The Daily Word of Righteousness

A Giant Step Forward, #4

For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (I John 2:16,17)

Now, stop and think.

At what point will we be delivered from worldliness, lust, and self-seeking?

Will deliverance from sin take place instantaneously at the sound of the trumpet?

Deliverance from sin requires the interaction of the Lord and the believer.

In the case of the bondage of worldliness, we must resolve to turn our back on the money-centered world spirit, take up our cross, and follow the Lord Jesus.

In the case of the bondages that result from the sin that dwells in our flesh, we must confess our sins and turn away from them, renouncing and denouncing them with all fervor. When we do this the Lord forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

In the case of the bondages and rebellion that result from our self-will, we must abide patiently in the sufferings and prisons through which God brings us so the self-centeredness may be destroyed from our personality.

The result of our cooperation with the Lord Jesus as He performs these deliverances through the Holy Spirit is that Christ is formed in us. Christ in us is a ruling Spirit who loves righteousness and hates lawlessness and wickedness.

If God is to give Paradise back to us there must be saints who are so filled with Christ that Satan is not allowed back into the garden.

Therefore if the present crop of worldly, lustful, disobedient, lukewarm Evangelical Christians were caught up to the Lord, were freed from all the bondages of sin by one Word from the Lord, and then permitted to enter Paradise, they would be as Adam and Eve. They would be without sin in their personalities.

They also would be without the development of Christ the King in them.

Soon someone would decide to do what seems good to him or her regardless of what the Lord desires, just as most believers do today. You know what would happen then. We would have a satan among us, an Achan, and God would withdraw, leaving us all in spiritual defeat and death.

It is of great importance that deliverance from sin proceed as an interaction between Christ and the believer so the eternal moral laws of God can be carved in his heart and mind.

God will never work against our will, you may have noticed. If God worked in us so we were unable to sin we no longer would be His sons, but puppets. We always will be able to sin—throughout eternity. If Christ is formed in us we will not sin, because of the Divine Nature which has been formed in us. But we always will be able to rebel against God if we choose to do so. This is why the saints will govern the creation forever. They will prevent sin from multiplying.

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

To be continued.