The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Nature of Sin, continued

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (I John 2:17)

There are three principles that govern living in eternal life:

Living by faith in God rather than by faith in what we can see and do.

Behaving according to the laws of righteousness and holiness.

Abiding in oneness with Christ rather than as a separate individual.

Satan, who is the author of sin and death, seeks always to prevent us from living according to these three laws of the Kingdom of God. His motive for seeking to prevent us is that he desires that we worship him and be part of his kingdom.

Satan is a cherub who is in rebellion against God. He is attempting to build a kingdom in opposition to the Kingdom of God with himself as the center. Satan desires that his own will be done in the earth. Satan will do everything in his power to prevent us from attaining eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

The current world situation reflects the personality of Satan and gives us some idea of the fruit of following his leadership.

Our own personality reflects the influence Satan was permitted, by the first people, to exercise in the garden of Eden. Our personality strives continually to prevent our living according to the three principles of eternal life. Our corrupt personality always seeks to obtain security, pleasure, and achievement, apart from God.

Because we desire to obtain security, pleasure, and achievement, apart from God, but wish to have eternal life also, we have invented doctrines that enable us to follow our corrupt personality and yet gain eternal life.

Current Christian doctrine is a manmade attempt to follow after security, pleasure, and achievement, apart from God, during our lifetime on the earth, and yet be qualified to receive the fullness of the Divine inheritance when we die.

The Christian salvation is the overcoming, through Christ, of Satan, the world, and our own personality so we can obey the three laws of the Kingdom of God, thus becoming eligible to receive eternal life and able also to participate in the other aspects of personal transformation set forth in the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation.

It is being taught that the laws of cause and effect, of sowing and reaping, are suspended when we accept Christ. Divine grace is viewed as a means of disobeying the three principles of life and not reaping death as a consequence.

The invariable truth is, living according to God's will brings eternal life, health, joy, love, peace, and every other good and perfect gift. This is true in the present world (after we have suffered for a season) and also in the world to come (Isaiah 1:19; I Timothy 4:8; I John 2:17).

Living in disobedience to God's will brings eternal death, sickness, misery, hatred, unrest, confusion, lack of harmony, and every other distressing condition. This is true in the present world and also in the world to come (Jeremiah 17:5,6; Galatians 6:8; Revelation 21:8).

Whoever teaches doctrine contrary to the Kingdom principle of sowing and reaping is bringing death and torment on himself and those who follow him.

To be continued.