the Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Seventeen - E Sep 29, 2019 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T003_20190929.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us Today we will look at patient endurance with regards to the race of the faith. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday September 29th 2019 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 17E ‘What More Shall I Say?’ 1). Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with [patient] endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking [from] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. As we have seen in previous weeks, the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to ‘run with endurance the race that is set before us’ as we ‘lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us.’ And as we do this, we are to look in one direction to the ‘so great a cloud of witnesses’ who have successfully completed their own race of the faith according to the rules. And we are to look, in another direction, to Jesus ‘who for the joy that was set before Him [patiently] endured the cross, despising the shame’. Who, as a result of His actions, ‘has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ a). And we should not view the Lord sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God as just the consequence of His resurrection – because He was raised from the dead this is the place He would sit – No. The Lord sitting in this position of power and authority is a result of Him having overcome. It is a position that denotes rulership, but rulership that awaits a Day yet future. b). And we can clearly see this through the Lord’s own words recorded in the Revelation – Re 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ” The overcoming Christian will sit down with Christ on His throne in the same way that the overcoming Christ sat down with His Father on His throne. And rulership in the age to come for both Christ and the overcoming Christian is in view throughout. c). Patient endurance in connection with the faith is the key then to the successful running of the race of the faith, if we are to qualify to be one of the many sons brought to glory. And the exhortation towards patient endurance is something we have already seen in Hebrews Chapter 10 - Heb 10:36 For you have need of [patient] endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” The OT saints from Hebrews Chapter 11 clearly exhibited patient endurance through the course of their lives as they did the will of God in anticipation of receiving the promise – the promise that won’t be received by them apart from the many sons brought to glory receiving the promise as well. a). And as we see that the Lord Jesus also patiently endured as He did the will of God, His Father – Jn 17: 4 I have glorified You on the earth. And as we see the Lord Jesus also patiently endured as He did the will of God, His Father – Jn 17: 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And the Lord patiently endured the cross to finish the work in order to receive the Kingdom promised to Him with a view to one day returning to reward each one according to his works, to bring many sons to glory, so as to fulfill the promise of the joy that was set before Him. b). And we have need of this same patient endurance as we do the will of God in anticipation of receiving the promise and sharing in that joy. And we have the added incentive from our vantage point in time, of knowing that ‘for yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry’. c). And in whatever time remains between the ‘now’ and the coming of the Lord, the just, those who are justified, those who have been eternally saved, are to live their lives in the present, with a view to having life in the age to come, by faith – by believing that which God has said about that life in the age to come and exercising patient endurance as that faith is tested. 2). Let’s talk a little bit about the Kingdom in the 7th Day - Jn 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” In the Lord’s response to Pilate He states quite clearly that His Kingdom rule has absolutely no connection with the present kingdom rule under Satan – 1 Jn 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. If the Kingdom rule which He will exercise was to have been found during the time of Satan’s rule then His servants, who belonged to Him, would have fought that He would not be delivered to the Jews, but it was ‘not from here.’ a). The kingdom ruled over by Satan when Jesus spoke those words to Pilate, and exists even today, is a literal, tangible kingdom – it can be seen, experienced, touched and participated in. And we should understand that the Kingdom remains the same and does not change – it is a physical entity – but rulership over this Kingdom will change – Re 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”And we should understand that the Kingdom remains the same and does not change – it is a physical entity – but rulership over this Kingdom does change – Re 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Here in Revelation Chapter 11 we see the same Kingdom, but a change in ruler. b). Keeping this change of ruler in mind we will remember that we are told this about the faithful OT saints – Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. These faithful OT saints had their physical location in the same literal, tangible kingdom ruled by Satan as we find ourselves. Their confession that they were ‘strangers and pilgrims on the earth’ demonstrates a change of alignment on their part with respect to the rulership of the kingdom. c). They had chosen to align themselves with the future version of the kingdom, under a new Ruler, that awaited a time when the present ruler would be completely overthrown. d). The Kingdom to which they looked is the same tangible kingdom in which they lived, but they looked to that future time when a change in the rulership of that kingdom would be manifest in the earth, and this is where they set their focus – on the promises that were ‘afar off’. Therefore, during what was their present they lived within the governance of what had become for them, a ‘foreign power’, hence they were strangers in relation to that ‘foreign power’. Strangers making a pilgrimage toward the goal of their calling Ge 14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— And with Abraham as our example, they chose which Ruler and which time they would give their allegiance to. 3). Let’s come forward a little in historical time - Jn 17:13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. We find ourselves in the same position as the OT saints and the Lord’s disciples as seen in John Chapter 17 – we are ‘in the world’, but not ‘of the world’. a). We are physically located in the present literal, tangible Kingdom under the rule of Satan and nothing can change that apart from our physical death or the Rapture. But there has been a change in our alignment – Col 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, We have not moved physically, nor can we, but the version of the Kingdom with which we are aligned has changed with respect to its Ruler and timeframe. b). Our eternal salvation ‘has delivered us from the power of darkness’ and has placed us in the realm ‘of the Son of His love.’ That deliverance has aligned us with the future version of the Kingdom under the rule of Christ. c). To state the obvious, Christ’s version of the Kingdom with Him as Ruler does not exist as yet and it cannot exist until the present version of the Kingdom is brought to an end – and this end awaits the full completion of the 6 days, the 6000 years of Man’s Day, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, until the inheritance is redeemed. d). And let’s remember that although the Lord is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God in a position of power and authority, He is not yet exercising that authority. The Lord’s present ministry is that of High Priest, not King. And again, there must be the fulfillment of His High Priestly ministry in order that many sons can be brought to glory to rule with Him before He can come forth from the Heavenly Sanctuary as the great King/Priest after the order of Melchizedek. e). Every Christian, because of the Lord’s finished work on the cross has been delivered from the power of darkness and aligned with the Kingdom that will be under Christ’s rule. It is an automatic consequence of eternal salvation just as being entered into the race of the faith is automatic. But entrance into the race does not guarantee that every Christian will run it ‘according to the rules.’ Although entered in the race the Christian can choose never to leave the starting blocks or to run in a contrary direction to the finish line. And in the same way the Christian’s alignment to the future rule of Christ in the Kingdom does not guarantee his allegiance to it. This again becomes a matter of choice - Mt 16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” This is an example we have looked at many times before and it will serve to demonstrate once again that allegiance to the future Ruler of the Kingdom remains dependent upon the actions of the Christian after his eternal salvation, not on the eternal salvation itself. f). From the verses we see that Peter was mindful of the ‘things of men’, things which came from the version of the Kingdom under Satan’s rule, not the things of God, things related to the future version of the Kingdom under Christ’s rule. And in that moment as Peter spoke, it was as if Satan himself was speaking. g). And if we look closely at these verses we will see where the problem is to be found. We will realize that Peter had not believed that which the Word made flesh had said. The Word of God had spoken, and Peter said, ‘No.’ Peter acted apart from faith, he did what was right in his own eyes and was ensnared by the sin of unbelief. h). Now, if we take this thought concerning believing or not believing the Word back to John Chapter 17 we will see there that Christ had given His disciples ‘Your word’, He had given them the Word of God, and in the course of His prayer He asks twice that the disciples would be sanctified, separated, by God’s truth – the truth of His Word. i). And that from which they were to be separated is the kingdom rule of Satan from which unbelief is manifested – separated from the world they were no longer of. j). If we begin to put some of this together for ourselves we will see that we have been separated from the present version of the Kingdom ruled by the powers of darkness at the moment of our eternal salvation and now we are to be in a continual process of separation from this same realm throughout the course of our Christian life through the continuing work of the Word, as we are continually filled with the Spirit. k). And going back to John Chapter 17 again we see that this continuing sanctifying, separating, process can only be accomplished by the truth – the Word of God. l). It is exactly as James tells us – Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. And that which Jesus prayed for His disciples He prayed for us also – Jn 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” The Lord’s focus, as we have seen, is that future Day when He will take the Kingdom from Satan and He and the many sons brought to glory will rule together over that Kingdom. m). And to repeat the now familiar theme, that which must be heeded to make participation in that Day possible for us is THE WORD, THE WORD, THE WORD - that which we must receive, believe and act upon following our eternal salvation. 4). Now, can we remember what it is we have need of so that after we have done the will of God, we may receive the promise? It is, patient endurance – Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience [patient endurance]. 4 But let patience [patient endurance] have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We will remember from last time that the ‘joy’ referenced here is the same joy as that set before the Lord for which He endured the cross and despised the shame. And the various trials into which we may fall are the means of testing the genuineness of our faith that this joy can be realized. a). In the verses from James we can see the process – the various trials come in order to test our faith and it is the testing of our faith that produces patient endurance. And if patient endurance is allowed to have its ‘end-time work’, then we will be brought to completion, lacking nothing when we stand before the Lord at His Judgment Seat. b). Let’s recognize something very important in this process – patient endurance cannot come apart from the testing of our faith and the faith we are to have tested cannot come apart from the Word - Ro 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But if we allow for the process then we can be seriously encouraged – Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who [patiently] endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 2 Ti 2:12 If we [patiently] endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. In James we see that the man who patiently endures temptation [same word translated ‘trials’ in James 1:2] will be blessed, because when his faith is proved to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life – 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. c). And then in Timothy we see that IF we patiently endure, we shall also reign with ‘Him’, but with the added caveat that if we deny patient endurance, if we don’t patiently endure, the Lord will deny us that place of rulership, we will be denied the crown of life. d). But let’s please note that it is the testing of our faith which produces patient endurance. It is the testing of that which we have believed from the Word concerning Christ and the change of rulership within the Kingdom. It is the testing of that which we have believed about our conveyance from the realm associated with darkness into the realm associated with light and the salvation of our soul. e). And the testing of our faith with respect to these things should not be expected only through adversity, although we allow for the possibility, but also through that which on the surface may be very appealing. f). The first example of the testing of faith is found in the Garden – Ge 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. And that seen through the Woman’s reaction here could be summarized as doing what is right in our own eyes, or being mindful of the things of men, rather than doing what is right in the eyes of God, being mindful of the things of God - Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, In Colossians we saw that we have been delivered from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, and in Ephesians we have been delivered from being dead in trespasses and seated with Christ in heavenly places. And although we remain physically present within the kingdom under Satan, that which we see in Colossians and Ephesians is where we need to picture ourselves – it is what we need to be mindful of. Not in some pseudo spiritual way, but in the reality of that future Day when Christ takes the Kingdom and His rule begins. g). It is on the certainty of that coming day, through our faith from the Scriptures, that we must focus, just as the faithful OT saints did and just as our Lord did – this must be our sole objective. h). And as we maintain this focus we are to continue to allow the Word of God to sanctify us, to separate us from the kingdom ruled by Satan, to work the metamorphosis in us so that we move from faith to faith – so that we progress from immaturity to maturity, as we wash ourselves, anoint ourselves and put on our best garment - Ruth 2:8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” 10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Eph 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ……….19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. We will continue next time – if the Lord is willing. the Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Seventeen - E Sep 29, 2019 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T003_20190929.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us Today we will look at patient endurance with regards to the race of the faith. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday September 29th 2019 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 17E ‘What More Shall I Say?’ 1). Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with [patient] endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking [from] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. As we have seen in previous weeks, the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to ‘run with endurance the race that is set before us’ as we ‘lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us.’ And as we do this, we are to look in one direction to the ‘so great a cloud of witnesses’ who have successfully completed their own race of the faith according to the rules. And we are to look, in another direction, to Jesus ‘who for the joy that was set before Him [patiently] endured the cross, despising the shame’. Who, as a result of His actions, ‘has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ a). And we should not view the Lord sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God as just the consequence of His resurrection – because He was raised from the dead this is the place He would sit – No. The Lord sitting in this position of power and authority is a result of Him having overcome. It is a position that denotes rulership, but rulership that awaits a Day yet future. b). And we can clearly see this through the Lord’s own words recorded in the Revelation – Re 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ” The overcoming Christian will sit down with Christ on His throne in the same way that the overcoming Christ sat down with His Father on His throne. And rulership in the age to come for both Christ and the overcoming Christian is in view throughout. c). Patient endurance in connection with the faith is the key then to the successful running of the race of the faith, if we are to qualify to be one of the many sons brought to glory. And the exhortation towards patient endurance is something we have already seen in Hebrews Chapter 10 - Heb 10:36 For you have need of [patient] endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” The OT saints from Hebrews Chapter 11 clearly exhibited patient endurance through the course of their lives as they did the will of God in anticipation of receiving the promise – the promise that won’t be received by them apart from the many sons brought to glory receiving the promise as well. a). And as we see that the Lord Jesus also patiently endured as He did the will of God, His Father – Jn 17: 4 I have glorified You on the earth. And as we see the Lord Jesus also patiently endured as He did the will of God, His Father – Jn 17: 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And the Lord patiently endured the cross to finish the work in order to receive the Kingdom promised to Him with a view to one day returning to reward each one according to his works, to bring many sons to glory, so as to fulfill the promise of the joy that was set before Him. b). And we have need of this same patient endurance as we do the will of God in anticipation of receiving the promise and sharing in that joy. And we have the added incentive from our vantage point in time, of knowing that ‘for yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry’. c). And in whatever time remains between the ‘now’ and the coming of the Lord, the just, those who are justified, those who have been eternally saved, are to live their lives in the present, with a view to having life in the age to come, by faith – by believing that which God has said about that life in the age to come and exercising patient endurance as that faith is tested. 2). Let’s talk a little bit about the Kingdom in the 7th Day - Jn 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” In the Lord’s response to Pilate He states quite clearly that His Kingdom rule has absolutely no connection with the present kingdom rule under Satan – 1 Jn 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. If the Kingdom rule which He will exercise was to have been found during the time of Satan’s rule then His servants, who belonged to Him, would have fought that He would not be delivered to the Jews, but it was ‘not from here.’ a). The kingdom ruled over by Satan when Jesus spoke those words to Pilate, and exists even today, is a literal, tangible kingdom – it can be seen, experienced, touched and participated in. And we should understand that the Kingdom remains the same and does not change – it is a physical entity – but rulership over this Kingdom will change – Re 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”And we should understand that the Kingdom remains the same and does not change – it is a physical entity – but rulership over this Kingdom does change – Re 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Here in Revelation Chapter 11 we see the same Kingdom, but a change in ruler. b). Keeping this change of ruler in mind we will remember that we are told this about the faithful OT saints – Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. These faithful OT saints had their physical location in the same literal, tangible kingdom ruled by Satan as we find ourselves. Their confession that they were ‘strangers and pilgrims on the earth’ demonstrates a change of alignment on their part with respect to the rulership of the kingdom. c). They had chosen to align themselves with the future version of the kingdom, under a new Ruler, that awaited a time when the present ruler would be completely overthrown. d). The Kingdom to which they looked is the same tangible kingdom in which they lived, but they looked to that future time when a change in the rulership of that kingdom would be manifest in the earth, and this is where they set their focus – on the promises that were ‘afar off’. Therefore, during what was their present they lived within the governance of what had become for them, a ‘foreign power’, hence they were strangers in relation to that ‘foreign power’. Strangers making a pilgrimage toward the goal of their calling Ge 14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— And with Abraham as our example, they chose which Ruler and which time they would give their allegiance to. 3). Let’s come forward a little in historical time - Jn 17:13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. We find ourselves in the same position as the OT saints and the Lord’s disciples as seen in John Chapter 17 – we are ‘in the world’, but not ‘of the world’. a). We are physically located in the present literal, tangible Kingdom under the rule of Satan and nothing can change that apart from our physical death or the Rapture. But there has been a change in our alignment – Col 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, We have not moved physically, nor can we, but the version of the Kingdom with which we are aligned has changed with respect to its Ruler and timeframe. b). Our eternal salvation ‘has delivered us from the power of darkness’ and has placed us in the realm ‘of the Son of His love.’ That deliverance has aligned us with the future version of the Kingdom under the rule of Christ. c). To state the obvious, Christ’s version of the Kingdom with Him as Ruler does not exist as yet and it cannot exist until the present version of the Kingdom is brought to an end – and this end awaits the full completion of the 6 days, the 6000 years of Man’s Day, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, until the inheritance is redeemed. d). And let’s remember that although the Lord is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God in a position of power and authority, He is not yet exercising that authority. The Lord’s present ministry is that of High Priest, not King. And again, there must be the fulfillment of His High Priestly ministry in order that many sons can be brought to glory to rule with Him before He can come forth from the Heavenly Sanctuary as the great King/Priest after the order of Melchizedek. e). Every Christian, because of the Lord’s finished work on the cross has been delivered from the power of darkness and aligned with the Kingdom that will be under Christ’s rule. It is an automatic consequence of eternal salvation just as being entered into the race of the faith is automatic. But entrance into the race does not guarantee that every Christian will run it ‘according to the rules.’ Although entered in the race the Christian can choose never to leave the starting blocks or to run in a contrary direction to the finish line. And in the same way the Christian’s alignment to the future rule of Christ in the Kingdom does not guarantee his allegiance to it. This again becomes a matter of choice - Mt 16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” This is an example we have looked at many times before and it will serve to demonstrate once again that allegiance to the future Ruler of the Kingdom remains dependent upon the actions of the Christian after his eternal salvation, not on the eternal salvation itself. f). From the verses we see that Peter was mindful of the ‘things of men’, things which came from the version of the Kingdom under Satan’s rule, not the things of God, things related to the future version of the Kingdom under Christ’s rule. And in that moment as Peter spoke, it was as if Satan himself was speaking. g). And if we look closely at these verses we will see where the problem is to be found. We will realize that Peter had not believed that which the Word made flesh had said. The Word of God had spoken, and Peter said, ‘No.’ Peter acted apart from faith, he did what was right in his own eyes and was ensnared by the sin of unbelief. h). Now, if we take this thought concerning believing or not believing the Word back to John Chapter 17 we will see there that Christ had given His disciples ‘Your word’, He had given them the Word of God, and in the course of His prayer He asks twice that the disciples would be sanctified, separated, by God’s truth – the truth of His Word. i). And that from which they were to be separated is the kingdom rule of Satan from which unbelief is manifested – separated from the world they were no longer of. j). If we begin to put some of this together for ourselves we will see that we have been separated from the present version of the Kingdom ruled by the powers of darkness at the moment of our eternal salvation and now we are to be in a continual process of separation from this same realm throughout the course of our Christian life through the continuing work of the Word, as we are continually filled with the Spirit. k). And going back to John Chapter 17 again we see that this continuing sanctifying, separating, process can only be accomplished by the truth – the Word of God. l). It is exactly as James tells us – Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. And that which Jesus prayed for His disciples He prayed for us also – Jn 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” The Lord’s focus, as we have seen, is that future Day when He will take the Kingdom from Satan and He and the many sons brought to glory will rule together over that Kingdom. m). And to repeat the now familiar theme, that which must be heeded to make participation in that Day possible for us is THE WORD, THE WORD, THE WORD - that which we must receive, believe and act upon following our eternal salvation. 4). Now, can we remember what it is we have need of so that after we have done the will of God, we may receive the promise? It is, patient endurance – Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience [patient endurance]. 4 But let patience [patient endurance] have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We will remember from last time that the ‘joy’ referenced here is the same joy as that set before the Lord for which He endured the cross and despised the shame. And the various trials into which we may fall are the means of testing the genuineness of our faith that this joy can be realized. a). In the verses from James we can see the process – the various trials come in order to test our faith and it is the testing of our faith that produces patient endurance. And if patient endurance is allowed to have its ‘end-time work’, then we will be brought to completion, lacking nothing when we stand before the Lord at His Judgment Seat. b). Let’s recognize something very important in this process – patient endurance cannot come apart from the testing of our faith and the faith we are to have tested cannot come apart from the Word - Ro 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But if we allow for the process then we can be seriously encouraged – Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who [patiently] endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 2 Ti 2:12 If we [patiently] endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. In James we see that the man who patiently endures temptation [same word translated ‘trials’ in James 1:2] will be blessed, because when his faith is proved to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life – 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. c). And then in Timothy we see that IF we patiently endure, we shall also reign with ‘Him’, but with the added caveat that if we deny patient endurance, if we don’t patiently endure, the Lord will deny us that place of rulership, we will be denied the crown of life. d). But let’s please note that it is the testing of our faith which produces patient endurance. It is the testing of that which we have believed from the Word concerning Christ and the change of rulership within the Kingdom. It is the testing of that which we have believed about our conveyance from the realm associated with darkness into the realm associated with light and the salvation of our soul. e). And the testing of our faith with respect to these things should not be expected only through adversity, although we allow for the possibility, but also through that which on the surface may be very appealing. f). The first example of the testing of faith is found in the Garden – Ge 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. And that seen through the Woman’s reaction here could be summarized as doing what is right in our own eyes, or being mindful of the things of men, rather than doing what is right in the eyes of God, being mindful of the things of God - Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, In Colossians we saw that we have been delivered from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, and in Ephesians we have been delivered from being dead in trespasses and seated with Christ in heavenly places. And although we remain physically present within the kingdom under Satan, that which we see in Colossians and Ephesians is where we need to picture ourselves – it is what we need to be mindful of. Not in some pseudo spiritual way, but in the reality of that future Day when Christ takes the Kingdom and His rule begins. g). It is on the certainty of that coming day, through our faith from the Scriptures, that we must focus, just as the faithful OT saints did and just as our Lord did – this must be our sole objective. h). And as we maintain this focus we are to continue to allow the Word of God to sanctify us, to separate us from the kingdom ruled by Satan, to work the metamorphosis in us so that we move from faith to faith – so that we progress from immaturity to maturity, as we wash ourselves, anoint ourselves and put on our best garment - Ruth 2:8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” 10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Eph 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ……….19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. We will continue next time – if the Lord is willing.