“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with (a) God and the Word was (a) God. The same (God–the Word) was in the beginning with (the other) God. All things were made by Him (the Word), and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him (the Word) was life and the life was the light of men. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (men), and we beheld His glory (while in the flesh), the glory of (at that time) the only begotten (Son) of the Father (God). “The Word was full of grace and Truth.” (Jn. 1:1-4,14). Jesus identified God’s Word as Truth (Jn. 17:17).
It is important that we understand the sequence of events being presented in this series. God and the Word were equal in the beginning. The Apostle Paul states that though the Word was equal with God, He (the Word) did not hesitate to divest (empty) Himself of all of His godly powers and characteristics and come to earth as a human like all other humans (Phil. 2:6). Though He brought none of His divine powers and attributes with Him, He lived in such a way that God’s power, holiness filled Him. The way He lived (“walked”) can be summarized in three words: OBEDIENCE TO GOD. A MAN LIVED IN ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE TO GOD, thereby setting the standard for those who would join Him on His throne in the Kingdom of God (Rev. 3:21).
The truth of the above statement is brought out in John 14:12 where Jesus said that any man who truly believes in Him can have the same power and glory as He had while on earth as a man. Contrary to universal opinion, Jesus did not lie about this. However, man can attain this God-level power and glory only by allowing Him to place within him (man) the same mind that Jesus had as a man (Phil. 2:5/ 1 Cor. 2:16). His mind (heart) was filled with the Holy Spirit which speaks God’s Words to those in whom it dwells. Everything–good or evil–begins in the mind (heart)–James 1:14-16. Just as Jesus warded off Satan’s temptations that attacked His mind, we must also have his “fiery darts” of temptation glance off of our hearts. This is done only through obedience to God, which creates a shield of armor around the mind. This “armor” grows thicker and stronger as we grow in obedience to the Lord. In Ephesians 6:11,13 the Apostle Paul tells us to “put on the whole armor of God.” In 2 Corinthians 6:7 he tells us to “put on the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left” (total coverage). In Romans 13:12 he tells us to “put off darkness (sin) and take on ourselves the armor of light”–JUST AS DID THE MAN, THE CARPENTER FROM NAZARETH–JESUS, WHO CALLED HIMSELF “THE SON OF MAN.” Men are human. Jesus was a man and therefore a human. As a human being He had the same choice that we have. He could put on God’s armor of righteousness by obeying Him, or to put on the armor of Satan by obeying him. As Moses told the children of Israel, we have only two choices. We choose either God and life or Satan and death. There are no other options. THIS IS GOD SPEAKING–HEAR HIM.
Through the process of being conceived in and birthed by a human being, the Word BECAME God’s Son. He was not God’s Son until the moment of His conception in Mary’s womb. Before His conception He was the Word–one of the spirit beings that made up the Godhead. Referring to the instant of Christ’s conception, God said to Him: “You are (now) My Son; this day I have begotten you” (Ps. 2:7/ Heb. 2:5; 5:5). This statement proves that human life begins at the instant of conception. Recall that John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb when Mary entered her house because, as she exclaimed, “the mother of my Lord has (already had) come unto me (my presence)” (Lk. 1:41,44). Elizabeth knew that her Lord had entered her home. Though He was only a fertilized egg a day or so old in Mary’s womb, HE WAS HER LORD AND SHE KNEW IT.
Before anything else was, there were two Gods–divine entities called “God” and “the Word” respectively. There was with Them Their power Whom they called “the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 1:35). The Holy Spirit was (is) not a God, but rather the power shared by the two Gods. Before anything visible or invisible existed, They existed (Rom. 1:20). All that ultimately came into existence did so through the Word, at the command of God. God commanded, the Word spoke His command, and the Holy Spirit powered His command into existence. The Word spoke and “it (the things in the universe) was done” (instantly came into existence); He (the Word) commanded, “and it (the universe) stood fast” (remained as created)–Ps. 33:9. All things were created by and for the Word–the God of the Old Testament who would come to earth as Jesus Christ (Col. l:16,17). Read The God of the Old Testament. Key word–Old. Hebrews 1:2,3 tells us that not only did He (the Word Who became God’s Son) create all things, but that He upholds (keeps in existence and in place) all things by the word that activates His power (the Holy Spirit). Read Jesus of Nazareth: God, Man or God-man? Key word–God-man.
Also, and equally important to His obedient followers, is the fact that GOD HAS MADE JESUS AND HIS TRUE SAINTS HEIRS OF EVERYTHING HE (JESUS) CREATED–THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. Read God’s Very Elect: Future Caretakers of the Universe. Key word–Caretakers. Note Heb. 1:3 where we are told that Jesus has purged (eliminated) the past sins of those who have truly repented. Having been cleansed of sin, saints are made HEIRS OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST (Gal. 4:7), thereby becoming “JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST” (Rom. 8:17), Who is the heir of the universe He created.
Having been cleansed of sin by the blood of Jesus, His true saints–His Very Elect who will inherit the universe with Him–remain cleansed through obedience to His Law. As Jesus told the prostitute whose sins He had forgiven: “Go and sin no more.” If a cleansed former sinner returns to sinning, he/she becomes, in the eyes of God, like the sow that returns to her mire after being cleansed, and the dog, having vomited out its problem, then laps it up. Such false saints cannot be Christ’s “Very Elect,” His “purified people,” His “holy priesthood,” His “holy nation,” His “peculiar people” (Mat. 24:24/ Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:9).
Unless we understand what God requires of us, believe it and obey it, knowing and believing every Word in the Holy Bible will be of no value. Satan and his devils know and believe the Holy Bible. Many of Satan’s parishioners do also and dutifully obey his words, as did Adam and Eve. As the Word (Jesus) told the Israelites in Amos 5:21, because of their sins, He HATED all of the things they did in His name, WHICH WERE THE VERY THINGS HE COMMANDED THEM TO DO IN ORDER TO PLEASE HIM. In His message to them through the Prophet Amos, God told them that He hated and despised their feast days, their Sabbath assemblies, their offerings, their tithing their singing, their playing of musical instruments–ALL OF WHICH HE HAD COMMANDED THEM TO DO. What could cause God to hate and despise a professing believer’s acts of obedience? What could cause Him to curse those who do exactly what He has commanded them to do–pray, fast, study, congregate, sing, tithe, etc?
The answer is: SIN. IN GOD’S EYES, WHEN A SAINT SINS, WHAT IS HOLY BECOMES UNHOLY, WHAT IS RIGHT BECOMES WRONG, WHAT IS PURE BECOMES IMPURE. THEREFORE, BLESSINGS ARE REPLACED BY CURSES. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 explain why and how this transition takes place in terms that even a child can understand. And understand we must, and believe we must, and obey we must. WE MUST DO WORKS OF OBEDIENCE COMMANDED BY GOD. OTHERWISE, WE ARE DECEIVING OURSELVES (1 JN. 1:8) BECAUSE WE ARE OPERATING ON DEAD FAITH WHICH IS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY WORKS OF OBEDIENCE (JAM. 2:17,20). DEAD (WORKLESS) FAITH CANNOT SAVE THE SOUL (VS 14).
Hypocrisy is an especially vile sin in the eyes of God. A self-proclaimed “sinning saint” produces darkness, which Jesus calls “great darkness” because Satan’s darkness is being put forth as His (God’s) light–which constitutes hypocrisy. We must allow Christ to permanently remove all PAST sins from our hearts (Rom. 3:25), convert us, seal us, place His armor around us and abide in us in the form of His Holy Spirit. Sin causes the breaking of the seal, which causes God to remove His Spirit from us (Isa. 59:2), which removes His armor from around us. King David knew this. Following his sin he begged God not to take His Spirit from him. He knew that this would leave him at the mercy of Satan. In regard to attaining oneness with the Lord and retaining it, let us always remember this: GOD WILL NOT SHARE A BELIEVER WITH SATAN. HOLINESS CANNOT ABIDE WITH SIN. WITH HIM IT IS ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL. Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 and 1 John 3. “Let no man deceive you” (Mat. 24:4,5) by convincing you that sin is inevitable, and that all one needs to do following each sin is to repent. Supposedly, repentance blinds God so that He cannot see the sin “through the (Christ’s) blood. This Satanic doctrine was voiced perfectly by a woman who said, “God doesn’t like sin, but (because of Christ’s death), He won’t do anything about it.” She died unexpectedly, and for no medical reason, a short time after making that statement. I had been dealing with her for several weeks when she spoke those blasphemous words. God showed me that He was going to kill her because she refused to believe what He said concerning His Law, specifically His Sabbath commandment. She was the third person God killed because they would not believe what I told them from His Word. Anyone who does not believe that He does such things today needs to read Acts 5:1-10 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-5. Note in verse 5 where Paul states that HE (Paul) would turn the man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh. Like Jesus, he had undoubtedly heard God’s voice through His Holy Spirit. L.J.
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