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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : Is God's Love, 'active' in us, necessary for salvation ?

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 Is God's Love, 'active' in us, necessary for salvation ?

It's a subject that got heavy on my heart, but one that I felt, that Only God Himself could answer, so I looked it up.

I love His word, so please, please forgive my extra long post here ... but I needed to know from His Word alone - the answer and also feel His Word is worth, to be put in bold, for two reasons. Because it's His Word and because of my eyes (and maybe other's).

Later, I'd like to post a writing done by someone else. [u]Thank you ![/u]



[b]Only one lifetime to grasp this.

Starting in Deut. and several times throughout Deut and the rest of the O.T. ... 'Before' the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who 'assists' us now, to Love with HIS Love.

Deut. 6:5-7 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. (Mat 5:43) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Mat 5:44)

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? (Mat 5:46)

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Mat 6:24)

Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Mat 19:19)

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Mat 24:12)

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Mark 12:30)

And the second is like, namely this, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself".

There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mar 12:31)

And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. (Mar 12:33)

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, (Luk 6:27)

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. (Luk 6:32)

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. (Luk 6:35)

And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? (Luk 7:42)

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. (Luke 10:27)

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (Luk 11:42)

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Luk 16:13)

Joh 3:16 FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. (Joh 5:42)

"Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. (Joh 8:42)"

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (Joh 13:34)

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (Joh 13:35)

If ye love me, keep my commandments. (Joh 14:15)

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (Joh 14:21)"

Jesus answered and said unto him, IF a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (Joh 14:23)

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (Joh 15:9)

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (Joh 15:10)

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (Joh 15:12)

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (Joh 15:13)

These things I command you, that ye love one another. (Joh 15:17)

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (Joh 15:19)

"And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." (Joh 17:26)

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. (Joh 21:15)He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (Joh 21:16)He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (Joh 21:17)

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Rom 5:5)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Rom 8:35)Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:39)

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (Rom 12:9)

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; (Rom 12:10)

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another "hath fulfilled the law." (Rom 13:8)

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Rom 13:9)

Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom 13:10)

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; (Rom 15:30)

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1Co 2:9)

But if any man love God, the same is known of him. (1Co 8:3)

1Co 13:1-8 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (Charity = Agape), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. (1Co 16:22)

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1Co 16:24)

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. (2Co 2:4)

Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. (2Co 2:8)

By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, (2Co 6:6)

Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. (2Co 8:7)

I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. (2Co 8:8)

Wherefore show ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf. (2Co 8:24)

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. (2Co 13:11)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. (2Co 13:14)

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; "but faith which worketh by love". (Gal 5:6)

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Gal 5:13)

For ALL the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy "neighbor as thyself". (Gal 5:14)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (Gal 5:22)

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Eph 1:4)

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (Eph 1:15)

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (Eph 3:17)

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:19)

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (Eph 4:2)

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Eph 4:15)

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Eph 4:16)

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor. (Eph 5:2)

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Eph 5:25)

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. (Eph 5:28)

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself ; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Eph 5:33)

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 6:23)

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. (Eph 6:24)

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; (Phi 1:9)

Phi 1:15-17 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: Phi 1:16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. (Phi 1:17)

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, (Phi 2:1)Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Phi 2:2)

Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints. (Col 1:4)

Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. (Col 1:8)

That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; (Col 2:2)

Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (Col 3:19)

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; (1Th 1:3)

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: (1Th 3:12)

"But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." (1Th 4:9)

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, "putting on the breastplate of faith and love"; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. (1Th 5:8)

And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. (1Th 5:13)

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2Th 2:10)

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. (2Th 3:5)

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (1Ti 1:14)

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. (1Ti 6:11)

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2Ti 1:7)

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, "in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." (2Ti 1:13)

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2Ti 4:8)

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, (Tit 2:4)

Phm 1:3-7 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

1:7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. (Phm 1:9)

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Heb 6:10)

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (Heb 10:24)

Let brotherly love continue. (Heb 13:1)

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, "which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (Jam 1:12)

"Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" (Jam 2:5)

(Jam 2:8-9)If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1Pe 1:8)

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (1Pe 1:22)

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1Pe 2:17)

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: (1Pe 3:8)

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: (1Pe 3:10)

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: 'hereby' know we that we are in him. (1Jo 2:5)

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1Jo 2:15)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1Jo 3:1)

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (1Jo 3:11)

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (1Jo 3:14)

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1Jo 3:16) [Compare to John 3:16 - Neat coincidence in verse numbers ? :)

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1Jo 3:17)

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (1Jo 3:18)

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (1Jo 3:23)

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (1Jo 4:7)

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1Jo 4:8)

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (1Jo 4:9)

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1Jo 4:10)

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (1Jo 4:11)

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1Jo 4:12)

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1Jo 4:16)

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1Jo 4:17)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1Jo 4:18)

We love him, because he first loved us. (1Jo 4:19)

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1Jo 4:20)

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1Jo 4:21)

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (1Jo 5:2)

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. {He gave TWO commandments} (1Jo 5:3)

The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; (2Jo 1:1)

Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. (2Jo 1:3)

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. (2Jo 1:5)And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. (2Jo 1:6)

Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. (Jud 1:2)

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jud 1:21)

Rev 2:1-4 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.[/b]


 2005/8/4 17:10









 Re: Is God's Love, 'active' in us, necessary for salvation ?

This article is untouched and the emphasis has been put in by it's author. I had it in my e-mail draft files.

I'm sure the author, 'whoever he is', would not mind it being quoted ... as "freely we have received", so I'm sure he would want it freely given, and not look for credit that belongs to Christ alone.

It's about the First & Chiefest Commandment.

It's Long, but you may find, worth the read and may be hard to understand, unless read to the finish. I don't make it a habit, to post this long, but, maybe this is essential after all.

It's in Two Parts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this age of INSTANT FAITH, AND INSTANT SALVATION, lies buried the ONE SINGLE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD, THE VERY FIRST COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Belief and faith have replaced it.

If it is brought up to the multitudes of Christians, they look with open disdain upon it. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH!"

Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die to get there! Everyone wants Jesus to save them, but no one wants to do what Jesus COMMANDED OF THEM TO OBTAIN IT. So they invent new theologies, and EASY WAYS TO GAIN ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM. Jesus called them WIDE GATE AND BROAD WAY THEOLOGIES AND DOCTRINES. He warned us that in the last days they would BURST UPON THE SCENE AND THAT A MULTITUDE OF FALSE PREACHERS, TEACHERS AND EVANGELISTS WOULD RISE UP, BECOME VERY WEALTHY, AND BRING IN A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM OF CHRISTIAN BELIEF. Those that embrace it, He said, would go to eternal hellfire. There was ONE ITEM that Jesus warned about MORE THAN ANY OTHER FOR THE LAST DAYS - IT WAS DECEPTION. Those under a deception do not realize it. They are positive they are correct, and that what they have embraced is 100% accurate and factual. Thus it is THEY "KNOW NOT" THAT THEY ARE POOR, BLIND, NAKED AND DESTITUTE.

It all comes back to the FORGOTTEN COMMANDMENT. WE COULD ALSO SAY THE REJECTED COMMANDMENT. Under the new FAITH THEOLOGY, the only thing allowed is FAITH. Have FAITH IN YOUR FAITH; BELIEVE MORE, AND YOU SHALL HAVE IT. It is a rank deception. Now many brothers and sisters think that when you speak of the FAITH MOVEMENT, that we are speaking of the NAME IT AND CLAIM IT TYPE OF FOLKS. You know, those folks who SPEAK THINGS INTO BEING. We could call it the NORMAN VINCENT PEALE type of Christianity, or the Robert Schuller School of POSITIVE THINKING.

They make up PART of the FAITH MOVEMENT. The other part is modern Christian denominational theology. It does not matter what denomination you think of either, for they are all involved in what CIS calls FAITH THEOLOGY. Under the concept of FAITH THEOLOGY, you SIMPLY "BELIEVE" AND HAVE "FAITH" in Christ, and you ARE SAVED. In other words, the entire modern Christian religion is based upon this concept: BELIEF. Simply believing takes the place of all the commands of Jesus Christ. Simply believing becomes a SUBSTITUTE FOR, AND A REPLACEMENT OF OBEDIENCE!!! If you mention that Jesus Christ COMMANDED OBEDIENCE you are instantly branded a LEGALIST, ONE WHO IS "WORKING" HIS WAY INTO HEAVEN. "You are ACCURSED, FOR YOU BRING ANOTHER GOSPEL AND ANOTHER CHRIST."

It is not that there are not Christian denominations out there that are not involved in WORKS. There are! Seventh Day Adventism, for example, is based upon WORKS, although they deny it. The concept behind it appears to be correct, it appears to be truthful, but it isn't. Their base argument is very simple: IF YOU REALLY LOVE GOD YOU WILL KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. They then list off the various commandments, such as the TEN THAT MOSES BROUGHT WITH HIM. "If you LOVE GOD, you WILL KEEP THESE COMMANDMENTS". They will tell you that, and they sincerely believe it to be true. They are some of the nicest Christian folks you could ever meet. THEY ALSO LIVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE. Then we have MORMONISM. It is a WORKS RELIGION. Mormonism is in reality a MASONIC FORM OF CHRISTIANITY. It is Masonic to its very core, and is patterned after the Masonic concept of WORKS.

Then we have the fundamentalists camps that use the Doctrine of Separation as a form of works. It comes under several names, usually HOLY LIVING, or SANCTIFICATION. It is not that the Lord does not require HOLY LIVING, but if one examines these doctrines carefully, they are tied to Salvation or Proofs of Salvation. It is very similar to the Seventh Day Adventist concept; "If you love the Lord, you will OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS." The OBEDIENCE IS THEN TIED DIRECTLY AS A PROOF OF THE "LOVE".

This is what the MANY did who were REJECTED by the Lord Jesus Christ at the first phase of the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. They said "DIDN'T WE?" and then listed all of the great WORKS they had done in "OBEDIENCE". They were LEGALISTS, BUT DID NOT REALIZE IT. THEY WERE INTO WORKS, THOUGH THEY KNEW SALVATION WAS BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH. In other words, they WERE RANK LEGALISTS ALL THE WHILE THEY SCREAMED WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.

WORKS DON'T PROVE ANYTHING WHATEVER, for works can be done with ANY MOTIVE WHATEVER. God looks at the INWARD HIDDEN HEART FOR MOTIVE. The ONLY ACCEPTABLE MOTIVE TO GOD ARE WORKS DONE IN "AGAPE LOVE", WHICH FULFILLS THE LAW OF THE NEW COVENANT. The only way one can lay hold of AGAPE is to ENTER THE STRAIT GATE AND WALK THE NARROW WAY WHICH LEADETH UNTO LIFE. The issue between man and God is NOT WORKS, GOOD OR BAD. 'THE ISSUE IS A LOVE ISSUE.' The human heart, according to the Bible, is so WICKED AND SO EVIL THAT NO ONE CAN KNOW THE DEPTHS OF ITS DEPRAVITY. This is a BLANKET CONDEMNATION OF MANKIND, AND NO ONE IS EXEMPT!

Now if all mankind is WICKED and EVIL, then ALL OF HIS WORKS, NO MATTER HOW GREAT THEY MAY SEEM, must be, and have to be WICKED AND EVIL TO THE LORD. In other words, THE FLESH IS CORRUPT, AND NOT SALVAGEABLE. If you cannot salvage the FLESH, then why would God fool with it? In short, HE DOESN'T. HE DOESN'T BOTHER TO WORK WITH SOMETHING THAT IS UTTERLY CORRUPT, UTTERLY BEYOND ALL SALVAGE OPERATIONS. Which is why GOD BYPASSES THE FLESH, and GOES FOR THE INNER, HIDDEN HEART OF MAN, WHICH IS THE SPIRIT HEART.

This is why Jesus said THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING, IT IS OF THE SPIRIT. Regeneration IS A SPIRITUAL TRANSACTION. The flesh man is WELL AWARE AND COGNIZANT OF THE TRANSACTION WHEN IT OCCURS, BUT REGENERATION IS OF THE SPIRIT, AND THE SPIRIT MAN IS "MADE NEW". You can't make the flesh man new, it is corrupt, and going into the ground. NO FLESH CAN INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Now IF THE SPIRIT MAN IS WHAT GOD MAKES NEW, BECAUSE HE CANNOT DEAL WITH THE FLESH, then no amount of FLESH WORKS will save ANYONE, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED GRACE. IF SALVATION IS BY GRACE, IT IS NOT OF "FLESH" WORKS, AND IF IT IS OF WORKS, IT IS NOT OF GRACE. GRACE ONLY IS EFFECTIVE WHEN FLESH WORKS CEASE.

"Works", "legalism" and "law keeping" can best be described as ANY ATTEMPT BY MAN IN THE FLESH TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF BEFORE GOD, IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE HIMSELF ACCEPTABLE TO GOD BY HIS "WORKS". Modern Christianity has added to this definition of "works" by saying that any form of OBEDIENCE, REPENTANCE, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF "HUMAN EFFORT" is contrary to FAITH, an ADDITION TO FAITH. They contradict themselves in this, because they insist that a "decision for Christ" and "confession of sin" is a REQUIREMENT OF SALVATION. There is a big difference between CONFESSION OF SIN AND REPENTANCE. BOTH require "MENTAL EFFORT". It requires the SEARCHING OF THE SOUL TO CONFESS SIN, AND TO FIND THE NEED OF A SAVIOR. Thus, by their own definitions, they admit there is a "MENTAL WORK" involved. It should be noted that this form of "salvation" is a HEAD FAITH, for only CONSCIOUS MENTAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED.

So then, if there is a mental work involved, which even the FAITH TEACHERS THEMSELVES CLAIM TO BE TRUE, which is a THINKING/SEARCHING process, then OBVIOUSLY FAITH ITSELF IS A MENTAL WORK. Under modern Christian theology, FAITH IS A POSITIVE CONFESSION, A POSITIVE "BELIEF". It is a POSITIVE THINKING OPERATION. THEY SAY "THINK THE RIGHT THOUGHTS AND RIGHT THINGS WILL HAPPEN. THINK GOOD THOUGHTS, AND GOOD THINGS WILL COME TO YOU. One cannot be saved, they all say, without BELIEVING. FAITH IS THEREFORE CONNECTED TO THE CONSCIOUS MENTAL PROCESS OF THOUGHT, OF BELIEVING SOMETHING. This being true, then SALVATION IS GAINED BY POSITIVE THINKING, BY EMBRACING CERTAIN CLAIMS OF SCRIPTURE AS BEING TRUE, and doing so by a deliberate thinking process and an act of the conscious will. In order to do that, you have "mental effort". We are back where we began!!

Modern Christian theology is a maze of contradictions which lead one to eternal ruin. God never intended, nor ever said, ANYWHERE in the Scripture, that MENTAL EFFORT WAS A FORM OF "WORKS" OR LEGALISM OR LAW KEEPING. To the contrary, He said that FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. Mental effort is required to HEAR, AND TO UNDERSTAND THE WORD OF GOD. That is a form of human effort, or a form of "work". The question then becomes, if ANY DEGREE OF MENTAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN SALVATION, HOW MUCH EFFORT, and HOW MUCH WORK. Is it the simple "effort" of making a "decision", or does it involve something much more? What does God have to say about it? Are there ADDITIVES TO FAITH?

This absolute truth is essential to understand SALVATION. Salvation is not obtained by FLESH WORKS, LEGALISM, LAW KEEPING, nor ever can be. God does not approach the human race on that basis. He needed to CLEAR THE FIELD OF ALL HUMAN ABILITY ALONG THOSE LINES. We cannot be made acceptable unto the Lord by being "good", or doing "good Christian works", or by "church keeping" (ritual), or any other form of Christian good works. These sorts of "works" have nothing to do with SALVATION.

But what about simple faith? By simply "believing"? As was said, this form of "mental effort" is required by even the most liberal Christian denominations. Is there more? If we have an admission that there is a conscious mental effort involved, which there is, then HOW MUCH? This leads us directly to the heart of this article: THE FORGOTTEN COMMANDMENT. Is it enough just to "believe"? And just how much BELIEVING AND FAITH MUST WE HAVE TO OBTAIN THE "PROMISE" OF SALVATION? Is faith QUANTITATIVE OR QUALITATIVE? Or neither?

The issue here is critical, for the eternal destiny of millions of souls is at stake. IF A MISTAKE IS MADE HERE, YOU MISS HEAVEN'S GATE, AND IF YOU MISS IT, YOU MISS IT FOREVER. There are no second chances here. God gave the human race ONE SHOT. You either HIT THE TARGET BEFORE YOU DIE, or YOU LOSE THE ENTIRE GAME. What is this LOST COMMANDMENT? It could also be called the IGNORED COMMANDMENT, THE REJECTED COMMANDMENT, THE DENIED COMMANDMENT, yet it is a command that can be found all over in the Scriptures, worded differently but still there, so that ALL MIGHT COME TO A RECOGNITION OF THE TRUTH.

In modern Christian theology, THE MOMENT A "DECISION" FOR CHRIST IS MADE BY THE "CONSCIOUS MIND AND WILL", CHRIST COMES INTO THE HUMAN HEART IN "UNION" AND THAT PERSON IS "BORN AGAIN". We have attempted over the last year to SHOW YOU THAT IS THE LIE OF SATAN. We have attempted to show you, via much Scripture, THE BIBLE MAKES NO SUCH CLAIM WHATSOEVER, AND IN FACT, WARNS YOU SEVERELY AGAINST THIS FORM OF DECEPTION, which Christ Himself said would come in the LATTER YEARS, JUST BEFORE HIS RETURN. It was the RISE OF THIS THEOLOGY THAT DENIED THE "WAY" THAT WAS A SURE SIGN OF THE END.

We will start in Hebrews, and work backwards, showing you many proofs that this concept of "instant" salvation IS DIRECT FROM THE FATHER OF LIES, AND THOSE THAT PROPAGATE IT ARE HIS "MINISTERS OF LIGHT", ALTHOUGH MOST OF THEM DO NOT REALIZE IT. Instead of salvation, they bring DEATH. Instead of an eternity with Christ, they bring with them an eternity WITH SATAN. Hebrews Chapter 11 is what is known as the FAITH CHAPTER. It deals with the concept of what FAITH REALLY IS, AND WHAT IT IS NOT. In the examples given, we will find that FAITH has an associated "work". FAITH IS NEVER A "STAND ALONE" ITEM. Biblical faith, REAL FAITH, ALWAYS, ALWAYS WILL PRODUCE A "WORK", otherwise, says James, IT IS A DEAD FAITH, NOT REAL.

For example, in Hebrews 11:7 we read:

"BY FAITH Noah, BEING WARNED

OF GOD of THINGS

NOT SEEN AS YET. MOVED WITH FEAR,

PREPARED AN ARK

TO THE SAVING OF HIS HOUSE;

BY THE WHICH HE CONDEMNED THE WORLD, AND BECAME

HEIR OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS

WHICH IS

BY FAITH."



There are many jewels in this ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE. Will you open your heart to them? First, it says that NOAH HIMSELF BUILT AN ARK "BY FAITH". Does that mean that NOAH sat around for forty days and forty nights praying to God thus:



Dear Lord, I know that thou hast said I must prepare an ark. How great is thy power Lord. Now you know that our definition here of faith EXCLUDES ANY WORKS OR EFFORTS ON MY PART. You know that our THEOLOGY does not allow me to actually go out and "do something", FOR THAT WOULD BE A "WORK" AND A "HUMAN EFFORT" ON MY PART. Our definition of faith here is to simply "BELIEVE". Therefore God, I BELIEVE. I know that if I believe enough, and have STRONG FAITH, the FAITH TO EVEN MOVE MOUNTAINS, that you will build me an ark, and that it will appear before me, AND THUS, GOD, I ASK THEE TO BUILD ME AN ARK AND PRESENT IT TO ME. THANK YOU LORD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARNING AND YOUR MIGHTY POWER."

If Noah prayed thus for a full forty days and nights, at the end of the fortieth night Noah would open his eyes and find no ark. He would be very distressed and overwrought with great fear. He would go before the Lord and ask "WHY HAVE YOU NOT PRODUCED AN ARK?" The Lord might say,



"Were not my instructions clear? What did I say? MAKE THEE AN ARK. MAKE THEE AN ARK. Noah, did I say I WOULD BUILD THEE AN ARK, OR DID I SAY FOR YOU TO BUILD IT? Did not I say clearly that YOU WERE TO BUILD IT? And where did you get this concept of FAITH? WHO SOLD THAT TO YOU? This project requires YOU TO DO IT. NOW THEN, NOAH, I WILL FORGIVE THIS LITTLE FORAY INTO THEOLOGICAL BLUNDERS, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST YOU GET BUSY, FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS, IF YOU HAVE "FAITH" IN ME, AND THE WARNINGS I HAVE GIVEN YOU, AND DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD, TO SAVE YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY, FOR YOU ARE WASTING TIME AND YOU HAVE LITTLE TO WASTE."

Well now, you know, Noah would hang his head in shame, for he was a man of God. Realizing he had not listened CLOSELY ENOUGH TO THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL TO KNOW WHO DID WHAT. That is, WHAT PART NOAH DID, AND WHAT PART GOD DID! So Noah would set to build himself an ark,with keen resolve. The preachers, teachers and evangelists would all come by and MOCK NOAH. They might sing a little song that went:

"NOAH IS A LEGALIST, NOAH IS A LEGALIST, AND WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, AND NOAH IS A WORKER." They would gather around and sing that ditty day after day, with pickets and everything. Noah, paying them no heed, would continue his work. Next they send in their master theologians who triy to persuade Noah they know more than God. But Noah is not persuaded, so they continue with their harassment right up to the day of the flood. It is then, only at the last moment, that the PREACHERS, TEACHERS AND EVANGELISTS COME TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TRUE FAITH REALLY WAS. By then it is too late and in spite of their cries and pleas to save them, they all drown in the flood along with their families. Is that the way the story goes? It would seem that NOAH KNEW WHAT HIS PART OF THE DEAL WAS, AND THAT "BY FAITH", because HE BELIEVED IN GOD ENOUGH TO BELIEVE WHAT GOD TOLD HIM WAS COMING, he actually "MOVED WITH FEAR".

So then NOAH ACTUALLY PERFORMED A "WORK", and that work proved HIS FAITH WAS LIVING, AND NOT A DEAD FAITH. Do you see? FAITH WILL ALWAYS PRODUCE A "WORK". It must, by its very nature, for the "WORK" OF FAITH IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF REAL FAITH. It is PART OF THE DEFINITION OF TRUE FAITH. If your faith produces NO WORK, you do not have TRUE FAITH. You certainly do not have SAVING FAITH!!

Notice also that "BY FAITH" NOAH BUILT HIS ARK, and by it condemned the WORLD. Now the COMMAND TO BUILD THE ARK WAS AN "ACTUAL COMMAND". God expected NOAH TO "OBEY" THAT COMMAND. In fact, HIS SALVATION WAS CONDITIONAL UPON OBEDIENCE. Do the words "BY FAITH" mean that he simply "believed" and that was all? That he stood around "believing" and "trusting" IN GOD, so that GOD WOULD BUILD THE ARK, BECAUSE FOR NOAH TO DO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A "WORK", OR A "LEGALISM", OR SOME FORM OF "LAW KEEPING"? And yet the modern PREACHERS, EVANGELISTS AND TEACHERS WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE THAT, FOR THEIR DEFINITION OF FAITH IS EXACTLY THAT!! YOU DO NOTHING, GOD DOES EVERYTHING!! So then, NOAH "BELIEVED" GOD, AND GOD'S WORDS ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY BE MOVED TO "OBEDIENCE", and to COMPLY WITH THE COMMANDS OF GOD, AND DO WHAT GOD ASKED NOAH TO DO!! What would have happened to Noah if he had decided not to build the ark?

By COMPLYING WITH THE COMMANDS OF SCRIPTURE, NOAH SAVED HIMSELF, HIS FAMILY, AND CONDEMNED THE "UNBELIEVING" WORLD WHO STOOD AROUND AND MOCKED NOAH FOR HIS "WORK". The false prophets and false evangelists of his day stood around and MOCKED. They said he was into "WORKS", AND "LEGALISM". They said



"We are saved by grace through faith. WE BELIEVE, AND WE TRUST THE LORD TO DELIVER US. YOU ON THE OTHER HAND, DO NOT TRUST THE LORD, AND ARE INTO WORKS. THIS VERY WORK THAT YOU DO PROVES YOUR LACK OF FAITH AND TRUST IN THE LORD. YOU DENY YOUR FAITH BY YOUR WORKS."

They all died, and NOAH LIVED.



Now the MODERN PREACHERS, THE EVANGELISTS have the same theology as the MOCKERS OF NOAH'S DAY. They SCREAM LOUD AND LONG ABOUT FAITH, BUT HAVE NO FAITH AT ALL!!! Could that be why Jesus said that at HIS RETURN, WOULD HE FIND ANY FAITH? The answer is NO! They would have REDEFINED FAITH INTO A DEAD FAITH, A FAITH WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW ANY "WORKS" OR "HUMAN EFFORT", AND THUS THEY DESTROYED TRUE BIBLICAL FAITH!!! They put EVERYTHING ON TO GOD, AND MAN DOES NOTHING WHATSOEVER. It does not matter that Christ said "ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE." It does not matter that HE COMMANDED THEM TO "SEEK, ASK, KNOCK, STRIVE, LABOR TO FIND "THE TRUTH". OR TO "PICK UP THY CROSS."

The ARK that Christ gave to us TO BUILD OURSELVES is called the STRAIT AND NARROW WAY. It is TO SEARCH OUT CHRIST, TO FIND HIM, TO KNOW HIM, AND WHEN YOU HAVE FOUND HIM, TO JOIN IN UNION WITH HIM, FOR HE IS OUR ARK. What Christ brought with Him was INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO GET INTO THE ARK. First YOU HAD TO FIND IT, and then you had TO GO "INTO IT" TO COME TO SAFETY. Only in this manner would you survive the COMING STORM. Modern Christian theology knows NOTHING about FINDING CHRIST IN TRUTH. They claim they have FOUND HIM by RECOGNITION OF HIM AS SAVIOR OF MAN. They POINT TO THE CROSS OF HISTORY, and claim BY FAITH to have ACCEPTED HIM IN THEIR HEARTS. It is all a deception. They have undergone CONVERSION, and are calling it REGENERATION.

SATAN IS THE FATHER OF LIES. And what Satan always does IS TO REVERSE SCRIPTURE. He says "YEA, HATH GOD SAID?" He then REVERSES THE COMMANDS AND THE MEANINGS OF THE WORDS TO THEIR OPPOSITE. Notice what other gem we find in Hebrews 11:7:

"AND BECAME HEIR OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT IS

BY FAITH."



Please read that very carefully. BY NOAH BEING OBEDIENT TO GOD, BECAUSE HE HAD REAL "FAITH" AND REAL "BELIEF", AND DID AS HE WAS COMMANDED, AND BUILT HIMSELF THE ARK!! BY DOING THAT, BY PERFORMING THE DEEDS THAT GOD SET BEFORE HIM, BY ACTUALLY "WORKING" OUT HIS SALVATION WITH "FEAR AND TREMBLING", NOAH SAVED HIMSELF, AND OBTAINED THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS "BY FAITH".

James warned of a FALSE FAITH, A FAITH THAT WOULD BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE GENUINE ARTICLE:



"What does it PROFIT,

MY BRETHREN,

though a man SAY HE HAS FAITH,

AND HAVE

NOT WORKS?

CAN FAITH SAVE HIM?''

(James 3:14)

Now Paul worded it this way:

"...and THOUGH I HAVE

ALL FAITH,

SO THAT I COULD

REMOVE MOUNTAINS,

AND HAVE

NOT CHARITY,

I AM NOTHING."

(1 Corinthians 13:2)

These two verses of Scripture paint a DEVASTATING PORTRAIT CONCERNING THE MODERN FAITH GOSPEL. Paul is telling us THAT FAITH, BY ITSELF, NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL, NO MATTER IF IT WOULD TELL A MOUNTAIN "BE YE MOVED YONDER" AND IT WAS DONE, WOULD NOT PROFIT YOU ONE THING WHEN IT COMES TO SALVATION. Why? Because salvation is NOT BASED UPON FAITH, BUT RATHER UPON "CHARITY/AGAPE LOVE"!! Salvation itself concerns A NEW HEART, A NEW HEART VIA REGENERATION, A NEW HEART IS "DIVINE AGAPE", A LOVE TYPE. True salvation concerns A LOVE TYPE EXCHANGE, and has nothing to do with FAITH. FAITH IS THE DYNAMIC WITHIN YOU TO PROPEL YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS UNTO THE LAYING HOLD OF CHRIST AND HIS DIVINE "AGAPE". FAITH IS THE DYNAMIC THAT TAKES YOU THROUGH TO THE MEETING OF CHRIST AND THE GIFT OF AGAPE, BUT FAITH ITSELF IS NOT "CHARITY".

You see, FAITH IS A DYNAMIC, NOT AN END TO ITSELF. Faith is A FUEL, a fuel to propel the believer INTO ACTION, INTO OBEDIENCE, INTO DOING AS THE LORD COMMANDED. SAVING FAITH HAS AN OBJECT: TO BRING ONE INTO OBEDIENCE TO THE LOST COMMANDMENT. It is VIA THE POWER OF FAITH that we DO WHAT GOD COMMANDED. Do you see? FAITH IS TO GET YOU TO THE POINT OF UNION WITH CHRIST, WHICH IS SALVATION. In other words, FAITH ITSELF IS NOT SALVATION. FAITH IS THE DYNAMIC THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ENTER THE STRAIT GATE AND WALK THE NARROW WAY TO FIND CHRIST, WHO IS "LIFE" AND WHO IS FOUND AT THE END OF THE NARROW WAY!! FAITH IN OPERATION IS A DYNAMIC LIVING FAITH. AND IT WILL BRING US THE VICTORY! SAID JOHN:

1 John 5:4

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.



What was the DYNAMIC the gave NOAH THE VICTORY, that allowed him to OVERCOME THE WORLD? HIS FAITH!!! Because HE BELIEVED GOD, and BECAUSE HE TRUSTED GOD'S WORD that a FLOOD WAS COMING, he ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING, HE BUILT (WORKS) CHIS ARK, BUT IT WAQS HIS FAITH IN GOD THAT WAS THE POWER BEHIND HIS WORK!!. Do vyou see? FAITH HAS A WORK, OR IT IS A DEAD FAITH. James says that JUST BECAUSE ONE SAYS THEY HAVE FAITH DOES NOT "MAKE IT SO". To the contrary, FAITH WILL HAVE A "WORK" ASSOCIATED WITH IT. The ultimate work of TRUE FAITH is to bring you into UNION WITH JESUS CHRIST!

Now here is a most serious question. WHY IS THE STORY OF NOAH GIVEN AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE FAITH REQUIRED TO BECOME AN "HEIR" TO RIGHTEOUSNESS OF TRUE FAITH? Hebrews is a NEW TESTAMENT CHAPTER. It is WRITTEN TO CHRISTIANS. It is written to THE CHURCH. In point of fact, EVERY EXAMPLE OF FAITH GIVEN TO SHOW US WHAT REAL FAITH IS, HAS A "WORK" ASSOCIATED WITH IT. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. You cannot find one. This alone OUGHT TO SHOW ANYONE THAT GOD REQUIRES OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORDS, TO HIS COMMANDS, AND IF THAT OBEDIENCE IS REFUSED (NOT BUILDING THE ARK) YOU WILL PERISH IN YOUR SINS, AND IT IS NOT TRUE FAITH. Even Christ had a work to do. Did he simply believe, or did He take action?

The concept of FAITH ALONE, BELIEF ALONE, IS WHAT BRINGS SALVATION AND UNION WITH CHRIST, IS RIGHT OUT OF HELL ITSELF, AND THAT IS WHY MODERN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY IS RIGHT OUT OF HELL ITSELF, AND WHY JESUS WARNED YOU ABOUT IT. IT IS A LIE, PROPAGATED BY THE FATHER OF LIES, WHO IS A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING. Just exactly where do you think Satan will strike when it comes to the Christian faith? If SALVATION IS BASED UPON A PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TRUE AND SAVING FAITH REALLY IS, DO YOU NOT THINK HE WILL ALTER THE DEFINITIONS?

Secondly, IF SALVATION REQUIRES YOU TO "DO SOMETHING", DO YOU THINK SATAN WILL ATTEMPT TO REVERSE THAT, AND TO CONVINCE MAN THAT HE IS TO DO "NOTHING", AND THAT GOD DOES "EVERYTHING?" Do you not think he is clever enough to SWEEP IN A WHOLE NEW THEOLOGY THAT WILL DAMN THE "MANY" TO ETERNAL RUIN? Do you really believe that the WARNINGS OF CHRIST ARE IN VAIN? THERE IS NOT ONE WORD OF SCRIPTURE THAT WAS WRITTEN IN VAIN. BELIEVE GOD, AND LIVE. REFUSE AND DIE. It is that simple.

The examples found in Hebrews clearly then show us something: TRUE FAITH. TRUE BELIEF ALWAYS, ALWAYS, AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION, CARRIES WITH IT AUTOMATIC OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST. NEVER IS "FAITH" OR "BELIEF" A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBEDIENCE. NEVER EVER IS IT A SUBSTITUTE FOR DOING AS YOU ARE TOLD TO DO. AND NEVER, EVER IS OBEDIENCE CLASSIFIED AS A "WORK" OR A "LEGALISM".

The modern FAITH HUCKSTERS have SUBSTITUTED FAITH AND BELIEF FOR OBEDIENCE, AND HAVE SAID THAT ANY FORM OF "WORKS" OF WHATEVER KIND ARE AN ADDITIVE TO FAITH, AND THEREFORE NEGATE TRUE FAITH. FAITH BECOMES THE END ALL, AND THE BE ALL OF SALVATION. It is the LIE OF ALL LIES. THEIR WHOLE SYSTEM IS A FAITH IN FAITH ITSELF. BY PLACING ALL OF THEIR FAITH IN THEIR FAITH, AND CLAIMING THAT AS THEIR SALVATION, THEY EXCLUDE ALL OBEDIENCE, WHICH THEY CALL "WORKS", "LAW KEEPING" OR "LEGALISM".



IS THERE EVER TO BE ANYTHING ADDED TO OUR FAITH? The modern Church would say NO!! FAITH ALONE is the cry of modern Christianity. FAITH ALONE!! What did Peter have to say about that?

2 Peter 1:5-8

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. [8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.



We have something very interesting here - things ARE TO BE ADDED TO OUR FAITH UNTIL WE COME TO CHARITY!! iT IS NOT FAITH ALONE, BUT RATHER, WE ADD TO OUR FAITH ALL THAT CHRIST IS AND WAS UNTIL WE GET TO PURE CHARITY - is this not works under modern Christian theology?

We have shown in previous articles that OBEDIENCE is a command of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is NOT OPTIONAL. It is a COMMAND FROM THE LORD OF LORDS, A COMMAND NEVER COUNTERMANDED ANYWHERE EITHER!! When A KING ISSUES AN EDICT, ALL MUST COMPLY, OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR REFUSAL. The question then becomes, WHAT FORM OF OBEDIENCE IS REQUIRED? WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM US? WHAT ARE WE TO DO ON THIS SIDE OF THE CROSS? What does God want from us? WHAT ARE HIS COMMANDS TO US?

We then come back to WHAT "EFFORT" OTHER THAN JUST SIMPLY MENTALLY "BELIEVING" AND HAVING "FAITH" IS ACTUALLY REQUIRED FROM US, SO THAT WE MIGHT OBTAIN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST THAT IS "BY FAITH"? This is the key question of salvation. GET IT WRONG AND YOU LOSE, FOREVER. So then, if this is the case, it would behoove all of us to BE SURE WHAT IS TRUE, AND WHAT IS NOT TRUE CONCERNING SALVATION. And now we come back to the LOST COMMANDMENT, which is the ESSENCE OF SALVATION. Now then, the SCRIPTURE IS NOT SUBJECT TO PRIVATE INTERPRETATION. That means that you cannot just "LIFT" a few verses here and there and build a theology. God tells us to SEARCH IT OUT, HERE A LITTLE AND THERE A LITTLE, LINE BY LINE, LINE BY LINE, PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT. In other words, YOU MUST DIG IT OUT, OR ELSE THAT COMMENT BY THE LORD WOULD BE FOOLISHNESS.

The second item is SCRIPTURE NEVER CONTRADICTS ITSELF. If you have a BLATANT CONTRADICTION, you have not searched enough to ELIMINATE IT. An example of this is the ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED vs. YOU CAN LOSE YOUR SALVATION DEBATE. We can show verses of Scripture to prove BOTH SIDES, yet THERE ARE NO CONTRADICTIONS. How can it be true then? How can you have TWO OPPOSING TRUTHS BE TRUE? Easy!! One is TRUE ON ONE PART OF "THE WAY" AND THE OTHER IS TRUE ON THE OTHER PART OF "THE WAY". It proves there is a "journey", a "pathway", that one must walk upon to find the HIDDEN TRUTH OF CHRIST. IF THIS IS TRUE, AND IT MUST BE, THEN THERE WILL BE A TRANSITION POINT ALONG THE "WAY", A POINT AT WHICH WE "TRANSITION" FROM ONE TRUTH TO THE OTHER TRUTH!! Thus BOTH CLAIMS ARE TRUE, BUT TRUE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF "THE WAY". Do you see?

We will find the LOST COMMANDMENT, the KEY COMMANDMENT OF SALVATION, WHICH IS NOW TOTALLY IGNORED AND DENIED, and that WHICH PROVES OUR FAITH TRUE in HEBREWS, CHAPTER ELEVEN (11:6)THE FAITH CHAPTER. Please read it very carefully:



"But WITHOUT FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM:

FOR HE

THAT COMETH TO GOD

MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS,

and that HE IS A REWARDER

OF THEM

THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM."

We see several different aspects of FAITH in this verse. First YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD IS, OR YOU WILL NOT COME TO HIM. Why would you bother to listen to anything you do not believe in at all? That requires A "BELIEF THAT HE IS". It is a STEPPING STONE PROCESS. You must believe that GOD IS, THAT THERE IS AN ALL POWERFUL INTELLIGENCE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE.

As you look around at the universe that we can observe through our senses, we slowly come to form our beliefs. Who created it all? What type of God is it? Personal or impersonal? Is God just a "force" or does He have intelligence? If God is just a "force" that cannot and does not communicate with man, then it does not matter if God IS or IS NOT, for there is no way we can ever commune with an "IT", such as a rock. If this is the case, then all religions are mute; meaningless and might as well be abandoned. If on the other hand, the EVIDENCE in the UNIVERSE suggests INTELLIGENCE, then we move from an IT over to a BEING WITH CENTRAL AWARENESS, WHO IS INTELLIGENT, and so intelligent that we cannot even begin to grasp it. If we have intelligence, we have CENTRAL AWARENESS, and PLANNING. That means PERSONALITY. If we have a God of PERSONALITY, then we have every right to ask the question: IS GOD A GOOD PERSON, EVIL PERSON, OR BOTH, AN ADMIXTURE?

If we say that God is both GOOD AND EVIL, then what is the point of worshipping a God who can change His mind and crush us all at His whim? We might as well FORGET ABOUT HIM, and get on with our life, for some morning we might comb our hair wrong and God decides He does not like it and so kills us and throws us into damnation. If we examine the universe, we come to the conclusion that THERE IS ORDER. ORDER GOES HAND IN HAND WITH GOOD ON THE MORAL PLAIN. CHAOS ON THE OTHER HAND GOES ALONG WITH EVIL. We soon observe these things, IF WE LOOK, which is why God says no human being dies with any EXCUSE, for they COULD HAVE KNOWN.

Now if God is GOOD, then THAT MEANS HE WANTS THE BEST FOR HIS CREATION. He would have a deep concern for all of his creation, and all life that He created in it. We could call that AGAPE LOVE. But what happened? The world is in spiritual chaos!! There is only one answer: MANKIND FELL, just as the Scripture says. In that fall, man lost CONTACT WITH HIS CREATOR, WAS "CUT OFF" FROM HIM, AND LOST ALL ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE OR KNOW THE GOD THAT CREATED HIM. MANKIND IS LOST.

Now if God is HIDDEN from man because of the fall, and HIS ESSENCE OF AGAPE LOVE IS UNKNOWN TO MAN because of the ingestion of the knowledge of GOOD and EVIL, then man would HAVE TO SEARCH OUT GOD, WOULD HE NOT? And if you must SEARCH OUT GOD, BECAUSE WE LOST HIM AT THE FALL, THEN BY OUR SEARCHING FOR HIM, WE WOULD BE COMING TO HIM, WOULD WE NOT? Hebrews says we MUST BELIEVE, AND THEN YOU MUST COME TO HIM. How do we come to Him? WE DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM OUT. What are we being told? SIMPLE: TRUE FAITH WILL DILIGENTLY SEEK GOD OUT AND GET THE REWARD. FALSE FAITH WILL NOT. IT WILL SIMPLY "BELIEVE", but NOT ENOUGH to BECOME OBEDIENT TO THE COMMAND TO SEARCH GOD OUT.

The heart of the FORGOTTEN COMMANDMENT, THE IGNORED COMMANDMENT is right here - it is a REFUSAL TO SEARCH GOD OUT. Instead of OBEDIENCE TO THIS PRIMARY COMMAND, A SUBSTITUTE HAS BEEN OFFERED BY SATAN AND HIS "ANGELS OF LIGHT": "JUST BELIEVE". Hebrews is very clear, and very blunt: GOD REWARDS ONLY THOSE THAT SEARCH HIM OUT. Those that refuse get no reward. What is the REWARD? SALVATION, and it is EASILY PROVED. The reward is AUTHENTIC REGENERATION, WHICH IS LIFE ETERNAL. LIFE IS UNION WITH CHRIST, IN UNION WITH "THE GIFT OF AGAPE"!

Jesus said this about UNION AND EXPERIENTIALLY "KNOWING" GOD AND JESUS:

"AND THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL,

THAT THEY MIGHT

KNOW THEE, THE ONLY TRUE GOD,

AND JESUS CHRIST,

WHOM THOU HAST SENT."

(John 17:3)

Jesus is telling us what REGENERATION REALLY IS HERE: IT IS "KNOWING" GOD AND CHRIST SPIRITUALLY. IT IS COMING INTO A "KNOWLEDGE" OF "AGAPE", AND TO HAVE IT "BESTOWED UPON US". Nothing else IS SALVATION. Nothing else offered by modern Christian theology is SALVATION. The word "know" is EXPERIENTIAL KNOWING. You know EXPERIENTIALLY WHEN GOD SUPERNATURALLY REVEALS THE HIDDEN ESSENCE OF CHRIST TO YOU. He will not do that unless and until YOU SEARCH HIM OUT AND "FIND HIM". It will all be proved true. This gift of THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, WHICH IS "AGAPE LOVE", MAKES US A SON OF GOD, and translates us FROM THE POWER OF SATAN AND DARKNESS AND DEATH, INTO THE POWER OF CHRIST AND HIS LIGHT AND LIFE ETERNAL. (John 17:3; 1 John 3:1, 14). We will prove it so as we go.

So right here in the FAITH CHAPTER (Heb. 11:6) lies a rock solid verse that CONNECTS TRUE FAITH WITH "DILIGENT SEEKING." It also ties together THE SEEKING WITH THE REWARD. No seek, no reward. NO DO, NO GET. It confirms NOAH. NO BUILD, NO FLOAT. Did Noah DILIGENTLY BUILD HIS ARK? The answer is YES, for he MOVED WITH FEAR, and PREPARED AN ARK. How did HE BUILD IT? BY FAITH! You see, FAITH IS A DYNAMIC, A FORCE THAT PROPELS ONE INTO OBEDIENCE. IT IS A FUEL, A POWER SOURCE. IF FAITH IS A DYNAMIC, IT IS NEVER AN END TO ITSELF, IT IS NEVER THE OBJECT OF ITSELF. FAITH IS NOT SALVATION ITSELF! But what did the FAITH INCLUDE? OBEDIENCE, WORK, SWEAT, TOIL, WITH ALL "DILIGENCE". In short, DOING.

God told Noah "Build an ark". So Noah, BELIEVING GOD ENOUGH, and KNOWING THAT GOD DOES NOT LIE, and KNOWING THAT A FLOOD WAS FOR SURE COMING BECAUSE GOD TOLD HIM IT WAS, BELIEVING THAT, and having FAITH IN THE ONE WHO SPOKE, Noah went to WORK, AND BUILT HIS OWN ARK. It would be the same thing as the FIRE MARSHALL coming to your door. He says there is a WILD FIRE COMING YOUR WAY. He estimates you have about ONE HOUR TO VACATE your home or you will be TRAPPED IN THE FIRE. You can see the OFFICIAL BADGE ON HIS UNIFORM. You know he is THE FIRE MARSHALL. You know he is in AUTHORITY. Now, do you TRUST IN HIM, DO YOU BELIEVE IN HIM OR NOT?

Now most people are smart enough to just take the fire Marshall at his word, pack up, and get out. THE POINT IS, THEY DO SOMETHING, THEY COMPLY. THEY ARE OBEDIENT TO THE COMMAND TO VACATE. THEY "HAVE FAITH" AND THEY "BELIEVE". By actually packing up and moving out, THEY SAVE THEMSELVES "BY FAITH". When the Scriptures tells you we are saved "BY FAITH", it is telling you that OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST IS NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL, IT IS THE VERY BASIS OF THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF FAITH ITSELF!!!

Now then, we have the LORD JESUS CHRIST. He came to earth and told us that HE BROUGHT A "WAY" INTO A "NEW COVENANT" FROM GOD THE FATHER. He said HE CAME TO "SAVE THE WORLD", AND BROUGHT INSTRUCTIONS WITH HIM ON HOW WE MAY ENTER INTO THIS "NEW COVENANT". Noah was told to "build an Ark". Our commands are "ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE." Noah was told to use GOPHER WOOD AND PITCH. We are told SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS." So then, the COMMANDS are THERE. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN COUNTERMANDED. NEVER. YOU WILL NOT FIND ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE ANYWHERE THAT TELLS US NOT TO SEARCH OUT GOD UNTIL WE FIND HIM.

Now then, WE HAVE A COMMAND HERE TO SEEK OUT THE LORD WITH DILIGENCE. The word for diligence is "ekzeteo" which means TO SEARCH OUT, TO INVESTIGATE, TO CRAVE AFTER, TO DEMAND. This is not some CASUAL asking for something, this is a HARD, DIFFICULT SEARCHING OUT OF THE TRUTH OF GOD, OF FINDING THE ONE TRUE AND VERY WELL HIDDEN GOD OF THIS UNIVERSE. We find this command in many, many places. DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH SALVATION? Let's take a look at what Jesus Christ said while on earth, confirmed, of course, through all of the writers of Scripture while Christ was "not on earth", for He spoke through them.

"But

SEEK YE FIRST

THE KINGDOM OF GOD,

And HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,

and

ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU."

(Matthew 6:33)

Here we again find a combination of SEEKING, and FINDING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, WHICH COMES "BY FAITH". Now, do we substitute FAITH FOR SEEKING, or is the DEFINITION OF TRUE FAITH A TYPE OF FAITH THAT PROPELS US TO ACTUALLY UNDERTAKE THE SEARCH? It should also be noted that CHRIST IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, so then, IF WE MUST SEARCH FOR THIS RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, WHICH IS CHRIST, then CHRIST MUST BE HIDDEN, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SEARCH OUT THAT WHICH IS EASY TO FIND.

Notice how Jesus words it: "SEEK YE FIRST". That means THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ITEM IN A PERSON'S LIFE MUST BE DEDICATED TO THIS "SEARCH". The word "first" is "proton" which means FIRSTLY, IN TIME, ORDER, OR IMPORTANCE, in our language TOP PRIORITY, A "MUST DO" COMMAND. It is to TAKE THE PLACE OF ALL ELSE. We are, said Jesus, TO SET ASIDE THE CARES OF THIS LIFE, AND SEEK OUT THE "RIGHTEOUSNESS" OF GOD. In Hebrews it said THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT COMES "BY FAITH".

We are discovering that there is a dimension to faith we never thought about: THE CONSCIOUS, DILIGENT AND CONTINOUS SEARCH FOR GOD, UNTIL WE FIND HIM. WE ARE NOT TO STOP THIS SEARCH, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST, UNTIL WE FIND HIM. If a person HAS REAL FAITH, THEY WILL BE OBEDIENT TO THE COMMAND OF CHRIST: "SEEK YE FIRST". He did not tell us to go out and be SOUL WINNERS. He did not say go out and be A PREACHER BOY. He did not say be AN EVANGELIST, OR A TEACHER. He did not even say go out and DO GOOD WORKS. What HE DID SAY WAS VERY SIMPLE, AND VERY DIRECT: SEARCH OUT GOD. THAT IS THE FORGOTTEN COMMANDMENT.

That is the ONE THING SATAN MUST AND HAS BURIED TO BRING MILLIONS TO ETERNAL RUIN. We will find out why shortly! Now if Jesus commands you TO SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM, and we DO NOT DO IT, then WILL YOU GET THE REWARD? Will we EVER FIND CHRIST? Would we ever COME TO KNOW WHO HE REALLY IS? Are we willing to place THE SEARCH FOR JESUS CHRIST AS THE ONE AND ONLY PRIORITY OF LIFE?

An example of this type of PRIORITY is found in the exchange between Christ and the RICH YOUNG RULER (Matthew 19:16-26). Jesus commanded that THE RICH MAN GIVE UP EVERYTHING HE HAD, AND TO COME BACK AND "COME AND FOLLOW ME". Jesus was calling the man OUT OF THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD SYSTEMS. He was telling the man to TURN HIS BACK UPON ALL HE HAD KNOWN, for KEEPING THE LAW OF THE COMMANDMENTS WAS NOT ENOUGH, THERE WAS MORE, MUCH MORE.

In other words, Jesus was asking the young ruler to REARRANGE HIS PRIORITIES, TO THE EXTENT THAT HE WAS TO TOTALLY SELL OUT AND COME TO CHRIST AND FOLLOW CHRIST RIGHT TO CALVARY AND BEYOND. Christ was demanding that CHRIST HIMSELF WAS TO BE FIRST AND FOREMOST IN THIS MAN'S LIFE. AND TO PROVE IT, WOULD HE SELL WHATEVER HE HAD, TRUST GOD AND "FOLLOW JESUS"?. The man REFUSED. He was not interested in heaven on GOD'S TERMS, but rather ON HIS OWN. He wanted to have both the WORLD AND CHRIST AT THE SAME TIME, as does modern Christianity. Folks, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. You cannot serve both GOD AND MAMMON, AND YOU MUST MAKE A CHOICE.

There is more here than meets the eye. What is the REASON THAT CHRIST DEMANDS SUCH A DRASTIC REARRANGEMENT OF OUR LIVES? Why do we HAVE TO GIVE UP THE WORLD IN ORDER TO "FOLLOW HIM"? Why do we have to turn our backs upon EVERYTHING OF THIS WORLD JUST TO FIND GOD? Is God really that well HIDDEN? Is this search for the ESSENCE OF GOD AND CHRIST so hard and so difficult that we can allow no OBSTACLES IN OUR PATH TO GET IN OUR WAY?

So what is Christ DRIVING AT during His SERMON ON THE MOUNT? Why did He put such an emphasis upon us TRUSTING GOD FOR OUR PROVISIONS while we SEEK YE FIRST THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD? The word "SEEK" and the words "BELIEVE" or "FAITH" are totally different, yet they combine to forge the TRUE FAITH OF REAL SALVATION. Are we being told that BY BEING OBEDIENT TO THE COMMANDS TO SEEK THE LORD WITH ALL DILIGENCE IS WHAT MAKES THE FAITH OF SALVATION? AND THAT IF WE REFUSE TO DO SO, WE HAVE NOT TRUE FAITH AT ALL, A DEAD FAITH WITH NO "WORKS" OF OBEDIENCE?

What is this "righteousness" we are to SEEK AFTER? Is not righteousness GOOD WORKS? Is not HOLINESS MADE UP OF GOOD CHRISTIAN WORKS? DOES RIGHT THINKING AND RIGHT DOING COMBINE HERE TO PROVE OUR FAITH REAL? That is the argument of the fundamentalist camps, and Seventh Day Adventism and others like them.! If you love God, you will do AS HE COMMANDS. You will live the HOLY LIFE, A LIFE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. And it is not that you should not do these things. But these are "WORKS" OF THE FLESH, and have no standing before the Lord whatsoever. The Jews kept 630 plus "rules" to prove their righteousness. Christians of today are doing the same thing, under the guise of HOLINESS or SANCTIFICATION, or SEPARATION. It is all the same - it is WORKS DRESSED UP UNDER THE GUISE OF "FAITH".

Good Christian works ALONE cannot have anything to do with this so called "RIGHTEOUSNESS" that God speaks of. You see, these are all WORKS OF THE FLESH. SPIRIT IS SPIRIT, AND FLESH IS FLESH. That which is OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT, and that which is OF THE FLESH IS FLESH. The two concepts can NEVER MEET. They are an ANATHEMA ONE TO THE OTHER. So then what is THIS RIGHTEOUSNESS? Paul himself EXCLUDED ALL CHRISTIAN WORKS. Let's turn to the LOVE CHAPTER and see what Paul actually says, for it will prove conclusively that ALL WORKS, NO MATTER OF WHAT TYPE, DONE IN THE FLESH ARE WORTHLESS. WHICH IS WHY GRACE IS GRACE, AND IF IT BE BY GRACE, IT CANNOT BE OF WORKS. Grace and works are like oil and water - they will not mix.

Continued ...

 2005/8/5 3:15









 Re: Part 2 of Article

Continuation of Article ... The Chiefest Commandment ....

"Though I speak with the TONGUES OF MEN AND OF ANGELS

(GIFT OF TONGUES),

AND

HAVE NOT

CHARITY

(DIVINE AGAPE),

I am become as a sounding brass, as a tinkling symbol.

And though I HAVE THE GIFT OF PROPHECY,

and understand ALL MYSTERIES, and ALL KNOWLEDGE:

(ALL GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GIVEN AT BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT)

and though I HAVE ALL FAITH,

so that I could remove MOUNTAINS, and have

NOT CHARITY, I AM NOTHING.

And THOUGH I BESTOW ALL MY GOODS TO FEED THE POOR,

AND THOUGH I GIVE MY BODY TO BE BURNED,

And HAVE NOT CHARITY, it profiteth me NOTHING."

(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Now the word "charity" here is AGAPE. The word "agape" means THE DIVINE LOVE OF GOD. In short, what Paul is saying here is this: YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT. YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE FAITH IN THE UNIVERSE. YOU CAN GIVE EVERYTHING YOU OWN AWAY TO THE POOR. YOU CAN DIE A MARTYRS DEATH FOR JESUS CHRIST, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS, BUT IT WILL DO YOU NO GOOD. Why? Because there is SOMETHING MISSING, A COMMON MISSING ITEM THAT PAUL MENTIONS THREE TIMES: CHARITY, THE DIVINE LOVE OF GOD. So then, what is Paul telling us? If we turn to 1 John 3:1 and 14, we will get a clue:

"BEHOLD, WHAT MANNER OF (AGAPE/CHARITY)

LOVE THE FATHER

HATH

BESTOWED

UPON US,

THAT WE SHOULD

BE CALLED

THE SONS OF GOD:.."

Now this verse tells us the nature of TRUE REGENERATION, OF TRUE SALVATION AND IT CONFIRMS JOHN 17:3 and 17:26. WE ARE CALLED THE SONS OF GOD AFTER WE HAVE RECEIVED THE AGAPE LOVE OF GOD. It involves CHARITY or the DIVINE LOVE OF GOD, THE LOVE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE LOVE OF HOLINESS. We are also told that GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT ARE NOT PROOF OF SALVATION, BECAUSE SALVATION IS BASED UPON THE BESTOWEMENT OF DIVINE AGAPE, NOT "GIFTS OF POWER".

"We KNOW

that we have

PASSED

FROM DEATH

UNTO LIFE,

BECAUSE

WE (AGAPE/CHARITY)

LOVE THE BRETHREN...."

(1 John 3:14)

Now Paul said we could have all the TRAPPINGS OF THE FAITH, SUCH AS "POWER GIFTS" AND ALL KNOWLEDGE, ALL WISDOM, ALL FAITH, AND DO GREAT WORKS, BUT IF WE DID NOT HAVE THIS STRANGE THING CALLED "CHARITY" nothing mattered at all. IT WOULD ALL BE IN VAIN. So then, what is this CHARITY? What is this LOVE OF GOD? What is this ALIEN LOVE TYPE that we need to have GIVEN TO US, BESTOWED UPON US BY GOD HIMSELF? And why did John add this little part to the verse after his comment about God BESTOWING THE GIFT OF AGAPE UPON US?

"...THEREFORE THE WORLD

KNOWETH US NOT,

BECAUSE

IT KNEW HIM NOT."

(1 John 3:1)

Here a little and there a little, line by line, precept upon precept. "Of whom shall I teach DOCTRINE?" asks the Lord, and then answers His own question - "Them that are WEANED FROM THE MILK". Jesus made the same comment in John about the NATURE OF SPIRITUAL THINGS, that the WORLD OF THE FLESH MAN, THE CARNAL MAN, DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING OF THE SPIRITUAL THINGS OF GOD. The fact of the matter is this: AGAPE IS HIDDEN FROM MANKIND. IT IS NOT A PART OF HIS NATURE OR MAKE-UP. It is UTTERLY ALIEN TO HIM, BEYOND ALL HIS SENSES, BEYOND HIS REASONING POWER, BEYOND HIS ABILITY. He cannot acquire it with KNOWLEDGE. He cannot acquire it BY WORKS OR RITUAL. He cannot acquire it by any means whatsoever except one: SEARCH GOD OUT.

And how do we learn doctrine? BY SEARCHING THE MATTER OUT - BY SEEKING AFTER THE MIND OF GOD!! So then, we have many warnings, staring us right in the face. They sit there as a MUTE TESTIMONY. WAKE UP CHRISTIAN, IT IS LATER THAN YOU THINK. So now lets bind this together before we go further: THERE IS A FORGOTTEN COMMANDMENT TO SEEK OUT THE LORD. The LORD IS AGAPE LOVE. THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT OF CHARITY. He is OBVIOUSLY HIDDEN FROM VIEW, OR WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO SEEK. God does not waste time with foolish commandments. YOU SEEK AFTER THAT WHICH IS HIDDEN. YOU SEEK AFTER THAT WHICH IS A "MYSTERY".

Now then, Paul said WE COULD HAVE ALL FORMS OF POWER, FAITH AND DO WONDERS, AND DO TREMENDOUS CHRISTIAN WORKS ALL IN VAIN. FOR IF WE MISSED THE MAIN POINT OF THE GOSPEL, WE LOST THE BALL GAME, THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT FOR GOOD. The common element missing, said Paul, among the works of the Christians, WAS DIVINE AGAPE, OR CHARITY. They had everything else. These were the wonder boys and girls of the Christian faith, on the front lines of battle, with gifts of the spirit, WORKING MIRACLES IN THE NAME OF JESUS. But they had never been REGENERATED, FOR THEY DID NOT HAVE CHARITY, AND THE ONLY WAY ONE CAN GAIN CHARITY IS BEING BORN AGAIN, BY BEING REGENERATED. There is no other way to OBTAIN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD AND CHRIST, for their RIGHTEOUSNESS IS IN THEIR SPIRIT AND ESSENCE: IT IS CALLED "AGAPE".

Do you see? THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE KINGDOM IS THE "AGAPE/CHARITY" LOVE OF GOD. We must be BORN AGAIN TO OBTAIN IT. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. NO WAY AT ALL. . ZIP!! ZERO!!! Now Christ said that this CHARITY/AGAPE IS A HIDDEN THING. It is not found UNLESS YOU FIRST SEEK IT OUT. You do not obtain it by being GOOD. You do not obtain it by going to a CHRISTIAN CHURCH. You do not obtain it by REASON. You do not obtain it BY WISDOM. You do not obtain it by being BAPTIZED, EITHER IN WATER OR IN THE SPIRIT. You do not obtain it BY RITUAL. You cannot obtain it by ANY MEANS ON EARTH EXCEPT ONE: SEEK THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD FIRST. It is the FORGOTTEN COMMANDMENT. It is the ONE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT MISSING IN THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION TODAY. Instead of SEARCHING FOR THE LORD WITH ALL OF THEIR HEART, THE BELIEVER IS TOLD TO JUST "BELIEVE" AND HAVE "FAITH". Their salvation is ASSURED, and their names are written in the Lamb's book of life. IT IS ALL A RANK AND CRUEL LIE, A DECEPTION.

We have said that Jesus commanded us to ENTER THE STRAIT GATE AND WALK THE NARROW WAY UNTO "LIFE". He then said something very strange indeed: "...and FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT."(Matt 7:14) The word we need to look at here is the word FIND. Now according to Christ this "LIFE" is at the END of the narrow way. It is NOT AT THE MIDDLE OR AT THE BEGINNING. It is clearly and unmistakingly AT THE END. And He is also blunt that we can FIND this "life". So then Jesus is commanding us to ENTER IN AT THE STRAIT GATE, AND WALK DOWN THIS NARROW WAY UNTIL WE "FIND" LIFE.

If you have to "FIND" THIS LIFE, then might we claim IT WAS HIDDEN FROM YOU PRIOR TO YOUR FINDING IT? THAT IT HAD TO BE SEARCHED OUT? That it was not granted AT CONVERSION TO CHRIST? That to find this thing called "LIFE" IS GOING TO REQUIRE US TO PLACE THIS SEARCH FOR "LIFE" ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS? Is that why Christ said we could not serve both MAMMON AND GOD? That we all had to make a CHOICE? That this SEARCH, WHICH HAD TO BE A TOP PRIORITY ITEM IN OUR LIVES, CAME FIRST, FOREMOST AND ABOVE EVERYTHING.

Further, we might ask, JUST EXACTLY HOW WELL HIDDEN IS THIS "LIFE", THIS "CHARITY", THIS "AGAPE" LOVE OF GOD? Did God really hide it well, or just a little? Did He do it to separate out from the entire human race a SMALL GROUP WHO WOULD PUT ALL THINGS IN LIFE ASIDE UNTIL THEY HAD FOUND GOD AND CHRIST? Is this what the parable of SOWER IS ALL ABOUT? Is it about THE SEARCH FOR THE KINGDOM, AND THAT ONLY A FEW WOULD DO IT? Is it not interesting that in the parable of the sower we find OBSTACLES THAT GET IN THE WAY OF ONE SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD? That THE MULTITUDES OF CHRISTIANS ARE "OVERCOME" BY THOSE OBSTACLES AND NEVER DO BRING FORTH "FRUIT" WITH PATIENCE, WHO NEVER "FIND" THIS "LIFE" THAT IS HID IN CHRIST?

The word "find" is heureo" and it means TO FIND, TO GET, TO OBTAIN, TO SEE, TO PERCEIVE. In other words, you CONTINUE IN YOUR SEARCH UNTIL GOD SHOWS YOU THE REAL TRUTH, AT WHICH TIME YOU WILL "SEE IT" AND WILL HAVE "FOUND IT". It is accomplished by DIRECT SUPERNATURAL REVELATION FROM GOD. Said Christ:

"All things are delivered to me of my Father: and

NO MAN KNOWETH WHO

THE SON IS, BUT THE FATHER: and

WHO THE FATHER IS, BUT THE SON,

AND HE TO WHOM THE SON

WILL REVEAL

HIM."

(Luke 10:22)

Now read that very carefully. GOD IS HIDDEN AND CHRIST IS HIDDEN. But Christ clearly says HE WILL REVEAL THE TRUTH OF BOTH GOD AND CHRIST TO WHOMSOEVER HE WILL. And to whom does He will this most beautiful secret? TO THE OBEDIENT ONES, TO THE ONES WHO DO AS HE COMMANDED, TO THE ONES WHO "SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS." To those HE PROMISES THE REVELATION OF THE HIDDEN ESSENCE OF HIMSELF AND GOD THE FATHER!!! The word "reveal" here is "apokalupto" which means TO TAKE OFF THE COVER, TO DISCLOSE, TO MAKE KNOWN, TO REVEAL.

Now notice that it means TO TAKE OFF THE COVER, TO MAKE KNOWN. That means IT IS HIDDEN FROM THE EYES OF MAN. Notice that it is JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF WHO TAKES OFF THE COVER, OR "PULLS BACK THE VAIL" OVER MAN'S MIND. Therefore the resurrected and very much alive Jesus Christ HIMSELF, PERSONALLY, WILL COME TO THAT BELIEVER, AND REVEAL SUPERNATURALLY THE REAL TRUTH OF THE ESSENCE OF THE GODHEAD, WHICH IS DIVINE "AGAPE"!!

"He that hath my commandments,

AND KEEPETH THEM,

HE IT IS THAT LOVETH ME: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I WILL LOVE HIM,

AND

MANIFEST MYSELF

TO HIM."

(John 14:21)

The word MANIFEST here is "emphanizo", which means TO EXHIBIT IN PERSON, TO APPEAR, TO DECLARE PLAINLY, TO SHOW. Now notice what Christ actually says: HE HIMSELF, IN PERSON, WILL COME AND MANIFEST HIMSELF TO THE OBEDIENT BELIEVER. This is not some minute revelation about some fact of Christ, but is INSTEAD THE REVELATION OF THE PERSON OF CHRIST, OF HIS ESSENCE, OF HIS SPIRITUAL BEING. It is all SUPERNATURAL.

Now the Church, because of its theology of BELIEF and FAITH, has REFUSED THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST, and they are NOT OBEDIENT UNTO HIM. Therefore they REFUSE TO SEARCH CHRIST OUT, AND BECAUSE THEY REFUSE IT, THEY NEVER "FIND HIM" AND NEVER HAVE THE SUPERNATURAL REVELATION OF JESUS!! Because they have never had it, THEY DENY IT TO COVER THEIR TRACKS. For to ADMIT THE TRUTH would require SATAN'S DUPES TO ADMIT THEY ARE FALSE TEACHERS, THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND.

Thus does Satan have them brand any form of "Revelation" as SATANIC, for he is not a fool, and his whole purpose is to take as many souls to eternal ruin as he can!! Thus he will DENY ANY SEARCH, ANY STRAIT GATE, AND NARROW WAY, AND ANY REVELATION!! Let's further establish that Christ claims there is A SEARCH TO BE MADE TO FIND THE "AGAPE" LOVE OF GOD - THE SPIRIT OF GOD. We find a direct reference to it in Jesus's exchange with the Jews WHO BELIEVED UPON HIM. There are many gems of wisdom in this exchange, if one wants to SEARCH IT OUT.

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed upon him,

IF YE CONTINUE

IN MY WORD,

THEN

ARE YE MY DISCIPLES INDEED;

And ye shall

KNOW THE TRUTH

and

THE TRUTH

SHALL MAKE YOU FREE."

(John 8:31-32).

Now the Jews BELIEVED UPON JESUS ALREADY. He stood right before them. In this case Jesus uses the words CONTINUE IN MY WORD. The word continue means to REMAIN IN, ABIDE IN, TO CONTINUE WITH. It has the same connotation as the word SEEK. If you seek after something, YOU REMAIN IN YOUR SEARCH UNTIL YOU FIND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. Jesus tells us here there is something YOU CAN "KNOW". You must CONTINUE IN HIS WORDS, that is, ABIDE WITHIN HIS COMMANDMENTS, TO "SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS". If you will CONTINUE ALONG WITH JESUS, HE CLAIMS YOU CAN KNOW A VERY SPECIFIC TRUTH, AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THAT TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE FOREVER. What is it?

And why must we continue IN HIS WORDS? Why must we SEEK HIM OUT? And what is there about Jesus that is hidden? Are there TWO ASPECTS TO JESUS CHRIST? Do we convert to one, and become REGENERATED WITH THE OTHER? Is one aspect of Christ WITHIN TIME SPACE, AND APPARENT TO ALL MEN, SUCH AS THE JESUS OF HISTORY AND THE CROSS, WHILE THE OTHER IS ETERNAL, OF THE SPIRIT, THE ESSENCE OF GOD? And are these TWO ASPECTS a STRAIT GATE AND NARROW WAY APART? Do we CONVERT TO THE CHRIST OF HISTORY, and become REGENERATED WHEN WE FIND THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST?

This comment of Jesus to CONTINUE sounds very much like his comments in Matthew Chapter 7:

"ASK, and it shall BEGIVEN YOU;

SEEK, AND YE

SHALL FIND;KNOCK,

AND IT SHALL BE OPENED

UNTO YOU:"

(Matthew 7:7)

Now the words ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK are words that imply DILIGENT SEARCH, A SEEKING AFTER THE TRUTH WITH ALL DILIGENCE. They imply a HUNGER AND A THIRST to FIND OUT THE TRUTH OF GOD. Jesus spoke of this hungering and thirsting in the beatitudes:

"BLESSED ARE THEY WHICH DO HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS: FOR THEY SHALL BE FILLED."

(Matthew 5:6)

Now the word HUNGER is "peinao", and it means TO FAMISH, TO CRAVE AFTER. It means the same thing as the word DILIGENCE. The word SEEK carries with it the same concept. The word "thirst" is "dipsao" which means TO THIRST, TO BE THIRSTY.

Now what will a soul do that is FAMISHED, AND IN WANT OF FOOD? WHAT WILL A SOUL DO THAT IS PARCHED, AND IS DYING OF THIRST? The answer is simple: ANYTHING AT ALL TO OBTAIN FOOD OR WATER. What Jesus is driving at here is A PRIORITY ITEM. A person, who is PARCHED or FAMISHED, WILL MAKE THE OBTAINING OF FOOD AND DRINK THE SOLE OBJECT OF THEIR ATTENTION. Every FIBER OF THE BEING will be given over to this SEARCHING FOR WATER AND FOOD.

Jesus is NOT just standing around making IDLE COMMENTS. He is GIVING US GIGANTIC CLUES, A PRECEPT HERE, A PRECEPT THERE, A LINE HERE, AND A LINE THERE, A LITTLE HERE, AND A LITTLE THERE. The question is this: IS ANYONE LISTENING? DOES ANYONE HAVE EARS TO HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH TO THE CHURCHES? Now the word BLESSED does not mean happy as is usually stated. The word is "MAKARIOS" and it means SUPREMELY BLESSED, FORTUNATE, WELL OFF. That means what it says. You can be BLESSED OF GOD AND STILL BE QUITE UNHAPPY IF YOU ARE UNDER SEVERE PAIN OR PERSECUTION. But there is a CONDITION HERE GIVEN BY THE LORD: TO HUNGER AND THIRST. To hunger and thirst IMPLIES A GREAT NEED, A GREAT DESIRE. In order to have a GREAT NEED, you must BE SHOWN A GREAT LACK. You must become AWARE of SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE MISSING.

Now the last day church, the church of Laodicea is a church WITH NO NEED. It is a DECEIVED CHURCH, A CHURCH IN GREAT LACK, BUT TOTALLY UNAWARE OF ITS TRUE POSITION.

That is why there is no revival in the United States, for there is DETECTED NEED. The church is POSITIVE they are SAVED AND GOING TO HEAVEN. THEY ARE POSITIVE THEIR "WORKS" MEET WITH GREAT APPROVAL BEFORE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. The fact is, THEY ARE TOTALLY, UTTERLY DECEIVED. Jesus says THEY KNOW NOT. They do not REALIZE THEIR NEED. Therefore there is no HUNGERING OR THIRSTING AFTER THE TRUTH OF GOD. Therefore there is NO SEARCH FOR GOD, NO SEEKING AFTER GOD. There is a weak FAITH AND BELIEF SYSTEM. Now Jesus also gave a DIRE WARNING AS WELL:

"WOE UNTO YOU THAT ARE FULL!

FOR YE SHALL HUNGER.

WOE UNTO YOU THAT LAUGH NOW!

FOR YE SHALL MOURN AND WEEP."

(Luke 6:25)

What is Jesus talking about? BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HUNGER. If you ARE FULL, you are the opposite of being HUNGRY. You are content. If you are full of joy, obviously, you are not weeping, not mourning your LOST STATE. Jesus is warning the entire human race that UNLESS AND UNTIL THEY COME INTO A CONDITION OF HUNGERING AND THIRSTING AFTER THE TRUTH OF GOD, THEY ARE LOST. If they REMAIN FULL, AND REMAIN IN JOY, THEY WILL, AFTER THEY DIE AND ARE TAKEN TO HELLFIRE, HUNGER, MOURN,AND WEEP. There is coming a DAY OF RECKONING for every human soul. NO ONE ESCAPES. ONCE TO DIE, THEN THE JUDGMENT. At the JUDGMENT WILL THE REPROBATE (UNREGENERATE) SOUL LEARN JUST HOW LOST THEY REALLY ARE. They will learn THE HARD WAY that NOW THEY MUST HUNGER AND THIRST FOR ETERNITY. THEY MUST MOURN FOR ETERNITY. THEY MUST WEEP FOR ETERNITY.

The word WOE carries with it an awful warning. You see, the HUMAN SOUL DOES NOT REALIZE ITS TRUE POSITION BEFORE THE LORD. THE REPROBATE CHRISTIANS AND THEIR LEADERS DO NOT REALIZE WHAT AWAITS THEM. Jesus said they KNOWEST NOT that they are POOR, BLIND, NAKED, and in GREAT NEED OF SPIRITUAL REGENERATION. They have INVENTED A NEW WAY TO HEAVEN, A WAY THAT BYPASSES THE FORGOTTEN COMMANDMENT. All of this would tend to confirm the original premise behind the reason to SEARCH GOD OUT: HE IS HIDDEN. HE IS A MYSTERY, AND HIS ESSENCE IS A SECRET THING.

"Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered,

YE NEITHER

KNOW ME,

NOR MY FATHER:

IF YE HAD KNOWN ME,

YE SHOULD

HAVE KNOWN

MY FATHER ALSO."

(John 8:19).

Now here we have a GROUP of Jews that BELIEVED UPON JESUS CHRIST, who stood directly in front of them. He had said previously that THEY BOTH KNEW HIM AND WHERE HE HAD COME FROM, and now He turns right around and says JUST THE OPPOSITE. What is going on? When Jesus says to the Jews that they KNOW HIM, AND FROM WHENCE HE CAME, He is speaking of HIS FLESH AND BONES, and from what city He came from. They knew all about Jesus THE FLESH MAN. But the REAL JESUS, the HIDDEN JESUS, the HIDDEN MAN OF THE HEART, the SPIRITUAL JESUS, they KNEW NOTHING ABOUT WHATEVER. They did not KNOW JESUS, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW HIS REAL FATHER, THE GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. THIS ASPECT, THIS SPIRITUAL ASPECT OF CHRIST, WAS A TOTALLY UNKNOWN AND UNKNOWABLE FACTOR TO THEM.

Because salvation is OF THE SPIRIT, and INVOLVES A SPIRITUAL TRANSACTION, and is NOT OF THE FLESH, THEN WE BEGIN TO UNCOVER SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT: THERE ARE IN FACT TWO ASPECTS OF JESUS CHRIST. One is FLESH, THE CHRIST OF HISTORY, THE CHRIST OF THE CROSS, AND THE OTHER IS OF THE SPIRIT, THE ETERNAL CHRIST, THE GOD OF LOVE, THE SPIRIT OF AGAPE.
Salvation is based upon THE SPIRIT OF AGAPE, OF LAYING HOLD OF AGAPE, OF SEARCHING OUT GOD UNTIL YOU DISCOVER THE REAL TRUTH OF WHO GOD REALLY IS. It is hidden from all men, and WILL NOT be revealed to ANYONE that is not OBEDIENT to the PRIMARY AND FORGOTTEN COMMANDMENT: "SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

In Matthew Chapter seven, Christ REJECTS THE MULTITUDES OF CHRISTIANS ON THE BASIS OF ONLY ONE THING: "I NEVER KNEW YOU." There is no other reason listed for their REJECTION. They were ALL CHRISTIANS. They had all BOWED THEIR KNEES TO JESUS CHRIST. They had been given the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. They had gone out into the world to fulfill the GRAND COMMISSION. They had cast out devils in His name. They had performed mighty miracles and done many WONDERFUL WORKS. Yet, for all of that, Christ says to them "I NEVER KNEW YOU."

What happened is this: THEY CONVERTED TO THE CHRIST OF HISTORY, AND THOUGHT THAT CONVERSION WAS REGENERATION. In other words, they taught that if you accept CHRIST AS MESSIAH into your heart, HE INSTANTLY CAME THERE. BY FAITH THEY EMBRACED ALL OF THIS, and never once SEARCHED HIM OUT, AND NEVER FOUND HIM. Because they NEVER FOUND HIM, there was NO WAY THEY KNEW HIM IN TRUTH, AND HENCE CHRIST DID NOT KNOW THEM EITHER. Because Christ DID NOT KNOW THEM, THERE WAS NEVER ANY UNION, HENCE, THEY WERE NOT REGENERATED, COULD NOT FULFILL THE LAW OF AGAPE, AND WERE LOST. Thus, when they stand before Him, even though CHRISTIANS, HE REJECTS THEM OUT OF HAND!! They REFUSED TO SEARCH FOR HIM.

There must be a reason why all of these commands are made to SEARCH OUT THE LORD. God must feel it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THE HUMAN SOUL, OR SUCH COMMANDS WOULD NOT BE FOUND IN THE BIBLE. If we turn to the OLD TESTAMENT, we will find the very same commands:

"My son, if thou wilt receive

my words, and hide my commandments

with thee; so that thou INCLINE THINE EAR UNTO WISDOM,

and APPLY THINE HEART TO UNDERSTANDING;

YEA, IF THOU CRIEST AFTER KNOWLEDGE,

AND LIFTEST UP THY VOICE

FOR UNDERSTANDING; IF THOU

SEEKEST HER AS SILVER, AND

SEARCHEST FOR HER AS HID TREASURES;

THEN SHALT THOU

UNDERSTAND THE FEAR OF THE LORD, AND

FIND THE KNOWLEDGE

OF GOD.''

(Proverbs 2:1-5)

AFTER YOU HAVE HID THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, INCLINED YOUR EAR TO WISDOM, AND APPLIED YOUR HEART TO UNDERSTANDING, CRIED AFTER KNOWLEDGE, AND CALLED OUT TO GOD FOR UNDERSTANDING, AFTER ALL OF THIS, YOU WILL FIND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

Could this be THE TRUTH THAT SHALL MAKE YOU FREE, that Jesus spoke of in John 8? Does this relate DIRECTLY TO HUNGER AND THIRST? Is this the same as SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS? And of what VALUE are we to place on this SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD AND CHRIST? How are we to ESTEEM IT, in relationship to OTHER THINGS?

"Happy is the man that FINDETH WISDOM,

and the man that getteth UNDERSTANDING.

FOR THE MERCHANDISE OF IT IS BETTER

THAN THE MERCHANDISE OF SILVER,

AND THE GAIN THEREOF THAN FINE GOLD.

SHE IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN RUBIES:

AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THOU CANST

DESIRE

ARE NOT

TO BE COMPARED

UNTO HER."

(Proverbs 3:13-15).

In short then, neither GOLD NOR SILVER, RUBIES OR PRECIOUS STONES, AND ALL OTHER THINGS IN THIS LIFE, INCLUDING LIFE ITSELF ARE NOT TO BE COMPARED TO THIS "WISDOM" OF THE LORD, FOR SHE IS "ETERNAL LIFE" TO THOSE THAT FIND HER:

"She is A TREE OF LIFE

TO THEM THAT LAY HOLD UPON HER:

and HAPPY IS EVERY ONE THAT RETAINETH HER."

(Proverbs 3:18).

The PHRASE, "TO LAY HOLD OF HER", is most interesting when compared to Paul's comment in Thessalonians:

"Even him (antichrist), whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness

IN THEM THAT PERISH;

BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT

THE (AGAPE) LOVE OF THE TRUTH

(JESUS CHRIST), THAT THEY MIGHT BE

SAVED.

AND FOR THIS CAUSE

(BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE AGAPE LOVE OF GOD & CHRIST))

GOD SHALL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION,

THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE:

THAT THEY ALL MIGHT

BE DAMNED WHO

BELIEVED NOT IN THE TRUTH,

BUT HAD PLEASURE IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS."

(2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Now the words RECEIVED NOT means TO HAVE NOT LAID HOLD OF. What was it they did not lay hold of? THE DIVINE AGAPE LOVE OF THE TRUTH. This is a verse that tells you that THE UNREGENERATE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH WILL BE SWEPT INTO THE STRONG DELUSION, AND WILL EMBRACE ANTICHRIST AS CHRIST, AND THEY WILL ALL BE DAMNED. Is this why Christ said SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS? And what is the ESSENCE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD? Is it not HIS AGAPE LOVE SPIRIT? For some reason these poor folks NEVER LAID HOLD OF IT. Any regenerated person HAS LAID HOLD OF IT, FOR IT IS BESTOWED AT THE TIME OF REGENERATION! (John 17:3 & 1 John 3:1)!

All this totally confirms THAT THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF GOD AND CHRIST ARE A HIDDEN THING, AND MUST BE SEARCHED OUT. Christ said:

"LABOUR NOT FOR THE

MEAT WHICH PERISHETH,

BUT FOR THAT MEAT

(DOCTRINE) WHICH

ENDURETH UNTO EVERLASTING LIFE,

WHICH THE SON OF MAN

SHALL GIVE UNTO YOU: FOR HIM

HATH GOD THE FATHER SEALED."

(John 6:27).

Here Jesus says we ARE TO LABOR AFTER THE MEAT OF THE WORD (DOCTRINE) WHICH WILL LEAD US TO ETERNAL LIFE, IF WE MAKE IT A PRIORITY IN OUR LIVES. Notice we are TO LABOR AFTER IT. We are to SEARCH IT OUT. It all comes together, we are coming full circle. Jeremiah made an interesting comment we need to look at in this SEARCH FOR THE TRUTHS OF GOD:

"And ye shall SEEK ME,

and FIND ME,

WHEN YE SHALL

SEARCH FOR ME WITH

ALL YOUR HEART."

(Jeremiah 29:13)

Notice the CONDITION that God puts upon this: YOU WILL FIND GOD ONLY WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR HIM WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART. Is this why Christ used the word FIRST in his command to SEEK OUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FIRST OF ALL, ABOVE ALL THINGS EVEN IN LIFE? Is this part of what He meant when He said TO PICK UP OUR CROSS, AND DIE THE DEATH, FOR WE HAD TO LOSE OUR LIFE TO FIND LIFE IN CHRIST? Are all of these sayings connected? Does the word FIRST MEAN WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART, SOUL, MIND AND STRENGTH? Is this what the COMMAND TO LOVE GOD REALLY MEANS? Is this why Christ said that those WHO REALLY LOVED HIM KEPT HIS COMMANDMENTS? Were those commandments ASK, SEEK, KNOCK, STRIVE, LABOR? Are these the PRIMARY COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD, ABOVE ALL OTHERS. THAT WE MIGHT FIND THE FEAR OF THE LORD AND THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM?

The first and primary commandment is to LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL OF THY HEART, ALL OF THY MIND, ALL OF THY SOUL AND ALL OF THY STRENGTH. Jesus then says that THOSE WHO DO AS HE COMMANDED THEM LOVE THE LORD. Obviously the others ONLY SAID THEY LOVED THE LORD, but in truth, LOVED HIM NOT. They did not love Him enough to carry out the FIRST COMMANDMENT TO SEARCH GOD OUT, FOR TO LOVE HIM IS TO SEARCH HIM OUT. You can pay no higher tribute to anyone than to LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS, OR TO STUDY HIS WORKS. TRUE WORSHIP OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IS TO SEARCH HIM OUT, TO STUDY, TO ACQUIRE A KNOWLEDGE OF HIM. TO SEEK HIS FACE ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS.

We have said in the past, and we say again, THE REASON THE MULTITUDE OF CHRISTIANS ARE LOST IS BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO SEARCH CHRIST OUT, WHICH IS COMING TO HIS LIGHT, TO HAVE THEIR DEEDS CONDEMNED BY HIS LOVE, AND TO FACE THE AWFUL TRUTH OF THEIR HIDDEN, EVIL HEARTS. They will do EVERYTHING EXCEPT THAT. They will go to their churches, pay great tithes, sing their songs of praise, bend their knees in prayer, BELIEVE UPON HIS NAME, TRUST IN HIS NAME, GET BAPTIZED IN WATER AND IN THE HOLY GHOST, GO FORTH AND WITNESS IN HIS NAME, BUT THEY WILL NOT, WILL NOT, SEARCH HIM OUT.

"It is a WORK". They SCREAM. "It is a LEGALISM", they CRY. "It is a form of LAW KEEPING, and WE WILL NOT HEAR OF IT. We are saved BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, and that is that, and if you say anything different, you are ACCURSED, and BRING ANOTHER GOSPEL AND ANOTHER CHRIST. Do not say unto us: ENTER YE IN at the strait gate. Do not say unto us THERE IS A NARROW WAY. Do not dare say unto us: WE ARE NOT REGENERATED. And so they die by the millions and face an eternity without Jesus Christ. They never SEARCHED HIM OUT. THEY NEVER FOUND HIM. THEY NEVER HAD THE REVELATION, THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST. THEY PREACH HIS NAME, YET KNOW NOT WHO HE IS. THEY CLAIM THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD, YET ARE BASTARD SONS, DESTINED TO THE PITS OF HELLFIRE.

No matter what you would say, no matter how many hundreds of verses of Scripture you might present, no matter how much harmony you could prove to them, THEY WILL NOT HEAR IT. They are STIFF NECKED, FULL OF REBELLION. They are trapped in a false gospel, so false it should be obvious to them, yet they are BLINDED BY THE FATHER OF LIES, WHO WAS A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING. They cannot see what they do not want to see. THUS DO THEY DIE AND GO INTO ETERNAL RUIN AND LOSS, ALL THE WHILE CRYING "WE LOVE YOU JESUS, WE LOVE YOU JESUS. PRAISE BE UNTO JESUS! PRAISE BE UNTO HIS HOLY NAME." And yet...AND YET... AND YET....HE SHALL SAY UNTO THEM:

"I NEVER KNEW YOU."

Do you know Jesus? Has He come unto you and showed you the SECRET MYSTERY OF GODLINESS? Has Jesus openly showed you the TRUTH OF GOD'S MYSTERIOUS AGAPE LOVE? Do you know the STRANGEST SECRET IN THE UNIVERSE?

"And WITHOUT CONTROVERSY GREAT

IS THE MYSTERY

OF GODLINESS..."

(1 Timothy 3:16)

What is this MYSTERY OF GODLINESS, this SPIRIT OF CHRIST THAT THE WORLD KNOWEST NOT? A secret hidden from the foundations of the world, revealed ONLY to the obedient ones, who BELIEVED CHRIST AND GOD ENOUGH TO DO WHAT THEY COMMANDED: TO SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

"And to make all men

see WHAT IS THE

FELLOWSHIP OF THE

MYSTERY, WHICH FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD HATH

BEEN HID

IN GOD, WHO CREATED ALL THINGS BY

JESUS CHRIST:"

(Ephesians 3:9)

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST, THE FELLOWSHIP OF UNION IN AGAPE, IS THE SECRET, HIDDEN LOVE OF THE GODHEAD. Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, the time runs very short. Do you love God enough, do you believe God enough, to SEARCH HIM OUT AND LAY HOLD OF THAT MYSTERY OF ALL MYSTERIES, THE DIVINE "AGAPE" LOVE OF CHRIST?

Or is the COMMANDMENT TO ASK, SEEK, KNOCK, STRIVE, LABOR AND SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS LOST COMMANDMENT TO YOU? And if Jesus rejects the MULTITUDES OF CHRISTIANS because HE NEVER "KNEW" THEM, THEN OBVIOUSLY THEY NEVER CAME INTO UNION WITH HIM, DID THEY? And if they NEVER came into UNION with Him, why not? What was it they all failed to do, that would have brought such a UNION, and SAFTY IN THE ARMS OF CHRIST?

Would you trade ETERNAL LIFE, and ALL OF HEAVEN, ALL THAT GOD PROMISED simply because you would not take the time to FIND THE LIVING CHRIST? If you wish to listen to the false prophets of Babylon America and their INSTANT SALVATION GOSPEL, the FALSE GOSPEL THAT CHRIST, PAUL, PETER AND JOHN SAID WOULD COME, then you will have AN ETERNITY IN WHICH YOU WILL REGRET IT. God is using the REQUIREMENT TO SEARCH HIM OUT AS A SCREENING MECHANISM, TO FIND OUT WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE THAT REALLY LOVE HIM. TO THEM, HE GRANTS ETERNAL LIFE. TO THE OTHERS, ETERNAL DEATH. If you do not believe that the Godhead commands a search - then what Scripture do you bring forth to prove it?

THE END

 2005/8/5 3:33









 Re: Is God's Love, 'active' in us, necessary for salvation ?

All there is to say to this question is yes, Biblically.

Not a mushy-gushy compromising never corrective type of hype ... but HIS Agape that only HE can give us - Only after we have "sought Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength".

It isn't "cheap" - it isn't human and HE proved it will cost a person their life.
That's the part we don't want to give up, truly.

The "us" in us fights to survive till the death.

Who wants to live as He did, for "others-always-only" ? It's the "us" in us that doesn't want to live that way and that 'self' that wants to get some of the glory that is His alone or should be. We desire some of that Glory and that "us" in us refuses to die. We don't want to pay the price. And one reason I like Watchman Nee and others like him. They taught it and lived it and are the shining examples that He's left us on this hate ridden planet ... besides his present day martyrs.
His Love kills 'us', is what they teach us.

 2007/7/17 15:58









 Re:

He is the vine and we are the branches. He prunes us so we will bare more fruit. I think when you relate these verses to the parable of the seed sower in the gospels it blows many people false theology of the carnal christian right out the window.

John 15:1-4
15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
KJV

Without HIM we are nothing.

He is worthy of ALL honor and glory and praise.

In HIM we move and live and have or being.

Some people never know HE is all they need until they realize he is all they have.


 2007/7/18 14:32









 Re: Is God's Love, 'active' in us, necessary for salvation ?

Love never fails!!!

I'm gonna download these scriptures into acrobat, thank you very much.

 2007/7/18 16:04









 Re: Is God's Love, 'active' in us, necessary for salvation ?

Quote:
I love His word, so please, please forgive my extra long post here ...



I forgive you. Just don't let it happen again.

>;')

I had a wonderful discussion with a brother yesterday afternoon about this very thing. He lamented the fact that the church he was at was loveless and sterile.

I advised him to be what they weren't and to love them even if they don't love him back.

He also mentioned that there was no support at the church - that he and his wife are experiencing financial difficulties, the church knows, but no one is helping.

Love and charity. Where are they today? If not in the church, then where?

Sigh... I suppose it'll have to start with one.

 2007/7/18 16:18
TimmyJoe
Member



Joined: 2007/6/19
Posts: 120
Panama City, FL

 Re:

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1John 4:8

Love is a fruit of the spirit, and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his.

I believe love is necessary for salvation. Not that we can love in ourselves, but when you come to know Christ his love flows through us. We must remember everyone is not a christian.

Ye shall know them by their fruits... Mat. 7:16

-with love, TimmyJoe

 2007/7/18 17:35Profile









 Re:

I'm smiling too TimmyJoe, ce4, Corey and moe_mac, because I KNOW satan hates Love more that anything else on Earth. Nah-nah! :-D


I look at all those verses again and I wonder how we could ever think that HE would command this of us, even toward our enemies and then that HE could ever hate ?

Whenever "hate" is used in the Bible, the few times that it's supposed to be God feeling that way about anyone, there are 50 other Verses that clarify what "hate" means.

In means, compared to Love.

A brother I knew once posted everywhere that God blessed Esau, and how that he blesses or brings rain on the just and unjust.

One or two verses Never cancel out 50 or 500 about how God so Loved the World. And while we were yet sinners and enemies of the cross, He died for us, because God so Loved the World .....

Esau only gave up his blessing for some grub --- but Paul killed Christians and David, well, you know and even Bad Mannaseh repented in the end and so on from there and I consider myself the chiefest of sinners yet ........ !


Thank you all for bumping LOVE. Amen!

 2007/7/18 22:33
roaringlamb
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 1519
Santa Cruz California

 Re:

Quote:
I'm smiling too TimmyJoe, ce4, Corey and moe_mac, because I KNOW satan hates Love more that anything else on Earth. Nah-nah!



Yes sister, but what satan also loves to do is let lies slip in under the guise of love.

This seems to be the golden calf of many when you confront them about things that are unscriptural. They resort to the love card, and say, "we're supposed to love one antoher".

I have always found it interesting to read some of the things Paul wrote about false teachers, it was in the view of today's church very unloving.

Anyway, just so you know I love you all :-D


_________________
patrick heaviside

 2007/7/18 22:53Profile





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