The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

John 1:9

Man, the carnal man, lives in darkness.  All mankind has turned aside from the truth, the true light, and has gone to corruption.  There is nothing wholesome about man, and nothing good in what he can do.  Ever.

The Spiritual Man, however, as Paul described, has died to it.  He has died to himself, to the world with all its desires, and has died to himself.  The case is so edged that Paul states that he is crucified to the world and the world is crucified to himself (Galatians 6:14).

Read more…

And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

Exodus 33:2-3

When Moses carried up the people of Israel from Egypt, and they came to the Jordan river, the company of men all chose to disobey God and not enter, rather than to continue on into their promise.  God was angry, and would no longer go forward with them, and told Moses that He Himself would not go with them, but that He would send his angel instead to defeat the enemies.

Read more…

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:6

The life of the Spirit is life and peace.  The difference is whether you believe.

Living as the world lives, or as any false cult or religion, is always death.  It can only rely upon the basic principles and elementary principles of this world.  But the life of the Spirit of Christ transcends all the natural.

There is no natural law, no elementary principle, nor anything else of the created order to which a believer, ultimately, is subjected to.  Not even death.

Read more…

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

John 1:16

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:14

We understand that it is by God’s grace that we are saved.  It is not our own efforts, but is His efforts.  It is only by coming with no merit of our own, but as sinners who sin, with no excuse or righteousness of our own merit, and by coming to the bloody cross with our own souls, that we enter into Christ’s life within.  It is only in the fullness of that finished work that we have any life whatsoever.  Paul called any efforts besides simple faith in the cross to be “dead works” (Hebrews 6:1).

On the other side of this is Jesus’ Words, saying, that unless our righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and Sadducees, we will in no way ever enter the Kingdom.  He said that the gate was small, and the the road to life was hard and narrow.  Only a few find it.

Between these two places on either side, which we could call ditches, we find the road.  Narrow as it is, it is still the road, and it must be traveled.

When we learn to preach the fullness of His Grace hand in hand with the narrowness of the road, we will have begun to understand the finished works of the cross.

Read more…

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Matthew 15:18-20

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

John 14:12

Paul writes to Timothy, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”  (1 Timothy 1:5).  This is the end final product of our instruction.

Consider, for a moment, the working of miracles.  Many have had miracle ministries in the church.  Many have finished well, and many have not.  Many have demonstrated the true heart and character of Jesus, while many have brought shame and disrepute, not intentionally but effectively, upon the body.  But, let us remember, the end of our instruction, the goal, was never miracles or the demonstration of power, but was God’s love in our hearts, a good conscience with faith.

Read more…

 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious.
Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!  Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You.

Psalm 66:1-3 NASB

A shout of victory for the Lord our God.  The raising of the voice, the shattering of strongholds.

For, out of the mouth of infants, He has ordained strength, He has perfected praise.  For out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, out of those who could not lift up their own voice, He has shattered the stronghold of the enemies that were very great.

Read more…

[N]or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith.

1 Timothy 1:4

The church, and all the work of God, are administered by one thing only, and that is by faith.

The work of the Kingdom is administered only in the realm of faith.  While that will always involve practical works, including maintaining property and book-keeping, it is always done to maintain and to keep that which is primarily authored in the realm known by faith.

Read more…

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Titus 1:15-16

The pure light of the Gospel is of the same nature as the Kingdom of which the Gospel preaches.  It is founded on righteousness and justice, and its ways are holiness and faithfulness.

For the light of the Gospel shines as a searchlight in the darkness, finding the hidden things, discovering the secret things in darkness.  As the prophet Jeremiah said,

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Jeremiah 33:3

Read more…