Is the Saviour mine? And that we might find him so, we should trample on all that hinders our way to him. The church is the house of God; he dwells there. The church holds forth the Scripture and the doctrine of Christ, as a pillar holds forth a proclamation. When a church ceases to be the pillar and ground of truth, we may and ought to forsake her; for our regard to truth should be first and greatest. The mystery of godliness is Christ. He is God, who was made flesh, and was manifest in the flesh. God was pleased to manifest himself to man, by his own Son taking the nature of man. Though reproached as a sinner, and put to death as a malefactor, Christ was raised again by the Spirit, and so was justified from all the false charges with which he was loaded. Angels ministered to him, for he is the Lord of angels. The Gentiles welcomed the gospel which the Jews rejected. Let us remember that God was manifest in the flesh, to take away our sins, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These doctrines must be shown forth by the fruits of the Spirit in our lives.
People don't like change, especially if that involves relenting pleasures, or what is common to the world, yet, change IS part of the growth into spiritual maturity, and the WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! Humans cling to their humanness, though IN TRUTH, humanness is temporary, let alone quickly passing, and so, they adhere easily to the world, and it's carnal ways, without giving much thought to their REALITY, which IS that the SOUL IS FOREVER! We find it difficult to alter ourselves according to HOLINESS, despite that we KNOW that HOLINESS IS required in our relationship, and partnership to THE LORD *GOD*, and HIS GIFT OF LIFE!!!
In this season of celebrating THE GIFT OF CHIRST JESUS, we ARE to MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT (LUKE 3: 4). The scope and design of John's ministry were, to bring the people from their sins, and to their Saviour. He came preaching, not a sect, or party, but a profession; the sign or ceremony was washing with water. By the words here used John preached the necessity of repentance, in order to the remission of sins, and that the baptism of water was an outward sign of that inward cleansing and renewal of heart, which attend, or are the effects of true repentance, as well as a profession of it. Here is the fulfilling of the Scriptures, Isa 40:3, in the ministry of John. When way is made for the gospel into the heart, by taking down high thoughts, and bringing them into obedience to Christ, by leveling the soul, and removing all that hinders us in the way of Christ and his grace, then preparation is made to welcome the salvation of God. Here are general warnings and exhortations which John gave.
The guilty, corrupted race of mankind is become a generation of vipers; hateful to God, and hating one another. There is no way of fleeing from the wrath to come, but by repentance; and by the change of our way the change of our mind must be shown. If we are not really holy, both in heart and life, our profession of religion and relation to God and his church, will stand us in no stead at all; the sorer will our destruction be, if we do not bring forth fruits meet for repentance. John the Baptist gave instructions to several sorts of persons. Those that profess and promise repentance, must show it by reformation, according to their places and conditions. The gospel requires mercy, not sacrifice; and its design is, to engage us to do all the good we can, and to be just to all men. And the same principle which leads men to forego unjust gain, leads to restore that which is gained by wrong. John tells the soldiers their duty. Men should be cautioned against the temptations of their employments. These answers declared the present duty of the inquirers, and at once formed a test of their sincerity. As none can or will accept Christ's salvation without true repentance, so the evidence and effects of this repentance are here marked out.
MANY believe that we have NO role, or responsibility in HIS PLAN, but surely, WE DO, and we ARE bid TO BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY (1 PETER 1: 16)! Holiness is the desire and duty of every Christian. It must be in all affairs, in every condition, and towards all people. We must especially watch and pray against the sins to which we are inclined. The written word of God is the surest rule of a Christian's life, and by this rule we are commanded to be holy every way. God makes those holy whom he saves.
Besides HIS WRATH, EVERYTHING THE LORD *GOD* IS, DOES, and OFFERS, IS BEAUTIFUL, empowering, enhancing, optimal, and positive, and IS grounded, and founded in LOVE! NOTHING HE bids of us is too difficult, NOR is it foreign to our design, instead, it is foreign to our ways, which are largely rooted in the carnality of this world, THOUGH we ARE able, IN HIM, to go deeper, and awaken the sleeping TRUTH of our reality, all of which IS OF what is right, just, and good, and IS SPIRIT motivated TO propel us TO our TRUTH, IN HIM, FOR HIS GLORY, and the sake of souls; ours, and others...
It SEEMS that far too many have trouble grasping the fact of the soul OVER the body, and therefore, consider THIS time in the physical realm to be what is pertinent, and so, many, many, many, are ignoring, forgetting, or denying the TRUTH concerning the ETERNAL soul as they appease the temporal body! IF we existed from the soul outward, IN HIS NAME, and WILL, indeed, there would be HEAVEN on Earth, and Eden would be restored, for from within that domain lies the wholesomeness, and righteousness by which we were CREATED! The carnal domain is riddled with fault, flaws, ego, and selfishness, in short, PRIDE, which IS enmity with THE LORD *GOD*, and so, we exist in contrast TO our reality, and bring on more troubles, tests, trials, and tribulations than necessary as we choose the carnal over the spiritual...
Repentance is NOT a one time thing, for we will ever stumble, and trip; instead it is an ongoing endeavor to correct, and improve the being FOR HIS GLORY, and our own good, and to reiterate the TRUTH of having been made in HIS IMAGE, THE SPIRIT! It is acting in conformity TO HIS WILL and WAYS, AS we meet obstacles, and challenges in this plane, and adhering TO the SOUND PRINCIPLES HE HAS instructed us in, and LEADS us with!!!
We MUSTN'T take HIS GIFT of LOVE, or SALVATION for granted; NO! We MUST REVERE it, and attend to it, in the best of our knowledge, understanding, and capacities! We MUST work THROUGH it, IN HIS NAME, FOR HIS GLORY, all the while inching closer to HIM, and TRUTH!!!
We SURRENDER unto HIM, the flesh, and RELENT of our fleshy appetites, and desires, FOR the growth, development, and FREEDOM OF THE SOUL, which IS a storehouse of goodness, and HAS propensity towards TRUTH, JUSTICE, LOVE, PEACE, and ALL which evidences being HIS reflection!!!
The more the world rebels; the more violent the world becomes; the more hatred is felt; the more the darkness closes in, the more we are aware of the NEED of our LORD *GOD*, and SAVIOUR, and the more readily we adapt TO HIS WILL, because we can SEE what existing away from HIM has
wrought, as we experience the effects of that into which we are caught! THIS IS NOT OUR HOME, and we ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD, thus, we AIM to always, die to flesh, and find LIFE IN the spirit!!!
TRULY, the CHRISTmas season IS one in which to renew our strength, and commitment UNTO THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, and to further step INTO our reality! It IS a time to LEARN, and TO TAKE to heart, the absolute beauty, GRACE, and MERCY OF HIS LOVE, and HIS GIFT OF LIFE, in MORE than thought, or word!!!
BLESS THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY! PRAISE HIM EVERMORE! WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS! REJOICE, FOR HE IS WITH THOSE WHOM ARE WITH HIM! HALLELUJAH, THANK THE LORD FOR ALL HE IS, and DOES! Let us KNOW that there is NOTHING without HIM; NOTHING at all!!!
LWINSOR © 2018
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS
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