Does this seem likely to you?
Does this seem likely to you?
Remember, Satan created sin, one might say, when he was in the spirit realm, serving as a guardian cherub whose wings overshadowed the very Throne of God Almighty!
In the light of this fact, why would a half-hearted American "Christian" be so favored as to receive a transformed character by virtue of appearing before Him whose eyes are as fire?
Does entering the spirit world change the character of a person?
There is going to be weeping and wailing when many members of the present generation of Christians stand before the judges at the final resurrection. They thought "grace" would save them. But grace never excuses anyone who is disobedient to the Word of God and does not repent.
The sins of the flesh are symptoms of a deeper and far more serious problem. That problem is self-will—serving our own desires instead of obeying God. And our self-will proceeds from our character.
The third and fourth chapters of the Book of Hebrews admonish us concerning our entering the "rest of God."
The picture is drawn of the Israelites disobeying God in the matter of pressing forward to the occupation of the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan is viewed as "God's rest."
"That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" (Hebrews 3:10,11)
And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. (Hebrews 3:18,19)
Notice how disobedience proceeds from unbelief.
Then the writer of the Book of Hebrews urges these experienced believers to press on past what they had experienced in Christ and enter the rest of God.
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. (Hebrews 4:1 )
As I said, the "rest" offered to the Israelites was the land of Canaan. The question now is, what is the "rest" offered to us Christians?
Our rest is this: a state of being in which we always know God's will, and always are given the strength, wisdom, and desire to do that will.
This is what God wants of every one of us.
This is what it means to abide in Christ.
This is what it means to dwell in the shelter of the Most High.
This is the image of Christ, to which we are being conformed.
This is what it means to live by every Word of God.
As we enter and continue to dwell in the rest of God, our character is formed in obedience to Christ. As a result we gain the faith to drive out from our personality the sins of the flesh.
Here is a simple way of determining if you are dwelling in the rest of God; under the shelter of God; if you truly are abiding in Christ:
Right now ask Jesus if you are doing what He wants you to do ; if you are where He wants you to be. If He answers "Yes" to both questions, you are living in the rest of God.
If His answer is "No" to either question, then pray until you hear "Yes" to both questions. Otherwise, recognize that you are not in the Lord's will for you. You cannot claim the promises of the 91st Psalm, and they are of extreme importance in the day in which we are living in America.
Godly character and righteous behavior are formed in us as Christ is formed in us. Godly character always, always, always obeys God, no matter how severe the temptation to do otherwise. Abraham is the father of this sort of person.
My personal desire is to be always at the right hand of God, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.
Following is a verse that became meaningful to me over sixty years ago:
The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. (Revelation 3:12)
Such people will represent God throughout His creation. Can you see now why grace is not an effective means of serving God? How could God make a "Christian" who continually is behaving in a sinful manner, His representative throughout the creation?
How could Christ write the name of the Father, the name of the new Jerusalem, and His own new name on a self-centered, disobedient, arrogant individual, who hopes to receive the Divine rewards by "grace"?
How did the Christian churches ever become entangled in such a travesty of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ?
God always requires upright character of His servants. The new covenant has delivered us from the Law of Moses, but not from integrity of character!
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. (Genesis 6:9)
Do you really believe that God, since the days of Noah, has changed His mind about righteous behavior? Neither do I!
Notice the following:
God "will repay each person according to what they have done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Romans 2:6,7)
God "will repay each person according to what they have done."
Next Part Yes, or no?