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Hi Doves,
This isn't what many want to read.
However, since time is running out, I have no choice but
to write as I'm led to.
So
many have been misled to believe that all that is required of them, to
be righteous and holy, is to "claim" the holiness and righteousness of
Christ!
The reasoning is "Why work hard for something you already
have?"
This has led to so many in the Church to cast off
self restraint.
The
Word tells us that if we don't live holy lives the Lord will chasten
us, because we are His sons and daughters!
"For
whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He
receives ... Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the
Father of spirits and live?
"For
they [our natural fathers] indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed
best to them, but He [Our Heavenly Father] for our profit, that we may
be partakers of His holiness."
(Heb.12:6,9,10)
Many of
the hardships we go through in life are as a result of the Lord's
chastening.
The
Lord wants us to partake of His holiness, and if necessary, He will
chastise us.
But how
do we really know we are partakers of His holiness?
It's
quiet simple.
We know
we are partaking in our Heavenly Fathers holiness by how
we
behave towards others.
For we
read,
"...This
is
the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from
fornication...that no one should take advantage of and defraud his
brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such..."
(1Thess.4:3,6)
Paul
is saying that young men, who are not married, shouldn't be in sexual
relations with women who are potentially the wives of
others.
I
remember reading an article that on average, young men and women have
at least 7 sexual partners before they settle down to marry!
It's
not much different in the Church!
You
would expect it to be, but it's not.
I'm not
even going to write about what's happening in the Church amongst those
who are married!
Paul
is saying that single young men are to abstain from
the uncleanness of
fornication and are to practise the holiness of self restraint.
"For
God did not call us to uncleanness, but in
holiness." (1Thess.4:7)
They
are to practise self-restraint for one reason only - love for
their brothers.
The
same would apply to Christian women.
They
are also to practise self-restraint for one reason only - love for
their sisters
There
is no getting round it.
The
Lord has pinned holiness to sexual behaviour.
So
many Christians are going into the great tribulation because they have
and still are hurting their brothers and sisters this way.
"...Fornicators and adulterers God will judge [chastise]
" (Heb.13:4)
We
further read,
"Now
the body is not for sexual immorality [that is the uncleanness of
fornication and adultery] but for the Lord [ that is the holiness of
marriage or abstinence]...And God...will raise us
up by His power." (1Cor.6:13,14)
Notice
how Paul connects the resurrection/rapture to our sexual behaviour!
Once we
have this area of lives sorted out the Lord will continue to chastise
us until we are practising His righteousness.
"Now no
chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful
nevertheless, after-ward it yields the peaceable fruit
of righteousness to those who have been trained by
it. [that is, by chastisement] " Heb.12:11
Many in
the Church today are claiming a holiness and a righteousness they
simply don't have.
They've
been told to claim it by faith and then by some invisible process it's
applied to them.
What
they don't understand is that the Lord has provided the water [the Holy
Spirit] and the soap [ the Word]
They
are still responsible for bathing themselves.
The
Lord will NOT do it for them.
Many
in the Church today have hardened their hearts and stubbornly
resist
the Lord's chastisement, as a result they continue to bring forth
unrighteousness.
They
have been deceived into believing as long as they "claim" the
righteousness and holiness of Christ, they are OK.
In
reality they are not.
"Do you
not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceived."
"Neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals...will
inherit the kingdom of God."
And
such were some of you, but you were washed..."
(1Cor.6:9-11)
When
a person is washed by the Word and the Holy Spirit, he will no it, his
family and friends will no it, and most importantly the Lord will no it.
Why?
Because
he will live in holiness and practise righteousness that everyone can
see!
The
clock is ticking!
The
Lord is Coming!
I
believe from today, the 25th of February 2011, we are only 84 Days away
from the rapture.
May the
Lord find us all washed, clean and ready to go!
Ola.
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