Tag: obedience

Articles

Dying to the Flesh

Pete

Dying to the Flesh

Followers of Christ are dying daily to the lusts of their flesh that, if not overcome, has us doing things contrary to the Lord’s commandments.  Dying to our flesh is the salvation process that takes the remainder of our physical lives to finish the journey the Lord has set before us.  A fleshly, carnally minded way of life is given up for men to be saved.  Lord willing, we understand and heed the words of the Lord as we lay down our carnal and worldly way of life and follow Him.

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luk 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

The sooner one can subdue the flesh, they are hastening the coming of the Lord, which manifests peace and newness of life.  Spiritual life comes only through death; as the old life is decreased, the new life increases.

Rom 8:12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

The Scriptures provide many exhortations and admonishments to remind and encourage us of the necessity that followers of Jesus Christ are dying to the flesh during our sojourn here on the earth.

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry ….

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.

The purpose of the Lord is to save all men from their sins which is done by taking every man through a transformative process.  All are being moved from a state of spiritual death [dead in our sins, being carnally minded] to being spiritually alive with Christ’s mind and overcoming our sins.

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

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

As we are being matured, we are given overcoming LITTLE BY LITTLE, and thus we learn to obey the commandments of the Lord as we conquer our fleshly lusts which wage war against our soul.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

As one progresses in their journey, we increasingly have our faith exercised in fighting the pulls of our sinful fleshly bodies.  This is the meaning of dying to the flesh or, said another way, how we are dying to our carnal mind.  To become spiritually minded, we are overcoming the carnal mind, defined as spiritual death.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

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

The carnal mind is being subdued for obedience and salvation to manifest.  Otherwise, one remains disobedient to the commandments and is not living pleasing to our heavenly Father.

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.

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

 If Christ lives in us, we are striving to obey the Lord and take captive the lusts of the flesh.  Our flesh is said to be sin, missing the mark, and not designed to inherit the kingdom of God.  Yet with Christ in us, we can live in the Spirit and overcome as we learn obedience.

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Dying to one’s flesh results from our engagement in what Paul calls the “good fight of faith.”  We endure this fight all the days of our flesh, and it never stops so long as we remain in these clay vessels.   We endure to the end and finish the race the Lord has set before us in this age.

2Ti 4:6  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

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

While perfection is always our goal and hope, we only arrive there fully once we are resurrected in spiritual bodies in the next age to come.  Yet we always press onward to receive the prize that is the mind of Christ.  When we sin, we get right back up to keep the course, knowing even our mistakes are used by the Lord to bring good in the end.

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The opposite of resisting, striving, and fighting to be holy is turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, which we all do at one time or another.  We need to be vigilant in pursuing righteousness and holiness at every turn.

Christ As Our Example

Jesus Christ the Lord is our example, and we follow Him in our appointed time, learning obedience to the Father’s commandments.  The Lord died on a cross, and we also need to die [to death] on our cross.

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Picking up our cross and following the Lord is about laying down our carnal way of life and thinking.  We give up that life (being carnal, worldly, sinful) to obey the Lord and reap the reward of salvation.  Jesus Christ is our example who sinned not all the while being subject to the same temptations and lusts of the flesh that come upon us mere mortals.

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Having been tempted and suffered just like us, the Lord is able to comfort us in our time of need.

Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Dying to the flesh does not mean all the enjoyments and pleasures of life are given up.   Our focus is on keeping His commandments and we seek to abandon and overcome things that are contrary or which negatively impact our obedience.  It is a narrow way we navigate to enter into the kingdom of God.  The Lord made all things, and they are to be considered GOOD for the purposes the Lord has made them.   His creations were made for the pleasure and purposes of aiding and comforting mankind.

1Ti 4:4  For every creation of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

The sum of the word that is truth teaches us that while all things are lawful, not all things profit or are beneficial to our spiritual growth.  We are being circumspect in navigating our journey and using our freedom in Christ wisely.

1Co 10:23  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

 1Co 6:12  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

 Dying to the flesh requires active engagement in resisting temptation and striving to be obedient in all our behavior.   Some key things we are learning to do more and more as we progress include these activities:

  • Taking sinful and negative thoughts captive.

 

  • Warring in the heavens against lies and false doctrines.

 

  • Resisting the devil (our carnal mind and its temptations)

 

  • Seeking to live a quiet and set-apart life from the world

 

We are failing on this journey, but that, too, is all the Lord’s plan, so when we do overcome, we know it is HIM and not of our own strength.  The process of salvation requires us to fail often as the Lord uses those failures to teach us and to know it is 100% Him doing all the saving.  Rather than be discouraged by our failures, we should be encouraged by the comfort given in the Scriptures and learn from them.

Fullness versus a Measure of the Spirit

The Lord had one key advantage that needs to be pointed out.  He was given the Spirit WITHOUT MEASURE when He walked in a sinful body of flesh but remained without sin.

Joh 3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

 We however are only given the Spirit WITH measure, an earnest deposit, so we have a much more difficult challenge in not falling for the various temptations of the flesh.

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

2Co 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Until we are resurrected in spiritual bodies and given the fullness of the Spirit, there is always work remaining to overcome and subdue our flesh.   Perfection and having the fullness of the Spirit are not achieved while we remain in fleshly bodies.   Yet we patiently wait in the hope of the fullness promised to come.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

When we do fail, we are to confess those sins and move on, striving to do better, knowing the Lord’s promises and purposes in molding His clay vessels.

 Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

We always focus on the prize and wanting to please our heavenly Father.  We are told many things to encourage us to keep the course despite our many failures.  We are to be patient, not grow weary and seek the throne of mercy in our many times of need.  Finishing our race is enduring to the end and never stopping the pursuit of holiness and righteousness, striving against our sins.

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

It is key to remember that the Lord calls things that are not as if they are already done. Such is the truth that we are dying to the flesh in order to reap the promise of eternal life.  We have not fully perfected it, yet we are getting there more and more every day.

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

As we grow in faith, our results (overcoming) also improve as what we believe is becoming our reality.

 Mat 9:29  Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

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

One can indeed do all things through Christ with the requisite measure of faith.  As we endure our day of the Lord, big changes will be evident as the Lord moves us closer to the finish line.   May these words edify and encourage those the Lord has prepared to hear them.

Grace and peace to all,

 

Pete

peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Articles

Guarding Against Deception

Pete

Deceptions in the Last Days

The love of many is waxing cold in the world as everything seems to be turned upside down.  The love of God and even the mention of His name and His commandments are hard to find.  And where Christ is preached, most are offended in these darkening times, as foretold.  Those precious few in the faith need to remain vigilant and endure the many deceptions and evils we confront daily.

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 

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.

The Lord is separating the sheep from the goats in this day of the Lord.  Today is that day if we belong to the Lord and have the living Word, the sayings and commands of Jesus Christ working its work in us.  We best heed all apostasy warnings lest we, too, fall away.

1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 

An expanding deception is the perversion of the meaning and intents of the word Love.  The relentless promotion of unnatural relationships between men and women impacts all nations.  The so-called gay lobby has successfully promoted the lie that not accepting their abominable behaviors is akin to hate, and by agreeing with their views, one would be deemed to be siding with “love.” Those so deceived have it entirely backward and flip-flopped as prophesied.

Isa 5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

My purpose in this article is not to get entangled with those in the world nor contest what the Lord is doing, as He is ultimately responsible for everything we witness.

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 

Rather, the Lord quickened me to write a follow-up to my last post, “Heeding the Lord’s Commandments in Faith.” The goal is to expose a related perversion of love, a growing apostasy that has ensnared brethren who previously stood firm in the faith.  Godly love shares some attributes with the love that those in the world know, but it is distinctly different in one key component.  What sets it apart is that love must be tied to doing the Lord’s commandments and sayings.  Any action contrary to what the Lord has commanded of us is not love in the eyes of Christ.  May these words the Lord gave me, sharpen our senses to be on guard.

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. 

The further we walk with the Lord, the more the warnings and admonishments about falling away and deception take on a more significant meaning.  When you experience it firsthand, then it becomes a louder wake-up call to stay vigilant.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

Many are fallen into apostasy, going beyond what is written in their doctrine and selectively adding to or taking away from the Scriptures. If not corrected, such departure removes one from the Book of Life and entrance into the Holy City in this age.  Be forewarned.

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 

The commandments are the power of the Gospel; apart from them, we have no part with the Lord, instead building our spiritual house on sand.  Do not be deceived.

Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 

Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 

We need to be circumspect in testing the spirits and trying the doctrines others bring to us.  As the Scriptures show us, carnal minds (Satan) are good at speaking half-truths and making spiritual writings or talks that, on the surface, appear godly to the undisciplined.  The Word of God is pure, and no lie is found in what is spoken to be the Truth.

1Jn 2:21  I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 

The spirit of Satan is the spirit of man’s carnal mind which is opposed to the commandments of the Lord.  The father of all lies is a proud and lying spirit that sways many with their smooth words and a forked tongue.  A recurring experience is seeing brethren forget and now dismiss the Lord’s commandments and replace them with a mantra of “let us just love everyone” and accept everything.   Such a doctrine is not the way of Christ and most certainly is not what the Scriptures, the sum of them, teach us as doctrine.  Following these seductive lies keeps one from having eternal life and entering into the Holy City that is Jerusalem above.

Rev 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

Rebellious children are brethren (Israel) who have been ensnared by the lie and have no desire or ear to hear about the Lord’s commandments [The Law of the Lord].  A smooth sounding “feel good” gospel is their spiritual bread full of leaven, which leads away from the true Gospel.  All flesh wants to hear the wide and tolerant easy road versus the narrow path defined in the Scriptures.

Isa 30:8  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

Isa 30:9  That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits

In our day of the Lord (the latter times), we experience more brethren departing the faith and giving way to lies, such as the perverted concept of love in the world.

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; 

We continue to pay a high price to walk with the Lord in terms of what we lose in this carnally-minded world.  It is such a blessing to be called and chosen to receive the blessing of the Lord.   We continue only as the Lord disciplines us to guard our gates and protect our crowns from the prevalent liars, thieves, and antichrists.    The last days are upon us now, and many antichrists IS COME disguised as angels of light.  We need to be on guard, try the spirits, and test the doctrines espoused by those who claim to be the Lord’s people.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 

1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

The Apostle John gives us many warnings and encourages the true church [The Elect Lady] explicitly to stay focused on loving the Lord [which is obeying the Lord’s commandments] and beware the many deceivers out there who would bring in false doctrines to lead us astray.  In this powerful Scripture from 2 John,  the Apostle defines godly love for us and starkly reminds us of a specific commandment we need to be exercising in faith to keep the prize of salvation.

2Jn 1:4  I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 

2Jn 1:5  And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 

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. 

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. 

Flesh is naturally opposed to obeying the Lord [Gal 5:17] and resists the law of the Lord at every turn.  Jesus Christ, The WORD, is inseparable from His commandments.  Denying Jesus Christ is come in one’s flesh is denying that His commandments are alive and working righteousness by His divine power within us.   Those not staying the course will stray from the commandments, while those being saved in their day of the Lord will be pressing into those same commandments.

The Lord is surely creating these experiences as part of the all things He is working in the lives of every man.  Christ brings division in one realm as He winnows down His little flock in this age who are promised the kingdom of God.  In this age, there will be few given to endure to the end on the narrow way of salvation.  This feat is impossible with man, but with God, it is possible.  We should always pray for wisdom and discernment and keep our hearts on the commandments of the Lord.  Those commands include requirements to take action and do things contrary to what the carnally-minded world thinks about the meaning of love.  But we are not here to please the world or men, but only the Lord and the Scriptures say this.

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

Jas 4:4  whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

The mark of a true disciple [“disciples indeed”] is the one keeping His commandments.  Staying our minds on those commands is how we are making our calling and election sure in the day of temptations.  If we want the Lord to come the Lord will put a spirit of obedience within us that will make the commandments, the true love of God, the focus of our walk.  Nothing else matters without this true love and this is how we know who belongs to the Lord and who does not.

Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 

Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. 

It is so important that the Scriptures give us many warnings not to be deceived about who enters and who does not enter the kingdom of God.  We best remember the warnings to obey the Lord’s commandments, including not partaking in the apostasy of others.

Further Witness of the command to separate:

The fable of false love, which calls for accepting everyone and just going along to get along, is an insidious lie that steals one’s reward [the mind of Christ] in this age.  Twice rejected, we as Christ need to move on to be obedient to the Lord.

1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 

It is not “love” or “godly” to hang around and argue and contend over the most fundamental truths.  Instead, godly love is our obedience to the commandments to not engage with those the Lord has deceived.  We are to separate.

Tit 3:9  But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 

Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

When we are given to love God more than flesh feelings and emotions, we have the steadfastness to stand firm even amid great opposition.  We won’t give an inch and waver not in exercising our love [obedience] for God.  Separating even from brethren bringing false doctrines and polluted gospels is not just wise to do; it is a commandment of the Lord.

Rom 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Entering the kingdom of God is impossible by the will or strength of man.  It is all God’s work in the brethren; remember, it comes by us being caused to pay a high price.  This includes losing relationships and engaging contact we once valued with brethren we have walked with for years.

Luk 18:29  And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 

Luk 18:30  Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. 

When this happens in our walk, Lord willing, we are obeying the commandments and not being trapped by the insidious lies of another gospel.  We yearn for reconciliation and repentance to our fallen brethren and know whether now or in the age to come; we will be reunited and be ONE in the faith.

The True Christ, the Commands is Not Attractive

The Babylonian or orthodox definition of love is attractive to flesh and draws people towards it.  Yet the true Christ and His Word are contrariwise NOT ATTRACTIVE to the flesh, and one is only drawn to Christ by the power of God.

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 

The commandments of the Lord [The Word,  Christ] are not esteemed by the carnally minded.  There is nothing about Jesus Christ, the WORD that flesh desires, and His Words were never intended to profit our flesh.

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

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

When we heed His Word and begin to do them (obey the commands), we enter into newness of life and start reaping the promises of salvation.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

As we mature, we more readily move beyond our sadness when brothers and sisters are swept away in apostasy.  We are also commanded to try to snatch them back from strange fire.  Yet if our words regarding the commandments are not received, we are commanded to move on as we saw above.  If we deny the Lord, He also denies us until repentance is granted. As our Lord is, so are we as His Christ in the world.  We are commanded to do the same as our Master does when the commandments are rejected.

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 

We learn that it is impossible to wake brethren to errors unless the Lord has mercy and opens their eyes to see it.  All we can do is preach the Gospel boldly; the rest is up to the Lord.

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 

Let those who have been given ears to hear, hear these Truths and remain vigilant in the walk of faith.

Grace and peace to the Saints.

Pete & Ronel

peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Articles

Heeding the Lord’s Commandments in Faith

Pete

Heeding the Lord’s Commandments in Faith

In giving us many of His reformed commandments under the Law of Faith, the Lord asks us why do we call Him Lord if we do not do what He says [e.g., obey Him].

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 

This is a good question the Lord asks of us, and we should ask ourselves often if we find ourselves not conforming our behavior to His spoken commandments.  While we by no means save ourselves [from sin], the narrow way of truth tells us we very much will need to be focused on doing the WORD, which means being obedient to the commandments the Lord has spoken.

 This exhortation is written with great humility and godly fear, as we are fully aware of our own shortcomings and failures.  We are thankful the Lord is merciful to awaken us to our deceit and sloth that has crept into our walk of faith.  As His called, chosen, and faithful ones, we are to be saviors to those in the world, but we cannot be saviors if we do not hold onto the Lord’s law and His precious Gospel.    The Lord is waking us up and putting His light in us, and the glory of the Lord is rising up within those He is saving.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 

Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 

Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 

We all fall asleep and grow weary.  But now is the time to arise.

Eph 5:14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 

Eph 5:15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 

Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 

The resurrection of Christ in us is His very commands and words that are Spirit [Joh 6:63] rising up in power within His kingdom within us.  This is the power unto salvation to all who truly believe.  The rising up of Christ’s commandments with power is the heart of the Gospel and we are not ashamed to proclaim it to anyone.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

The further we progress with the Lord, the few disciples walking with us become even fewer.  Their falling away coincides with the increasing demands the Lord makes on us as we grow in knowledge and maturity.  Eating His flesh and drinking His blood by giving up our life in obedience to Him is not for many.

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

When the Lord comes, He brings division and, over time, calls out a tiny escaped remnant onwards to maturity.  All Jews first believe in the Lord, but amazingly so, the Lord can quickly take away the truth, and most wander away.  We have seen this manifest before, with many mighty in the faith falling away.  The Lord has empowered us to write boldly so we may snatch those sleeping from the fire that is taking them away from the Lord.  Lord willing, some are given to continue in His word who keep and hold dear His commandments, thus becoming “disciples indeed.”

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Many have become confused over strivings over the law of Moses and how it applies under the law of faith.  If we are in Christ, that law is gone and has no application in our walk, having served its purpose of bringing us to Christ.

Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

The end of the carnal law for a carnal nation is not the end of the Lord’s reformed commandments that raise the bar for righteousness.  A walk of faith is the very beginning of the application of the new commandments of the Lord. We fear some have drifted from the truth in this age of separation and no longer believe in specific commands we must obey.  The words of Christ and the truth that is found in the “sum of the word” betray such a belief.

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

Our freedom from the law of carnal ordinances that defined the Law of Moses is not a license to sin.  True worshippers in truth, need to be loving God and others, which is defined as obeying the Lord’s commandments.

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love [1Jo 5:3 – obeying the Lord’s commandments] serve one another. 

Failing to embrace the Lord’s commandments, many have departed from the Lord and reject those bringing the truth in hopes of awakening them from their slumber.  This is not a new experience as it is all warned about and foretold in the prophets.

Jer 44:10  They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers. 

Jer 44:11  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah. 

 

Isa 5:24  Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel

The eternal law of the Lord never passes away.  This law referred to the law of Moses in the shadow of the OT, but it speaks of the law of Faith and the Lord’s commandments for the true spiritual Jews to come.   The entirety of the Old Testament ministration was not for the benefit of the Jews that lived back then; instead, it was all done for our benefit [1Pe 1:9-10], who would be born of the Spirit many years later.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things [the entire OT events] happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the age are come. 

Only the carnal law and ordinances (said to be “not good” and was only a means to bring us to Christ) were done away with on the cross.  If one is dying daily with Christ on the cross, they are following the law of the Lord of hosts.  Otherwise, we become castaways, says the Lord, who will cut us off.  Paul warned about being lazy and that we need to run the race to obtain the prize that is salvation.

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. 

Seeing how quickly the Lord can take away the truth from His priests that were once cherished in our hearts is a fearful thing.  We have seen the Lord cut off many once mighty in the Lord, so we best be on guard to ensure the Lord’s commandments do not leave our consciousness.

Eze 7:26  Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients. 

Our professed faith is dead without the accompanying good works, and those works the Lord has purposed is that we obey His commandments.  New Testament witnesses also show that we must diligently walk the walk of faith [evidenced by our obedient works/deeds] all the way to the end, or else we will not make it.  Our love waxing cold is our obedience waxing cold; thus, we fall away slowly but surely.  Be on guard.

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

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

All the Apostle letters and the Gospels consistently warn us that we must stay the course and be careful how we walk.  It is fearful seeing how such an essential truth and understanding as “we must obey the Lord’s commandments” can be taken out of one’s mind.

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 

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. 

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

Do not forget the lessons we have been given to learn.

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. 

We are called to do everything in the ability the Lord has given us to be conformed to His righteousness.   If we lose the zeal to engage in the fight, we have fallen from grace, and our faith is now dead and devoid of works.  Our obedience is a key part of the light others see in us when we exemplify Christ in our behavior.   We are to be a light unto the world, and here is how that is done.  Christ says to love all men as He has loved us, which means giving to all who ask.  Here more specifics are provided in a commandment that lives to this day.

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

Mat 5:46  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  do not even the publicans the same? 

Mat 5:47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?  do not even the publicans so? 

James gives an example of the commandment to do good to others, witnessing that our obedience to that command is the work the Lord seeks to prove our faith.   Faith in action manifests these works, which is the fruit of obedience.

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?  can faith save him? 

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 

Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 

Some want to argue that we do not save ourselves through our own works.  That is absolutely true, but we must embrace the sum of the Scriptures to find the whole truth that in harmony.  Yes, It is true that whether we rise or fall in obedience or disobedience, ultimately, that is still His work as salvation is of the Lord!  Yet we are admonished to strive/work for the higher calling.  The harmony of this is exemplified well in these verses.

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. 

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

We work out our own salvation [Phi 2:12] under the greater truth that the Lord is working all things, even our salvation [Phi 2:13].  Admonishing one another to be holy and resist that which causes us to disobey the Lord is the truth that is not contrary to the sum of the word.  Christ, Paul, John, Peter, and James all said that if our faith is true, we strive to be holy and obedient.  A sampling of Scriptures that are part of the sum of the word:

Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 

Luk 6:40  The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 

Rom 1:5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 

Yes, “Christ living in us” gives us the overcoming in due season.  Yet the same Apostle tells us we have to work to manifest our obedience to Christ actively.  We have to walk and war in the Spirit; it is called the fight of faith to obey the Lord.

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

 

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

 

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. 

 

How can we obey without knowing or thinking about our Master’s commandments?  We pray all are awakened to the same error and sloth we were shown in ourselves.  Only by His mercy were we awakened and in obedience to Him, we now boldly speak this word.

Whether we accept the Lord’s truth and obey is all up to Him in the end.  But it is an egregious error to say we are free from commandments, and it is a subtle way of turning grace into a justification for a slothful walk (lasciviousness).  The error comes by twisting the Scriptures, confusing the law of Moses with the eternal words and commandments of the Lord.  Peter warned of this for our remembrance, as it takes just a few subtle lies to pervert the Gospel if we are not on guard.  We must always remain steadfast and zeroed in on obeying the Lord, defined as loving God and our brothers.

2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 

We should remember Christ suffered all the same temptations we face yet was without sin and, by doing so, provided us the prime example to follow.

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 

Dwelling in obedience is dwelling in love, which is the same as dwelling in God and is how we are perfected in this age.

1Jn 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

Paul aptly addressed the misunderstandings of those coming out from the law of Moses into the law of Faith.  The lesson applies to all who come out of the carnal law and walk under the law of Faith.  We are not earning our salvation but proving our faith as we strive to obey the Lord and are given the overcoming in due time.

Rom 6:15  What then?  shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?  God forbid. 

Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 

Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine [Christ’s commands] which was delivered you

These warnings from John take on a new understanding once we are mercifully awakened from our sleep in Christ.   We must remain vigilant and guard against deception and a slow drift into a spiritual sleep that has us departing from the Lord’s commands.

1Jn 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 

Whether or not we complete our journey to overcome in this age is truly up to the Lord.  Yet we are always admonished to do everything we can to stand and resist the devil and the lusts of our flesh.   If we fail, we are to get right back up, keep walking, and pray to the Lord to overcome and that His kingdom comes to us.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Christ’s Words and commandments are the light that cleanses us in our journey and brings others to the light of Christ in us.  To be a light unto the world, we need to walk in the light of Christ’s Words, including His commandments.  We hide that light from others when we are not following His commands yet continue to call Him Lord.  We are to show our good works (our obedience, our Godly Love) to others, which brings glory to our Father.  That is the light others will see.

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

If we do not know His commandments, we cannot keep them.  And if we do not keep them, we are told we do not know the Lord and His truth is not in us despite what we proclaim.  These are some humbling verses when we examine our walk and see ourselves falling way short of the Lord’s commandments.

1Jn 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

1Jn 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

I could provide numerous warnings about falling away and being overcome if we do not walk with vigilance and guard against the deceitfulness of disobedience.   We are told that not all given faith overcomes (makes it} in this age, and we best do all we can to ensure our calling and election.  Here is just one warning from Peter’s epistle for brevity.

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 

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. 

One may ask, What is the Holy Commandment?  It is the one commandment the Lord gives that encapsulates all the others.  We must not turn from this but instead press into the details of the Holy commandment to become like Christ.  We all have been asleep.

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

 

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

What is love, one may ask?  Scripture answers this key question.

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

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. 

 

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. [of Moses and the law of Faith]

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

Paul gives a broader definition of Love [Charity] to the Corinthians that helps us examine our walk to see if we are doing these things increasingly in our walk.  The first and last verses of 1 Cor 13 are key, and remember that love is more important than faith and hope.  Love is greater because it is the fruit, or said another way, the result or the PROOF of living by faith.  Without love (obedience to Christ) in our walk, our ministry is nothing but a clanging cymbal.  Nothing is more important than Love.

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

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

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

1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

1Co 13:8  Charity 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. 

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 

1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come [Christ in our Day of the Lord], then that which is in part shall be done away. 

1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

Obedience to the commandments is directly tied to loving our brothers and sisters inside and outside the faith.  Laying down our lives for others is a commandment from the Lord in following His example.  We cannot exhibit these behaviors Paul uses to describe LOVE (i.e., be patient, kind, and bearing all things, etc.] without holding them close to our hearts as commandments by which we shall live.

In closing, it is by faith that we are being justified in the eyes of the Lord; it is not by our own works that are just filthy rags.  Our obedience is the good works that are pleasing to our Lord and bring glory to His name.  We should strive to please Him and bring glory to the God we say we love.

2Th 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2Th 2:15  Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 

When we fast from our fleshly lust and pray for the Lord to come, which themselves are commandments, He is faithful to reward us with overcoming our sins.  The result is we grow in Christ, and the glory of the Lord, our obedience, and the true light arise within us.

Isa 58:8  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 

The faithful in Christ will not be sleeping; they actively work on their salvation and strive to be like our Holy and perfect heavenly Father.  It is not enough to be a hearer only and claim our freedom by our faith, we must indeed become a doer and obeyers of the Word of the Lord.

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

Lord willing, we prove ourselves as followers of Christ and hold precious His commandments, that is His law.  It is on those commandments that we put our thoughts day and night.

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 
Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

When we do this, the fruits of the Spirit will spring forth, and we shall prosper in the Lord.  But the ungodly, who cast away the law of the Lord (in error), will be driven away by the winds of deceit.

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 
Psa 1:4  The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Beware that one is not driven away from the living God by forsaking His eternal commandments.

May the Lord give an understanding of these words of truth which have been boldly proclaimed in this letter.  We pray for all and that the Lord’s will be done and that His blessing falls upon us as we admit our faults to Him.

Blessed be the Lord of our salvation.

Pete & Ronel

peterjwilson56@gmail.com

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