[Posted July 24, 2023]

Hey Mike,

Hope you are well. During prayer I found myself asking God for a sign. Not an external sign like fire from heaven, or physical healing, but an internal one. That His faith and His righteousness ​a​re indeed increasing in me. That these recent trials have led to righteousness and produced fruits worthy of repentance. An obvious sign that a recurring sin is no longer having dominion over me.

This brought to my remembrance the sign of Jonas.

Mat 12:38  Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Mat 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Mat 12:41  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Mat 12:42  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

I thought it was evil to ask for a sign, but what I got from these 5 verses in Matthew is not that it’s evil to ask for a sign, but that because we are an evil and adulterous generation, we’ll only get the one sign; the sign of Jonas.

Obviously, Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection is the “was” fulfillment of this. But then it occurred to me that the “is” fulfillment is exactly what I prayed for: a sign of repentance and wisdom via “Christ in us.” His righteousness and His faith. The power of the Holy Spirit working in us…

Col 1:27 To whom God would MAKE KNOWN [give a sign] what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory:

These “riches of the glory of this mystery” are the fruits and might produced in us by the Holy Spirit as we are changed from glory to glory.

Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY, to be strengthened with MIGHT by his Spirit in the INNER MAN;
Eph 3:17  That Christ may DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

I think this is further solidified by Jonah’s prayer:

Jon 2:3  For thou hadst cast me INTO THE DEEP, in the MIDST OF THE SEAS; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Jon 2:4  Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Jon 2:5  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
Jon 2:6  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the EARTH with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption [sin; body of this death], O LORD my God.

Jon 2:9 …salvation is of the Lord.

As Christ was in the midst of the seas, cast out of sight, brought up from corruption…, the elect, too, are in the world, dying daily and walking in newness of life. I take away from this that it is OK to ask God for a sign of His work(s) in us.

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in DEMONSTRATION of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the POWER OF GOD.

I hope I’m not way off here. Would love to hear your perspective on this. It’s possible there’s already an article explaining the sign of Jonas, but I couldn’t find it.

I do know one thing, that when God wills for me to overcome these trials, these lusts and pride… no fire from heaven or miraculous physical healing will increase my faith more.

May God continue to change us from glory to glory and increase our faith through Christ in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Love you both. And thank you for the prayers. I felt like today I was able to study and absorb a lot of spiritual information from your study and my own studies later in the day. Praise the Lord!

YbiTC,
R​___

Hi R​____,

Thank you for these very revealing and encouraging observations concerning what Christ said about an evil and adulterous generation not being give any sign other tha​n the sign of Jonah:

Mat 12:38  Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Mat 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Not once in those words of our Lord does He say anything about signs not following those who believe in Him. “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign” does not mean that ‘A righteous and faithful generation must never seek or display any signs.’ The exact opposite is true:

Mar 16:17  And these signs [G4592: ‘semeion‘] shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

The Greek word translated as ‘sign’ in Mat​thew 12:39 is G4592, ‘semeion‘, and this is Christ Himself telling us that ‘signs’ would follow them that believe, and indeed they did:

Act 2:43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

Act 5:12  And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.

I think your words explain why Christ said ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.’ This is what you said:

“I thought it was evil to ask for a sign, but what I got from these 5 verses in Matthew is not that it’s evil to ask for a sign, but that because we are an evil and adulterous generation, we’ll only get the one sign; the sign of Jonas.” (End Quote)

Amen! and Amen!! While physical signs are nowhere nearly as prolific for us as for those of Christ and His apostles, we do still have healings from time to time, and “greater thing than [we] do”, every time we cast out an evil lying spirit with the power of the word of God and convert a soul, which Christ did not once do in His three and a half year ministry:

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Saving a single soul from death is a much greater work than all physical healings combined:

This is a subject worthy of posting for future reference.

Jas 5:19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Your grateful brother, Mike

[Study Aired November 30, 2021]

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 
Joh 14:2  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 
Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 
Joh 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 
Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 
Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 
Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 
Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 
Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 
Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 
Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 
Joh 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 
Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 
Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. 
Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 
Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 
Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 
Joh 14:28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 
Joh 14:29  And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 
Joh 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 
Joh 14:31  But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. 

Our last study ended with Christ telling the disciples they would deny him. The disciples all said they would never deny Christ. He then had them prepare themselves for upcoming events.

Mat 26:31  Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 
Mat 26:32  But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 
Mat 26:33  Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 
Mat 26:34  Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 
Mat 26:35  Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. 

Luk 22:35  And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. 
Luk 22:36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 
Luk 22:37  For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 
Luk 22:38  And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

In this study Christ comforts the disciples, describing what must be done to prepare for the next stage in their journey into the kingdom of God.

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

This is a great comfort if we understand what Christ is saying. Here is the explanation.

1Jn 5:9-13 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 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. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Christ is telling us that the life of the Father is in Him, and He is preparing us to have this same life within us.

Joh 14:2  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 
Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Christ tells the disciples he must go away in order to prepare a place in the Father’s house. What does this mean to “prepare a place (mansion) for you”?

G3438 “Mansion” appears only twice in the New Testament.

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: (G3438) if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode (G3438) with him.

G3438
μονή
monē
mon-ay’
From G3306; a staying, that is, residence (the act or the place): – abode, mansion.

G3306
μένω
menō
men’-o
A primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): – abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.

The preparation of the “mansion” is the preparation of God’s dwelling place and a way of life given to us to act out. At this stage in our walk, we cannot understand this saying as Thomas and Phillip demonstrate.

Joh 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Thomas is thinking carnally and cannot know where Christ is going. We all think Christ and the Father are dwelling “out there” somewhere in the heavens. We all desire to see Christ and the Father with our physical eyes, but that is not what he is explaining to the disciples.

Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 
Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 
Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 

Once again, here is the definition of mansion.

G3438
μονή
monē
mon-ay’
From G3306; a staying, that is, residence (the act or the place): – abode, mansion.

Christ says he is going away to prepare a “place” and now he adds to that “work” being done in him.

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 
Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 

“Greater works than these shall he (we) do.” The believer will do greater works than Christ? How is this possible? Are we able to turn water into wine? Are we able to heal the sick, blind, dumb and lame? Can we bring people back from the dead? If we are not able to do these things, then how can Christ say we will do greater works than him?

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

The “Spirit of truth” will come to us and cause us to do these things that are greater. There is a qualifier mentioned before this can take place and it is repeated in the following verses.

Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 
Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

For us to see Christ and the Father we must keep his commandments and love him. This is the “act” of G3438.

G3438
μονή
monē
mon-ay’
From G3306; a staying, that is, residence (the act or the place): – abode, mansion.

This act is not our act, of course. It is the Father working in us through Christ.

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

The disciples continue to ask how these things are going to happen.

Joh 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 
Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode (G3438) with him. 
Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

Once again Christ explains it is the Father doing the work through him to make known the “the way, the truth and the life” where we will make an abode with them.

Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 
Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 
Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 
Joh 14:28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 
Joh 14:29  And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 
Joh 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 
Joh 14:31  But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. 

“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

The Comforter, which is the spirit of the Father that has made an “abode” (mansion) in Christ, is now being promised to “abide” in us. For this to happen in us, we must “keep his commandments”, “love him and the Father”, and “keep his sayings”. So here are the questions asked earlier in our study.

The believer will do greater works than Christ? How is this possible? Are we able to turn water into wine? Are we able to heal the sick, blind, dumb and lame? Can we bring people back from the dead? If we are not able to do these things, then how can Christ say we will do greater works than him?

The “greater works” Christ tells us we will do are not the physical miracles he did during his ministry. The “greater works” are spiritual, and they are greater than any physical work that can be done. In order to do these works, we must love and do the sayings that the Father has given to Christ to give to us. The Lord’s supper which the disciples just experienced, the eating of Christ’s flesh and drinking His blood, give us the ability to do these “greater works”. John chapter 6 explains why.

Joh 6:48-65 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

We are given the ability to heal the sick, cause the blind to see, give hearing to the deaf, have the lame walk, and give life to the dead because we are given the spirit of the Father by Christ. He is preparing our mansions and causing us to abide with them.

Ecc 4:1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Lam 1:8-17 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself. The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up. The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress. For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Heb 12:9-17 “Be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits and Live” – Part 2

[Study Aired April 15, 2021]

Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 
Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 
Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Everyone who was drawn to Christ to be healed physically when he was on the earth was healed, and that healing is contrasted with the greater works spoken of in John 14:12 that God is doing through the church today in the earth (Mat 12:40, 1Co 14:22, Mat 12:39) “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” by God’s holy spirit (2Co 5:8-10, Php 2:13). Those greater works bring spiritual healing to those who are first drawn to Christ in this age (Joh 6:44).

2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2Co 5:9  Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him [‘Labour to have a successful harvest‘ (Heb 4:11, Eph 1:6)].
2Co 5:10  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.

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (Joh 6:28-29, Rom 2:13,  Joh 20:21).

In this section of Hebrews we will be focused on how that healing can take place with those who are blessed to learn in this life what it means to ‘Be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live‘. The kind of first fruits of God’s creation which we are, must be subject to God today so that “at the end of the year” (Exo 23:16) we can be used to gather in the second harvest, “the feast of ingatherings”, which represents the rest of mankind who will be saved by being grafted into the body of Christ [‘being made subject one to another‘] with the end result of God being all in all (Jas 1:18, Exo 34:22, Joh 10:16, 1Co 15:27-28).

1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Exo 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures [“every man in his own order“].

Exo 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

God’s people are to be submitting ourselves one to another in the fear of God today as described in these verses (Eph 5:21-32), which is what it means to “Be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live”. We can’t say we love God or that we are being obedient to God’s commandments, which is what defines love, if we are not properly subject to those relationships God gives us, and so if we are not submitting ourselves one to another in the fear of God; we are not being obedient (1Jn 4:20).

Eph 5:21  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

[“This is a great mystery” of Ephesians 5:32 is not the negative example of mystery Babylon where we find a “woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (Rev 17:4-5, Isa 4:1). All those outward adornings represent how we stubbornly at first want to wear our own clothing and eat our own bread, having the outward appearance of the temple of God (1Co 3:16, Rev 21:21) but being full of dead man’s bones (Mat 23:27(]

“This is a great mystery” indeed “concerning Christ and the church” because it is hidden from a world that cannot be subject “unto the higher powers” in the same way we can be through Christ. In other words, prior to our conversion, we may have given reverence to our physical fathers even as others in the world when we had to endure their correction, but now God calls us to see the eternal benefits of being subject unto our heavenly Father which no one can do without the power of God enabling us to endure the chastening that He calls us to be subject to as the “Father of spirits” so that we can “live” (Heb 12:9, Rom 13:1-9). It takes God’s power within us (Col 1:27), the mystery that is hidden from the generations, to get us to the point where we can turn the other cheek and “resist not evil” or “for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully”. God alone can give us the power to go from glory to glory in this process of learning obedience by the things we suffer (Luk 6:29, Mat 5:39, 1Pe 2:19-21, 2Co 3:18).

Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God (Jas 4:12, Jas 1:25, Jas 2:10)
Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Rom 13:4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Rom 13:5  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Rom 13:6  For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Rom 13:7  Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law [Joh 14:15, 1Co 14:37].

When we are not subject to Christ within each other by not following each other as we follow Christ (1Co 11:1), we are committing all these sins – ‘adultery, murder, theft, bearing false witness’ – simply because we are now subject to the spirit of a harlot and have become one with her (1Co 6:16), and “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Overcoming harlotry is a lifelong endeavour as we overcome the rebellious giants in our land and in time bring every thought into subjection unto Christ. This is why we must be led by the spirit of God in order to be sons of God (Rom 8:14). This is the life-long good fight of faith to which we have been called, and we will find victory by overcoming through Jesus Christ (1Ti 6:12, 2Co 10:5).

Rom 13:9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

1Pe 2:19  For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1Pe 2:20  For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

The benefit of being “in subjection unto the Father of spirits” is contrasted with our physical parents and “we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us” or those who had influence over us to whom we gave reverence while growing up. The obvious physical and mental benefits of having good guardians through life can be very clearly seen in the physical world, whatever our circumstances were growing up, but so can the tragic results of those who are not given that opportunity. Thankfully God is a father to the fatherless (Psa 68:5-6) and has always had His sights set on saving all of mankind by turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers (Mal 4:6), starting with the elect who were called to receive each other as children of God (Mar 9:37, Mat 18:3-4).

Mal 4:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Mar 9:37  Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

In order to become that child of God who is received, we must go through a chastening process, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” God can humble us and give us a humble and contrite heart (Isa 66:2), and this has nothing to do with our supposed free will (which we don’t have), so when we read “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child” this is also Christ doing this work within us both to will and to do (Php 2:12-13).  If we endure chastening, which is also through Christ, that we are strengthened to do this (Php 4:13), God dealeth with us as with sons; “for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Heb 12:6-8). Knowing the benefits for what we’re going through is important (Mat 19:27-29, Rev 20:6), as it gives us incentive to go through the fiery trials so we can say wholeheartledy and with full assurance of faith “shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” These admonitions of God are for those who have been blessed to be given eyes to see and ears to hear so we can be motivated by what God has promised through His spiritual word which is filled with the promise that we can overcome through Christ being more than conquerors through Him (Joh 6:63, Rom 8:37).

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

We can apply this thought of having reverence to both our physical parents and also to Babylon or any situation that God had us wherein we were under some sort of tutor or governor that was appointed of the Father (Gal 4:2). This part of God’s counsel in our life was working according to His will as are all things (Eph 1:11), and if we have been predestined to be heirs, it is necessary that we don’t look back negatively at those experiences but rather give great thanks that so many people were sacrificed for us whether they were great parents by worldly standards or horrible parents so that when the fullness of time was come God would send “forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” who were given to be the first to trust in God (Eph 1:12) and understand that “verily for a few days [they] chastened us after their own pleasure; but he [‘God‘] for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.” Trusting God comes about as a result of being received of our Father, and no son can be received except we be dragged to Christ (Joh 6:44) who will cleanse our temple so we can worship our Father in spirit and in truth (Joh 2:15, 1Co 3:16, Joh 4:23-24).

Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Christ is our preeminent example regarding loving our enemies, and He learned obedience by the things He suffered and resisted taking vengeance on anyone (Mat 26:53). Through the power of God’s spirit He forgave His accusers and said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luk 23:34). This is the “profit” that this section of Hebrews is talking about, knowing that this chastening we are receiving of God is working an eternal purpose (“eternal weight of glory” – 2Co 4:17-18) so we can be “partakers of his holiness” as we learn to love our enemies and overcome the sons-of-thunder spirit that we all start off with so “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” (Luk 9:55-56, Mat 5:44-45).

Mat 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Luk 9:55  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luk 9:56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 

The fact is that flesh hates the process to which God has called us that will lead to eternal life (Joh 21:18), even though we may intimately know that keeping or continuing in His words will result in that blessing of being in the first resurrection (Joh 8:32, Joh 8:36, Joh 6:68). This is why we must cry out to God as Christ did in his time of need, and know that we will be heard as Christ was in that he feared him (Heb 5:7, Luk 12:5).

Joh 21:18  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Christ was armed with the mind of the Father, and we are to be armed with the mind of Christ in order to overcome (1Co 2:16, Joh 5:30, Joh 15:5). Christ had no delusion in His mind regarding what was going to happen to Him and neither should we if we are as He is in this flesh (1Jn 4:17, Rom 8:36).

To be armed with the mind of Christ is to know that we are lambs for the slaughter and that regardless of how we die and leave this world we must have the patience and faith of Christ within us in order to patiently possess our souls and resist sin unto the shedding of blood, which is what God can give us the power to do through Christ (Php 4:13).

Being armed with the mind of Christ does not take away the grievous trials and chastening we must go through, but with that mind of Christ (1Co 2:16) we can look to the joy which has been set before us and be reminded that God has promised that He will always faithfully “not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Co 10:13).

We are not shadow boxing (1Co 9:26) but wrestling against powers and principalities (Eph 6:12) that we could never overcome if it were not for our Lord and Saviour Who has promised to set us free and give us the victory over those powers to which He is far higher (Eph 1:21).

This wrestling match is ongoing and throughout the twelve-hour night that makes up the day of the Lord (Joh 11:9). This wrestling match of Jacob with the angel represents the whole (#4) of our life going through a process of judgment (#3) that will afterward yield “the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (4X3=12). The fullness of that “peaceable fruit of righteousness” is granted to those who are given to endure until the end and be raised as a kind of first fruits of God (Jas 1:18, 1Co 15:52, 1Co 15:58).

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. [peaceable fruit of righteousness – Heb 12:14, Rom 12:18]

[Quoting Mike: “Our salvation is not contingent upon our good works, but it is contingent upon the workmanship of Christ who has “created us unto good works”, and that is simply what the scriptures teach:” (Eph 2:8-10, Mat 7:16, Mat 7:20, Jer 29:13).]

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Because of all we have just read up to now in this section of Hebrews, we are encouraged to “lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” and “make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed“. In other words, we must and have to be about our Father’s business as Christ was (Luk 2:49) in order to be healed. It is healing to come together often, it is healing to partake of the Lord’s supper together, it is healing to know that our affliction is not uncommon as well as the joy that we experience as we share our life in Christ and come to believe together that we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom 8:37).

Luk 2:49  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

The imagery of lifting up “hands which hang down” can be found in Exodus 17:12-13 where Moses’ hands were heavy but attended to by Aaron and Hur. John the baptist also uttered these words for our sakes: (Mar 1:3). We  understand that the wilderness he was speaking of is the place where Christ gives us victory over our sinful flesh by giving us power to overcome sin, symbolized by the fit man who takes the scapegoat into the wilderness making straight paths for us with God’s spirit of power, love and soundness of mind (Lev 16:21, 2Ti 1:7).

Exo 17:12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
Exo 17:13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Mar 1:3  The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 

Peace is not an inactive state of mind as these verses demonstrate (Heb 12:14, Rom 12:18-19, Isa 9:6, Heb 7:2), but rather something that we labour to enter into through Christ (Heb 4:11-12) who is our Prince of peace and King of peace.

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Rom 12:18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Our flesh says, “Peace peace when there is no peace” and so God shows His elect that peace can only come about by warring against the powers and principalities against which we wrestle and find ourselves overcoming through Christ. Then we shall see the Lord in all circumstances as a result of pursuing “peace with all men, and holiness” (Jer 6:14, Rom 8:37). Peace comes to us when we visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, which is what pure religion requires in order to “see the Lord” that no man in the flesh can see, meaning our knowledge of Christ should be based on understanding that God’s elect are the spiritually widowed and fatherless of this world who have been adopted and grafted into the body of Christ where we visit each other or receive each other through our communion that is found in Christ (1Co 10:16).

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Heb 7:2  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Jer 6:14  They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

This specific section of Hebrews (Heb 12:17) echoes back to Hebrews 6:4-6, which circumstances should cause us to look “diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God“, remembering that “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” If we labour together with a ready mind, we will overcome and destroy the schisms that God causes to exist in order to exercise the body of Christ (1Co 12:12-27). The way we do this is by looking well unto ourselves and to the church (1Pe 5:2, Act 20:28), “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled“.

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Don’t take anything for granted. Keep fighting a good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12) and know that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Heb 11:6). It takes a lifetime of concentrated effort that is accomplished through the work God is doing within this temple which He is cleansing (Col 1:29) to overcome “any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright” within us. So, we are shown in this last verse of our study this very sobering admonition: “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Finding “no place of repentance” is the result of despising the goodness of God that leads us unto repentance (Rom 2:4). This good work of God dragging us to Christ is what we need in order to destroy all our earthly and carnal appetites that would otherwise enslave us as they once did in our former conversation or way of life (Eph 2:1-5).

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  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:
Eph 2:3  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.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

It takes only a little leaven to leaven the whole lump (Gal 5:9), or one “morsel of meat“, meaning some false doctrine that God allows to deceive the prophet (Eze 14:9). I will say this: “Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak”, because we understand that these admonitions were written for our sakes and that God can give us the victory through Christ to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling as we continue to much rather “be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live” as we look well to ourselves and the flock of which God has made us overseers (Act 20:28, 1Pe 5:2-4).

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1Pe 5:2  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1Pe 5:3  Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
1Pe 5:4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Hi Mike,

​I h​ave a question to ask.

When Christ said “Greater these things ye shall do than I​” what did that mean?

Thanks,​

G____

Hi G​____,

​It is always good to hear from you, and you are always in our prayers.

You ask what Christ meant when He said:

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

​What Christ is telling us here in this verse is that you and I will do all the things He did in a spiritual sense, rather than in a mere physical sense. If Christ is within us we will…​

Mat 10:8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

​But we will do so spiritually by giving Christ, and the Truth of His Words,​ to those who are so spiritually afflicted with the false fear​-​generating and tormenting lies of Babylon and her daughters.

​Every time we are granted to reveal t​he Truth to anyone, we have replaced a lie with the Truth. In doing so, we have ‘cleansed a leper’, we have raised the dead, and we have cast out devils spiritually. For three and a half years Christ accomplished all these things in a physical and outward manner, but during His entire physical ministry He did not save one soul spiritually because the holy spirit was not yet come, for Christ had not yet been glorified through the sacrifice of His physical body:

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Joh 7:39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 

​The giving of the holy spirit is “Christ in [us] the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). As long as Christ remained in a physical body He could not send His spirit to dwell in us. That is why it was “expedient that [He] go away”, so He could return to us via His Father’s spirit, which He tells us His Father had given to Him to give to us.

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 
Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

​There it is if you can receive it. It is the holy spirit being given to us which glorifies Christ. It is not physical healings of physical lepers. It is not the physical raising up of the physically dead that glorifies Christ, rather it is the raising up from the spiritually dead condition in which all men come into this world, which constitutes “greater works than [those]” done by Christ while He was here on earth.

​Let’s be honest with ourselves; of whom, since Christ, can this be said:

Mat 4:24  And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Mat 8:16  When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 

Luk 4:40  Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

​Of which man since Christ can this truthfully be said:

Joh 21:25  And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

​And yet Christ Himself says this of us, if indeed He lives within us:

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

​It is ‘because Christ went to His Father’ that He can now dwell within us and give us spiritual life eternal. That is much greater than all  of the physical works Christ accomplished while He was here in a marred body of flesh and blood, without the ability to yet give eternal life to anyone.

​I hope I have shown you what Christ meant when He said “greater works that these shall he do because I go unto my Father”.

Your brother and fellow servant,
Mike

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The Virtuous Body of Christ - Part 14 Discussion

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“The virtuous body of Christ” - Part 14

June 5, 2016

with Steven Crook

Today we are going to wrap up the Proverb on the virtuous woman we have been studying. In doing so, we are going to find that the work of the Lord will be being accomplished while we are still in this tabernacle and that those same works are going to be what judges us worthy of praise or not.

Favour vs Grace

The final two verses for consideration and study are:

Pro 31:30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Pro 31:31  Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

All words in scripture are inspired to have a positive and negative application and that is no different with the verses we are studying today.

When we read “favour is deceitful” what favour are we talking about?

H2580 is defined as:

H2580

chên
khane
From H2603; graciousness, that is, subjectively (kindness, favor) or objectively (beauty): - favour, grace (-ious), pleasant, precious, [well-] favoured.
Total KJV occurrences: 69

H2580
chên
BDB Definition:
1) favour, grace, charm
1a) favour, grace, elegance
1b) favour, acceptance
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H2603
Same Word by TWOT Number: 694a

Hebrew word 2580 as defined by strongs is used interchangeably as grace in the Hebrew.

H2580
chên
Total KJV Occurrences: 69
grace, 38
Gen_6:8, Gen_19:19, Gen_32:5, Gen_33:8, Gen_33:10, Gen_33:15, Gen_34:11, Gen_39:4, Gen_47:25, Gen_47:29, Gen_50:4, Exo_33:12-13 (3), Exo_33:16-17 (2), Exo_34:9, Num_32:5, Jdg_6:17, Rth_2:2, Rth_2:10, 1Sa_1:18, 1Sa_20:3, 1Sa_27:5, 2Sa_14:22, 2Sa_16:4, Est_2:17, Psa_45:2, Psa_84:11, Pro_1:9, Pro_3:22, Pro_3:34, Pro_4:9, Pro_22:11, Jer_31:2, Zec_4:7 (2), Zec_12:10
favour, 26
Gen_18:3, Gen_30:27, Exo_3:21 (2), Exo_11:3, Exo_12:36, Num_11:11, Num_11:15, Deu_24:1, Rth_2:13, 1Sa_16:22, 1Sa_20:29, 1Sa_25:8, 2Sa_15:25, 1Ki_11:19, Est_2:15, Est_5:2, Est_5:8, Est_7:3, Est_8:5, Pro_3:4, Pro_13:15, Pro_22:1, Pro_28:23, Pro_31:30, Ecc_9:11
gracious, 2
Pro_11:16, Ecc_10:12
pleasant, 1
Pro_5:19
precious, 1
Pro_17:8
wellfavoured, 1
Nah_3:4

When looking at favor being deceitful, and knowing that favor seemly means grace, what grace could we be talking about? Let’s look at the differences in the favor of men versus the favor of God.

The favor and grace of God:

Gen 18:1  And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
Gen 18:2  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
Gen 18:3  And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Gen 30:27  And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.

Exo 3:21  And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
Exo 3:22  But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

Pro 22:1  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Gen 6:8  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Gen 39:2  And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
Gen 39:3  And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Gen 39:4  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

Pro 3:34  Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

Pro 4:7  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Pro 4:8  Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
Pro 4:9  She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

Ecc 10:12  The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

Looking at the “natural” grace of men, then we will see the application of the negative aspect of grace. Grave from men is not always a negative thing so I am not trying to imply that, but seeking the praise and grace of men versus that which is of God is what I am focusing on.

When comparing the grace of men versus the grace of God, this is what we find we are dealing with:

Nah 3:3  The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:
Nah 3:4  Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured H2580 harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

We’ve read a lot about riches of this world and being rich in the spirit, and our old man wants nothing more than to be favored by others in this world because it builds us up to “be something” when in fact we are blind and nothing at all relating to the kingdom of God.

The favored virtuous woman of God will understand that having favor of God and keeping His commandments is much more important than being favored in this world because we are willing to run the same excess of riot that they do.  The virtuous woman will KNOW this is true because she herself at ONE TIME did run with those that riot.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch 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;
1Pe 4:2  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.
1Pe 4:3  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
1Pe 4:4  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
1Pe 4:5  Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

When we realize this and take it all into account, then we will know Jesus Christ our Husband and knowing Him will give us Godly fear because He is ALWAYS pointing to His Father!

Pro 22:1  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Pro 31:30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

By now we know this woman being talked about is not just any ol virtuous woman, but she is the wife of Jesus Christ.

Knowing the mind of Christ concerning those that fear God reveals to us why fearing the Lord shall be praised. There can be whole studies done on what the fear of the Lord is but due to lack if time I will simply just use a few scriptures to point out the overall concept of what the fear of the Lord is and why it is worthy of praise.

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

2Ch 19:7  Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

Pro 15:33  The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Pro 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Psa 19:9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

If you just type in “fear of the Lord” in e-sword, you’ll have a lot of verses returned to you with a lot of context on what the Lord tells us is the fear of the Lord.

Anyone who discounts the importance of this fear simply has not been given eyes to see and ears to hear that this FEAR is the acknowledgement that the Lord is in complete and utter control over all things and works all things after the counsel of His own will.

Anyone that has the fear of the Lord, is listening to the voice of their Husband because Jesus Christ Himself had the fear of God working within Him!

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

The spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, and the spirit of knowledge are ALL CONNECTED with the fear of the Lord and for good reason.

Without this fear, one CANNOT judge righteous judgment and we MUST be able to JUDGE!!

This is why our Husband is not ashamed to call us His wife. His words are on our lips and His commandments are in our hearts and minds.

This directly reflects why the end of this chapter talks about favor and fear together ALONG with WORKS and JUDGMENT.

Pro 31:30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Pro 31:31  Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

You might be saying that these verses do not mention anything about judgment, but here is what is mentioned right after Isaiah 11:1-2:

Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Why are favor, fear works and judgment all connected together?

If you remember back to our last few studies, we cover what the “greater works than these” are concerning the work that this virtuous woman does throughout her life.

One of the aspects that I did not cover is that judgement and deliverance from the thing being judged is directly connected together.

What do I mean with that statement?

When Jesus Christ told His disciples that they would be going to all the nations of the earth to spread the gospel, and we are His disciples indeed, He was not telling all His disciples that they would PHYSCICALLY be required to go to all nations of this planet.

Rather, this is a message of Spirit and Life.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mat 24:16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Joh 6:62  What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Joh 6:64  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

So, combining this all together, what is the link between the fruit of this virtuous woman’s hands and her works praising her in the gates?

If we know what spiritual fruit is and what the spiritual gate is and what the works being spoken about are, then we can find an answer to this question.

Mar 11:17  And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Isa 56:1  Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

Isa 56:5  Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Isa 56:6  Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:7  Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

What is the gate a part of? It is a gate to a city within a kingdom. Within this kingdom sits a house and in this house righteous judgment is always handed out, but there is only one Way that is True.

Hint: It has something to do with Jesus Christ.

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The work this virtuous woman is always doing is CONERNING HER HOUSEHOLD!

Don’t you know that you are the TEMPLE of the Living God and the Spirit of God dwells within you?

Jesus came to show us that the physical healing and feeding of others was but for a moment, but the works we DO are those works which give LIFE, TRUTH and a WAY to live our lives while still dwelling in this constantly moving tabernacles through the wilderness of this flesh.

Yes, many of the “greater works” we will do will be done WITHIN OURSELVES!! How can that be and how can I make such a BOLD CLAIM?

Isn’t that taking credit for doing my OWN WORKS? NO! It is simply knowing the difference between claiming I ALONE do these things and taking credit for it and knowing that WHILE I work God the Father as predestinated that I will work out my own salvation because He is IN HIS TEMPLE WILLING and DOING his GOOD PLEASURE.

While we live out our lives as this virtuous body of Christ, we will be honored and recognized by God while we sit in the gates with our Husband.

While we are there, our focus is to be content with the situations the Lord has placed us in because while much of this experience in the flesh is very hard and trying, we ARE HIS WIFE and very few of this worlds human population can accurately make such a bold claim!

Notice when we are told to be content. It is a bit veiled, but I pray Jesus lifts the veil on our hearts and minds concerning this point.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Being the Sons of God is what is PRODCUED by our relationship with our Husband Jesus Christ. You might ask how it is possible to be the FRUIT of the thing that PRODCUES the FRUIT, but this is a spiritual concept and one that is complete none sense to the natural mind.

Sons of God, the fruit, are products of Jesus Christ and the WORK which is done in His virtuous wife. For these things, the virtuous woman is to be praised above all others.

I hope this series has helped us all know and understand a little bit more about just how much our Lord loves us all!

The following bible study was given at Marshall, MI on April 22, 2006 by Mike Vinson

Psa 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.

New Testament version:

Mat 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Mat 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

When did this change?

Mat 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Mat 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

When did this come to an end? Did this request by the Jews bring Christ’s parables to an end?

Joh 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly

They referred to their condition as “doubtful.” Christ told them to their face that they were blind:

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him hear these words and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

We will come back to this verse

So maybe Christ began to speak plainly right after He made this statement:

Joh 16:25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: bu the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

This is just before Christ’s crucifixion. Surely after His resurrection He will begin to speak to the disciples plainly.

But He does not. And when we come to the book of Revelation many years later, He seems to be deeper than ever into types, shadows, parables and dark sayings. So what does this tell us of everything concerning the physical events which occurred during Christ’s ministry? Here is what it tells us:

1Co 10:11 (a) Now all these things happened unto them [ the people of Christs day] for ensamples [ as ‘tupos’]: and they are written for our admonition…

Some Types

Healing the leper

Mat 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
Mat 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Mat 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Mat 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

We are healed of our incurable sins to go and be a testimony against the house of Israel.

Healing the paralytic

Mat 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
Mat 9:2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
Mat 9:3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
Mat 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
Mat 9:5 For whether is easier, to say, [ Thy] sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
Mat 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Why was this man healed? Was it because he was sick? “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins…“

Healing of the man blind from birth

Joh 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from [ his- all of us] birth.
Joh 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Joh 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Joh 9:6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
Joh 9:7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
Joh 9:8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
Joh 9:9 Some said, This is he: others [ said], He is like him: [ but] he said, I am [ he].
Joh 9:10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
Joh 9:11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
Joh 9:12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
Joh 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
Joh 9:14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
Joh 9:15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
Joh 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
Joh 9:17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
Joh 9:18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
Joh 9:19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
Joh 9:20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
Joh 9:21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
Joh 9:22 These [ words] spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Joh 9:23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
Joh 9:24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
Joh 9:25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner [ or no], I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
Joh 9:26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
Joh 9:27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear [ it] again? will ye also be his disciples?
Joh 9:28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
Joh 9:29 We know that God spake unto Moses: [ as for] this [ fellow], we know not from whence he is.
Joh 9:30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and [ yet] he hath opened mine eyes.
Joh 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
Joh 9:32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
Joh 9:33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
Joh 9:34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Joh 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
Joh 9:36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
Joh 9:37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
Joh 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40 And [ some] of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Why are we born blind? “that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”
Why has Christ healed us of our disease? “that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”

Healing of a man who was deaf and dumb

Mar 7:32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
Mar 7:33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
Mar 7:34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
Mar 7:35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
Mar 7:36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

Feeding the four and the five thousand

Jesus feeds the multitudes – [ part of a study done by Noelia Loomis]

Mat 14:16-21

The first time Jesus fed the multitudes, the disciples had asked Jesus to send the multitude away because there was nothing to eat. Jesus told the disciples to feed them themselves. Of course, He knew they could not feed the multitude. The disciples did not know how or where to even begin the task. After all, He is the vine, we are the branches; the vine takes the nourishment from the ground and passes it onto the branches.

Mat 14:16 But Jesus said to them, They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.

The disciples realized they were not up to the task (without Him we are nothing) and “they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish” – five- signifying grace & faith in the word and, two- fish signifying to witnesses- Jesus and the Father. Jesus came to reveal the Father
The disciples were learning, like us, that only Jesus could feed the multitude. We like, they were, are vessels of God.

Mat 14:17 Jesus then said “Bring them here to Me“.
Mat 14:18 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
Mat 14:19 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.
Mat 14:20 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

In this account, Jesus is establishing in type the Kingdom of God, the Government of God. The Kingdom is established through grace and faith. The gift of God’s Word is poured onto all men (5000 men). Abraham (God) gave all that He had to Issac (Jesus and the Elect), but to the 6 sons son of Keturah (all men), he gave gifts. Gen 25:3-6.

The second time, Jesus feeds the multitudes- Four thousand

Mat 15:31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
Mat 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples [ unto him], and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, (process of maturation) and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
Mat 15:33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
Mat 15:34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
Mat 15:35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
Mat 15:36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. (seven signifies completion in judgment; being completely judged by the Word of God in this life; we are but little fish with no strength of our own realizing this we rely completely on Him at every moment).
Mat 15:37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. [ Christ’s Words will always exceed our ability to distribute it to the multitudes]
Mat 15:38 And they that did eat were four thousand men [ the whole earth is fed of the Word of God through His elect], beside women and children.
Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Luk 24:50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
Luk 24:51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven
Luk 24:52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
Luk 24:53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen

Where did Jesus go?

Mat 28:20 (b) … Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Conclusion

Now we have opened eyes, opened ears, our inability to speak plainly is healed. We have eyes to see; we have ears to hear; and we are given a commission:

Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Mat 14:16 But Jesus said to them, They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Miracles of Jesus

This lists all the miracles of Christ in order. And Christ tells us “Greater works than these shall ye do… “

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [ works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Other Miracles of Jesus

Mike,

Another question if you don’t mind. If answering is a low priority because of the volume of mail you get, I can wait for your response. This is not a trap, I just wish to know more regarding your understanding of many “Charismatic/Pentecostal” teachings. How has your ‘theology’ changed over time regarding such things as: Jesus said certain signs would follow those who believe. What is your understanding of the following Scriptures? Do you lay hands on the sick for them to recover? Do you cast out devils? Pick up serpents? Drink poison?

One idea I hold onto regarding when to lay hands on the sick, expecting something miraculous, and when to ‘perform’ something likened to a ‘sign’ I apply the following Scriptures [Joh 5:19-21], believing if the Father wills; He will show; then I will do. Where am I wrong?

R____

Hi R____,

This is a question that any thinking child of God must face. I am a believer. Am I casting out demons, speaking in languages, taking up serpents, drinking deadly things and not being hurt by them, praying for and seeing the sick healed?

The only thing in this list that I can answer in the affirmative is that, along with many others, I prayed for a friend with terminal cancer, and he was healed. To be honest, I must say that the healing surprised me. I had never experienced such a thing before or since. I have prayed for just such people before. I have had many prayers that have been answered, but not in such a miraculous and obvious way. To tell the truth, I know of no one who believes who actually has all these signs following them. There are, of course, many who claim some of these signs. No one I know claims to have all these signs following them. It seems that the most common claim is that of ‘speaking with new tongues.’ As I told you, I was raised a Pentecostal, but I never saw anything resembling an Acts 2 experience.

Likewise I have never seen constant throngs following today’s ‘healers’ as they did Christ. Anyone who could pray for people and have them healed as consistently as Christ did would also have people tearing off roof tops to lower the sick down to them. No one does this, and there are no constant throngs pressing to ‘touch the hem of the garments’ of today’s healers. There are a few surviving ‘tempting the Lord thy God’ snake handlers, but their numbers are on the wane for obvious reasons. While Paul’s shaking off the serpent into the fire and being unharmed by its bite is the only Biblical example of ‘taking up serpents,’ there is not one example in all of scripture of anyone who ever ‘drank any deadly thing and was not hurt.’

What I am getting at is that if “these signs shall follow them that believe” means that anyone without these signs is not a believer, then I personally know of no such believer. Does this fact (the fact that these signs are not following me on a regular basis) make me doubt that I am a believer? No, I do not doubt that Christ died for my sins. I am equally confident of my standing in Christ. I am also completely confident that God is capable of healing, giving the gift of foreign languages, casting out demons, and keeping me from being hurt by deadly poisons. The scriptures tell me not to tempt God by deliberately drinking poisons or picking up poisonous snakes.

Deu 6:16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

Even ‘tongues are for a sign to unbelievers‘.

1Co 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying [serveth] not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Here is what Christ had to say about ‘signs’:

Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Now if “an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign”, then who are the signs of Mar 16:9-20 for?

Are we to believe that “tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not,” but casting out demons, snake handling and drinking poison are signs to believers to demonstrate who these believers are? No, if that is the case, then you might as well quit corresponding with me and probably every other Christian you know who does not have these ‘signs following.’

What it all boils down to is THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A “BELIEVER” AND A “DISCIPLE INDEED.” Look at a scripture that deals with “many” mere ‘believers.’

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? [healed the sick, picked up serpents, drank deadly poisons]
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This “many,” is the same “many” in this verse:

Luk 21:8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them

Note that they don’t just say that Jesus is the Christ, but they also say “the time draweth near.”

Now, does Christ deny that they have “in thy name done many wonderful works?” No, He does not. He simply says then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. This is in complete accord with, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign.

Does anyone think that these are just desperate people, willing to lie to avoid ‘Gehenna fire?’ No, these are “those… who believed in Him.”

Joh 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

And what do these mere ‘believers’ end up wanting to do to this Christ in whom they believe?

Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

So “many” who “believe in Him” “seek after a sign.”

Any prayers that are answered for a mature Christian, a ‘uihos,’ as opposed to an immature ‘nepios,’ will always be dependent upon their faith and not vice versa. It is those who are not immediately ‘delivered from their Roman oppressors,’ who will end up wanting to kill Christ. Of course, they won’t know that is what they are doing; forgive them for they know not what they do. They, like the Jews of Christ’s day, when they finally realize that Christ has not brought a ‘prosperity (deliverance from oppression) gospel,’ fall victims to those whose faith depends upon “in thy name doing many wonderful works.”

Can we continue to serve God when we are suffering in pain from disease or from persecutions, or from the pains of rejections of every sort?

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Whoever believes that every prayer is supposed to be immediately answered is nothing less than a diapered baby screaming to be fed. They don’t believe in the need for “the trying of your faith worketh patience.” They don’t understand that, In your patience possess ye your souls (Luk 21:19).

Still we have Paul telling us:

2Co 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

Also, of course, we have these verses from Mark:

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mar 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

So how are we to harmonize “the signs of an apostle” with “an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign?”

Here are the words of Christ that will keep us from ever following a “false apostle” or losing our faith, even if our prayers are not answered. Here is the only thing we are to look for that cannot be used as “strong delusion.”

Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits [not their ‘gifts’]. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit [Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,]; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit [but it can have ‘signs’], neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Of those who believe that ‘obeying the words of Christ’ is more important than ‘signs and wonders,’ Christ continues:

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended [unanswered prayers, trials, tribulations and tests], and the floods came [persecutions from “ungodly men” Psa 18:4 “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid”], and the winds blew [false doctrines supported by ‘signs and wonders; Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;], and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock [“these sayings of mine”].
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand [faith based on ‘signs and lying wonders’]:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Now notice what happens to be tucked in between verses 21 and 24. We have already quoted it above:

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

So should we pray for the sick? Absolutely! We should beg God for His mercy and healing power when we are in need.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual [one who is putting his salvation into effect in his daily life] fervent [wholehearted] prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Should we cast out demons? If God has given you that gift, absolutely!

Should we speak in foreign languages? If you have that gift and follow the instructions of 1 Corinthians 14, absolutely!

Should we ‘take up serpents and drink deadly things?’ Only if the serpent “fastens onto your hand.”

Act 28:3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

Only if you accidentally drink poison.

Deu 6:16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God…

But do all believers have to have these signs following? Is our faith to be based on these signs? Absolutely not!

1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts [one of which Paul specifies as “speaking unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort”]: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

This “more excellent way” is the way of unconditional ‘agape’ love, with which 1 Corinthians 13 concerns itself. It is the exact same thing as “hearing these sayings of mine and doing them,” of Matthew 7:25.

One idea I hold onto regarding when to lay hands on the sick, expecting something miraculous, and when to ‘perform’ something likened to a ‘sign’ I apply the following Scriptures [Joh 5:19-21], believing if the Father wills; He will show; then I will do. Where am I wrong?

No, you are not wrong to do what “the Father… will show.” If the Lord tells you to do something, you had better do it! But know it is the Word of the Lord, and then, let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed (Jas 1:6).

Joh 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Joh 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

I have underlined two of the above verses, because I believe they are the explanation of:

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Physical healings, casting out demons, speaking in foreign languages are all wonderful for a very short time. However, no one was “quickened” while Christ remained in the flesh. Those things accomplished through His ‘many membered body’ are indeed “greater works than these.” As He is so are we in this world (1Jn 4:17). So we ‘can do nothing of ourselves, but what we seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth we likewise’ (Joh 5:19).