Spiritual Survival in the Coming Days 27

The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22—NIV)

The anxieties and cares of life can tear us down from our high place in God.

If we are to live victoriously in Christ during the horrors of earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and war, we must—we absolutely must—become citizens of two worlds, the present world and the heavenly world. When a thousand fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand, and the blood is as a river in the street, and we do not know where our loved ones are, we must be able to lift ourselves up with Jesus and realize He always sits as King of the flood. Our loved ones are safe in His ever watchful care.

If we are not able to lift ourselves into the heavenlies in this manner, praying and trusting in Jesus in the midst of chaos, we will be frantically screaming like everyone else.

If we are to survive spiritually in the future we must set aside a place and time for prayer each day.

If we are to survive spiritually we must become a person of the Word, meditating in the Scriptures continually.

If we are to survive spiritually we must place all that we are and possess on the altar of God.

If we are to survive spiritually in the days to come we must always be living in and by Christ.

If we are to survive spiritually we must put on the whole armor of God.

If we are to survive spiritually throughout the future calamities, the days of evil, we must be at home on earth and in the heavenlies. Part of our personality is on earth. The other part is at the right hand of God in Jesus Christ. If our earthly life should perish, there is no problem. Our eternal life is in Heaven at the right hand of God. There is no destructive power that can reach us there unless, as I said, we choose to live in the flesh to the extent we are torn down from our position in Christ.

Confess and Renounce Your Sins Promptly

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9—NIV)

The Apostle John has written to us so we shall stop our sinning.

My dear children, I write this to you so you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (I John 2:1—NIV)

Then John tells us what to do when we sin. We are to confess our sins to Christ. This does not mean we just list them, it means we confess, denounce, and renounce them with all vigor. We turn aside from them. We declare them fit only for the Lake of Fire.

When we do this, God forgives us immediately. Then He either delivers us at once or else He sets in motion the machinery that will result in our being cleansed from all unrighteousness. All unrighteousness!

To continued. Spiritual Survival in the Coming Days 28