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The Preaching of Sin, Righteousness, and The Judgment

In recent years it has been burned into my soul that God is very angry with that which calls itself the Church. I have been made to know that He will shortly release His fury and blot out all those that have defiled themselves. He will destroy all those that cause offense in his kingdom.  And He will gather all that are tares and burn them with unquenchable fire. These are those who walk after the flesh and not after the Spirit. These are those who have not the love of the Father in them, but instead love the things of the world. These are those who do not hunger and thirst after righteousness, but love rather the corrupt wealth and corrupt mammon of the god of this world.

I can feel these waves of warning coursing through my being even as I write these things. When I read the words or hear what is commonly preached today words cannot describe the horror and pain that I see and feel.  I am speaking in particular of those blind Pharisees that live among us in this day who would claim to have been given the guardianship of the word of God. I am speaking of those arrogant souls who claim that they are operating at the same level of gifts and operations of the Holy Spirit in their ministries as the early Church and the Apostles. Those that would speak such things vex my soul and spirit.

For they do not speak that which they have seen and heard (1 John 1:1 and 1:3.) of the father, for they have neither heard His voice nor seen His shape (John 5:37).  Instead they preach themselves, they bear witness of themselves, and they have other men to bear witness of themselves (John 5:44.) And of this Christ testified saying: If another come in is own name him shall ye hear (John 5:43.)  And likewise shall every word of Christ be fulfilled concerning this evil and perverse generation.

Matthew 23:13-36 13But woe unto you, scribes (Teachers, Preachers) and Pharisees, (Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics) hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14Woe unto you, scribes(Teachers, Preachers)  and Pharisees, (Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics) hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, (With your tithing and prosperity Gospel messages) and for a pretence (Whenever you stand before your audience you pretend to be guided by the spirit to:) make long prayer(s) (you cry out for offerings, and you declare God is speaking to you when He has not): therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15Woe unto you, scribes (Teachers, Preachers) and Pharisees, (Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics) hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte (A disciple to follow in your footsteps), and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear (makes confession with their lips) by the temple, (To become a disciple of Christ alone) it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, (To become a disciple of his pastor, his ministry or his denomination)  he is a debtor! (He is a bound by who he has submitted himself to.) 17Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold (the pastor the ministry or denomination), or the temple (Christ alone) that sanctifieth the (true) gold? 18And, Whosoever shall swear (makes confession with their lips) by the altar (Christ our burnt offering, Christ our sin offering, Christ our drink offering, Christ our peace offering etc.) it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift (sacrificial tithes, sacrificial offerings, sacrifices of praise, or partakes in the sacrifices of the church service.) that is upon it, he is guilty (He is made a disciple of who and what he serves). 19Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, (Your false man-made sacrifices or offerings) or the altar (Christ who offering himself once and for all for us) that sanctifieth the (true) gift(s)? 20Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, (maketh himself a disciple of Christ alone) sweareth by it, and (receiveth by Him) all things (That pertaineth to the kingdom) thereon. 21And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by Him that dwelleth therein. 22And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon. 23Woe unto you, scribes (Teachers, Preachers) and Pharisees, (Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics) hypocrites! for ye (clamor and lust after cold hard cash, the corrupt mammon of the god of this world  instead of the) pay(ment of agricultural goods alone that were prescribed by the law of Moses as in:) tithe(s) of mint and anise and cummin, and (like your fathers the Pharisees you) have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave (providing food for the widows the fatherless and the poor) the other undone. 24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25Woe unto you, scribes (Teachers, Preachers) and Pharisees, (Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics)  hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, (that which is in your black, corrupt, earthly, and sensual hearts) that the outside of them may be clean also. 27Woe unto you, scribes (Teachers, Preachers)  and Pharisees, (Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics) hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29Woe unto you, scribes (Teachers, Preachers) and Pharisees, (Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics) hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, (those that you deem as spiritual giants of the past)  and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, (Churches, fellowships and denominations) and persecute them from city to city: 35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, (Those martyred for the faith) whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Christ’s words Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers is what is coming to the Church of our day like a freight train. No one is going to fly away anywhere, instead they will be confronted separation unto Christ alone, and repentance, and a giving up of all their worldly goods that they might obtain a more excellent inheritance. Yet they shall reject these words and the words of those whom the Lord shall send and they shall do what their fathers the Pharisees did and reject the Prince of Life, reject his words and persecute and kill any that dare speak such things.

How these things possibly be, my pastor tells me that I am perfect and holy?

How can there things possibly be, my pastor tells me that the Church has been growing step by step towards perfection?

How can these things possibly be. When the ministry I follow says” We are on a progressive path of restoration the Wesleyan Revival restored the ministry of evangelist, the latter rain revival in1948 restored the office of prophet and we are soon to get the office of apostle and have all things restored and we will suddenly enter into full Sonship and take the world from the devil and present it to Christ? 

If anyone has the Spirit of Christ in them they already know in their heart of hearts that things are not right in the church. They already know in their heart of hearts that the evangelists of this day are not the same in kind as what was written in the book of Acts. And they know that the so-called prophets of this day pale in comparison with the prophets of Old Testament or John the Apostle John when he recorded that which he saw and heard in the book of Revelation.  And I dare say those that have the Spirit of Christ in them already know that they have a serious lack of something in their lives that cannot simply be confessed up, or prayed down, regardless of what your or any other preacher or teacher would tell you. 

So what is really wrong in this day?  We have come to a fearful time, when the preaching of sin, righteousness, and the judgment are no more. Churches and ministries have left off from teaching such things for decades now.  Instead this is a day where teaching and preaching has centered on smooth things that tickle the ears of their hearers.

We preach about healing, we herald our power and standing in God, we boast of our gifts and fruits, and all that we have done with our own hand.

We teach that confession of out lips is essential in order that we might be healed. And further we teach that the only way that one can keep and maintain their healing is by making confession with their earthly, carnal lips. Shall the Spirit indeed be perfected by the flesh, or by the will of man? Shall a man guide God about as if He has a hook in His nose?  Shall the clay say to the Potter I shall form myself by the power of my own lips?  Nowhere in the Gospels and Epistles did Christ or the Apostles preach any such message.

We also preach that the fruits of the Spirit, of obtaining spiritual ministry, and that the gifts of the Spirit are all ours for the taking.

Beyond the confession teachings we teach that by our making demands of God in prayer God will have to obey us. Is this not the sin of the Children of Israel in the wilderness that they demanded of God?

And if that was not enough we actually have the nerve to teach that God is bound by his word. That somehow has become enslaved to the written in the Bible and that when carnal and corrupt men sandwich their lusts, between a verse or two that God must give to them what they want. These are truly perverted and evil messages yet when they are preached all the people say amen, thereby become partakers of their sins.

Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Who is there among you that has not felt the twinge of Holy Ghost telling you that these things are wrong and evil. As newborn babes in Christ we knew when we were first confronted with these arrogant ministries and their evil selfish claims. And we spoke up but others around us told us that those feelings from God, and the words of the Holy Spirit that were in us were not true and not to be believed. And that the words that were spoken were not greed or selfishness but faith – and after we were beguiled with the words of surrogates of the serpent our eyes were opened and we say how that if we were to partake of this how we would be enriched and so we were drawn away by our own lusts. It is time to remember the things that are past – and repent until we are truly changed within. 

In this day it is preached and taught virtually in all quarters that our position in Christ does not change whether we sin or live for God – this is the doctrine of eternal security. Only it has been gussied up in a robe of the love of God. We are told we can: live unto ourselves and still be saved, we are told we can partake of earthly riches and still be saved. We are told we do not have to actively seek God and we still can be saved. We are told that we do not have to be obedient to Christ in any manner and we still can be saved.

What is being preached is that if seek with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul and all our strength the things of the world and in so doing we shall possess them and by so doing we shall walk in the FULL SALVATION that Christ purchased all of this for us on the cross.

And when these truly perverted and evil messages are preached, all the people shout: Amen, and thereby become partakers of their sins and their eternal damnation as well. 

Lets see if this “salvation of men” passes the scrutiny of scripture?

Ezekiel 3:19-21 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Ezekiel 18:20-32 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 21   But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22   All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23   Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? 24   But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 25   Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 26   When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. 27   Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28   Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29   Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
30   Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31   Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32   For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Ezekiel 33:1- 20 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2   Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 13   If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;  4   Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5   He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 (The trumpet calls of Revelation are calls to the Church for deep repentance but it does not come, for as Israel was so the church is a heard hearted stiff necked people.)  But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. 7   So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8   When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9   Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.  10   Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11   Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?  12   Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13   When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.  14   Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;  15   If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.16   None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.  17   Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.  18   When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.   19   But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.  20   Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

Recently I sat in a meeting preached by a quasi-disciple of Kenneth Hagan, and he began speaking on the love of God. As this man spoke I began to hear the all too familiar words of how God loves us so much, and how Jesus will forgive us of anything, that we can live anyway we want, and still enjoy this salvation.

One of the points he preached “There is there for now no condemnation in Christ Jesus” that God does not condemn us. And in typical Hagan half-verse style this preacher like his master left out the second half of the verse to them that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. He went on the hammer away that God does not condemn us, the Holy Spirit does not condemn us, that it is the devil that condemns and that God and Christ are just filled with love.

Is God blinded by some kind of puppy love that His righteousness and judgment have been impaired?   The answer is no, but it is commonly preached in our day that God has been blinded by the sacrifice of Christ.  That God when He looks upon your sin sees only Jesus. That in the final Judgment Christ will stand up as Perry Mason and declare his blood covers everything that we have ever done, the lying the cheating the stealing, the murder, the rape, the extortion, the pedophiles etc. In other words heaven according to these preachers of unrighteousness will be a place filled unrepentant active liars, thieves, murderers, rapists, extortionists, and pedophiles need I go on? Many are the corrupt, but few ever become righteous and wash their garments in the blood of the lamb.      

I don’t know how many preachers and teacher I have heard over the last few months speak about: “The Faithfulness of God.” or “The Love of God ” In either case the message is always the same: that we can do whatever we want, we can fall away, we can sin to our hearts content, we can abuse the Church, and the brethren and Jesus our advocate will always be there like some love-sick puppy waiting with His tail wagging like mad, almost unable to control His excitement at any contemptuous or disinterested glance we send in His direction.

The image I see is the proverbial barn dance where a young good-looking girl brings this geek to the dance to meet the approval of her parents. And no sooner than she arrives she casts his aside so that she can spend the night dancing with the world and the devil. But in her heart she knows that he cannot be allowed to leave, because she is going to have to face mom and dad after all of this is over. So while she spends the night dancing with the devil she while occasionally tosses a glance in the direction of this wall flower, just enough to hold him so he will take her home and she can pass muster before her father and mother.

This is not salvation.  This is not the Gospel.  And this is not Christ.

I don’t know how many times I have heard these sin laden Preachers and teachers reduce God’s faithfulness and the Love of God to what He will do for us. The way they tell it is that the burden of salvation is somehow on God to prove himself to us. What they have done is they have made God, the King of the Universe, out to be our personal servant to grant us our every whim. And that we need not give up anything (of the world the flesh and the devil) we need only to accept him that is: If we find him to be acceptable by our personal standards, if we deem him worthy to be associated with us, then we will allow him to become out limited friend and our limited Savior. The emphasis of this day more and more is of Jesus the faithful friend, and the oft forgotten sidekick. And this is tolerated just as long as He doesn’t become a total bore talking about sin or righteousness and Judgment or he starts hanging around with me when I am with my friends.

The Lord by His grace has revealed to me in recent years that instead of the Ek-klesia being that light on the hill that they were called to be, that which calls itself the Church instead reflects that which is in and of the world.  And that which is being reflected is the shifting sand of the pop culture of a generation ago.

I will give you a few examples: In the early 1970’s when I first was saved that was the end of many things in the church.  The preaches that passed on in that day were in their 60’s and 70’s many of these people had been saved 35 -40 years earlier meaning that they were saved in the 1930’s and 1940’s.  The people from those days preached hard against sin, divorce. At that time it was repeatedly cited in sermons that because divorce was relatively rare among believers it was a sign that God was with the church.  And they lauded with a sick glee the world the was all around us falling into deep corruption, at that time divorce rates had skyrocketed to about 50-60 %. 

Elsewhere I have cited that their observations of divorce was flawed first that it was not in the Church – for since the Reformation and the rise of the doctrine of Menno-Simons the fundamentalist movement has had well over 100,000 church splits (divorces) and thousands of denominational splits (divorces.)  And this corruption that began with the Ana-Baptists who became the Mennonites – up steam these same people eventually became Pentecostals, and in more recent days Charismatics.

In the 1970’s Television was preached hard against as being sin and of the Devil – these preachers knew there was something wrong with this medium but were not able to exactly put there finger on it. Consequently the people in the church of that day rejected their words and many people in the church had TV’s and spent far more time watching them than seeking God and reading the bible. Thirty years later there is hardly a pastor that does not own a television, and spend hours watching it.  Some preach from film and movies like Star Trek, Star Wars, The Matrix, and even cartoons like Sponge bob. 

Moreover in the 1980’s there was the rise of CBN and in the 1990’s Pat Robertson brought to the screen of his “Christian Network” The television shows of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s as being “wholesome entertainment.”  So that which was called of the devil and sin a generation ago is now declared to be wholesome Christian entertainment.

Rock music was declared to be of the devil, dancing was declared to be of the devil, gambling was declared to be of the devil, investing money and accumulating wealth was declared to be of the devil. And in each case these have not just gained acceptance in the church but have been embraced and made to be essential parts of the faith.  How so Rock has been brought directly in the church as part of the worship, Christ radio tapes and CD’s are piped in believers minds seemingly 24-7.   Dances that were in “Dance Halls and Disco’s are now in Churches as part of socials and young people meetings – having replaced bible studies and prayer meetings. Gambling and wealth building have been incorporated into the prosperity Gospel and some even preach that one’s salvation is dependent upon their giving tithes and offerings.  

Luke 7: 31-35 And the Lord said, whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.  .  .   But wisdom is justified of all her children.
The Church is run in this day by babes and novices, there are few seasoned ministries. Few that know the counsel and mind of God because they never learned to walk with Him. Instead they rely on the walks of others, and most of those who are consulted in matters of spirituality are dead preachers and ministries of a bygone era. From these the living attempt to divine the will and purposes of God for themselves and their hearers. So the preachers of this day use books, tapes, videos, TV movies and Christian radio to hear the voice of God.  And this is the condemnation of the ministry of this day.

John 5:37-40  And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

The whole of the Church is no longer founded upon the rock of Gospel of Christ, it is built wholly upon sand and rises and falls and takes whatever form those who rake it around wish for it to take. This is akin to the “confession” heresy of this day. God said will the clay say to the potter why has thou made me thus? Welcome to the day when it is preached that the clay can now form itself into whatever vessel it wants to be. And that this clay can also endow itself with any of the gifts and ministries that it wants simply by confessing them unto themselves.

With that said let us now move on to a closer examination of Sin, Iniquity and Defilement in Scripture.

Galatians 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Paul says here that the Law was the early Church’s schoolmaster. – That the Law was designed to bring them to Christ, that they might be justified by faith. – How if we have removed the schoolmaster and use in its place the traditions and teachings of men in can we rightly be brought to Christ? 

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by (reading and meditating upon) the law is the knowledge of sin.

One of the lessons that God has driven home to me in recent months is that Christ came to save sinners. And if there is not a knowledge of sin, if there is not a personal revelation that we are corrupt and that this is no clean thing that dwells within us, then Christ can not save us. Did you ever think that it was strange that the Apostles continually expose their shortcomings and speak continually of sin within the church? Why does Paul continually tell us that he is the chief of sinners in the Church? Why does Paul tell us that he fears that he might be disqualified, he fears that he might miss the call of God in his life and that he fears for those in his churches?  Could it be that Paul understood some things that the Word of Faith People of our day understand not?

Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? (Is reading the law sinful to believers? Does reading the Law and the Old Covenant detract from the new covenant?) God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

How if we have removed the schoolmaster, how if we have removed the law altogether by corruptly dividing the word of God into two bibles the Jewish bible, and a Christian bible can we rightly be brought to Christ?  We cannot.

A little over 130 years ago in response to a question posed of what the challenges of the 20th century would be, General William Booth responded:  "I am of the opinion that the dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost; Christianity without Christ; forgiveness without repentance; salvation without regeneration; politics without God; and heaven without hell."

To me this is an amazing prophecy that the day would come when salvation would be preached without repentance. We have crossed into that day and it is a fearful thing to know that there are entire churches and denominations that people have been told that they are saved without the least semblance of repentance. What has really happened is that the preachers of our had have blinded their hearers with their conceits, and smooth words, they have perverted the way of righteousness and corrupted their followers so that in the unlikely event that they ever do run into the truth, they have been inoculated against it so that they will not repent and be converted.   

By the Law we learn of sin, by the knowledge of sin worketh Godly repentance.

2 Corinthians 7:9-11 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but (I do greatly rejoice) that ye sorrowed to repentance. For ye were made sorry after a Godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11For behold (in) this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things, ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Look at this Paul is speaking about a prolonged period of repentance. A Godly sorrow, a Godly repentance – This period of repentance that was accomplished over weeks if not months accomplished great things in these people’s lives.

1) WHAT CAREFULNESS IT WROUGHT IN YOU.

I have seen growing among the people of God a haughtiness, and a lightness, concerning the Lord and the things of God. Today many things that are said in “jest” in meetings by parishioners and preachers alike  -- none dare spoke in the early 70’s. Everything today is laced with levity. We joke of salvation, we joke of heaven, We joke of scripture, we joke of Christ and the Father, and we joke of the Holy Ghost. The first symptoms of this was carnal believers seeking to justify their worldly lifestyle by saying: I think God has a sense of humor; therefore I can mock God, and the things of God, and I can mock that which is Holy and treat it with contempt and scorn.  

Numbers 12:7-9 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

If God was angry – real angry that Miriam and Aaron has spoke against Moses – For he had married an Ethiopian woman. They were implying that Moses was corrupt. They were implying that Moses was less of a child or Abraham than they were -- And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? What you may not know is God appointed Aaron as an Apostle and Miriam as a Prophet. (This is studied more fully in “And He gave some Apostles.”)

Consider that if God was furious that they spoke against Moses, they chided Moses, they “mocked” Moses, they spoke “in jest” against Moses. How much more with the wrath of God be upon those corrupt those around them by speaking with lightness and levity of Christ, Scripture, and the Gifts and workings of the Holy Spirit.  

That which you do unto the least of these my brethren you do it unto me.

What is said in jest is usually meant in dead earnest. Christian people sharpen their knives and speak against God, they speak against any man and woman that they perceive to have more than them in God, and they speak against scripture that they do not like or want to believe.  And then they declare I was only jesting, I was just kidding believing that this somehow gives them shelter from the wrath of men and God.

Levity, and jesting are borne out of one’s lack – we speak against that which we ourselves do not have, in an attempt to devalue what we do not have, while at the same time raising our value in the eyes of those around us. 

Levity and jesting are born out of covetousness – when see something that we do not have and it seems unattainable we speak against it in an attempt to devalue it in order to comfort our soul, and raise our value in the eyes of those around us.  

Levity and jesting are born out of jealousy and bitterness, -- when we see others prosper spiritually while we are in the same old rut, instead of repenting and seeking God that we might be changed we instead become jealous and bitter – and we speak against those who God speaks to and has blessed – in an attempt to pull them back down to our level.

In the Chesapeake Bay many people go crabbing, and one of the first things a crabber learns is if you catch a single crab and toss it in the bucket by the time you catch the second crab, the first will invariably have climbed out of the bucket and our of your boat back into the bay.  So what is done? The crabber puts two crabs are put in the bucket and anytime one or the other attempts to rise above his fellow the other reaches out and pulls his fellow crab back into the same old rut with him. In all to many churches I have seen this demonstrated time and again, that when some one starts seeking God – the others will invariably reach out and in all their little ways to hinder them.  

Mark 6:4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

We will define a prophet as one who hears from God. Jesus is saying that one who hears from God has no honor where he grew up and lived. Jesus is saying that your own natural brethren and in this day it has moved on to you spiritual brethren as well. In your own house the words you speak shall not be heard, and this is so in the spiritual house your associate with. In your Church the words you speak if they are truly from the spirit of God will not be heard.

Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Christ continues to be despised and rejected of men, but in this day it is done in the confines of the church. We do not recognize Christ in each other. We do not hear His voice when He speaks through a vessel that is not a member of our click. We have no respect and look down on those whom we deem to speak out of turn. We reject the words and deeds of all that do not follow the pecking order of or fellowship. We belittle and cast away from us all who do not go through the imposition of the hazing process we have set up for one to gain acceptance. 

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

And so with the next one the Lord sends in our midst we begin the process anew. Sharpening our daggers, jesting mocking chiding and if they do not fall into submissive silence we drive them out from our midst.

Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Nowhere is scripture does God say were you not afraid to speak against Aaron, or Miriam. One has to ask why, Why was Moses different, why are the least of my Brethren different than the greatest or the average believer?

Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

In other words Miriam and Aaron were selfish and Moses was selfless. Moses was wholly dependant upon the Lord and would not lift his hand, nor his voice in his behalf. So that when Moses fell (I am not speaking of him falling in sin) he left it that if God was pleased with him that He would catch him in His hand. Moses was able to rest in whatever came his way, knowing that God was a righteous and a Holy God. And further Moses and would not lay any charge to God.

Levity and jesting are born out of ignorance of Scripture and the Holiness of God. 

The wife of the current president of the Bible school I graduated from in 1978 has said on more than one occasion that she is glad that she is not living in the Old Covenant with the angry God of the Old Testament that was always judging and striking down sinners and all those terrible bloody sacrifices. She has said she is glad that she knows the loving and merciful Jesus.  This person has such a flawed and corrupt understanding of Christ, the Gospel and the Father – I do not know where to begin. “I and the Father are one.” “I can do nothing except the Father. . .” For God (The Father) so loved the world . . .” God help us. God help those who have been taught by this woman to say and teach such things. God help us.

Instead of “jesting,” a favorite word of the carnal in the 1970’s, or partaking in levity, frivolity, telling jokes, and having fun, all of which are strangely absent from the words of Christ and the Apostles. We instead see the word Sober in its various forms is used some 16 times in the New Testament. There are two words in the Greek that are translated as Sober Nepho – the opposite of being drunk and partying, and Sophiron to have discretion, moderation and self-control.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1 Timothy 3:10-12 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

Titus 1:7-9 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

Titus 2 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Titus 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

Titus 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The implication here is that a lack of soberness, and a lack of vigilance allows the roaring lion to devour whom he seeks.

Numbers 12:10-15 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

These are hard words to be understood this generation of believers that believers that God is out there to serve them.

How much harder will it be when they are told by Jesus himself:

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

God mocks those who mock others

Proverbs 1:25-27 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and (ye) would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Proverbs 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour (of the Lord).

Galatians 6:6-8 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (What is the OT verse here?)

This is a terrifying promise of God for all those that would soil their garments with the teachings of the prosperity Gospel: He that soweth to the flesh shall reap corruption – Corruption is a word that this frequently used of eternal death. Jesus saidin Luke chapter 6: Woe unto you that are Rich, woe unto you that are full, woe unto you that laugh now . . .” And Christ relates all beliefs and qualities to being a false prophet or conceivably to being one of their MANY followers.

2 Corinthians 1:17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?

The Lord shall laugh to scorn those who treat with contempt

Psalm 22:6-8 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Deuteronomy 32:19-20 And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

2 Samuel 22:26-28 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright. With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.  And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. 

Psalm 18:25-27 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks (the haughty).


Proverbs 3:32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but His secret is with the righteous.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.


Proverbs 17:20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

Continuing now with the repentance spoken of in:

 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but (I do greatly rejoice) that ye sorrowed to repentance. For ye were made sorry after a Godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11For behold (in) this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things, ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

2) WHAT CLEARING OF YOURSELVES IT WROUGHT IN YOU,

Not too long ago, 100 years ago to be more precise the fundamentalist church taught what they called “The Second Definite work of Grace.” The first definite work being salvation, and the second was called sanctification. So that after one repented and came to Christ one would over time discover a lack and then they would begin to seek God with great earnest, spending weeks if not months repenting and seeking inner cleansing and then when this event would occur in the life of an individual no one needed to say they had been touched by God, it was manifest to all around them. The sad fact is that the salvation that is preached today does not clear anyone of anything. The church is filled with believers that do every sin known to man. Christ is put to an open shame every day of the week by preachers and parishioners alike.

3) WHAT FEAR IT WROUGHT IN YOU

Paul is praising these believers that through this prolonged repentance, and prolonged crying out to God for forgiveness, for cleansing, for sanctification that a substantial change was wrought in their beings. Paul is saying that though this repentance that the fear of God was awakened in them. And Paul is really excited about this change of the addition of the fear of God in their lives.

These were not just any people this was the church of Corinth. This is a church that had been founded by the apostle preaching salvation in Christ. These people had been baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit, and had received all manner of spiritual gifts and revelation. BUT WITH ALL THAT there had not been a change wrought in their beings.

This change was wrought in repentance and Godly sorrow. Consider now the disciples point of conversion between the ascension of Christ and the day of Pentecost. It took the disciples weeks under the most ideal conditions. Yet the validity of this is preached against, and any prolonged repentance is declared as being “Condemnation” and the work of the devil.

Paul talks a lot about the fear of God. He talks about it in his life and his sins of the past. Paul speaks of the fear of God in relation to his ministry and his calling and Paul speaks of the fear of God in regards to what he saw coming apostasy of the church. This too is preached against the fear of God is spoken of as Old Covenant, something apart from the Gospel Yet Christ and Paul the Apostle preached the fear of God.

 I am going to call the fear of God a fruit of the Spirit. For by this fruit – for by this outworking of the working of Holy Ghost in the Corinthians hearts and lives Paul the Apostle perceived a concrete change that had not occurred upon Salvation, upon Water Baptism, Upon the Baptism of the Spirit, upon the outpouring of Spiritual gifts.  

And today in the midst of all the high-minded claims that we in this day possess all that there is in God, the fear of God has become a stranger to the Church. There are two verses that the preachers of this day use to overcome any thought of fear of God in the life of a believer. Fear we are told is of the devil.

As an experiment go to an online bible search engine in the KJV type in the words “fear” and “devil” and see what scripture you find. And see if the bible says fear is of the Devil. 

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

We are told that Paul is telling Timothy not to fear God and not to fear the devil but that by the power of the spirit and love and having a unfragmented or a unified or integrated mind Timothy is to overcome all fear.

Let us look closer at this verse and see if Paul is really talking about this?

2 Timothy 1:6-8 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

We see Paul instead is telling Timothy that he has received a gift by the laying of hands and that this gift Timothy has been suppressing has to with giving forth with power the testimony of the Lord. The Spirit of Fear has to do with Timothy pulling back from being a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God. Se we see here the fear is specific the power is the power of God , the Love is the love of God that He gave his only begotten son – in other words the love is the giving forth of the testimony of Jesus with out fearing for self in being made a partaker of His afflictions

In like manner in 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We are told that the Apostle John is denying the words of his Lord and Master Jesus Christ. And John is telling believers for all time that there is no longer any need to fear God.  That we should cast out fear (Like one would cast out a demon.) That love casts out fear and that if we fear God it is because of spiritual short comings.  So that by love we can supercede the words of Christ and the words of Scripture. This is a very novel approach because in 1 Corinthians 13 we are told of faith hope and love that the greatest is love. So what is being said is that love is greater than Christ, love is greater than scripture. So if we walk in corrupted worldly selfish love we can blind God so that we can do what we want and still be best buds with Him and Jesus. Any fear of God even the smallest amount would prevent one from thinking such a thing but in the absence of any conviction and any fear of God a message of self-seeking self-serving love can be passed on as humility and Godliness.  

1 John 4:16-21 16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19We love him, because he first loved us. 20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Contrary to the current rant John the Apostle says that he (the person) that dwelleth IN God and God Dwelleth IN him (in that person.) John is saying this is what makes our love perfect. This perfect love gives us boldness on the day of Judgment because as He is so are we in the world.

This passage is pointing to our preaching the testimony of Christ to the world without fear. And I dare say that if we have perfect love as Christ did towards us, then we will disregard our lives and willingly lay them down that others might by our life and by our testimony come to everlasting life. 

However if we fear death, if we fear persecution we are not made perfect in love and we will not love our brothers as Christ loved us. We will not lay our lives down – He who seeks to save his life shall lose it and he who seeks lo lose his life shall save it. And the test of our faith and belief is in our love for our neighbor not our love for the world and ourselves. This is the essence of the Gospel, not rejecting the fear of God as is preached. These ministries that use the words of John the void the words of Christ have not the love of the father in them, they know him not, they have never seen his shape of his voice – the are tares only fit for burning.

 

Realize that there are close to 100 verses in the bible concerning the fear of God, describing in great detail what it is, and how god loves those who fear him. (A more complete study of this can be found in a study on this website that is titled  “The Fear of God.”) As much as there is talk of an attack on the gift of tongues there is a ten-fold attack on the fear of God and conviction and condemnation of the Spirit of Sin, righteousness and judgment. Can you see why the enemy has such stiff opposition to the things that work real change in the life of a beliver.

Luke 12:4-5 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.
Some things that need to be considered in this verse:

1) To whom is Christ speaking to in these verses? Was Jesus speaking to the unsaved multitudes? No. Was Jesus speaking the 120 or the 70 disciples? No, Jesus was speaking here specifically to the twelve disciples.

2) So that when Christ said, “My friends?” this was not spoken to the 70, to the 120 or to the multitudes. When God Spoke to Abraham and called him His friend, and in Scripture it says that God gave promises to Abraham and his seed we see Isaac was loved of God Jacob was loved of God but how about the twelve sons of Israel were they loved of God, were they indeed the friends of God When Israel called them in before him he pronounced curses upon several of the sons of Abraham. Did not God say of Abraham and his seed that they could not be cursed. How is it that Israel in his old age pronounced curses on several of his sons  -- it is because they did not walk with God they were children of belial like the sons of Eli were. They committed horrible sins against God and against Abraham, But Joseph was a friend of God and beloved of the Lord. We could argue that these sons of Israel that were cursed did not have the fear of God. We could argue that they were utterly selfish and self absorbed as most men are but Joseph possessed great selflessness, and when He heard from God Joseph feared, and when He heard from God like his father Abraham Joseph was obedient and because of obedience Joseph obtain favor from the Lord. The other ten son it did not matter what they confessed as to the promises given to great grand father. The could have quoted scripture till the cows came home and none of this would have changed them from being cursed to being blessed and yet this evil and perverse generation believes that they can select promises and blessing that were never spoken to them and that God is going to for the confession of their lips transform them from the cursed children that they are into the sons of God. Just as it is in Revelation that Christ will give individually a new name to those that overcome that no other man knoweth – so it is also that when Christ calls an individual his friend that this man knows it and this designation from Christ’s lips alone is not known by anyone else. 

Yet it is preached in virtually every church of this day that we are all personal friends of Christ. This is part and parcel of the fundamentalist doctrine that upon salvation we get it all. Upon that instant of salvation we become saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost. But it is a sham salvation that is without repentance, it is not a full surrender and an acknowledgement that you have been redeemed, You have been bought for a price as a slave in open market and ye are not of your own, but Christ’s.  And if you are still the Lord of your life, which all are that preach themselves and a love for the riches of this world than you can not possibly be owned of Christ and Christ ’s servant alone in word and in deed.  And if so then you are neither known of him or can ever possibly be called his friend. 

This distorted message was first preached beginning in 1910 to counter the Pentecostal revival and inoculate future generations of Fundamentalists from this Pentecostal Gospel of a manifest salvation, manifest sanctification, and a manifest baptism of the Holy Ghost. And what we mean by manifest is a Gospel that has substance in the life of those who receive it that can be seen and felt by others.  

And so a hollow salvation was preached and for generations now the church has reaped the whirlwind of what they have sown and as become increasingly carnal and world because there is no change that has been wrought in their converts, their converts have no fear of God and so there is nothing to stop them from doing anything that is in their imagination.

Looking once more at this passage in Luke 12: 4-5 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.

When Christ called the twelve disciples “My Friends,” you need to know that they did not cease from being bought with a price or being the servants or Disciples of Christ alone. Neither did their cease from being the Apostles of Christ alone.

Paul tells us that he and all of us were bought with a price. Not one of the Apostles ever said they have gone beyond being a disciple of Christ or being an Apostle.

Being called “My friend” by Christ means that these men through obedience, acts of selflessness, and their learning the fear of God obtained greater favor with Christ then when they first believed.

So Christ being filled with Love calls the Apostles here “My Friends” and in sharing this love and this new level of grace in Luke 12:4-5, what does Christ wish to Impart to these twelve men, that they have not had wrought in their beings prior to this point?  The answer is plain for you to read: The Fear of God.” Look at the verse and see that in this verse Jesus says to those that he loves, that he called “My Friends” to Fear God. And Jesus says this not once, not twice, but three times. Now ask yourself, how many things did Christ repeat three times in a single sentence?

Now I don’t know about you but I tend to consider Christ somewhat more of an authority than my church, my pastor, my bible school, and I would say even myself.  So that when my church, my pastor, my bible school or I myself say or teach something that is in disagreement with the words or the life of Christ, I have learned of late to err on the side of the Lord rather than on my side, my pastor’s side of my denominations side. 

Look now at what the Isaiah the Prophet spoke of the coming of Christ.
Isaiah 11:1-3 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
The servant is not above the master. If the Spirit of the fear of the Lord rested upon Jesus and we are to be Jesus’ disciples; then that same spirit that rested on Christ should be in us or at very least resting on us. And if it is not, we are none of His. If the spirit of the fear of Lord does not dwell in us it is because we are someone else’s disciple, and no doubt we have taken their haughty spirit, their spirit of pride, and their spirit of self-will.

Hebrews 5:7-8 (Christ) Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him (The Father) that was able to save him from death, and was heard (Of the father and Christ heard the Word that Proceedeth from the father on that matter) in that He (Christ) feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
The error of this day is so dire that the body of Christ is utterly perishing before my eyes and it is more than I can bear. The Church has become overrun with grievous wolves that preach themselves their ministries and their own self-serving, self-exalting, teachings and doctrines. Christ is the Corner stone of our faith, if and when we are saved we receive of his portion not our own portion or of some portion that supposedly belongs to the Church. Jesus is still the door the gate and the way the truth and the life, No man can come unto the father but by Christ. And those that would are thieves and robbers. So I take a plumb-line in my hand and hold it to Christ and a doctrine and see how it measures up to Christ.

Consider now Peter’s words.

1 Peter 4:18-20 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
This does not sound like a good eternal security verse. This not sound like good verse for those who want to live in careless ease in Zion. This not sound like a good verse for those who preach that it is not the will of God for a Christian to be poor. This does not sound like a good verse for those who preach that is not the will of God for us to suffer.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

It is better to suffer the momentary in this life for doing the will of God than to suffer eternal damnation for following after the pleasures and riches of this life.

I want for a moment to consider not only when but to whom Peter wrote these words. From what I have read the letter appears to have been written in 65-67 AD  Paul the Apostle been slain for the Gospel in Rome 3-4 years  earlier. And now Peter was possibly in Rome working his way through the Roman judicial system to his death. So this puts this letter as having been written about 30 years after Christ death and resurrection. The audience to whom Peter is writing this letter are all churches that were not only founded by the Apostles themselves, but these were churches that the Apostles had repeatedly visited and had taught not only the Gospel of Christ but the Doctrine of Christ as well. So these people were under the best possible conditions; not only to hear, to get saved, to get baptized in water and to get baptized in the Spirit but then to follow on after Christ.

What then is my point?  My point is that if in the best possible conditions, with the best foundation, and the best possible teaching, Peter tells us that among those believers the righteous are scarcely saved.  Then we should be asking ourselves were does that leave us some 1940 years later in a church that has little or no foundation, a church that has more in common with the Roman Catholic Church, Menno Simons, Martin Luther, and John Calvin, than with Christ and the Apostles?

Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;