The Good News

Example 1: “Though evil is sweet in his mouth And he hides it under his tongue, Though he desires it and will not let it go, But holds it in his mouth, Yet his food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him.” (Job 20:12-14)

As it says, “Evil is sweet in his mouth And he desires it and will not let it go, But holds it in his mouth.” Even though, “His food in his stomach is changed To the venom of cobras within him.” But if he had the end in mind, he wouldn’t desire it in his mouth; for then he would know the sweet taste is fleeting, although it is a good taste, a good feeling — fleeting. But because it “is sweet in his mouth” he holds onto it “And he hides it under his tongue.” Likewise, does not wine go down so smoothly and sparkle in the cup? Yet “At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink." (Proverbs 23:32-35) Wine’s beginning is quite pleasant, and its sight is like a star in the sky which sparkles. Can something that goes down so smoothly and tastes so good be so evil? 

Example 2: “For the lips of an adulteress drip honey And smoother than oil is her speech; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps take hold of Sheol.” (Proverbs 5:3-5)

For the adulteress speaks pleasant words and looks nice; she is “Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home; She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner. So she seizes him and kisses him And with a brazen face she says to him: "I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows. Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you. I have spread my couch with coverings, With colored linens of Egypt. I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses. For my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey; He has taken a bag of money with him, At the full moon he will come home." (Proverbs 7:10-20) For colored linens of Egypt are pleasant to the eyes, and myrrh, aloes and cinnamon smell well. Like a flower her bed lies, She looks like a lily of the valley; Yet she is a fierce lioness, She drinks the blood of the slain like a lion. And she says, “I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows,” so the lure of religion makes it “feel” even more right. But the “One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.” (Ecclesiastes 7:26) 

Example 3: "Stolen water is sweet; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant." (Proverbs 9:17)

Although it’s “sweet” and “pleasant”, nevertheless it is “stolen” and “secret”. It may feel good in the mouth and taste good to our taste buds, but is it good? The woman Folly, she may sound good and she may appear good, but is she virtuous? And although evil tastes sweet in the mouth, we would all agree that evil is not sweet. This is why the writer makes mention of the joy of “the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25); for sin is pleasurable for a moment in time, but its happiness is fleeting — it feels good for a little while, but “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) 

Thus, how sin starts isn’t consistent with how it ends — the only consistency is that it comes quickly and vanishes quickly! Its inception is sweet and pleasurable, but its end is bitter poison. As it says, “The lips of an adulteress drip honey,” and “Smoother than oil is her speech;” then it says, “In the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.” And in the other case, “Yet his food is changed To the venom of cobras within him.” And again, “At last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.” So evil is deceptive in that way: it appears one way, but is truly something else; it feels good at the start, but bitter in the end. So how it makes us feel is very much enjoyable; but the beginning isn’t the same as the end — how it appears isn’t how it actually is. A fish isn’t lured by bait on a hook unless it’s desired; a bird isn’t caught in a cage without food. So if we’re led by our sight and our feelings, we are endanger of being ensnared into a trap. 

For this reason we don’t do what is right in our own sight: for our own sight leads astray. As Israel was led astray; they did what was good in their own sight during the time of the judges. As it says, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) And they resembled Sodom; and they looked like Gomorrah (Judges 19-20). But when Job maintained his own righteousness before God, he spoke and said, "If my step has turned from the way, Or my heart followed my eyes,” (Job 31:7) or, "If my heart has been enticed by a woman,” (Job 31:9) or, “If (…) my heart became secretly enticed;” (Job 31:27) he said these things because he did not trust what his eyes seen nor what he felt, but what was right in God’s sight. He walked by faith, not by sight; he lived by the Spirit, not the flesh; his joy was in the Word, not his own thoughts. If we live in the flesh, we will live by what we feel in the flesh; but if we live by the Spirit, we’ll live by every word that comes from the mouth of God — the Truth which is Christ’s life. 

Jeremiah seeing this said, “I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23) For salvation does not come from within the flesh, but through the death of the flesh; which the apostle writes about saying, “If you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13) For the true circumcision is “made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.” (Colossians 2:11) And since the flesh is removed as our covering, we “worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3)

Likewise, the way of salvation does not start in a wide open place, but its start is a narrow gate; as Christ says, "Enter through the narrow gate.” (Matthew 7:13) Without question there is pressure and affliction when passing through a narrow place; yet how it begins isn’t how it ends — it begins narrow but leads to a wide place. For the bitter comes before the sweet. As Christ says, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9) Now the one who comes in by Christ, although He is the narrow Gate, will “find pasture” which is the wide place, the place of freedom. 

And contrarily, "The gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” (Matthew 7:13) For they take the freedom, the comfort, the easy way now; but “While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) For what feels good now is bad later, but what feels bad now is good later; as it says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25) Only through Jesus Christ is there escape, for He is the Narrow Way; as He said, ”I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) 

And for these reasons we don’t follow our heart because "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Will it not even flatter ourselves in our own eyes? For don’t we bias ourselves? As it says, “For it flatters him in his own eyes Concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.” (Psalms 36:2) Does not the heart make mighty boasts, even in something as unknown as the future? This is why it says, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."” (James 4:14-15) And regarding the thoughts of our heart, it says, “If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;” (1 Corinthians 8:2) for what do we truly know? But wisdom says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Did not Adam and Eve sin greatly because she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6)? If she lived by the Spirit, she would not have sinned; instead she lived by what she saw and what was a delight to the flesh; for the fruit was desirable and a delight to the eyes and good for food; yet “sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) And this is the bitter end we live with today — is death not a bitter end? What about David who sinned with Bathsheba? He saw the woman bathing and “the woman was very beautiful in appearance.” (2 Samuel 11:2) Yet he brought a great sin upon himself and gave reason for the enemies of God to reproach. And since his conscience smote him, he tried to cover his faults; but as a man of God, he later confessed his sins to God and received forgiveness (Psalm 51). 

Is this not what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” (Luke 6:21) For the one who seeks fleeting pleasure now will have everlasting disgrace then. As He says again, "Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” (Luke 6:25) As the prophet says, “Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants?” (2 Kings 5:26) So the one who mourns now, and is grieved for his sins, will have joy at the Lord’s coming; but the one who stifles conviction, which momentarily feels bad, will not be happy at the end of the age; for already they “have their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5) 

Speaking further about the sorrow of sin and contrition of the heart, Solomon says, “Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy. The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.” (Ecclesiastes 7:3-4) And regarding the painful, namely rebukes and discipline, it says, “It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools.” (Ecclesiastes 7:5) For “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:11) For “The end of a matter is better than its beginning;” (Ecclesiastes 7:8) As the law also says, "In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.” (Deuteronomy 8:16) For hunger does not feel good in the moment, but in the end is a lasting reward; as the LORD says further, “‘I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Among the examples of such men who followed the Spirit were the apostles; for although they were in prison and their feet were in stocks, they “were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;” (Acts 16:25) For although in the flesh their bodies were imprisoned, they had freedom by the Spirit. And they received the blessing which Christ spoke about: “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.” (Luke 6:22) For although they were opposed, hated, and insulted, their refuge was in God; for although they walked in the flesh, they lived in the Spirit. Thus the flesh is momentary pleasure, and the Spirit is everlasting life; the flesh can be had now, but eternal life is at the end of the age; the end is better than the beginning, for the end is replaced by nothing. The latter is greater than the former; for the new covenant comes with far more glory than the old.

For this reason it is good to discipline your child; for “Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.” (Proverbs 23:13-14) Although he is struck with a rod, which feels quite bad, but in the end, he will be saved from Sheol. The unwise do not understand this, that is why it says, “Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.” (Proverbs 27:22) Nevertheless, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” (Proverbs 22:15) 

Final Example: “Desire realized is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.” (Proverbs 13:19)

If it is abominable for a fool to turn away from evil, then he loves what is evil and hates good; as it says of the fool, “You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right.” (Psalms 52:3-4) For their feelings and desires have been corrupted within them. And, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:19-20) But its overcoming ones fears and coming to the Light that a man finds favor with God. If a man never comes to the Light, he will never have salvation from his sins and be made right with God. But this is what Christ came to do: to be Light in the world, that everyone who comes to Him may be saved.

And this salvation is salvaging: making the corrupt good — the LORD God straitening what He has made crooked, so that our emotions can be helpers unto us. For this reason Jesus, “The author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) For Christ endured such hardship for our sakes, so that we may share in His glory and sonship; as it says, “The LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:10-11) As it says, “He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days,” because Jesus raised from the grave and makes many sons of God. He lived by the Spirit and disregarded His own flesh, even to death, and received a crown of eternal glory.

Jonathan, the son of Saul, was cursed by his father because he ate a little bit of honey with the edge of his staff; although his eating was sweet and brightened his eyes, it was sin because his father made an oath: “Cursed be the man who eats food today.” (1 Samuel 14:28) So his eating was sweet, yet resulted in a bitter curse. Now when lots were cast to determine who sinned, the people were spared, although they ate meat with blood which is forbidden by the law; and again, when the lot was cast between Saul and his son Jonathan, Jonathan was taken, even though Saul sinned previously on multiple occasions. So Jonathan was determined to be sin for tasting a little bit of honey. So the people had sinned, but innocent Jonathan was determined sin by God — for the lot is determined by God. 

Now, speaking allegorically: we are the people who have sinned; yet God determined Jesus sin instead of us, although He never sinned. He was innocent, for He is the good Word, from Him men “taste and see that the LORD is good.” (Psalms 34:8) But the curse was laid upon Him because of His Father’s oath: “He who is hanged is accursed of God.” (Deuteronomy 21:23) And by the grace of God, He tasted the bitterness of death for us; but through Him, we are delivered: “One lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat.” (Leviticus 16:8) To the effect that we would live for the LORD as His beloved sons. Furthermore, Christ did not remain in the grave (just as Jonathan did not die, but was spared by the people’s oath), but He was raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So Christ’s death has become sweetness unto us; as it is also told allegorically through Samson: for Samson tore a lion with his bare hands and he came back and behold! Bees had made honey in the carcass of the lion. And Samson ate. He told it in a riddle: "Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet." (Judges 14:14) So through the bitterness of death came the sweetness of God; for the Eater of sacrifices is God, but through Him came a sacrifice for us to eat: Christ Jesus. And He is the Rock prophesied about — and who is stronger than the Rock? Yet He was struck and out came sweet water to drink: “Out of the strong came something sweet.” Thus, from the sweet came bitter, but from the bitter came sweet; for we were once deceived by sin whose wages is death; but Christ died for us to rescue us from sin and death, and to bring sweet tidings of the Good News of grace and peace, and to make atonement for our sins through His own blood.

So then, we have been made complete by the blood of Jesus Christ; we have been bought by Him so that we would yield our members as servants of righteousness to God. And our bowels, which formerly craved evil, now move with compassion for our brethren, not withholding bread from them who are in need; and our hearts have been filled with the love of God which moves us to good works which are profitable to all men. And our consciences, which were formerly dead and devoid of conviction, now affirm the truth and testify to the truth with a spirit of gentleness; for our hearts have been made flesh by the circumcision made without human hands: the circumcision of Jesus Christ. Through the knowledge of the truth, He has sanctified us unto Himself as a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. And having seen Him with the eye of our understanding, we have trusted in Him and yielded ourselves to Him for the saving of our souls; for He who is trustworthy said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die." (John 11:25-26)

So therefore, looking forward to the coming of the day of the Lord, patiently endure hardship and persecution; for in that day, God will wipe every tear from our eyes; as it says, “The virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:13-14) Likewise, Christ spoke before His crucifixion: "Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.” (John 16:20) And as an example, dear brethren, in the days of Mordecai, remember the affliction the Jews underwent; yet God changed for them the day of mourning into rejoicing and joy, a day of slaughter into a day of retribution; as it says, “Those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9:22)

The same God who created the clean and the unclean animal, separated them, as He did in the beginning. “God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:4) In calling the light “good," it is implied the darkness is bad. Now, just as the priest declares a leper clean or unclean, God declares what is clean and unclean. It is evident, He is the creator the clean and the unclean, the good and the bad. And when the Christ came into the world, those who were declared unclean, were made clean by the spoken Word; as He says in one place, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:3)

Noah, a man of God, was commanded to take for himself two of every animal, male and female, entering into the ark. Now, no law at the time was given which called an animal as unclean or clean. However, Noah did as God had commanded him, and even sacrificed seven of each clean animal to God. Similarly, Abel brought to God firstlings from his flock. So we see that nature speaks concerning which animals are clean and unclean even apart from the law; otherwise Noah could not have separated them; but when the law was given, God’s law revealed which animals were clean and unclean.

Concerning these animals, it is written that Noah “sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth.” (Genesis 8:7) The same raven, and “every raven in its kind,” (Leviticus 11:15) that God declares unclean in the levitical law. However, the dove which he let loose, “found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth.” (Genesis 8:9) And the dove is reckoned as clean. For the raven, although there is no place for rest, would rather toil in the air than to submit back to the rule of Noah; however, the dove returned back to the home from which she came and found rest in submission to Noah. 

As it says of some men, "Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied.” (Habakkuk 2:5) And some women, “She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home; She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner.” (Proverbs 7:11-12) Furthermore, it is written of Jacob, the patriarch, and Esau: “When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.” (Genesis 25:27) 

Without question, to call someone a fox, as Jesus did to Herod, as He said, ”Go and tell that fox,” (Luke 13:32) or to call someone a dog, a cat, a mouse, or a pig, is insulting. For these animals are unclean; God created them to show man “that they are but beasts." (Ecclesiastes 3:18) For we die like beasts, as some resemble beasts, unclean or clean. As the proverbs say, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:22) As the apostle Paul in his wisdom says, “For it is written in the Law of Moses, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING." God is not concerned about oxen, is He?” (1 Corinthians 9:9) So men should see character in the animals.

Furthermore, wisdom says, “Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8) For Solomon “spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish.” (1 Kings 4:33) For by the wisdom God gave him, he understood God’s creation, and explained it. These are written for our instruction and give us faith concerning His Son, Jesus Christ: “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5), “the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36)

Concerning more about the birds, the Scriptures say the great owl, white owl, heron, and bat are unclean. For they are awake at night and rest during the day. They are nocturnal. As Job speaks of those who are like them, ”In the dark they dig into houses, They shut themselves up by day; They do not know the light. For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the terrors of thick darkness.” (Job 24:16-17) But as for the songbirds, there is no mention of them being unclean. For they wake early in the morning and sing songs unto the Lord and praise Him for the light of the day! As the Psalmist writes, “In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” (Psalms 5:3) “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.” (Psalms 119:147-148)

As for the other birds, the hawk, the eagle, falcon, raven, and buzzard, and all other predatory birds; the Scriptures speak as follows: concerning Saul, Samuel spoke, "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but did fly upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?" (1 Samuel 15:19) For these birds swoop down upon prey and drink down blood; just as certain men swoop down upon spoil. They are not hesitant to do violence for gain. “For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence.” (Proverbs 4:17) Just as it says about the eagle, “His young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is he." (Job 39:30)

And the ostrich, who “God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding.” (Job 39:17) She runs swiftly, yet she runs in vain. And she resembles the Pharisees, who “have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.” (Romans 10:2) And just as the ostrich does not care for her young, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.” (Matthew 23:4) For even their own proselytes they did not care for! "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?” (Ezekiel 34:2) 

And concerning the vulture, unlike the eagle, falcon and raven, these do no labor for their kill; but they lie in wait to plunder, having done no work for it. Among these are the Amalekites, who “met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God.” (Deuteronomy 25:18) And another time, these wicked Amalekites raided Ziklag and took much plunder, as it says, “Without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way.” (1 Samuel 30:2) For David and his men had left the city naked; so Amalek swooped down to plunder their cities without working for their spoil. 

Now, as for the other animals; God has given precepts on how to classify them whether clean or unclean. But as for the birds, there are no such precept given for classification. Furthermore, we are not even told which birds are considered clean; but we can clearly tell which ones are clean by the ones that are unclean: if it is not unclean, then it must be clean. Among these are the turtledove and the pigeon, as they were given for sacrifice to God. Furthermore, when the Song writer says to his lover, “My dove, my perfect one, is unique;” (Song of Solomon 6:9) it was not an offensive saying, but one of endearment. And in another place, “As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.” (Proverbs 5:19)

As for the classification for four-footed beasts, it says, “Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat.” (Leviticus 11:3) These are clean. For just as a cow ruminates the cud, a man meditates on the deep things of God. As Isaac “went out to meditate in the field toward evening;” (Genesis 24:63) But it is not a man who hears the Word of God alone who is clean, but the one who hears and obeys the Word. In the same way, a beast is not clean unless he chews the cud and splits the hoof. 

Concerning splitting the hoof: although he walks among the children of men, his feet clings to the Way of Christ, following after Him. His feet depart from the way of sinners; as David says, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” (Psalms 1:1) Then it says, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalms 1:2) For even if a man is virtuous, but He does not believe, he is unclean. Or if he believes, but he is “a forgetful hearer” (James 1:25) and not “an effectual doer” (James 1:25), “Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14) He is unclean.

Furthermore, the creatures among the sea, “These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat.” (Leviticus 11:9) But the unclean do not swim with fins, but they are crafty in their locomotion; likewise they use trickery and deceit, craftiness, to traverse through many waters. They make gain through flattery and deceit; they are smooth with their tongue. “Empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.” (Titus 1:10-11) Among these is their lord, Leviathan, who dwells in the depths; the ancient serpent, “More crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” (Genesis 3:1) 

But with the clean, they control the least-most of their members, the tongue, and make subject their whole body as well; “And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.” (Revelation 14:5) The righteous clothe themselves with the “THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,” (Ephesians 6:14) for protection against the day of evil; just as scales of armor to a warrior or as scales to a fish in the sea. With the wicked, it is not so; he says to himself, I “will never see mourning.” (Revelation 18:7) And tell themselves, “We have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.” (Isaiah 28:15) So these hide in dark depths and expose themselves only when devouring prey. Their homes are with the eels, with slippery creatures, those with tentacles, fangs, and claws. Watch out! They do not see their need for righteousness and safety from the wrath which is to come. Their supposed ease is a trap!

And, “Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable.” (Leviticus 11:42) That is, those that crawl on their belly, whose head is in the earth, those whom the apostle wrote: “Whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:18-19) For these move not by the Spirit, but on their own bellies they traverse the dust. Their appetites move them, they “growl if they are not satisfied.” (Psalms 59:15) Their mind is set on the earth; their hands are not stretched forth to heaven, but in the dust, they search for temporal riches. They haste after earthly things and are diligent for things that are not worthy. “For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. ” (Proverbs 1:16)

And, “All the winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. Yet these you may eat among all the winged insects which walk on all fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth.” (Leviticus 11:20-21) For these with jointed legs, when in danger, always seem to leap from the earth in prayer to God and find escape in time of danger. They are constantly looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus, “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” (2 Peter 3:12) Whereas the ones who do not leap in times of trouble show their godliness is a farce, a means for gain; they quickly depart from the ways of righteousness when things get troublesome; and show no regard for the coming of the Lord. 

I warn anyone who reads these things and makes a law of them: believe in the Son of God. For He makes right so that you may do right. He justifies you so that you may be sanctified. Without His Work, you can do nothing. He justified you freely by His grace, by shedding His blood on the tree. He died for you. He was raised from the grave. Your righteousness is by observing Him.

Regarding all the unclean animals, it says, “They are detestable things to you, and they shall be abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest.” (Leviticus 11:10-11) For we ought to separate from such men that resemble these animals. (Insert link for separation drawing.) For “These, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong.” (2 Peter 2:12,13) That is why it says: “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17)

Otherwise, in their fellowship you depart from the living God; as it says of Solomon, whose wives led him into idolatry, although he was very wise: “When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” (1 Kings 11:4) “For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) For his foreign wives turned his heart away from the LORD, from light to darkness, from righteousness to lawlessness. And the separation of God’s people was prophesied against him for abandoning the God of his father, David. 

It also says of Jehoram, king of Israel, “He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did for Ahab's daughter was his wife, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 21:6) For he had Ahab’s daughter for a wife, the daughter of Jezebel. If we follow after evildoers, making alliances in fellowship, we will be also punished with them. For “Do two men walk together except they agree?” (Amos 3:3) As it says, “Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them.” (Proverbs 28:4) As the LORD God said to Israel concerning the Canaanites who inhabited the promised land, who were exceedingly wicked sinners: “You shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them.” (Deuteronomy 7:2) And the apostles says, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” (2 John 1:10-11)

Furthermore, did not Jehoshaphat king of Judah do wickedly by allying himself with Ahaziah, son of Ahaz, king of Israel? (2 Chronicles 20:35) And the prophet Eliezer prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, ”Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” (2 Chronicles 20:37) And both their ships which they were building were destroyed; so he shared in the punishment of the wicked. As another prophet, Jehu, spoke, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD and so bring wrath on yourself from the LORD?” (2 Chronicles 19:2) For he also helped his father, Ahab, and went out to battle with him and endangered his own life. As the Proverb says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Proverbs 13:20)

Did not Eli sin greatly when he did not rebuke his sons for transgressing against the LORD? As the LORD said, “I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them.” (1 Samuel 3:13) So he shared in their sins and died the same day of his sons, because he sided with his sons rather than the LORD. As it is written in the law, “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.” (Leviticus 19:17) “You shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the LORD, and wrath may not come on you and your brethren. Thus you shall do and you will not be guilty.” (2 Chronicles 19:10)

Or what about Ahaziah, who “also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.” (2 Chronicles 22:3) For “He did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.” (2 Chronicles 22:4) So in the day of the LORD, Jehu came against the house of Ahaz in the fierce wrath of the LORD, and Ahaziah was also struck dead because he visited Jehoram the son of Ahab, and ministered to him while he was sick (2 Chronicles 22:8); he helped the wicked and was killed with the wicked. If a man who is the friend of the world, makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4), then how much more is he made an enemy who befriends God’s enemy? But these things are put forth that we wouldn’t follow in the same footsteps as these men.

Therefore, as the angel says, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” (Revelation 18:4-5) In the light of these Scriptures, it is no wonder the Lord Jesus says, ”Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)

Did not Joseph hate his own brethren when he brought a bad report of them to his father? As the blessings he received says, "The blessings of your father Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; May they be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of the one separate among his brothers.” (Genesis 49:26) Or what about Levi? “Who said of his father and his mother, 'I did not consider them'; And he did not acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he regard his own sons, For they observed Your word, And kept Your covenant.” (Deuteronomy 33:9) For they did not neglect the command: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.'” (Exodus 32:27)

Or what about king David, did he not hate even his own wife when he spoke against Michal, daughter of Saul? For she spoke against him when he danced before the LORD with all his might. But Michal did not see that David danced before the LORD because she had no faith; and she said, "How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants' maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!" (2 Samuel 6:20) And David chose the LORD over his own wife and spoke, “I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished." (2 Samuel 6:22)

And what about David’s commander Joab? He sinned by shedding the blood of war in a time of peace; he killed Abner, the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, although he sought peace with David. So David spoke this curse against Joab: "May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread." (2 Samuel 3:29) Because he loved righteousness more than the fellowship of man, even his own commander. His voice calls out with Job’s voice: “I call to the pit, 'You are my father'; To the worm, 'my mother and my sister’;” (Job 17:14) 

Or what about king Asa of Judah, did he not hate even his own mother? As it is written of him: “He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron.” (2 Chronicles 15:16) As the Christ said, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26) As it is written: “Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:48-50) 

“And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-60) “Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:61-62) For Elisha did not look back when Elijah threw his cloak on him; but “he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.” (1 Kings 19:20-21) 

The Lord has called us to live in peace. For this reason, we pay taxes; as Jesus says, “However, so that we do not offend them…” (Matthew 17:27) Again, He says in another place, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." (Mark 9:50) And concerning a husband and wife, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." (Mark 10:9) Furthermore, the apostle says, “God has called us to peace.” (1 Corinthians 7:15) And, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” (Romans 12:18) And without doubt, when peace is not possible, contention and quarreling is present; and as a result, division and separation. The LORD God is the God of peace, so His children ought to be peace-loving and peacemakers. 

Although our enemy’s “teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword.” (Psalms 57:4) For “I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.” (Psalms 120:7) And, “His speech are smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.” (Psalms 55:21) But let not evil subdue you; be on your guard! “Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, they shall be ashamed, But Your servant shall be glad.” (Psalms 109:28) “The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.” (Proverbs 16:21) For “The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips.” (Proverbs 16:23) And, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

So whatever you do, remain in the grace of the Lord Jesus and be at peace with God the Father. Make not yourself a friend of the world, for “whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) Strive not against God, for who can succeed? Are we stronger than He? Do not resemble the fathers in the wilderness, but submit yourself to God; obey Him as a son. [“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.” (Acts 7:51)] And do not offer yourself as servants to the flesh, “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” (Galatians 5:17) 

It is needful to understand who is speaking; as it is written, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE.” (Hebrews 3:15) For if the voice is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, we ought not to resist Him; as it says, “DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.” (Hebrews 3:15) But the Pharisees resembled their ancestors when they resisted the Holy Ghost and stifled the Holy Spirit of God; and they were rebuked sharply by Stephen — he said to them, ”You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.” (Acts 7:51) For they resembled their ancestors who in the wilderness strove with God for forty years; as it says, “AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” (Hebrews 3:15) “For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?” (Hebrews 3:16)

However, if the voice speaking is the devil, we ought to resist him; as it says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) And when it is temptation to sin, it says, we ought to resist to “The point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.” (Hebrews 12:4) For we ought "To refuse evil and choose good” (Isaiah 7:15) to the saving of our souls. And this we choose daily — as Christ says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23) When He says, “He must deny himself,” it means to deny his own desires; and when He says, “and follow Me,” it means do the will of the Lord, to set our feet to His path and fellowship with Him.

For God desires willing souls to choose Him; to set our own will to His will, his own feet to God’s Path; as Jesus says, "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.” (John 7:17) But conversely, the devil takes men “captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26); for who do you know who willingly serves the devil? For who we follow, we are lead by them to a destination; and the eternal fire "has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) But there is no end to those who follow Jesus; as it says, “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:17) For the destination of the Way is eternal life, but the path of folly is dead.

And we, the sons of men, are betwixt the two — and worse yet, we dwell in the kingdom of this world, whose ruler is the devil. These two are in enmity with each other, as the flesh is in enmity with the Spirit, and the Spirit, the flesh. The power of the enemy abides in the flesh, whereas the power of God, the Spirit. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” (Galatians 5:17) Just as in a tournament two opponents execute their will against each other in order to overcome one another, so it is, a war is waged between the flesh and the Spirit, the devil and God, and these are opposed, one against another, as enemies. The kingdom of this world is against the kingdom of God; as it says, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

Now, God is more powerful than we. For who can strive against Him and succeed? “We are not stronger than He, are we?” (1 Corinthians 10:22) Or “Who resists His will?" (Romans 9:19) Although man strives against God, He has promised: “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3) As it is written by David in the Psalms: 

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the East is from the West, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them. The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.” (Psalms 103:8-19)

When he says, “He will not always strive with us,” he takes into account God’s promise; as He promised, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever.” As Jesus preached, "I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” (Matthew 5:39) And without question, the Preacher does the same things that He preaches. As it is written of Him: “While being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” (1 Peter 2:23) For the Christ did not retaliate under oppression; as Isaiah foresaw, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)

And He underwent such opposition from sinners that we would ”Cease striving and know" (Psalms 46:10) that Jesus is God. For the Lord forgives our iniquities, He justifies us through His own blood. He did not strive against sinners, but became the propitiation for our sins. And through His offering, God’s wrath was appeased and His anger has ceased; as it says, “He will not be angry with us forever.” For "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” But He gave us life from His death, healing from His pain, forgiveness from His punishment. He has dealt with us in goodness for our evil and showed unto us His incredible kindness in that, “While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)

So now, He speaks, “I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:9-10) For “He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.” (Psalms 78:39) As it says in the promise, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh.” (Genesis 6:3) So being but flesh, we ought not to strive against God; but humbly accept the Word implanted which has power to save. For He has promised, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever.”

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31) For previously, it is written that God overlooked sins; as He says, "These things you have done and I kept silence; You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.” (Psalms 50:21) So now He has given us His truth so that we would change, for the Day of Judgement will come when God will strive with those who strive against Him. As it is written, “Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.” (Psalms 35:1)

“The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Christ, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!’ He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.” (Psalms 2:2-4) For although men strive with Him, He scoffs, “For He sees his day is coming.” (Psalms 37:13) So the Lord allows men to strive with Him, as He allowed Jacob; and He makes His power known through them. For Jacob wrestled with God, and he even prevailed. For God made Himself weak willingly; but in a moment, the Lord touched his hip and it was dislocated. The Patriarch strove with God for His favor; but the wicked strive against Him for provocation. So the Lord lets men strive, but on that day they will not prevail; as it says, “You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.” (Psalms 2:9) 

But “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) For the Lord “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17) And remember, “You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.” (James 5:6) For He says, ”This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40)

There are seven added books the Catholics hold to: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees. They also include additions to the Book of Daniel and Ester. There is much wisdom in these books, and a few questionable teachings which I discuss below:

The first vein that runs throughout the seven books is the idea that “almsgiving delivers from death”. “To all those who practice righteousness, give alms according to your circumstances, my son, and do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor. Then the face of God will not be turned away from you.” (Tobit 4:6-7)  The Canonical scripture confirms, “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered.” (Proverbs 21:13) 

Then it continues, “Act according to what you have, my son. If you have much, give alms from it; if you have little, give alms in accordance with what you have. Do not be afraid, my son, to give alms. You will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against a day of need.” (Tobit 4:8-9) And the Canonical scripture confirms, “For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12) And, “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.” (Proverbs 19:17)

Then the contention enters: “For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the darkness. Indeed, almsgiving, for all who practice it, is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High.” (Tobit 4:10-11) Then it also says in another place, “Prayer with fidelity is good, and almsgiving with righteousness is better than wealth with injustice. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold, for almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, but those who commit sin and do wrong are their own enemies.” (Tobit 12:8-10) And again in another place, “Store up almsgiving in your treasury, and it will rescue you from every disaster.” (Sirach 29:12) And, “Kindred and helpers are for a time of trouble, but almsgiving rescues better than either.” (Sirach 40:24)

In the Scriptures, almsgiving, or charity, is mentioned by the Lord Jesus, specifically its purging effect. “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.” (Luke 11:39-41) For love and giving are very closely related; almsgiving is how love is expressed. For, “Whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17)

This is seen clearly in the King James rendering of 1 Corinthians 13 when Paul speaks about love: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) So even in the etymology, love and charity are intertwined. Furthermore wisdom testifies, “Ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness delivers from death.” (Proverbs 10:2) And, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.” (Proverbs 10:12) 

Now we know throughout history this concept has been twisted and corrupted by the Catholic church to sell the forgiveness of sins, redeeming the dead from hell, and the like; but if this is done with these non-canonical texts, it is done with the canonical texts as well, “which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:16) Although true, almsgiving without love does not prosper; as it says, “If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:3) But rather, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Now, there are things written in the Apocrypha which promote generosity to the dead: “Give graciously to all the living, do not withhold kindness even from the dead.” (Sirach 7:33) And even more explicitly, in the second book of Maccabees, a practical case: 

“On the next day, as had now become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up the bodies of the fallen and to bring them back to lie with their kindred in the tombs of their ancestors. Then under the tunic of each one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was the reason these men had fallen. He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a purification offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.” (2 Maccabees 12:39-45)

I find this topic interesting in light of these scriptures: “What will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” (1 Corinthians 15:29) And, “For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:6) “In which also He [Jesus] went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.” (1 Peter 3:19-20) These texts have always been puzzling to me. Perhaps they mean what they say? But I am not about to say that. 

Furthermore, about giving, the text are explicit: do not give alms to sinners. “Give all your surplus as alms, my son, and do not let your eye begrudge your giving of alms.” (Tobit 4:16) As the covenant of Moses says, “All fat is the LORD'S.” (Leviticus 3:16) And regarding the eye, Christ speaks on giving, “If your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” (Matthew 6:23) Then the text in Tobit continues, “Pour out your food and your wine on the grave of the righteous, but do not give it to sinners.” (Tobit 4:16) Again we see: a kind deed for the dead. Truly, if the dead do not rise, then why do anything for the dead? If this is a true thing, I recognize it as being very gracious thing on God’s behalf to accept an offering for the dead. Nevertheless further revelation is needed here.

Also, on giving to the righteous and not giving to the wicked, the book of Sirach preaches, 

“Do good to the devout, and you will be repaid—if not by them, certainly by the Most High. No good comes to one who persists in evil or to one who does not give alms. Give to the devout, but do not help the sinner. Do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly; hold back their bread, and do not give it to them, for by means of it they might subdue you; then you will receive twice as much evil for all the good you have done to them. For the Most High also hates sinners and will inflict punishment on the ungodly. Give to the one who is good, but do not help the sinner.” (Sirach 12:1-7)

Although hard to swallow, the Psalms are clear: God hates the wicked. As it says, “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.” (Psalms 11:5) And, “You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.” (Psalms 5:6) However, Sirach rings an alarm for another reason: for our well-beloved scriptures say, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the LORD will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22) So giving to the wicked, assuming your enemy is evil and you are good, is encouraged.

Furthermore, Jesus spoke concerning our enemies (Luke 6:30-35, Matthew 5:43-48); but Christ was not revealed at the time of the writings of the Apocrypha; but when Christ came preaching faith, He held the people to a higher standard: "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-44) So it was a common saying during those days to say, “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.” But for a New Testament believer, we love as Christ loved us, and King David practiced this: “They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.” (Psalms 35:12-14) And He loved us while we were His enemies.

Another thing I discovered in one text: the idea of life before life. “As a child I was naturally gifted, and a good soul fell to my lot, or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body.” (Wisdom 8:19-20) I am not sure what is meant by this. And another thing which surprised me: table etiquette. “Be ashamed of breaking an oath or agreement and of leaning on your elbow at meals.” (Sirach 41:19) And the wickedness of idolatry: “For the idea of making idols was the beginning of sexual immorality, and the invention of them was the corruption of life, for they did not exist from the beginning, nor will they last forever.” (Wisdom 14:12-13) 

These are the things which personally had me on edge in my reading. Thinking more about them, I think they settle in with the rest of Scripture, except Wisdom 8:19-29. The amount of things which were especially insightful and wise to me were found in the books of Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach. Tobit and Judith were records of historical events in history of two exceptional people: Tobit and Judith; they were both filled with the spirit of wisdom. There are some puzzling things in these two writings which I personally don’t discount as happening. 1 and 2 Maccabees were also historical books and showed the breakaway of some Jews and the faithfulness of others during tyranny. There are no mention in these book about Purgatory. Catholics just made that up.

Thanks be to God for salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ! I will take some time to look into salvation. Salvation is saving. But saving from what? What do we need saving from? Do we need saving from a field of dandelions? Or a pack of wild kittens? No! But sin and death. Without question, men are only saved from danger. So if we sin, do we still need saving? If we still die, don’t we need salvation? So how can we consider ourselves “saved” if we still sin and if we still die? However, when we get to that place, which God has promised, then we will be saved. For in the place there will be no more sin “and there will no longer be any death.” (Revelation 21:4) But yet, before we cross over to that place, how can we still confidently say, “I am saved”? Indeed we are saved. Indeed it is a mystery. But God who speaks, promised. And God who promised, cannot lie. And we can experience His salvation now. Although, it will not come until He appears “a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Hebrews 9:28) So we see that we have the sure promise of everlasting life, but the fulfillment is still yet to come.

Abraham had doubts, but God gave an oath. “He said, "O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?"” (Genesis 15:8) And the LORD said, “To your descendants I have given this land.” (Genesis 15:18) And when He says, “I have given,” He does not say, “I will give”. For from that time forward, the land was Abraham’s. This is true even though he did not own a foot of it during his lifetime. "The Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind." (1 Samuel 15:29) So when God promises, we can consider it sure. We can trust His Word as though it has already happened. Even though the fulfillment of the promise tarries. "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

And I write these things in regards to eternal salvation. For although we have no yet entered that land, we eagerly wait “in the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 1:2) For “in hope we have been saved.” (Romans 8:24) For God has promised so that we may hope in Jesus for eternal life. “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) And this is the faith in Jesus Christ. As He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” (John 6:47) And, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24) And, "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:54) As the apostle writes, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:12-13)

Now, how do we know we believe? How do we know we have faith? As it says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) But hearing alone is not a sign of faith in the heart. For Jesus often reproved saying, “HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR?” (Mark 8:18) So rather it is a new life that says, “Faith in the heart”. And seeking Christ with all the heart’s affections that says, “I believe!” For who believing in God does not run to him with all the love that the Spirit gives? “Because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

So, “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (1 John 4:13) And, “We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1 John 3:24) “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) And the Spirit of Jesus Christ is not at all hidden, although “we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” (2 Corinthians 4:7) For “each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7) So we may know we believe in Him because of the Holy Spirit He has given us.

And by this we may know we are in Him. “In Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.” (1 John 3:5-6) But “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2) And we remain in Him by confessing our sins, “so that our [his] deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." (John 3:21) This is what it means to “remain in the light”. This is how we remain in Him. We remain in Him by not sinning. But if we do sin, “we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) But “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) If we lie, we dwell in darkness and we are no longer in the light. If we depart from the light, we are no longer trusting in His kindness. For He has promised, “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

So we see, as long as we abide in the light, He will abides in us. And we have confidence in the day of salvation. But if we do not abide in Him, how can we have confidence of eternal life? As the apostle says, “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” (1 John 2:28) If we abide in Him, we will not sin since He abides in us. Here is the result of dwelling in the Spirit: being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2) and being “renewed in the spirit of your mind.” (Ephesians 4:23) “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5) “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) So to abide in Christ is to set our mind on Christ.

So we see that our life is bound up in the life of Christ. Not only in regard to not sinning, but the eternal life to come. For “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11) “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13) “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:8) And the Holy Spirit dwells in us when we abide in Jesus Christ. And we abide in Him by faith. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

So to say, “Once saved, always saved,” is also to say, “I will never sin,” or “I will never disbelieve.“ This is a vain confidence. For how do you know you’ll never sin? How do you know you will never depart from Him? For “Whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” (Matthew 5:22) And “The tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity.” (James 3:6) And if it is so with such a small member of the body, then how can anyone confidently say, “I will never sin”? For we also have many other members which are larger, which are capable of sin. And in regard to those members which cause us to stumble, Christ said, “tear it out and throw it from you.” (Matthew 5:29) “For it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:29) Furthermore, we dwell on earth, not in heaven. Our Lord is not below, but above. He is not seen, and we dwell in the realm of the seen. How do you know you will keep the faith? How do you know you will make it to the end? It’s not how we start, but how we finish. Such thinking is not wise. Will we go all in with our chips for one overly-confident roll? Of course not! It is needful not to gamble, but to know; it is better to trust in Christ, rather than ourselves. And such doctrine puts the trust in ourselves, rather than the kindness of Christ.

The apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) For “It is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) It’s not about how we start, but how we finish. Does one win the prize in a race because of how he started? Of course not! The seed sown on the rocky places “immediately receives the word with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matthew 13:21) And this is called bad soil because it was unfruitful. The seed sown started well, but had no root. And at the Harvest, only fruit matters.

Besides, listen to how God speaks through the prophets: "When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die.” (Ezekiel 33:13) And this is what a man does when he says, “Once saved, always saved”. For he is trusting in his righteous act “once” to save him (Either a prayer, a belief, or a giving of alms, etc), rather than trusting in Him who was sacrificed once to deliver us from sin. “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

If we were rooted in Christ, abiding in Him, we would take heed to His Word. And through the fear of Him, we would be preserved. As it says, “I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.” (Jeremiah 32:40) So we see that, “by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.” (Proverbs 16:6) So such doctrines which say, “I am always saved,” come from men that stifle the fear of the Lord, not knowing that the fear of the LORD “is for our good always and for our survival.” (Deuteronomy 6:24) They do not know the Word which says, “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever.” (Psalm 19:9) And through the teaching, the very thing which ought to preserve us is removed.

Besides, the Word of God only commands us to do things which are possible; if it were impossible, even to God, then He would not say it. For instance, if it were impossible for us to be perfect, Jesus would not say, “You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Or if it were impossible to be holy, God would not say, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." (1 Peter 1:16) For the LORD God only commands us to do things which are possible. And He never commands us to do things which He Himself doesn’t do. For everything He commands, He does. On the other hand, He will never warn us of something that is impossible to happen. He will never tell us, “hold fast My name,” (Revelation 2:13) if it were impossible for us to lose His name. He would never tell us, “hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown,” (Revelation 3:11) unless it were possible for us to lose our crown. The same goes for the peril of “falling away” (Hebrews 3:12, Hebrews 6:6) or “turning away” (Hebrews 12:25). If it were impossible, then why would we be warned?

If someone is still contentious and says, “Once we receive the Spirit, we cannot lose Him,” or “We are born again, and we cannot be unborn again.” I ask why David said, “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me,” (Psalms 51:11) if there were no fear of such a thing? And do you not know that God once anointed Saul with the Holy Spirit, but later rejected Him and sent unto him an unclean spirit? And Saul was God’s anointed one, who David was fearful to even touch. I will also cause you to remember that God’s temple was once filled with His glory; but when Israel deserted God, He deserted them. And His Presence left them, and He sent the destroyer against His own temple, His own people. For God’s Holy Spirit cannot dwell with iniquity. As the LORD says, "Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way." (Exodus 33:3) And when Achan sinned, the LORD said, “I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.” (Joshua 7:12) And as for the holy land, God says, “You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out.” (Leviticus 20:22) And so, Christ is our holy land. As He likewise says, “I will spit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:16) So “Do not be conceited, but fear.” (Romans 11:20-21)

But in the following text is the kindness and the mercy and the grace of the Almighty God: for although Saul was given an unclean spirit, even after the fact, the Holy Spirit came upon Saul and “He stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel.” (1 Samuel 19:24) And although David was fearful that the Holy Spirit would be taken from him, he was given the promise: "I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.” (1 Chronicles 17:13) And although God forsook His people and His holy temple, He says, "I will again have compassion on them; and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.” (Jeremiah 12:15) As the promise says: "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU." (Hebrews 13:5) “Behold then the kindness and severity of God.” (Romans 11:22) Do not be conceited, but “continue in His kindness.” (Romans 11:22)

Do not trust in your own righteousness to save you, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is exceedingly righteous even to justify you by faith. “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14) Believe in Him until the end, “unless you believe in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:2) or “receive the grace of God in vain.” (2 Corinthians 6:1) Know this: “If the root is holy, the branches are too.” (Romans 11:16) So be “firmly rooted” (Colossians 2:7) and “built up in Him and established in your faith.” (Colossians 2:7) “If you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.” (Romans 11:18) Beloved, abide in the Root; for He supports you. “The Lord is able to make you stand.” (Romans 14:4) Behold, I have set before you two paths: the proud way which leads to destruction and the humble way which leads to life.

Abraham was reckoned as righteous by faith; and this was when he was still yet uncircumcised. So he was declared just by God through faith without any work of the law; for at the time, there was no law given. For “We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Romans 3:28) And if it is apart from works, then it is counted as grace, so that righteousness may be granted as a gift; for God’s Promise was given, and Abraham believed it. And this is not only for Abraham, but also the uncircumcised Gentiles too, who are made right with God through that same very faith which Abraham had when he was still uncircumcised, "That Abraham might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them.” (Romans 4:11-12) So Abraham has become the father of all who believe, whether Jew or Greek; as it says, “Indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.” (Romans 3:30)

Now in regard to the distinction between the circumcised and the uncircumcised, namely, one being justified by faith and the other through faith, is this: the circumcised already have a righteousness through the law, so by an instance of faith they are justified, so that it might be “by faith”. For the Jews thought that by doing right according to the law they may be declared just; “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16) Whereas the godless Gentiles have no righteousness at all, so righteousness is worked in them through faith to justification. And without question faith is worked in a person through the Word of Christ. To further this point: Paul wrote to the Ephesian church, who were “Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," (Ephesians 2:11) and “were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise,” (Ephesians 2:12) and their salvation is brought about “by grace through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8)

And God-fearing gentiles are treated amongst those who are justified by an instance of faith, for they are considered “circumcised” through their virtue although being uncircumcised in the flesh; as it was with Cornelius, “a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man.” (Acts 10:22) For “If the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?” (Romans 2:26) Nevertheless, it is faith for all, Jew and Greek; and faith that persists until the end regardless of being Jew or Gentile, “unless you believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:2)

To further this point: Abraham was reckoned as righteous before God, but the promise was not yet fulfilled, for he did no righteous act; but when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice, it says, “that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:22-23) Thus Abraham was reckoned as righteous on the merit of his faith before doing any righteous act; and when the Scripture was fulfilled, when his faith was made complete, then it was said of him, “Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (Genesis 22:12) So “You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;” (James 2:22) Then it was made known that he was justified; as it says, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?” (James 2:21) For “the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;” (1 John 3:7) So we see that faith leads us to righteousness; and a person who does what is right is righteous, not a person with faith alone. Nevertheless “we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.” (Galatians 5:5)

And this is in accordance with Paul’s writings which say, “with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:10) For actions work alongside faith to salvation. And in regard to one with faith without works, it says, “Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14) “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore we also speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13-14) For the one with faith, in completion, is the one who is justified and saved. For at the harvest, reapers do not care about leaves or branches, but fruit. And likewise, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7:19) So “faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (James 2:17)

So in conclusion: there is a righteousness which is derived from the law, but salvation is wrought by faith for everyone who believes. However Jews have a righteousness by the law before ever being justified by faith; so they have an outward show of righteousness without any inward working of grace; or in other words, they are righteous before ever being justified by faith; nevertheless the Jews are justified by faith apart from their works alongside with the Gentiles. And the heathen Gentiles believe in Jesus for justification and are brought to righteousness through that same very faith; hence Gentiles work through faith to justification. So all are brought to justification either by faith or through faith, brought to a justification which is apart from works, but made complete by works: “Apart from works,” as I said, meaning by faith we are reckoned as righteous according to the promise of God — and without question, faith is no more a work than hearing is a work. “Made complete by works,” as I said, as our roots grow down deep into Christ, God will cause fruit to bud, so that, by faith we may produce a harvest of good deeds to the glory of God, our Father in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

So if the goodness of God would ever be manifested to us, it would be supremely good that nobody on earth would've ever considered it first; for the love of God is heavenly, beyond human thought; we wouldn't be able to conjure up the thought of it, for it wouldn't be of us. I know the things which are from me: they are sinful, they are no good; I am ashamed of them. If God would reveal His love to us, I would know it is not from mankind, for it would be good; and I know goodness does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The love of God is above, but I am below. I know what is in man, for I am a man; I see the world and what is in it, and I am a man of this world. But God's love is not earthly, it's heavenly; the love that we know says, "You love me, so I love you; if you hate me, then I hate you." But the love from above is above all, beyond human thought, beyond human morals, beyond human imagination. For our mind is sinful, how can we think of anything good? The depths of our heart utter the depths of hell; but the Word of God speaks of God's thoughts; as He says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) So my earthly love says, "My enemy is my enemy, why should I love him?" But the love of God says, “They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother. And this was written by David, a man after God's own heart. The love I first have is toward myself, for I love myself and care for myself. Who do I love more than myself? But the love of God says, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Samuel 18:33) For the love of God in Jesus Christ died instead of you. Furthermore in my earthly love, I may give a gift to a man, but only if he is family; to a stranger, how much of myself will I spend for him? But the love of God gave the gift of life, even eternal life, which cannot be measured nor counted. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” (John 3:16) For Christ Jesus died, giving up His whole self; He did not give up only a little bit of Himself, but His whole soul; as it says, "To the bereavement of My soul." (Psalms 35:11) And was it for the friends of God? No, but while we were enemies of God in thought and in deed; for Jesus died even for His enemies: to reconcile us to God. Jesus Christ first loved us even to death, even death on a cross. If this is the love He shows to His enemies, what kind of love do you suppose He would show His friends who obey Him? We were once separate from the commonwealth of Israel; and us Gentiles were like creatures in the depths of the ocean to God; creatures in which men look at and say, "What is it?" Yet God loved the strange thing and brought it near unto Himself; “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household.” (Ephesians 2:19)

Furthermore, the love of men is written about: “The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (Lamentations 4:10) But the love of Christ says, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And the love of man says, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" (Matthew 19:3) But the love of God says, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes." (Hosea 3:1) And the love of man says, "Keep to yourself, do not come near me, For I am holier than you!" (Isaiah 65:5) But the love of Christ says, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." (Hebrews 10:9) And He came down from heaven. And the love of man says, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.” (Genesis 16:6) But the love of God says, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” (John 13:14) And the love of the LORD God says, "Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15) And then it says, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU." (Hebrews 13:5) Furthermore, the love of man is written about: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) For the love of man first hates his father and his mother to be joined to his wife. But the love of Christ says, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” So in view of His love, man hates even his wife, and yes, his own soul, for the sake of Christ. For "The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1 Corinthians 6:17) For when the love of God in Christ Jesus is measured up against our own love: how cannot our natural love look like hatred in His sight? “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.” (Psalms 103:11) For "His lovingkindness is everlasting." (Psalm 136) For the love of God is not from earth; it is beyond the heavens. And so, “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) And this is His heavenly love towards those who fear Him. And “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.” (1 John 3:14) “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed.” (1 Corinthians 16:22) "For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised." (Song of Solomon 8:6-7)

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,

nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God,

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

For Christ Jesus died and even in His death, He worked good for us; so death cannot separate us from the love of Him;

And He was raised to new life and has gone away to the Father, yet He intercedes on our behalf; so life cannot separate us from the love of Him;

And messengers may testify against the love of Christ, but His work on the cross speaks more about love than their many words; so they cannot separate us from the love of Him;

And principalities are first on earth, but Christ is the Beginning and the Head of the heavens and the earth; so they cannot separate us from the love of Him;

And the things present are presently passing away, and the things to come are yet to be, but He was, is now, and is to come; so the things present nor the things to come can ever separate us from the love of Him;

And our enemies may be powerful, but even God's weakness is stronger than the strength of men; so powers cannot separate us from the love of Him;

And the height of mountains may tower over us, but through faith in His name, we may say, "Be uprooted and be planted in the sea." (Luke 17:6) So heights cannot separate us from the love of God;

And we may sink to the depths of Sheol, to the roots of the mountains, but, as it is written: “I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.” (Jonah 2:2) So depth cannot separate us from the love of God;

And all things created, He made beautiful, but much more beautiful and majestic is He who creates all; if He creates these things, and they are glorious and beautiful before our eyes, and not even all the scholars of the world can wrap their minds around them, and yet He destroys them as if they were nothing, He wraps them up like a garment and changes them out; how much greater then are the things to come, things that replace these, things which He has for us, things prepared for us who love God, things which are forever?

Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

For the sake of this writing, I will assume there is a rapture of God’s saints before the tribulation; and I will find contradictions in the Word of Truth, assuming this, to prove the doctrine is false; for we know God’s Word is true:

So if there be a rapture of God’s saints before the tribulation, then there will be another rapture when Christ comes for the remainder; but the Scriptures say, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.“ [1 Thessalonians 4:15-17] So the saints in Christ, alive and dead, will be caught up together with Christ at His appearance, without one proceeding the other, according to the Word of Truth in Paul. But the Pre-Tribulation rapture suggests there are two separate raptures, one preceding the other; so we have reached a contradiction against God’s Word, thereby proving it false, for God’s Word is true.

For God’s dealing with man has not changed; He did not rescue Israel out of Egypt before He sent the plagues — no. Rather, they were set apart from the plagues, then He poured out His wrath on the Egyptians; they were spared, but Egypt was harmed. Likewise the Psalmist says, “A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.“ [Psalms 91:7-8] Is this not what the Revelation says, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.“ [Revelation 7:3] So they were sealed, not taken out before the time; just as God dealt previously, so He will deal in the end; as Isaiah says, “Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming;“ [41:22] For these things which happened are testimonies to future events.

“Ah! But there are so few in the end, even 144,000”, you may say; “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” [Luke 18:8] “Ah, but they are of Israel!”, you may also think; “But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” [Romans 2:29] Is not a vision spiritual? Then why would Israel be physical? And is not the Book of Revelation a vision which the apostle wrote down? Is he then speaking of physical Jacob or spiritual Israel?

Does not the antichrist arise and perform his will against God’s saints? As it says, “he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will; he will destroy mighty men and the holy people.” [Daniel 8:24] And also it says, “As soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed“ [Daniel 12:7] And finally, “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.“ [Revelation 13:7] But if God’s saints are no more, because they are taken, who does he come against?

So, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” [Acts 14:22] And, “if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.]“ [Romans 8:17] And even, “It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;” [2 Timothy 2:11] And, “The gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.“ [Matthew 7:14] So we see that the Father has ordained that we enter into the Kingdom only by pressing through a narrow place, that of affliction and tribulation for Jesus’ sake, if we be counted worthy. But the Pre-Tribulation rapture suggests not suffering later, then if not later, why now? So you see every false doctrine promotes a false agenda.

As the Psalmist says, “Let my judgement come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with equity” [17:2]; and so it shall be: our judgements coming from God. When our judgement comes from the Father, our judgement is just, such that “You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.” [51:4] Otherwise, if we judge and do the same things, our own mouths will condemn us, as it was with King David, “As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die,” [2 Sam 12:5] and then it says, “You are the man!” [12:7] But who has made us a judge? And if we do judge, why do we stand on our own judgements as if we belong to our own? For we have been bought with a price. In the Psalms, over and over again, the Psalmists cries out to God for vengeance, “O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD.” [58:6] And I ask: did he shatter the teeth of his own enemies? No. But on the contrary, “You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.” [3:7] The Lord our God is Judge.

Do not the apostles of our Lord Jesus say the same thing? “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay’, says the Lord.” [Romans 12:21] To say, “I am to judge”, is to also say, “I have power to save and destroy”, but on the contrary, “Look on everyone who is proud, humble him, And tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them in the dust together; Bind them in the hidden place. Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you.” [Job 40:12-14] Are we any different than the rest of the sons of men? Has God granted us judgement and withheld it from everyone else? Surely, we haven’t puffed up ourselves in Christ, have we? As if it weren’t by grace? Surely, God has appointed judges in the courts of law, but whose Law do they uphold? Surely, there were Judges appointed by God to Israel from the time of Joshua to Samuel, but by whose wisdom did they judge? And who raised them up? Who appoints the leaders? Is it not the Lord God?

Surely, if we are His followers, then we shall do as He does. So how did Jesus judge when He was on the earth? We know for certain that if He came to judge the world, we would not be able to stand; but on the contrary, “God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. [John 3:17]”. And “As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” [John 5:30] And “You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. But even if I do judge, My judgement is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.” [John 8:15,16] “And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” [1 Peter 2:23] Think about that. The Lord Jesus sought the judgement of the Father; and we are His followers, doing as He does; so we seek the judgement of Him. Our judgements are not of our own; but He gives us discernment so that we would know.

Therefore if we see a believer and he rejects correction even after taking him before the church, we separate from him, for he has not in mind the will of the Lord Jesus; we will know them by their fruit. Christ did not entrust Himself to any man, for He knew what was inside a man. 

But what about those who were stricken by the hands of the apostles? “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” [Acts 13:11] Yes, it was the hand of the Lord that was upon him; certainly the apostle Paul could not have blinded anyone except with a club. But there is no club mentioned. And what about inside the church? Did Peter slay them with his own hands who lied to the Holy Spirit? No. It was God’s judgement. And the immoral? As it says, “In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” [1 Corinthians 5:4-5] In Christ’s name and in Christ’s power was the man handed over to the evil one. So you see: Christ’s judgement is revealed in the judgement of the apostles. We have not the power in ourselves to do any of these things; as Jeremiah says, “I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O LORD, but with justice; Not with Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.” [Jeremiah 10:23]

Shall we judge unbelievers? How about, should we unite with them? “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God.” [2 Corinthians 6:14:18] Now when I say “unite” I mean to be yoked. You can eat with such a one, but do not be yoked in fellowship with them. Again, I am talking about unbelievers. Do not even eat with such a one who claims to be a believer but lives immoral (1 Corinthians 5:11). There is an exception and this is the apostle Paul's concession, not a command from the Lord, but his wisdom is more than trustworthy: he says, “To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.” [1 Corinthians 7:12-16]. 

It is common for an unbeliever or an inquirer to come to a religious establishment, as it says, “But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgement by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’” [1 Corinthians 14:24-25]; and it is common for an unbeliever to invite you to dinner, as it says, “If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising question of conscience.” [1 Corinthians 10:27]. But to be yoked to them is against the Lord Jesus Christ's command. Did not Jesus eat with sinners? But was He yoked to them? No! They turned to Him, seeking guidance and truth. “Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them” [Jeremiah 15:19]. Outsiders God will judge on that day, but in His grace, He has given them many days available for repentance: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within? But those who are outside, God judges.” [1 Corinthians 8:11]

How about a brother? Certainly we should judge him. But there are things which are a matter of opinion, which we would not judge a brother: food or drink or festivals or new moons or Sabbath days (these are listed in the Scriptures). Otherwise, we may be found guilty of sinning; and sinning even against Christ, as it says, “For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.” [1 Corinthians 8:12] But impurity from a lying spirit (as with Ananias and Sapphira) and immorality (as in Corinth) were sins that lead to death and were purged quickly from inside the Church; as it says, “This you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” [Ephesians 5:5] And “Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” [Ephesians 5:3] “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” [1 Corinthians 5: 13]

So our judgement in Christ is to keep pure within the Church, purging all leaven. Sin that leads to death ought not even to be named among us, as it was in the law: “Make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.” [Exodus 23:13] This is how the Lord deals with sin that leads to death: purge it. We being members of His Body are with Him in the judgement; for we are the Body, not the Head. “All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.” [1 John 5:17]

We have a pattern to deal with a brother that sins (presumably, a sin which does not lead to death), as our Lord says, “Show him his fault in private, if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” [Matthew 18:15-20] And, “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” [Titus 3:11] And, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” [Romans 16:17,18] And, “We command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” [2 Thessalonians 3:6] And, “If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” [2 Thessalonians 3:14,15] 

Thus we know a person sins unto death when they stop listening to sound doctrine, when they lie against the truth, when they refuse correction.

The goal is always to win our brother not to separate from him. But if we must separate, that we must. Even amongst the congregation, there will be divisions: “For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.” [1 Corinthians 11:19] But in the end, the Lord will separate the sheep from the goats: “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” [Matthew 25:32] We must avoid them amongst us who walk contrarily lest we be corrupted by their bad company: “Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.’” [1 Corinthians 15:33] So “Those that sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” [1 Timothy 5:20] Some think, ‘Why rebuke? Cast him out’; and others think, “Harsh, where is mercy?”

To the men which oppose the truth and sound doctrine, Paul says, “If anyone advocates for a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” [1 Timothy 6:3-5] When the doctrine is sound, the issue is with man; for God’s Word is pure “like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” [Psalm 12:6]

What is the opposite of truth? What is contrary to good? There is only one other choice: evil. If anyone opposes the truth, it is because they love lies; if anyone opposes goodness, it’s because they do evil. You either walk in life or you walk in death — the life in death is not life at all. The result of judgement is always separation in the Lord: whether it be separation by physical death, separation in being handing over to Satan, separation in being treated as a Gentile or tax collector, or separation by being avoided amongst the church to be brought to shame.

Therefore, if anyone sins against us, do we add reason to cast him out because of our dislike for him? No! Rather, “Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” [Colossians 3:13] And “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” [Galatians 6:1-3] For this is mercy. The mercy Jude spoke about when he said, “Have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” [Jude 21-23] On the other hand, “Judgement will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgement.” [James 2:13] What is the reason for mercy? Our Lord and God has been merciful to us, just as Christ says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.” [Luke 6:36,37] To disagree with this is to deny the fact that the Father has been merciful to us; and in that case, we have not believed the truth of Christ, and we ought to cast ourselves off, as it says, “May their camp be desolate; may none dwell in their tents.” [Psalms 69:25]

Think of this, all of you who are eager to judge and slow to love: you can’t keep the law when you’re sitting in judgement on it. Does not the law of Christ say, “Carry one another’s burdens”? And the judge is one who judges, and does not carry; he sits, but does not help walk; he tells you what is wrong, but will not lift a finger to help. When you are judging by the law, you are not keeping the law, for you cannot be doing both. Can one be above and below at the same time? And who has appointed you to be a judge? “There is one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?” [James 4:12] But what law do you judge me by? Judge me through Christ, find fault in me so that I would repent. Show me the error of my ways, convince me of my wrong and I will listen. It will be painful; but may I come out on the other side by the power of God. “Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.” [Psalm 141:5]

We are called to edify our brothers house — not to tear it down. Even as the apostles says, “Even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down." [2 Corinthians 10:8] And, “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” [1 Corinthians 8:1] The one who refuses to build up his brother’s house falls into the same judgement as Onan; and what was his sentence from the Lord? “What he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.” [Genesis  38:10] For he refused to build up his deceased brother’s house. And so do you, you who refuse to love, but speak against your brother in judgement. As James says, “Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.” [4:11] So let us submit ourselves to each other in the fear of Christ instead of quarreling like children, submitting ourselves under the law of Christ that we may fulfill it through faith. “You sit and testify against your brother and slander your own mother’s son. When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you.” [Psalm 50: 20,21].

But does this mean that we should not reprove our brother? What does the Law say? “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” [Leviticus 19:17] So love is inseparable from reproof; it is loving to reprove our brother; for in reproof, we walk in the paths of life, as it says, “The commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life.” [Proverbs 6:23] Is this not the same kind of love the Lord shows us? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.” [Proverbs 3:11,12] And, “When we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.” [1 Corinthians 11:32]

Truly, if we are sons, we will experience discipline from the Lord. By which law do we reprove? Is it not the law of faith which is obedience to the truth? The truth is that Christ died for us. The law of Christ fulfills the law of God. And we see that James judged by the law of God by saying, “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.” [James 2:9] And it also says in another place, "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.” [1 Corinthians 14:34] But to speak against a brother and revile him, verbally abusing him, even if his error is according to the law, it is sin and impurity; it leads to death: “(…) verbal abusers (…) will not inherit the kingdom of God.” [1 Corinthians 6:10] We ought to help a brother, judging with mercy, not revile him. If we fall short and sin, the remedy is confession and forsaking the sin; God will restore such a one through faith in Jesus Christ, who purifies us from all sin. He is able to make us stand. We must walk in the light to be purified, which means transparency before God: this is confession. If we lie and say we have not sinned, we do not practice the truth. We have been made right by the blood, but not so that we would conform to a pattern of lawlessness. Because Christ has set us free, we humble ourselves as willing servants to Christ Jesus in obedience to Him, as slaves to righteousness, which leads to holiness, which results in life eternal.

There are two paths: a right and a left, a good and a bad; just as a computer is complex, even though is made up of many bits of 1 or 0, so it is with this world, it is complex, but we have only two choices. If there were one choice, we wouldn’t have free will; but there are two choices, and you must choose one. “I have set before you today life and goodness, as well as death and disaster.” [Deuteronomy 30:15] Will you drink from the cup of the Spirit? As it says, “We were all made to drink of one Spirit.” [1 Corinthians 12:13] And “You will indeed drink My cup.” [Matthew 20:23] Or from the cup of God’s wrath? “If they refuse to accept the cup (of wrath) from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink!’” [Jeremiah 25:28] You may decide for yourselves which you desire to walk in: mercy or judgement. Judge for yourselves. Yes. Judge. You who are so prone to judging, judge by the standard in which we are truly measured: “Test yourselves if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you — unless indeed you fail the test?” [2 Corinthians 13:5] “No one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” [1 Corinthians 12:3] 

I say affirmatively, many Christian denominations are a result of arrogance and pride, separating from one another because of false boasts; they would rather hold themselves in arrogance, puffing themselves up in knowledge, rather than holding fast to an attitude of love in the heart of humility. But only, “If we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.” [1 Corinthians 11:31] Many of these denominations are a judgement upon us by God. If He didn’t allow it, then who? “For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” [Galatians 6:7] How are there so many denominations when there are only two options? The fact that there are so many divisions shows that it is of the flesh! All of them are wrong. Even to name yourself as a denomination is wrong. There is one body. We cannot be fooled, Satan has a synagogue too: “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but do lie - behold, I will make them to come and worship at your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” [Revelation 3:9] “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” [Revelation 2:9]

Oh! That we would instead love our brethren and be one, speaking with one mind and with one tongue, just as a husband and a wife are one; Christ called and ordained His Church, to be aligned, in step, harking to His cadence; for He is the Commander of Heaven’s Armies, the Lord Jesus, giving His soldiers the Good Commandment: “hold fast to that which you have until I come.” [Revelation 2:25] Be one! And that, without compromise, holding fast to the truth. “That they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” [John 17: 22,23] “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” [Philippians 2:1,2]

Ah! I have been judged because of what Bible I read! Oh, how they prove to be of the letter and not of the Spirit, because they judge me by the letter: the letter of my text. What difference is it, if I read one syntax verses another? As long as the semantics remain the same, what difference does it make? Would you judge me if I read in another tongue? I was saved reading the New Living Translation, which comes from a paraphrase! Cannot God open the mouth of a mute donkey to preach? If He so wills, couldn’t He make the rocks cry out? Who can tell Him otherwise? I have been judged according to how to say my Savior’s name. If in one tongue, His name is pronounced like this, and in another tongue, pronounced like that, why force someone to pronounce a certain way? Do not names have meaning? Which is greater: the letter of a name or the Spirit of the name? Yet, they place a stumbling block for others by compelling them to speak according to the letter when we’re called to worship in Spirit and truth. Meaning is what matters. The Spirit gives life. “God saves”, “I Am”, “The Lord is our Banner”. Did not Hagar give Him who sees the name, “The God Who Sees”? And the twelve tribes all obtained their names from a meaning. In one tongue, it’s pronounced like this; in another, like that. So why place a stumbling block for your neighbor? “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” [Romans 16:17] The result of judgment is separation; let us separate for truth’s sake, not in arrogance and pride. Children!

“Therefore do not go on passing judgement before the time, until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. (…) in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.” [1 Corinthians 4:6] Is that not what this kind of judgement does? Puffs up. “For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” [Galatians 6:3] For they add to God’s Word so they would have something to boast about; and that, besides the Cross of Christ. As it says, “But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things.” [Jeremiah 9:24] “Did not your father eat and drink And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?” [Jeremiah 22:16] Only in this way ought we to boast; a person who boasts in any other way, fails to harken to the apostle of Jesus Christ, “I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” [Romans 12:3]. And I know very well that in ourselves we have no room for boasting. 

I am of Luther! I am of Calvin! I am of the Church! “Has Christ been divided?” [1 Corinthians 1:13] Let me speak of division for it originates with God: “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” [Genesis 11: 7] But in Christ, we’re called into one; as it says, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” [Ephesians 4: 4-6] The LORD God scatters the wicked like wheat, but for His saints, “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” [Ephesians 4:1,2] Like it says, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” [1 Corinthians 14:33] He makes confused the wicked, but unites the righteous for the cause of righteousness. If only we would weight both sides, we wouldn’t be caught up in such a misjudgment. Divide the Word honestly for a more precise understanding. Listen. Do not harden your heart and stiffen your neck, stuffing up your ears; with a hard heart, comes an uncircumcised ear. Open your eyes and do not close them up; evaluate the truth and the truth will evaluate you. The Lord says, “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ for behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” [Matthew 7:3-5] For where you are blind, your brother can see; and where your brother is blind, only you can see. We all lack sight in some areas and we all stumble in many ways; but the one who loves the Lord diligently will seek perfection just as He is perfect.

“Christ is of this skin color, not of that!” Is it not enough for you that He became a human being? Must He also follow your skin tone? “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgement.” [John 7:24] I know the truth! The Sabbath is Saturday. “He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord.” [Romans 14:6] We eat Kosher. “And he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.” [Romans 14:6] Surely these judgements do not come from the Lord, but from the wicked flesh. Oh and you! How can I forget about you who judge this letter saying, “He is ecumenical”; all knowledge would die with you, wouldn't it? “For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” [2 Corinthians 6:14] If the Lord God has separated the uncircumcised flesh, surely separation from the world is present in such a man. “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” [Galatians 6:14] Those of the flesh, boast of the flesh, while in the flesh; and those of the flesh reside wholly in flesh; but those of the Spirit, boast in God; and those of the Spirit reside in God, for He is their Refuge; in Him, there is no condemnation; as it says, “Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” [Psalm 34:21,22]

Therefore, “Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.” [Romans 14:13] “For God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (…) But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. (…) For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” [Romans 14:3,4; 10-13; 7-9]

Many deceptive people get themselves into positions of truth and bring it into disrepute: you have liar exorcists, erroneous false prophets, false teachers, corrupt judges, unjust police, etc. Let us also know that this is the work of satan because our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the unseen powers of the unseen world in the spiritual high places. In discernment, you only need to ask where does this come from? If it comes from the world, we know it is evil — we have no need to ask if it is even evil because if it comes from the world, it comes from the evil one. We also should ask: what are the outcomes of believing something to be true?; or in other words, what is their agenda? If their agenda is good, then good; if it is bad, then we know it comes from the devil. Most evil agendas trick people into living lawlessly: all sin is lawlessness. We also should know that only God is Good. If they claim good, but do not have God then it is evil and comes from the world. There is no in-between: either something comes from the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness.

We should remember Moses and the deception of Egypt’s magicians (Book of Exodus). They did the same works that Moses did, but Moses did them by the power of God. In the end times, the Scriptures say the antichrist will flash down fire from heaven and do other such marvels like bringing life to a statue (Book of Revelation). Bring also into remembrance the 7 sons of Sceva who tried to cast out demons in Jesus’ name, but fled from the home naked and beaten by such evil spirits (Book of Acts). Yes, these spirits are powerful and do wonders. We must remember that these evil spirits can also speak the truth. For many of the evil spirits proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God, and following Paul they said, “This man brings you the Gospel and the way to be saved” (Gospels and Acts). These are all in line with how satan works, masking as an angel of light. So we see how hard it is to discern spirits. This shows how much we ought to be in the Word of God.

The Egyptian magic was not as powerful as God’s power. When they threw their staff on the ground and it became a serpent, God’s serpent ate up their serpents; this shows God can swallow up evil in an instant as He did with Korah and those that rebelled, opening up the mouth of the earth and swallowing them up. And again, when God turned the water of the Nile into blood, so did the Egyptian magicians. However, they only did so with a little of the water, where-as God did it in all of the land of Egypt and the entirety of the Nile — even the cooking pots in the Egyptians homes turned to blood if it came from the Nile! This shows God’s sovereignty by scale — in totality, not in part. Then Moses conjured up frogs from the Nile but so did the Egyptian magicians. However, God made the mind of the frogs change to hop in the Egyptian homes, on their beds, and in their pots! The Egyptians were not able to control the mind of the frogs. God has sovereignty over all of His creation and by His mighty name even evil spirits are subjected to Him and tremble in fear — how mighty is our God!

Even in the realm of exorcism, the devil has infiltrated this sphere into making us think an individual has power over them. Can satan cast out satan? No, otherwise his kingdom is divided and how can it stand? Many false teachers put on shows of entertainment in churches claiming they’re exorcising demons, but they are not: they merely show two demons entertaining the crowd and putting on a show, captivating the audience with deception. I have no doubt that some of them brought on stage are possessed, but the one doing the ‘exorcism’ is also possessed. Let us not be immature being blown about by the wind by every false doctrine, but let us test the spirits. If they confess Jesus as Lord, they are from God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Anything ‘new’ is not from God because He has been the same from the beginning. There isn’t anything truly new under the sun, but all is old; that ancient serpent called the devil who deceives the whole world, has always been this way — he has been a liar since the beginning. This is another way we can discern the truth: by going to the beginning. For this is where truth lives: In the beginning, God...

Today is veteran’s day. I was looking on You-tube at Kirk Cousin testimonies about Christ. I had not known he was a Christian, but i recognized him as being a God fearing man and knew there was something special about him. I look at football as being a worldly thing, most definitely. I had loved football since a youth and just recently I had given the Lord my love for football — and he has made it new! I haven’t had any revelations from football, it has always been a dead thing even as it was so alive to me — there was no milk nor honey from God in it. But now, after a week, I have had many revelations and new insights about it after giving it up to the Lord, and I no longer have love for it, but God has used it to increase my love for Him. This shows God cannot use a thing if we hold onto it because we block out all communication from God; we know the thing is wrong, but we hold onto it anyway.

Kirk Cousins said many true things. One thing: there are no atheists in fox holes. Everyone believes in God when things are tough when we are in need or facing death. Similarity everyone prays before a football game; football is life or death. Similar to the military; today is veteran’s day. Then i went down the rabbit hole of Damar Hamlin; earlier this year he died on the football field multiple times. His heart stopped and they brought him back to life. He has come back a week ago to play football. This shows he is willing to die for football. On the opposite spectrum, Kirk Cousins said in one of his worse games, “if my life were tied up in football after this loss, i would be devastated. Beautiful thing I am founded on Christ the solid rock in which I stand.” This shows both sides: idolatry vs true worship of God. It’s about the heart not the actions. We can see someone playing football, something very secular, and judge him based on that. But God looks at the heart. Kirk plays football but his heart is not in football, it’s in Christ; he plays football for Christ. Damar, on the other hand, loves football, and is willing to die for football. What we are willing to die for shows what we love. There are certain sins we hold onto in which we say, “I will die before ever letting this go”, but if we let them go, God will restore and make new.

The Lord also showed me, if someone were to neglect the prayer before a football game to make a point or show off before his teammates, but then in his heart is fearful and asks God to protect him, He will honor him because God looks at the heart. It’s very tempting to make judgements based on outward appearance alone; we must look at the heart of the matter. Jesus was spoken evil of constantly because of what He was seen doing: eating with sinners, working on the Sabbath, etc. The heart of Jesus was to love His neighbor as Himself. He ate with those sinners because He loved them. He worked on the Sabbath because He was healing those oppressed by the devil.

Because of God’s great love for us, we ought to die for Him, and the death we die is to sin and to ourselves. This shows we are willing to die for Jesus. Suffering, Service, and Sacrifice: these are the three to love. If love does not have these, is it love or merely lust? True love produces these. If we love Him, we will obey His commandments.

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. (1 Titus 1:15)

I know confidently that I have walked in darkness most of my life. I walked not with my feet, but with my hands, reaching out, hoping to grab whatever I run into. For people who walk in the dark do not walk confidently, but they stumble over things, unseen, that are blanketed in darkness. They grasp for anything to hold onto, even though they know not what it is. Also, in the darkness there are lies. No one tells a lie in the light because clearly, it can be seen that it is in fact a lie. In the dark, lies are told because you cannot see. There is uncertainty in the darkness. People walking in the dark do not know what is a lie and what is truth. They need light so that they can see what is a lie and what is truth. The darkness hates the light because the light testifies of its deeds. For in the dark, evil deeds are done because they can not be seen. In the light, good deeds are done so that everyone can see them. In the darkness, there is no light. 

This world is darkness. I am confident in this. The Light has come into the world. In the Light, there is Truth. Jesus is the Light. Jesus is God. God has come into darkness; He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. In this world, we do not walk with a direction. We do not know where we are going. There are many paths, but all of them are dead because they are all lies. Lies are dead; the Truth is Living. The Truth is Jesus. He is also the Light. A lie cannot be proven because a lie is not living. The Truth can be proven because the Truth is Living. Jesus is also the Way. Paths that are dead, lead nowhere. They have an end. The Way leads to eternal life. Eternal life is life that does not end. This is the Way: Jesus Christ. Jesus is also the Life. In Him, there is life eternal. What will it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his very soul? 

The Good News of Truth is this: Jesus Christ who is above all and created all came into this world as a Carpenter. He emptied Himself of His riches and became poor for our sakes. He did many signs and miracles. He spoke Words of life and of Truth. For He is the Word of life. There is no darkness in Him at all. He is without sin and obeyed the law perfectly. He was sentenced to a criminal’s death on the cross even though they found no fault in Him at all. He came into darkness to put an end to darkness. He was crucified as an innocent Man. 

There are many lies, but only One Truth because there is only One God. The so-called ‘other gods’ are not living and they are not god. If they were living, they would work miracles among us and save us. But they do not. The True God who came into this world to die for us is Jesus. Jesus bore the curse of the law that we cannot keep. For all sin is transgression of the law. He put to death our sin on the cross by bearing it Himself. His Blood covers us of all sins and the Cross puts to death our sin. Sins are all our transgressions of the holy law. Sin is the power at work in us (see Romans Chapter 7). By Jesus’ death we are freed from darkness. Although, we are free from the power of sin and death, we are not free to carry out our good intentions; the war is not outside, but inside. By Jesus’ resurrected life, we are free to walk in the light, with direction, purpose, meaning, and eager hope, with eyes open in the Light, walking with our feet. Jesus has done everything for you and it is a finished work. By faith we are in right standing with God. Faith in the finished work of Jesus. Therefore, put no hope in your deeds, but by the deed done by Christ on the Cross. You need add nothing, but faith. By faith in this historic objective fact, you are right with God. This is the Way to eternal life that is in Christ Jesus. 

A dead faith is a faith that is a lie. You can tell it is a lie because it is not living. It is like a cadaver that does not move. A faith is true if it is living. A living faith can be seen. There is a day when everything done in the dark will be brought into the Light. In the Light, no excuse or lie can be told because the truth can clearly be seen. Everything hidden will be made known. Nothing secret will not be revealed. We live in a tent. This is our temporary home. We are responsible for what we do in our tents. How we live in our temporary home determines where our eternal home will be. For our tents will be taken down one day. There is confident hope in Jesus who is our Redeemer. In the light, there is no darkness at all. Those who are for truth are for Jesus. Those who accept Jesus are accepting God who sent Him. Those who reject the Truth, love to live a lie and love the darkness more than the Light. The devil lied from the beginning and there is no truth in him at all. If you reject the truth, you are for the devil who is a lie. If you seek truth, you will find Jesus who is True. 

In the world there are lies. For the ruler of this world is the devil, the father of lies. And what fellowship does light have with darkness? The most concentration of darkness is around the Light. The darkness can never put out the Light. Wash yourselves of the teachings of this world about Jesus. They are lies because they come from this world and in this world there is darkness. Listen to the truth who is Jesus. His Words are life and they are written in the Bible and preached by those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. Those who know Jesus know the truth and accept the truth. 

Salvation is not so far away that you must go into space to find it. It is not so distant you must travel to the ends of the earth. It is not so deep that you must travel the depths of the ocean. It is so close: on your lips and in your heart, for whoever believes in their heart and confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord will be saved. It was a discovery working with you all. Kurtis.

I’m sending this to speak on the things I have seen. I have trouble communicating. As you well know. You said, “Test me and see where I am at fault”. God willing, I will do so. I had planks in my eye and they were plucked out with your help. What got me to repent? Light. The light was shone and I seen I had sin and I got rid of it. It has no power over me because I love Light and sin has been rendered powerless. However, preaching repentance to an unbelieving people has no effect on them; if there is an effect on them, the effect is they are driven away! Christ calls all people to Himself with the Good News; but you drive them away with regulations and rules, five steps mascaraing as “Good News”. This drives unbelievers away. What causes repentance? Don’t you know it’s God kindness that causes you to repent? Why not then preach God’s Good News then so that they may believe and have repentance that leads to life? 

You are in error here and I was in error back there. I looked into the Mirror and God showed me my sins. Sometimes a brother needs to look at the back of another so they can see what they can’t see while facing the Mirror. This is why brotherhood is good and the Body of Christ is good. This is why as a Body, we need fellowship. The Mirror is God’s Word. I consider you brothers. Do you consider me a brother? How does one become a brother? Are we called repenters or believers? We are called believers which are also followers and disciples of Christ. Believers are ones who believe that Christ loved them and was crucified for them and rose from the dead. Could anyone be convinced Jesus loved them this way and not love Him back? If we love Christ, will we continue on sinning? No! Does someone hurt someone whom they love? If we love Him, we will obey His commandments. This shows that we love God and that we have faith in Him. What are His commandments? To live as He has lived (also known as following Him); He lived in love and love fulfills the entirety of the Law.

You preach conditional love and outside of Christ there is no love of God. If that is true, then how are you saved? Were you not outside of Christ at one point in time? Or were you born good? If God’s love is for us conditionally, based on our doing, then no-one would be saved! No-one can earn what Christ has done for us. We know that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. We show love to people in the world by giving them the message of God’s grace in hopes they will believe. If God loved us before we believed and also after we believed, then how is that conditional? God’s love is not based on us, but based on Who He is: God is Love. God has always loved us, ever since the beginning. The Holy Spirit warns me, if I were to join your fellowship, I will lose the love of God. I have already seen the fruit of this just by talking with you. This type of mindset is not right. (If we do sin, we confess our sins and He is faithful to forgive us our sins. The Spirit convicts us of our sins and we have inward grieves and groans until we rectify our sins. If we do anything outside of love, it is in vain. We can give our bodies to be sacrificed; we can live under the sun as an animal; we can give all we have to the poor, but if it’s not done in love then we have accomplished nothing.)

I will show the mindset you have using a marriage parable since you love those so much: A man wants to marry a young virgin. However, he wants a bride that can cook. So he slaps down in front of her a cookbook with thousands of recipes. He will marry her as long as she learns how to cook. Is this the same love God shows us? Please tell me this is not the Spirit you have received. He loved us while we were still sinners, while we were apart from Him in thought and deed. We have stored up transgressions in our account under the old system of Law; and in Christ Jesus we are freely forgiven. Is this for everyone regardless if they are in Christ or not? No! We have to believe the promise of eternal life through Jesus — this makes us in Christ, this is how we receive the promise. How then do we test ourselves to see if we truly do believe? A dead faith is a faith that does not move. It has no merit in reality. A belief that has no merit in reality is a delusion. True authentic faith lives and moves and has it’s being. A false faith is walking in the darkness. It does not move because it cannot move; the darkness blinds it. A true faith walks in the light and sees and has it’s being — for it moves. Let me say it in another way: a person who believes in God is godly and lives a godly life; a person who does not believe in God is godless and lives a godless life.

The Gospel is not a five step program, or ten step program. There is one step: Believe in the Son. How can they believe unless they hear? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? You preach a message for believers to an unbelieving people in vain. This is not the Good News that I have received. The Good News is righteousness by faith through Jesus Christ. If you preach your message to unbelievers, they will think they have to do instead of believe. They are not approaching God by faith, but on merit of their own doing. We know we approach God through prayer based on the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. If we are not heard by God when we approach Him, then what does it mean? It means we have unbelief and are double-minded, sharing ourselves with this present world and having love for it. How do we rectify it? With our own human effort? No! We rectify our unbelief with assurance of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ — Who is the Living Gospel, the Message, and Good News. This assurance brings us out of the world and to Christ Who is in heaven. Our walk in the Lord is from start to finish by faith in Jesus Christ Who is the Initiator and Perfecter of our faith. 

If we say, “You must believe to be in Christ and we are shown to believe by our fruit based on the Law,” then what have you just done? You have rebuilt the old system of Law which you have destroyed when you came to Christ Jesus. We know we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ; that’s apart from the Law and not of works such that no-one may boast. We stay in Christ by remembering Him, or preaching Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and raised from the dead, confessing His Name causes us remember the confident hope we have in Him. We have freedom in Christ, but this mindset is tying people back up in the Law. Where there is Law, there is sin; where the Law is rebuilt, sin is re-established. All of the Law is fulfilled in this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. This is the love that faith produces. This is the love that God gives. A love that is for everyone, a promise that anyone may obtain (I am not saying ‘unconditional’ since you do not like that terminology). If someone does not believe the message about Christ, God’s wrath remains on them, it doesn’t leave them. Does that mean they have exempted themselves from ever in their lifetime receiving God’s gift? No! We believe it’s by faith a righteous person has life. Perhaps that person may believe later in life. If they die in their sins, they will surely see God’s wrath. God will first-most turn that person over to deep darkness in judgement, so that the Light of the Gospel will shine brighter. What’s the likelihood? We know puny will make it into the Kingdom. But as for us who believe, we are grafted into God’s Family by faith, provided we continue to trust in His kindness; otherwise, we will be cut off. 

The message that belongs to you is perfect for those who claim Christ, who say they believe. I do not disagree with even a single bit of it. I do disagree with it being called the Gospel. The response to the Gospel is the message that you have — nearly perfect. However, this message cannot be confused with the Pure Gospel Message that Jesus was the first to preach. The Law was revealed on Mount Sinai, exposing what is written on the conscience. Later, the way to get right with God was revealed, the way of faith. Many people were healed from unclean spirits, sickness, disease and death in Jesus’ time because they believed in His Name. After the Message, miracles and signs, if they still had not repented, Jesus called upon them woes and curses because they did not show signs of their faith — repentance. But that deliverance came by faith. Were all people delivered? No! Because many did not believe. Was there favoritism on God’s part? No! Because He has sent His Son for the entire world, to whoever will believe. You say you know these things, but by your actions you deny it. You take the commands of Jesus and pile them up blocking the way into the Kingdom of God. Can anyone repent outside of faith? Then why not give them faith by the Gospel of grace? The Jews came into the churches and spied out the freedom they had in Christ. The Church got whim of it and did not burden them — only four prohibitions so that they wouldn’t deter those trying to come near to God, them young in the faith.

I do believe it divine that I met you; do you think I have something that I see with fresh eyes as a novice? When someone gives a gift, even if it’s on their birthday, have they earned it? No! A gift is given by grace; the person simply receives the gift. They could easily say, “I don’t want it”. The Gospel is the free gift of God, receiving this gift is through faith. The gift is like a promise. A promise is given, not because we earn it, but because of the generosity of the one who gave it. God is kind and generous to us, offering us salvation through faith in His Son. We show we believe in God by how we live. If we aren’t in step with the faith that we think we have, then what do we do? Do we try to produce in ourselves works, simulating authentic faith? No! We believe in the Son. How? By hearing the Message about Christ, assuring ourselves in what is unseen. There are many beautiful things that are produced from the Gospel, but to take the production of the Gospel and put it in front of it as means to aspire to or work at before coming to God is false. Disagree? How then can someone enter the wedding feast without wedding garments already on? Shouldn’t they have removed their filthy rags, cleansed themselves, and put on wedding garments to begin with? We have faith by hearing the Word and believing it. If we preach the Gospel, we ought to preach a clear witness about Jesus that is available for everyone which is the essence of prophesy. Please give this to the other brothers whether you believe it or not. Let them decide whether or not what I am saying is true.

Those who use fear to stimulate someone show that they themselves are stimulated by fear. We know the fear of God is good to keep us unstained from sin; but to serve God, we do so motivated by love and perfect love casts out all fear. God desires mercy; not sacrifice. Sacrifice without mercy is meaningless and profits nothing. I will obey my Lord and listen to your teachings; as it is written, “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and not do.” Beware of speaking against the Spirit of Grace by which we are saved. Many people in the world believe the doctrines of demons which assume God’s grace as means to live lawlessly. I know you didn’t mean it that way and were referring to the world in such speaking. 

In regards to unconditional love, I agree with what is said about entering into the Kingdom by faith and experiencing the eternal covenant conditionally by that faith; but to deny there is unconditional love is to deny that we ourselves are even saved! For how can we be saved if God never showed us grace when we were with the world, deserving wrath and condemnation? He shows us unconditional love in many ways:

Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14: 15-17)

And it is said,

For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 4:44,45)

Is this unconditional love a saving love? No. Food and drink only sustain us here on earth until we find the grace that truly matters. Who is it that Christ died for if not for the ungodly? The initiation of grace that saves happened on the cross.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:6-10)

Christ has died for all; not only us who have received, but for everyone; otherwise why would we try to convince anyone? Are we trying to sell the blind some glasses?

He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

In keeping with Who God is, and Who was, and Who will be, He shows us His grace on the cross and continues to show us grace in Christ, which is what strengthens us. In regards to our former ways, we all come from the ways of the world and have been shamed by God Himself.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Haven’t we all received our earthly lives by not working or even asking? It is the same with our new lives in Christ. I know you all know this. This is a good reminder. The road is narrow and all are called. As you pointed out, only few are chosen.

It is true that we are justified by faith; we are saved by grace through faith. Grace is the objective; faith is the subjective. I received forgiveness of sins when I put my faith in Christ. The fact is that Jesus died for everyone, once and for all (of these things I do not need to write you). What if I lived before Jesus died on the cross? It is written: “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time.” (Romans 3: 25,26) So then, when did the Gospel begin? The Good News has always been since the beginning, but was hidden. In the same way, the law has always been from the beginning, but was hidden. “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.” (Romans 2:14) The conscience was revealed on Mount Sinai, through the giving of the law, uncovering what has always been; and Jesus came and preached the Gospel, uncovering justification by faith which has always been; and then He made atonement for sin. Does the Scripture suggest anything otherwise? Isn’t Hebrews 11 filled with men and women of faith that were justified apart from the law? Weren’t they alive long before Christ was crucified? Also “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:3)

Under the law, King David should have been punished for his sins; He committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed Uriah the Hittite. He should have been, according to the law, stoned to death. Did God pardon David’s sin because he was the king of Israel? “God does not show favoritism.” (Romans 2:11) He was included in what his Seed would do in the future; he was justified by his faith in God, the promised Messiah, his Lord. (His life was spared by that faith, but we know David’s sins needed expiated for, which was through punishment inflicted upon him) Faith in itself cannot save even if it is proven by works; For “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22) God’s justice demands death for sin, but by God’s unfailing love and compassion and mercy, He has taken the payment upon Himself and opened up the way of being made right with God through faith in His name. It’s the Father’s grace which saves, through His Son, given for us. So apart from time, men are chosen by grace and are justified through faith in Jesus Christ; this is what is meant by, “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8) The Father has ordained it.

So then, why is it being said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I have died to the law” then stating, “Jesus is under the Old Testament and preached to those under the Old Testament”? What you are really saying is, “I don’t have to abide by Jesus’ teachings, they are not for me!” Oh, what a terrible thing to believe! How would one’s actions reflect their beliefs? Jesus died once for sin as the Lamb; today, He is exhaled as King and the Lion from the tribe of Judah. Those who are wild do not have a king, but those who are servants subject themselves to the king. We have been set free from sin; let us not say we are free from sin then stay in bondage to it. Doesn’t freedom come from following the Spirit? “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22,23) How many times is it said that sin will not enter into the Kingdom? (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-6, Revelation 22:15, Revelation 21:8,27)

Isn’t the New Testament composed of letters written to individual believers or in other cases to churches? Aren’t the Gospel accounts located in the New Testament partition of our Bible? (If you don’t see truth in these facts, how will you see with more compelling arguments?) Aren’t the letters addressed to the church in the foremost part of the letter? When is a letter written to a band of unbelievers? What is there in common between light and darkness? Paul wrote to Timothy (a fellow believer) quoting Jesus while here on earth: “Everyone who acknowledge Me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth. I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32,33) Also, “If we deny Him, He will deny us. If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.” (2 Timothy 2:12,13) This shows the same teaching during Jesus’ ministry, Who was the first to preach the Good News; (Hebrews 2:3) and the same teaching persists after the New Covenant was inaugurated. God has made a covenant with us through Christ and He shows His kindness to us in order to turn us from sin.

So now, that Jesus’ teachings have come back to life for you, “They (the Pharisees) crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” (Matthew 23:4) Jesus gave demands more demanding than theirs! For He said, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees, you will by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.“ Does He rebuke someone and then do the same thing? No! The difference is Jesus did much more than just lift a finger. He served humanity by dying on the cross for the sin of the world and He helps His Body, the Church, through the ministering of His Spirit. This is why Jesus is called the Servant and the Holy Spirit is called the Helper. He has done everything for us, so that we may obtain by faith everything He has promised. “You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2,3) My spirit was deeply angered and then deeply grieved when I heard this is what some of you believe.

And if you desire to argue further, haven’t you read in the letters these passages (2 Peter 2:1 & Jude 4 & Titus 1:16)? This very grace that you claim denies the Lord who bought you; it perverts the grace of God into lawlessness. We have been set free from the law of God; but yet we are under the law of Christ: and that is of faith. Faith by no means nullifies the law of God, but upholds it.