Tag: Dominion

Studies

Exposing the Millennium Reign – Part 4

Pete

Exposing the Millennium Reign – Part 4

 “Reigning With Christ – God’s Plan for All”

The entire multi-part series can be found here:Click Here

The real reign with Christ spoken about in the Scriptures is the one that has every man ruling and reigning in His kingdom within us having dominion over sin and the lusts of our flesh.  This is our focus and our prayer that this rulership, our being risen to reign with Him in righteousness comes.

Mat 6:10 Your kingdom [and our ruling and reigning with Him] come. Your will be done on earth [G1093 – the land within] as it is in heaven

Lord willing, this gigantic plank of false doctrine regarding an outward Millennium Reign on the physical earth/world is completely removed from our spiritual eyes.  The entire lie comes from the father of lies and our bowing to Satan who promises us this outward rulership if we only serve him.

Luk 4:5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world [kosmos] in a moment of time. 

Luk 4:6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 

Luk 4:7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 

Just think of the huge false doctrines that have fallen away as we have come out of the lies and deceptions of Spiritual Babylon.

  • No longer denying the Second Death, knowing this spiritual experience, which is the lake of fire [the cross] and the only way we will be saved

 

  • No longer denying the “resurrection of damnation” [Joh 5:29, Dan 12] as belonging to those lesser Gentiles. Now we see this as the only way to get to salvation. Day 3 is only found by living through this Day 2 experience!

 

  • We clearly see there is no spiritual event called the “second resurrection” in the Scriptures — it does not exist. There is only ONE blessed and holy FIRST resurrection that comes to all men in the two harvests of men.  It is not a pattern of sound words to refer to the second harvest as the second resurrection.

 

  • We have also been delivered of our exaltation of the Elect and our being given more respect from the Lord than other men and deserving of greater rewards and lesser punishments.

 

  • The significance of the flesh profiting itself NOTHING [Joh 6:63] has taken on expanded comprehension. Now our focus can be returned to its proper place and we know the road is narrower and few there be shall find it.

 

  • We continue to learn to not think above what is written [1Co 4:6], having learned a big lesson by this experience. We now know there are many things not written; including the details on how the physical earth comes to an end and how humanity and living flesh will cease to exist.

The flock has lost some who walk no more with Christ not being able to bear the loss of carnal profit and carrying our cross to the second death.  This winnowing and sifting will continue as it is a precious few who will be given to lay down their lives and endure the walk of faith all the way to the end.  The pursuit of the fishes and loaves i.e –  the knowledge needs to be turned into our pursuit of love [obedience].  There are few who will be given to move on and finish the race.

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

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

While more studies could be done to expand upon all the connected errors propping up the Millennium Reign doctrine,  it is time to move on and turn our eyes inwardly to the kingdom of God and where He is at work.

We Walk by Faith Not by Sight

We will continue to comfort one another with the promises of the Lord and the comfort given to us in the Scriptures.

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

There are many details about the next age the Lord has not provided to us.  He has not revealed all things to us and we know that the Lord [the truth, the way] will not be found in what the Scriptures do not reveal.  We must be wise to not follow after such deception and the wanton spirit within our flesh that wants to know everything.  Let’s stick to what is revealed in His Word.

Mat 24:23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 

Mat 24:26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 

The good fight of faith means we walk not on what we see [physically or spiritually revealed to us in the Scriptures]; but by faith. The very essence of faith is believing in what one cannot see.

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 

Let’s look again at these verses that warn us to be content and not be wanton in seeking riches including the spiritual kind.  We are to flee such lusts and idols that ensnare carnal minds in huge error as we have witnessed ourselves.

1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

What are we to focus on and pursue if not spiritual riches as we wait on the Lord?  Paul answers.  It is all about love, which is our obedience [1Jo 5:3].

1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things [wantonness, seeking to be rich, chasing knowledge, etc]; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 

To those given much [knowledge, riches], much more will be expected [Luk 12:48].  All riches are given by the Lord to the edifying and benefit of the Body of Christ that will be manifest in good works in service to the Lord.

1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, [WALK BY FAITH] who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 

The sign of our maturity is the growing fruit of righteousness [obedience, charity, agape] which shall never fail us.  Predictions of false prophets within and without ourselves will fail, our learning new mysteries [tongues] about the Lord will fail as our focus is turned back to the Lord and the love of God.

1Co 13:8  Charity [obedience] never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

The love of God is better than wine says the love book of Solomon, which is a type for our relationship with Jesus Christ our husband.

Son 1:2  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love [obedience] is better than wine [knowledge]. 

Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

If we study the Epistles and writings to the early church, we will  see an absence [lack] of focus on future mysteries and outward events, but instead a constant focus on the battle for truth and obedience within us. This is the struggle of flesh and Spirit we all battle and where our focus must always remain as only the queen of Babylon within us [Rev 18:7] thinks she needs nothing and has already arrived.

The Lord’s True Plan for Reigning on the Earth

Being raised up with Christ and occupying a new Temple in which He dwells takes a three-day process with some little seasons to be enduring in the transition between the days.   There is simplicity and order to all that the Lord is working in His plan for the salvation of every man.  God’s plan and order never change.  First spiritual death, then spiritual life.  First the flesh than the spirit. First the reign of death [flesh] then the reign of righteousness as we must live both experiences as His Two Witnesses.

1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 

1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 

1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 

Bringing the complexity of the signified times and seasons of our Lord back to the simplicity that is Christ, both reigns beginning with the reign of death and damnation [Day 2] and the reign of eternal life and righteousness [Day3] are crucially important and are lived out in the specified order.

Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Rom 15:12  And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that [Christ] shall rise to reign over the Gentiles [rest of the dead within us]; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Death reigns on our earth when we hear the law but have not the power and overcoming to rule over sin.  Hearing the gospel and the commands of Christ revives sin in us, the result being spiritual death reaping the wages of sin.

Rom 7:9  For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 

Rom 7:10  And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 

 

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 

It is only when the Lord comes the second time, with power and fire, that the rest of the dead within us [the Gentiles] are raised to life as death is destroyed in the lake of fire.

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

His coming to us with power on high, at Pentecost, brings the Spirit of life that is setting us free the law of sin and death, little by little, as we abide in the fire carrying our cross by faith, crying out for deliverance.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 

Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. 

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death….

The reign of death is transformed into a reign of righteousness by the process as the heavens and earth within us continue to be purified.

Dominion and Rulership Comes by Death

We die daily to death in the lake of fire as our carnal mind is destroyed and we dispossess the land of all things that defile.  This is reigning in righteousness and we grow into it as we mature in the faith thru great tribulations.

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead [to death] is freed from sin. 

Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 

Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion [rulership] over him. 

Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

This fulfilling the plan of God was given way back in the beginning.

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him [sin]. 

 The Lord’s plan was set from the beginning of time and He has never wavered or changed.  God made lights in the inward heavens, to rule over the times and divide light from darkness in His process of remaking each and every man.

Gen 1:16  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 

Gen 1:17  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 

The Lord is the Lord of heaven and the earth and in the process of remaking us [“Qal” ongoing tense like Aorist in Greek], that is being accomplished by His three-day process in rebuilding the temple of God which temple we are [1Co 3:16].  Gaining dominion is gaining rulership and that dominion is over our own personal earth, air [heaven] and over everything that lives within us.  The plan was stated and has not changed from the very beginning.

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

Gen 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth

This transition into the reign of righteousness, for the signified thousand years; signifies the third day, also known as the last day or the day of the Lord in which all men are perfected in Gods plan.  The number three signifying the process [the three days] of how we are perfected by the hand of the Lord.

Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

The kingdom of Jesus Christ and His Christ has never been and never will be about ruling the physical kosmos [Joh 18:36, Joh 6:15, Luk 17:21].  The words of Scripture, which are all spirit, tell us the earth represents our bodies, emotions, and actions … our entire life experience which is also known as the promised land that is given to Israel [Elect, Spiritual Jews] to possess.  We possess that land and learn to rule over it only through judgment that comes when Christ brings the fire to our earth.

Deu 4:1  Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. 

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth [the promised land], the inhabitants of the world [kosmos] will learn righteousness. 

The entire history of flesh Israel and all failed and immature kings is there to show us our Day 2 experience and the reign of death and our flesh and the futility we experience in overcoming sin and being obedient.  A divided kingdom is a double-minded man who deceives himself and is ensnared in death having made a covenant with death.  This is all part of the Lord’s plan to bring us to our wits end where we cry out for a savior.

Isa 3:4  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them [first before the kingdom is established in righteousness with a true king] 

Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 

When we are in the flesh before Christ comes in the Spirit with power, our ruling was all in vain and there was never any lasting righteousness or overcoming.  Which is why Christ comes to us the second time [Day three] to bring the fire that saves us and establishes true righteousness on the earth.  We look towards and focus on this.

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

The true reign with Christ is the result of our coming through the Lake of Fire and dying to death which is the Second Death.  When death is dead within us, we have power in the Spirit and are reigning over and possess the land in holiness.  This is salvation and the plan of God for every man in the appointed times for each.

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Being like Christ will have us ruling like Christ and being the servant of all and lording over no man.  The outcome we should seek is the exact opposite focus the false doctrine of an outward Millennium Reign brought to those that believed it.  Reigning with Christ is serving the dead within us and without us, preaching the gospel and teaching all the commandments of the Lord.

Mar 10:42  But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 

Mar 10:43  But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

We can praise the Lord for His mercy in bringing us out of our deceptions and turning us back to the message of the gospel.

The following study continued on in exposing error from the false Millennium Reign doctrine.  That study can be found here:  The “Is, Was and Is to Come” Coming of the Lord and I believe you will be greatly edified.

 

Studies

Exposing the Millennium Reign Doctrine – Part 1

Pete

Exposing the Millennium Reign Doctrine – Part 1

This study is intended to expose some of the many falsehoods of a doctrine many of us previously learned that has Jesus Christ returning outwardly to physical earth and ruling and reigning with His Elect for a symbolic 1,000-year period. This doctrine, as we once learned is a lie that takes our focus away from where it should be.  An invention of the carnal mind, this teaching relates back to the lie that the Elect receives greater rewards from the Lord including ruling the outward world.  If we are chosen to be saved in this age, we will be given to see through the twisting of the Scriptures by those who perform great signs and wonders.

Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 

Within secular Christianity, there are many versions of this one thousand [1,000] year doctrine, called “the Millennium” that have generally been classified into three main groups those being: premillennialists, post millennialists or amillennialists.  The pre and post refer to whether the group believes this outward literal event occurs before or after an outward “great tribulation”.  Of course, even this great tribulation is an inward event, signifying the coming of Christ a second time to men for salvation.

Mat 24:29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 

Mat 24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

Amillennialists believe there is not an outward reign on the earth. Amillennialists are closest to the truth by rightly claiming this event is spiritual in nature and not an outward physical event.  The words of Scripture are all Spirit, profiting not the flesh [Joh 6:63] and the truth of any matter is only found following sound principles to those the Lord has given the ability.

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 

1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

The way of truth is foolishness to those God has blinded and who have not been given the gift of God to spiritual discern the truth.

Our old way of life [thinking and our deeds] is being destroyed in our great tribulation which is the same as our inward day of the Lord. From the perspective of the timing or sequencing, the premillennialists have it right as the time period of the 1,000 years precedes what is the day of the Lord and our being raised with Christ to eternal life.

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished [AFTERWARDS]. This is the first resurrection. 

A little carnal leaven leavens the whole lump and results in all kinds of false doctrines and theories about the end times.  Only those blessed few in this age are given to see that none of the end times sequences [eschatology] in the Book of Revelation and in Scripture is outward. It is 100% speaking of what is going on in the kingdom of God within and it is always shortly to come to pass.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

Christ will rule and reign with His people, which is all men in the appointed time.  Yet that rulership is never said to be outward but always in His Kingdom.  And where is that kingdom?

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Our Lord who changes not [Heb 13:8] has no plan in ruling the carnal world outwardly through His people.  He is in the process of destroying that world one man at a time as He chooses them for salvation.

Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Before we go further, let’s read the key verses and the only place in the Bible where this doctrine is being interpreted from.  Here are the verses

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 

Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 

Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, [our day of the Lord] and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The outward reign doctrine originates from false prophets the Lord created and turns over to the idols of their heart [Eze 14:9]. An idol of pride has us all puffed up and believing as God’s chosen people we are given better promises and greater rewards than other men.  Such thoughts are a hidden lust of the flesh that has snared many before we mercifully have been dragged out of that error.

The only purpose given for the outward millennium reign in our former teaching forums was so the Lord could destroy all physical flesh of men so no more babies could be born and so death could be destroyed. Here is an excerpt repeated all over those teachings that speak to the purpose of this outward Millennium.

“It is only “through death”, the death of our old man, that our new man can be born. So it is for all men of all time, and so it is with death itself. Until death itself is destroyed, there will be no victory over death. But as long as little Adams are being born, death cannot be destroyed, and that is the real reason for putting “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan” in prison for a thousand years, just to release him again for “a little season” afterward.”

The error here is very subtle yet huge.  While death is the last enemy [1Co 15:26] to be destroyed, this outward thinking about death misses the mark entirely.  The death the Lord is reigning until He destroys it is the carnal mind which is naturally an enemy of God.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

It is no big deal, requiring no process, nor a 1,000-year reign for the Lord to speak physical flesh out of existence. We have many events, stories, and parables that show us that the Lord considers physical death to just be sleep [See the story of Lazarus Joh 11:11-14].  The end of death is the end of the carnal mind. That is the Second Death that only happens in the Lake of Fire, which many deny as having any application to God’s Elect.

Unwinding these errors and removing the leaven, will help put our focus back where it needs to be which is our overcoming and the rest of the dead within us coming alive to Christ.

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead [dead to death and the carnal mind, which is the Second Death] is freed from sin. 

Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 

The resurrection to damnation is very much needed and must precede the coming of the Lord for salvation.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die [be found dead in sin, see ourselves as chief of sinners], but after this the judgment: 

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time [in our day of the Lord in the Lake of Fire] without sin unto salvation. 

These events in Revelation 20 are signified words describing the transition from our abiding in the resurrection of damnation knowing the truth but without overcoming unto the day of the Lord when fire will be poured out and a new heaven and earth within us is being made.  It is answered prayer.

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 

Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 

Are there Multiple Witnesses to the Outward Rule on the Earth?

No Scripture is to be of its own private interpretation (2Pe 1:20) and that is how Revelation 20 must also be interpreted.  It is only in two or three witnesses that every truth and matter of doctrine shall be established.

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. 

The Millennium Reign doctrine was taught without any confirming witnesses and is now shown to be another facet of the bigger lie that the Elect are given special awards and prizes from the Lord.  The Lord never mentions an outward rule on the earth to His disciples in all His walk with them in the Gospels.  Also, none of the Apostles (Paul, Peter, John, and James) make any mention of this supposed gigantic event in any of their writings.  This alone should be a huge red flag that this doctrine is an invention of men.  Revelation 20 by itself is not the Truth unless it harmonizes with the sum.

Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. 

Christ is Lord of the heavens and the earth and He is going to reign in both places.  But those places are within you and that is where the Lord is working right now to establish dominion within those being saved.

Act 7:49  Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool … 

Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 

2Pe 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

A close inspection of the signified words of Rev 20 shows that nowhere does it say our reign with Christ is taking place on the outward physical earth. All those words in Revelation are signified words meaning what they mean not what they literally say [Rev 1:1, Joh 6:63].  It is only by transcribing them by the letter that such a doctrine can be twisted into existence.

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

Let’s remind ourselves what the rulership of Christ is always speaking about when we see it in the Bible.  Rulership is over our own bodies and emotions, in the kingdom of God that is within us (Luk 17:21).

Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth [have dominion over sin, be dead to death]

Isa 14:2  And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors [the Gentiles, our carnal mind, our flesh]

Nowhere are we promised ruling over other men in any way shape or form.  In fact, we have the exact opposite witness, a witness that tells us those in Christ will be doing no such thing in ruling and lording over any man.  The list of Scriptures witnessing to this has been used a lot recently, yet repetition is needed to keep out that false spirit of ruling men.

Mat 20:25  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 

Mat 20:26  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 

1Pe 5:2  Feed the flock of God [all men in their harvests] which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, [carnal gain, exaltation among men] but of a ready mind; 

1Pe 5:3  Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples [ministers] to the flock.

It is the spirit of Satan who will lie to us and drive us to be made chief among the people and be given the promise to rule over men and the entire world.  It is a key temptation that only the true Christ in us can resist and overcome.

Luk 4:5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 

Luk 4:6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 

Luk 4:7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 

Luk 4:8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

Those seeking to rule others in Jerusalem have made a covenant with the devil who has been given the power of death by the Lord [Heb 2:14]. Thankfully all men’s covenant with their carnal mind [death] will be disannulled.  But in the meantime, it will first deceive all of us until the Lord brings mercy.

Isa 28:14  Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

Isa 28:15  Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

Some may point to the story of Joseph and his brothers to say the Elect will rule over men.  Yet an important truth is omitted to arrive at such a conclusion.

Gen 37:5  And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

Gen 37:6  And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

Gen 37:7  For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

Notice it was the sheaves [of grain] not the brothers that bowed down to Joseph’s sheave of grain.  This story in no way speaks of the Elect ruling over men, it shows the Word of God, which is the grain we gather ruling over the carnal words that the world, our eleven brothers walking after the flesh gather.  The obeisance was to the grain; which is symbolism for the Word of God we as the Elect in this age are gathering into the barn.  Joseph’s brothers like our carnal brothers [the rest of mankind and the world within us] will misunderstand and hate us for standing on truth and falsely accuse us of claiming dominion over them.

Gen 37:8  And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

The carnal mind, every man’s flesh does not want to bow to Christ who is the Word. We don’t want to be reigned over.

Luk 19:14  But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 

The bowing down of men is always to be to the Word [Christ’s Commands] and never to the messenger who brings that word [Rev 19:10, Rev 22:8]

Joseph had a second dream about the sun, moon, and stars bowing down.    That dream like the first was about our carnal thoughts or beliefs … the sun, moon, and stars in our heavens, bowing down to the Truth.  When our day of the Lord starts and our conversion begins, the lights that guide us will all bow before the brightness of the Truth.

Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: 

Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 

The rulership of Christ is always about truth and doctrine ruling over the lies and carnal reasoning and the not the physical rulership of any man over another. Our old man [Jacob] will hate Christ in us and the world will also hate us for standing on truth and rejecting their way of thinking.  That is the real message in the story of Joseph’s dreams.  It was never about any outward rulership on a physical earth.  To be spiritually nourished, they all had to bow and come to Joseph [Christ] for the bread of life that sustains us.

Gen 41:55  And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for [spiritual] bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph [a type for Christ]; what he saith to you, do. 

Those yet carnal parts within us, the rest of the dead within us will in due time bow down to the new man who is the one the Lord loves [He hates Esau].  Our sins and carnality will be exposed in our day of the Lord and those parts of us will bow to the Word of God that is the New Man, Christ in us.  Our carnal thoughts are messengers of Satan that masquerade as angels of light [spiritual Jews] which will bow down to the new man.

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 

Only the Lord who is the Word shall be ruling over every man.  Gideon, a type for the Elect and a judge of Israel, the very role those in the second harvest are first to serve the Lord in spreading the fire to all of mankind.

Jdg 8:22  Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

Jdg 8:23  And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you

Did Christ in the gospels teach of an outward rule and reigning over men before the end comes by His church?  No He did not.  His coming to every man is within, it is in the kingdom of God.

Mat 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all [inward] nations; and then shall the end come [inwardly in the hearts/minds of every man in their time]

 If we need any motivation to strive to obey the gospel [be faithful], we find some in the parable of the Talents.  We are all three of these men [as we mature] given talents who first squander them in sloth and then by the grace of God begin to work in the kingdom within us and multiply those talents as we gain dominion over our sins.  This is the rulership the Lord is working in His Elect in this age and in all men in due time.

Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

When we are given His talents, His truths, we are learning to put them to use so we can receive even more and hasten the rulership and dominion over our inward earth.

Mat 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 

Ruling over “many things” are the things that defile and the creeping things in our earth that are contrary to faith.  Our bodies are the temple of God, His very House in which He dwells, and it is in that house where the new man is being established as the ruler.  His inward revealing, the second coming without sin is when every man is judged and eventually given to rule and reign over the promised land.

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 

Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 

Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 

It is Christ in us who becomes the ruler of His House and Temple which is the Israel of God in which He dwells.

Mat 2:6  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee [within you] shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 

Christ in us and also in the fellowship with the saints is the “treader of the winepress” and the one serving up the wine [the cup of wrath to flesh] that is converting the inward nations when every man’s day of the Lord begins.

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

The ruling and reigning of Christ coincides with the ruling and reigning of chastening, scourging grace within us.  Here is Paul speaking of these 1,000 symbolic years (one day) another way.

Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 15:12  And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles [reign over the rest of the dead, the Gentiles within us]; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

In conclusion, the outward Millennium Reign of Christ on the physical earth is an invention of the carnal mind.  It’s origins and defense all come back to the carnal lie of Satan who promises us glory in ruling and reigning the entire world in Christ’s name.  Those taken by the serpent’s subtlety have invented an entire outward age, going way beyond what is written and going outside of the three-day process by which the Lord rebuilds His temple in every man.  The truth, which is the sum of the Word, stands in strong in opposition to this false doctrine we were once taught.

In Part 2, we will look more into the ruling and reigning with Christ and how it is depicted elsewhere in the Scriptures.  The focus will be on what this reign is versus this study that focused on what it is not.  Seeing the same event in plainer language than Revelation 20 will help cement the Lord’s plan for the age and get our focus back where it needs to be.

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. 

Part 2 of this multi-part study series can be found by CLICKING HERE

 

Articles

Beware Lasciviousness

Pete

 

1Pe 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Walking with the same mind of Jesus Christ is how we overcome and are getting beyond the fleshly pursuits listed here by Peter.  Once we are chosen to suffer by the Lord and brought into the Truth and abide in the fire of the Body of Christ; we are no longer supposed to be living our lives the way the Gentiles (our former self included) live.

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God

Those precious few given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God can easily forget these warnings.  We have many reminders to stir up the truth and admonish and exhort us to beware of becoming slothful and lazy with regards to our battle with worldly lusts.  This sinful way of living needs to be put behind us.

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Becoming a doer of the word and not just a hearer requires work as we will see. Jesus Christ did not come and is not still coming so we can continue to live in sin. He comes to set the captives (all men) free from our bondage to sin.  That is the very essence of what salvation is all about.

All of the Lord’s people will struggle with sin to some degree all the days we live in these marred vessels of clay. However, the promise of salvation is we are being saved from our sins.  This comes little by little as the Scriptures declare and for good reasons that are to keep us from thinking we d0 it by our own strength and initiative.

Deu 7:22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

As we mature we must be able to look behind us and see progress being made as we are giving more and more dominion over sin. The Lord is surely long-suffering and this process takes far longer than we want in order to teach us patience.  Yet it is not an excuse to take a let’s eat, drink and be merry attitude.

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

All things becoming new include our old behaviors passing away in the Aorist Greek tense as the word is, was, and will be working in our lives.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passing away; behold, all things are becoming new.

Not seeing that progress should be a warning sign something is amiss.  We must examine ourselves to see if we are really in the faith.  The grace of the Lord that scourges us and teaches us and ultimately causes us to obey the Lord (Eze 36:27) can be received in vain.

2Co 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

We receive such grace in vain, when we do not learn from our mistakes and the chastening the Lord brings for our sins.  If we fail to learn the lessons, we are doomed to repeat them and this will impede moving on to be a mature man in Christ.  There is a fine line between claiming ourselves to be the chief of sinners (which we are apart from Christ working in us) and to receive the grace of the Lord in vain.  To sit back and say the Lord is making you sin is being lascivious if we are not careful.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

The Lord sends us trials and delegates the tempting of our sinful flesh to the enemy in order to test our faith.  Those that fail get more trials and more grace until they get it.

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

Knowing what real grace is is of utmost importance for our progress of being saved.  Grace is what scourges us and the resulting chastening is what teaches us to obey with time and repeated “lessons”.  We must learn that our every disobedience will result in our just reward from the Lord.

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

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

Tit 2:12  chastening (training) us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Where sin increases, the suffering and chastening in the heat of His furnace increases.

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

Still, we are naturally brute beasts (Ecc 3:18, Rom 7:24) and it takes our entire lives to be fully delivered and we only ever receive it in down payment form until we are given our new spiritual bodies. We all fall victim to lascivious spirits that keep us in bondage to sin.  We need to be reminded of this and our need to get up and to get back on the narrow road and learn what went wrong and make changes in our walk.  To win the war we must (be given to) start and continue in winning the battles against our fleshly desires.

1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Sin no longer should be ruling in our mortal fleshly bodies.  As our faith grows and actions are added to our faith and we (Christ rising up in us) begin to gain victories little by little.

Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

This is a serious calling and a serious walk of faith that requires tremendous effort and endurance that the Lord will give us as we grow in faith.

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

We tend to focus only on the positive and not the negative aspects of the Word of God. It is a two edged sword and we need not forget either side.  Who wants to talk about sin and the chastening we are given in return?  Who wants to talk about us falling away and becoming a reprobate?  No, our flesh wants to rest and take it easy thinking knowledge is what it is all about.  We speak often to one another of the Lord’s Sovereignty in ALL THINGS but much less frequently of the battles and lessons REQUIRED to overcome sin and walk out our faith. We can’t misuse the sovereignty of God and use it implicitly as an excuse for our continued sinful ways.  We need to beware of lascivious spirits and remember we do not inherit the promises until we have done the will of God.

Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

And what is that will?  We do not need to guess what it is.

1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from (spiritual ) fornication:

Our turning grace into lasciviousness is not something we are done with after we leave the physical Babylonian churches.  We need to beware of carrying this spirit even while we are in the truth today.  Jude was writing to us, the Body of Christ, when he penned these words.  We best beware of “those men”, especially our carnal deceitful hearts that creep in unawares with a lascivious spirit.  It’s what flesh loves to do.  Like Jude, we need to exhort one another to be diligent which means careful to contend for our faith.  It is this lazy spirit of sloth and lasciviousness that wants to use God’s sovereignty and the salvation promised to all men to avoid the need to strive and labor in our walk of faith.

Jud 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

We can have all the truth we want but if we turn it into lasciviousness, we are denying the Lord and His Power within us.  Jude reminds us what happens if we do not move on to maturity and stop our progress of overcoming sin.

Jud 1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

It is a mistake to not be exhorting each other over this battle with sin. We are far too quick to just say it’s the Lord and go about our daily lives.  Battling and contending with this spirit is never ceasing until the day we physically die.

Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Our learning comes by suffering and being chastised by our Lord.  But we cannot continue to pursue the same course.

Heb 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

We know we must endure to the end and we do that by fighting, striving and working.  It is the last days and we are warned what happens in those days in each of us and this is what happens, we have a form of godliness but denying  the power of Christ in us (thru our unbelief) to change us.

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Being cautious of pinning all of our sins on the Lord and using that to justify our continued bad behavior is how a lascivious spirit deceives us. Sure He is causing it but He is doing it to His people so we will learn to stop doing it.  We are fighting to lay hold of the life promised and flee from those things that defile us.

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

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses

If we have issues with besetting sins, we need to be changing our behavior Lord willing to remove those things from our pathways.

Pro 22:3  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

At times we have humility but lack the fear that is so needed to bring us to obedience.

Pro 22:4  By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Guarding our hearts and the entry points into our life is required.  This is a serious matter requiring us to take ACTION.  Faith without these works are dead.

Pro 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life…

Pro 4:26  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Pro 4:27  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Contrary to the myths some apply to the Apostle Paul, he was not soft on sin, he warned every man and labored himself to the very end.

Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

We are to be putting off the old man and putting on the new man.  This takes diligent action on our part.

Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

This is working out our own salvation WITH FEAR and TREMBLING.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

We will never attain perfection in this life but we must beware the ditch on the other side of this narrow road.  Our entire life is the works of the Lord’ hands and no matter what we do,  it’s the Lord doing it.  Yet we must beware a lascivious spirit leading us away from fear and trembling at the Word.  If we stop striving diligently we are falling short.

 Luk 13:24  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

We will reap what we sow. If we continue to sow inequity to that disobedience (no matter what it is) we are also reaping.  We have heard these things before but we are not taking heed of these serious matters.

Heb 2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things (i.e. strive and work) which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

There are no free passes.  Grace is not a wink wink and no punishment.  Sin will be recompensed.

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

So don’t get me wrong here and this is not intended to discourage anyone, but rather encourage you.  We don’t save ourselves but I hope to instill in all of us a renewed respect and fear of the Lord.  When we do sin and it is brought to our attention we need to respond in faith.  We have seen people taken right out of the truth who failed to heed this and came to believe we are not to fear the Lord or tremble at every word.  We need to take seriously our sins and disobedience. When we fall down, we must take action and get right back up, Lord willing of course.  Unless we are given of the Lord to progress, and this takes WORK, we are falling short of the goal.

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

So we must work and strive together to make our calling and election sure.  We need to add to our faith and our knowledge the things Peter mentions.  This is the only way we are made partakers of His Divine nature (i.e. saved from our sins) and escape the lusts of this world.  We can’t sit back and continue doing the same old worldly things and expect a different result.  That is called insanity.  We are moving on to maturity if the Lord wills.  The end of the matter is our obedience and this comes by ADDING to our knowledge and to our faith. This is how the DOING part comes about.

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 (LOVE)

We are made whole with the Lord when we obey the commandments.  That is the end of the matter as it relates to what the Lord is doing with us, His pieces of clay.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole (duty) of man.

2Jn 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Once the salvation of all men becomes the new reality and we realize we were lied to all our lives, lasciviousness is a common trap our sinful flesh and deceitful carnal hearts will stimulate in our lives.  Why strive to obey the Lord since all men will be saved anyway?  But there are many reasons for such a thing, beyond this post to cover.  But one thing is for sure such an attitude is immature and there is no fear of the Lord in one’s eyes who thinks such a thought.  We all will learn and our continuing to learn that Jesus Christ is not a minister for sin.

Gal 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

So we must be very careful for thoughts that make it okay to justify our continued living in sin.  We are indeed slaves to sins when we start out.  But we need to stop being slaves to sin and become slaves of righteousness if we are going to make the cut for the first resurrection.

Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Freedom is not free as the world likes to say and that is true in the spiritual sense as well.  There is a price to be paid (count the costs) and we work for our freedom from sin and that is by becoming slaves to righteousness.  We won’t eat and progress if we do not work for it ourselves. Without us being given the zeal to work, we won’t eat and thereby won’t grow in our faith and maturity.   A lazy spirit leads to lasciviousness and abusing the grace of the Lord.

2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

We learn this by being judged, yet if the behavior does not change, we are not learning and more grace is needed to work righteousness within us.  The sooner we get this done the sooner we can enter into rest.

Wisdom is the combination of KNOWLEDGE with understanding that comes with experience.  Fear of the Lord is necessary to move us on to be Holy as our Lord is Holy.  Until we get over our lasciviousness we are not progressing and need to be retaught basic oracles of the Lord including fear.

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Wisdom results from this fear and that is how we learn the lessons and become wiser and wiser with the trials and temptations we are continually given.

Isa 33:5  The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

Isa 33:6  And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

A lazy attitude will keep us from maturing and we will continue to learn over and over again the function of grace until we get it.  Under the law of true faith, Jesus is not a minister for sin, He will judge His people and this is how that works.

Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

We will learn obedience by the things we suffer and the sooner we learn it the better off we will be.

Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

We learn to fear our physical fathers when our disobedience is punished and it is no different with our heavenly father.  In our day of abiding in the scourging grace we will learn to fear and we will be caused to stop our disobedience.

Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The Lord’s people are fellow laborers who are striving daily to ensure and progress onward to maturity.  We like the Apostle Paul, continue to learn and appreciate more and more the warnings of keeping our sinful ways under subjection lest we be castaway despite knowing all the truths we know.

1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

The doing part is the hard part.  We have to walk out our faith and becoming a true example to others.  Otherwise, we cannot be used for the Lord’s purposes now or for the Higher Calling in the ages to come.  If we don’t overcome we too, are becoming reprobates. We are proving our faith by passing the test and trials that are given to us.

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?

We are warned about being deceived about this ongoing battle against sin.  Here are both John, Paul and Peter’s words written for our admonition.

1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

It is those who overcome who will be given the Eight Promises of the Lord in the Book of Revelation.  Talk about a carrot, an incentive to strive and labor on this journey.  These promises are reserved only to those few that are being found faithful to the end.  Here are just the last three promises linked to overcoming (sin) that are cited.

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Rev 3:21 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.

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Sincere questions or comments welcome. You can email me at peterjwilson56@gmail.com.

Your Brother in Christ,  PETE