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PART IV
BAPTIZED INTO INDIFFERENCE AND COMPLACENCY
Many sincere people join the Church with the promised assurance that the church upholds the Holy Bible’s call to righteousness and the prophetic calling to warn the world to “repent” and prepare to meet the soon coming Christ (Rev.22:12). This message is to be united with the holiness of GOD’S presence and power through the Indwelling Christ (Jn.14:15-21) living out the righteousness of His Law in the lives of His faithful children through the power of the Holy Ghost (Rev.22:16). A goodly number from every country have banned together, united to the honor of the Gospel message, striving to live up to the light of their understanding (Rom.2:13-15). Generation after generation the church leadership asserts in tones of piety that they are continuously working to mold the church ministry to be in harmony with “the Saviour of men” and “the Scriptures.”
But as time progresses and knowledge of the Gospel increases, many discover that the church has circumvented the essential, foundational doctrines of the Holy Bible from the Ten Commandments to the state of the dead; and many Scripture passages do not receive the steadfast respect the church claims to give. While none demand perfection due to our sinful natures (Rom.7:14-20), it is obvious that GOD waits for His professing people to acknowledge the legal means that GOD ordained through His Word to save His children—as well as the perfect logic of His closing work: to be His instruments to bless those who stand in ignorance, telling them (the whole human race) who they are “in Christ,” and how they now stand in the place of Adam before sin entered—in the place of innocence, as verified in the words of Paul, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” I Cor.15:22. The fact that the whole human race is to be raised from the grave proves that Jesus Christ has literally and legally removed the entire inheritance of sin that was bequeathed to us without our choice; that with this new probation (Rom.6:1,2), all can have the assurance of GOD to empower them to abstain from sin through the very presence of Jesus Christ (Jn.15:4), who has united with the power of the Holy Spirit (Jn.14:16-18); and thus, literally dwells within the soul of the Bible believing Christian. Through faith in Christ’s conquering of sin’s dominion, in all its jurisdiction over life (Matt.28:18), through this message of GOD’S creative power to save every man, the Holy Spirit can draw from all men, women, and children a joyful desire to “walk even as He walked” (I Jn.2:6). In Christ’s close companionship with the believing Christian, “he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Heb.2:18. The redeemed sinner is assured that he can overcome, even as Jesus overcame (Rev.3:21). All the guilt and shame that sin has brought, Jesus carried it to the Cross. GOD never asks us of anything beyond His ability of provision (Lu.11:13).
This obedience of Christ, living out His faith in the life of the believer through the power of the Holy Ghost is what GOD has designed for the last generation of His children to understand in a sinful world; that the mouth of the devil who accuses all men 24/7 can be shut forever (Rev.12:10). The Bible’s promise is simple: we do not have to be sinning sinners, as Paul admonished, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Rom.6:1,2. Of those who give permission for the LORD to lead their lives to victory over sin, it has been promised that after the final tragic events of Earth’s present history [for “those which are alive and remain” (I Th.4:17)] there will be no trace of allegiance to Satan whatsoever: no adulterous affair with the devil’s seductive temptations, as it is written, “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins [blameless and without blemish (I Cor.11:2)]. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men [the living (Dan.12:1; I Thess.4:17)], being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Rev.14:4,5. The Savior’s grand declaration will be emulated in them: “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” Jn.14:30. After all is said and done, every affection for the ways of this world will have been removed (I Jn.2:15-17; Lu.17:32).
But it is easily shown from a number of sacred principles that “the fear of the LORD” is not the prime doctrine of today‘s Christianity because simple confessions of public wrongdoing against the salvation of GOD have never been publicly acknowledged. And public sin demands public repentance (Mk.1:5). Nor have revisions been made, since the Dark Ages, that could undo many sinful decisions of the past that have literally crippled the work of the Gospel. Worst of all, guard posts have been set up to prevent any allowance “for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” II Tim.3:16,17. These words are anathema to ruling Christianity! The pride of men shun revision and repentance, and thus, obstruct the success of the closing work of Christ in the Earth. This continued stubborn posture postpones the 2nd Advent indefinitely! The counter-Reformation of the Roman Catholic church against the Protestant movement has succeeded beyond all expectations (Rev.13:16). The superficial Christian church is merely following the path of Saul, first king of Israel: the corrupting blend of greed and cowardice (I Sam.8:10-18, 15:24).
But wisdom calls for discretion on behalf of Christianity’s history, regardless of one’s rank or position in GOD’S work throughout the common era. The Enemy of Souls will send a thousand demons to deceive and destroy one leader in the church, whereas the common atheist will be left alone (Job 1:8-11). Through the oppression of spiritual powers Christians make far more mistakes in judgment than those who have never struggled to follow GOD and strive to obey His Commandments (Rom.7:15-25; Rev.12:17). This visible contrast between believers and unbelievers gives the world the needed leverage to bolster their pride and reject the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. But the carnal world has no concept of the reality of what is taking place, nor do they realize the sacredness of Scripture’s enlightening words teaching that the world continues day by day solely due to the presence of the few righteous men and women, as the LORD said so long ago, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” Gen.18:26. This passage emphatically teaches that all unrepentant sinners owe their daily existence to “the remnant” (Rev.12:17) who have imbibed the Holy Ghost in their lives (Rom.8:11). And when the church and the world make that final, unchanging decision to rid the world of the Biblically faithful class of men, women and children (of the age of accountability), the world will quickly plummet to its lifeless condition as foretold in prophecy (Isa24; Jer.4:23-28; Rev.20).
Many in the church who realize the spiritual warfare taking place have shown a lack of diligence in prayer, Bible study and action to help others withstand the deceptive schemes of the devil. The apostles were diligent to unmask the deceptive ploys of the great deceiver, and how Satan tirelessly exploits men’s compassion and other GOD-given traits of affection and trust to secure their temporal and eternal ruin (Gen.3:6; Ps.35:12; Lu.23:34; II Cor.2:11). But today, the church’s relationship with GOD and the world is one of verifiable hypocrisy, thus disqualifying any claims of standing in GOD’S approbation (Lu.13:3). Anything that fosters falsehood (Ps.101:7), sin (Jn.9:41) or pride (Jer.50:31) stands outside of GOD’S salvation as Jesus defines it, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” “Except thou repent” “ye shall die in your sins.” Jn.8:34; Rev.2:5; Jn.8:21.
It is no different than today’s Jewish nation calling itself Israel, who use the name of their righteous father, Israel, simply for their self-aggrandizement. GOD changed Jacob’s name to “Israel” because his faith “in Christ” represented the seal of his recognition of GOD’S method of salvation. If the father of Israel, Abraham, lived today he’d be praying to GOD in Christ’s name (Jn.8:56, 14:13,14). Today’s nation calling itself Israel has no right to take the name of their righteous father, when the leaders continue to crucify the very GOD of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham in their public denial of Him (Matt.10:33) as it is written, “For it is impossible for those who 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 they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Heb.6:4-6.
But GOD has a plan for Israel. He has ordained today’s Israel to restore to public view the Ark of the Covenant in the day He has appointed. And nothing will prevent His determination from this most forceful display of His Tangible Glory before the world when paganized Christianity asserts its authority over the Earth commanding the universal transgression of GOD’S Holy Law by imposing the pagan Sunday over the Holy Sabbath day. Today’s Christian leaders are illiterate to the fact that Sunday is a synonym for the devil’s heavenly name (Isa.14:12). |
