I have never written to Five Doves before and this may be too extensive to print, your discretion, However, I have watched with the Doves and enjoyed your site for years. I especially enjoyed the reprint, thanks to:
Harvey Troyer (13 June 2011) "I Am Coming Soon!" An Excellent Article on the Imminent Rapture by John Tng (15 Apr 2006)" http://www.fivedoves.com/rapture/icomesoon.htm
God is trying to teach us that we must plug into His Divine power, because, there is no other power, in Eternity, but His. Our Temporal power won’t be there. Satan’s power won’t be there, only His Power, called Grace.
GRACE, enables us to enter in (His Light) and become SPIRITUAL by Loving Him, in obedience, by practicing righteousness. This is where the Light of God allows the power of GRACE to flow in order to change what we, ourselves, cannot change. (The sin which entangles us.)
An analogy of a Light Switch.
What is the first thing we do when we walk into a dark room? We turn on the light switch, notice the darkness is pushed out, and we can see where we are going. Well, turning the switch upward is the same thing that happens when we repent and confess our sin. It establishes the flow of POWER, (GOD’S GRACE) Just like the flowing of electricity, to make the light come on. When we ask for forgiveness over and over again, after asking the first time for forgiveness, we doubt Jesus truly forgave us and doubt is sin. We turn down the light switch, what happens? We’re in darkness, and the flow of POWER is cut off. Sin, cuts off the flow of POWER, because, SIN is darkness. Where does the POWER go? No place, it’s still in the wall, with wires attached to the switch. Just like the Holy Spirit is still attached inside those who have laid the foundation of repentance, for He will never leave us nor forsake us. We just need to be filled with power by turning the switch in the right direction, so that His POWER can flow. When we are in darkness we are not relying on His power to see where we are going, we are relying on our own. Self is on the throne in His (Jesus’) seat. Therefore, we are blind to the Truth.
A little white lie is as guilty and equal to murder in God’s eyes; it cuts the flow of His power of grace, God’s electricity, in order to fellowship in the Light
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
I Corinthians 15:31 … … I die daily...(I choose to be dead to my old self and when my flesh slips into sin, lawlessness, that I hate, I confess it quickly to be restored to the light so I can have the air of Life and breathe spiritually, in agreement with truth,
I look for my sin, because, I cannot breathe (Spiritually) In darkness.
Sin is Darkness.
I John 1:5,6; This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
YOU MUST PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS.
If we are to live and abide in Him we must be cleansed and washed from all darkness.
HOW TO PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS and walk in the Spirit
Repent (Turn from and Hate your sin, Romans 7:14-18; and
I John 1:9;
If we confess (The word confess: #3670, means: to acknowledge ones sin and to come into agreement with fact and truth; To consent, to promise, to speak the same with, to be in unity of Spirit and understanding.)our (Every) sins, (Plural) He is just and righteous to forgive us our sins (This is the Foundation of Repentance, when we first accept the Lord and ask for forgiveness for our sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God is light and in Him there is no darkness. Sin is dark, not light, therefore, we must return from the fall from grace, (God’s power that empowers the light) into fellowship (Communication) with Him in the light, that is the only way we may enter into His presence, that is, in the Light. We must be washed from that darkness of sin, before we can enter the Light. We must be cleansed.
I John 3:9; No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (We must be born of God by practicing righteousness.)
I John 1:6; If we say that we have fellowship (Communication) with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. (Every kind of sin)
Psalm 139:23-24; Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wickedness (Wickedness is the same word, in the Greek, as Lawlessness) in me, (Darkness) and lead me in the way everlasting. (Eternal life)
Romans 8: 9; However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
In the Bible there are Three (3) type of men: (Note: Campus Crusade for Christ)
1. The Natural Man, (Without the Creator as Lord on the throne of their lives).
2. The Spiritual Man, (Walks in the Spirit by practicing righteousness)
3. The Carnal Man, (Has laid the foundation of repentance, which is Jesus, no longer practices righteousness, but has gone backwards, backslidden, to the works of the flesh). II Peter 2:21,22; Romans 8:6;
THE NATURAL PERSON This is the person without the Creator as Lord of their lives. Christ is outside and not a part of their life. Self on the throne, is in control, controlling and directing our thoughts and actions.
-
Represents: thoughts and actions. S Represents: self. The Cross Represents: Jesus by The Holy Spirit
SPIRITUAL PERSON
has Jesus in His rightful seat, on the throne of our life; for we are the Temple of God, I Corinthians 3:16. When Christ is in control. Everyday can be an exciting adventure for the one who knows the reality of being filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit filled believer. Colossians 3:1-3;
THE CARNAL (WORLDLY) PERSON
I John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God Because, many false prophets are gone out into the world.
It is not enough to have only laid the foundation of repentance, we must build the temple; we must wash, from that darkness, (Sin) we slip into.
II Peter 2:21-22; For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy(Word #37; meaning: Perfect, Righteousness, to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin and to purify internally by renewing of the soul.) commandment delivered unto them.:22 It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit (Defiled food from the flesh) again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire
Beware of false teachers
Who say, "You don’t need to name your sins to God; they were already forgiven at the cross." With this distortion, repentance becomes irrelevant! This false doctrine attacks the very foundation of your spiritual life. To believe this lie, is to live a life of perpetual carnality.
I John 3:4-10; Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. 7 children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born (Again) of God. (When we practice righteousness, we cannot sin, why? Because, we practice righteousness, so that, the slip of sin, that we just committed, when confessed, is washed and wiped away, as if it never happened. When we fall into sin, thereafter, we quickly practice righteousness, by repenting and confessing, so that, the sin that we just committed is washed, blotted out, as if it never happened. (Acts 3:19) If it never happened, we did not sin.) This is God’s Cycle of Righteousness. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not (Born) of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (Practicing Righteousness includes the component of confessing our brothers’ sin as our own; to love our neighbor as our self. [Galatians 5:14]. If we fail to do so, we are not Practicing Righteousness. I must confess my sin and the sin of my people, (Daniel 9:20; Nehemiah 1:6;)
Matthew 22:37-40; This is the first great commandment and the second is like unto it. Love your neighbor as yourself. In these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
In order to enter PHILADELPHIA, (Brotherly Love,) is to, love your neighbor as yourself, By: confessing their sin, as if it is our own. (I John 3:10;). (NOTE: Revelation 3:13; 8:3) Therefore, because God is Light and He will not dwell in darkness, and sin, is darkness, the Remnant by practicing righteousness, repent and confess their own sins and have become, Ambassadors of Christ, walking in the Light of Fellowship with their Creator. God does not hear prayers unless they are brought to Him in REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION. (Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:12;) He tells us, also in, Daniel 9:20; and in Nehemiah 1:6; that these great prophets of God, also, confessed their peoples sins as well.
Daniel 9:20; Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God,
Nehemiah 1:6; let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned.
James 5:16; Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Romans 8:13-14; For if you live after the flesh, (Temporal) you must die; but if by the Spirit (Eternal) you put to death the deeds (Works) of the body, you shall live..14, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, (Walking in the spirit is practicing righteousness.) these are sons of God. (The Remnant)
His Works are eternal. Eternity operates on eternal power.
The works of our flesh will burn up and not last because, they are temporal and have only temporary power behind them.
This is what God is trying to show us over and over again.
God wants us to learn how to live and operate in His eternal power, called Grace. We must be restored to fellowship with Him, by repentance and confession by Practicing Righteousness. Walking in the Spirit, is to have our Light turned on with His Power and His Works, being done through us. When we slip into sin, and do not utilize His way of escape, (I Corinthians 10:13) by using His sin eraser, called practicing righteousness, we then are in darkness not only because of our sin, but because of our temporal power, which is corrupted.
II Timothy 2:20-21; But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21; Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified (Cleansed and set apart, by Practicing Righteousness) and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. (Righteous, eternal)
Eternal works of God, are perform through those who are a cleansed vessel and walk in the Spirit, only by Practicing Righteousness. Ephesians 2:10, God’s works which God prepared; His works, not ours that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10; For by grace have you been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not a result of works, so that no man can boast.
:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good (eternal) works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.
The good Eternal works, are the Father doing His works through us.
Our works are either temporal or eternal
light or dark, Righteous or lawless
there is no grey area.
Soul vs. Spirit Salvation
Spirit and soul are not the same in the Bible. The following Scripture clearly establishes that soul and spirit are not the same:
I Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify (Word # 37: Hagiazo: to Sanctify: separate between flesh and spirit and consecrate things to God; to purify and cleanse externally to purify internally by renewing of the soul; to purify free from the guilt of sin. From root Word # 40: Hagios: Holy; most holy thing, a saint.) you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Body: Flesh, Bone, Blood
- Soul: Mind, Will, Emotion
- Spirit: Conscience, Wisdom, Communication
This confirms that man is a triune being, just as God is a Trinity. It also helps to confirm that spirit salvation differs from soul salvation. Spirit is by faith in Jesus Christ plus nothing. The following Scripture confirms this.
Acts
16:30-31 And (the Philippians’ jailer) brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must
I do to be saved?:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you and
your house shall be saved.
Spirit salvation is very simple. One simply believes that Jesus Christ died for his sins. One can do nothing to earn this salvation. It is a gift from God, and the Holy Spirit even provides the faith. However, the Scriptures go into great detail regarding soul salvation, which should occur after spirit salvation. This Scripture is addressing believers and it states that a believer can save his soul by getting rid of sin in his life and studying and obeying the Bible. This requirement differs from Acts 16:30-31 Spirit salvation and soul salvation are not the same. We must have Soul Salvation by, Practicing righteousness through faith, by repentance and confessing our daily sin. (I John 1-9;)
I John 3:7 My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that Practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous: (Note: Revelation 1:4;)
This is walking in the Spirit, walking in the Light, in the fear of the Lord, in the GRACE (God’s Power, like electricity, when flowing empowers the light to be turned on.) OF GOD by keeping short accounts with the Lord concerning our sin. By Repenting, [Changing, from our way of thinking to His] Confessing, and Asking for His Grace to empower us so as to change us from our ways to His. [Not my will, but Thy will, be done. Our will, is our thoughts, followed by our actions.]
Being forgiven is not the same as being cleansed. We must be cleansed.
It is not going to Him asking for forgiveness again, after we have already turned to Him to forgive our sins, for we must go into His presence by faith believing we were already forgiven, when He died on the cross 2000 years ago. When we went to seek forgiveness, the very first time, we asked Jesus to become our Savior, we laid the foundation of repentance. (Hebrews 6:1-6;) When we go to Him again, confessing a sin, we slipped into, and ask for forgiveness again, is explained, in Hebrews 6:6; as putting Jesus to open shame. Saying, Get back up on the cross and do it all over again, I don’t trust, by faith I am truly forgiven. Thus, crucifying Him again and relaying the foundation, which was already laid.
Hebrews 6:1;6; Wherefore leaving the doctrine (the Truth of God, His teachings and instructions, to which we are to line up our thoughts and lives with God’s Word.) of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection; (One who is Practicing righteousness, A Spiritual Man) not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead (temporal) works, and of faith toward God,..
Hebrews 6:6; And [then] fall away, (From Grace) it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; because, they crucify the Son of God again, and put him to an open shame.
We must go into His presence by faith, believing we have already been forgiven, when we asked Him to be our savior. (All that is not of faith is sin...)
Romans 14:23; But he that doubts is condemned if he eat, (Spiritually) because [he eats] not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Remember, there is a difference between forgiveness and being cleansed by faith through obedience. God has already forgiven us, now He wants our obedience, (Obedience = Love) to keep our slips into sin confessed. Love is obedience, not by compulsion, but because, we love Him. When we enter into obedience, by love, not compulsion, is when He pours on His GRACE.
Thank you for many years of good watching,
YBIC. Bob R.