The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Veil Over Evangelical Thinking, continued

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, slander, gossip, arrogance, disturbances: and lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and debauchery which they have committed. (II Corinthians 12:20,21)

The Lord Jesus was not revealed in order to forgive the works of the devil but to destroy the works of the devil in your life and mine.

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. (I John 3:9)

The part of your personality that has not been born of God is sinful. It is up to you to pray to the Lord continually for strength to make your animal body obey the commandments of Christ.

The part of your personality that has been born again of Christ will not sin because it is of the Divine Nature.

Our first, adamic nature must serve and obey God until the new Divine Nature comes to maturity in us. If we do not obey the commandments of Christ and His Apostles Christ will not be formed in us and we are facing destruction in the Day of the Lord. This is what the Apostle Paul teaches in several places (Romans 8:13, for example).

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. (I John 3:10)

How do you know a child of God? It is the believer who is keeping the commandments of Christ and who loves his brothers and sisters in the Lord.

How do you know a child of the devil? It is the believer who is not keeping the commandments of Christ, who is filled with slander, gossip, criticism, backbiting, malice, unforgiveness, strife, anger, a divisive spirit.

If you are in a church situation that is causing you to be filled with slander, gossip, criticism, backbiting, malice, unforgiveness, strife, anger, a divisive spirit, and you can't get victory no matter how hard you try, let me suggest that you go to a church with which you are in agreement. The Holy Spirit cannot work in an assembling divided in this manner.

I don't think anyone could accuse us of distorting the passage from John we have selected. Our interpretation follows the teaching of the entire text. But you can see readily, if such is the case, what implications this has for current Christian teaching.

John speaks much of the need for us to keep God's commandments. Some have taught that the only commandment we must obey is to believe in Christ and that the only law is the law of love.

This is not true. The New Testament is filled with commandments.

I have chosen the fifth chapter of the Book of Ephesians for an example of New Testament commandments. Also in this chapter there is a stern warning concerning the consequences of not keeping the commandments. I could have chosen passages from other Epistles just as easily.

To be continued.