginning (Genesis) as that old serpent (Lucifer) and is also called the Devil and Satan. (V.10) And Satan is the accuser of our brethren which accused them before God day and night. During this time, the church age; Satan is the prosecutor (the accuser). (1John 2:1) We have an advocate (intercessor, pleader, defense counsel) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Jesus is our defense counsel. And God is the executor of justice (the Judge).
God is pure good (holy). Sin is pure evil and thus sin is a sickening, reprehensible, awful, revolting, condemnable insult to God’s pure holiness. Holy means sacred and pure. God is so holy He sees (Matt. 5:27-28) lust as adultery (1John 3:14-15) and hatred for a fellow Christian as murder. God’s pure Holiness demands pure justice but God’s pure love demands pure mercy.
Remember? Love wants to give. Righteousness is a pure gift; we become righteous (justice in which God is the source according to a standard) through Jesus’ blood at salvation. (Heb. 9:22-28) Jesus’ blood is the standard and righteousness is the result of His sin cleansing blood. Nothing else will ever work!
Then this righteous person (a Christian, you?) sins and it is revolting to God’s holiness, His goodness and His gentleness. Satan the accuser, the prosecutor, brings forth the reality of your sin, lays out the charge before the high court of heaven and accuses you, the Christian; “Look what they did”, and he goes on and on about it by laying out every sordid detail of your sordid sin over and over.
(Eph. 4:30 keyword: grieve: defined: to be distressed, to be sad, grief) God suffers in silence, it is all He can do! Jesus, the defense counsel, stands mute and suffering beside the prosecutor, it is all He can do! This is how God and Jesus suffer (grieve) because of their love, kindness and mercy when they are presenting you the choice principal and a giving of time. Now they are waiting for you to do something that will release them to act.
(1John 1:9) Finally, finally, finally, thank God finally you come to your senses and admit your sin guilt to yourself, you are ashamed, you know you have shamed God’s holiness, you know you have soiled (made dirty) your own free gift of righteousness from God (Matt. 27:1-4 keywords: betrayed the innocent blood) and you have betrayed Jesus’ innocent blood that was shed (Rom. 8:9-17) so you could join God’s holy family. (John 14:26 keyword: remembrance & 16:13-15 key: the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth) The indwelling Holy Spirit, the High Sheriff of heaven, is finally getting through to you and guiding you into all truth; “You have sinned and it is very bad!”
You may wiggle and squirm for a while but the undeniable truth is; “I have sinned! I’ve got to get this fixed!” You finally decide to repent (turn back the other way from your sin). (John 1:9) Its a decision, not a relief and finally, finally, finally you realize, through the Holy Spirit’s work, you are going to have to confess your sin and ask forgiveness or you will not be clean in God’s eyes and you won’t be clean in your own eyes either! Sin is serious, it is a burden, (2Pet. 3:9 keyword: longsuffering) it is a heartbreaker to God and Jesus and a soul killer to Christians!
(Heb. 12:25) You probably do not realize and are probably not thankful you have been spoken to from heaven by the Holy Spirit, the High Sheriff of Heaven, who rounds up scoundrels like you and me! You confess your sin and ask forgiveness for your sin. You are exercising the choice principal in a giving of time provided by the gentleness, graciousness and goodness of God who is the essence of love upon which His grace and mercy is founded.
(Heb. 4:14-16 <–read this esp. V.16) You probably do not realize you have come boldly unto the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in your greatest time of need. You probably do not realize you have kept the high court of heaven waiting while you dithered. Your defense counsel, Jesus, presents your plea for mercy and states; (Rom. 8:9-17) “This is thy child holy Father, My joint-heir brother/sister to thy kingdom, bought through My shed blood, here is the evidence of his asking of forgiveness,” your petition prayer is spread before the high court of heaven, (John 5:22) “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the son:” “and once more I cleanse this Christian of his/her sin with My blood!”
(John 5:22) The judgment is done by Jesus’ blood through Jesus and the Judge (God) simply expresses what the judgment has proved; “guilty or not guilty”!
“NOT GUILTY, CASE DISMISSED!” Thunders the Judge from His throne. The prosecutor’s shoulders slump in defeat (Eph. 6:11-12) and the darkness of him flees the high court of heaven. The Holy Spirit, the High Sheriff of heaven, brings another pardon to your heart, your soul; “NO CHARGE. PAID IN FULL.” SIGNED IN THE BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD! The choice principal and a giving of time has operated in your favor. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SIN AGAIN?
“NOT GUILTY, CASE DISMISSED!” Thunders the Judge from His throne. The prosecutor’s shoulders slump in defeat and the darkness of him flees the high court of heaven. The choice principal and a giving of time has operated in your favor. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SIN AGAIN?
(Rom. 1:24, 26 & 28 keywords: gave them up, gave them over) The same choice principal and a giving of time was presented to the “going ever deeper into sin” Christians in the church at Rome. #1) (V.21) When they knew God they did not glorify God, were not thankful for what God had done for them, started imagining wrong things probably through philosophical reasoning (philosophy) based on lust and had darkened their own souls. #2) (V.22) They thought they were wise and had concluded they could sin and get away with it probably through emotionless, repetitious, mouthing of words by rote in meaningless, empty, prayers. Its like putting a Band-Aid on a cancer.
#3) (V.23) They went into idolatry. #4) (V.24-25) Obviously they started fornication and they changed the truth of God into a lie just like Lucifer/Satan did to Eve. THEY WENT APOSTATE (abandonment of religious beliefs or principals: APOSTATE is a synonym for the word heresies used in 2Pet. 2:1 keywords: false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies; please read the whole chapter, V.14 can apply to abortion, V.6, 12, & 17-22 tells of the end of the APOSTATE church, individual APOSTATE Christians and the reason why)!
#5) (V.26-27) They started committing homosexuality. #6) (V.28) They had perverted God’s word to justify their sins to the point they had thrown away their knowledge of God. Sin reigned in their mortal bodies, (John 1:7-10 & Heb. 4:14-15) they refused Jesus’ offer of His cleansing blood for the last time, the offer was withdrawn #7) (Heb. 6:4-6) and God, the Judge, passed sentence upon them which was to give them over to a reprobate (rejected, castaway) mind (soul).
The High Sheriff of Heaven (the Holy Spirit) was called back from them. (John 14:15-23 esp. V.23 & Rom. 8:6-9) The presence of God (the Holy Spirit) left them because (Heb. 10:27-31 esp. V.29) they had spiritually counted the Defense Counsel’s (Jesus) blood an unholy thing (Heb. 6:4-6 esp. V.4 & 6) and by the verdict of the Judge (God) it has become impossible to renew themselves again unto repentance because they have put the Son of God to an open shame.
The prosecutor, Satan, won his case. (Rev. 3:5) Their name is blotted out of the book of life. For effect Satan has become their god (Rom. 6:12) because they let “king sin” reign in their mortal body (Rev. 20:10-15 esp. V.10 & 15) and they will go be with Satan in his place in the lake of fire (V.10 & 15) to be tormented day and night for ever and ever when the great white throne judgment signifies the completion of mankind’s time on this present world.
It makes one wonder how many times these people in the church at Rome had heard a sermon titled (Rom. 6:1-23 esp. V.12) “Let Not Sin Therefore Reign In Your Mortal Body” preached to them and they had convinced themselves it didn’t really apply to them? (Prov. 1:22-33) These people had activated the choice principal in the wrong direction and they had wasted a giving of time until the time of mercy was gone. Read (2Cor. 4:4 then 11:13-15) PRAY, THINK and LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT! Do you think this describes any modern churches or denominations? Does it describe your church? Does it describe you? SEE the website: LGBTQ.org and ask for their list of Gay Affirming Christian Denominations.
Yes, I understand the LGBTQ community is protected by law with all the rights of any citizen in the US, so is abortion, marijuana and its derivatives under some state’s law, and prostitution in some counties in Nevada. I have simply presented God’s word from the K J Bible. Don’t forget (Matt. 15:9) Jesus also said; “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines (learning, teaching) the commandments of men.
DEVELOPMENT OF A RELATIONSHIP TAKES WORK
(Rev. 2:18-29) In John’s vision of the church at Thyatira (V.19 & 26) Christian works are addressed (V.20-23) and evil works are examined. (V.19) “I know (to see) thy works (act, deed, labor, toil), and charity (love, brotherly love, good will, affection, benevolence), and service (ministering, aiding those who execute the commands of others), and faith (conviction of the truthfulness of God, reliance on Jesus for salvation), and thy patience (steadfastness, endurance, piety through even the greatest trials and suffering), and thy works (act, deed, labor, toil); and the last (farthest, final) to be more (greater in quantity) than the first.”
Read these scriptures for your eternal life! (Rev. 2:19) This whole verse declares GROWTH in their relationship in a WORKING SERVICE with Jesus and how they have emotionally, CHARITY, FAITH and PATIENCE, (Phil. 2:5-15) (V.5) grown as they worked to let the mind (to have understanding, to feel, to think) of Christ grow within them (V.12) because they understood a day of Christian judgment was coming (Heb. 10:26-31 esp. V.30-31) and it would be a fearful (terrible, formidable, affected with fear, timid) day for many. They understood (Gal. 5:22-26) that; (V.24) “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (V.22-23) and their fruit of the Spirit was “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.” (Rev. 2:20-25 esp. V.20-23) BUT:
Yes, I know, in one fashion or another, I place great emphasis and repetition on individual Christian works and individual Christian growth in the development of a personal relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Please read (2Pet. 1:1-10 esp. V.10 keyword: fall: defined: Strong’s w #4417: to trip. i.e. to err, sin, fail of salvation) EVEN THERE IN THE CHURCH AT THYATIRA, WAS A ROGUE ELEMENT (read this:–>Gal. 5:13-21 esp. V. 19-21 keywords: shall not inherit the kingdom of God) WHOSE MEMBERS WOULD NEVER INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
At this time please, please, in the name of Jesus, please click on the HOME page, scroll to near the end and read the article under the heading THE CHURCH IN AMERICA: STATISTICS and see if you can convince yourself if all those ‘Christ claimer’ Christians are going to be greeted into heaven with open arms. Are You?
Example of building a relationship: A new person moves into your life in your neighborhood, a new person at your job, hobby, team, just whatever. You meet them for the first time. You become acquainted. There’s an attraction; “They appear to be a good person. I’d like to know them better.” You start having conversations. Little by little, as you get to know one another, you and this example person reveal more and more about yourselves.
If the person doesn’t meet your standards you can cut off the budding relationship at any time. It goes both ways because he can also cut off the budding relationship if you don’t meet his standards. Its a matter of values. Do I value him enough to work to build a relationship? That also goes both ways. He must value you enough to work to build a relationship.
You observe how this person treats his other friends. When they are not around; does he speak badly or sarcastically about them, does he reveal their “little personal secrets” and mock them, does he mock their station in society, is he critical of their financial status, model of car, type of home and etc.? If he does it about them you know he will do it about you! Does he have personal habits you will not tolerate? Does he use language that embarrasses you? That list is endless. Jesus doesn’t have any faults, we do! SO:
(Mark 12:30) Through His amazing love and endless patience Jesus puts up with us and helps us fumble along from the salvation stage and work to learn to have a relationship with Him according to how much we value (love) Him.
Friends in the below usage of the Greek is philos, pronounced fee-los and defined: dear, fond, an associate. Friend in Hebrew is rea or reya and both are pronounced ray-ah and defined: associate, brother, companion. (Prov. 18:24) “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother“; Hebrew aheb pronounced aw-habe and defined: to have affection for, to love.
Jesus said; (John 15:7-15 esp. V.14) “Ye are my friends (philos), if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (Ex. 33:9-11) “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend (rea).” (James 2:23) “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed (put to one’s account) unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend (philos) of God.”
The development of a friendship is a gradual giving of self, so it takes work to build your trust in the other. Development of a friendship always involves gradual change in self, so it takes a lot of work to change yourself to meet the standards of this new person with whom you are trying to develop a friendship. The development of a friendship requires that both sides receive rewards for their efforts, so it takes a lot of work for you to do things that please the other and they must do things that please you.
(Rom. 8:8-13 esp. V.9-11 keywords in all: believe/believeth: both defined: to trust Jesus for salvation, to entrust your spiritual well-being to Jesus, a commitment) At the beginning Jesus’ reward is that you trusted Him enough to ask Him save you. His blood wasn’t wasted on you. The vast majority of the earth’s population don’t want anything to do with Jesus or His blood! At the beginning, your reward was salvation.
(Matt. 11:29-30 Jesus said; “Take my YOKE upon you and learn of me;”) It is a lot of work to sacrifice your time to develop a friendship. The development of a friendship requires CHANGE and it is hard work to change because we all get in our own little rut, our niche, of doing what we want to do when we want to do it. We don’t like to rock the fragile boat that is our life! We all get along much better with people whose personality is like ours and our interests are alike. It is easier that way and we all like the easy way because it doesn’t take much work to have a too friendship; “Yes I think that way too, I like going there too, I do that too, I talk like that too, too, too, too.
BUT: Jesus is perfect, so, (Mark 12:30) if you love Him enough (your values), its up to you to do all the changing. Are you starting to understand Christian works? (2Cor. 4:4 keyword: blinded) The blunt truth is that by saving you Jesus took you away from Satan, the god of this world (John 8:34) who held you in the bondage of blindness. You may have been a good person but, in reality, you were more like Satan (sinful) than you were like Jesus (sinless). (Phil. 2:5-15 esp. V.5 key: let the mind of Christ be in you: Mind: defined: think like, the feelings, cognitive faculties & V.12-15) Satan wants you back and (2Tim. 2:15) the only way you can prevent that is for you to work to become more like Jesus who saved you (John 8:36) and set you free.
(YOKE above: defined: Strong’s #2218: #1 the center balance point in a set of scales, #2 it is a double yoke, coupling together) When you came to Jesus seeking salvation the scales of your life was tilted down on the sin side. When Jesus saved you by washing your sins away the scale of your life was balanced.
The double yoke is that (Rom. 8:9 & Eph. 1:13-14) the Holy Spirit came into you (John 14:17-26 esp. V.17-18, 23 & V.26 keywords: shall teach you all things & 2Tim. 2:15 keywords: study to show thyself approved unto God: approved: defined: accepted, pleasing) and he is the person on the other side of the yoke helping you pull the load of (“learn of me“) learning how to be a better and better Christian. (Phil. 2:12-15) Each Christian is supposed to be (it is a choice) a work in progress all their Christian life to be more like Jesus and let our light shine. (2Cor. 5:20 thru 6:18) We are “ambassadors for Christ”!
Do you now understand that Christian works lead to the development of a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Jesus? (Phil. 2:5-7) “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (V.6-7) Jesus was equal with God yet He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men.
He humbled himself and became obedient unto death on the cross. (John 3:5-8 esp. V.7 & 1Pet. 1:23 keywords in both: born again) After the salvation (born again) event (2Cor. 5:17 keywords: new creation) a person is a new creation (1Cor. 3:1-2 keyword: babes) but that new Christian is still a baby Christian, raw and human, (2Pet. 3:18 keywords: grow in grace) and (2Tim. 2:15 keywords: study to show thyself approved) it takes Bible study, communication (prayer), time, effort, change in self and hard work to change your personality (Phil. 2:5-15) to become more like Jesus. The Bible is your guide, the Holy Spirit is your teacher and Jesus is your strength. Each Christian is supposed to be (it is a choice) a work in progress (Christian growth) all their Christian life.
In Part 31, PERGAMOS, Section 2 you learned about God’s conditional and unconditional love, spiritual fornication, physical fornication and the other sins such as committing idolatry to god SELF and etc. (Gal. 5:13 keyword: brethren) The people in this scripture are called brethren so these following scriptures are written to Christians.
To refresh what we have learned: (Gal. 5:17-21) (V.17) “For the flesh (physical cravings catered to and directed by human nature with its frailties and passions) lusteth (covet and desire) against the Spirit (Holy Spirit), and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary (opposite, to oppose) the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would (expressing a desire or inclination).”
Written again using the underlined and italicized definitions to enhance understanding: (V.17) “For the physical cravings catered to and directed by human nature with its frailties and passions covets and desires against the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are opposite and they oppose the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye desire and are inclined to do. It takes a lot of work to sacrifice time and effort to fast, pray and study to learn how to overcome self and become more like Jesus.
Some Christians, preachers and etc. say there is no such thing as a carnal Christian. God disagrees! (1Cor. 3:1-3 esp. V.1 keyword: brethren and V.3 keywords: ye are yet carnal) According to God’s word they are wrong and in this given scripture Paul, through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, is instructing these carnal Christians at Corinth how to stop sinning and be better Christians!
Perhaps that “perfection at salvation mindset” is why there is so little attention given to helping newly saved Christians stay saved. Can you imagine Jesus getting involved in a furious fist fight for revenge over what someone tried to do to my six-year-old son, Jimmie, like I did back there in the beginning of my Christian walk with Jesus (Section 1). Of course not. The idea is ridiculous! Through Jesus’ principal of choice and a giving of time; the love, grace, mercy and patience of Jesus and my love for Jesus (my values) I have grown as a Christian since that time.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
(John 14:15-31) Jesus reveals the identity of the Holy Spirit and how He will operate and then Jesus said; (John 15:1-6) “(V.1) I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman (farmer, a farmer grows things). (V.2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it (gets rid of the bad parts), that it may bring forth more fruit. (It takes a giving of time to grow fruit). (V.3) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”
“(V.4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (V.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. (V.6) If (a choice) a man abideth not in me, he is cast forth, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Jesus was using grapevine husbandry as an allegory to illustrate how Christians bear spiritual fruit of the soul. At that time in Israel everyone was familiar with the process of tending a vineyard. Today many people in various cultures and societies don’t know how a vineyard operates, but the information is readily available from many sources if you Christians want to work to learn. I have personally been blessed to work in a vineyard, I understand the process and I am thankful.
(John 15:1-6) explained: (V.1) Jesus compares Himself to a grapevine and that God His Father is the farmer. (V.2) The grapevine (Jesus) has branches (Christians) where the grapes (spiritual fruit) grow. Some branches won’t grow fruit, they are useless and God takes them away (cuts them off) to make room for branches that will grow fruit.
Upon examining the cut off branch at the point of removal I have found there is usually a visible rot (disease) inside the branch or, once in a while, the outside has a visible blight (disease). The rot and blight (sin) prevents these Jesus branches (Christians) from producing fruit. God purges (prunes) the branches (Christians) that will grow fruit (by pruning away the worthless parts) like anger, stubborn, selfish and etc. so they will bear more fruit.
(V.3) Christians are clean (salvation) through Jesus’ word (the Bible) that teaches Christians all things. (V.4 & 5 keyword: abide) Abide defined is (to stay, remain, to dwell). As Jesus explained in (John 14:15-31 esp. V.23): He will make His abode (dwelling place) within Christians in His Holy Spirit form and through that we will live (abide) in Him. If we don’t abide (dwell) in Jesus and Jesus dwell in us we cannot bear fruit. Jesus said; “for without me ye can do nothing”. It is a spiritual union.
(V.6) If (denotes a choice) a man refuses to abide (to stay, remain, to dwell) in Jesus he is cast forth as a branch (a part of Jesus), and is withered (dry up, waste away); they are gathered and cast (to throw, banish) into the fire and are burned. What could be more plain? Christians can (Phil. 2:5-15 key: let the mind of Christ be in you- as explained above) refuse to let Jesus guide them through His Holy Spirit and His word (sin) to the point Jesus cuts them off and they will go to hell (burned). This agrees perfectly with (Heb. 6:4-6) and they cannot come back!
(Rom. 1:21-32) <These people are the example shown above. They followed the exact pattern. They refused to abide in Jesus, He withdrew from them, they withered as Christians, they were cut off and they were cast into the fire (went to hell when they physically died).
As a young Christian works to eradicate his carnal traits and develop the personality traits of Jesus it automatically falls into place they will start doing more and more Christian works of time, effort and money to do visible works to build the kingdom of God here on earth. Each Christian is a work in progress through the Holy Spirit and (Eph. 4:1-32 esp. V.15, 1Pet. 2:1-5 esp. V.2 & 2Pet. 3:13-18 esp. V.18 keyword in all: grow) according to the word of God given in the Bible. The below personality traits are called the fruit of the Spirit
(Gal.5:22-26): The Mind Of Christ And The Fruit Of The Spirit
(V.22) “But the fruit of the Spirit is
Love: (1John 4:8-21 esp. V.8 & 16) “God is love.” God love is agape (charity) which is the bond (uniting principal) of perfectness (the measure of perfection);” (John 3:14-17) God love is why and how we were saved. Charity is God love that gives affection, good will, benevolence and self-sacrificial kindness. All other Christian attitudes and Christian characteristics must be rooted and founded in God love. At salvation the Holy Spirit is given to a Christian in a measure >(before you faint read the next 3 paragraphs) (Eph. 1:13-14) and we are sealed (preserved) with the Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest (pledge, the down payment) of our inheritance which is God’s verification of the individual’s salvation.
(John 3:3-8 esp. V.8) Jesus compared the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of individual Christians to the wind, You can’t see the wind, you can only see the effects of the wind; likewise you can see the effects of the Holy Spirit in an individual’s actions and activities. (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit spiritually communicates to individual Christians with intensity and intimacy while sharing God’s thoughts and feelings. You know you are saved; it is an I know so salvation. What confidence could a person have in a maybe or a hope so salvation? (Rom. 8:9) If you do not receive the Holy Spirit you did not get saved.
(John 14:18 & 23) The uniting principal is Jesus living in you (a union) through the Holy Spirit and desiring to teach you through His words (Bible) (Rom. 8:29 & 2Cor. 3:17-18) how to be like Him. Please read this whole scripture.>>(Luke 11:9-13 esp. V.9 keywords: ask, seek, knock and V.13 keywords: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?).
You, a Christian, work by prayer, fasting and study through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:13 & Col. 3:5 mortify the deeds of the body) to eradicate your carnal habits, attitudes and actions and as you work to learn and change yourself to become more like Jesus you acquire Godly habits, attitudes and actions.
(Luke 11:13) As this growing in the “God love process” happens the Holy Spirit has a greater presence (measure) in your life (read these:>2Tim. 3:16-17 esp. V.16 keywords: all scripture & James 2:17-26 esp. V.21-24 keyword: faith) and that is how you become more and more perfect in your Christian relationship with Jesus, other Christians and people in general. Christians do Christian works in direct proportion to how much they love Jesus. (James 2:21-24 keyword: faith) (Heb. 11:1) “Now faith is the substance (the underlying reality of all things) of things hoped (anticipate, expect, confidence) for, the evidence (proof in a court of law) of things not seen. FAITH IS REALITY. You know when you get saved.
(James 2:20-24) faith and works of Abraham. Please, to settle your own doubts about works and faith, (Gen. 11:26 thru 22:18 esp. 22:1-16 keywords: By myself have I sworn defined: God had nothing greater than Himself to give as proof of His sworn covenant with Abraham (Gen. 22:18 & Luke 3:34) which resulted in his blood relative Jesus) read Abram/Abraham’s eleven chapter story given above about his work in his struggle, fear, failure, obedience, God’s intervention and rescue time after time after time through Abram/Abraham’s worry, disobedience, faith to keep trying, disappointment, lack of faith, but kept trying, eventual victory (James 2:23) on until he became known as the friend of God.
THINK AS YOU READ. (Gen. 12:1-5) (V.1) God said; “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred (family, blood relatives).” Abram/Abraham went to work, packed up all he had, got out of his country, (V.5) BUT he took his brother’s son Lot (a blood relative) with him. At best it was half-obedience and half-disobedience. God put up with it! And on and on and on! If it sounds familiar it should because it is about our much smaller journey, you and me, as we develop our relationship with God.
(Eph. 2:8-9) NO you cannot make God owe you salvation by doing good works. Salvation is a gift from God (Eph. 2:10) BUT “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto (Strong’s# 4282: Greek word anglicized: proetoimazo: ordain before) good works (toil, act, deed, labor), which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” God communicated with Abram/Abraham (John 14:23-26 esp. V.26 keywords: teach you all things) and God communicates with His Christians through the Holy Spirit (2Tim. 3:14-17) and His Holy Word. THINK! When Jesus ascended into heaven, He took His body with Him. (1Cor. 12:27 keywords: body of Christ) The church, Christians, are the body of Christ. Our fingers, feet, eyes, mouth, all of it is the only body Jesus has to perform His work.
(Acts 2:1-41) How do you think the church got from its tiny beginning to all over the world? TOIL, ACT, DEEDS, LABOR, obedience to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible because of their love for Jesus!
God Love (Charity, Agape) is the measure of each individual Christian’s relationship with Jesus. Jesus gave all he had, including His life, because He loved us. This whole article teaches Christians how to work (Phil. 2:5) to be more like Jesus. You know to what degree you are like Jesus by how much you love and what deeds you do because of that love. How many times has the Holy Spirit spoken in your thoughts; “I need to go study the Bible” but you entertained yourself with the electronic world? How many times has the Holy Spirit spoken in your thoughts; “I really need to go pray and thank Jesus and praise God for all He has done for me” and you forget about it while you entertain yourself with things of the world?
Joy; gladness, delight, to rejoice, intense pleasure. God given joy is nearly indescribable. Have you ever had a goose bump rippling, tear pouring, intensely pleasurable, joyous blessing straight from God? If not please click on the commentary Sin in Church and scroll down the menu then click on the article Growth as a Christian: Part 7, subtitle: God, The Eden Curses, Cancer and Me. Maybe better would be; click on the commentary The Holy Spirit & You and scroll down the menu then click on the article Part 2: Old Walter: A CHOSEN VESSEL. Both are true stories, I know they are true because God, in the beauty of His mercy and love, let me live them.
I was coming down the road one day in my old car from having it serviced at a garage in another county. I looked at the speedometer which read 100,000 miles and a ‘dawning’ happened; “WOW! I am 100,000 miles closer to glory!” and I felt great delight and gladness and a trembling. (Matt. 24:13) “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Life is sometimes hard and painful but the regular everyday gladness and delight that is “Well, I’m another day closer to the joy of being with Jesus.” sustains me. The joy from God is better felt than explained.
Peace; quietness, rest. Union with God through the Holy Spirit brings harmony, quiet and tranquility (peace) to the Christian soul. (Rom. 8:33-39 esp. V.36) Nothing has the power to separate us from Jesus. To a lost person death is the most terrible event they face. Read this>>(Rom. 8:34-39 esp. V.35-36 keywords: for thy sake we are killed all the day long and key thought: nothing can separate us from the love of Christ) To a Christian death is simply the gateway we pass through to get to heaven to be with Jesus forever. That is peace. Please click on the commentary The Holy Spirit & You then scroll the menu to the two article series I Have Experienced Christian Physical Death and read them. Yes, there was the two scripturally required witnesses, an EMT and a mortician, well, you will understand that Christians scripturally die differently than lost people. PEACE!
Longsuffering; patience, enduring temperament, fortitude. (1Cor. 10:13) You will be tempted (tested) but, (GOD’S PROMISE), God will not let you be tested (tempted) with more than you are capable of enduring. Be patient and meet it with fortitude (courage in pain or adversity) because it will make you stronger and/or closer to God.
Gentleness; Greek scholars generally form a consensus that gentleness does not have a satisfactory Greek definition and upon investigation neither do various English dictionaries. Go ahead and look, they are wordy but somehow one senses they are not conveying what the scripture is saying.
The obvious answer is gentleness is a single finite word that attempts to describe an infinite Jesus character trait, a soul part, an activity, that springs from the infinite love, grace, mercy, longsuffering, tender pity, and kindness that characterizes Jesus, (1Tim. 3:16) Who is the embodiment of God. (Matt. 28:18) Jesus has all power in heaven and earth. (John 5:22) All judgment belongs to Jesus. (John 11:25) Jesus is the resurrection (Gen. 2:7 & John 14:6) and Jesus is the embodiment of life itself.
Yet: (John 11:33-38 esp. V.35 & 37-38) Jesus wept (silent inward groaning as tears stream down the cheeks) because of His friends weeping misery in the suffering of their loss and that His friends still had not recognized Him for who and what He is. How many Christians today still don’t? (Luke 19:41-44) Jesus wept (a tearful wailing) over Jerusalem because the Jews had refused to recognize Him as their Messiah, their hedge would be removed and their rebellion would bring the Roman sword, fire and fury. The gentleness of Jesus had wept because of their lack of faith in Him.
I have experienced the pain of a simple briar that scratched my head while picking blackberries and I cannot comprehend the gentleness that endured a cruel crown of thorns that were jammed upon Jesus’ head by the sarcastic Roman soldiers. But I do comprehend the meaning of the (Matt. 27:28) scarlet (denoting blood) robe (Mark 15:17) lined with purple (denoting royalty) on the inside they sarcastically and unknowingly placed upon Jesus who was gentleness personified. Gentleness was a King on the inside bleeding on the outside for His people!
Yet: (Isa 52:14 the prophesy, Matt. 26:63-68 the Jewish temple guard & John 19:2-3 the Roman soldiers) At the Jews behest Jesus was slapped and fist beaten until His face was marred more than any man and He was battered, swollen and bruised until He was nearly unrecognizable. I still remember the burning of a tiny, limber, willow switch with which I, as a child, was corrected. And I cannot comprehend (John 19:1 keyword: scourged) the pure fire of 9 plaited leather lashes woven with tiny pieces of steel and bits bone embedded in them that cut and savaged the skin and flesh of Jesus’ back, shoulders, neck, sides and upper arms all the way to the bone in some places (Psa. 129:3) until His back was like a plowed field.
No, I cannot comprehend the shrieking, agonizing, burning pain (Isa. 53:5) produced by His stripes by which I am healed. Nor can I imagine the shrieking, blinding pain as the nails were driven into His hands and feet (Col. 2:14) that nailed my sins to His cross. (2Cor. 5:21) I cannot imagine sinless Jesus’ horrid, suffocating sickness when He became the filthy, disgusting, sickening embodiment of my sins. Jesus had all the power and authority (Matt. 26:53) to call down the legions of heaven to rescue Him and I cannot comprehend the courage and strength of His gentleness (Luke 23:34) that said; “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
ME?? No, No I wasn’t worth it but gentleness thought differently and I was worth it to Jesus.