The Daily Word of Righteousness

If You Love Me . . ., #25

He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (Revelation 13:7)

The battle is being joined in our day. The issue is obedience to God, the keeping of His commandments. Where do you stand in this struggle? Have the four horsemen of error clouded your mind until you no longer can see what is written in the unchanging Scriptures?

It is difficult for us to understand why the Lord God would give such power to the Man of Lawlessness until we recognize that in so doing the Lord is bringing rebellion to a head. God is willing that all rebellion come to the surface so it can be judged and removed. This is the second goat of the Day of Atonement, the goat of removal.

Numerous believers of our day have been brought into the churches on the basis of a relatively superficial "decision for Christ." There still is much rebellion against God in their hearts. They must be tested again and again until it is certain they will not bring rebellion into the Kingdom of God. We must be proven worthy of the Kingdom.

Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. (II Thessalonians 1:4,5)

If we are to be found worthy of the Kingdom we must patiently endure the tribulations that come upon us. The rebellious will not patiently endure tribulation and so they will remove themselves from the Kingdom.

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

Many people who claim to be Christians in the present hour, who worship with us in the churches, are not true saints. They have been told it is not necessary to keep the Lord's commandments. They will fall away to the Man of Lawlessness in the days to come. The Divine fire will test everyone. Then the true saints will shine as the sun in the Presence of their Father in Heaven.

Those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will survive every test. They are the true saints. They always keep God's commandments.

Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 12:17)

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)

To be continued.