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New Testament Church, Part 2
Jan 1, 2019 – by Ronel
Introduction
In these last times, now more than ever, we have to watch and pray. We groan being burdened by all sides, living out these verses.
2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Today we continue to study the commands in the book of Romans chapters 13, looking within first and then without. Remember as He is, so are we in down payment form [1 John 4:17]. We focus on the positive application today. There is a negative application to every word in Scripture.
1] Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers [positive application]. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
We rescue our darling soul from the power of the dog [carnal mind], how? Through being obedient to the earnest of the Spirit in us, namely, the Overcomer [Christ and His Holy angels]. Today we look at the positive application.
Psa 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog.
Psa 22:21 Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, from the horns of the wild oxen, you have answered me.
Psa 22:22 I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you.
Our desire is being towards Christ, and He is restoring us in our Day of the Lord. It is through our Husband that we are being restored. Look with spiritual eyes.
Gen 3:16 And to the woman He says, “Multiplying, yea, multiplying am I your grief and the groaning of your pregnancy. In grief shall you bear sons. “Yet by your husband is your restoration, and he shall rule over you.
Let us read about this beautiful promise of restoration in the OT shadow.
Isa 49:2 [CLV] And He is constituting my mouth as a sharp sword. In the shadow of His hand He hides me. And He is constituting me a choice arrow. In His quiver He conceals me.
Isa 49:3 And He is saying to me, “My servant are you, Israel, in whom I am beautifying Myself.”
Isa 49:4 And I, I say, “For naught do I labor; for chaos and for vanity I exhaust my vigor. Surely, my judgment is with Yahweh. And my wage is with my Elohim.”
Isa 49:5 And now, thus says Yahweh, Who formed me from the belly, for His servant, to restore Jacob to Him, when Israel is being gathered to Him. Yet I shall be glorified in the eyes of Yahweh, and my Elohim becomes my help.”
Isa 49:6 And he is saying to me, “A slight thing is it for you to become My servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and the dispersed of Israel to restore. Behold! I give you also for a light of the nations, to become My salvation unto the ends of the earth.”
Isa 49:7 Thus says my Lord Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Elohim of Israel, his Holy One, to the despised of His soul, to the abhorred of the nation, to the servant of rulers, “Kings shall see him, and they rise, and chiefs shall also worship him, on account of Yahweh, Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose you.”
In other words, Christ, the Day Star, is arising in our hearts to rule over the gentiles within us.
Rom 15:11 Again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Let all the peoples praise him.”
Rom 15:12 Again, Isaiah says, “There will be the root of Jesse, he who arises to rule over the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles will hope.”
2] Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3] Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
We are looking at the positive application. We are to be afraid of the One who destroys body and soul.
Mat 10:28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Paul asks, are we stronger than the Lord? Do not provoke Christ to jealousy. He is a jealous God. We are not able to partake of two tables.
1Co 10:21 You can’t both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.
1Co 10:22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Are we not afraid when we do evil? Do we not have a fearful expectation of judgment?
Heb 10:26 For at our sinning voluntarily after obtaining the recognition of the truth, it is no longer leaving a sacrifice concerned with sins,
Heb 10:27 but a certain fearful waiting for judging and fiery jealousy, about to be eating the hostile.”
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord is loving He is disciplining, Yet He is scourging every son to whom He is assenting.”
Heb 12:7 For discipline are you enduring. As to sons is God bringing it to you, for what son is there whom the father is not disciplining?
Heb 12:8 Now if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, consequently you are bastards and not sons.”
Heb 12:9 Thereafter, indeed, we had the fathers of our flesh as discipliners, and we respected them. Yet shall we not much rather be subjected to the Father of spirits and be living.”
4] Rom 13:4 For he [Christ] is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Christ is God, the Father’s Servant, to do His will, this is His meat. This is our meat. We are being reconciled to God, the Father, through Christ and His Christ.
Joh 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.
Isa 42:1 “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights— I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
Isa 42:2 He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3 He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.
Isa 42:4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands will wait for his law.”
Christ does not bear the sword in vain, as He is, so are we [1 John 4:17]. Here are two witnesses from the OT and the NT, speaking about the sword/Word of God.
Rev 19:13 He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.”
Rev 19:14 The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen.
Rev 19:15 Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
Psa 45:3 Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Master, Your splendor and Your honor.”
Psa 45:4 And in Your honor prosper, ride forth On behalf of truth and humility and righteousness; Then may Your right hand direct You in fear inspiring deeds.”
Psa 45:5 Your arrows being whetted, Peoples shall fall beneath You, Struck in the heart of the King’s enemies.”
Psa 45:6 Your throne, O Elohim, is for the eon and further; A scepter of equity is the scepter of Your kingdom.”
Psa 45:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore Elohim Your Elohim has anointed You With the oil of elation beyond Your partners.
5] Rom 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Why for conscience sake? Because the end [goal] of the commandment is this:
1Ti 1:5 but the goal [end] of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith;
2Co 1:12 For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, yet more superabundantly toward you.”
6] Rom 13:6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
We take heed to Christ and His Holy angels within and without because they watch for and over our souls.
1Ti 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.
1Ti 5:18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.” And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
1Ti 5:19 Against an elder do not assent to an accusation outside and except before two or three witnesses.
The elders within and without have these attributes:
Tit 1:5 I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you;
Tit 1:6 if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.
Tit 1:7 For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;
Tit 1:8 but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled;
Tit 1:9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.
Notice that we have cities within.
7] Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all [within and without] their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Why, because we become all things to all men. If we cannot obey the green tree what will we do to the dry tree? If we cannot even be subject to the green tree, the law for the lawless, what will we do with the dry tree? Christ and the Christ, the Tree of Life. Christ was crucified in the flesh and He is being crucified in the Spirit by all until He has mercy on His creatures. The law is not for a righteous man, only in Christ [the law of Liberty] have we freedom.
Luk 23:28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
Luk 23:29 For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’
Luk 23:30 Then they will begin to tell the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’
Luk 23:31 For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?”
1Co 9:19 For, being free of all, I enslave myself to all, that I should be gaining the more.”
8] Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
We know what love is namely to teach ourselves and others the commands of God. We know that we love God and that we love the children of God when we keep His commands. That is the meaning of prayer, the way we live our lives. Let our words be few before God within and without.
Ecc 5:1 Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.
Ecc 5:2 Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
Mat 6:5 “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.
Mat 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Mat 6:7 In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.
Mat 6:8 Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.
Mat 6:9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
Mat 6:10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
Mat 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
9] Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10] Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Christ did not do away with the law but came to fulfill it. It comes to an end too, when things concerning Him has an end [Luk 22:37] and God becomes all in all, then we walk by faith and not by sight.
2Co 5:6 Being, then, courageous always, and aware that, being at home in the body, we are away from home from the Lord”
2Co 5:7 (for by faith are we walking, not by perception),
1Co 16:13 Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be manly! Be staunch!
1Co 16:14 Let all your actions occur in love!
11] Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12] Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
It is high time to put on Christ lest we be found naked, we have to watch our garments. It is time to return to the great Shepherd. Garments are our the righteousness we have when we put on Christ, His righteousness, the white linen of the saints.
1Co 7:29 But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;
Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.
Psa 94:14 For Yahweh won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
Psa 94:15 For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it.
13] Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14] Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Knowing men [lies] after the flesh is walking after our own lusts [idols of the heart], a respecter of persons. We do not trust in our flesh.
Jud 1:16 These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaks proud things), showing respect of persons to gain advantage.
Psa 111:10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; All who practice it have a good insight. His praise is standing into the future.
Last Word
Let us be encouraged and remember that the Lord is faithful and not slack regarding His promises to us. Whatever we face today as we read this, He will and is delivering us.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
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.