The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – Part 4

[Study Aired April 3, 2023]

In the previous study, we focused on the life of Isaac to help us know more about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Today, we are reviewing the life of Jacob to help our understanding of the Lord Who has called and chosen us. As we have indicated previously, the experience of Joseph is regarded as part of that of Jacob. Thus, the reigning of Joseph is the reign of Jacob who represents the elect. All these three men (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) do not represent three separate individuals, but three aspects of one complete person in his relationship with the Lord. The number three signifies the process of spiritual maturity through judgment. The study today of the life of Jacob therefore completes the process we go through to become spiritually mature through the judgment of our old man. It is only when we mature that we can reign over the world with Christ just as Joseph reigned over Egypt.

Knowing God Through Jacob

The birth of Jacob and Esau – God’s predestination

Gen 25:24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 
Gen 25:25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 
Gen 25:26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

The birth of Esau and Jacob tells us a lot about the role they were to play as they walked here on earth. The fact that Esau came out red means that his life here on earth was to be dominated by his adamic nature (red) as the name Adam literally means red. Jacob, on the other hand, was born holding the heel of Esau. What this signifies is that Jacob would constrain the adamic nature as we walk here on earth. In other words, Jacob was predestined before he was born to live an overcoming life as a shadow of the life of an overcomer. This is made clear in the following verses of scripture: 

Rom 9:10  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 
Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 
Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 
Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

We, the elect, are therefore privileged to be called and chosen before the foundation of the world. This means that it is not of him who wills, nor of him the runs, but of God that shows mercy. We do not contribute anything to our salvation. All is the work of the Lord. Our lives here on earth have already been marked out.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 

Jacob’s Struggles with His Brother Esau – Our Struggles with our flesh

As an elect, we must be made to see the enmity between what the spirit desires and that of the flesh right from the very onset of our walk with Christ. As we stated earlier, Esau stands for whatever the flesh desires, while Jacob was born after the spirit. 

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

The Lord therefore looks for an opportunity for us to start engaging the flesh. In the case of Jacob representing the elect, the Lord used the deception of Isaac by Jacob to receive the blessings belonging to his brother Esau to start engaging the flesh. This event marked the start of the conflict between Jacob and Esau which lasted for many years. In the time of Samson, during the period of the Judges, the Lord used the botched marriage of Samson with the woman from Timnath as the bait for Samson to engage the Philistines who represented the flesh.

Jdg 14:2  And he (Samson) came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 
Jdg 14:3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 

In addition to Jacob’s conflict with his brother, he also had issues with Laban, his uncle, who also represents his flesh, after fleeing from Esau. Jacob always had issues with his fleshly relations and it is the same as what the Lord told David that the sword would never depart from his house. We, the Lord’s elect, will always have conflict with our flesh. As Jacob bowed down seven times before Esau, when they finally met again, we shall be completely overcome by the flesh before we are given to have victory over it. 

Gen 31:36  And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 

Gen 33:3  And he (Jacob) passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Gen 33:4  And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Jacob’s Meeting with the Lord – The coming of Christ into our Lives. 

Gen 28:10  And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
Gen 28:11  And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 
Gen 28:12  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 
Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 
Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 
Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 
Gen 28:16  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 
Gen 28:17  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Our victory over the flesh starts when the Lord comes to us at Bethel, the house of God or the church of the firstborn. As we can see from Jacob’s experience at Bethel, it was after he met the Lord at Bethel that his fiery trials began, starting from when he met his uncle Laban.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

It is after our eyes open and our ears hear the word of the Lord that we have tribulation or persecution resulting from the word we have received. In the case of Jacob, the word he received from the Lord that his seed shall be as dust and that the Lord will be with Him is what brought about his fiery trials. Our situation is the same. It is when our knowledge of Christ starts to grow that we go through all kinds of trials and tribulations. The purpose of these trials is to put to death the deeds of the flesh, so that we can learn righteousness. 

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 

Marrying Leah before Rachel – We end up in Babylon before we come to the New Jerusalem

Gen 29:16  And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 
Gen 29:17  Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 

Gen 29:25  And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? 
Gen 29:26  And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 
Gen 29:27  Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
Gen 29:28  And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 

Leah symbolizes Babylon or Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children, while Rachel stands for the church of the elect or Jerusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 

It was in the morning when the sun came up that Jacob realized that he had been deceived. In our situation, it was when Christ, the sun of righteousness, started to shine in our lives (in the morning) that we came to realize we were in bed with Leah, who represents Babylon or Jerusalem, which is in bondage with her children. It was then the Lord started our process of exit from Babylon to be united with Rachel, a symbol of Jerusalem which is above or the church of the firstborn.

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 
Mal 4:3  And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jacob’s Suffering – Our Fiery Trials.

Jacob endured a lot of suffering as part of the process for him to learn righteousness. When we look at the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we can see that Jacob suffered the most. He had to flee for his life and go to his uncle Laban at Padanaram when his brother Esau planned to kill him.  

Gen 27:41  And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. 
Gen 27:42  And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 
Gen 27:43  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; 
Gen 27:44  And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
Gen 27:45  Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? 

It was a scary journey he undertook with virtually no resources, as he slept using a stone as a pillow. Although the Lord appeared to him to reassure him, he had doubts whether his journey would be successful as he promised the Lord a tenth of all that the Lord would give him. In this journey of life, we have all had our doubts at various stages of our walk with Christ as we go through various trials of our faith, even though we have the surer word of prophecy, as a light shining in the dark place until the day star rises in our hearts. 

Gen 28:20  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 
Gen 28:21  So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 
Gen 28:22  And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. 

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

Finally, when he reached the end of his journey, the Lord had Laban, his uncle, waiting for him to become a thorn in his flesh!! Jacob really suffered under Laban. Laban deceived him regarding his marriage to Rachel by giving him the unattractive Leah; he changed his wages several times and tried to prevent Jacob from leaving him. 

Gen 31:41  Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. 

On top of this, Jacob was always scared of what his brother Esau would do to him when he met him. To the natural man, Jacob’s life was completely messed up!! However, in the sight of the Lord, it is all part of the process of ceasing from sin to reign with Christ!!  

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

To all our brothers and sisters worldwide, who are going through all kinds of trials, the Lord is achieving for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!! Eyes have not seen and ears have not heard what the Lord has prepared for His elect, but He has revealed it to us by His Spirit. 

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 
2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

In the final analysis, Jacob was able to leave his uncle Laban and was able to reconcile with his brother Esau. The Bible says that when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes his enemies to be at peace with him. 

Pro 16:7  When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 

Jacob endured further fiery trials through the defiling of his daughter Dinah, the revengeful act against the Hivites by his sons, the death of his beloved wife Rachel and the deception to make him believe that his beloved son Joseph was dead. This was how Jacob felt when his sons revenged the defiling of his daughter Dinah:

Gen 34:30  And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. 
Gen 34:31  And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Laban Warned by the Lord – The Devil’s Power to Harm us is Limited.

Gen 31:24  And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. 
Gen 31:25  Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. 

Gen 31:29  It is in the power of my (Laban’s) hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. 

Laban was so angry when he heard that Jacob had departed from him. He was, however, warned by the Lord that he should take care not to speak to Jacob anyhow. This shows the Lord’s intervention in the circumstances of the elect. What we need to remember is that He who has begun this good work in us will see to its completion in that day!!  Under the shadow of the Lord’s wings, we shall always dwell securely. This is what the Lord has promised us:

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 
Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 
Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Isa 43:4  Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 
Isa 43:5  Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 
Isa 43:6  I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 
Isa 43:7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Indeed, as the Lord’s elect, we are privileged that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

When Cain complained to the Lord concerning his punishment after slaying Abel, the Lord set a mark on him such that nobody can harm him.

Gen 4:13  And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Gen 4:14  Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
Gen 4:15  And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 

We, His elect, also have a mark such that nothing can harm us in this life. Our mark is the suffering we go through. This is what Paul said about this mark:

Gal 6:17  From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 

Jacob’s Prosperity During Suffering Under Laban – Our Growth in Spiritual Insight

Gen 30:25  And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 

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

Gen 30:43  And the man (Jacob) increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

One of the significant aspects of Jacob’s life as he went through suffering under Laban was the fact that he became exceedingly prosperous. What this means is that as we go through our fiery trials, we grow in more spiritual insight. Apostle Paul puts it this way: when we are weak through the trials we experience, then we become stronger spiritually.

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 
2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

The Change of Jacob’s Name from Jacob to Israel – Assurance from the Lord that we shall surely overcome!!

Gen 35:9  And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 
Gen 35:10  And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 
Gen 35:11  And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 
Gen 35:12  And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 

According to Strong’s Dictionary, the name Israel means “He will rule as God”, and the name Jacob means a “Heel catcher” or a “supplanter”. The Lord changing Jacob’s name to Israel means that being a supplanter of the flesh, Jacob was destined to rule the world. As we know, this is one of the promises that the Lord has given to us, the elect, that we shall rule the world in the fullness of time. At that time, it was almost impossible for Jacob to even imagine that he would rule the world. However, as we know, the Lord calls those things which are not as though they were.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

The Reign of Joseph – The reward of the elect

As we have indicated at the beginning of this series, Joseph’s experience is regarded as part of Jacob’s experience. Joseph went through much suffering just like Jacob before he became a ruler in Egypt, which represents the world. 

Psa 105:17  He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: 
Psa 105:18  Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: 
Psa 105:19  Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. 
Psa 105:20  The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 
Psa 105:21  He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
Psa 105:22  To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
Psa 105:23  Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 
Psa 105:24  And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. 

As we can see, Joseph’s rulership brought Jacob from Ham to sojourn in Egypt. Being the father of the ruler of Egypt is spiritually equivalent to being the ruler of Egypt. One of the lessons we need to learn is that Jacob continued to grieve over the supposed “death” of Joseph until he got word that Joseph was alive. This is to let us know that the Lord feels the pains we go through in our fiery trials, but the good news is that, just as Jacob rejoiced when he heard that Joseph was alive and well, there will be great rejoicing on that day, when we are united with the Lord in resurrection to rule the world with Christ. This reminds me of a song we used to sing in Babylon as follows:

When we all get to Heaven
What a day of rejoicing that will be
When we all see Jesus
We’ll sing and shout the victory!!

Gen 45:25  And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, 
Gen 45:26  And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not. 
Gen 45:27  And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: 
Gen 45:28  And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die. 

When Jacob was told the words of Joseph and he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, Jacob was revived. We can say that Joseph, in this case, represents the Lord Jesus Christ whose comforting words are what revive us. In addition to Joseph’s words, he saw the wagons or chariots that Joseph had brought. This reminds me of the departure of Elijah from Elisha. Elijah, who represents Christ, told Elisha, a type of the elect, that if he were able to see him as he was taken up, then the double portion of his anointing would be Elisha’s.

2Ki 2:9  And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 
2Ki 2:10  And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 
2Ki 2:11  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 
2Ki 2:12  And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. 

Elisha was able to see the chariots and horses of fire which separated him from Elijah, as Elijah ascended. Seeing this ascension caused Elisha to see the exalted Christ or the exalted word of the Lord. The wagons (chariots of fire) that Jacob saw therefore spiritually represent the fiery trials that cause us to see the exalted word of the Lord, which is able to revive us until we are united with Christ on that day!! The horses of fire symbolize the fact that we are in a war against the flesh, and it is through our fiery trials that we become victorious. If we are not privileged to see this (our judgment), then we shall not be given the double portion of the spirit of Christ.

Gen 46:29  And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 
Gen 46:30  And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. 
Gen 46:31  And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 

Another important nugget of truth we can glean from Jacob’s anticipated meeting with Joseph was what Jacob said. He said that he will go and see Joseph before he dies. Finally, when he met Joseph, he told Joseph that now that he had seen him, he is ready to die. As we have stated, Joseph represents Christ and Jacob the elect. What this means is that it is when our eyes are opened and our ears hear the word of the Lord (Joseph) that we start the dying process. Incidentally, Simeon, also said the same thing when he met the baby Jesus in the temple as follows:

Luk 2:25  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 
Luk 2:26  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luk 2:27  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 
Luk 2:28  Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 
Luk 2:29  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 
Luk 2:30  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 
Luk 2:31  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

Indeed, Simeon saw the Lord’s salvation which the Lord had prepared for us and therefore was eager to go through the dying process.  The fact that our eyes continue to be opened and our ears are hearing the word of the Lord means that we are in the process of dying!! This is made clear by the fiery trials we are all going through now. It assures us that we shall reign with Christ just as Joseph ruled over Egypt!! The present suffering that we are going through cannot be compared with the glory to be revealed in the fullness of time!! 

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. 

May the Lord have mercy on us as He completes the work He has started in us!! Amen!! 

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Study Aired March 18, 2012

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
Job 14:3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
Job 14:6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Job 14:8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Job 14:9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, andbring forth boughs like a plant.
Job 14:10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

Introduction

As we have seen in the words of both Job and his miserable comforters, they have not been granted to see the things our eyes see or hear the things we are granted to hear.

Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. [ Including Job]

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are all pointing their fingers at Job, and Job is pointing his finger at them. Both are the Old Testament type of all of us while we are a part of Babylon the great who teaches us that we are the captain of our own souls via the false doctrine of “free moral agency”. Like all of us while we are in the darkness of Babylon, we pay God’s sovereignty great lip service, even as we deny it with our actions and our words. Here is how Job as the type and shadow of who we are at this point in our walk, is doing the same thing:

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

We “maintain [ our] own ways” because we are blinded to the true sovereignty of God over all our ways.

Pro 20:24 Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

What we do is not scripturally our own doing at all but God’s, be it good or evil.

Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

When we are being judged during this part of our walk, we simply cannot see any of these verses declaring God to be sovereign over the evil that we do.

Mat 19:11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Our Babylonian hireling shepherds have always told us that God does not create evil, so we have always believed that our evil deeds were of ourselves. Even so we do not see ourselves as being as evil as God sees these clay vessels. We see them as being tolerably evil, if not all together good and righteous. So, typified by Job, we plead our own case with words like Job’s:

Job 13:18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

It is so very natural to see our own evils as being almost good deeds when compared to the gross evils we all see so clearly in others. We always tend to justify our own weaknesses by the greater weaknesses of others. Seeking spiritual excellence simply does not occur to our natural man. So it is always the case that when we contend with our Creator attempting to justify ourselves, we display our confusion for all to see. So now Job, who sees himself as righteous of himself, still must confess that God has already determined:

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

This life may seem like an eternity when we are enduring trials such as Job has already endured and is still enduring with the added humiliation at the hands of his “inward friends, [ and] miserable comforters”. Nevertheless, the Biblical truth is that this life really is “of few days, and full of trouble”. The holy spirit has inspired these words here in Job, as a witness to these words in James:

Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Christ used words very similar to these words of Job, and in doing so He agrees with Job. Without Christ living His life within us, we are all just “man that is born of woman”, and the very best of such men is still corruptible flesh which is unfit to inherit the kingdom of God.

Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

But the only reason “He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than [ John]” is that “he that is least in the kingdom of heaven” has had Christ living His life within him, and his works have been judged and “tried with fire” first. There really is but one event to all men (Ecc 9:2). Those who are ‘least in the kingdom of heaven’ are simply judged first:

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

“Every man’s work shall be… revealed by fire”. It is the fire of God’s Word which is revealing the self- righteousness of both Job and His miserable comforters, as types of us, “for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come” (1Co 10:11).
Job has noted, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.” It seems incredible to Job and to us, that God gives so much attention to such insignificant creatures as members of mankind such as himself and such as you and me.

Job 14:3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

So it appears that Job has some sense that mankind, “man born of woman”, is inherently unclean, even as he maintains his own ways, and declares that he is confident that he will be justified.
As we all do, Job displays his own confusion while contending with his Creator. Here is Job’s confidence in his own righteousness.

Job 13:18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

Bildad expresses this same sense of mankind’s inherent uncleanness, using some of the same words.

Job 25:4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
Job 25:5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
Job 25:6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

What these verses make very clear is what the scriptures mean when they tell us this of our own Savior:

(YLT) for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.

How was Christ made sin? We are not left to speculate.

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

“Made of a woman, made under the law” are both expressions of the sinful state in which we are “marred in the Potter’s hand… shapen in iniquity, conceived in sin”.

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

As hard as it is for those who simply don’t have the mind of Christ and His Father to believe, Christ, by His own estimation, was neither “good” nor “perfected” while being “made of a woman, made under the law”. Let’s just let Christ speak for Himself, and then all we need to do is to believe Him:

Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox [ King Herod], Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Christ tells us He does not consider Himself either “good” or “perfected” because He is well aware that His flesh too, is “made of a woman, made under the law”. The fact is that our Savior calls Himself “the son of man” twice as many times as He refers to Himself as “the Son of God”. Both are true, but Christ wants us to know that He identifies with us as “in Adam”, as well as being “in Christ”.
“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” Who calls light forth out of darkness? Who brings life forth out of death? Whose strength is made perfect in weakness? Who uses the foolishness of this world to confound the wise? Who uses the weak to confound the mighty?

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

It is God who sent our savior in sinful flesh and who perfected His strength in that weakness. It is God who used Christ’s corruptible flesh to bring forth a clean “new man” out of the filthy rags that are our own self- righteousnesses.

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Job is well aware of the temporal and limited nature of being “born of a woman”:

Job 14:5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

“His days are determined, the number of his months are with thee” is very close to these words of King David:

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

“Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with you.” Taken at face value, Job is admitting that God knows in advance just how long any of us will live.

Job 14:6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

The ‘him… he… and his of this verse are all Job himself again pleading with his Creator to give him a break, and give him rest from his afflictions. Never once does he even consider that “maintaining his own ways” just might be an element necessitating his chastening afflictions.

Pro 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Jer 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
Eze 36:31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

But as the self- righteous people we all are while in Babylon, being wicked and backslid are always words which have no personal application. Those are words which always apply to publicans and harlots who are far beneath us. On the other hand, we think of ourselves as worthy of being used by God to stone such people to death.

Job 13:18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
Job 27:5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
Job 27:6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
Job 33:9 I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
Joh 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

The self- righteous spirit of Job is exposed for us by Christ Himself:

Luk 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Like any good Pharisee, even when Job confesses that he is a sinner, he considers himself to be a fairly good sinner who is ‘without transgression… innocent… without iniquity’, and totally undeserving of being afflicted, or being “a burden to [ him] self”.

Job 7:20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

Throughout scripture trees are used to symbolize men. Christ Himself is said to be “the life” and tells us that He gives Himself for us as ‘the Tree of Life”.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

God’s witnesses in this world are called “two olive trees”:

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

John calls God’s witnesses ” the two olive trees” because he is referring to the “two olive trees” which are first mentioned in Zec 4 where the angel asks repeatedly “Know you not what these be?” What do these two trees represent?:

Zec 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
Zec 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Zec 4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zec 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Zec 4:8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Zec 4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zec 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; t hey are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Zec 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
Zec 4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
Zec 4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

So a tree whose roots are still in the earth is revived with the mere scent of water, even after it is cut down. This tree Job speaks of is actually himself, who though he has been cut down, he refuses to die to his own self- righteousness. With just “the scent of water”, with just a hint of God’s word, as opposed to “the sum of [ God’s] word” (Psa 119:160), the old Job is revived.

Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Job 14:8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Job 14:9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

If any of our “old man” survives, he again blossoms, is healed, and will overcome the saints, and “bring forth like a plant”, that was never cut down. Here is the way this same principle is expressed in the book of Revelation:

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads [ of the beast that is mankind, Ecc 3:18] as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

It is God who both gives us our deadly wound and who also heals that wound and restores our beastly health, to continue opposing Him and His ways. It is God who helps us to fight and overcome the “giants” in our land, and it is God who has predestined that we will all go into Babylon to learn the ways of that system.

Hos 11:3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
Hos 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
Hos 11:5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian [ Nineveh and Babylon] shall be his king, because they refused to return.

God has all our days written in His book. Our very thoughts are predestined to show us who we are and what mankind is. Our suffering is all for the purpose of bringing forth a good end. It takes decaying matter to produce nourishing fruit. We, like Job, may at first have a glimpse of these truths, but for “a long time” we are not granted to see the process through which God is bringing us all to Himself.
So at this point Job sees death simply as relief from man’s “days [ which are] few… and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). Neither Job nor we can see the connection between the tree that revives at the scent of water, and the beast within. We cannot accept, at this time in our walk, that we live by every word of God (Mat 4:4), that all things are ours (1Co 2:21-22), and that all things come alike to all men (Ecc 9:2). So he attempts, as we all do until we granted to see the Truth of those verses, to segregate himself from the tree that is cut down.

Job 14:10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

“Man dies… gives up the spirit… and where is he?” Job, does not know the answer to that question. He later affirms that “when I am tried I will come forth as gold”.

Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

So, just as Job, we have hints of what God is doing, but we have no idea that the goal is the salvation of all who are in Adam, even though the whole process is right there before our eyes all along:

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
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.

The scriptures answer Job’s question. Man returns to the dust whence he was taken and the spirit from God which gives him this temporary life in this clay vessel, returns to God who gave it. That spirit is the spirit of God from which all things come. It is not an individual personality, and it “knows not anything” as such.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

“All things are of God”. He sends forth His spirit and creates all life, but when He withdraws that spirit, they die, and without a resurrection they are perished. They are not alive in joy in heaven, nor are they suffering in eternal flames in hell. They are asleep in the earth until they are resurrected from among the dead.

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Psa 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Psa 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
1Co 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

But Christ is risen, and just as we are all dying “in Adam… so in Christ shall all be made alive” via a resurrection from the dead.

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

Next week we will, Lord willing, consider the rest of the verses here in chapter 14 of Job.

Job 14:11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
Job 14:16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
Job 14:17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
Job 14:18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
Job 14:19 The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
Job 14:20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
Job 14:21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
Job 14:22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

Mr. Vinson

I hope things are well with you.  I am troubled by:

Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

Sometimes I do sin, but I don’t want to, and I hate myself later. I feel like this:

Rom 7:22-23 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

I do delight in the spiritual law of God.  I feel lost most days.  Am I sinning wilfully?

Please pray for God to lead me to proper repentance by His goodness.  Thanks again, Mr. Vinson,

D___

Hi D_____,

Thank you for your questions.

Rest assured, from what you have told me here, you have not “sinned wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the Truth.” Here are your own words:

“OK, sometimes I do sin, I don’t want to, I hate myself later, “

That is the exact opposite of ‘sin willfully’.

The person who ‘sins willfully after receiving the knowledge of the Truth’ is never aware of his spiritual condition. He truly believes that he is not sinning as he continues to defy God’s Word. Judas, Diotrophes, Alexander the coppersmith, Hymenaus and Philetus never once thought that they were ‘sinning willfully’.

2Ti 2:14  Of these things put [them] in remembrance, charging [them] before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, [but] to the subverting of the hearers.
2Ti 2:15  Study 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.

“Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity” indicates that we need to get our own spiritual house in order before we begin to try to persuade others that what we see in God’s Word is indeed the Truth of Christ. When we preach to others and “continue in sin”, we are “blaspheming the name of God among the Gentiles.”

Rom 2:21  Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
Rom 2:22  Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Rom 2:23  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Rom 2:24  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

But what you need to realize is that this period of failing and feeling guilty is not something which is overcome overnight. That is not the way the process of grace works. The example we are given of how grace works is that of a loving Father chastening his children.

Having reared five children, I can readily attest to the fact that it took many years, many chastenings and many hours of patient instruction in the study of God’s Word, just to get my children to the point where they see the need to overcome their own flesh. And now after having reared five children, I am beginning to see what I have put my heavenly Father through.

But as I have grown to see the Truth of God’s Word. I have finally been brought to see that my children’s disobedience, and my own disobedience, their need for chastening and my own need for the same from my heavenly Father, is actually all the working of Jesus Christ doing the bidding of His Father in us all.

Pro 20:24  Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

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

It is not just your faith that pleases God, so much as it is the trying of that faith. It is that trial you are even now writing about, which to God is so very precious:

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

It is this trial, this plaguing of your own conscience when you do that which you know you should not do, which is the “wrath of God from [the] heaven” of your own heart and mind, which constitutes the seven (complete) plagues which must be poured out on any who ever hope to enter into the temple of God:

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.

“No man was able to enter into the temple till the plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled” Is, Was and Will Be the Truth of the process of salvation for all men who are, were or ever will be.

So let me be frank. If indeed you are still being “[brought] into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members,” then you are not yet dominating sin in your flesh. Just look at the context of the verse you say explains how you feel:

Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter.

“But now we are delivered from the law [for the lawless] that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit…” does not become a fact by simply reading Rom 7:6. This verse is only true for those who are truly “dead to the law” and “free from sin.”

Rom 7:4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead , that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

We cannot “bring forth fruit unto God” as long as sin has dominion over us.

So often Romans 7 is read to justify continuing in sin as if Romans 6 and Romans 8 did not exist. But they do exist, and here is what they have to say about what Christ in you can accomplish, even while yet in this sinful flesh:

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [ him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

But what does Paul mean by “freed from sin?” Does he mean that he will never again ever have a thought contrary to His heavenly Father’s thoughts? Does He mean that he would never say “Father if there is any other way please let this cup pass from Me?” Absolutely not. Both Paul and Christ were flesh, and flesh is a “marred vessel” into which God placed even Christ. The Christ we now know is not a Christ of “flesh and bone” as He was while here on this earth.

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more [after the flesh].

I have never met you, but your letters telling me of your struggles have a spirit about them with which I identify. I am not saying that I am still at the point of…

Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

I can truly say that I am not now the same man I was a few years ago. I can truly agree with the next verse of Romans seven:

Rom 7:6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

And I am here to testify to you that sin will not always have dominion over you:

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Rom 6:15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

So we no longer know each other or even Christ as “in the flesh.” We know each other “after the spirit”, and your spirit is one which yearns for freedom from the burden of the Egyptian taskmasters, from the rule of Potifar and the rule of the keeper of the prison. That is the very first step to becoming “freed from sin.”

The whole “orthodox Christian Church” wants you to believe that you can claim salvation by simply stating the sinner’s prayer. There is no emphasis on being judged, chastened, scourged and plagued with the wrath of God against the ungodliness which is in the very nature of those who are in the process of being revealed as the “manifestation of the sons of God.” God’s elect were known by God from “before world began… while they were yet in their mothers womb having done neither good nor evil.”

2 Tim. 1:9 (b)… Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature [in us all] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

If indeed we are God’s elect, we are so and “it was given to us… before the foundation of the world.” But it has to be made manifest, and that is our earnest expectation as we struggle through the scourging and plaguing which the flesh of us all requires before being capable of entering the temple of God.

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?

Rom 9:11  (For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

Was Jacob not God’s elect in type until he returned from Haran? Or was he given the vision of the ladder to heaven immediately after stealing His brother’s blessing? Long before “coming out of Babylon,” God knows who are His “before the foundation of the world.

So who are God’s elect? We are! When were we purposed to receive this grace? “Before the world began.” Who receives this chastening, scourging grace? “Every son whom He receiveth.” Now there are those who think they understand what is chastening grace, who will tell you that the chastening of grace is not enough to bring those who are in the lake of fire to God. Or at least they feel that is not the way which God has decreed that those, the masses of mankind, will be dealt with by God. These people who are “cast” into the lake of fire failed to be drawn to God’s less severe chastening while yet in the flesh. And so it is taught, these people who failed to enter God’s earlier, less severe program, must undergo more than just God’s chastening, scourging grace. These people must also endure God’s wrath which He would never pour out upon His elect.

Is it true that your sins and unrighteousness which you commit are not under God’s wrath because you are God’s elect? Is it true that you will, as God’s ‘huios‘ (Greek: mature son), not endure the seven plagues of God’s wrath upon your sinful flesh?

Let’s take a look at this word ‘scourge’ and see if this doctrine is true. This word is used seven times in the New Testament.  Isn’t that an interesting coincidence? Here are those seven uses of the word scourge:

Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

Mat 20:19  And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify [ him]: and the third day he shall rise again.

Mat 23:34  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and [some] of them ye shall kill and crucify; and [some] of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute [them] from city to city:

Mar 10:34  And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luk 18:33  And they shall scourge [him], and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

Joh 19:1  Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged [him].
Joh 19:2  And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
Joh 19:3  And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

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?

Is there any indication in any one of these verses that ‘wrath’ is not part and parcel with scourging and in fact is the very essence of that word? Here is God’s word to all who think that not every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God is for them:

Jer 49:12  For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment [was] not to drink of the cup [of the wrath of God] have assuredly drunken; and [art] thou he [that] shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink [of it].

Now since God has known from before the foundation of the world who are his elect, does this mean that we are without any need for concern that we could ever be cut off or become a “castaway?” No, it does not. “Us” is only ‘us’ if we “endure to the end… continue in His goodness… abide in His doctrine… try the spirits… keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book… and live by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit [God’s elect] be holy, the lump [ all mankind] is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
Rom 11:17  And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Does this sound like God’s method has changed from the firstfruit to the lump? It has not. The firstfruit is indeed first. But the method is exactly the same. There is but one rule for all judgment of all men of all time:

Luk 12:46  The lord of that [wicked] servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers [in the lake of fire].
Luk 12:47  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Luk 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it [the same fire that will be in the lake of fire] be already kindled [in the lives of God’s elect]?

So the doctrine which teaches that Christ did it all for you and you have no need of constant vigilance, is a doctrine of “smooth things”, a “prophecy of deceits”. And so too, is the doctrine that God’s elect are somehow spared the plagues which must be poured out before any man can enter the temple of God.

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.

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

What are those fables which will be taught to God’s people by these “teachers having itching ears?” This is what those fables will always be:

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:

Lord willing, I will never do that. I will tell you honestly that if, like the Corinthians, you are “Sanctified in Christ, called to be a saint” and at the same time you are “yet carnal”, then you simply need to be patient and courageous because God’s wrath is against your ungodliness and unrightousness even though His grace was given to His elect “before the world began.”

So never make the mistake of assuming that you, as God’s elect, will never be and could never be deceived. That is not the attitude of God’s elect. Your attitude of concern for your condition is far more in line with the mind of God’s elect who see themselves as the “chief of sinners” in need of a savior because they have “come to themselves”, and are now aware that they, of themselves, will never win this battle against the beastly flesh which they see in the mirror.

“Who can make war with the beast?” Here is the answer to that question:

Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

This is not just a future event. This is going on at this very moment in your life and has prompted your letter to me. So what is the inevitable outcome, either now, meaning in this flesh, or later as a resurrected spirit in the lake of fire? At both times this is the ultimate outcome for all humanity:

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

So while it will indeed take time and patience to bring about the “trial of your faith” the outcome is clear. Victory is certain. The only thing in question for us all is the matter of timing. May we never make the mistake that Judas made of believing that because we were chosen out of the called, that therefore we are the “very elect” who can never be deceived.

Joh 6:70  Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

These are not “smooth things,” but they are true. Our only hope is to have Christ in us. In Him we can say with Paul:

Phi 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I hope this has been of some comfort to you in your walk.

Mike