Post by Watchman on Aug 2, 2006 17:51:39 GMT -5
"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." 1 John 2:28
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." Romans 13:12
What Is The Life Of Christ?
How Do We Live It?
By Brother R. G. Stair
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20
The life which I now live. These words of Paul give us some insight into the victorious life that we must and will have if we can get crucified with Christ.
The struggle that is now prevalent in the lives of many saints was clearly written about by the chosen vessel Paul.
"And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. "And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth," Acts 9:10-11
"But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a CHOSEN VESSEL unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" Acts 9:15
Here we see that even before Paul (Saul) had any idea of his walk and life with Christ, he was chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ for a special place and calling. I often remark that many today would not even consider following the Lord and perhaps Saul would have refused if he had not had an experience in meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus. How many of you were told that you would need to suffer as a Christian and that you were to have fellowship with Christ in suffering?
"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, AND THAT WE MUST THROUGH MUCH TRIBULATION enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22
Are you being confirmed, approved and chosen worthy to enter the kingdom? Without tribulation (suffering - great testing of your faith), you will not enter the kingdom.
"So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: "Which is a MANIFEST TOKEN OF THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:" 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5
There is a reason for the suffering and I will get to that before I am finished with the message.
First I must get it into your heart, that suffering always goes with things you love. You know that to love anything or anyone brings suffering and in many situations, much deep grief and hurt. There was a very popular song several years ago. "You always hurt the one you love, the one you should never hurt at all."
Christ loved us and because He did, He had to suffer with us too. "Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me." Matthew 17:17
As I said, I will seek to deal with the intent of suffering from the scriptures before I am through.
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Romans 8:17
Joint-heirs with Christ, if we suffer with Him. Who is told that in the church today?
"For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; "That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." 1 Peter 4:1-2
Before I go any further with this, I want to discuss what it was that after Paul was shown what he must suffer, with much zeal and desire, he still went forth with much determination to do the will of God.
There is an incident in the conversion of Saul that most do not hear preached on. Paul alluded to it in his writings.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. "Knowing therefore the TERROR OF THE LORD, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." 2 Corinthians 5:10-11
This statement of Paul, always stirred my heart, "KNOWING THE TERROR OF THE LORD". Where did Paul come to know the terror of the Lord? Do you know what terror means? We hear of it much today in the news. The bombing of the building in Oklahoma City was first spoken of as an act of terror. The bombing and high-jacking of planes and bus bombings are terrorist acts.
The word terror means to bring much fear and causes many to be afraid. How did God strike terror into the heart of Paul so that he lived in complete submission to the will of God? He did it with much joy and counted it great joy to be able to do so.
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:18
God did two things in Paul's experience. First He gave him an experience of terror and then showed him His glory. This settled it in the heart of Paul that there was no other way but to live or die for the cause.
"Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," Ephesians 3:13-14
Well, first it came about after he fought against the convicting power of God. He was a part of the stoning of Stephen. God brought this young man to suffer and to be stoned and to give up his life at the very feet of Saul. With his face shining as the face of an angel and his great testimony of "I see heaven open", this should have brought Paul to conversion (Acts 7:55 - 8:1). But he was a religious zealot and thought he was doing God a service.
"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." John 16:2
We many times fail to understand and know that these scriptures are coming to pass this very day. They were written as examples for us to prepare us to be able to deal and cope with these trying times. Many of you were not told in the preaching of the way of Christ that this would include the suffering with Him and because of Him. To walk as He walked is to be hated and rejected and much suffering for HIS name's sake.
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:4
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1 Corinthians 10:11
"And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." Matthew 10:21-22
"And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake." Luke 21:16-17
This is the suffering of Christ. He came to His own and His own received Him not. Oh, how it hurt and grieved His very heart.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Matthew 23:37
I have said many times, most folk that got saved in the last 30 yeas did not get saved right. They just, as it is said, "received Christ" rather than being received of Christ. With much joy and great testimony they said, "I am saved" and "I am born again". This is good if it is a real experience. But most did not count the cost. In fact, they were told that there was no cost; you know, Jesus paid it all.
The scriptures give an account of this type of shallow Christianity.
"Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: "And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. "And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: "But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit." Mark 4:3-7
Let us look at the results of three of the four of whom the seed was sowed.
"And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? "The sower soweth the word." Mark 4:13-14
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
"And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. "And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;"
Here we see Jesus telling who these were. "And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. "But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. "And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended." Mark 4:15-17
"And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit." Mark 4:7
"And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, "And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." Mark 4:18-19
So many have made their decision to serve Jesus from the standpoint that it would make their life easy and full of great joy and no troubles and when all these things do occur they depart from the faith.
I have heard it said many times, "We are suppose to have abundant life," referring to John 10:10. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10
It is told us that if you are not enjoying great feelings of joy, you do not have the abundant life. The teaching today is there should be no sorrow and suffering because we have Jesus. That is not what Jesus or Paul or any other man of God that really knew the purpose and the intent for which we have been saved believes or teaches.
Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Here Jesus is telling us, have peace and here's how. Understand that tribulation is part of God's plan and intent to save you FOR HIS GLORY (Romans 8:28). Job made a great statement when he said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21
Paul writes to the church giving a description of what they will face and the end results. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" Romans 8:35 "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come," Romans 8:38
Read the things Paul mentions that we will endure as we walk in the faith of God. Tribulation, persecution, famine, nakedness, perils, sword, etc. In one place, he says they are very light and easy to endure, when we have the proper goal in our lives.
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" 2 Corinthians 4:17
"For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." 2 Corinthians 5:4
"For we walk by faith, not by sight:" 2 Corinthians 5:7
"But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, "In stripes, in imprisonment’s, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;" 2 Corinthians 6:4-5
"As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." 2 Corinthians 6:10
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:17-18
Did God really promise abundant life? Yes, but not in this life. In this life you will have tribulation or tests of faith. It is by faith and through faith and in faith that we shall have the abundant eternal life.
"But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." Mark 10:30
"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:15
"Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:54
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:28
"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." John 6:47
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation:" John 16:33
"Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." Matthew 13:21
"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;" Romans 5:3
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" Romans 8:35
"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;" Romans 12:12
"For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know." 1 Thessalonians 3:4
"And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Revelation 7:14
Dear one in Christ, as we come to the end of time, we shall have to be strengthened in the faith. It is faith that Christ will look for when He comes. The battle against faith is a battle against Christ and His unfailing word. I will sum it up before I am done here. I must seek, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to show you that what you are going through and fight against is the will of God. He wants to be served by redeemed men with all their heart. His purpose was to save a chosen few that they would be true worshippers. It is His eternal kingdom that will be truly perfected and made whole again and purged from all sin in the Holy Place that entered when Lucifer rose up in rebellion and had to be dealt with. His place in the perfect heaven was vacated and all that fell with him had to be replaced as God is a perfect God and had to make heaven a perfect place again. Thus, the restoration of all things. Jesus is the perfect replacement for Lucifer and the redeemed saints for all the angels that fell.
When all is in place in the plan and the purpose for which God made man is complete, then Jesus will come and God will rest. Christ is the Sabbath of the Lord God.
"And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:20-21
How shall we be able to stand, Brother Stair? What shall we do?
"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:11-13 Having done all to stand. Here is the question. What must we do to be able to stand? "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" Ephesians 6:14
Your loins are your vital parts. Truth is the life that flows into life. It removes all the waste and casts it into the drought. Without this cleansing, the body becomes polluted. We must have a pure system to be able to be strong and healthy. After you have a pure heart that is washed in the blood. Have the breast covered with the righteousness of God. Only with a right heart will you keep your heart protected.
"If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." 1 John 2:29
"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." 1 John 3:7
Is your heart right with God? The truth will sustain you. His blood hath made you clean. Believe the word.
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." 1 John 2:28
I am going to let you read the whole account here in the scriptures and then speak about the one that has been under attack the most in this evil day.
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." Romans 13:12
"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:24
"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" Colossians 3:10
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" Ephesians 6:10-17
I want you to listen to me, dear chosen one, remnant of God. The thief is Satan, a liar. Many times I have told you that he knows that it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). Since that is TRUTH, he then works on the mind of the saints as he wars with them.
"But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Romans 7:23
Here is how Satan will make war against the saints. He uses circumstances and situations and emotions and feelings to seek to make God a liar. It is his way to use the word of God to condemn instead of to convict. Remember the account of his encounter with Eve.
"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Genesis 3:1
How did he use subtlety? Why he just did not say that what God said was a lie. He got Eve to speak and in her position as the woman, she should have called for her husband or the man, as the command was given to Adam and not Eve.
"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. "And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." 1 Corinthians 14:34-35
"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. "For Adam was first formed, then Eve. "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Timothy 2:12-14
Eve gave room to Lucifer to play with her mind and she added to the word of God (truth) and made God a liar. With that, sin then came into the world and death by sin. Can you not see that Satan is trying now with you and the saints to do the same thing and move you away from eternal life and salvation? He will make you think, say, and do things that will charge God with foolishness and lying.
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3
Do you read what the subtlety works against? It works in your mind to corrupt it or fill it with believing a lie and that is the one thing that God cannot do and must not be charged with. He does not lie and He will not cast the believers away.
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Philippians 1:6
"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son." 1 John 5:10
This has been a long message. Dear one, have faith in God. It is His faith in saving you that will keep you. Paul, in the battle against this spirit that waged war against his mind, said it all.
"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Romans 7:25
How do you do that, Paul? Why, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Romans 6:6
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." Hebrews 10:35-37
This is the last time that we shall hear of the soon coming. This time it will be so.
Maranatha.
Brother Stair