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03 M.Ł. - The foundation, the cornerstone of which is Christ Jesus Himself
Meeting 17.02.2018 (in the evening)
The foundation, the cornerstone of which is Christ Jesus Himself.
Let us keep what we already know and allow ourselves to be guided further into the splendor of our heavenly Father's arrangements. Let us be more and more aware of our elevation to be in the place of Christ, to be those who want to learn and taste from the God's will. I am going now to quote these New Testament passages which speak of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of Man. This will show first that He is the Son of God and second that He is the Son of Man. These two sonships are of great importance to us people. It is written that He had to become like us in order to become for us the way to reach the Father.
In Matthew 8:20 we read:
"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."
This the most precious and the most important Son of man had nowhere to bow his head.
Matthew 9:6,27:
"But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house." (6)
“And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.”(27)
Prophecies said the Messiah would come from the house of David.
Matthew 10:23:
“But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come."
Matthew 11:19:
“The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children."
We can see what attitude did other people have toward Him.
Matthew 12:8,23,32,40:
“For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”(8) “And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?”(23) “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”(32) “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."(40)
Matthew 13:37,41:
"He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man”(37) “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things thatoffend, and them which do iniquity"(41)
Matthew 15:22:
“And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.”
Matthew 16:27-28:
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."
Matthew 17:9,12,22:
“And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead” (9) “But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.”(12) "And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men."(22)
Matthew 18:11:
"For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."
Matthew 19:28:
"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
The Son of Man sitting on the throne of glory. From the next places in the Bible, we learn that we, too, are seated there at the right hand of God.
Matthew 20:18,28,30-31:
"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,” (18) “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (28) “And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.” (30-31)
Matthew 21:9,15:
“And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.” (9) “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased" (15)
Matthew 24:39,44:
“And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”(39) “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."(44)
These words tell us that the Son of Man lives forever, He has not ceased to exist.
Matthew 25:13,31:
"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” (13) “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory."(31)
Matthew 26:2,24,45,64:
“Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.”(2) “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”(24) “Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."(45) “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”(64)
Mark 8:31,38:
"And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”(31) “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."(38)
Luke 12:8:
"Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God"
Luke 19:10:
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Luke 21:27,36:
"And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”(27) “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."(36)
John 3:13-15:
"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
It is what we have said already that, whoever believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God will be saved. Likewise, whoever believes that Jesus is the Son of Man will be saved, because it is a faith that is based on the claim that Jesus walked on earth in the same body as we walk here. Hence John wrote that those who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh are in the spirit of the antichrist.
John 5:27:
"And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."
John 6:27,40,53,62:
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”(27) “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”(40) “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."(53) “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?”(62)
John 8:28,36:
“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.”(28) “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”(36)
John 9:35-38:
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him."
Therefore, faith that Jesus is the Son of God and of Man is necessary for our salvation and for our right position towards God.
John 12:23,34-35:
“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.”(23) “The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth."(34-35)
So we can see the glorious light of the body of Christ Jesus, the Son of Man. Perfect life in the body, perfect life in the same body that you and I are in. The same life Jesus can lead in you and me, because He lived in the same flesh in a perfect, holy, sinless way. Whoever believes in Him as in the Son of Man, and giving Him a place of life in himself through faith, will be saved. Jesus lived a pure and perfect life according to the Father's will. So we have someone who can save us, save us in the body that we are in. Not in Christian philosophy, or in thinking that I am liberated, and repressed in my sins with my flesh. He came to save us spiritually as well as physically. We are to be the temple that He was. Jesus cleanses us not only from our sins by giving us His sanctification, but He also gives us His holy life in the flesh.
John 13:31-32:
"Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.”
Acts, 7:56:
"And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."
Daniel once described seeing the Son of Man coming before the Ancient of days. Even then, God was giving a glimpse into this mystery. (Dan. 7: 9-14)
Romans 1:3:
"Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh."
Revelation 14:14:
"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle."
There are even more places that prove that: the first man was earthly, the second man comes from heaven. As the first was, there are earthly people, as the second was, and so are heavenly people. There is one mediator between God and us - the man Christ Jesus. The Scriptures repeatedly use the term "Son of Man" in order to draw the attention of the reader to what salutary value this has for us - the Son of God, the Son of Man. This is one whole. Jesus came in the flesh. His Father is God and His mother is Mary. He had a normal body like us, but was conceived of the Father, the holy Father. Tempted like us, experienced like us, He can help us in our experiences. He, the glorious Christ who is our Savior. We need Him constantly, it is the lack of awareness of who He is that makes people try to fight the enemy on their own and fail, and on the basis of this they say that salvation does not work. None of us can fight and defeat the devil alone. We have Someone Who has already done this, and whoever calls on the name of the Son of Man will be saved. Whoever calls on the name of the Son of God - that is the same - will be saved. The Son of Man went there and sat on the throne of glory at the right hand of the Father. The perfect Son of man in a transformed, glorified body, in which we will also be when we meet Him.
I would also like to note that the gospel that was preached, this mighty message from heaven, is called the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ. This means that during His preaching, Jesus Christ said nothing but what the Father told Him, and it is included in all the Gospel preaching. That is why it is called the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ. It is the same, one gospel. Then we will observe how it delves deeply into us humans and how all God's children need this next step. The children of God who experience it, are set free, set free from all bondage to the flesh, because the gospel sets free, it is the joyful news of the freedom, that we have in Jesus Christ.
In Romans 1:16-17 we read:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
We have here the perfect unity, that will be visible everywhere, in every dimension of the relationship between God and His Anointed One, Christ, as perfect unity in everything. There is no difference, none. A wonderful message that is addressed to us: "in the end God has spoken through His beloved Son." It is a completely pure message.
Romans 15:16-20:
"That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation."
Great unity.
1 Corinthians 9:12:
“If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ."
2 Corinthians 2:12:
"Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord."
2 Corinthians 9:13:
"Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men."
2 Corinthians 10:14:
"For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ."
Galatians 1:6-12:
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Philippians 1:27-30:
"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”
Colossians 4:3-4:
"Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak."
1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 and 8-12:
"For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”(1-4) “So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory."(8-12)
A beautiful message, when we see the Father and the Son, and we see one, coherent proclamation of God's truth, we see that this true reaches us in order to win us for eternity. The Gospel is not preached just to fill our minds with knowledge. It is to draw us towards the action of the Father and the Son for our salvation. Completely one action, that we may come into this unity. The Lord Jesus prayed: "Father, I am asking you for them who have believed in me, that they may be one, as we are one." What a beautiful unity that is! To have the same feelings that the Father and the Son have, to have the same desires, the same words, the same eternity, the same inheritance in Christ, to be God's property on this earth, set apart for Him, for His glory.
1 Timothy 1:11:
"According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust."
2 Timothy 2:8-10:
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
By the power of the working Spirit and by cleansing with the blood of the Lamb, the gospel that was only the property of the Father and the Son, becomes the property of God's child. It is not a foreign gospel, it is not just some gospel that I know, but it becomes my gospel. What does it mean when the gospel becomes my gospel? It means that the live of the gospel, living according to the gospel words becomes my lot, so it is also my gospel because I live according to it. It is not only, that I know that God have wrote it, but I experience a salutary transformation in accordance with its message. This is the job of the gospel - the joyful news. When the Gentiles heard the gospel preached to them, they rejoiced that such wonders were prepared by God by grace, for free, and now they can accept and enjoy them for which they do not have to pay anything. They did not have to convert to the Jewish religion, but they became God's children without it. They had no obligation to circumcise, or take over the no longer valid holidays, the Sabbaths, but they became children of God who belong to the Father in Christ and to what the Father says to them. "And you speak as the Word of God says," have it and live by it. The Gospel must win us over. If it doesn't win our hearts, then this news are not great enough for us, to draw us towards eternity. That for us these are only ordinary information, not strong enough to win us over to God, and yet "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ". Everybody knows that when the gospel is normally at work in us, it get us a piece of God. We are so conquered by God that we experience that we cannot live without God. Only when a man tramples the gospel, this sacred message, then we begin to live arbitrarily and see nothing wrong in this life contrary to the gospel, and we replies to the admonishing brother: "You see something wrong in it, but I do not see it." However, the most important thing is: does God see anything wrong with it. Let us therefore remember Jesus Christ, Who is from the lineage of David according to the flesh, and is also from heaven, for when the Word that was with God and was God became flesh, it became the Son of Man. By His own example, the Son of God shows how God's sons and daughters are to live. And living in the same body as us, He says: Believe in Me, and you will also live like this. It is still a difficult time, and when we neglect it and do unnecessary things, then we enter into unnecessary conflicts and bad conversations, that will spoil our wonderful happiness of being with God. They will destroy the joy of listening when God speaks, when God fills, when God gives what is needed so that we will know what our life should look like before God today.
Romans 2:16:
"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."
Knowing the testimony of how Paul gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ, we recognize as true what Paul says to us: "It is no longer I, who live, but Christ lives in me." Those unfamiliar with the life of the apostle Paul might think, "Paul, if you have your gospel, everyone can have their own gospel." No, Paul exactly has the gospel of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and that is exactly his gospel too. Paul tells in this passage who he is in Christ Jesus, he says, I do not speak anything else, beside that who I am by the grace of God. He does not preach any teachings, but preaches the truth of the gospel and what it has done to him.
Romans 16:25-27:
"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen."
I want to say that nowadays, in order to live in obedience to faith, we need to be among people who, knowing the truth, want to live it and live according to it. The worst thing is that people learn the truth but don't want to live it. It is not written here, that they will be great and straight away they will live like that. It is said here: that both to will and to do comes from God. Do you want such a church, in which we are according to this gospel, and everyone can say: this is my gospel? This God and Christ gospel as our gospel? Do we want such a place, in which we are conquered by the message from heaven? A place in which we are being prepared, we are bonded together, not strangers that only meet on the assembly, but being close one to other in every moment, because it was brought by the gospel, that we may be one Body of Christ. In which the members have the same care one for another, that is, Christ's care. It is not only about being on the assembly. The Gospel acquires us to a completely different, to a heavenly life.
1 Corinthians 4:14-15:
“I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel."
Paul went even further, he even said, "my children." Because that's the truth. He received this action of the Father towards himself, this action of Jesus Christ, that in the Spirit of God he writes to the Galatians: "Again I must give birth to you, and again I must suffer the pains of childbirth for your sake." This became something personal, very close to the apostle, and he did not shift the responsibility to the Lord, saying: The Lord will arrange it, as many Christians do, saying: "I give everything to the Lord." And the Lord says: but why don't you listen to the gospel? Why don't you do what it says to you? Why don't you give your life to Me and the Church? Why are you running away? Why are you trying to get the Church out of your life if the gospel is talking about one Church headed by Christ Jesus? How important it is that it should be our gospel, that the Spirit of God fill us, that we would like to be together with Christ's longing. We have many experiences and many problems, it is not easy to follow Jesus. On the one hand, we say: We believe in Him, we believe that He always tells the truth, that He is the way to the Father, we confess all of this, but when we have to follow Him, we start to fear whether He will really deal with us? If He will be not late? We begin to suspect Jesus that He may not be interested in us now. The Gospel doesn’t say like that but assures us that: Whoever believes in Jesus Christ and trusts in Him will not be ashamed of it, and will never be disappointed in Him. So, the problem is that people profess faith, but that faith is not gospel- based. Faith must be based on this biblical message. Therefore, I am now discussing the subject of the gospel message, so that when we read the gospel preached by Jesus Christ, when we read the apostolic letters, we would keep it in ourselves, how the Teacher and the apostles proclaimed this gospel after Him, so that by keeping this Word, we would continue to proclaim it in the same way. We must know the gospel, because even if someone would come and preach another gospel, not God's and Christ's, even if it would be an angel from heaven, we would not accept it. That is why we read the Bible and accept its words to ourselves, that we may speak about it, based on these words with our whole being, that at every moment the gospel would have won us for Jesus Christ. That the gospel would fill us with joy in the fact that we can love the glorious Lord of glory, this glorious Son of God who is the visible God, the true God to us. That we may know what God has called us to and be aware of the glory to which we are destined and be willful to live in the assembly, in which people won the battle against this lie that everyone can live for themselves and be saved. Various experiences mean that a person may refrain from living the gospel, but it is better to be "beaten" because of love, purity than to abstain from the gospel and stand aside. It is better to have wounds caused by following Christ than not to have wounds because you are not following Him. Paul says: I bear in my body the marks of Christ, that is, the traces of suffering that I have suffered because I belong to Him. And also he said: "The more I love you, the less you are to love me?" Watch him, how he writes to these churches. What these apostles are about? Understanding of this will save us from deception, which develops very strongly in many spaces, draws people very strongly and leads them astray. It looks like it is for God, but it is not.
I will picture this like that: if you cut off someone's arms and legs and put him on a seat, and then tell him to get up and go, this person will say: how? Since you took away from me what allowed me to get up and go? This was done in many places that people were deceived that instead of directing them to the gospel, to the strength of Christ, to life in Christ, they were directed to that, that they were saved once and for all and that they could rest peacefully from sanctification, still living like this world lives. Many people have been told that they are already saved, and no matter what they do now, God loves them and they are His sons, and the Father does not reject His children, so He will not reject them because of their persistence in the sins they commit. These people just sat down, lost their arms, lost their legs, and then they are chased out of the congregation to do something. They were seated in front of TVs, because you can watch everything, they were seated at football matches, and were allowed to be there like the world, or to go to the parties, to the shooting range, so they were taught first of apostasy, and then they are told to preach the truth in street, but about Who they are about to talk? If they had been taught the truth about Christ, if they had healthy legs and hands to live in Christ's health and truly proclaim Christ, they would be God's messengers everywhere. Very often such people are under great condemnation. Years ago, I heard that, but it comes full circle again and with even greater power then previously it has come back, saying “What are you doing in these churches? You should all go on the streets, you already have so many information, people are dying around you, and what are you doing here? It's a waste of time for your gatherings, you already know everything, why do you need more gatherings?! You already know what you need to know, go on the streets!" Yes? God's Word says that we grow in the truth up to the dimensions of Christ. That is why there are divinely appointed ministries in the Church to lead God's children in God's direction. Man is to grow up, participate in gatherings and build up serving wherever he is, in every dimension of time. When a man has a contented heart and a moved spirit, he is true everywhere, but if he loses it through some corporeality accepted in his life, then it is difficult for him to overcome evil, since he himself says and does it. A newly converted person is the most willing to give up a lot of evil, but when he is told later: Do not overdo with this sanctification, because it is not so important, such sanctification is a symptom of carnal unbelief, it does not help, it is only deeds, you can safely continue your own activities, you can go about your life, you can sit down as you like and wherever you want, you are a free man, saved once and for all. Such a person will think and say: "It means I don't have to try so hard? So I can do what I want?" He would receive an answer from teachers living a different gospel, "Yes, that's grace." That's how people fell into the so-called cheap grace and after some years of Christianity they simply don't have the strength to live godly, because as Christians they saw unnecessarily some movies in this new life, watched some political news, they got involved in politics, sports, festivals of the flesh and various other bodily things, and thus they were deceived and led astray of the carnality. Remember, as you begin in Christ, stay in Him to the end. Learn the Lord, get to know Him, never leave this area, or you are interested in a Church where people care for each other, love each other, are happy with each other, content and grateful to God, or religion - come and sit from time to time at the desk. Thus, you do not enter eternity, as we used to say: the Father wants us to be more and more like His Son.
In 2 Corinthians 4:1-6, we read:
"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
May God be with us in this. Remember, the whole message of the New Testament is contained in this dimension: the Son of God - the Son of Man. The Gospel, which shows the Son of God and the Son of David, indicates that Christ came from heaven, but on earth He was like us, He became man, He walked on this earth, He won the war against the devil, He grew by serving, and we read a beautiful message about Him.
In Hebrews 5:7-9, we read:
“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him."
So we see, that Jesus, while walking in the flesh, had to come to perfection. As the Word of God He is perfect, because there is nothing imperfect in the Word of God, it is completely perfect, but in the flesh He had to grow, He had to fight and win every day. And we hear it in great prayers, when He gave himself to God's will, in adversities. We remember from the Gospel, that He was born as a child and grew to be fully perfected, for every second of His life in the flesh was pure. It was only when our sins were transferred onto Him and He accepted them, then the Father turned away from Him and He died. Likewise, the Father turned away from us when we lived in our sins. When we look at the Son of Man, we realize that it was a great fight, it was not frivolous walking on this earth, it was a fight with the devil every moment. The same Christ can help you. This Christ can save your body, soul and spirit, He can bring you purity that you never dared to think. Such purity of thoughts, words and deeds that He Himself had on this earth, because He wants to make us His joint-heirs. Jesus wants us to be with Him in eternity because He has come to save us from our sins. He wants to fill us with Himself, enjoy Him and do not turn the gospel into religiosity, do not turn it into an artificial, rigid walk before God. Don't turn it into empty, thoughtless prayer saying, don't turn it into empty, pointless reading, giving you nothing. Let the gospel make you a happy person every day, always rejoicing that your way is Christ and all eternity is ahead of you, and that you can have a glorious hope, that the Father is doing that, so that who He is would be in you and in me, so that in eternity there would be no difference between us, no difference, that we would all be perfectly the same as Him. Can you imagine it? Perfectly the same, as long as we keep the gospel, if we only need the Son of God and Man to live godly before God and men according to the gospel and abundantly according to it.
Remember, do not give up on Jesus Christ in everyday life and do not think that with your own mind or your own wisdom you will explore biblical truths. No, No, they will not pass through your carnality, these magnificences, these jewels, will not pass, because carnality must be crucified in order for the wonderful messages from heaven to fill us, so that by living this gospel we can proclaim it as our gospel, not just say that it is written in Scripture, but that it is written in our hearts and in our lives. Let us remember, let us be careful every day, because we can harm ourselves. See that when your hand hurts, it hurts other parts of your body. You are not fully functional anymore. If your leg hurts, you can't run where you want. So if we have a bad attitude towards the Father, the Son or the Church, then we cause something bad around us. And if we do this all the time, then what will we do? We will fight on the wrong side and hit what is Lord's. Remember, let the gospel always have you for God the Father, just as it had His Son, who preached this gospel in the will of the Father, in contentment and in happiness, that you too may proclaim more and more of who you are in Christ. It is beautiful, because when a person converts and begins to taste from Jesus Christ and God's Word reaches him, he is so happy that he shares his happiness, not a religious or even biblical philosophy, but he shares his satisfaction, that a wonderful Christ is his Lord. Then God the Father sees that this gospel is already written in him by the Spirit of truth. But when a person becomes stiff in further submission to the gospel of God and Christ, he still speaks the gospel, but it is no longer inside of him, it is only in the pages of the Bible. Let the Holy Spirit carry this gospel into our hearts and write it there. As Paul wrote, "We are not even able to think on our own." Let God gratefully think in us, He thinks better than us, let us be the mind of Christ. Through Christ we are in God. This is a secure life, let us be Christ's mind, let us rejoice in it, although we will encounter various adversities, various events that will try to spoil this wonderful celebration of belonging to God and surrendering to His will in tasting the life of Christ, and the Holy Spirit guiding us towards eternity. May God help us, because the devil wants to knock out of our heads the beauty of God's plan for us, revealed to us in Christ Jesus through the gospel. The best painter cannot paint this glory, but the Holy Spirit can do it in you and in me, as long as we are constantly grateful to the Father and Jesus Christ for this wonderful grace of salvation, reconciliation and all eternal action. Do you want to be like the Father? It is very important: do you want to be like the Father, just as the Son was always like the Father and was a Father for us so that we can see the Father working in Him. That is why Paul could say: You have many teachers, but few fathers who would give birth to you through the gospel, who endured trials and won this battle, because they were not only self-taught teachers, but fathers who were able to be in adversity, appropriately having love and patience with people amidst the various events that they encountered together. May the Lord be glorified for this grace. It is better to live according to this Word knowing the New Testament than just knowing what is written here. You can be a educated man and read the New Testament and not understand what is written here. To know what is written here, we must experience how this Word fills and transforms us on this earth into the image of Christ.
Let God's work be done in you, and let everything that is not this gospel, everything that does not fit the gospel at all, all these stories of various wonders that seem to be happening, let us consider as a worthless hypocrisy. Remember, the Word of God says very clearly that the devil will come amid signs, supposed miracles, so as to deceive the chosen ones, so look at the lives of those people who speak of various wonders. See if they fit this gospel? Do they fit to the way the Church functioned? What are they preaching? You will quickly see that this is not the same Christ, that this is an accuser, a condemnator who encourages to that what God does not want. God has His ministries, He has His calling, so that every particle of Christ's Body may serve so that the truth of the gospel may spread. May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father be glorified in us. Amen.
