Commandments

The Commandment to Be Kind

Peter
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Adding Kindness to Godliness

The Commandment to be kind is everywhere in the Scriptures, and while not explicitly cited, it is interwoven into many other Commandments.  Kindness is a notable fruit of the Spirit that those walking by faith are exhibiting.  All the spiritual fruits, including kindness, are interrelated, and producing them in our walk is the Commandment.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

Gal 5:23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

This is readily seen even in the world’s definition of the adjective “to be kind.”  We cannot be kind without also being patient, gentle, forbearing and having a sincere desire to help our fellow man.

Cambridge Dictionary:  Kind – generous, helpful, and thinking about other people’s feelings:

Brittania Dictionary: Kind – having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others: wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others

Merriam Webster:  of a sympathetic or helpful nature, of a forbearing nature (gentle), arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance, of a kind to give pleasure or relief

In our day of the Lord, the light of these Commandments is being shown on our earth, revealing our sins and weaknesses as the faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ in the world.  We have all fallen short at times, some more than others, and we are repenting of our selfishness and pride, seeking the Lord’s help to do better.  When we are prideful, we are unkind and scoff at the Lord in every situation He is causing in our lives.  The wisdom of God has us overcoming and taking down this mighty stronghold of the flesh to seek its own.

Pro 21:21  He who follows righteousness and kindness [mercy] finds life, righteousness, and honor. 

Pro 21:22  A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings down the trusted stronghold. 

Pro 21:23  Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. 

Pro 21:24  A proud and haughty man—”Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride. 

Mercy, kindness, and loving kindness are nearly identical.  The same Hebrew word, H2617 in Strong’s,  is translated into all three words many times.  In the New Testament, the term compassion is akin to kindness and is an action we perform in obedience to our Lord.  The good Samaritan was kind and compassionate, going out of his way and giving of himself as a witness for Christ.

Luk 10:33  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 

Luk 10:34  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 

The master who was owed much in the world, forgave it all in compassion or kindness, as the example of our Lord forgiving us all our debt, so we, in turn, forgive all who owe us.

Mat 18:25  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 

Mat 18:26  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

Mat 18:27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 

Kindness is hearing the cries of those in need, be they verbal or physical cues, and answering the call, being merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful.

Mat 20:32  And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 

Mat 20:33  They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 

Mat 20:34  So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. 

We want others to be kind, courteous, and compassionate with us, and that is exactly what we are commanded to do with others.  It is intricately tied to the first Commandment, on which there is none greater.  It is far more important than we have previously known.

Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 

Mar 12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 

Nothing is to be done selfishly or with strife.  We are not our own; we belong to Christ now and are unworthy servants doing the Lord’s work.  We look to the needs of others, which is the mind of Christ.

Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 

Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

As a living sacrifice, we no longer seek our own but the needs of others.

1Co 10:24  Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth

Being mean, rude, impolite, impatient, condescending, or any number of adjectives contrary to being kind or considerate, does nothing to address the needs of Christ and is a failure on our part to be a faithful witness.

Mat 25:40  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. 

We are Christ, and are being made into the sons of God and putting on the same divine nature as Jesus Christ, receiving His mindset.  The Lord is known for His lovingkindness, mercy, and compassion, and so shall we be in our transformation from a beast unto a saint.

Isa 63:7  I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. 

Psa 117:2  For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD. 

Walking in the faith, we do not allow anger or meanness to control us; those fruits of the flesh are the opposite of kindness.  We submit to the Lord the more we become like Him.

Joe 2:13  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 

The Body of Christ, the Prov 31 Woman, the church of God, has this law of kindness in her speech.  Being kind, gentle, meek, and patient is the sacrifice of praise we continually offer in all our speech and behavior.

Pro 31:26  She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 

We cannot love anyone and be Christ to anyone if we do not keep the Commandments.  We restate this definition of love here and often to remind ourselves.

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

When we love God, we produce the fruit of the Spirit.  If that fruit is not evident, then we need to examine ourselves as something is amiss in our walk.

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 

Love is patient and kind; it does not act meanly or rudely to others.  The love of God requires us to bear all things, including many hurts and wrongs that the world’s mindset seeks to avenge itself. We avenge nothing, leaving that all to God, and are commanded to simply do Christ, that is to love.

1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 

1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 

1Co 13:4  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 

1Co 13:5  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 

1Co 13:6  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 

1Co 13:7  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

We certainly have done nothing to deserve the grace of God and the kindness He has bestowed upon us.  We have freely received in order that we can freely give it back to those the Lord puts into our path.

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 

Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

Being raised as ministers of God, Christ in this world, the Commandment to be holy requires that all our speech and emotions be brought under subjection to the Lord. We are to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, which is the opposite demeanor of who we were before we received the Gospel.

Eph 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

As God’s elect, His chosen witnesses, we are the spiritual light unto this world.  There is no allowance for us to hold onto any fleshly emotions of bitterness, wrath, meanness, and pride.  All is put away; we have died to those things that we might live for God.

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Kindness is a light; it draws people to Christ.  Kindness is the way of Christ and is to be seen in our behavior, being born of the Spirit of God, which dwells in us.  The light of Christ is to be seen in our actions as we are an open witness and testimony to all who see us.

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 

Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

As kindness grows in us, and we learn to love it, as we are humbled of our fleshly pride through many trials.  We learn to trust God and not ourselves and focus on just obeying the Commandments and producing the fruit.

Mic 6:8  esv He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 

We are kind and considerate to all mankind, not just those we know and love.  There is never any partiality with God nor respect of persons in judgment.  We are Christ to all.

Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 

Those who hate the Living Christ [our enemies], we love by doing good and showing them the same kindness as we do to those who do good to us.  By keeping the Commandments, we show them mercy, and in due time, our acts help open their eyes and bring them to Christ.

Luk 6:27  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 

Luk 6:28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 

We are kind to others because we are Christ, and this is the Commandment.  Nonetheless, our reward is great in heaven, as we are obtaining the mind of Christ.

Luk 6:33  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 

Luk 6:34  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 

Luk 6:35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 

Luk 6:36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 

Doing the truth is much harder than knowing the truth. As someone who struggles to be kind at times, I have asked, “Why is there so little kindness in my heart?”  The Lord is causing our sins; they are part of all things He is working, and He does this to turn areas of our hearts back to Him in repentance.  Our eyes are being trained to look within us, to see our sin and pray for mercy, for the Lord to come deliver us.

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 

Our continued failures vex our fleshly spirit and are used to bring us to repentance.  The spirit of flesh, the pride of our life that is our beast, who wars with the King, must be consumed in the lake of fire, and it is happening right on schedule.

Rev 19:19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 

Rev 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 

Being kind to all men exposes us to being taken advantage of and having our goods spoiled.  Yet we obey God anyway and count it a blessing to be spoken evil of and have our goods spoiled.

Heb 10:33  Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 

Heb 10:34  For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 

Kindness is something we add to our faith as we mature.  The kindness of Christ is part of His divine nature that we are being made partakers of, having escaped the corruption of the world.  We are in a race, a journey, also known as the fight of faith.  We are to be diligent, meaning to be careful and thoughtful, to add things to our faith, including patience [temperance]  and kindness.  We naturally lack these things in the flesh, and the world teaches us the opposite behavior.  We are learning to add them by the Spirit of God.  The end result is perfect love, the charity that is our obedience to the Lord.

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 

Our Lord is kind.  Let us therefore remember the Commandment to be kind.  Let’s not be too busy with our own lives that we forget the Commandment and fail to be kind and give of ourselves in the moment.  Help us, Lord, to be kind in all our speech and behavior.

Commandments

Be Patient in Tribulation

Peter
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In Patience We Possess Our Souls

Peter and Rohnel, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus gathered with us and those scattered in the world, grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank our Lord for His enduring mercy, which continually opens our eyes to see our sin and to bring correction.

Father, we confess our lack of patience and striving against your work in our lives and ask for strength to overcome and walk as your faithful witnesses.  We are the most blessed who delight in your ways, who are prospering, being planted by the rivers of life that are your Commandments.

Psa 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. 

Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

Psa 1:3  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 Lord commands us to be patient in our lives and to look towards and wait upon Him to provide what we need, knowing the Lord works all things for the counsel of His will.  The Lord chose us to bear spiritual fruit that remains even in the midst of many temptations to do otherwise.  This includes abiding in patience, which is the focus of this study on the Commandment to be patient.  Being patient also means being long-suffering and retaining self control or temperance.  This study came about as a rebuke and admonition to my impatience, hastiness and lack of self control which kept the fruit of the Spirit from budding forth.

Gal 5:22  NKJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 
Gal 5:23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 
Gal 5:24  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Impatience is an affection of the flesh; it is not the fruit of the Spirit.  Patience is far more important than we realize because without it, we do not bear the downstream fruits of the spirit, and also are not obedient to the Commandments to be gentle and kind.

1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

2Ti 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

The fruits of the Spirit are the products of our walking in faith and come forth when we obey the one great Commandment to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul.  An impatient spirit is not a spirit submitted to what the Lord is working in the moment and is disobedience. In the day of the Lord, our impatience is brought into the light and fire that is the Living Commandments.  Progression onward to maturity is stalled, bearing little fruit, when we do not overcome and continue through much patience to show godliness and kindness in all our behavior. Adding to our faith is growing in the faith unto the mature man in Christ.  Patience needs to be added to yield godliness in all our behavior.

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 

2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Not being patient is one being impatient, and it’s a sign that one is still a beast.  Impatience comes forth from the pride of life that is being burned away in the Commandments as we lay down our lives in obedience.

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. 

Ecc 7:8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

If not patient, we are not possessing our souls as the Lord demands.  We remain and abide in conflict with what the Lord is doing to reshape and remold us into holy vessels in which He and the Father dwell forever.  In our day of the Lord, we suffer great tribulation, and the Lord tells us to patiently endure and wait for Him to finish His work.

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls. 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

If our lives are defined by haste and angst, we are not at rest or being patient. These are signs we are striving against what the Lord is doing at this moment of our lives.  This behavior and thought life are kicking against the pricks. The Lord says it is hard to kick against His pricks; we just make our trials worse.  Far better to just obey the Lord.

Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Act 9:6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Pricks in the natural are known as goads and are designed to keep cattle moving in the direction [in submission] to what the herdsman or shepherd demands.  Pricks in the spiritual is the grace of God, our trials, the exact situation we are in that is part of all things the Lord works, to keep us in submission to Christ, the Living Commandments, and do what our Maker demands.  The word translated pricks is also translated as stings, as the pricks or stings, being the Lord’s grace, move us towards Christ and His righteousness.  If we do not obey, more stings and more pricks follow to bring us into subjection and be content and patient.  The Lord does not fail to prosper His Word in His elect.  When we push back, resist, and are impatient, more pricks are added until we submit.

Num 33:55  But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. 

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 

We are learning to put down the sword, our carnal mind, and rest in the Living Christ, the Commandments of the Father that live in us.  The tribulations and grace continue until our beast is subdued.

Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear. 

Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 

Our rebellious actions are futile and do nothing to change the Lord’s heavy arm pressing upon us.  Any resistance puts us deeper into torment and distress.   Far better to take heed of the Lord and obey His commandments.  We rest in peace and learn to be patient.

Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 

Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

The sacrifices and offerings the Lord desires and accepts are those of a contrite and meek spirit.  Impatience and hastiness are the antithesis of a broken spirit, and thus the Lord sends fiery trials in the appointed time to burn this beastly character out of us.

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

John describes the great tribulation that all brethren endure as being the patience of Jesus Christ.  All things we endure require patience to stay the course and walk the narrow road to the end.  Paul shares the same message.

Rev 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

2Co 6:4  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 

Moving through life fast, at the world’s pace, without consideration and forethought, brings out the wrath of man and works not the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are learning to slow down in life, tarry for others, wait on the Lord to lead us, and not be easily provoked in our flesh.

Jas 1:19  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 

Jas 1:20  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 

In our day of judgment, the Lord frustrates our impatience and our attempts to avoid being patient.  We cannot escape the judgment of God and retain our impatience.  When we think we have escaped the lion, a bear then meets us, or a serpent bites us.  The grace of God is not failing to have its way in the whirlwind of our judgment.  The Lord, the Commandments, are passing through us once more to remake all things.

Amo 5:17  And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.

Amo 5:18  Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

Amo 5:19  As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God, who accomplishes His will in remaking our heavens and our earth in the appointed time.  All our contention is brought into subjection through much tribulation and anguish.

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 

Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 

Rom 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 

Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 

We trust the Lord through our faith, knowing all things work together for the greater good.  The example of Job and the blessings that come at the end gives us hope and strength to endure the moment and remain patient, bearing the anguish that is making our spirit of flesh poor.

Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 

We learn to glory in our tribulations, knowing that they are teaching us patience, a key fruit of the Spirit that makes us faithful witnesses to the Lord. Learning patience comes with much experience in trials and builds our hope in the Lord and the promises yet to be revealed in us.

Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 

Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 

We learn contentment in our patience and stop kicking against the pricks.

Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 

Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

Being patient is one of the marks of a true Christian.  As the Lord’s witnesses in this world, we are called to be patient and control our fleshly emotions at all times.

Rom 12:10  Be affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; 

Rom 12:11  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 

Patience is long suffering, which requires endurance, which is also a Commandment.  The patient and long-suffering with others define the nature of those marked by Christ.

Eph 4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 

Eph 4:3  Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We are being made into His likeness and image. Be patient in all circumstances, as that is the nature of our God.

Rom 15:5  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 

We are no longer brawlers nor run in the same dissipations as the world, which by nature is impatient and striving with one another.  Shepherds of the sheep are patient and follow the many examples of the Apostles.

1Ti 3:3  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

Tit 2:2  That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

2Ti 3:10  But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

Be patient in the hope of the Lord Jesus Christ and in our dealings with all men. We are lights unto the world and are commanded to run our race with patience.

1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Entering the Kingdom of God is only done through many tribulations.  These trials require great patience to endure, grow in maturity, and overcome our sin.  We are keeping the Commandment to be patient at the forefront of our thoughts and minds every day as we endure the fiery trials in our day of the Lord.

2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

The Lord is our helper in our trials with impatience and all the Commandments.  Seek Him, the Commandments, and we shall live in His sight.

 

Studies

Christ, a Man of Many Sorrows

Peter
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Enduring our Cross 

Peter and Rohnel, servants of the Most High, to the scattered pilgrims who share our precious faith in the Living Christ, peace and grace to you in the name of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May these words, in their appointed time, bring comfort to those who are afflicted and suffering many sorrows in life.

The life of Jesus Christ in a clay vessel is a life of enduring many sorrows. Our Lord Jesus Christ and we as His chosen ones, Christ’s Christ, willingly endure the sorrows the Father appoints us to for our love of the Father that is put into our hearts.   We go and do as our heavenly Father directs us, knowing full well the journey comes with many tribulations and sorrows. Christ’s death was no surprise to Him, and our death to the old life and our sufferings is no surprise either.  Christ teaches this to His disciples continually to enable us to endure the sufferings and sorrows.

Mar 8:31  And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 

We ask for relief when desired, but put all things in subjection to the will of God.

Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 

We, as Christ in the world, follow the Lord and also endure much sorrow in the process of being remade in the hands of the Potter.  These sorrows and afflictions are humbling us and making us poor in spirit [of our flesh].

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 

The Scriptures, speaking of Christ, speak not only of our Lord’s coming in the body of flesh, but also His coming into our bodies of flesh. We are His Holy Temple in which He comes to dwell. We are raised as Christ in the world for His purposes to be His witnesses and perform the greater works. Through the Living Word of the Father that dwells in our hearts and minds, we are no longer of this world, yet are sent into the world in the same manner as the Lord was sent. We continue to grow in understanding the scope and magnitude of this heavenly appointment as the chosen of God.

Joh 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

Joh 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world

The carnal world judges us in the flesh like they did Christ back then, seeing Him only as Joseph’s son, a mere carpenter. Thus, our report of the Gospel and the revealing of the mysteries of God are not believed. Our preaching is rejected, and understanding is given only to a precious few who make up the little flock, the remnant being saved in this generation. The Gospel remains hidden from the eyes that do not see us as Christ.

Isa 53:1  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 

Those who believe and those to whom Christ is revealed are those given to suffer many sorrows from the arm of the Lord.  When our troubles and sorrows begin in our day of the Lord, those outside the faith see it and want nothing to do with us. The great gulf continues to widen as we walk in the Spirit, preach, and obey the Gospel. To the carnal world, what we believe and do is foolishness. Our life is defined by increasing sorrows and much grief that only adds to the rejection of our life focus, actions, and the words of truth we speak. Christ is not esteemed and rather despised.

Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 

Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

The Lord’s Christ in every generation bears the griefs and carries the sorrows for the whole of the Lord’s church. The carnally minded see those smitten and afflicted of God, but do not understand the purposes of the afflictions and sorrows, until the Lord opens our eyes to the Gospel.

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

Our sufferings are both physical and spiritual, and come in many shapes and forms, as the Scriptures describe. The Lord uses everything at His disposal [all things] to bring trials, including those of health, money, spiritual and physical family, property, worldly relationships, and many more, to bring the necessary sorrows to crush our fleshly spirit. The Lord even uses the tribulations of others whom we love dearly to bring us sorrow. Jesus wept over Lazarus and the sorrow of the disciples, and we also weep over the sorrows of those we love. The Body of Christ is one spirit and body with Christ, and we all partake of the same bread that is the Commandments.  We have all things in common including our sorrows.

Rom 12:15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 

Our tribulations separate us for the Lord’s purposes and humble us by continually trying and proving our faith. This time is known as a day of trouble, and it is our day of the Lord when we are being perfected from our sin. The yoke, our bondage to the whims of our flesh, is being destroyed so we serve only Christ. It is known as the great tribulation in the New Testament and by many other names and phrases, including Jacob’s trouble.

Jer 30:7  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. 

Jer 30:8  For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: 

Jer 30:9  But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. 

Those suffering afflictions are often reproached and scornfully treated by the carnally minded world, who look down upon those who suffer and are weak in the flesh. Some are born with physical afflictions that bring great hardship and sorrow, and some carry these burdens for many years. The stories and examples of God-given physical afflictions in the Scriptures apply both spiritually and outwardly. The Lord is working all things and is the father of all spirits, even those that cause sorrowful and painful infirmities. Here is a sampling of those biblical stories.

  • Jacob wrestles with God and injures his hip, taking away the strength of his flesh [no thigh] – Gen 32:25
  • Job loses everything but his life and is afflicted with boils over his body to humble him – Job chapters 1-2
  • Issac and Jacob lose their eyesight later in life, so they walk only by faith – Gen 27 and Gen 48
  • Man crippled 38 years before Christ healed him at the pool – Joh 5:5
  • Woman bowed over for 18 years healed by Christ – Luke 13:11-16
  • Paul’s thorn in the flesh to keep him humble – 2Co 12:7-9
  • Man born blind from birth healed – Joh 9:1-3
  • Woman with menstrual blood for 12 years – Mat 9:20-22

Let us also remember our Lord and the suffering and anguish Jesus Christ endured, a Roman crucifixion, in losing his physical life.   The Lord knows how to comfort us in our suffering as He has endured more than we ever are asked to endure. Our chastening with both physical and spiritual afflictions is all for the purpose of being perfected as our heavenly Father is perfect.

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

The Lord wastes nothing, and all of our sorrow is used for good and transforms us into the likeness and image of Christ, being made a son of God. We are not suffering for suffering’s sake but for righteousness’ sake. We come to see and understand this principle and thus lay down our lives for the sake of the Body that is the church. Having received the Gospel, the Living Word, we see and know all of our suffering as a righteous servant is bearing the inequities of all.

Isa 53:10  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him [us, the elect, His righteous servants]; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

It pleases the Lord to bruise His Christ in this world. Not that the Lord enjoys our suffering, but because He knows the way of learning righteousness, the very reason He comes, is found through suffering and loss.

Heb 2:10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 

Our chastening by these afflictions is not always meant to correct us for a sin or wrongdoing. To those given much, much is expected, and the Lord afflicts those He raises as shepherds of His sheep to keep them/us from being exalted. Paul shared his testimony with us.

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 

Solomon, the king, preacher, and wisest man on earth, learned as we do of the direct relationship between wisdom and knowledge of God and the resulting sorrow.

Ecc 1:18  For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. 

Solomon’s words bear powerful witness to the Lord’s use of sorrow and mourning to remake us in His image and likeness. The sadder our fleshly hearts are made, the despairing of life in this world, the closer we are coming to the kingdom of God.

Ecc 7:2  It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 

Ecc 7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 

Sicknesses, diseases, and pain, known as spirits of infirmity, are under the control of the Father of all Spirits [Heb 12:9], who is the Lord. They are part of all things being worked for the counsel of His will. Many suffer for long periods, and it is all used for the glory of God in due time.

Besides the Lord’s death on the cross, the most comprehensive suffering and loss may be foretold in the Book of Job. All things must be fulfilled, including our Job experience.  The Lord sent satan to try Job and take everything from him: his house, his livelihood, his family, his servants, as written in Job 1:14-19.  Even still, the Lord added physical pain and affliction to Job’s sorrow and suffering.

Job 2:7  So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 

All of these afflictions, called evil by the Scriptures, are used for good to humble us as they did for Job and thereby drain our fleshly spirit.

Ecc 1:18 CLV I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens:it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it. 

The Lord blessed the latter end of Job much more than in the beginning, and so it shall be with all of us suffering sorrow today.

Job 42:10  And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 

Job 42:11  Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. 

Job 42:12  So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 

The disciples taught us to rejoice in our sufferings, knowing they serve a purpose for the sake of the entire body of Christ. Suffering is the calling for all who Christ brings through the door in this age, who become living sacrifices and ministers of the Gospel.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 

Following our Lord’s example, we lay down our lives for the brethren, embracing the suffering and reproach that come with our heavenly calling.

1Jn 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Our treasure is Christ in us, the Promise, the Living Commandments, that is the Holy Spirit now dwelling in us. We learn to stand on our hope and faith in the promises of God, trusting that the work He began is being finished.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

Only a faithful few continue to walk, bear their cross, and pay the costs all the way to the end. The Lord makes a way for us to endure to the end, even through periods of despair of life.

2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 

2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

Our fleshly spirit, the carnal mind and its lusts that is our old man, is decreased for Christ in us to be revealed. When our fleshly spirit is crushed and made poor, we are the most blessed people on the earth. Those who mourn through their sorrow are likewise blessed and comforted by God. The crushing of our old spirit is making us meek, causing us to stop striving with our Maker and thus to inherit the earth. The result is overcoming our sin and having dominion over our earth, ruling and reigning with Christ.

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

Being crucified with Christ, we reach the point of giving up our spirit, which is submitting ourselves fully unto the Lord. The same is losing our life to save it. New life comes by way of the death of the old.

Rom 6:4  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. 

The sacrifices that are acceptable to God are those of a crushed or broken spirit who looks to God alone for their sufficiency.

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 

Sorrows break our fleshly spirit and are thus integral to preparing us for use in the Master’s kingdom.

Pro 15:13  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 

Psa 107:39  Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. 

We are being humbled [made meek], before the Lord raises us back up in the power of His resurrection. The NT version says it in these words from James.

Jas 4:9  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 

Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

Godly sorrow brings salvation, and the sorrow of the world brings forth death, meaning sin. The former has us forsaking all to obey God; worldly sorrow is feigned humility designed to keep the spirit of flesh alive.

2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death [sin].

The Lord knows what we can take and what is needed to perfect us and prepare us for His use in bringing forth judgment to the Gentiles. While the Lord bruises us, He does not break us or completely destroy us. It is through these many tribulations that is our day of judgment, that we are brought forth into the Truth.

Isa 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 

Isa 42:3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 

Knowing these truths, we often remind ourselves of the suffering, the trials, the sorrow that is necessary to enter into the kingdom of God and be perfected in our day of the Lord. It was prophesied long ago, and the Lord changes not in His ways.

Gen 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 

Christ often spoke to His disciples about his impending death and suffering on the cross. Yet they brushed it off and did not understand what was being said until they lived it. Later, they did remember, and it helped them, as it helps all of us to endure our suffering and sorrows as we follow the Lord’s example. We understand it when we fulfill times of great sorrows in our appointed seasons and fulfill the Scriptures.

Luk 18:31  Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 

Luk 18:32  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 

Luk 18:33  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 

Luk 18:34  And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. 

Carnal minds tell us this cannot possibly be true, yet the Lord rebuked Peter for his unbelief.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 
Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

All who come through the door of the Living Christ, the Commandments [Joh 10:20], are Christ in the world and have become a shepherd of the sheep. Shepherds of the sheep give their lives for the sheep. As Christ in the world, we are giving our lives as the Lord did His.

Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 

Our many sorrows are not pleasant in the moment, but they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness in the end. Our suffering is for a short season as the Lord makes a quick work on the earth. For the elect’s sake, He promises to shorten the days. Our hope in the promises of God not yet revealed sustains us through.

Rom 8:18  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. 

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Our sorrow is turned into joy right on time, as was written in our book from the very beginning. Joy comes in the morning when Christ arises in us.

Joh 16:20  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 

Joh 16:21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 

Our time of sorrows has a beginning and an end. It is in the last days, once we have heard the Gospel, that our day of the Lord begins, which is also the beginning of our sorrows. The chastening grace of God tries us with the Commandments, and the Lord brings various afflictions and the resulting loss and suffering. Once the Gospel has been preached, the time of the end is at hand, the conflicts in our life begin, as such is the beginning of our sorrows.

Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

The redeemed of the Lord are learning to walk on the highway to holiness. On this narrow highway, nothing can harm us, and we obtain joy and gladness, and all our sorrows flee away.

Isa 35:8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 

Isa 35:9  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 

Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 

When the work of God is done, there is no more sorrow and no more tears. All things have been made new. We are free from death, sorrow, and all pain and suffering. This promise is our hope and what helps us to endure just a little longer. Our hope is in the Lord, not in our current state of suffering.

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 

Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 

We are entering into the true holy city, of Zion, that is heavenly Jerusalem, where there is no longer any sorrow or mourning.

Isa 51:11  Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. 

When we feel helpless and overcome with sorrow and suffering that we cannot bear any longer, we need to remind ourselves of the Lord’s promises. The Scriptures bring comfort and hope of better times ahead. In times of need, we go to the throne of mercy and grace, the Living Commandments, the Holy Spirit, and seek wisdom from above.

Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 

The examples of Jesus Christ and the OT types of Christ, such as King David, give us instruction. Seek the Lord and fervently pray and bring praises to His name, that is His Commandments. Only the Lord can lead us out of the pit of sorrow and suffering.

Psa 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 

Psa 18:3  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 

Psa 18:4  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 

Psa 18:5  The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 

Psa 18:6  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. 

Christ commands us not to fall asleep in our sorrow as did the unconverted disciples before Christ was taken and crucified. Stay alert, sober, and focused on the Commandments. Our times of weakness become the devil’s opportune times to tempt us. Prayer is seeking God, and we are to do this without ceasing.

Luk 22:45  And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 

Luk 22:46  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. 

The more we suffer, the more we grow from babes in Christ onward to maturity. With greater knowledge and understanding of His grace, we become willing and able to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice as commanded. We endure our cross as the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

We are unworthy servants of the Most High God who have been redeemed from the earth. In this, we can rejoice even in the midst of great sorrows and suffering. We have been prepared for the marriage of the Lamb through many sufferings. Let us be glad and rejoice in the day.

Articles

A Young Man Flees Persecution

Peter
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Keeping Our Linen Cloth

Peter and Rohnel, servants of God, to the elect of God who share our precious faith; grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have conducted several studies on the cost of following Jesus Christ. A recent comprehensive study on these costs can be found by clicking HERE. Many who start the walk are unable to bear the increasing costs and stop following Christ.  This means they stop obeying the Commandments when the cost is too high.  They slip back into their carnal reasoning about what is right versus wrong in the trials the Lord brings.

Ultimately, all things must be forsaken. “Disciples indeed” are those made willing to pay the price and continue to pay it every day as they grow in the grace and knowledge of God.  The rich young ruler who knew the truth had not the faith to follow Christ when given the opportunity to choose.

Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 

Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 

Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 

To be saved in this age, we are continuing to the end and finishing our race.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 

Our journey is one of patience and is an ongoing war with many battles.  It is a fight not to be pulled off the course of faith that leads to the finish line.

2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Anything that weighs us down and distracts us from Christ needs to go from our lives. We learn patience in overcoming, and we are caused by the Lord to leave behind many things we once enjoyed and loved.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

Lord willing, we endure, persevere, and continue no matter the costs. It is all up to God, who determines all things, to drag us to Christ and enable us to continue all the way to the finish line. We of ourselves can do nothing.

Joh 6:65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 

This introduction brings us to the story and parable that is our focus in this short study. When Christ was being arrested and persecuted, which led to His crucifixion, the yet carnal disciples all forsook Christ and fled away. In Mark’s Gospel, we have the added detail of a man who had followed Christ and His disciples at a distance, observing, who encountered the same persecutors and likewise fled.

Mar 14:50  And they all forsook him, and fled. 

Mar 14:51  And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 

Mar 14:52  And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. 

This story is a parable that reflects that many, in fact, most, fall away and do not continue with Christ.  When hard trials come, they lose their covering and flee naked.  Obeying the Commandments [Christ] comes with a price and many worldly troubles.

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The linen cloth spoken of here that had covered the young man is also our burial cloth. It is the righteousness of the saints that comes by the faith of Jesus Christ that is given to us. By His faith, we are imputed as righteous, which covers our nakedness even before we are matured and overcome our sin. Those who strive to obey the Gospel are being baptized into Christ’s death. The Lord’s fleshly body was likewise laid to rest with a burial cloth.

Mat 27:59  And when Joseph had taken the body [of Christ], he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth

The burial cloth is the fine linen of the saints, symbolizing death to our carnal minds and sin. The result of walking by faith is our obeying the Lord and bearing fruit unto righteousness.  We do this in spite of enduring the hatred and rejection of the carnal world that is promised to be experienced. We are entering into the true Sabbath rest for the people of God. We no longer run in the same dissipations as the world, being dead to it, its lust and ways of thinking. Wearing the linen cloth is walking in Christ’s doctrine, the Commandments, which we only do by the Lord’s mercy and gifts and calling of God.

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Rom 6:4  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. 

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Our affection is now on the things above. We are dead, and our life is hid with Christ.

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

Being young in the true faith, when persecutors first arise, we flee Christ and drop the linen cloth and run away naked in spirit. We are not ready to bear the cost or take the heat that comes with standing for all of the Commandments.   The Living Christ, the Commandments, are thus forsaken, symbolized by dropping the linen cloth.  We do not abide in the spiritual fire that is the Living Christ.

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

Yet Christ comes again in the power of the Spirit and gives us the Promise when the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. The soil in due time is properly prepared for every man, and Christ comes again, the second time for salvation. We are thus able to bear the reproach and rejection of the world, pay the costs, and follow Christ.

1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 

Carnal minds readily try to talk us out of laying it all down in obedience to Christ and trusting fully in God’s provision. A carnal Peter was rebuked as we all are in our time and reminded of what following Christ entails.

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 

Mat 16:22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 

Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 

Many follow Christ for a while, then begin making excuses for why they are unable to continue and desire to take a break. Even seemingly good reasons, like saying goodbye to those we once knew and are very fond of in the flesh, are carnal reasonings that have us dropping our linen cloth, leaving Christ’s Commandments, which is our covering.   We do not go back to bury the dead, meaning those of the world. We do not cease following Christ to bid them farewell. We follow the Lord here and now, paying the price and suffering the loss and rejection that come along with it. If we turn back after having begun well, we are not fit for the kingdom of God.

Luk 9:57  And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 

Luk 9:58  And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 

Luk 9:59  And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 

Luk 9:60  Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 

Luk 9:61  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 

Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 

Our old life is completely lost to follow Christ. Nothing is standing in the way of following Him completely in faith, trusting in His promises and Commandments. Those marked to remain faithful in this age are separated from those who are not. The faithful to the end overcome the enemies of God, all of the world’s and our own carnal thoughts and reasonings about what is good.

Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

The Commandments become the divider, the instrument, the sword that separates us into a holy people set apart from everyone else. Few there be shall find the way.

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 

Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 

Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 

Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 

When persecutors come to test our faith, the Lord uses our own house, our family, our loved ones, and our physical and spiritual brethren. We remain watchful for the Lord to come with these heavy trials so we are found obedient and do not flee when the going gets tough. Do we love Christ more than anything?  This is a trial and a test we are given many times.

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Those who endure to the end are separated for the Lord’s purposes. Our salvation and anointing in this age come with great costs and sacrifice. If we are marked for salvation in this age, our initial reaction of fleeing and dropping our linen cloth as a young person in the faith when persecution comes is replaced with our standing in obedience and bearing the cost. We are dead to the world and willingly suffer the reproach, the loneliness, the loss of relationships we once valued.   The Commandments comfort and strengthen us not the things of the flesh.

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

The Lord is in charge, and anything we leave behind remains in His hands, and we need not reason in our minds about the future. We just obey the Lord today.

Isa 46:9  Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 

Isa 46:10  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 

Standing in faith has us believing that all things, even things that seem unloving to the flesh, are in the hands of the Lord. Those marked to be faithful to the end, accept these sufferings and keep looking forward, and do not turn back in unbelief. All aspects of our old life are being lost and left behind. We remember Lot’s wife and do not turn back, keeping our linen cloth, our faith in the Gospel, and remaining followers of Christ. We do not take the old life or anything from it into the new life.

Luk 17:31  In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 

Luk 17:32  Remember Lot’s wife. 

Our everlasting treasure is our knowledge of Jesus Christ, which we continue to grow into as we mature in the faith. We do mourn when we lose many things, but our mourning will turn into joy.

We do what God commands even if it gets us thrown into a lion’s den or a fiery furnace. We expect these trials and know they are what is perfecting us and remaking us.  They are necessary for the work of God to be completed in us.

Mal 3:3  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.  

Isa 48:10  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

The fire does not harm the new man coming forth and we are trusting the Lord and learning to rejoice in what He is doing.

Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.