Colossians 2:
16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
When God instituted his sabbaths and holy days, he set them forth as shadows of Jesus. In other words, they were prophetic in nature. Every time Israel observed them, they were foretelling an event in Jesus' life. Jesus died on Passover, as our Passover lamb. He rose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits. The Holy Spirit came at the feast of Pentecost (Jesus delivered his new law written on fleshly tables of the heart on the day Moses delivered the Ten Commandments written on tables of stone.)
There are three other feasts that have not yet been fulfilled. That is because they have to do with the second coming. The first of these is the Feast of Trumpets of which no man knew the day or the hour on which the last trump would sound. There is the Feast of Atonement, then the Feast of Tabernacles. Just as the first three happened on the calendar day, so shall the last three.
Consider the Feast of Atonement. It is taken by some to have already been fulfilled, because this is the day the Levitical high priest made sacrificial atonement for the sins of Israel, and Jesus already did that for us at Passover, as delineated in the book of Hebrews. But this was not the purpose of the feast of atonement, and Jesus was not of the Levitical priesthood. The type of the feast, the shadow the feast held, was not for cleansing sin, but for afflicting ones soul (Leviticus 23:27,29). To put the focus on the right place, think not the repenting of your sin, but the repenting of yourself.
On the tenth day of the seventh Hebrew month was the feast of atonement, a shadow of things to come. The fulfillment of that day -which happened eight to nine days after the last trump blew- will be the judgement seat of Christ. It will occur on that day. God graced us with a prophecy that describes this event:
Zechariah 12:
9. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
11. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; ....
14. All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
The house of David refers to the church, the inhabitants of Jerusalem refers to natural Israel (Zech 12:8). (You really need to read this entire passage to grasp the full import of it, but there is not room in this blog. Zechariah 14 reveals the what the shadow of the feast of tabernacles is about.) Jesus is head of the house of David, heir to his throne, whose house are we, the believers (Hebrews 3:6).
The description in Zechariah 12 of this day is one of personal encounter between Jesus himself, and each individual.
But Jesus himself also described this day.
Matthew 25:
31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45. Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Why do I say this is the feast of atonement? Because it is at the feast of atonement that the high priest cast lots to separate out the good goat from the bad goat.
Leviticus 16:
7. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
10. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
.... 21. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
22. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
The word "scapegoat" in the Hebrew just means "the goat that goes away." (They translate it "escapegoat" since the other goat gets sacrificed into the service of the Lord.)
Looking at the shadow, it is of importance to note that the High Priest did not decide which was goat was which, but rather, God did through the casting of lots. So too, shall it be at the judgement seat of Christ. You will notice that both the sheep and the goats were caught by surprise as to why they were in that category. That means, the Holy Ghost didn't know either, or he would have told them. It is the Father who will choose.
But why did Jesus use sheep and goats, but the shadow used two goats?
If a sheep and a goat had been used in the shadow, there would have been no need to cast lots. The point is, they both look alike! It was only after the priest casts his lot that he knew which was which. That is the way it is with Christians: you can't tell which are the sheep, and which are the goats. That is why Jesus will have to divide them.
So how do you know which you are? Notice that the sheep in Jesus' story didn't realize they had done it? Notice that the goats all thought they had? But the deciding factor was whether or not the people had walked in love.
1 John 4:
10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19. We love him, because he first loved us.
20. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21. And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Are you a sheep, or are you a goat? Do you fear God's judgement? Then you are not yet made perfect in love. Perfect love casts out fear, because love does not commit sin against the Father: it has no need to fear.
There are many passages in 1 John that display the difference between sheep and goats, but I chose this one because it also tells you how to become a sheep if you are not one, and how to stay a sheep if you are. If your love is not made perfect, you will not have boldness on the day of judgement. You will have fear. And fear brings torment.
In verse 17, John makes a statement that you will not understand unless you understand how faith works. John was speaking to people that were already well versed in faith, and they would immediately recognize it for what it is. Those who do not understand faith will find it confusing, and assume John is talking in riddles. Let me rephrase it for you: "This is how our love is made perfect: "As Jesus is, so are we in this world."
That's right, it is a faith confession, a faith command. How is Jesus? He is dead to sin, and alive to righteousness (Romans 6:10). In verse 17, John is telling you how to walk in love. "The lust of my eye is dead. It died when Jesus died. I see what Jesus sees. The lust of my flesh is dead. I want what Jesus wants. I am not the lord of my life. I do what Jesus does." As Jesus said, "Where I am, there my servant will be also."
St John:
24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Is my interpretation of the feast of atonement correct? Is the scapegoat really the goat of Jesus' parable? It does not really matter. The day will come when Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. He himself said so. Both the sheep and the goats will call him Lord. But the goats will be cast without the camp to be destroyed. And Jesus was very clear to say that the deciding difference was whether or not we loved one another.
All believers have the love of God shed abroad in their hearts (Romans 5:5). But it is not perfected in all of them. You can use your faith to perfect that love. "As he is, so am I. The love of God is shed abroad in my heart: I obey it always. I do always do those things that please him."
Use your faith to let the love of God transform you into the image of his Son (Romans 8:29).
Then, when Jesus passes over you, he will be saying, "Sheep, sheep, sheep, sheep."
Copyright © 2009 Burley Ward. All rights reserved.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Secret Place
Psalm 91:
1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Did you ever have a secret place as a kid? A place nobody knew about, and that only you could find? I did. Mine was in the top of our maple tree. (I'm sure my parents would appreciate knowing this! Hey, it was only twenty feet.) On a hot summer's day, when the wind stirred the treetop... Ahh! That was the life.
A secret place is a place of shelter and safety. It is a cozy place, a place of refuge. It's very cozy living in God's secret place. But it's no secret on how to get there!
Psalm 91:
2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
That's how you get there. "The Lord is my refuge. He is my fortress. He is my God. In him do I trust."
When you dwell in a place, that place becomes your habitation. When you say of the Lord, "He is my refuge," you come to dwell within him. He becomes your spiritual house.
Psalm 91:
9. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Notice, that this is something you do? It's not something God chooses? You make the Lord your habitation. How? By saying he is your refuge, your fortress, your God.
All kinds of people all over the world call upon their god. Some people wear their god around their neck. A god is a being you go to for divine intervention in your life. When you say of the Lord that He is your God, you are forsaking other gods and claiming the Lord - the Most High God - as your god.
It is because you SAY he is your God that he becomes your habitation. Because what you SAY is how you set your love upon something.
Psalm 91:
14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Where does your love sit? It is easy to tell. It is what is coming out of your mouth. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).
Some set their love upon their favorite sports team. Or their favorite sport. Spend a little time with them, and eventually you will hear in which house their heart dwells.
So, how do you set your love upon something, in this case, God?
James 3:
2. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Here is a mystery for you! Out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks. But at the same time, what you say is where your heart goes!
So you have a choice: you can either let your heart float aimlessly about on the sea of life, or you can take control of it's rudder, and steer it where you want to go. "Life and death are in the power of the tongue: they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Proverbs 18:21). If you start saying, "The Lord is my God. He is my refuge," your heart will begin to correct course until your heart says, "The Lord is my God."
The Lord is my Shepherd: I never lack (Psalm 23:1).
Oddly, people sometimes tend to put their love upon things that are bad for them. I'm not talking about sins. I'm talking about circumstances. "Nothing ever works out for me. It's only going to fail. Nobody likes me. I can't find a job." Don't let your ship float aimlessly across the sea of life. Steer it into the secret place of the Most High. "The Lord is my refuge! He is my God! There shall no evil befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling!"
Psalm 1:
1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The word meditate means to murmur. In other words, to say. Do not sit in the seat of the scornful. Delight in God's word. Speak it day and night. Set your love upon him.
John 14:
23. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
The word "keep" above does not mean "obey" as much as it means to "watch over," to keep your eye on.
God's word was meant to be spoken as well as believed. He said so in Romans.
Romans 10:
6. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, ...
8. ... The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The word is in your heart, and your mouth. One could just as easily say, "I have faith of the mouth," as they can say, "I have faith of the heart." It is also not only true that one who does not believe in the heart has no faith, but that one who does not speak with the mouth, has no faith either. You may believe it, but if you do not speak it, you have no faith. You may speak it, but if you do not believe it, you have no faith.
(The english language uses "believe" as the verb for faith. However, believing is only half of "faithing." Speaking is the other half. That can be a little confusing.)
So, if you wish to dwell in the secret place of the Most High, you need to believe and speak, "The Lord is my refuge and my fortress. He is my God. In him do I trust. Surely he shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. Only with my eyes shall I behold and see the reward of the wicked."
Incidently, when I bought my first house, I made sure to climb the tree. Alas! The branches big enough to support my weight did not sway in the breeze. But that is okay, because I have found a new secret place.
1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Did you ever have a secret place as a kid? A place nobody knew about, and that only you could find? I did. Mine was in the top of our maple tree. (I'm sure my parents would appreciate knowing this! Hey, it was only twenty feet.) On a hot summer's day, when the wind stirred the treetop... Ahh! That was the life.
A secret place is a place of shelter and safety. It is a cozy place, a place of refuge. It's very cozy living in God's secret place. But it's no secret on how to get there!
Psalm 91:
2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
That's how you get there. "The Lord is my refuge. He is my fortress. He is my God. In him do I trust."
When you dwell in a place, that place becomes your habitation. When you say of the Lord, "He is my refuge," you come to dwell within him. He becomes your spiritual house.
Psalm 91:
9. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Notice, that this is something you do? It's not something God chooses? You make the Lord your habitation. How? By saying he is your refuge, your fortress, your God.
All kinds of people all over the world call upon their god. Some people wear their god around their neck. A god is a being you go to for divine intervention in your life. When you say of the Lord that He is your God, you are forsaking other gods and claiming the Lord - the Most High God - as your god.
It is because you SAY he is your God that he becomes your habitation. Because what you SAY is how you set your love upon something.
Psalm 91:
14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Where does your love sit? It is easy to tell. It is what is coming out of your mouth. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).
Some set their love upon their favorite sports team. Or their favorite sport. Spend a little time with them, and eventually you will hear in which house their heart dwells.
So, how do you set your love upon something, in this case, God?
James 3:
2. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Here is a mystery for you! Out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks. But at the same time, what you say is where your heart goes!
So you have a choice: you can either let your heart float aimlessly about on the sea of life, or you can take control of it's rudder, and steer it where you want to go. "Life and death are in the power of the tongue: they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Proverbs 18:21). If you start saying, "The Lord is my God. He is my refuge," your heart will begin to correct course until your heart says, "The Lord is my God."
The Lord is my Shepherd: I never lack (Psalm 23:1).
Oddly, people sometimes tend to put their love upon things that are bad for them. I'm not talking about sins. I'm talking about circumstances. "Nothing ever works out for me. It's only going to fail. Nobody likes me. I can't find a job." Don't let your ship float aimlessly across the sea of life. Steer it into the secret place of the Most High. "The Lord is my refuge! He is my God! There shall no evil befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling!"
Psalm 1:
1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The word meditate means to murmur. In other words, to say. Do not sit in the seat of the scornful. Delight in God's word. Speak it day and night. Set your love upon him.
John 14:
23. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
The word "keep" above does not mean "obey" as much as it means to "watch over," to keep your eye on.
God's word was meant to be spoken as well as believed. He said so in Romans.
Romans 10:
6. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, ...
8. ... The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The word is in your heart, and your mouth. One could just as easily say, "I have faith of the mouth," as they can say, "I have faith of the heart." It is also not only true that one who does not believe in the heart has no faith, but that one who does not speak with the mouth, has no faith either. You may believe it, but if you do not speak it, you have no faith. You may speak it, but if you do not believe it, you have no faith.
(The english language uses "believe" as the verb for faith. However, believing is only half of "faithing." Speaking is the other half. That can be a little confusing.)
So, if you wish to dwell in the secret place of the Most High, you need to believe and speak, "The Lord is my refuge and my fortress. He is my God. In him do I trust. Surely he shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. Only with my eyes shall I behold and see the reward of the wicked."
Incidently, when I bought my first house, I made sure to climb the tree. Alas! The branches big enough to support my weight did not sway in the breeze. But that is okay, because I have found a new secret place.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Jesus didn't die for you...
...he died with you.
That means, you also have to die. You have to die to sin. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life - they have to go.
Many people are of the impression that Jesus died instead of them. But if you want salvation, you also have to die. You also need to be obedient to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).
1 Peter 2:
24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
You see, when Jesus died bearing our sin, we also died to our sin.
Romans 6:
1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
When a person comes to Christ, they are born again. In verse 6 above, Paul says that our old man, our old spirit, is crucified with Jesus. He dies, and is resurrected as a new spirit with the character and nature of God. God reaches back through time, and nails our spirit to Jesus' Cross. When Jesus dies, our spirit dies. When Jesus is raised from the dead, our spirit comes back to life. All this happens in the twinkle of an eye, just like the rapture.
And when the rapture happens our body will be "born again," as well. It will be changed in the twinkling of an eye (I Corinthians 15:34-58).
In the mean time, our flesh is still hungers for sin. Now is when we must become obedient to the death of the cross, just as Jesus did.
Do we say, "Oh, thank God Jesus saved me," then go live a life enjoying the sins of the flesh? Or do we take advantage of the opportunity to put to death the misdeeds of the body? Which do you think is what God expects (Romans 12:1)?
Romans 8:
8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
If you live after your sin dead flesh, you shall die. But if you put to death the misdeeds of the body through the Spirit, you shall live.
But how do you do that? How do you slay the lusts of the flesh? How do you use the Spirit?
It is by the hearing of faith (Galatians 3:5). It is easy to hear it: simply speak it.
Ephesians 4:
17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20. But ye have not so learned Christ;
21. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
You need to put away the lusts of your flesh. You need to sever them from your heart. By speaking God's truth. "The lust of my eye is dead. It died when Jesus died. He himself bore the lust of my eye in his own body on that tree, and it died when Jesus died. It is dead. It has no life in it. It has no strength in it. It has no power in it. It cannot move. Now, I see what Jesus sees."
(Do you see how to make a faith confession? The above uses 1 Peter 2:24.)
Notice in this passage in Ephesians, that those who are in the world live in an ego-driven fantasy world, because their hearts are blind? Notice that they can no longer feel after God with their heart? (Acts 17:27.) Their hearts can no longer bring them understanding?
But being blind and unfeeling in the heart is not how Jesus teaches you. If your heart sees, and your heart feels, Jesus himself will teach you to get rid of the deceitful lusts of your flesh, to mortify them, to put them to death. As Jesus said, he stands at the door of your heart knocking. If you open up to him, he will show you what you must do. He will reveal to you what it is you are doing that you need to repent of. And he will give you the power to overcome.
Revelation 3:
19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Jesus overcame the cross. We also need to overcome the cross. Now that we are born again, our spirit, too, is willing, but our flesh weak (Matthew 26:36-44). We must become obedient to the death of the cross. Jesus is here to help us and to teach us. He is here to die with us.
Luke 9:
23. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
We all have a daily choice to life for ourselves, to follow after our flesh, and to indulge our sinful passions, or, to live for Jesus, to follow after his heart's desire, and to use our faith to put to death the sinful lusts of our flesh. If we seek to save alive our sinful passions, we will lose our life to eternity. But if we daily present our body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and are obedient to the death of the cross, we will live for an eternity. The sun will die, the stars will cease to exist, but we shall still be.
And Jesus will live with us, not instead of us.
Copyright © 2009 Burley Ward. All rights reserved
That means, you also have to die. You have to die to sin. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life - they have to go.
Many people are of the impression that Jesus died instead of them. But if you want salvation, you also have to die. You also need to be obedient to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).
1 Peter 2:
24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
You see, when Jesus died bearing our sin, we also died to our sin.
Romans 6:
1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
When a person comes to Christ, they are born again. In verse 6 above, Paul says that our old man, our old spirit, is crucified with Jesus. He dies, and is resurrected as a new spirit with the character and nature of God. God reaches back through time, and nails our spirit to Jesus' Cross. When Jesus dies, our spirit dies. When Jesus is raised from the dead, our spirit comes back to life. All this happens in the twinkle of an eye, just like the rapture.
And when the rapture happens our body will be "born again," as well. It will be changed in the twinkling of an eye (I Corinthians 15:34-58).
In the mean time, our flesh is still hungers for sin. Now is when we must become obedient to the death of the cross, just as Jesus did.
Do we say, "Oh, thank God Jesus saved me," then go live a life enjoying the sins of the flesh? Or do we take advantage of the opportunity to put to death the misdeeds of the body? Which do you think is what God expects (Romans 12:1)?
Romans 8:
8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
If you live after your sin dead flesh, you shall die. But if you put to death the misdeeds of the body through the Spirit, you shall live.
But how do you do that? How do you slay the lusts of the flesh? How do you use the Spirit?
It is by the hearing of faith (Galatians 3:5). It is easy to hear it: simply speak it.
Ephesians 4:
17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19. Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20. But ye have not so learned Christ;
21. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
You need to put away the lusts of your flesh. You need to sever them from your heart. By speaking God's truth. "The lust of my eye is dead. It died when Jesus died. He himself bore the lust of my eye in his own body on that tree, and it died when Jesus died. It is dead. It has no life in it. It has no strength in it. It has no power in it. It cannot move. Now, I see what Jesus sees."
(Do you see how to make a faith confession? The above uses 1 Peter 2:24.)
Notice in this passage in Ephesians, that those who are in the world live in an ego-driven fantasy world, because their hearts are blind? Notice that they can no longer feel after God with their heart? (Acts 17:27.) Their hearts can no longer bring them understanding?
But being blind and unfeeling in the heart is not how Jesus teaches you. If your heart sees, and your heart feels, Jesus himself will teach you to get rid of the deceitful lusts of your flesh, to mortify them, to put them to death. As Jesus said, he stands at the door of your heart knocking. If you open up to him, he will show you what you must do. He will reveal to you what it is you are doing that you need to repent of. And he will give you the power to overcome.
Revelation 3:
19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Jesus overcame the cross. We also need to overcome the cross. Now that we are born again, our spirit, too, is willing, but our flesh weak (Matthew 26:36-44). We must become obedient to the death of the cross. Jesus is here to help us and to teach us. He is here to die with us.
Luke 9:
23. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
We all have a daily choice to life for ourselves, to follow after our flesh, and to indulge our sinful passions, or, to live for Jesus, to follow after his heart's desire, and to use our faith to put to death the sinful lusts of our flesh. If we seek to save alive our sinful passions, we will lose our life to eternity. But if we daily present our body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and are obedient to the death of the cross, we will live for an eternity. The sun will die, the stars will cease to exist, but we shall still be.
And Jesus will live with us, not instead of us.
Copyright © 2009 Burley Ward. All rights reserved
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Born Again, Left Behind
Many people believe that once they are born again, that is all that is necessary to make it to heaven. And it is true that once you are born again, your are part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
John 3:
3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
And again, as Paul says:
Colossians 1:
13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
So it is through the new birth that one enters into the Kingdom of Heaven. But being born again is no guarantee you will make it in the rapture. Let us look at the parable of the tares. (Tares are darnel, a weed called "false wheat" because it looks exactly like wheat, but has no fruit. At harvest, it's sheaf of seeds stands tall because its seeds are small and bitter, while true wheat bows its head because it is weighed down by the heavy seeds it holds.)
Matthew 13:
24. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28. He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29. But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
... 36. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The angels will gather all who do iniquity out of Jesus' kingdom, and will burn them in fire. By being born again, you have been given a great priceless gift. But if you squander that gift, and live a life of iniquity, you will be worse off than those who never knew the Lord. Peter speaks of this. (In the interest of space, I have dropped portions, ..., in order to focus on my main point. I recommend you read the entire passage from the Bible.)
2 Peter 2:
1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, ....
2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways....
... 4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
... 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government....
... 14. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
15. Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, ...
...20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
It is a dangerous thing to make a mockery of the Blood of Jesus. He gave his blood and his flesh to deliver you from sin. To abuse this great gift by pursuing a life of sin- it would be better to have never known the Lord in the first place.
But how does one turn from sin? It is very good that we can repent and ask forgiveness, but how does one stop sinning?
There is one answer Jesus gave for this. There is not room in this post to go over it in detail, but I will simply say this: You curse the tree of sin just as Jesus cursed the fig tree: Using faith. (Mark 11:13-14, 20-26.) Then the tree of sin will die from the root: the lust for that sin will die. When your faith grows up, it will kill the lust that drives the sin. It will cease to exist in your heart.
But how do you do this? You can use the same prayer Jesus used. When he found the fig tree had no fruit because it wasn't time yet, he said, "No man eat fruit of you hereafter forever." (The best time to kill a tree of sin is before it has borne any fruit!) Peter marveled when they went by the tree again the next day that it was dried up from the roots. Jesus told him, "Have faith in God," and proceeded to teach them how to use faith. You can use that same prayer, and that same faith.
You can say to the lust that fuels your sin, "No man eat fruit of you henceforth, forever! You are dead, in Jesus name!" And if you stand on this faith - believe it and speak it - until it grows up and bears fruit, your sin-hunger will die just like the fig tree did.
Does this mean you will stop sinning immediately? No, probably not. Faith takes time to grow. Even with Jesus, whose faith was mature, it took some time for the fig tree to die. So when your sin puts up a fight, you just repent, ask God to forgive you, and speak and believe all the harder that your lust is dead. That it died when Jesus died (Romans 6).
That way, when the rapture happens, you won't be born again but left behind.
When the Judge of the Rapture looks at the throne of your heart, will he find Jesus sitting there, or will he find iniquity sitting there?
Copyright © 2009 Burley Ward. All rights reserved
John 3:
3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
And again, as Paul says:
Colossians 1:
13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
So it is through the new birth that one enters into the Kingdom of Heaven. But being born again is no guarantee you will make it in the rapture. Let us look at the parable of the tares. (Tares are darnel, a weed called "false wheat" because it looks exactly like wheat, but has no fruit. At harvest, it's sheaf of seeds stands tall because its seeds are small and bitter, while true wheat bows its head because it is weighed down by the heavy seeds it holds.)
Matthew 13:
24. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28. He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29. But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
... 36. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The angels will gather all who do iniquity out of Jesus' kingdom, and will burn them in fire. By being born again, you have been given a great priceless gift. But if you squander that gift, and live a life of iniquity, you will be worse off than those who never knew the Lord. Peter speaks of this. (In the interest of space, I have dropped portions, ..., in order to focus on my main point. I recommend you read the entire passage from the Bible.)
2 Peter 2:
1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, ....
2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways....
... 4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
... 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government....
... 14. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
15. Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, ...
...20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
It is a dangerous thing to make a mockery of the Blood of Jesus. He gave his blood and his flesh to deliver you from sin. To abuse this great gift by pursuing a life of sin- it would be better to have never known the Lord in the first place.
But how does one turn from sin? It is very good that we can repent and ask forgiveness, but how does one stop sinning?
There is one answer Jesus gave for this. There is not room in this post to go over it in detail, but I will simply say this: You curse the tree of sin just as Jesus cursed the fig tree: Using faith. (Mark 11:13-14, 20-26.) Then the tree of sin will die from the root: the lust for that sin will die. When your faith grows up, it will kill the lust that drives the sin. It will cease to exist in your heart.
But how do you do this? You can use the same prayer Jesus used. When he found the fig tree had no fruit because it wasn't time yet, he said, "No man eat fruit of you hereafter forever." (The best time to kill a tree of sin is before it has borne any fruit!) Peter marveled when they went by the tree again the next day that it was dried up from the roots. Jesus told him, "Have faith in God," and proceeded to teach them how to use faith. You can use that same prayer, and that same faith.
You can say to the lust that fuels your sin, "No man eat fruit of you henceforth, forever! You are dead, in Jesus name!" And if you stand on this faith - believe it and speak it - until it grows up and bears fruit, your sin-hunger will die just like the fig tree did.
Does this mean you will stop sinning immediately? No, probably not. Faith takes time to grow. Even with Jesus, whose faith was mature, it took some time for the fig tree to die. So when your sin puts up a fight, you just repent, ask God to forgive you, and speak and believe all the harder that your lust is dead. That it died when Jesus died (Romans 6).
That way, when the rapture happens, you won't be born again but left behind.
When the Judge of the Rapture looks at the throne of your heart, will he find Jesus sitting there, or will he find iniquity sitting there?
Copyright © 2009 Burley Ward. All rights reserved
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