Tag: Holy Spirit

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Letters

The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength

Peter

Anointed with the Oil of Gladness

Peter and Rohnel, called to be the ministers of Christ through the will of God, to all the scattered saints who call upon Jesus Christ; grace and peace unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This letter is written to the saints to remind us to rejoice in the Lord always and to seek the fullness of His joy in our lives. Embracing the Gospel, pressing into the Kingdom of God with all our heart, mind, and soul, brings greater joy as the Lord rewards those who seek Him. May we be filled with the joy of the Lord as we strive to stay in the faith by obedience.  The joy of the Lord is planted and kept in us by the preaching and obeying of the Gospel of the Living Commandments.

Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 

Joh 15:11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 

By the mercy of God, the hidden mystery of His Gospel has been revealed. This Gospel is the knowledge of God that brings us many blessings, including the grace that manifests peace, obedience, and the fruits of the Spirit. We are being saved from our sins, and the Lord’s joy has now become our joy.

Mat 12:18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit [His Joy] upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 

God is love, and the love of God is that we obey His Commandments. The joy of the Lord is the love that is the Father dwelling in Him. The Father did not send Christ alone; the Father, who is the Holy Commandments, is alive with Christ as they are one Spirit. The Father is the joy of the Lord, and Christ always seeks to obey the Father so that He may please God.

Joh 8:29  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 

As the Father sent Christ, so He sends us as His Christ. Thus, the joy of the Lord, the Commandments that are the Spirit of God, the wisdom of Christ, and the understanding of the Father become our strength when the Promise comes in the appointed day.

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Our joy is not our own, nor is it joy in the Lord.  The joy we receive as a gift is the Lord’s joy of the Holy Commandments that are the Father.  Sons of God always do what the Father does, which is to do the Commandments. We follow Christ’s example.

Joh 5:19  Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 

Joh 5:20  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 

The love of God is His Spirit that brings the desire to obey God’s Commandments. The Lord had a full measure of this Spirit and thus, to bring joy to the Father, Christ endured the cross and despised the shame that comes from the carnal world.

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. 

Christ came into this world to save the world, and that is accomplished through the preaching of the Gospel to those given to receive it. The joy of the Lord is thus fulfilled in due time in those who hear Christ and His Christ.

Joh 17:13  And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Christ’s prayer above is answered, and thus we follow the Lord’s example and, for the joy of the Lord set before us, pay the costs to become His disciples. Our hope, that is also our faith of Christ, is rewarded in due time, and the joy of the Lord, that is the love of God, is poured into our hearts by the Spirit.

Rom 5:5  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

Having the Lord’s joy abiding in us is having the love of God in our hearts that witnesses that we are the children of God.

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 

Before Christ comes with His joy to dwell in us, a time of preparation is needed to build the walls and the temple in the Holy City. We are the Temple of God, and this is our day of preparation and the baptism of John. As the chosen of God, we begin singing a new song, the song of salvation.

Exo 15:2  The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation 

Psa 132:13  For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. 

Psa 132:14  This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it

The walls that guard the Temple are the Commandments, and when they are being raised, our day of the Lord has come, meaning we have heard and received the Gospel. This is a holy day, as we are being made holy and perfected, and now have the same joy our Lord has living in us. The joy of the Lord that has been given to us is our strength.

Neh 8:9  And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. 

Neh 8:10  Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. 

The shadows of the OT confirm our understanding of the Lord’s ways. While Nehemiah built the walls, Ezra built the new Temple itself, and its construction and dedication brought great joy to the children of Israel.

Ezr 6:16  And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy

The joy of the Lord is another symbol of the hidden mystery of the Gospel, the Promise of God now being revealed unto the saints. The Living Commandments of the Father is our strength, the power that saves us and builds and protects the Temple in which we rejoice and are exceedingly glad.  Through this joy, we are triumphing over our sins. Judgment has come upon the house of God, and a new creature is being made.

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

Psa 97:8  Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. 

As we mature in the faith, we rejoice more and more at the trials and afflictions that come in the Lord’s day as we enter into the King’s palace.

Psa 118:24  This is the day which the LORD hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psa 45:15  With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace. 

We are comforted in our mourning and loss of many things.  Singing, shouting and making noise for the Lord is our obedience to the Commandments in which we rejoice. We are comforted, and all the waste places within us are being transformed. Joy, gladness, and thanksgiving are in our hearts as we sing to the Lord in obedience.

Isa 51:3  For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. 

Act 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 

The Lord is well pleased in us, and we are glad when we come before Him singing praises by our obedience and trust in His ways.

Psa 100:1  A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 

Psa 100:2  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence [the Commandments] with singing. 

Psa 149:1  Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. 

Psa 149:2  Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

Only the redeemed of the Lord, to whom His joy has come, can learn and sing the new song of salvation.

Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 

The Joy of the Lord is mighty in bringing the overcoming of our sins that we have strived to attain all of our lives. Those to whom the joy of the Lord has come are the blessed sons of God, His kings and priests on the earth.

Psa 21:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 

Psa 21:6  For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

Zep 3:17  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. 

Becoming one with Christ is marrying Christ, and in this, we rejoice, having been made ready by the works of God to wash us with the Commandments and clothe us in His righteousness.

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

Psa 132:16  I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 

When we have joy in the Father’s Commandments, we cannot help but produce the fruits of His Spirit. Pursuing more knowledge outside of the Commandments is no longer a strong desire as we seek first the kingdom of God and obedience to the Commandments, in which we now rest in joy.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith …

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

In time, our sorrow over the many trials and afflictions turns to unspeakable joy. It is through these trials of our obedience to the faith that we overcome and begin to be filled with the Lord’s glory as salvation begins to manifest.

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

 All that the Lord is doing is for the greater good of our salvation. Nothing is wasted, and we learn to rejoice in trials and the Commandments as we see Christ appearing more in our lives.

Hab 3:18  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations

The words for joy and gladness in the Scriptures are interchangeable, as various translations and Bible concordances confirm. The Lord raises us and brings us forth with both joy and gladness and gives us the Promised Land to inherit as we learn to obey the Lord.

Psa 105:43  And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: 

Psa 105:44  And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; 

Psa 105:45  That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD. 

The anointing of the Holy Spirit, known as the Promise, is the joy of the Lord and is also called the oil of gladness. The elect chosen of God who become His angels and ministers of flame are given the anointing which causes us to become trees of righteousness and manifest the glory of the Lord, that is, our obedience to the Commandments.

Heb 1:9  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness [joy] above thy fellows. 

Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy [gladness] for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 

Where the King’s Commandments are sent, there arises light, gladness, joy, and honour.

Est 8:16  The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour. 

Our joy is said to be an everlasting joy as it is the Commandments, the Living Word that abides forever and never passes away.

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

When the joy comes inside, we are now being taught by God.  The Spirit of the Commandments, the anointing of the joy of the Lord, teaches all men and makes known God’s ways.

Act 2:28  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 

Jer 15:16  Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. 

The day we hear the Gospel preached with God-given ears begins the blessing of God, bringing us the joy of the Holy Ghost into our hearts. Many lies are cast out, and we begin to be healed of our lameness and many other spiritual diseases.  Great joy comes into us, the city of God.

Act 8:7  For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 

Act 8:8  And there was great joy in that city. 

It is an unparalleled honour and blessing to have the opportunity to make a stand for Christ, the Commandments, and be persecuted for His name’s sake. Those precious few given to repent and believe the Gospel in every age are the Lord’s redeemed who will be full of joy and exceedingly glad for all the things the Lord is working.

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 

Our sorrows, afflictions, and doubts vanish as the Lord grants us understanding and gives us the overcoming. We are thus filled not only with His joy but also with His glory. 

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

When the Gospel is preached, and we begin to be washed by the Commandments, we tarry for the Lord to come with the living joy of the Promise. We advance in our preparations the more we are caused to forsake all our worldly thoughts and interests and for the joy of the Lord buy the hidden treasure being now being revealed.

Mat 13:44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 

Waiting for the Lord is a test of our faith. Will we be found faithful when the Lord returns in our day of visitation? When we prove faithful in a few things, He promotes us into greater things and gives salvation, and we enter further into His Joy as shown in the Parable of the Talents.

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. 

We earnestly seek and tarry for the blessing of God and this joy to come through the gift of His Faith that is also the Holy Spirit.

Rom 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit

The joy we receive when we hear the Gospel and begin to cast our devils is far surpassed when the Lord returns the second time as the Promise and brings His Joy into our hearts to dwell.

Luk 10:17  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 

Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. 

The spiritual body of Christ is connected being of one mind and one Spirit. Thus, there is great joy in our heavens and all those seated with Christ when even one person is granted repentance and turns their heart to the Gospel.

Luk 15:7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 

Luk 15:10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

To declare the whole counsel of God regarding His Joy, we also need to speak of the negative, which is losing the joy and the voice of gladness. When there is no joy in our hearts, we examine ourselves and see how we are doing versus the Commandments. If we continue to wilfully sin after coming to knowledge of the truth [the Gospel], the Lord forsakes us for a little season to turn our hearts back to the Commandments in repentance. Like David, we seek the Lord, repent, and seek the restoration of the joy of our salvation.

Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

Psa 51:11  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 

Psa 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 

As our Lord experienced for our sakes on the cross, we likewise endure a little season in which we feel forsaken and thus have no joy. We await the death of our flesh so we can be freed from our sins. If we call upon the Lord, He hears us and restores the joy of our salvation.

Knowing the truth that is the Commandments and not doing them when Christ goes away for a little while brings much sorrow, and we can feel unworthy, and our faith is shaken.  There is no joy to be found when we are being disobedient to the Truth we have walked with for many years. Giving birth is painful, and for the Sons of God to come forth, travail and sorrow are promised before it is all turned into joy. The Lord speaks of our journey of sorrow before He returns, when the new man is born in us, when the Promise comes.

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. 

We await the Promise and the power to pull us out of the miry clay that is the pit flesh and stands us on the Commandments. He will come; He will not tarry. Be patient.

Psa 40:1  I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 

Psa 40:2  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 

Psa 40:3  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 

When the Lord returns to us the second time, we have received the blessing of God and the Power to overcome sin and endure to the end. The joy of the Lord now lives in our hearts; it is our strength, and we can ask Him anything according to His will, and it shall be done. No man can take away our joy, the Spirit of God, the Promise now living inside of us.

Joh 16:22  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 

Joh 16:23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 

Joh 16:24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 

The joy of the Lord is not the same as the joy of our flesh. The flesh profits itself nothing from Christ’s Commandments, only destruction. The Lord takes away the joy and gladness we had in satisfying our lusts, as we now belong to Him, and all things are being made new. The meat and joy we once had is cut off from our hearts and minds, and it is a blessing of God.

Joe 1:15  Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. 

Joe 1:16  Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God? 

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

When the joy comes, our day of the Lord is now at hand, and we are blessed in the Lord as we are being drawn to the Commandments. The joy we had in our rebellion to the Commandments turns to gloom as the Gospel brings mourning, lamentation, and woe into our lives. What is sweet to our hearing becomes bitter to our flesh and the old way of life.

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 

Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 

Our complaining and moaning about the costs of losing our lives gives way to great joy when the Comforter comes to us, and the joy of the Lord remains with us. We no longer weep over our trials and rejoice in the Lord always.

Isa 65:17  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 

Isa 65:18  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 

Isa 65:19  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 

The saints are the blessed of God, given to receive and be filled with the joy of the Lord. Receive the blessing of the Gospel and rejoice in the Lord always. We say it again, rejoice because the Lord of all joy is at hand. Receive ye the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Letters

The Hidden Mystery of the Promise

Peter

The Revelation of Christ – The Holy Spirit of Promise

Blessed be the Father of all mercies and His Son from heaven who cleanses us from all of our sins and saves us by the coming of His Promise.

Many different words and phrases both hide and reveal the Promise of salvation.  If the Lord has mercy and opens our eyes, one can see the Promise throughout the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation and be amazed that we never saw it before.  The same Promise is the Gospel, the same hidden mystery now being revealed to the saints chosen to receive it.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

The Lord sends an angel to remove the seal and bring the true Gospel to those who have been prepared to receive it.  Jesus Christ comes this way to every man in the appointed time.

Rev 5:2  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 

Rev 5:3  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 

Rev 5:4  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 

Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 

The seals have been removed from those who can read, hear, and understand what is being spoken of by God’s Elect.  Let them who have ears to hear, hear the Word of the Promise of the Lord.

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. 

This letter has been written to reveal the Promise of the Living Christ to those ordained to receive it.  The Promise is the hidden wisdom of God that is the Living Word.  The Word of God is spoken in dark sayings and similitudes to hide it until the Lord opens our ears and eyes to see it.   Come and hear the living law of God that is Jesus Christ.

Psa 78:1  Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 

Psa 78:2  I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old

Hos 12:10  I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets. 

Herewith, we explore fifteen additional words and phrases that speak to the Promise that brings salvation from sin.  These are some, but not all of the terms used to describe the Promise in the Scriptures.  These Scriptures all pertain to the same topic, namely, the Promise that comes and dwells inside of us and saves us from our sins.  May our eyes be enlightened with understanding as we receive the truth.  The Promise is far more important than we ever knew; it is the essence of the Gospel and the Scriptures.  The Promise is well worth waiting for and tarrying to receive, as it is the consummation of our walk, meaning salvation is come.

The Wisdom of God:  Wisdom is the Living Christ, the Promise.  The hidden wisdom is Jesus Christ.  Those in whom Wisdom lives speak the Wisdom that makes them perfect now, and it is not the world’s wisdom.

1Co 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 

The living commandments and their reproof of our sins bring the wisdom of Jesus Christ to the children of God.  This Wisdom is salvation, and without it we remain in our sins.

Pro 29:15  The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. 

The Scriptures literally tell us Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of God.

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 

Anytime we see the word “wisdom” that does not speak of worldly wisdom, then Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and the Promise are the topic.  When the Promise comes to us, we are given the gift known as Wisdom.  When wisdom comes, we have become the Lamb of God as Jesus Christ is now living in us, and we are dead, being crucified with Him.  Wisdom coming is how savours are made who judge Mt. Zion.  Those in whom wisdom dwells are the Lord’s kings and priests who bring the Gospel and open spiritual eyes and ears to receive it.  When the Promise comes, divine promises are given, including power, riches, wisdom, strength, glory, and blessing.

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

Rev 5:11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 

Rev 5:12  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

The Gospel:  The Gospel is the Promise, the good news of the Living Christ coming to make His abode with us.  The Gospel, the Living Christ, enters our life when a messenger is sent before Christ to prepare the way.

Mar 1:1  The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 

Mar 1:2  As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 

We need to repent, be granted repentance, and be given faith in the Promise of the Gospel now being preached.  The kingdom of God being at hand is also another sign of the Promise we address later.

Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel. 

We are to seek first the Promise [the kingdom of God within us] and then all things are added unto us when He comes.  The great commission given to those who receive the Promise is to spread it to others.  That is how the Lord builds His church,

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. 

Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 

The Gospel is the mystery, the hidden wisdom that is also the Promise.  If the Promise is hid from our eyes, we remain lost, and the Lord has blinded our eyes.  Believe the Gospel, believe the Promise, and pray persistently for it to come, and tarry till it comes.

2Co 4:3  But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 

2Co 4:4  In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 

The Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven:  All who labour to bring the Promise, the Gospel to others are also known as fellow workers unto the Kingdom of God; there is no difference.

Col 4:11  And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me. 

The Promise that is the Gospel and the Kingdom of God is not in word but in the power of the Living Holy Commandments of the Father now living inside of us.

 1Co 4:20  For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 

When we lay hands on others to receive the promise as occurred at Ephesus, we are persuading our hearers of the Promise of God and the Gospel that saves every man.  Preaching the Promise of the glorious Gospel is preaching the Kingdom of God.

Act 19:8  And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. 

Preaching “repent and believe the Gospel” is the same as preaching “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, it is all about the Promise coming.

Mat 3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

The Sabbath:  The true Sabbath of the Lord is the Promise.  When this Sabbath rest comes to us, we have received the Promise, and the Gospel now dwells in our hearts.  We have ceased from our own carnal works.  The Lord gives us the rest, it is a gift like the Promise, faith, the Gospel, etc.

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [the Promise]

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This is the consummation of our walk and what brings us into the kingdom of God, giving the land, our earth, the promised rest.

Lev 25:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the [PROMISED] land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. 

Lev 25:3  Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; 

Lev 25:4  But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. 

We now rest in the Promise, and the Spirit of God works to bring salvation and remake a new heaven and earth.  Abiding in the Sabbath, we are dead to the world and the carnal mind that had held us in bondage all our lives.  The toiling and sweating are over and the man child Christ has come forth.  Our work is to believe on Him that the Father has sent to us.  Many fall because they do not believe.

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 

Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 

Heb 4:11  Let us labour [have faith and wait]  therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

The Coming of the Lord:  The coming of the Lord is the coming of the Living Word, that is, the Promise.  We tarry for this, believing and waiting patiently for the former and latter rain, which is also the Promise, the coming of the Living Lord into our hearts.

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Jas 5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

We pray for the Lord to come and the Promise to come until it comes.

 Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

The Lord Promises – I Will Come Again:  The Lord cannot lie and tells us He will come again; this is The Promise that brings the power of salvation.  We don’t fall back into perdition while waiting; we watch and pray as commanded.  We hold fast to what we have, persistently and daily asking for the Lord to come.

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Rev 2:25  But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Rev 3:11  Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. 

Many grow weary and begin to grumble and murmur, so we have all the admonitions about what happened to Israel wandering in the wilderness in search of the Promised Land.  Take heed of the lessons.

Second Time Coming:  The coming of the Lord spoken about is the second coming of the Lord, not the first coming.  The first coming is the baptism of John, and the second coming is the baptism of Christ, which is also a reference to the Promise.  The Lord comes the second time for salvation apart from sin, and this is when the Promise is given and the Living Word dwells within us.

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 expedient that Christ go away for a season because that is when He goes and prepares a place for us and comes back with the Promise in due time.

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

When He comes again, where Christ is, there we will be also, which is in heaven with the Father.  It is foretold throughout the Old Testament as well.

Isa 11:11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 

After He comes the second time with the Promise, we are sent to preach.

Jon 3:1  And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 

Jon 3:2  Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 

The second coming is to give us the power and strength to preach and endure the journey to the end.  We see in the story of Elijah being sent to King Ahab to repent.

1Ki 19:7  And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat [the Gospel]; because the journey is too great for thee. 

1Ki 19:8  And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 

Other Variations of His Coming:  Salvation is at the Lord’s coming.  The disciples asked Christ when the time of the end was and how He would come.  He comes by way of the Promise, which comes in the clouds of His witnesses who preach the Gospel and speak the words of power that bring the Lord to life when heard with God given ears to hear.

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. 

Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?  this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner [in the cloud out of their carnal sight] as ye have seen him go into heaven. 

The coming of the Lord as the Promise brings the Gospel that we obey, which is the Living Commandments [the Gospel, the Promise] spoken by His Elect that now are judging us and remaking all things.

Mal 3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming?  and who shall stand when he appeareth?  for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: 

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. 

While we wait for the power, having not the Promise, we prepare ourselves in the baptism of John.  We focus on the commandments and strive to be holy in all of our behavior.  This is having oil in our lamps, and we are not ashamed when He comes.  John speaks to them waiting.

1Jn 2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 

Many lose faith and patience and begin to eat and drink with the drunkards, as the old wine is better to the carnal mind than the new wine that is the Gospel and the Promise.   Some become scoffers and mockers of the Promise.

2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

We are to do business until He comes with the power.  Do not depart Jerusalem, do not let any man steal the crown that is coming for you.

Luk 19:13  And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 

Luk 12:45  But and if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

Luk 12:46  the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 

The Comforter:  The Promise or Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter.   The Comforter coming is the Lord coming, who is the Living Gospel.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

The promise of the Comforter begins in the Book of Genesis and is seen throughout the Scriptures.  A comforter is promised, and as Solomon writes, is very much needed to overcome the oppression of the carnal mind.

Ecc 4:1  So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. 

We stay in the city Jerusalem to wait for the Comforter, the Promise to come.

Isa 66:13  As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 

Luk 24:49  Behold, I send the Promise [the Comforter] of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

When we are laden in sin, we lament for the Comforter to come and deliver us.

Lam 1:9  Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself. 

The Comforter is also hidden in the Hebrew language, in which the Old Testament is written.  The Lord’s repenting is the Lord sending us the Comforter.  The Hebrew word “repent” is the same word translated as comfort and Comforter.  The Lord repents of His judgments and wrath against our sins, which is the same as sending us the Comforter for salvation.  It is hidden in the shadows of the Old Testament.

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 [sends the Comforter] him of the evil. 

Psa 106:45  And the Lord remembered for them his covenant, and repented [sent the Comforter] according to the multitude of his mercies. 

The Comforter coming is the turning away of the Lord’s anger against our sins.  Salvation is come to our flesh.  The living God in us has become our strength and salvation.

Isa 12:1  And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me

Isa 12:2  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 

Spirit of Truth:  We know His Word is the Truth, but the Living Word inside us is the Spirit of Truth and the Promise we pray, watch, and wait for to come and dwell within us.

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of God; it is through Christ that all things, including us, have been created for His purposes [See Col 1:15-18].  The Spirit of Truth creates the former heaven and earth and also the new earth when He comes with the Promise.

Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

Gen 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 

We have been redeemed when the Lord comes the second time as the indwelling Spirit of Truth.  We are mere clay in His hands, and we know it.

Psa 31:5  Into thine hand I commit my Spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. 

After we hear the Gospel of our salvation, the truth, the Living Words of Christ, we come into the true faith of Jesus Christ.  The truth of this is subtly hidden in all the words of Scripture.  Truth and Spirit are always in view together as they are the same, the power of the living Word.

1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

The coming of Pentecost is the coming of the Promise, which brings forth true worshippers who worship in Spirit and in Truth.

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth. 

Day of the Lord or That Day:  The day of the Lord is the third day for every man, the day in which they, like Christ, are made perfect.  This day represents the day the Promise comes to us.  Like the Holy Spirit, the faith of Christ is one of the many terms that describe the same experience of receiving the Gospel, which is the Lord’s Promise, that we have waited our entire lives to be revealed.   The day of the Lord is a wonderful day or a horrible day, depending on whether the new man or the old man is in view.  Here is the negative of the Promise coming, the end of flesh and sin.

Isa 2:12  For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: 

Isa 13:9  Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 

Joe 1:15  Alas for the day!  for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. 

This day, the Promise comes, is the beginning of the wedding feast of the Lord. It is a great and glorious day for the new man, Christ in us, has been formed by our redemption by the Promise.

Zep 1:7  Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.

Zep 3:14  Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 

Zep 3:15  The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. 

The day of the Lord is when the new earth and new heaven come forth.  All things are made new and in very short order, a quick work the Lord does when His Promise comes.

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

While the old is passing away quickly, we have faith in the Promise and behold the new creation coming forth.

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

To avoid making this study too long, the last few are abbreviated in the Scripture witnesses, but the point is made.

The Faith of Christ:  The faith of Christ is also the Promise, the power of the resurrection now living within us

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

The Grace of God:  When grace has come, the Promise has come, and all rejoice.

1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 

 Act 11:23  Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 

Eph 3:7  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

The glory of God:  The Promise is the glory of God, that lights our path and brings judgment, and thus fills the temple we are with smoke.  It emanates from inside of us to the outside and is seen of all men.

Rev 21:23  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; [from the indwelling Promise] and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. 

The Holy Spirit:  The Spirit of God is well known as the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit, also known as the Spirit of Christ, is the Promise and the Gospel which saves every man in their appointed time.  It is God’s will to give it the Holy Spirit of Promise to all who ask of Him.

Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? 

The Holy Spirit is even called the Holy Spirit of Promise.

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

Divine Power: The Promise is the divine power that provides everything we need to be saved from sin and manifest God’s glory.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

With this power that comes from the Promise, also known as the Spirit of Holiness, we are declared the sons of God. It is how we are raised into the newness of eternal life, knowing the Lord.

Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

2Sa 22:33  God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

Psa 145:11  They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; 

We could continue, as there remain several additional phrases  [knowing the Lord,  the love of God, the chief shepherd, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Holiness, Latter Rain, and even the word Salvation itself],  that hide the Promise in the Scriptures.  But the point has surely been made if anyone has read this far and has their eyes open to see the Truth.  May the Lord have mercy.

If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we should be desirous to look into all aspects of the Promise and be diligent to watch and pray for it to come. We pray that all so chosen become zealous for the things of the Lord and the coming of the good news that is now being revealed unto them.

A final consideration is to know that the day of the Promise, the day of the Lord, will not come until the man of sin in all of us is revealed first.  This is far more than the outward sins we clean up when Christ comes the first time.

Rev 17:8  The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 

We must be shown the abomination of desolation still standing in the Temple where the Lord wants to come.  There is nothing to do except quietly wait on the Lord to perform and come.  Study, pray, and wait is the commandment.

2Th 2:1  Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 

2Th 2:2  not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 

2Th 2:3  Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 

Pray for the Lord to come.  Pray for the Promise and wait on the Lord.  Anyone who does will not be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

Articles

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

Peter

Speaking Evil of Christ, the Living Commandments

“The sin unto death” and being cut off from the Lord

The sin we review in this study is often referred to as the unpardonable sin.  However, there is no such thing as the “unpardonable sin”; that term is an invention of carnal minds and not a pattern of sound words.  A most basic truth and promise of the Lord is that all sins are forgiven, and all mankind sees the salvation of the Lord.

Luk 3:6  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

The command not to blaspheme

We are commanded not to blaspheme and bridle our tongue from such utterances, knowing the Lord is working all things.  The Greek word for blaspheming is often translated as “evil speaking” and even “railing accusations” in the Scriptures.  We are not to blaspheme whatsoever and have the additional specific warnings about blaspheming the Holy Spirit, which is the focus of this study.

Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 

Mat 15:20  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

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

While all sins are forgiven in due time, the Scriptures clearly distinguish between “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” and other sins.  When the Holy Spirit is blasphemed, the timing of one’s forgiveness is delayed, and they are disqualified from being saved in this age. We have multiple witnesses in Scripture that confirm the truth, warn of this sin, and spell out the consequences.

Mat 12:31  “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 

Mat 12:32  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, in this age or in the one to come 

Carnally minded translators erred in many ways, all ordained by the Lord to further hide the truth.  Yet the Lord has preserved the Scriptures and given us the principles to rightly divide the Word.  We use multiple witnesses to confirm all truth, also applying the principle that the sum of thy word is truth [Psa 119:160, 2Pe 1:20].  It is only here in Matthew’s rendering of this blasphemy event where the sin is not forgiven, with the added emphasis being even in the age to come.  There are not two or three witnesses to confirm this matter; the actual Greek is inconsistently translated, and words such as “age” have been added.  The Matthew version conflicts with the renderings of Luke and Mark, to say nothing of all the Scriptures that speak to the forgiveness and salvation of all.  The same translator bias supporting eternal hell and torment was used here.

Even still, blaspheming the Holy Spirit is a serious sin, as it has no forgiveness until the last harvest of men in the lake of fire.

Mar 3:28  Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 

Mar 3:29  But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath no forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal [age abiding – not eternal] damnation:

Mar 3:30  Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. 

Here in Mark’s account, we again see the erroneous bias of carnal KJV translators turning this verse into an eternal damnation [hell] supporting verse.  Yet we know better, as all sins are forgiven in the end, and every man is going to be saved from those sins in the appointed time.  The wages of all sin is death, but the gift of Christ is eternal life, our rising from the dead.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

The Scribes spoke of Jesus Christ as Beelzebub, a demon, and thereby spoke evil of His work.  We must remember that Christ is the Living Word, and His Word is Spirit.  Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is speaking against those Words or, more specifically, the living Commandments which is the Gospel.   Christ spoke of this egregious sin after hearing the blasphemy from the Scribes and Pharisees.  Those carnal scribes have not received the Gospel with open eyes and ears, so they blasphemed in their unbelief.  Sins done in ignorance are readily forgiven, yet it becomes far more consequential when the commandments come by the preaching of the Gospel, the hidden mystery that is then revealed unto us.

Act 17:30  NKJV Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 

Act 17:31  because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” [The resurrection of the living word within us]

The flesh Jews, today representing Christians who have yet to receive mercy and be given ears to hear and eyes to see the hidden Gospel of the Living Christ.   They speak evil of things they know not about, and thus it is done in ignorance.   We all blaspheme the Lord’s commandments during our time in orthodoxy, knowing the flesh Jesus, and even later in spiritual Babylon, before we “hear” the Lord call us out and receive the Spirit.

Rev 13:6  And he [the beast from the earth] opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 

All such blasphemy before we receive the true Gospel is forgiven because it is BEFORE faith that is the Spirit of the Lord, the Gospel we hear begins to sanctify us by the washing of the water of the Word.  Paul’s example shows us that all who have spoken evil against the commandments [the Gospel, the Holy Spirit] can yet be saved in this age and used mightily.

1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 

1Ti 1:13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

Having received the Gospel, if one then blasphemes the Spirit, even while waiting on the Promise, they speak against the very power of salvation and are in danger of a harsher judgment.  Those given the Spirit of God, these living and active commandments in their heart are given much, and if one falls from the truth, they are given a more severe chastening in the appointed time.

Luk 12:47  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 

The sin is speaking against the Holy Spirit after we come into the knowledge of the truth and have tasted of the heavenly gift that is the Gospel which the Lord gave us to see and hear.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 

Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God,and the powers of the world to come, 

Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 

Knowing the truth and then speaking deceitfully is lying to the Holy Spirit and is blasphemy.  Such workers are to be cut off from the city of God and remain outside.

Psa 101:7  He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. 

Psa 101:8  I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD. 

Such spirits are not allowed to come eat with the Lord and His Christ in the Holy City.

Rev 22:15  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 

Falling away from the faith is leaving Christ by forsaking His commandments, as some we walked with were caused to do.  Many who walk with Christ, the Living Word, do not continue walking.  At some point, all ordained of God, some cease from eating of His Body and drinking of His cup and speak against the holy commandments.

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 

Few are given to endure and continue to eat the flesh of Christ and drink of His cup.  Blaspheming the commandments [the Spirit]  returns one to their carnal vomit [that defiles a man] even after they were once washed by the truth.  We go back to the mud that is a mixture of our carnal mind [dust] and the Spirit that is the water.

2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 

2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 

The sin is also appropriately called “the sin unto death” by John.   Once we are given the truth, the Word, the Living Commandments, and then speak evil against those commands and the work of the Spirit, that is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and a betrayal of Christ.  This sin is “unpardonable” in this life and disqualifies one from being the elect of God in this age.    All other sins are forgiven, but if one speaks against the holy commandments they have heard they have blasphemed the Holy Spirit and are cut off from the living Word who is Christ and His Christ.

1Jn 5:16  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 

1Jn 5:17  All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 

This sin leads to spiritual death, and there is no coming back in this age as the Spirit of grace has been insulted.  We are to pray for brothers who struggle with sin, but are commanded not to pray for those who commit the grievous sin unto death.   All blasphemy and doctrinal disputes with brethren are not the sin leading to death.  Brethren can be separated over doctrinal disputes, and the Holy commandments should not be blasphemed.  These brethren would be restored and forgiven if they repent. We need to be very circumspect and judge righteously even the smallest matters. We are in the last times of our walk, and our faith is going to be tested severely.  Many antichrists bringing false gospels and doctrines of demons are sent to try us in the Lord’s fire.

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 

1Ti 4:2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Anyone who commits the “sin unto death” was caused to do so by the potter who is working all things for the counsel of His will.  Those called, chosen, and now being made faithful in this age were declared and chosen before the world was even formed.  Free will has nothing to do with it.  This just shows us that some who walk with Christ for a while, do not continue to the end to be saved.  We mourn the loss of many brethren, but we expect it as it is declared in the Scriptures.

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.

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

A denial of Christ by our continued sin and unbelief, which we all do first, is different than a betrayal of Christ once we have the true knowledge of the Spirit that is the Gospel.  Judas, who betrayed the Lord, is a type for those who have tasted of the heavenly gift, represented by knowledge and holding of the money bag, and who then fall away and betrayed Christ.  One has to eat of the heavenly gift at the Lord’s table to be guilty of this betrayal.

Mat 26:23  And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 
Mat 26:24  The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 

Ananias and Sapphira are also prime examples of those who tasted of the heavenly gift and then lied to the Holy Spirit, which is speaking evil against the Spirit.  They died quickly in the physical, committing the sin unto death to remind us of this important spiritual truth, keeping the fear of God before us.

Act 5:3  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 

Act 5:4  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 

Act 5:5  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 

In the Old Testament type, Esau’s story also represents those who, in this age, forgo their inheritance for a bowl of porridge, which symbolizes sustenance [the accusing and excusing reasoning] for all flesh.   Esau later sought repentance with tears, but it was not given in this age.  So it is to this very day.  This is why we are taught to be diligent in pursuing holiness and not failing the grace of God

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 

Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. 

We are to do what Jesus did

As the Christ of Christ, the saviour’s on Mt. Zion, we follow the Lord.  We quote this verse often as it always reinforces that we are doing what Christ did and is doing now in our hearts through the Spirit of the Living Word.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 

The Lord and the Son of man [Christ in YOU] has power given to us by God to forgive and to retain sins here on the earth.  Believe the Lord.

Joh 20:22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 

Joh 20:23  Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 

As “the Christ”, sons of the Living God, we have the power in our hearts to forgive sins or to retain them.  Scribes and Pharisees among us think this is blasphemy, but we believe in the Living God and His Word, not the reasonings of men.

Luk 5:20  And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 

Luk 5:21  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 

Retained sins are sins that are not now forgiven.  Instead of forgiving those who blaspheme the Spirit, we are commanded to separate from them. We, the angels and messengers of the Lord, deny those who deny the living commandments, which is the Holy Spirit of God.

Luk 12:8  “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 

Luk 12:9  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 

Luk 12:10  “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. 

We are to withdraw from ALL who hear the commandments, that is, the Living Gospel, and later speak evil or blaspheme the truth.  The more we preach the Gospel and focus on the resurrection [the commandments living within], the more perverse men, devoid of the truth, seek to engage in carnal disputes.  We are to cut such deceivers out of our lives.

1Ti 6:3  If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 

1Ti 6:4  He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings [blasphemy – G988 blasphēmia], evil surmisings, 

1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 

There are many false Christs who bring another gospel and false teachings.  They claim to be Jews, but they are actually of their father, the devil.  We are to have nothing to do with them.

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 

Paul tells us to let those who bring false Gospels be accursed, meaning to separate from them and thereby deliver them up to Satan.

1Ti 1:19  Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 

1Ti 1:20  Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. 

Not all who call themselves Israel are Israel.  Deceivers are easy to spot once the mystery of the Gospel and the Living Word, the very commandments, take hold in our hearts.   Remember that evil company corrupts, and we are to be set apart.  This command to cut off those who blaspheme the Word of God is consistent even in the shadow of the Old Testament.

Num 15:30  ‘But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people. 

Num 15:31  Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’ 

Those who deny the commandments deny that Jesus [the Word that is Spirit] has come in the flesh and are antichrists. Our handling of those who blaspheme against the Spirit may seem harsh, but if we do not obey the commandment, we become partakers of their evil deeds.

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 

2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 

2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 

2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 

Sins we commit in our ignorance and unbelief are recompensed in due time, but not as severely as sins we commit wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the commandments [the truth, the Gospel].   If one sins willfully rather than out of weakness, they trample the Living Word and insult the Spirit of Grace after being given the truth through the blood covenant with the Lord.  Many stripes are coming in the appointed time to burn this direct rebellion against His commandments out of one’s heart

Heb 10:26  NKJV For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 

Heb 10:27  but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 

Heb 10:28  Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 

Heb 10:29  Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 

We endure to the end and finish our race, and only then enter fully into the rest that is Christ, the Living Gospel and the Commandments.  Peter called this undertaking “making your calling and election sure.”   We need to be diligent, working, we need to fight, and engage in the daily battle, leaning on the Lord’s commands by the Spirit to help us.  Once we have tasted the heavenly gift of the Spirit, the Holy Commandments, we cannot draw back to perdition as did Judas Iscariot, but continue to the saving of our souls.

Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 

Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. 

Our disobedience gives occasion to the adversary.

We need to know that our sins harm the kingdom of God and give occasion for those outside the faith to blaspheme the Lord and His commandments.  We see that in the story of David and his sins regarding taking Bathsheba as his wife. The Lord scolded him through Nathan the prophet, and the result of the grievous sin was death.  The child, representing the renewing mindset born out of this union, in type and shadow, dies.

2Sa 12:14  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. 

Ezekiel prophesied against the priests of Israel who would fall from the faith and profane the holy commandments, thereby blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Eze 22:24  Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. 

Eze 22:25  There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things [The commands]; they have made her many widows [No Christ, no husband] in the midst thereof. 

Eze 22:26  Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 

It is only by the mercy of our God that we are spared from making this mistake once we have tasted of the Holy Spirit by receiving the Gospel.  Our conduct as the Lord’s people and the light unto the world impacts how the Lord and His Word are received in the world.  Paul connected our disobedience to the Lord’s commands with causing those outside the faith to blaspheme the Lord.

Rom 2:23  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 

Rom 2:24  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 

1Ti 6:1  Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 

The Restoration of Israel and Salvation of All

Our fallen brothers and sisters are restored and grafted back into Christ at a future time.  We do not need to sorrow over that, but should fear that we do not stumble ourselves.  We can also be cut off if we fall from grace and blaspheme against the Lord and His commandments.

Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 

Those ordained to fall away from the faith are renewed unto repentance in the times appointed, when they live out their day of the Lord in the lake of fire.  Salvation cannot be lost; it comes to pass for all in the appointed time.  Nonetheless, we have many admonitions not to fall away and to stay focused on the living commandments and to remain steadfast on the journey.

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

Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 

Understanding this serious sin and our ongoing need for diligence, Peter’s admonitions carry much greater weight.

1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

1Pe 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 

Peace and grace to the brethren sojourning with us in the faith.