Isa 24:19-23 The Lord Shall Punish the Host of the High Ones On High - Discussion

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Isa 24:19-23  The Lord Shall Punish the Host of the High Ones On High and the Kings of The Earth Upon the Earth

Isa 24:19  The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
Isa 24:20  The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
Isa 24:21  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
Isa 24:22  And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
Isa 24:23  Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

These last five verses of this 24th chapter of Isaiah have a more universal, all-inclusive tone than do the preceding verses of this chapter. Being all-inclusive means that while these verses have a primarily personal application, these verses also include all "the host of the high ones on high".

The end of this chapter and the next two chapters concern themselves with the resurrection of the dead, which has not been the focus of this 24th chapter up to this point. Notice how prominent to this point is "the earth" in this 24th chapter of Isaiah. "The earth" or "the land" are mentioned in:

Isa 24:1  Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

"The land" is the subject of verse 3, and "the earth" is the subject of the next three verses:

Isa 24:3  The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
Isa 24:4  The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
Isa 24:5  The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
Isa 24:6  Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

That is the subject and the tone of this entire chapter including the first two verses of today's study:

Isa 24:19  The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
Isa 24:20  The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

Now we go beyond the fact that the kingdom of our old man "shall fall, and not rise again".

Notice how Peter refers to this time:

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Judgment begins at the house of God, but it builds to a consummation, as it did with Job, with King David, and with our Lord and His Christ. The flesh of all men is doomed because it was tailor "made... for the of evil" in every one of us:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

This is not some one else who is being called "the wicked". We are all "the wicked... man of sin" as the apostle Paul tells us:

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

That is "the wicked... made [by] the Lord... for Himself... for the day of evil".

King David knew this and told us exactly who this man of sin is from our birth:

Psa 51:4  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

We were shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin for this express purpose.... "that Thous might be justified when you speak and be clear when you judge [us]".

David goes on to explain:

Psa 75:7  But God is the judge: he putteth down one [our "old man"], and setteth up another ["the new man, the last Adam"].
Psa 75:8  For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

And exactly who is "the wicked of the earth" who must drink of the cup of the Lord's wrath? This is not a guessing game, the answer is made super clear:

Psa 53:3  Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Rom 3:12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

We must acknowledge our spiritually dead composition before the process of the Lord's judgment can begin in our lives:

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Does not this verse tell us that Christ's body of flesh was itself, as sin offering which could not inherit the kingdom of God and had to be relinguished as an offering for our sins? Are we not also being told that when Christ comes into our lives He is right at that time "appear[ing] the second time without sin unto salvation"? Yes, that is what we are being told if we are given eyes that see and ears that hear "the things of the spirit" (1Co 2:14). It is at that time that He enters into His own temple, and we begin to enter into His temple "which temple [we] are" (1Co 3:16). None of this can take place until the seven plagues of the seven angels have been fulfilled withing our lives:

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple ["which temple we are"], till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled [within our lives]"

​We begin to see the inward, heavenly application of all these words, when we are informed:

Isa 24:21  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

This is the verse which demonstrates that the spirit realm is raised up to be judged along with those who were before in the natural realm because this verse states clearly "...in that day, the Lord will punish the host of the high ones on high AND the kings of the earth upon the earth". These words accord with:

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Clearly the spirit realm, "the high ones on high", is there "together with the kings of the earth upon the earth." They are not raised up at different times to be judged.

Making this very point, earlier in this same prophecy we are told:

Isa 13:11  And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

It is the Lord's anger with which He punishes us and "the high ones on high" for our evil and our iniquity:

Deu 32:22  For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

'The invisible things of God are understood by the things that are made' (Rom 1:20), so the principle of punishing evil is just as true in the heavens as it is on the earth:

Job 15:15  Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

The New Testament makes this same assertion:

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

It is in "the heaven itself" that the ultimate struggle for our hearts and minds takes place:

Eph 6:12  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (NET)

That is "the heavens" where the Lord dwells:

Psa 11:4  The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

What do 'the eyes of the Lord trying the children of men' have to do with the Lord being in His temple in heaven? It has everything to do with His temple because, Stephen, the first martyr after Christ's death and resurrection, tells us that Isaiah's words...

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

...are informing us that "the Most High does not even dwell in temples made with hands":

Act 7:47  But Solomon built him an house.
Act 7:48  Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
Act 7:49  Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me?

If "the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands", and yet "the Lord is in His holy temple... in heaven", where, then, is His true 'temple", and exactly where is 'heaven'?

Here is the Biblical answer to both of those questions:

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The physical temple was never the temple of God. It was merely a type and shadow of the true temple, which is within us. Likewise, the physical heavens are not the true heavens. The physical heavens and the limitless nature of those heavens are just a type and shadow of the endlessness of the kingdom of God within the spiritual realm of the heavens within us.

This incredible revelation is repeated in second Corinthians:

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

King David informed us:

Psa 11:4  The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

"The Lord is... purifying... the heavens themselves [by] trying the children of men... in the temple of God... [where we] as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing [our]self that [we are] God".

2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

It is as we saw earlier in the book of Job:

Job 15:15  Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

These are the defiled heavens in which we live before the Lord appears to us to begin to devour our old man "with the brightness of His coming" with the light of His Truth. This is the realm of the confounded 'sun' and the "dark[ened] moon" which will be "dissolved" and will no longer exist.

Jeremiah is speaking to us about this very process of the Lord cleansing His temple when he warns us:

Jer 7:8  Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. [The trinity, the immortality of the soul, eternal hell fire, substitutionary atonement, free will, etc.]
Jer 7:9  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
Jer 7:10  And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

Our flesh proclaims that it does not murder others, does not commit adultery, does not tell lies or swear falsely, does not burn incense to Baal and does not walk after other gods. But who among us has not hated another person, has not believed the lies of Babylon and has never taught those lies to others? Who among us has never prayed to another God thinking we were praying to the true God of heaven, all the while living by the doctrine of "another Jesus"? We have all done all of those things in various ways and at different times, and therefore we are all guilty of murder, adultery, falsely swearing, burning incense to another Jesus and living out the false doctrines of that false Messiah.

All these lying false doctrines we have all believed, and by which we have lived and conducted our lives, are "the high ones on high", the "spiritual wickedness in the heavens", which are even now being judged and punished in the work of the Lord's wrath as He pours out His judgments upon His own house, which is within us in our own lives.

Eph 6:12  For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (NWT)

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?

"Not against flesh and blood" means that our ultimate battle is not really in this physical realm. It appears to be that way, but the Truth is that we are warring against a spiritual realm which directs and guides every event taking place in this physical realm, as the apostle Paul makes so very clear:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinatedaccording to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

The Hebrew word translated as 'delivered' in the phrase, "we are delivered to do all these abominations" is the same Hebrew word translated as 'saved' in:

2Sa 19:9  And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved [H5337 natsal] us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

"Delivered" is a perfectly good translation, but 'saved' is also an acceptable translation of the Hebrew word 'natsal'. In other words, we are all guilty in our own time of believing that we are saved so we can continue on in our sins. We actually convince ourselves "we are delivered to do these abominations" (Jer 7:10). However, the Lord is not mocked, and we do reap what we sow, as Jeremiah warns in this same seventh chapter:

Jer 7:20  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
Jer 15:14  And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.

The anger and fury of the Lord is poured out upon "this place", and "this place" means His own house, His own temple, meaning His own people:

Jer 7:9  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
Jer 7:10  And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

Once the Lord's "fire is kindled... upon [us]", and once it is in the process of burning up all the wood, hay and stubble within us, then the Lord Himself begins to take up His abode within us.

Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

"The high and holy place" the Lord dwells in is "with him... that is of a contrite and humble spirit". That is where the Lord dwells:

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look [as a house and a place of rest], even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

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

"The spirit of God dwells in you... in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit".

Our old man has his own 'moon' and his own 'sun', and everything he considers to be his 'light' is really nothing more or less than a minister of Satan", masquerading "as an angel of light", and this is what we are told of him and His 'light':

Mat 6:23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

We are told "the kingdom of God [with its temple and its cities] is within you":

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

"The kingdom of God is within [us]" but only in "earnest", only in down-payment form at this time. That is the form in which we are now the sons of God, and that is the way it will remain "until the inheritance of the purchased possession", meaning 'until the first resurrection' when the actual physical "kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ":

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

This is "the redemption of the purchased possession":

Rev 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. [Rise up from the dead]
Rev 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

The death of our flesh must take place before we can know resurrected life. Death is a prison for all flesh, and without a resurrection even the dead in Christ are perished in that prison (1Co 15:18), as our final verses in this chapter tell us:

Isa 24:22  And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

As we saw in last week's study, the shaking of the olive tree and the fig tree are one and the same, and they are ours to live and to experience in our own way, as are "all things" for all men:

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; [Ecc 9:2]

"All things" includes being "shut up in the prison" which we all experience inwardly as being dead in our sins until Christ comes and delivers us out of our prison of spiritual death:

Psa 146:7  Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:

Isa 42:6  I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isa 42:7  To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Isa 49:8  Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
Isa 49:9  That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

That all of this refers to Christ and His Christ is made clear in the gospel of Luke:

Luk 4:17  And there was delivered unto him [Christ] the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luk 4:20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luk 4:21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Christ said this of Himself: "he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord". It is given to very few to realize the depth of the truth of these words:

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

The Old Testament reads "Bring out the prisoners from the prison", and when Christ reads these words in the synagogue in Nazareth, He tells us "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears", because He Himself has come to bring us forth out of the prison of sin which is in our members making us do the things we don't even want to do, but we are prisoners to "the law of sin which is in our members" (Rom 7:17-25).

Job tells us that there is also a dispensational application to these words. In his longing to die and be relieved of his misery, he speaks of the rest to be had in the grave in these words:

Job 3:18  There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

Here in our study we are told that the dead are held in this prison "together":

Isa 24:22  And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

The implication here is that the dead are gathered together in the grave and are all visited together "after many days", meaning "in the end of days", at the great white throne judgment which follows the short season of rebellion against the "rod of iron", the rulership of the saints of God during the millennium.

At that time the sea will give up its dead, and death and the grave will give up the dead in them, and they will all be judged according to their works. In Revelation 20 we are given the time line of events leading up to the destruction of death, "the last enemy to be destroyed" (1Co 15:22-28):

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, ["a little season"]
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. ["the nations in the four quarters of the earth"]
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

"Death and [Greek: hades, the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death". In other words, "the second death" is the destruction of death. As we are told earlier in 1Co 15:

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

All bodies of flesh and blood must be destroyed to be replaced with resurrected spiritual bodies:

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

A million sermons to the contrary will not change the truth that all resurrected bodies are "raised a spiritual body... a quickening [Greek: life giving] body", no longer subject to death.

When all of this becomes known to us:

Isa 24:23  Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

These are the moon and the sun of the old heavens which are being replaced  [because] the first heaven and the first earth were passed away". The new heavens and the new earth will not need a sun and moon.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

The new heavens with the new Sun and the new moon will never be confounded or ashamed. The old 'sun' and the old 'moon' will no longer even be needed. There is no more sea, the symbol of all flesh (Rev 13:1), and "the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed" because neither will there be any more sun or moon:

Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

In our next study, if the Lord wills, we will rejoice in the fact that death is swallowed up in victory:

Isa 25:1  O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Isa 25:2  For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
Isa 25:3  Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.
Isa 25:4  For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
Isa 25:5  Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
Isa 25:6  And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
Isa 25:7  And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
Isa 25:8  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Isa 25:9  And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Isa 25:10  For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.
Isa 25:11  And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.
Isa 25:12  And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

This Psalm is an exposé of the reverence which we are to have toward God as expressed in the first verse “The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.”

One way in which fear or reverence of God is formed which can move the earth (Rom 8:14) is when He reveals the order that he has put in the body of Christ, and gives us to understand that “he sitteth between the cherubims” and ordained from the foundation of the world the “gifts” (Eph 4:8) which bless us and enable us to dwell in peace and harmony as we learn of His greatness within His house/temple which we are (Ezr 1:5, Psa 127:1, 1Co 3:16).

The physical creation in the micro and the macro declares that glory and order of God and leaves us in awe and wonder when we consider the physical work of His hands which reflects the greater spiritual work being formed within our heavens (Psa 19:1, Rom 1:20). The body of Christ is raised in heavenly places for the purpose of going unto perfection (Eph 2:6), and like the physical heavens, all is unfolding decently and in order and according to the counsel of His will Who has laid the foundations and declared the end from the beginning (1Co 14:40, Eph 1:11, Psa 102:25, Ezr 3:11-12, 1Pe 1:9, 1Pe 1:13).

I want to look at the word “gifts”, the word “conscience”, the verses in “Eph 5:19-33”, and the phrases “from the beginning” and “the beginning” to hopefully help bring to life this title verse in our study, as we consider how God is laying a foundation through the lives of His people, “the cherubims” (of verse 1), who are those lively stones that are being moved and assembled by our loving Father who is the author and finisher of our faith through Christ (1Pe 2:5, Heb 12:2, Eph 2:10, Php 1:6).

Starting with the word “gifts”:

Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures [type of the gifts bestowed upon Christ’s body], they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. [The three separate gifts show the process of growing in these gifts which God says we ought to covet to share with the body of Christ which is formed through judgment].

Christ’s life is formed in us through the death of the first man Adam, and the process of this death through judgment is symbolized in these three gifts which were brought to Jesus as a baby.

Mat 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? [1Co 12:31]

1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. [1Co 14:3]
1Co 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

1Co 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
1Co 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: [Christ is not against Christ; we are not a house divided (Mar 3:24, 1Co 1:13)] and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. [Luk 6:46, Luk 10:20]
1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1Co 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? [Joh 5:30, Joh 15:5]
Heb 2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. [Rev 11:15, 2Co 1:24]
Heb 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Heb 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

Heb 8:3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Heb 8:4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: [1Jn 4:17, Heb 4:16]

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh [Type and shadow for us today to remind us that our offering is acceptable to God through Christ because we are dead to sin and alive in Christ as His two witnesses-our gift of being a living sacrifice is accepted through Christ whereas the gifts exchanged by the flesh are rejected of God (Rev 11:10)].

Rev 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

The gifts God has given us are for the perfecting of the saints’ “conscience”.

Heb 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

1Co 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
1Co 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
1Co 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

Act 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

1Ti 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

These verses in Eph 5:19-33 that we’ll look at now help explain how the spiritual foundation is laid in the church that, when heard and followed (Rom 10:17), settles us in Christ by holding faith and a good conscience; as we move forward blessed to be “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience”:

Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Eph 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
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.
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. [Christ]

The next series of verses we will examine should reassure us that all the foundations which God has laid prior to Christ coming to earth [from the beginning] were type and shadow foundations of Christ the rock on which God’s love is founded:

1Jn 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery [1Ti 3:9], which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God [it’s not that it was not there, but it was hid], who created all things by Jesus Christ:

2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

1Jn 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
1Jn 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
1Jn 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
1Jn 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

1Jn 2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1Jn 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you [Joh 8:31], which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father [3Jn 1:4].

1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1Jn 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

2Jn 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

The last section we’ll look at of the list I mentioned at the start of the study is the expression “the beginning” which makes clear to us that the Lord is that foundation that God purposed for all of humanity, the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending”, who is building the church today, preparing the bride of Christ (Rev 19:7, Mat 16:18), so we can be that foundational government that will rule and reign under him during the millennium (Rev 7:4, Rev 20:6, 1Co 6:3). Let us be glad and rejoice!

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

The decency and order spoken of in 1Co 14:40 cannot be overstated, and Psalm 99 helps us see what is at the heart and core of every healthy relationship in Christ, just as we also saw in Ephesians chapter five, which lays the foundation for us in the church.

The entire decent and orderly process of God’s counsel is leading to perfection on the third day, a process that starts with the elect (Luk 13:32). There has to be patience developed to possess our souls within that order (Luk 21:19) as we witness the increase that comes in His time and through the means which God has ordained it to happen (2Ki 19:29, Lev 19:23, Luk 13:6-9, Luk 13:32, 1Co 3:6).

This Psalm points to the humbled and contrite heart that God forms in those who are blessed to worship him in spirit and truth in this age as they learn of that order which is formed through an obedience that He teaches us through judgment and by the things we endure through this life (1Pe 4:17, Rom 2:4, Psa 95:8, Pro 3:11, Heb 5:8).

Worshipping God in spirit and truth is formed through judgment, and although there can be order and peace and harmony and reverence in any physical relationship, it will ultimately lead to death if that relationship is not founded on obedience to Christ. There must be a cleansing of the temple before we can properly worship God in spirit and in truth (Pro 14:12, Mat 7:27, Joh 2:15, Joh 4:23).

Through Christ, however, we can receive peace that passes all understanding through judgment upon our vine [our life] that will ultimately bear much fruit in this age (Joh 15:8) if we are blessed to receive His mercy which will enable us to abide in Christ (Rom 11:17-20, Joh 8:32). He works with his people and enables us to endure unto the end (Joh 15:5, Php 2:13) as we are grafted into Christ and His body through that judgment which is shadowed in the digging about and dunging of which is spoken in Luk 13:8 that sets the stage for works/growth that God has predestined from the foundation of the world that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10, Joh 10:7-10).

God’s judgment, which comes upon all men in time, is filled with mercy and produces His righteousness, or as stated in verse four “thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob”. The fruit that is born through his judgment and righteousness working in our heavens is a new creation (2Co 5:17) that wants to exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool (vs 5).

We cannot have spiritual order in our life until we are judged by the Lord and brought to see our need for it. God answers us from the cloudy pillar in verse seven because we are being reminded that we see through a glass darkly and not the other way around. God’s vision is not clouded in regard to who we are and where we are spiritually. He knows our hearts perfectly and takes vengeance on our sins, and once we are brought through the storms which He raises in our lives, we are blessed to find our safe haven in Him where we greatly desire to exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy hill. It is only after that judgment that we are brought to recognize the holiness of God, the order and the mercy and truth that are always bound about His neck for our sakes whom He loves.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

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.

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Psa 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
Psa 99:2 The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.
Psa 99:3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
Psa 99:4 The king’s strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
Psa 99:5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
Psa 99:6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
Psa 99:7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
Psa 99:8 Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
Psa 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

Psa 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

When we are blessed to see that “The LORD reigneth” and is completely sovereign (Eph 1:11), we will tremble at His word, for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Lord (Isa 66:2, Heb 10:31, Jas 2:19).

The words “sitteth the cherubims” is a witness to us of His great power working in the church today as that Godly fear working within us works to move our heaven and earth (Php 2:13, Rom 8:14) that He is establishing or making new (Rev 21:1, Jer 22:29) as He “sitteth^H3427 the cherubims” (Heb 12:27-29).

H3427 yâshab yaw-shab’
A primitive root; properly to sit down (specifically as judge, in ambush, in quiet); by implication to dwell, to remain; causatively to settle, to marry: – (make to) abide (-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell (-ing), ease self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit (-ant), make to keep [house], lurking, X marry (-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set (-tle), (down-) sit (-down, still, -ting down, -ting [place] -uate), take, tarry.

Psa 99:2 The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.

This second verse saying “The LORD is great in Zion” witnesses to the first verse stating “he sitteth between the cherubims”, knowing that Zion represents the elect, just as the cherubims do (Oba 1:21, Eze 10:14, Rev 4:7-8).

Christ is above all the people or all the powers and principalities that work in people (Eph 6:12), and He has preeminence (Eph 1:21, Col 1:17-18). There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Act 4:12, Luk 10:20).

With Christ in us, we are high above all the Adamic world around us, raised in heavenly places; we, the least in the kingdom, are told we are greater than John (Mat 11:11).

Psa 99:3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.

We see the word “holy” being used to praise God in Isa 6:3 and Rev 4:8, as we praise Him for the wonderful works which He is doing within our heavens (Psa 107:31), that are being sanctified and made holy through the washing of the word (Joh 17:17, Eph 5:26).

The three words “holy, holy, holy” in Isa 6:3 and Rev 4:8 remind us that it is through the process of judgment that we can be made holy and accepted of our Father through Christ.

Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Rom 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Next week, Lord willing, we’ll look at part two of our study entitled “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience” and the growing appreciation expressed in the scriptures of how God is preparing His kings and priests through judgment to not only have a conscience that is undefiled, but also a believing heart that believes all things and does the works that God has predestined for us. We exalt the Lord and worship Him with humility, acknowledging that He is the one who is taking away our stoney heart and giving us a fleshly one as he does those works within us.

1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Eze 36:28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

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.

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The prize of the high calling

By Steven Crook

June 24th, 2015

Often times when we see a prize or hear about a reward we naturally think about what it would be like to win said prize or reward.

How would it change our lives? What would we do with the reward?  Who would be our family and friends after obtaining a grand reward?

While these questions are applicable to earthy based prizes which can be used to better our lives now, how do these same questions apply to the prize of the HIGH CALLING found in Philippians?

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

In this study, we are going to examine just what this prize is and what the qualifications are to even start the race that has this prize given to the victors.

Enemies of the Cross

Before we can ever hope to obtain to the level of “pressing toward” the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, we must realize that we are all enemies of the cross. Yes, we are all enemies of the cross of Christ Jesus.

This may seem like a harsh reality and even untrue to those who believe they are “true Christians”, but we all inherently have flesh battling the Spirit of God each day.

The book of Philippians is a collection of scriptures given to us as a guidepost on how to mark our walk in Christ but to also remind us of who we are in Jesus.

Notice, the “high calling of God” is “in Jesus Christ”. If the “high calling” is in Jesus Christ, then what does it mean to be in Jesus Christ in this regard, so that you can press toward this mark?

We do not have to go very far outside of the book of Philippians to realize what Paul is telling us.

Php 3:1  Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
Php 3:2  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Indeed, writing and speaking the same things, speaking the same mind as what scriptures lay out to us, is SAFETY for those being spoken to.

What then is then does Paul choose to start off with as “things written for safety”?

Beware of dogs)

Thayer’s greek definitions defines this Greek word as:

G2965
kuōn

Thayer Definition:
1) a dog
2) metaphorically a man of impure mind, an impudent man
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: a root word
Citing in TDNT: 3:1101,

“Dogs” as spoken about in this context are those who have an impure mind i.e. anything not the mind of Christ, and speak offensively boldly about scripture and about the mind of God of which they have NO CLUE about.
Here are the other 4 times (5 in total) that these dogs are spoken about:

G2965
kuōn
Total KJV Occurrences: 5
dogs, 4
Mat_7:6, Luk_16:21, Phi_3:2, Rev_22:15
dog, 1
2Pe_2:22

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

A “dog” is NOT someone seeking to know Christ or His Christ and they certainly are not looking to find answers to their questions. In fact, their questions are asked in pretense.

Luk 16:20  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Luk 16:21  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

It is “dogs” who lick the sores of flesh which Lazarus is full of. Lazarus is the one who is in the bosom of Abraham due to what he experienced in this “tabernacle of flesh”.

Have you ever asked yourself why it is the dogs tend to the flesh of Lazarus? They do so to EASE the pain that Lazarus is in. Since we are talking about a parable, we know we are talking about the kingdom of heaven.

What we are being told spiritually about the dogs who lick the sores of Lazarus is that Lazarus, though “in the bosom of the Father” still but contend with those who want to concentrate on the flesh. Dealing with physical flesh and its pains are NOT the focus of this parable.

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

“The dog is turned again to his own vomit” spoken about here is not speaking about them that are out there in the world who do not know the holy commandments of God but rather are those who HAVE KNOWN them but rather choose to go BACK to the pollutions of the world.

So, it is clear that there are dogs WITHIN us and WITHOUT us. There are dogs who are “of the world” and simply seek to please the flesh and then there are “domesticated dogs” who have learned about and from their Master but have AGAIN become entangled with the “pollutions of the world”.

Beware of evil workers)

Being aware of “evil workers” may seem like an easy thing to discern, but it is in fact something that can be hard to detect at times.

The surface “evils” are easy to detect and judge but it is those evils which lurk “below the surface” that we are to beware of.

G2040
ergatēs
Total KJV Occurrences: 17
labourers, 8
Mat_9:37-38 (2), Mat_20:1-2 (2), Mat_20:8, Luk_10:2 (2), Jam_5:4
workers, 3
Luk_13:27, 2Co_11:13, Phi_3:2
labourer, 2
Luk_10:7, 1Ti_5:18
workman, 2
Mat_10:10, 2Ti_2:15
work, 1
Act_13:41
workmen, 1
Act_19:25

A worker, workman or laborers are all interchangeable in the context of who Paul is telling us to beware of. To understand what “type” of workman we are referring to, I will use a few verses to present it from scripture.

Mat 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Jas 5:4  Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

Luk 13:26  Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
Luk 13:27  But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

2Co 11:12  But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

These are workers which appear to be angels of light but are themselves deceitful workers.

What do these deceitful workers do whether or not they are aware of it?

Beware of the concision)

G2699
katatomē
Total KJV Occurrences: 1
concision, 1
Phi_3:2

G2699
katatomē
kat-at-om-ay’
From a compound of G2596 and τέμνω temnō (to cut); a cutting down (off), that is, mutilation (ironically): – concision. Compare G609.

There aren’t many other verses which use this exact Greek word but we do not need to go any further than the next verses to know who those “of the concision” Paul is referring to.

Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Paul is specifically telling us to beware of three specific groups. Gentiles (dogs), false apostles / workers of iniquity (Christians who say they are Jews but are not), and those who are “of the law” (concision).

The true focus of all these groups is COMMON. We worship in Spirit and Truth and they worship in the FLESH.

Here is what Paul has to say, as inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, to have written for our “safety”.

Php 3:4  Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Php 3:5  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Php 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss FOR CHRIST.
Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Paul doesn’t mince words when he tells us that all things he was according to the flesh were counted as LOSS so that he could obtain the EXCELLENCY of the KNOWLEDGE of Jesus Christ our Lord.

What is the knowledge of Jesus Christ?

Tit 1:14  Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Counting all things loss, according to Paul, means things which are LOSS cannot then be used as his own righteousness.

In other words, if I lose a $20 bill I cannot later then use a lost $20 bill to pay for goods. It simply isn’t there to be used. What Paul could and did use was the FAITH OF CHRIST which is RGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

Want to be righteous with God? Keep the Faith. Need faith? Ask for it.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Mat 21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Joh 16:24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

The father of the child in Mark 9 had lived with a terrible spirit living within his child. Do any of you know of anyone around you, any family and friends or YOURSELF who may have an evil spirit causing them or you to do what that spirit commands?

Listen to Jesus’ advice to them and you.

Mar 9:21  And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
Mar 9:22  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE to him that believeth.

Do you believe your Lord? Do you think He changes? Is His power still alive and well today within His people?

Ask Him for His compassion and help and await His answer, but BEWARE of those who are all around you who will not be able to resist standing in your way to DENY your FLESH its DESIRES.

I am confident everyone reading or listening to this study wants to know Jesus Christ. We all want eternal life. However, life comes through death!

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

In order to know him, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings and to be made conformable to His death so that we can ATTAIN unto the resurrection of the DEAD is for us to DIE to the things that DRAW on us the MOST while in this tabernacle OF DEATH.

Last study I spoke about the pulls of the earth on the “cloud of great witnesses” and we are ALL the EARTH. We all contend with this flesh JUST LIKE Jesus did.

We cannot be perfect in this point in our walk just like Jesus had not yet gone one to perfection while in this flesh. First He has to die and be resurrected to go on to perfection (Luke 13:32/John 20:17).

We are to be as Paul an apprehend that which Jesus Christ apprehends in us. Here is what is apprehended.

Php 3:14  I press(G1377) toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

The Greek word G1377 translated as press here in the KJV is very concealing. Indeed, the Lord willed that this be the case. However, we are not left in the dark, so to speak, about the meaning of “pressing” toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

G1377
diōkō
dee-o’-ko
A prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb δίω diō (to flee; compare the base of G1169 and G1249); to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication to persecute: – ensue, follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press toward.

G1377
diōkō
Thayer Definition:
1) to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away
2) to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after
2a) to press on: figuratively of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal
2b) to pursue (in a hostile manner)
3) in any way whatever to harass, trouble, molest one
3a) to persecute
3b) to be mistreated, suffer persecution on account of something
4) without the idea of hostility, to run after, follow after: someone
5) metaphorically, to pursue
5a) to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavour to acquire
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: a prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb dio (to flee; compare the base of G1169 and G1249)
Citing in TDNT: 2:229, 177

Here are the other times this Greek word “deoko” is used in scripture.

G1377
diōkō
Total KJV Occurrences: 48
persecuted, 13
Mat_5:10, Mat_5:12, Joh_15:20, Act_7:52, Act_22:4, Act_26:11, 1Co_4:12, 1Co_15:9, 2Co_4:9, Gal_1:13, Gal_1:23, Gal_4:29, Rev_12:13
follow, 8
Luk_17:23, Rom_14:19, 1Co_14:1, Phi_3:12, 1Th_5:15, 1Ti_6:11, 2Ti_2:22, Heb_12:14
persecute, 8
Mat_5:11, Mat_5:44, Mat_10:23, Mat_23:34, Luk_21:12, Joh_5:16, Joh_15:20, Rom_12:14
persecutest, 6
Act_9:4-5 (2), Act_22:7-8 (2), Act_26:14-15 (2)
persecution, 3
Gal_6:11-12 (2), 2Ti_3:12
suffer, 3
Gal_6:11-12 (2), 2Ti_3:12
followed, 2
Rom_9:30-31 (2)
after, 1
Rom_14:19
ensue, 1
1Pe_3:11
given, 1
Rom_12:13
persecuting, 1
Phi_3:6
press, 1
Phi_3:14

Here are a few of these verses conveying the idea of “pressing toward”:

Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

1Co 4:12  And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Rom 14:19  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

The word used as “press” in Philippians 3:14 is spiritually obvious to those with eyes to see and ears to ear to mean persecute or persecuted.

What does this mean then? What is being persecuted?

Php 3:14  I persecute toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

What WE “persecute toward” in order to hit the mark, is instead of lackadaisically proceeding toward the mark, we PERSECUTE the flesh in us and all of those around us who would have us mind the things of the flesh and not the thing of the spirit.

Does anyone think that when Paul was Saul and he was persecuting the church, he was doing killing people without really caring about it that much?

Here are Paul’s own words found in the same chapter of Philippians and a confirmation of it found in Galatians.

Php 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Gal 1:23  But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

Yes, we will be persecuted by others but before we can be persecuted by others we should be JUDGING ourselves and PERSECUTING those things that keep us from HAVING Faith in God.

Luk 21:12  But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

We are to suffer persecution at our own hands as well as at the hands of others byt judging ourselves according to the Words which live in us.

To bring this point home and to make sure we understand this, Paul finishes Philippians 3 this way.

Php 3:16  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Php 3:17  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, WHO MIND EARTHLY THINGS.)
Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

As we need help in our walk, we have witnessed that we can ask for Faith to endure in this process. The Lord tells us that He has overcome the world and we too will be given the strength to do so, but it will come with persecutions and sufferings. If we are not willing to suffer with Christ then we are enemies of the Cross in our walk. Lord, help our unbelief. Amen.

Audio Links

Make Your Calling And Election Sure – Part 2

by Mike Vinson

2Pe 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence [G4704, spoudazo] to make your calling and election sure:for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Introduction

In our concluding study we will take Peter’s admonition step by step and apply it to our walk “to make [our] calling and election sure”. In doing so we will note that these words are addressed only “to them who have obtained like precious faith with us…” and that this “precious faith… grace, and peace” comes only through “the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, [and] through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. What that tells us is that “the knowledge of God and Christ are essential to our salvation. We must “know… God and Jesus Christ”:

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

The reason I mention that is for the same reason Peter mentions it. Peter and all of the apostles of Christ were acutely aware of the truth of these words of our Lord:

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen [to “know… God, and Jesus Christ”.

Peter explains that our grace and peace is multiplied to us “through our knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord”. He tells us that our grace and peace accords with His divine power by which God gives to us “all things that pertain to life and godliness”, and by that gift of “all things that pertain to life and godliness”, we are also given “great and precious promises” which in turn give us access to “the divine nature”, which “divine nature” delivers us from “the corruption that is in [this] world through lust”. It simply is not natural to resist “the corruption that is in the world through lust”

It is our own lust, our own desires, especially our desire to please men rather than God, which robs us of our salvation in this age. The salvation produced by the lake of fire is certain to all men:

Joh 9:22  These words spake his parents [the parents of the man who was born blind, and was healed by Jesus], 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.

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

But the great honor of being in the “blessed and holy… first resurrection” is given to very few of mankind. It is given only to those few who are not asleep and slothful, but are awake and diligent, and who endure to the end, the fires of our judgment in this age, while we are yet in these vessels of clay:

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial [“the seven last plagues”, Rev 15:8] which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed [at the first resurrection, Rev 20:6], ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

It is very instructive for us to know that the word translated as “give diligence” in 2Pe 1:10 is the very same Greek word translated as “study” in this verse of 2 Timothy:

2Ti 2:15  Study [G4704, spoudazo -“give diligence”, 2Pe 1:10] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
2Ti 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
2Ti 2:20  But in a great house [“You are the temple of God”, 1Co 3:16] there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Here in 2 Timothy 2 we have another promise. We are told that “if [we] purge [ourselves] from… vessels of… wood and earth… [we] shall be… prepared unto every good work”, which accords with our promise in 2 Peter 2:

2Pe 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence [G4704, spoudazo] to make your calling and election sure:for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

The source of our faith

Peter begins by informing us that his calling and our calling is only exists because we have “obtained like precious faith”. Where do we get this “precious faith”?

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;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Our faith “is a gift of  God”, and it is “not of ourselves”.

Where do we obtain ‘grace’?

2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

We are blessed not only to know that we are given God’s favor, His ‘karis’, His ‘grace’, but we are also blessed to know what being given that favor entails:

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

The Greek word from which the English word ‘teaching’ comes is ‘paideuo’ and it means ‘to chasten’, as in this verse of scripture:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [Greek, paideuo], and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

“Every son” who [God] receives is graced with His chastening and scourging. This places much more meaning upon this statement of scripture:

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

God’s chastening and scourging are given freely, and they will always overpower the pulls of sin and death upon us, simply because God has declared it to be so:

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Again, our grace and our faith, and the peace of mind He has given to us, are all “the gift of God [and] not of ourselves”. They come to us “through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord”.

2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

Everything that pertains to life and godliness comes to us through knowing God and His Son, and through knowing that they have called us to glory and to a life of virtue, and not a life of turning the grace of God into lasciviousness:

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. [Don’t speak of the fear of God, and never use the word ‘punish’; use much smoother words]

Those who are given to “know God and His Son” will recognize “the voice of a stranger” when they hear a voice that tells us that Biblical commandments and Biblical phrases are much too harsh. For example, the scriptures teach us to use corporal punishment upon our physical children:

Pro 19:18  Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

Pro 23:13  Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Pro 23:14  Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

That is God’s own method of operation with mankind:

Psa 89:32  Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

Whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges:

Pro 13:24  He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

But this is the spirit God has placed in many of those who have “crept in unawares…”

Isa 30:8  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
Isa 30:9  That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

When “Jesus of Nazareth” hears such smooth words, this is what He tells all who come to Him “speak[ing] deceits [and such] smooth things”:

Mar 8:33  But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Mar 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mar 8:35  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
Mar 8:36  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mar 8:38  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

How we are “partakers of the divine nature

I have been asked, “Why would anyone want to reign over others?” The question is posed to suggest that anyone who wants to rule and reign with Christ during the thousand years is a vain sort of person who simply wants to “lord it over the Lord’s flock”. But that is not why Christ wants to reign over this world at all. Christ, and all in whom He dwells, wants to reign over this world for the good they will be given to do at that time. They will rule over all of God’s enemies with a rod of iron, and when their reign is completed, they will be used by God to destroy corruption and death. Those are only few of the “great and precious promises we are given in Christ, and it is “by these” that we are made “partakers of the divine nature”, which always has and always will dominate and rule the carnal, lust-filled and  rebellious mind of the flesh and of the realm of darkness.

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

It was by “the exceeding great and precious promises” given to Christ that He was able to “despise the shame” of the cross. Christ esteemed the shame of the cross to be nothing compared to the glory into which He knew He would inherit by being faithful to His Father’s plan and His purpose:

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If Christ is in us, and if we have “the same mind”, we too, will consider the sufferings of this present life to be unworthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed within us:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

“The creature” means all mankind, and just as you and I have waited for the appearing of Christ in our lives, all mankind is awaiting the resurrection of “the Christ… the Lord and His Christ… His body”. That is “the earnest expectation of the creature”.

Being made “partakers of the divine nature” delivers us from the corruption that is in the world because “All that is in the world”, all the corruption that is in this world, comes through these three types of lust:

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Now we come to a principle that will help to simplify every admonition given in scripture:

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence [Greek G4710, spoude], add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence [G4704: spoudazo] to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

These words are not suggestions which we can just take or leave. We must add virtue to our faith or our faith is dead faith with no virtuous works. We cannot have virtuous works if we have no knowledge of the mind and commandments of God. When we have the knowledge of God and His Son, we will add temperance and control of the beast which we are to that knowledge because we want to be “as He is”.

Temperance and self-control are the foundation of patience with all mankind who we know are nothing more or less than tools in the hand of a sovereign God. Living a life that truly believes that God is working “all things after the counsel of His own will” gives us the power to be patient with all men, because we know we are really just being patient with what God is working in all men. The patience of Christ in us can produce nothing short of a Godly, Christ-like life which is a life of kindness toward all men and a life filled with the unconditional agape, love which is what Christ is:

1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

And we are right back to the fact that love is obedience to the God we call our Lord:

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

It is Christ Himself who poses this question:

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

2 Peter 1:1-10 are “the things which [Christ] says”, via His Father’s spirit, and if we are given to listen diligently to these words, we will “study [Greek: ‘spudazo‘, be diligent] to show ourselves approved unto God…”

2Ti 2:15  Study [Greek: spoudazo, be diligent] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Here is what Christ tells us about those who are diligent to obey Him and to apply every word of 2 Peter 1:1-10:

Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Peter repeats the message of the parable of the house built on a rock or on the sand with these words:

2Pe 1:8  For if these things [these sayings of Christ] be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence [G4704: spoudazo] to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Conclusion

I will close with a few verses which I hope will give you hope and remind you who you are and therefore remind you how you should “behave yourself in the house of God”:

Ezr 7:23  Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

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.
Heb 12:18  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Heb 12:19  And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
Heb 12:20  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
Heb 12:21  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Jud 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:25  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Who are you, and what is the body of Christ? You and I must know who we are or we cannot make our calling and election sure, and I am telling you that you will be challenged concerning who you are just as the adversary challenged Christ saying “If you be the Son of God…” This is who we all are, if Christ is living His life within us:

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Hi Mike,
It seems to me that good works follow God giving you faith and belief and when you’re following him and focused on him… he gives you desire to listen to his commands and to do them… works not necessary for salvation.. I guess I see it like; do you wanna get a ‘D’ or an ‘A’..
D is still passing but A is outstanding.
Thanks for the reply… I appreciate it ALOT.
J____

Hi J____,
You are exactly right about the benefits of obeying Christ’s sayings. Sure, all men will be saved, but all men will not be in the first resurrection.
I had two Concordant brothers actually ask me, “Why do you make such a big deal out of being in the first resurrection? Aren’t we all going to be saved?”
That is the direct result of that terrible doctrine of two administrations, coupled with a completely false doctrine concerning the function of grace in the life of the believer. If I tell you that the Pope’s doctrine of eternal hell fire is wrong, surely you would not assume that I am annoyed with the Pope. So it is when I contend with the Concordant doctrines of two administrations and its sister doctrine of greasy grace, which ‘Martin Zender’ teaches. We are commanded to expose and reject false doctrines and not even allow them into our spiritual houses:

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into [ your] house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

None of the verses I quote to you have any affect on those who are up on their Concordant doctrine, simply because they are written by Jewish apostles to and for Jews only, and God has simply blinded their eyes and ‘Martin’s’ eyes to every word Paul utters declaring that there is but one spirit one baptism, one faith and one gospel. They simply cannot see what God has blinded them from seeing, so why would any of us be annoyed with each other when “He works all things after the counsel of His own will.
But for those who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear, this is what even Paul teaches:

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [ is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Then in Ephesians two, right after telling is that we are saved by grace through faith of Christ and that our righteous lives are now Christ living His life in us, Paul goes on to reaffirm that the doctrine of two administrations is a lie:

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [ even] the law of commandments [ contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [ so] making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

“Of both one,” is anathema to Mr. A. E. Knoch and all who subscribe to his two administrations doctrine. The whole orthodox Christian world actually believes that ‘he IS a Jew which is one outwardly,’ and they all teach that Jews are still “God’s chosen people.” To these folks the lake of fire has nothing to do with the salvation of mankind, and it certainly has nothing to do with the salvation of physical Israel, and God has again blinded the eyes of the whole world to these straightforward verses of His Word. When will physical Israel be saved?

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

 When is “the fulness of the Gentiles?

Eze 16:52  Thou [ physical Israel] also, which hast judged thy sisters [ Sodom and Samaria], bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.
Eze 16:53  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
Eze 16:54  That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.
Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

So much for the false doctrine which teaches that physical Jews will reign this earth during the millennium. When will Israel be redeemed? When the fulness of the Gentiles, when Sodom and Samaria, are “brought back to their former estate.” There is not one verse of God’s word to contradict these verses of God’s Word.
The damnable doctrine of two administrations sees no need for judgment in a lake of fire. Mr. Knock and ‘Martin’ actually teach that the fire of that lake is physical and cannot see fire as a symbol of judgment.
I hope this helps you to see just how true your analogy of an ‘A’ and a ‘D’ is. Here is how Paul felt about that difference:

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and i f in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike