The Glorious Path From Death To Life

Preface

In January this year (2024) I began to have a stirring in my spirit. The presence of the Lord was so rich and sweet. My husband had passed away two months prior. So the Spirit's presence was like a soothing balm that eased the pain of the loss of my soulmate of sixty years.

This e-book came about as a result of the Holy Spirit's prodding. For the Lord to call me to do this is almost beyond comprehension. I am now in my eighties, and am experiencing near blindness. I have had to rely completely on the Lord's help for even the simplest tasks here.

Being unable to write from scratch a work like this, I did a lot of copying and pasting from my previous writings. Then I just filled in the 'in-betweens' to bring together the message the Lord wanted me to share.

May God bless you as you read this most vital message from the Alpha and Omega.

Introduction

After a heart-felt prayer to know the truth about why Jesus had to suffer and die, as He did, the Lord took me through the whole Bible to show me the meaning of Calvary. Over a twelve-year period I became consumed with the message of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

At the beginning of my time in the school of the Holy Spirit, He told me that "tradition is the problem." The understanding of what He meant came to me as the rich teaching unfolded throughout the pages of my Bible.

Allow me to give you a glimpse into the bigger picture that emerged during that in-depth study. This was not a time of study that I “decided” to do – it was a work of the Holy Spirit in answer to my prayer. With the increased understanding that came year after year, it reached a point where I felt the Lord had caused me to step back and view a span of thousands of years. What I “saw” broke my heart. The view was incredible, as it moved swiftly from Creation; through the books of the Law; the prophets; the New Testament records of Jesus; Paul’s exhaustive writings pointing readers to Jesus; the warnings of error from Paul and others, and finally, John’s Revelation of Jesus Christ. All I could see was Jesus – the need for His coming; the REAL reason He died; how He was rejected and abused and, most of all, the impact He would have on all mankind for all time. He truly is the Alpha and the Omega. But what have we done with Him and to Him?

When we sit in our little space of time and read the Bible – whatever version we have – we are prone to tunnel vision. We see only issues, doctrines, biases of translators, denominational beliefs, parents' beliefs, teachers' beliefs, preachers' beliefs – the list is endless. Many of those often led to error. How much of those things truly point us to Jesus? Or has tradition blinded us to the truth that is so clearly laid out throughout the pages of God's Word?

When reading short phrases taken out of context we can so easily be led into error. Context is everything. We must look to see who is speaking, to whom they are speaking, and why. In the New Testament, many passages are addressing Jesus' people, the Jews. In other places the Christians, etc.

Quotes throughout the pages of this book will be marked to show from which translation they were taken. In each case, the passage was closest to the actual definitions in the Strongs Hebrew (OT) or Greek (NT) dictionaries. There are a lot of passages quoted, so please read them carefully because they contain the full 'picture' of the message I have been led to share. If I were to paraphrase those passages I would have weakened the full impact of what only God's written Word tells us.

Below is the list of the translations I used:

KJV - King James Version; RV - Revised Version of the King James Bible from the late 1800's; MKJV - Modern King James Version; ESV - English Standard Version; EMTV - English Majority Text Version (New Testament only); YLT - Young's Literal Translation; NIV New International Version; GNV - Geneva Bible 1599; ASV - American Standard Version.

All Emphases are mine throughout the chapters.

Chapter One
In The Beginning

With what I am about to say in the next paragraphs, I beg your indulgence. Please don’t filter things through previously held beliefs and doctrinal positions. Throughout the chapters of this book, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Truth as I endeavor to share what He has shown me. This chapter will lay the groundwork by showing how “sin” actually did enter the world. It’s all in the Bible – we must accept it for what it says and forsake our tunnel-vision thinking that comes with tradition.

When the Lord took me to the beginning of Creation in the first chapters of Genesis, He showed me something I had never heard taught or written about. The “un-heard-of” topic was “the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” I had heard much about sin entering because of Adam’s transgression, but never had I heard anyone touch on the knowledge of good and evil; much less show its relevance in how sin entered the world. The belief seemed to be that “sin” was merely something that happened because the first man disobeyed God.

In Genesis we see that it was man's having the Knowledge of Good and Evil that brought about his eviction from the Garden of Eden. It was not simple disobedience – there was something far more sinister involved.

God told Adam and Eve, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:16b-17 (NIV).

Did Adam and Eve immediately die physically? No, we know they did not. How, then, did this “death” come about? What is the death that they died? There is only one reasonable answer: they died spiritually. They were now separated from God, the life-giving Spirit. God did not take back His breath (spirit) that He breathed into man's nostrils. He left him in his fleshly, sinful state. God's plan then was to one day reconcile man to Himself through Jesus’ death.

Genesis 3:22-23 tells us, “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: therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.” (KJV) “Man” refers to mankind – both male and female. They had become “like God,” just as the serpent said they would. That God-likeness was man’s knowledge of good and evil.

What is so sinful about the knowledge of good and evil that God would forbid man to partake of it? Why was the serpent so determined to cause man to receive the knowledge of good and evil? He had heard God speak to man, telling him that he would die if he were to eat the fruit (and acquire that knowledge). So that old serpent lied to Eve. He told her they would not die, but would be “as God.” As mentioned earlier, God pointed out that they were now “become as one of us, to know good and evil.” So He evicted them from the Garden of Eden lest they eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in their fallen state. What a sin it was to become as one of Them!

We can see now that the knowledge of good and evil was best left in God’s hands. He knew that trouble would come if man came to know the difference between good and evil. Until man ate the forbidden fruit, his knowledge was of God, and God alone. God and the Garden of Eden were Adam and Eve’s whole world. God was their Source for everything. Acknowledging God would have been effortless for them. But when they came into the knowledge of good and evil they became resourceful and “cunning,” as the Hebrew word for “naked” means. There were two words translated as “naked” in the same passage. The first one meant “nude” and the other meant “cunning.” No wonder they were ashamed when they saw that they were nude! With eyes wide open, a whole new world opened up to them. One of the first things Adam did was to blame his disobedience on “that woman” God had given him.

How grieved the Father’s heart must have been! This magnificent creature He made for Himself to have fellowship with no longer relied on Him. Instead, Adam may have even told the Lord God that he now was capable of making his own choices, using his new-found knowledge. But God is Love, and as John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world...” And thousands of years later, Peter wrote how God “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9b (KJV).

With Adam’s new-found knowledge he forsook the “full acknowledgment” of God, which is the meaning of the Greek word for “knowledge.” This leads to the question, What would be the opposite of the ‘knowledge of good and evil?’ I believe the answer would be “the knowledge of God.” The answer to one “knowledge” must be another “Knowledge” – this time the Knowledge of God Himself – not man’s knowledge of himself with his God-likeness.

Why Do We Die?

Death came upon all, as Paul said in Romans 5:12: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (ESV).

Chapter Two
The Law of Moses

"--for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law." Romans 5:13: (ESV). This quote is the second part of that with which we closed Chapter One.

Death entered because of one man's transgression. And now all mankind enters the world without the in-dwelling Spirit of God. Because of which we are all born in sin. We have a sinful nature, no matter how 'good' we might be.

The next verse reads: "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come." Romans 5:14 (RV).

Over the centuries upon centuries the people failed to acknowledge God. They continued in their sinful ways, unthankful for His loving provision for them. The Lord God told them repeatedly that He was "The LORD your God."

"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And He said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Exodus 3:14 (ESV).

Enter, The Ten Commandments:

"And God spoke all these words, saying, 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."
"Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.' Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.'" Exodus 20:1-20 (ESV)

There is a total of 613 laws, sometimes simply referred to as "Moses." The people lived under the laws of rigid requirements; all 613 of them.

The laws regarding blood sacrifices were probably the most important because they tutored the people in preparation for their coming Messiah who would shed His own blood to provide atonement for sin, once and for all.

Besides the numerous laws regarding the blood sacrifices, the LORD God gave this stern warning:

And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:10-11 (KJV).

In the New Testament there are passages that give answers, so to speak, to parts of the Old Testament laws. This passage corresponds to the one above:

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered unto you: that the Lord Jesus, during the night in which He was betrayed, took bread; and having given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which has been broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.' 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (EMTV).

Chapter Three
Introducing Paul

Paul the Apostle was one of those who once lived under The Law of Moses. He was so fervent that he tried to force the Christians to come under the same Law, and when they refused he would kill them. But Paul (Saul) had that life-altering encounter. Jesus the risen Christ spoke from the heavens, asking him, "‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Acts 22:7b (ESV).

Paul knew the Law of Moses inside out. And when the Living God changed him, He prepared the way for Paul to learn all that was needed. This new Saul was not welcome in Jerusalem by all the Law-abiding Jews. God had other plans, and that was to send Paul to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Was it irony, or had God planned it all along?

In the book of Deuteronomy, we find the LORD God's response to the children of Israel, because they had forgotten their God and were worshipping Idols. "They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; They have provoked me to anger with their vanities: And I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation." Deuteronoy 32:21 (RV).

The "foolish nation" are the Gentiles to whom Paul would take the Good News of Jesus Christ his Saviour. Because of his love for this Jesus, who gave His life to redeem the vilest of sinners, he suffered many things while taking the Gospel to the Gentile nations.

The majority of the New Testament was written by Paul the Apostle. Here, he is giving his testimony to show that his life is no longer dictated by the Law of Moses:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." Galatians 2:20-21 (ESV).

Paul was previously so entrenched in the Law of Moses that when God opened his eyes to the Truth, he saw how God, for thousands of years, had been preparing the way for Jesus the Truth, the Life and the Way. What a miraculous transformation in Paul's life!
Note: More from Paul in the coming chapters.

Chapter Four
Are We Winning the Battle?

Ever since Adam, man has struggled with good and evil. If you look at this image, even our good can be inherently evil. Notice the "evil" in "good."

Paul described the problem beautifully. He was not speaking of a personal struggle he had with sin, as some have suggested. He was using a personalized example to help make it more clear to the reader. He said,

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but to do that which is good is not. For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practice. But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. Romans 7:18-21 (KJV).

Paul then speaks of the “law of sin and death.”
“O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?” (vs.24) The “death” is the one which came when man was sent away from God's presence in the Garden. In the next verse Paul gives us the answer to his question: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself with the mind serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (vs.25) Even with the mind desiring to keep the law of God, the flesh fails. Only through Life in Jesus Christ is there any hope for freedom from the death that came upon man when he was reduced to a mere mortal of flesh.

Paul continued in the next chapter:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, condemned [Greek: 'judged'] sin in the flesh: that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (RV).

Jesus gave the solution to man's mortality. He was speaking with Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler, who was questioning Him. So Jesus said very simply: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" John 3:6-7 (ESV).

As long as we are in this mortal body, walking upon this earth, the flesh will always war against the Spirit. The natural inclination is to function according to our knowledge of good and evil, which Paul referred to as "the law of sin." We may strive to live out what is good, but if the source of the 'goodness' is self, it is just as sinful as a thoroughly evil deed. Satan loves it when man functions out of 'self,' for that is the door through which that deceiving devil walks.

Paul's writings are so rich and full of the truths with which he was entrusted. This additional quote from the eighth chapter of Romans adds even more to this Gospel message: "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Romans 8:9 (RV).

Chapter Five
The Life Satan Hates

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 (ESV).

Thousands of years after man's fall, God's plan of redemption was unfolding. Just as Jesus was going to offer up His flesh as the final sacrifice for sin, Satan was about to learn that he wasn't as smart as he thought he was. Instead of his own victory because of the death of Jesus Christ, God's Son, the tables were turned. It was Jesus who was victorious over Satan and his crowd when He arose from the dead to give Life to all who would put their trust in Him. Paul said this about it: "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." 1 Corinthians 2:8 (KJV).

Satan was powerless to stop God's plan to give Life to those who would come to Him. Therefore, the life Satan hates is the life that is hid with Christ in God. It is the life he cannot touch, as John wrote in his first epistle. In the context of chapter five, John was speaking about death and life, and verse 18 tells us how Satan cannot rob eternal Life from one who is truly born again. "We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he (Jesus) who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." 1 John 5:18-19 (ESV).

Life in Christ

A true life in Christ is, first and foremost, one of prayer and communion with the One who means everything to us. Unless we talk to Him and listen to Him there is no relationship, for relationship is based on communication. Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932) said, "The one concern of the Devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayer-less studies, prayer-less work, prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray."

The Bible is full of the richest treasures. In it we learn what it means to live our life in Christ. The Holy Spirit, being our Teacher, will lead us into all truth as we read the written word. He will never cause us to become as the Pharisees and use the scriptures as rules to live by and to place others in bondage. As believers in Christ, we are entrusting our spiritual well being to Him, which is what it means to "believe." We must never attempt to take care of our own spiritual well being. We will surely fall short. It must grieve our Lord immensely when we fail to heed the Holy Spirit's teaching. Jesus went to the Father so He could send us His Spirit. He is faithful. Let us not reject Him!

Here are some wonderful examples of refreshing to be found in the printed word:

"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." ~ Isaiah 12:3 (ESV).

"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants." ~ Isaiah 44:3 (ESV).

"Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" ~ John 4:13-14 (ESV).

"Whoever believes in [Greek: 'entrusts his spiritual well being to'] me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" ~ John 7:38 (ESV).

F.B. Meyer said: "The longing of the soul for God only makes itself felt when all lesser delights and earthly joys are relegated to their right place. If you are not conscious of this soul-thirst it is because your heart is trying to satisfy itself from the world, and is engaged in digging wells that can hold no water."

The life Satan hates is the one that is hidden with Christ in God; the life he cannot touch. But those who are not truly born again and living a life in the power of the Holy Spirit are fair game for Satan's deceptive schemes. Those schemes target religious flesh, tempting deceived souls to function in the strength of self, all the while giving them the appearance of godliness.

Let us forsake self and become lost in Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord and Saviour. Life in Him is a life of surrender to the Holy Spirit--the life Satan hates.

Chapter Six
Jesus' Gospel

What is the gospel according to Jesus? Is it the gospel being preached today? Is today's "gospel" "another" gospel like that of which the Bible warned? In the following passage, Paul was strongly admonishing the church at Galatia:

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:6-8 (KJV).

Come along with me as we discover what the Bible says about the true gospel from the words of Jesus and His apostles.

In 1 John 3:4, we are told, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness[Greek: violation of law].” We must follow this with Paul’s words from Romans 5:13: “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed ['laid to ones account'] when there is no law.” Our precious Lord nailed the ordinances of the law to His Cross in His flesh-like body, thereby canceling sin. "You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin." 1 John 3:5 (ESV).

But before the Cross, Jesus Himself made clear what sin would be afterwards in John 16:8-11: “And he, [Holy Spirit] when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world hath been judged.” (RV).

It's all about love

In Mark 12:28-31, one of the scribes had heard a discussion taking place and he challenged Jesus, asking Him, “What commandment is the first of all?” Jesus’ reply was very simple:

The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (KJV).

Romans 13:8-10 tells us:

Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love works no ill to his neighbour: love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

Paul also said, in Galatians 5:13-14:

For you, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

In another passage, Luke tells of an expert (“lawyer”) in the Law of Moses who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. So Jesus asked him what the Law said. At which the lawyer replied, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live” were Jesus’ next words. Luke 10:25-28 (RV).

Is it possible that the true gospel is that simple? Is “Love” the key? Jesus told the man steeped in the Law of Moses, that for him to have life he simply must love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength and his neighbour as himself. The above verses are not the only ones in the Bible where we find those words.

Jesus had earlier said this:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35 (KJV).

Is “loving one another” an easy thing to do? It is, when God abides in us and we abide in Him, as the next verses tell us. "And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us." 1 John 3:23-24 (ESV).

How the Holy Spirit was given

Just before Jesus was taken up to Heaven, He told His disciples that He would send them His Spirit. He said: "For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Acts 1:5 (MKJV).

Then Jesus told them why: "But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 (MKJV). Thayer's Greek dictionary gives the definition, in part, of the word "baptize." It literally means "to cleanse with water." But using the word "but" as in the above quote from verse 5, the fullness of the Holy Spirit now 'cleanses' that one who has surrendered all to Him. The Holy Spirit's presence makes that one a witness to Jesus. The life of a true believer in Jesus will bear witness that points others to Him. He didn't say they would be witnesses for Him.

Early on, during a rich time in my Bible and in prayer, being taught by the Holy Spirit, I had to leave my home to run errands. In the bank, a lady teller said to me, "You smell good." It was the fragrance of the Holy Spirit because I had worn no cologne nor hair spray that day. I was struck with the reality that the precious Holy Spirit could linger in that way. He is so real!

Love covers sin?

Have you ever pondered the meaning of “Love covers a multitude of sins”? I have. And through the Holy Spirit’s revelation of “Love” it has become quite clear. “Above all things, being fervent in your love among yourselves: for love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 (RV).

James said: "My brethren, if any among you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converts a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins." James 5:19-20 (RV).

If we go back to the Old Testament, the story of David and Bathsheba is well known. David sinned greatly. He had Bathsheba’s husband killed so he could have her for himself, and they lost their first-born because of it.

David was a man after God's own heart as was recorded in the book of Acts: "And when he had removed him [Saul], he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will." Acts 13:22 (KJV).

David was a worshiper, and his great love for God is evident all through the Psalms. He had a real relationship with his God. He knew the truth regarding his heredity as a creature of flesh, and he said, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5 (KJV). He was not saying that his mother committed a sin when she conceived him. He was saying that he was born in “sin,” as a mortal soul, even from the moment of conception. Psalm 51 is his prayer of sorrowful repentance over his transgression with Bathsheba.

When we look at David’s lineage, we see Rahab the harlot, the mother of Boaz who married Ruth (a descendant of Moab the offspring of incest between Lot and his daughter) whose grandson was Jesse, the father of David who became King. It was this same lineage God chose for His Son Jesus. If God is “hung up” on man’s “sins,” how can all this make sense?

"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death." 1 John 3:14 (ESV).

Chapter Seven
The Gospel According To Tradition

When the Lord spoke to me, telling me that the "problem is tradition," it eventually became clear that the area where tradition would be devastatingly harmful.

Paul the Apostle used the phrase "falling away" which comes from the Greek word "apostasia," and the English word "apostasy." Paul was warning the people not to be taken in by anyone suggesting that Jesus' return had already taken place. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;..." 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV).

The Greek definition of the word "apostasia" is "defection from truth" and is used as "apostasy" and "falling away" as shown above.

The gospel according to tradition could also be referred to as the 'apostate gospel.' It is a "defection from Truth." That may ruffle some feathers, so to speak, but read on to learn more about what the Bible actually says.

While I was on my "journey" under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, learning the true meaning of Calvary, there was one aspect that stood out. It aroused in my spirit a lot of grief, and I struggled to truly grasp its significance - especially in the face of the traditional beliefs with which I had previously been accustomed. But as the years passed, and I learned more from the Word, this nagging reality would not go away. Eventually it came to a point where every time I heard the "gospel" preached there arose a cry from the depths of my spirit, saying "NO, NO, NO! Jesus died for so much more, but the gospel has been reduced to this?!" The Bible shows us a completely different Gospel - Jesus' Gospel - but it has not been embraced and preached.

The word "gospel" comes from the Greek word "euaggelion" and means, simply, "a good message." The good message is that Jesus died so that we might live. Yet it has been reduced to mere forgiveness for deeds committed. That is not a good message. That is not Jesus' Gospel. That is not the Gospel to which Paul the Apostle devoted his life. With today's "gospel," unless the Spirit of God does a deep work in an individual, the concept of "sins forgiven" serves only to mask the unregenerate condition of flesh - the death man inherited from Adam.

How many versions of the "gospel" do we hear today? The most prominent version is that one which says we must ask forgiveness for our sins in order to be born again. It is a tradition that has been handed down over the years and accepted without question. If asking for forgiveness of our sins was sufficient to bring about the new birth, Jesus would not have had to die. Would God have put His Son through the suffering of the Cross just so that He could forgive sins? A simple prayer, asking for forgiveness, could have been answered by God. And Jesus would not have had to suffer such scourging as to make Him unrecognizable. Why, even the sacrificial animals merely had their throat slit to shed blood - and under the Law,THAT satisfied the requirement so that God's forgiveness could be granted.

If God is not obsessed with "sins" why should we be? If God gave His Son to "put away sin" why do we insist on keeping "sin" as our focus when sharing the "gospel"? If sin is the manifestation of flesh - both good and evil - why can we not see that God has dealt with mortal flesh through the sacrifice of His Son? Hebrews 9:26b tells us "... now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (KJV).

The thing that I find so grievous is the absence of Jesus and His Love in man's attempts to rid the world of its sin. Jesus came to die that we might have Life, yet look at how we have rejected Him! We look at everything through eyes which are blind to the fact that we need Life - not just less sin - if we are going to spend eternity with Jesus! Why do we sell short the price Jesus paid to free us from death and the resulting fruit of one who is dead in sin? Do we tell Him that He failed to "put away sin" [Greek: cancel sin] and we must keep people's sins as the focus in our efforts to evangelize? Do we not understand that the Life of Jesus and the work of the Spirit of Grace are sufficient to regenerate a soul? And that no one comes to Jesus unless the Father draws them? How can we even consider that a few words repeated after a "soul winner" can do the work that only God can do? Even using persuasive words, no human being can bring a person to the place where they realize their destitute condition of "self". Only God's Spirit can penetrate to that depth and effectively evoke the necessary response.

In the New Testament, the word "sin" and its synonyms (according to the translators) are used only 242 times. At the same time, the words "faith" and "believe" and their synonyms (according to the translators) are used 560 times. This alone tells us where the emphasis should be, according to God Almighty. Many of the references to "sin" are found in passages where Pharisees and Jews are being addressed, and where Paul is exhorting those at Rome regarding the Law. Keep in mind that sin is "the transgression of the Law" and "where no law is, there is no transgression." (1 John 3:4; Romans 4:15).

Jesus "put away sin" by the sacrifice of Himself, crucifying flesh on our behalf. At the same time, He nailed to His Cross the ordinances of the Law which were against the Jews. He canceled sin when He canceled the Law - the accuser of His people. (John 5:45). If the Law was "done away" (2 Corinthians 3:14). why does man insist on making Moses' Law under the Old Covenant the standard for New Testament Christianity? Does he not understand that the New replaced the Old? Not only do we have a New Covenant, but it is a Covenant made through Jesus' blood. Are we telling Him He shed His blood for naught? My, how His heart must grieve at our present-day "gospel" message! Can you imagine giving your all, only to be completely rejected?

Jesus provided "forgiveness" for all, so asking for forgiveness is tantamount to asking Him to go to the Cross and die again.

We even hear some preachers say that our "sins have separated us from God." This comes from Isaiah's word to Israel:

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities [Hebrew: perversities] have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear: for your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. Isaiah 59:1-3 (MKJV).

That was under the Law and before the Cross. It is so misleading to take passages out of context to build a sermon.

In the context surrounding Romans 3:23, Paul the Apostle is speaking to those at Rome, and telling how no flesh can be justified through the works of the law because the purpose of the law was to bring the knowledge of sin to Israel. He speaks of how the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus had been manifested and had also been witnessed by the law and the prophets. Paul specifically said that this “righteousness” came to ALL through belief in Jesus Christ and that there was no distinction “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” He is simply telling them that ALL must come to believe on Jesus; yet the emphasis is always on the “sinfulness” of all. But Romans 3:23 is taken out of context and used to preach the "gospel."

Read the full sentence, spanning 6 verses, here:

But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, by his blood, to shew his righteousness, because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; for the shewing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26 (RV).

(It is very odd how the translators, or whoever, split up long sentences into "verses").

I found a link to an audio message with a title which led me to think that maybe someone else was addressing the error of the apostate gospel. The speaker began by telling how saying a little prayer after the preacher does not make one "born again". But then he went on to quote the mistranslated verse in Acts 2:38 where Peter told the Jews that they must "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins..." In the version the speaker used, the word forgiveness was inserted in place of "remission" which is a more correct translation of the Greek word for "pardon/freedom."

There is a vast difference between one who has been led in a simple prayer, asking to have his sins forgiven, and one who has come to the Lord because he was drawn by the Holy Spirit. How many millions are there who believe they have been born again because of praying a 'sinners prayer,' and yet there is no evidence of the Lord's work in their life? This is a tragedy of monumental proportion! In the western world, in particular, there are throngs of religious people who go through the motions of what they believe is the "Christian life." There is an abundance of ritualism but no real life in the Spirit. They struggle with condemnation because they hear so much about sin according to whatever their religious affiliation calls sin. In reality, they still lie in the power of the evil one who is a master at condemnation which he uses to keep them in his grip. All the while, they are oblivious to the fact that all their goodness is of the flesh and every bit as evil as those things they call sin.

I know all this because I was one of them, until the Lord got hold of me and turned my life inside-out and upside-down. He had always been there, gently calling me. There were times when I sincerely sought Him, but until He got hold of me and I cried out to Him to make me completely His, I really wasn't a true born again believer--I was nothing but an obnoxious, religious prig. How I must have brought shame on the Lord's Name because of my fake Christianity!

Once the Lord had made me His, and I knew it, all I wanted to do was talk about Him. My husband and I went from one church to another, and another, but it was rare to find anyone interested in talking about Jesus. It wasn't long before we finally realized there was no true fellowship in those places. So we just followed the Lord and didn't look back. He has become my sufficiency. Sure, there were times when I didn't remain as close to Him, but the gracious Holy Spirit kept drawing me back to my first love--Jesus.

Peter Xu Yongze, a persecuted believer in China, said: "Lost human souls are firmly chained prisoners of Satan and his demonic forces. They cannot be argued into the kingdom of God because their problem is not an intellectual one. Nor is there any point in trying to change their outward behavior if they do not have the inward spiritual life that only Jesus can give. There is not the slightest possibility that we can lead anyone to the foot of the cross unless Jesus himself becomes involved. Only His power can save a sinner."

When we understand these things, we will see the futility of "asking forgiveness" when it comes to our eternal soul. We then can see how the masses have been duped into believing an anemic "good message." In clear language, do we say to Jesus, "Here are my sins for you to forgive, but leave me alone, I like the way I am?"

We must follow the Bible, never taking verses out of context. It doesn't matter that many of the well-known evangelists have said that asking forgiveness of our sins is essential for salvation, it is still not according to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Chapter Eight
Repentance, Remission and Forgiveness

Repentance

The Greek word that is translated into the English word "repent" means, literally, "to think differently or to reconsider." Where then do we get the idea that we must confess all our sins and ask to have them forgiven? Read the following verses from these three Bible versions:

...and Peter said unto them [the Jews], 'Reform, and be baptized each of you on the name of Jesus Christ, to remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,... Acts 2:38 (YLT).

Then Peter said unto them [the Jews], Amend your lives, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost. Acts 2:38 (GNV).

Then Peter said unto them [the Jews], Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38 (KJV).

Some say that repent means "to turn," and this also fits well in understanding its simplicity, as we see in Jesus' words: " And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent [turn] and believe the Gospel." Mark 1:15 (GNV).

If a soul comes to believe [put his trust] in Jesus, he has "turned" or "reconsidered" in his coming to Jesus. Repenting is not necessarily an independent act; in coming to Jesus he is, in actuality, "turning" from sinful self. Read these words of Paul's: "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance [turning] toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 20:21 (KJV). A paraphrase of that verse, using the Greek definitions, would read: "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, that they turn toward God and come to rely upon our Lord Jesus Christ for salvation."

Remission

In the above usage of the phrase "remission of sins," in Acts 2:38, a wonderful meaning emerges if we strictly adhere to the actual Greek definitions. "Remission" means "freedom," and "of" is taken from a list of widely used prepositions, another of which is "from." Then we have "sins" which should not be pluralized because its meaning is "abstract." The abstract "sin" is the sinful condition of flesh because of the "death" mankind inherited from Adam.

Now let's paraphrase Acts 2:38 to better understand what Peter was saying to the Jews: "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for freedom from your sinful state, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

This was great news for the sin-conscious Jews, who under the law made annual sacrifices to atone for their sins. Now they could receive Life through the "gift of the Holy Ghost." For Jesus had made the one final sacrifice to free them!

Jesus made remission for all mankind; it is a free gift. Later on, in Acts, we find Peter, speaking to the Jews, said: "To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission [Greek: 'freedom'] of sins." Acts 10:43 (RV). There again is the pluralized word for "sin," when the message in the verse is telling them that Jesus died to free man from the penalty of death with its sinful flesh. And now he is born again by putting his trust in Jesus the Messiah for his salvation.

Forgiveness

A person could ask for forgiveness for his sins a million times, but it will never change the fact that he is mortal flesh and must be born anew by the Spirit of God. If a person were to live a perfect and sinless life from birth, he would still be flesh and need to be born again. To tell a person he is a sinner and must be forgiven accomplishes nothing, except causing him to focus on sin and how he must try to change. That is condemnation, pure and simple. We cannot convince a soul that he needs a Saviour by using such tactics. As Jesus said,

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. John 6:44, 47(KJV).

God knows when a person is ready to come to Jesus, and He will arrange it all. He will not do it according to religious man's standards. For any who have come to a true relationship with Jesus, having been born again at some man-arranged meeting, it is solely a work of the Holy Spirit; not because of man's ways.

It was said many years ago, that only a fraction of the people who "went forward" at a Billy Graham crusade actually continued on in a walk with Jesus. If any did go on with the Lord, it was because they had been drawn by the Holy Spirit to come to faith in Christ. When a person comes to Jesus according to God's will (John 6:44) it is a wonderful experience of 'seeing' Jesus and being drawn so powerfully to this One who died to give Life. All they know is that they want this One who manifests such Love. They cannot resist His call to come to Him.

It is important to point out that when Jesus was still on earth, He "forgave" sins, as recorded in the accounts of His life by Matthew, Mark and Luke. Jesus had not yet been crucified to provide freedom from sinful flesh. Because the people were still under the Law of Moses, "forgiveness" was in effect until Jesus' death, at which time He cancelled sin.

The Greek word (aphie¯mi) that was translated "forgive" is defined as, among other things, "to send away, to bid going away or depart, or of a husband divorcing his wife," according to Thayer's Greek Dictionary. The same Greek word was translated in the following verses, with emphases in bold print. Try using "forgave" in place of the bold words, in these verses, to see if it makes sense.

"And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him." Mark 1:18 (KJV).

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Revelation 2:4 (KJV).

"But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife." 1 Corinthians 7:11 (KJV).

The Greek word aphesis has as the primary definition, "release from bondage or imprisonment" according to Thayer. He gives as a secondary definition, "forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty." The pardon, or forgiveness if you will, has been granted; it does not need to be asked for. When Jesus cried on the Cross, "It is finished," He had put sinful flesh to death for all mankind. He had made "remission" and provided "freedom" for all who would come to put their trust in Him for their salvation. This, dear friend, is what it means to "believe in Jesus Christ." The sin issue has been settled. For a person to be told he must ask our precious Lord Jesus to "forgive" his sins is tantamount to asking Him to go to the Cross and suffer again, as though His sacrifice was not sufficient.

There is a place for forgiveness, and it is in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus demands it. If we look at what is referred to as "The Lord's Prayer" we can see how important it is, especially, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Matthew 6:12 (KJV). Jesus continues on with this:

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV).

This verse is often included in salvation messages, but is intended for born-again followers of Jesus.

If we confess [Greek: 'acknowledge'] our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (KJV).

Read the whole chapter; it is only 10 verses long. It will become obvious that the message was to believers and relative to walking in the light and having true fellowship with others and the Lord Jesus.

There are many, many Muslims coming to Jesus in miraculous ways. Great numbers of those have had encounters with the living Christ, and He has shown Himself to them so dramatically that they could not help but give themselves wholly to Him. When they looked upon Him, they didn't start confessing every sin they ever committed; they bowed down before this Holy One, recognizing how unholy they were in His presence. It is what they are that is exposed; not what they have done.

A former Muslim lady visited my web site a number of years ago. She contacted me and shared her testimony with me, of how God miraculously brought her to Himself. Then she sent me a CD of herself speaking at a Christian gathering, so I uploaded it to my web site. You can listen to Ruth's testimony, or read it if you prefer.

I came across this video of Kamal Saleem's testimony of how God arranged everything necessary to change Kamal from a devout Muslim to an avid minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those in bondage to Islam.

Chapter Nine
Faith

"Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8b (KJV).

What kind of faith will the Son of man be looking for when He returns?

An Old Testament example of true faith in God is found where Joshua so boldly asked for something most folks would never dare consider. The thing Joshua asked, and truly believed God would do, was that the sun would stand still so the children of Israel would have their enemies delivered into their hand.

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Joshua 10:12-13a (KJV).

The Lord God was glorified in the sight of Israel AND their enemies. Would we, today, even dare to be so bold? That is the kind of trust the Lord desires us to have--not to pamper our self-serving flesh, but to glorify Him and to exalt the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Promise of Faith

Abraham was given the promise of faith four hundred and thirty years before the Law was given. The Law was given through Moses, for Israel to live by and acknowledge God through their obedience. The Law was necessary because of their violation of the will of God for them, and it became their tutor to keep them until their Messiah would come. They lived under that law for hundreds of years, and some still do, albeit in ignorance, having been blinded to the faith that was offered them.

But did the Law serve to make them righteous, even if they were to perfectly obey it? Not at all! There was nothing they could do in their own strength that would justify them in the sight of God. The reason is found in Romans 9:32, "Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law."

The promise of Faith endured throughout those centuries. Here are the words of Paul, as he explained it:

Is the law then against [Greek: 'according to'] the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could make alive, verily righteousness would have been of the law. Howbeit the scripture has shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept in ward under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. So that the law has been our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond [Greek: 'in subjection'] nor free ['unrestrained'], there can be no male and female: for you all are one man in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:21-29 (RV).

With Abraham being the "father of faith," many of his descendants are recorded as being faith-filled ones. A number of these are spoken of in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, which we commonly refer to as the "faith chapter." What a wonderful chapter it is!

In some passages, believe, or have faith in, did mean "to give mental assent," or "trust in" what they heard, and such cases are obvious, as the context would show. But in other places, where Jesus used such declarations as "Your faith has saved you" or "Your faith has made you whole," we find the foundational truth of faith.

How did their faith make them whole, or save them? It was their complete trust in Jesus and the reason He came. Why did He come? He came to free man from sinful self and offer Life to all who put their trust in Him. Faith is complete reliance upon the One who paid the supreme price to free a wayward, sinful, self-reliant mankind.

Death to self is required--and it is accomplished, not by self, but by the Spirit of Grace, as we relinquish to Him our 'right' to self. Without faith there is no life--we are still dead in sinful self. And the greatest temptation we face is that of turning away from complete trust in Christ. Faith is not a thing to be trifled with.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance [Greek: 'constancy']. James 1:2-3 (EMTV).

Our faith must be tried if it is to be perfected. It is the one thing that will be tested again and again, to bring us to that place of perfect reliance upon the Lord. As James also said, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation [Greek: 'adversity']; because when he is approved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love Him." James 1:12 (EMTV).

Faith works through love, as Galatians 5:6 shows. So because we love Jesus, Who is Love, our trust in Him is complete. That is the faith He is looking for when He comes.

Chapter Ten
Belief and Unbelief

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:16-17 (RV).

Earlier in that same chapter, Jesus told Nicodemus that because he was born flesh it was necessary to be born anew - this time by the Spirit. This is the true gospel of Jesus Christ from His own lips. Not once did He say that man must ask for his sins to be forgiven. Not once did He say that man must say a "sinner's prayer." Jesus said that He did not come to judge, but that man is already judged because he is born a mortal soul. That is, until that mortal soul comes to believe (rely on) on Jesus, at which time he is born from above by the Holy Spirit, who then begins His work of renovating His new temple.

In John 3:16-17 (above), or in verses 6-7, did Jesus speak of sinfulness or forgiveness? No, He did not! On what, then, does man base his apostate gospel? There is only one answer: Bible verses taken out of context!

Unbelief

The meaning of the words "faith" and "believe" seem to have been weakened in the minds of many. I have heard of some who say that it is not enough to believe in Jesus but that our sins needs to be dealt with. Jesus Himself said that "sin" is unbelief in Him. As was quoted in an earlier chapter, here are His words: "And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." John 16:8-11 (KJV).

Here is a powerful word of caution: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from [Greek: deserting] the living God." Hebrews 3:12 (KJV). The sin of unbelief causes a person to desert God -- he is without Life from the living God. And as "belief" is "entrusting one's spiritual wellbeing to Christ," it goes without saying that "unbelief" is "NOT entrusting one's spiritual wellbeing to Christ." What could be more self-reliant than that? We need to be saved from self -- not just our deeds. We need to receive Life if we want to live with Jesus for ever.

A Chinese brother from the underground Church told of a time when he "sinned," as he called it. He had wavered in his trust in the Lord's provision and keeping power while he was in prison for preaching the Gospel. It grieved him greatly, and he cried out to the Lord to forgive him. He even acknowledged that if the Lord saw fit to leave him in prison for a longer period, he would accept it as punishment for his "sin." To Brother Yun, unbelief (not trusting) was a grievous thing.

If a person has come to put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and has entrusted their spiritual well being to Him, and then they turn away from Him, the following message is for him/her.

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.Hebrews 10:26-27 (RV).

And now read these chilling words that follow the above verses:

He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that has said, Vengeance belongs unto me, I will recompense, says the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:28-31 (KJV).

"'For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not delay. But the just shall live by faith, and if he withdraws, My soul has no pleasure in him.'" (Hebrews 10:37-38 EMTV). The word "faith" in this passage means "reliance upon Christ for salvation."

For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away [Greek: 'apostatize'], it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6 (RV).

There is only one sacrifice for sin. And that was the sacrifice Jesus made when He went to the Cross to crucify flesh on our behalf. The consequences are dire for anyone turning away from faith in Him and reverting to a life of independance, as though he were his own god. He is choosing death over life.

Ever since the Cross there is one sin that will keep us from God, and that is the sin of unbelief. In the passage following the account of all the faith-filled ones in the 'faith chapter,' we read:
Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin [unbelief] which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of [*] faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (RV).

Note: [*] The word "our" was inserted by the translators and does not belong there according to the literal translation.

Chapter Eleven
Freedom

"He came unto his own [the Jews], and they that were his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:11-13 (RV).

Later on, in the eight chapter of John, "Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32 (MKJV). They were now alive in Christ and "exempt from mortal liability," which is the definition of the Greek word for "free."

Paul, when speaking to the church at Galatia, said: "With freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1) The Greek word for free, again, means "exempt from mortal liability." This clearly shows that born-again believers are exempt from the liability of death that is inherent in sinful flesh. They now have Life dwelling in them, in the person of the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus. They have passed from death into life. Jesus said it best:
Most assuredly I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly I say to you, that an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those having heard shall live. John 5:24-25 (EMTV).

There are emerging places where there is real Life. throngs of people are coming to true faith in Jesus, many being healed and others being set free from all types of bondage. The power of God is moving mightily because those ministering are fully surrendered to His will and His ways.

Have we come to trust in Jesus, receiving His Life into our spirit? Or are we still corruptible flesh - never having surrendered self to Jesus? Are we dead in sinful flesh or are we alive unto God? Are we espoused to tradition and committing adultery against the Lord? Or are we espoused to Christ, with His Spirit keeping us faithful to Him? Is Jesus our Righteousness? Or are we self-righteous, living what we believe is the "Christian life" - all because we offered our sins to be "forgiven"? How many will be in that number who will hear Jesus' words, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."? Matthew 7:23b (KJV).

"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." First Corinthians 15:53 (KJV).

Chapter Twelve
Jesus Defeats His Enemies

In following the word "flesh" through the Bible, I found that God spoke some extremely strong words on the subject of flesh. We can see this in Ezekiel's prophecy (Ezekiel 39:17-22), and in Revelation 19:17-18. Both passages speak of how God will make a mockery of flesh by offering a sacrifice of flesh to the scavengers - both birds and animals. Jesus Himself referred to the same when He was telling His disciples how to recognize that it is truly Him at His coming. He said, "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." Matthew 24:28-29 (ESV).

Note: Eagles and vultures are of the same family, but eagles do not feast on dead flesh. Thus the English Standard Version used the more accurate 'vultures'.

Jesus comes back when Israel is surrounded by enemies on all sides. Psalm 83 consists of Asaph's song:
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones. They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!” For they conspire with one accord; against you they make a covenant—the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah." Psalm 83:1-8 (ESV).

The Hebrew dictionary gives their family connections or territories: - Edom [Esau], the elder twin-brother of Jacob [Israel]; - Ishmael [the son of Abraham and Sarah's maid];- Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; - a Hagrite, or member of a certain Arabian clan; - Gebal, a region in Idumaea [Edom]; - Ammon, an incestuous son of Lot; - Amalek, a descendant of Esau; - Pelesheth ('Philistia'), a region of Syria, [translated "Palestine"] (ancient Philistine); - Tsor, a place in Palestine, [translated Tyre]; - Ashshur, the second son of Shem, [his descendants and tribe occupy Assyria].

For all these centuries the above enemies' hatred for God's people, Israel, has raged on. And now when God's son Jesus is about to return, His enemies are already beginning to surround that tiny nation, as prophesied. But, before He comes: "Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's (Israel's) trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." Jeremiah 30:7 (KJV). Jesus also told how after "the tribulation of those days," He would come back. (Matthew 24:29-31).

The murderous leaders in Iran are calling for death to Israel, saying 'Wipe Israel off the face of the map.' One noticeable enemy, funded by Iran, is in the news almost daily -- the Palestians. Jesus is coming soon!

And Jesus Himself will destroy the enemies that have alighned with Gog, as seen in Ezekiel 39:1-16. The verses tell of how the Lord GOD will smite the armies of Gog on the mountains of Israel. And it will take Israel seven months to bury the dead evil armies. They will be buried in a valley called Hamongog, which literally means "the multitudes of Gog."

[Note: On an ancient map, I found that Magog was in an eastern area of what is now Turkey.]

In this next passage, God mockingly speaks of His own sacrifice that He makes:
And thou, son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD: Speak unto the birds of every sort, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. And ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day and forward. Ezekiel 39:17-22 (KJV).
In the book of Revelation, John spoke similarily of how he was shown the destruction of evil flesh. But first, he recorded how he was shown the glorious coming of Jesus riding upon a white horse:
And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon, called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written, which no one knoweth but he himself. And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Then John said:
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image: they twain were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:11-21 (KJV).

Chapter Thirteen
Defeat Of The Final Enemy

Although we are born as mortal souls, our spirits are made alive at the new birth when Jesus comes to dwell in us by His Spirit. Eternal Life indwells us, while our physical body of flesh remains unchanged. It will eventually die; but our spirit will live on, never to be separated from the Lord who redeemed us.

Death played a vital role in the accounts found in the previous chapter. That dreaded enemy, death, has also ravaged bodies through serious illnesses; snuffed out lives through catastrophic occurences, and awaited the final breath of the aged. Ever since Adam and Eve, death had its way in the earth. A day is coming when death's destructive ways will come to an end. For in First Corinthians 15:26, is found these words: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

Words can barely describe the victorious Second Coming of Jesus. But Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, in chapter fifteen, eloquently describes it, as in this passage:
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting [Greek: 'poison']? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:53-57 (KJV).

Thayer's definition of the Greek word for 'sting':
"1) a sting, as that of bees, scorpions, locusts. Since animals wound by their sting and even cause death, Paul attributes death, personified as a sting, i.e. a deadly weapon."

In Revelation, John saw the final end for mankind's enemy called 'death.'
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death, the Lake of Fire. And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 20:14-15 (EMTV).

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:8 (KJV).

Check out the study on "Brimstone and Divine" and see the similarities in the Greek words and definitions.

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