Faith/Works/Relationship

 Oh we of little faith!!! Why do we not believe God??? And I am the worst of the worst of the unbelievers!!!  Thus, God is seriously challenging my heart to become a doer of the Word……and not a hearer only.  Word confirms that Abraham believed God when he drew back his hand to slay Isaac on the altar as God commanded. Thus,

Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Abraham’s belief was manifested in the work of slaying Isaac….in being a doer.   But Abraham’s belief didn’t start there.  His belief was rooted in serious relationship stuff which began with Adam!!!

The biblical history of belief, faithfulness, and works of obedience by the patriarchs has been so watered down that today’s gospel bears little resemblance to true history since true gospel involves relationship. Undeniably…Adam walked with God daily in Eden…face to face…naked and unashamed….knowing only Good/God. If, at that time, Adam possessed the propensity for evil/fallen nature/free will… which came after eating of the Tree of Knowledge and death, he would have been covered and ashamed!!!   Instead he was naked and unashamed….innocent….knowing only Good.  As the innocent son of Good, Adam had real and loving fellowship with the Father. Adam knew Him because of personal encounter. But God ordained that Adam, too, would encounter…know evil after eating of the Tree of Knowledge. And it was only after  encounter with both that God said, ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil Gen 3:22.’  Now…and only now…is man ‘in the image of God’ knowing both good and evil. Now man is ready to fulfil his purpose of ‘choosing whom to serve.’ Now and only now is man ready to love God for goodness sake….to choose Good over evil…Life over death.  Within the realm of relationship with Jesus will man find the dominion promised him by God.

Hebrews 2:5 says, For unto the ANGELS hath he NOT put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.  6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him?or the son of man, that thou visitest him?  7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him

Heb 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. ' WHY?

with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:  8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. BUT now we see  NOT YET all thing put UNDER HIM. 9But we see JESUS,  who was MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS,  for the suffering of death, CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOUR; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.  10For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.    

But our contemporary gospel says an empowering relationship with Christ is not needed…that as believers we are stamped with a seal of righteousness because Christ is righteous. If that is the whole truth then Satan is saved. He believes. He even trembles!!!. We don’t tremble. Satan knows God better than we????  Contemporary gospel says our sin is righteousness because Christ is righteous. Contemporary gospel says works of obedience are not necessary since Christ’s obedience is sufficient. I say, ‘We have been had by the most subtle deceiver!!!!’   

The most subtle deceiver began tricking us with his lies about Eden. He says, ‘God created all things that were created, put His son and daughter in Eden to

Adam and Eve knew only Good with God. After eating of the Tree of Knowledge God said of them, 'Ge 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

enjoy its glory…. until I came along and threw a cog in God’s perfect wheel! I am so powerful!!! I am bigger than God!!!  I deserve to be the god of all flesh!!! ’  But Satan is a liar!   God ruled Eden.   God invited the most subtle deceiver to the garden that day to fulfil God’s plan for man…which was to equip man with the knowledge of both Good and evil. Man knew Good through experiencing God in Eden. But man did not know the depths or meaning of purity until he experienced the evil of  satan and the separation it brings….death.  The knowing both good and evil activated man’s Free Will…his ability to choose whom to serve….God or mammon.  

Satan has never been bigger than God…not in Eden…not now.  Before God created Adam it was said, ‘Gen. 2:5 …… and there was not a man to till the ground.’  Wait!  Hold everything!  ’Not a man to till the ground?’  But ’till the

ground’ happened only after man was cast forth from Eden to bring forth by the sweat of the brow after old lustful Eve deliberately slapped the face of God with her choice to serve evil!! Right?    Wrong!!!   God said He was creating the man ‘to till the ground’ because he was creating man to ’till the ground.’ . Eden happened according to the perfect plan and purpose of God. God desired man to know both good and evil so he could be equipped to choose by way of informed decision….free will. Eden, then and now, focuses on relationship. It is relationship that the Deceiver continuously lies to thwart!!  Because in relationship with Christ is found dominion over all things…especially over the works of satan.

We have polluted the Gospel of God with the lie that says ‘Christians are only human and, therefore, destined to sin.’  We insist that empowered relationship with Christ and obedience to Good is not possible. We have a form of godliness

Unity with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the foundation of the Church. Mt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

but we deny the Power which comes only through relationship….through fellowship…through being one with God. Relationship and fellowship with the Christ whose Body/Temple we are is the Life of the Church. Yet the masses of Christendom do not the greater works of the Father via healing the sick, casting out devils, and serving the Living God by deeds of righteouness….because we are separated from Him by our deliberate choice to serve  evil/flesh/mammon over Good.

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Yes, yes, yes….Christ whose righteous and sinless nature allowed Him to die the second or spiritual death in our place is the propiation for sins that are past(Romans 3:25)….for sins fully assigned to us at birth due to the fallen nature born in Eden.   His death on the cross was that propitation… payment for Eden.  But He lives!!!  He lives to ‘destroy the works of the devil’ in us!!! He lives to give us ‘dominion’ promised man by God….to those who ‘chose’ fellowship with God as Adam had fellowship with the Father in Eden. That ‘dominion’ comes through empowered fellowship with the Son of God…Christ… firstborn of many brethren.

Ro 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,’    Yes, yes, yes…’God imputeth righteousness without works’   because  ‘while we were yet sinners , Christ died for us!’  He became the propitiation for our past sins while we were ‘yet sinners.’  Our works were continuously evil. Thus, God imputed righteousness without works.’ Now we are again face to face again with Him as in Eden…. no longer separated by sin.  Now we can ‘come follow me’ in the power of His resurrection!!!

John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

We ‘follow’ Him according to  Matt 16:24 ‘Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.’   Thus, is Christ sinful??? Is Christ a servant of the flesh??? Is Christ too weak to destroy the works of satan within our hearts???  So what are we ‘following???’  Is the sins we continually commit to be blamed on ‘following’ Christ?   Are our sins patterned like the behaviors of Christ?   God forbid!!!!  No! We know better! We sin because we choose to sin.      

 Long ago we grabbed hold of the only thing that will justify our continued carnality…the doctrine of the Nocolaitanes…the powerless contemporary doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved. Once Saved Always Saved in its contemporary presentation is the tare planted beside the wheat doctrine of true Sanctification. Sanctification manifests itself in righteous works…..works resulting from true belief…such as that of Abraham when he drew back the dagger to slay Isaac in direct obedience to the will of God. And then, too, there was Noah who did ‘according to all that God

Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ' Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: '

commanded him Gen 7:5.’  He obeyed God and built an ark to float on water when it had never rained.  Considered what would have happened had Noah believed as we believe…if his belief had not been manifested in works?  He would have drowned with the other unbelievers!!!  But Noah believed God, built the Ark, and the Word says of him, ‘Noah walked with God (Gen 6:9). Walked with God in unbroken fellowship????    Yes, in unbroken fellowship as did Adam (who was not deceived and not in transgression/1 Ti 2:4..but who became sin for the Bride by the appointment of God), and as did Abel, Seth, Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and thousands of the faithful of God in Bible history in whom the power of God was made manifest…..through relationship with the living God.  In every instance we have the choice given Abel and Cain.                                                                                                                                   

Abel believed God and brought the blood offering which God demonstrated in Eden since without the shedding of blood there is no remission (propitiation for sins that are past). Cain rejected the blood offering demanded by God and

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

brought the work of his hands (earthy).  Abel served God and demonstrated his faith through works.  Cain demonstrated his faith in mammon through bringing the work of his hand (earthy).  We are known by the works (fruits) we bring forth. Works are the result of our belief systems. Works are the thoughts of the heart made visible.  According to the historic Bible record….From the heart the mouth speaketh and from the heart the hands and feet do. Righteous works are the deeds performed by the man whose heart has relationship/fellowship/communion with the Holy. Sin is unacceptable and an affront to God.

James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.  19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.  25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?  26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 

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