Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly,
and will fight against them with the sword
of My mouth. He that hath and ear let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches;
to him that overcometh will I give him a
white stone a new name written, which
no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Revelation 2:16-17
"Repent" is an imperative, that it, it is a command, and it is in second Aorist, therefore if you have not repented do it now and begin living as an overcomer. I met a young woman who attends the Bethel Church here in Redding and she told me that I could reach perfection in this life. Is this true? As I have pointed out in this study in regards to the doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans who were and are false doctrines many today have also become enslaved to false doctrines. Satan and his hordes of demons go about to not win over sinners, he already has them in his fold, but to Christians and to do this he uses men to deceive and one deception is the heresy of sinlessness in the flesh. We need to establish the truth. To do this it would be wise to use the Bible.
Anyone, any sane person, knows that life has its ups and downs, and life has its many tribulations and trials. Furthermore, if one is honest, even after converting to Jesus Christ, that is becoming an Authentic Christian life is still a war, a war in nature or in grace. Why else would Jesus speak of you and me commanding us to become an overcomer? In Ephesians 2:1 we have this: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses ans sins." Notice the bold type (may addition, but in your Bible you will notice that those words are in italics) as they are not in the Bible. Here is the literal translation of that verse: "and you being dead in offences and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). I do this to clarify that to use this to teach sinless perfection in this life is to misuse this Scripture. Now John does give us this: "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profitethnothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they life" (John 6:63). Here the Greek word translated "quickeneth" is present. So what have learned so far, first, take time to read and study Scripture and understand that in some cases for proper translation into English a word must be added for clarification, but in this case a whole phrase was added that does not teach clearly that the Spirit does "Quickeneth" and this we find in John. What does it mean to "quickeneth?" To be "quickened" is to be made alive, to have vigor, to be stimulated, to have indications of life, and this rapidly, to be revived. What is being taught in the Bible is that a person who believes in Jesus Christ becomes spiritually alive. This is necessary for before this "quickening" a person is dead spiritually. The old flesh with all its desires and corruption of the soul still exists and the inner spiritual life that is in Jesus Christ has become alive, united to the life of Jesus Christ. John made this clear that the flesh "profited nothing" and you, until you die, are flesh, carnal, it is not spiritual. Paul reminds of this fact: "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" (Galatians 5:17). The fleshly nature your received from Adam and the Spiritual nature you received from Jesus Christ. These two natures are at war with one another. In the book of Romans Paul teaches: "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. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:22-23).
Health is the balance between physical life and external nature, and it is maintained only sufficient vitality on the inside against things on the outside. Everything outside my body is attempting to put me to death. Those things that attempting me to put me to death are the things that will disintegrate me when I am dead. Now, if I, you, have enough fighting power, I produce the balance of health. What is true of the physical body is true of the mental life, we have to fight, and fighting mental balance of thought is produced.
Morally it is the same. everything that does not partake of the nature of virtue is the enemy of virtue in you and me, and this all depends on what is our moral calibre for it by that calibre whether or not you overcome and produce virtue. If you fight this attempt to keep you from being an overcomer you will be in and are moral in that particular. You are not virtuous because he cannot help it: virtue is acquired.
This is true of spiritually as well: Jesus said: "In the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). Think on this: every that is not spiritual makes for your undoing, but we are to be of good cheer: (John 16:33b). You have to fight this fight of Authentic Christian Faith but you do not have to do it all by yourself for you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you and that the Holy Spirit is God, then you have the power of God in you to draw upon so that you will be able to produce a balance of holiness. Holiness is he balance between your disposition and the low of God as expressed in Jesus Christ. No, you will not be able to live in sinless perfection in this life, but you can live in sinless perfection spiritually. This is what you are in Jesus Christ, and if you fail in some way you have Jesus Christ who died for you to make intercesssion for you when you truly repent. You do not have to be a hypocrite if you will just take your Bible and study it, get a Strong's Concordance, read what men have written and are using the truth of the Bible for their thoughts to aid you. Everything you need to know and to fight and to be an overcomer is in the Bible. Sinless perfection in this life is of Satan, sinless perfection spiritually is in Jesus Christ. You must choose what side you will fight with, Satan, or Jesus Christ.
A prudent man forseeth the evil,
and hideth himself; but the
simple pass on, and are punished.
Proverbs 27:12
Choose the side you want to be on wisely
Richard L. Crumb
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