| E-MAIL SERVICE | Sign me up to receive the daily Word of Righteousness free via my E-mail address! ( ONLY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH ) | |
| ARCHIVES | I want to check out the daily Words of Righteousness for any of the last fourteen days or from previous weeks. ( ENGLISH ONLY ) | |
| FEEDBACK | I have a question or comment about today's Word of Righteousness. ( ENGLISH AND SPANISH ONLY ) | |
| BOOK LIST | I would like to see the complete book list of the Words of Righteousness author Robert B. Thompson. (SOME SPANISH TITLES AVAILABLE ) |
The Daily Word of Righteousness
Two Appearances of the Bride, continued
I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged. (II Corinthians 12:21—NIV)
"Yes," we respond, "but we are covered with the blood."
It is true we are forgiven by the blood of God's Lamb provided we are walking in the Spirit of God and not in the flesh.
In order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4—NIV)
"Who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." Our justification depends on our living in the Spirit. It is not enough to merely make a profession of belief.
We have been given the righteousness of Him who kept the Law of Moses perfectly, but only on the condition we are living in the Spirit of God.
This means most believers in the United States actually are under condemnation because they are not living in the Spirit but in the flesh, as is evident from their behavior.
I realize Paul goes on to say that if Christ is in us we are controlled by the Spirit, and this can be construed to mean we automatically are controlled by the Spirit if we have once made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. However, the remainder of Paul's writings to not bear this out.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9—NIV)
But in another instance Paul says if we Christian do not judge ourselves concerning our conduct God will judge and chasten us, causing many to be weak and sick and some to die. Such believers, acting in the fleshly nature, bring Divine judgment on themselves.
That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. (I Corinthians 11:30,31—NIV)
We will not be forgiven through the righteousness of the blood of Christ when He appears but with our own behavior. It is being taught that the righteousness of the Kingdom of God is all imputed—ascribed to us because of our faith in Christ. This is not true.
The righteousness of the Kingdom of God is an actual doing of God's will in the earth as it is in Heaven. The purpose of imputed righteousness is to give us a start on the road to righteousness and eternal life. To not understand this is to not understand the Gospel of Christ, to make Jesus Christ the minister of sin, to turn the grace of God into immorality as is being done today.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4—NIV)
The majority of believers in Sardis had soiled their clothes with the filthiness of the flesh and spirit. A few, a remnant, were keeping their robes clean by confessing their sins and turning away from them, with the help of the Holy Spirit. The rest of the Christians in Sardis were walking in the flesh, just as is true of the majority of Christians in the United States in our day. They are the product of the false teaching of Dispensationalism and other heresies.
To be continued.