I know these types of preaching have got no prominence in today’s’ Christian world. I am also aware that this generation (a great many professing believers and the shepherds alike) are intolerant to sound Christian doctrines. Regardless, I must preach it. He who hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith!
Are you comfortable and settled in your Christian walk? If you think you are in that state; it is time for you to get back and look in the mirror of the word of God to analyze yourselves. Get yourselves checked often!
Let’s look into a few crucial fundamental points to examine ourselves.
- First of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (Luke 12:1). The nature of the leaven is very subtle; it has the potential to penetrate deep and thus defiles the whole person. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate (Job 15:34) – They draweth nigh unto God with their mouth, and honoureth Him with their lips; but their heart is far from Him (Matthew 15:7,8)
- Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor 5:7,8).
- Fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth (Joshua 24:14/Eph 6:24)
- Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness (Eph 6:14). Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6)
- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom – Col 3:16.
- Let us cleanse ourselves (with the washing of water by the word – Eph 5:26, be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving our own selves – James 1:22 – work out our salvation – Phil 2:12) from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor 7:1).
- Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord; Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God (Heb 12:14,15)
- Receiving the end of your (tried) faith, even the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:9).
The children of Israel were always in a ready state to march, weren’t they? When the cloud moved, they moved also. Abraham the father of faith too lived in tents; his heart could never settle down on this earth – By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: (Heb 11:9) For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Heb 11:10).
We spiritual Israel too must be in a state of readiness to be caught out (our gathering together unto him – 2 Thess 2:1) and not be in a state of mediocrity and settled in. We must always be pressing on toward that mark, until the day the Lord! Otherwise, it ain’t faith life, but a casual approach, a neutral state; that, God abhors –Rev 3:16. Sadly most of us got settled in Egypt – this is a common way: Have a career in this world, marry, have children, have grandchildren, retire, and die. How ignorant we have become! Know ye, not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (2 Cor 13:5) It is of great importance to often examine ourselves and prove our own selves to know whether we are still in the faith. Why would he say, “know ye not how”? Brethren, don’t forget that we are debtors – Rom 8:12.
See how we’ve been told to even eat the passover lamb: And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded* (loins of your mind girt about with truth –1Pet 1:13/ Eph 6:14 – truth in the inward parts – Ps 51:6), *your shoes on your feet* (shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace – Eph 6:15), and your staff/Rod* (for with my staff I passed over this Jordan – Gen 32:10/ 1Sam 17:40/Ps 23:4 – take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked – Eph 6:16) *in your hand (shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit – Eph 6:17); *and ye shall eat it in haste (because they were suddenly to take their departure “ Harpazo – the translation of saints – the rapture – Luke 21:35/1Thes 4:16,17): it is the LORD’S Passover (Exodus 12:11) – That is, Jehovah is now about to pass over the land (the Great Tribulation / the great and the terrible day of the LORD/ the wrath of the Lamb – Joel 2:31/ Matt 24:21/ Rev 3:10/Luke 21:35,36/Dan 12:1/2:34,35,44,45/Jeremiah 30:7/Isaiah 28:15,18/Zech 12:2,3 / Rev 6:16).
The beauty of the church and of believers is not only amiable: its state is militant: it is in the midst of enemies and is angered in a constant conflict with them. believers are soldiers in this army – 2 Tim 2:3,4. It has its banners; the gospel of Christ is an ensign – Isaiah 11:12, the love of Christ, chapter 2:4. It is marshaled and kept in order and under discipline. It is terrible to its enemies as Israel in the wilderness was, Exodus 15:14. When Balaam saw Israel encamped according to their tribes, by their standards, with colors displayed, he said, how goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! Numbers 24:5. When the church preserves her putrity, she secures her honor and victory; when she is fair as the moon, and clear as the sun, she is truly great and formidable – Matthew Henry
She is as clear and bright as the SUN; and dangerous withal to look on, for she is formidable too – AdamClarke.
Do we fit into this category? If not, we are found to be slothful in business. And he also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster (Pro 18:9/24:30,31/ Ecclesiastes 10:18/Rom 12:11/Heb 6:12) – That which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned (Hebrews 6:8).
One could easily drift in this vast ocean of life. An airplane could easily be off course if the pilot is not aware or ignore the crosswinds. The spiritual life also must be taken very seriously. The Apostle Paul emphasizes in his Epistles, to “be Diligent” “Be Vigilant” and so on…
It doesn’t matter if you were ONCE enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if we continue to live after the flesh or be carnally oriented, we shall die and the love of the Father will not be in us – Rom 8:6,7,13/1John 2:15,16. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you (John 15:19) – if this is the case, how can we go on chasing the world? Which category you belong to, the hated or the loved?
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other (Matthew 6:24) – He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (John 12:25)
The sad part is that majority of Christians do follow the same pattern as the world does. They too seek to find their identity according to the course of this world, which is according to the prince of the power of the air – Eph 2:2. We all have that propensity to seek a life and settle down, which the gospel of Christ confronts. I tremble in this, that we love our children and our life more than our Lord. Jesus said, He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (Matt 10:37). Isn’t the Lord saying here that He will not give himself to anyone that loves his own life in this world? And that one must deny himself and hates his life in this world to receive him?
Isn’t it incumbent that we abide in the doctrine of Christ, to have both the Father and the Son? (2 John 1:9) It is prevalent among Christians to pursue their ambition according to the course of this world – Eph 2:2 – so that their children would receive the best life in this world. They toil and toil until they become senile. They did gain their life in this world but they don’t realize they had lost something precious as well with their getting of the world. The fact is that we cannot serve two masters, period. Either we will hate the one, and love the other; or else we will hold to the one, and despise the other (Luke 16:13). Which one have we despised? Probably, the Lord!
Now don’t get me wrong; I am not advocating that Christians should not work at all. On the contrary, I believe all Christians should work according to the ability God has given them. One could seek training to polish their God-given skills. The Bible says, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands … so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thess 4:11-12). “If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thess 3:10). At the same time, it is not prescribing that a Christian should be entangled with the affairs of this life – 2Tim 2:4 – or enslave themselves to the ambitions of life, which is according to the world (seeking to save his life, loving his life in this world – Luke 17:33/John 12:25). A Christian’s prime duty is to serve Christ and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness and so on…(1 Timothy 6:11). God has planted a garden within each one of us for us to dress and to keep it. If we are slothful or are negligent, the garden in which the Lord would walk, its face thereof will be covered with thorns, and nettles, and the stone wall broken down as a result (Proverbs 24:31/Mark 4:18,19/Luke 8:14).
Labour (toil) not for the meat which perisheth (for all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things – Luke 12:30), but (labour) for that (spiritual) meat (the word of God) which endureth unto everlasting life (John 6:27). The holy scriptures, alone are able to make thee wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). For godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come (1 Tim4:8).
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto (to and for) themselves, but unto (to and for) him which died for them, and rose again (2 Cor 5:15)
They are all gone out of the way and have become unprofitable – for many seek their own life and not after God – Rom 3:11,12. Many Christians don’t realize that they are not abiding in Christ and are destined to be burned (the lukewarm – Rev 3:16). They aren’t even aware that they had let the thorns and thistles to choke their spirit man to unfruitfulness already – Luke 8:14/ Mark 4:18,19. If a man abides not in me (in the word, doer of the word), he is cast forth as a branch and is withered (John 15:6). For such has had spent their whole life seeking to save themselves instead of working out to redeem their soul from its depravity (inherent sinful disposition) and thus partake of the divine nature and bear the peaceable fruit of righteousness – Heb 12:10,11.
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38,39). Sadly many draw back unto perdition. Many err from faith life coveting after money – 1Tim 6. We all possess a propensity to fall away. That’s why we’ve been instructed to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12).
But thou, O man of God, flee these things (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 – 1 John 2:16); and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called (1 Timothy 6:11,12). Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience (which is wrought by tribulations – Rom 5:3/James 1:4) the race that is set before us – looking unto Jesus (Heb 12:1,1).
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2)
Unless we bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, our religion is just another sham, deceiving our own selves. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22). The holy scriptures alone are able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15)
Paul said, not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after; reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark – Phil 3:12-14. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead (Phil 3:11). I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (unworthy)(1 Cor 9:27). He was very aware of the presence of the inherent sinful disposition and about the lurking enemy of his soul, wasn’t he? Let us, therefore, fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it (Heb 4:1). Paul went on saying, But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Cor 11:3)
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of person judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear (1 Pet 1:17). For if God spared not the natural branches (Israel), take heed lest he also spares not thee. 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 (Rom 11: 21,22).
It aches me much when I see Christians leading a lukewarm, mediocre life in this world, reckoning as if they have attained everything. How deceived they are when they have only received justification unto life and not been glorified yet and that they have to work out their own salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience!