Power to BECOME a son of God
By Jim Searcy
Hypocrisy and self-righteousness are part of the life of every son and daughter of Eve. The idolatry of self may simply be more well hidden and sophisticated today than in times past. A classic example may be seen in the example of the purpose of the Purpose Driven Church. Yes, self-idolatry, is the purpose of the Purpose Driven church. In that example, we see the hypocrisy and self-righteousness at the same time as BOTH blatant and subtle. It is not an obvious open idol-worship. The form of ungodliness in them is much more subtle.
The human heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. The worship of the only true God is religiously reduced to lip service and bodily exercise, and far removed from worship in Spirit and Truth. Though supposedly worshipers of the only true God, yet the vast majority remains far from Him in their hearts. Yes, though with their lips they appear to draw near, but their heart is far from God.
It was much the same when God sent His only begotten Son into the world. It really is very much like when God chose to fulfill all the prophecies regarding the First Coming of the Messiah. John spoke of the condition in chapter one of his gospel record. The true light that gives light to every man came into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the power to BECOME children of God. Yes, children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God.
There are two entirely distinct classes of people. There are those who received Christ, and those who received Him not. Those who received Him were given the most blessed privilege to be empowered to receive Him into their hearts and affections as THE ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God.
What was the reason of this difference? We see men born in the same nation, living in the same time period, and put into the same circumstances. Yet, some received Christ, and others did NOT receive Him. Some might say it is just God's absolute sovereignty being manifest. Some would say that is the reason why some did not receive Him, because God willed it so. They would say the reason others did receive Him was equally because God willed it so. While not seeing any fault with that worth any earnest contending, could there be any other final cause of this difference? Is there a possibility of there being anything other than the sovereign will of God, why one would reject, and the other would receive?
When we come down from looking at the heights of God's sovereignty, to take a look at the workings of the human heart, we can see there is something else. We see that there were certain influential causes which operated on the minds of the ones who received Him. Yes, just as surely as there were causes within those who exercised their will to reject Him. Those who would not receive Him were under the influence of certain workings. The folk back then, really did not know much about the heights of the theology of the sovereignty of God. While these men were receiving or rejecting Him they had very little, or no idea, that what they were doing was according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, as Peter said in Acts 2:23. In doing what they did, they were following the direction of their own minds. They most certainly seemed to be exercising their own will in that receiving or rejecting Him. Yet, to be sure, God was not at all surprised by their choices and exercise of their own will. I find no fault in believing that God did order every action, which would ultimately work to His own glory.
One of the reasons why some did NOT receive Him, and even scornfully rejected Him, was the blindness and ignorance of their heart. That certainly has not changed, as we have come to know we are in the time of His Second Coming. Willful ignorance is, still to this day, why many choose to reject the Lord of life and glory. Eph 4:18 says it clearly - Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.
The picture in Isaiah 53 has not changed. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. When the Jews associated with the temple mount complex looked upon the Man of sorrows, He was not fitting their mental image of the Messiah. They were determined to follow nothing less than a conquering Messiah, who would come to deliver them from the Roman occupation and bondage. The RELIGIOUS LEADERS were among the most spiritually blind and spiritually ignorant of the Messiah’s Person and work. The percentage of the religious leaders who rejected Him, was almost ALL of them, because their eyes were not opened to see the dignity of the Godhead, as God the Son would humble Himself to be the SIN OFFERING which Abraham had prophesied.
Another reason the religious leaders were almost undivided in rejecting Him was their self-righteousness. That is very much the same in these last days? We know it is. It is especially true among the religious and highly churched population today. Sadly, the basis of most religion is self-righteousness and self-sanctification. Until self-righteousness can possibly be broken in a man's heart, religious spirit bound people will not be able to understand the beauty and full impact of the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The rapid growth of the Purpose Driven church of self-idolatry is proof that the masses of churched people today are in love with of their own self-righteousness. They do not and can not see that it is filthy rags in the light of God's glory. The religious spirit bound soul has no eyes to see, no ears to hear, no heart to receive that glorious robe of righteousness, which only the Son of God can provide. The imputed righteousness of Christ makes every self-righteous religious exercise of vanity to be obvious filthy rags by comparison. Is it any wonder why the Lord warned – beware the leaven of the Pharisees?
Outside of the religious Jews attached to the temple mount complex, there were a smaller percentage of people who would NOT receive Him because of worldliness. The rich young ruler ultimately rejected Him because he had great POSSESSIONS. That is WORLDLINESS. They were bound to the world, consumed with the poor perishing things of time, things that will make no difference one hundred years from now. They were dead in sin. Just like today, sin and its consequences is rationalized away. Just like today, they were so consumed with the things of this world that they had no spiritual sense. Temporal things are temporary, and they are seen. But eternal things are not seen, they are perceived. Eternal things must be spiritually discerned. Worldliness consumes spiritual perception. They had no appetite for the bread of heaven. Eternal things are spiritually perceived. The heavenly food, the bread of heaven, the Word of God, by His Spirit, is the means whereby eternal things are perceived. Worldliness had consumed their spiritual appetite, whereby heavenly food is valued. Worldliness prevents the spiritual birth that enables one to enter into the kingdom of heaven. When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, the very first truth that the Lord laid before him was the new birth. Unless a man is born again he can not see nor enter into the kingdom of God.
Still the main cause for NOT receiving the Messiah was unbelief. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Because of unbelief God did not give them faith. God left them in their unbelief. They had no spiritual faith to believe the testimony of God concerning His only begotten Son, whom He sent as the promised Lamb of God, the perfect Sin Offering. They were left under the blindness of unbelief. At first they inwardly rejected Him, and that led them to openly crucify the Lord of life, the King of glory. We see the same reason operating today, in these last days before His Second Coming. When we think about the miracles of Messiah we may wonder why Jews and Gentiles remain so firmly bound in unbelief. However, unbelief is the nature of all unregenerate hearts. That is the natural born state of all humans, spiritual blindness, self-righteous, worldliness, and unbelieving. That is the natural born condition of anyone until God would, by His grace, work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure. Without FAITH it is impossible to please God, and there is ONLY ONE REAL AND TRUE FAITH, The Faith, among so many satanic counterfeits called faith. That is the natural born state to reject Jesus, and say in their heart that they WILL NOT have this Man to rule over us. It is the same as the Judean Jews attached to the temple mount complex, who rejected Him openly, and violently opposed His acquittal when they had delivered him to Pilate's judgment for condemnation.
Nevertheless, the Will of God could not be frustrated by all the millions and billions of unbelieving men combined with the whole host of hell. God’s purposes would not be stopped by the almost universal rejection of Jesus by the Judean Jews associated with the temple mount complex. BEFORE the foundation of the world God had a peculiar people that had an everlasting and permanent union with His dear Son. There remains a remnant according to the election of grace, who will stand eternally IN Christ. Those with THE like precious FAITH of God’s friend Abraham, were those for whom He gave Himself. Those of THE Faith, very definite article, are those for whom He shed His precious blood, and laid down His life, was buried, and after three days was resurrected. The Messiah now is seated at God's right hand, as their Intercessor and Mediator.
We should see that no matter how far a man may be from God, regardless of how desperate his wickedness, no matter how blind, and regardless of how strong the unbelief of his heart, God’s mercy can find him, if, he is a chosen vessel of mercy. It is POSSIBE for the light of God's Spirit to penetrate through that blindness and unbelief. It is possible for God to bring him to know that he is destined for eternal destruction. It is also possible that such a one being convinced of hell as his just reward, by the GRACE of God to see the hope of the blessings which are available for those who would find such FAITH as Abraham had found in Messiah, that God would provide Himself, a Lamb. God could indeed make it possible for such a one to be part of a people who would receive Messiah and not reject Him, by grace through FAITH, Messiah could be their Lord and their God.
How this miracle of grace could happen is by the life of God's Spirit being put into their souls. Eph 2:1- And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Only if God, by His Spirit, gives light and life to any soul, is there any possibility of true spiritual life? The natural born condition of every human being is enmity with God. All men are naturally born saying in their heart that they would rather have Barabbas than Jesus. The natural born man is born with a determined rejection of Christ. Naturally all men are born saying in their heart, just like the chief priests and religious leaders persuaded the multitude, that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. Yet, if anyone WILL, and will is the key word, if anyone WILL believe in Him, receive Him, love Him, then it is possible to have a blessed union with Him. We MUST understand however, that all begins from the quickening of the Spirit of God, working in their souls.
Certain fruits or evidences manifest the quickening work of the Spirit of God. The ESSENTIAL evidence of the FIRST and on-going work of the Holy Spirit is that of giving life to a man's conscience. No evidence of the first or convicting work of the Holy Spirit is so profound as that the creature born in vanity and enmity with God, is enabled to see and know himself to be a SINNER. This inward truth about oneself cuts him off sooner or later from all legal hopes, all hope placed in religious observances, all works of self righteousness, all vain evidences, that he has previously used to comfort and to delude his soul.
It may happen in different ways for different people, some very gradually, and some very dramatically. It is God doing the work and therefore it is very unwise for anyone to dogmatically attempt to define this working of God. However, the ESSENTIAL evidence of the working of God is that conviction of one being a SINNER. In whatever manner the Holy Spirit may work, He will FIRST convince any that might be saved, of their lost and hopeless state before Messiah. The Holy Spirit will first convince any who would be saved of the reality of the wretchedness and vain wickedness of their life prior to this first work of the Holy Spirit. They will be convinced that they are without hope, without strength, without wisdom, without help, and without true righteousness, and have only vanity and vain worthless delusions of self righteousness. This is how the Holy Spirit moves in anyone to bring them to the blessed hope of eternal life, as a most undeserved free gift, and ONLY by God’s sovereign grace.
And when the soul is brought down by the hand of God to know the exceedingly heavy burden of sin, to know the wages of sin to be death, to know the true wretchedness of the heart, and to know the holiness and justice of God, such an one cannot but by very strong will, and very strong delusion, conclude itself not only to be implicated in Adam's transgression, but also condemned by actual commission of sin. Only then does one begin to find his need of such a Savior as God has revealed in the Scriptures. This work of grace in the conscience, pulling down all of a man's delusions of vanity and false protection, stripping him of every false hope, even bringing self-disgust, is central and ESSENTIAL to a true reception of Christ. Regardless of what a man may have learned in his head, no matter how rational or intelligent he may be in his judgment, he can never receive Christ spiritually into his heart and love Him in spirit reality and truth, until he has been broken in his vain human spirit by the hand of God.
No one can tell how long the Spirit of God will strive with man but God has said that He will NOT ALWAYS strive with man. There will come a point where the Holy Spirit will leave a man to his strong delusions of vain self-righteousness. Yet when one is effectually brought to the ESSENTIAL broken vain human spirit, the most wonderful thing can happen. The Lord can open up to the astonished convicted and convinced sinner to a view that can bring to his soul some saving knowledge of the Lord of MERCY and TRUTH. The ways of God are higher than our ways. We can not be dogmatic regarding the various ways God may bring such saving grace. Yet that essential evidence of the broken vain human spirit of self-righteousness and self-justification is ALWAYS the central evidence.
It may happen by an unusual light of God coming to the vain darkened blind mind born in enmity with God. It may be by the application of a passage of Scripture with Holy Spirit power. It many be when one is completely alone or in some large gathering. It may be under the foolishness of preaching the Word. It will happen in the way God has chosen to bring the light of His Truth into the unregenerate mind. It is the Holy Spirit of Truth of Messiah that brings into the heart a power by which the glorious Person of Messiah, and His atoning blood, His dying love, His finished work, and His justifying righteousness, are brought to be seen with spiritual PERCEPTION. Though the way the Holy Spirit does strive with different men may be quite different, the one so touched by God, is enabled by God to receive truth, and the spiritual perception as a child of a believing heart.
Whenever such REAL FAITH, which is belief plus the Holy Ghost, is given to any soul, to receive Messiah, there will always be this love of the King of Glory. THERE WILL OF NECESSITY BE SUCH HUNGER to KNOW what He has commanded for the Lord lets every saved soul to KNOW, that if we Love the Lord, then we will WANT TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. Genuinely, saved people know that is the only genuine response to such love beyond understanding dawning upon the human soul. With that desire to WANT TO DO what God has commanded will implicitly bring a hunger and strong desire to know what God has said. This zeal for God, which may not yet be according to true knowledge of the more sure word of God, in times of such great apostasy and strong delusion as today, can see religious traffickers in the souls of men, destroy many souls with religious pursuits.
This is the will of God even you sanctification. Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. How is it proved? Thy Word IS Truth. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Understanding is given by the Spirit of Truth and Holiness as we WILL, again that key word WILL, turn at the excellent oil of the reproof of His Holy Spirit of Truth.
The best of protection from deception is reading the Scriptures in a mindset to be seeking that excellent oil of the reproof of the Holy Spirit. It is in that right approach to the word of God where the Lord is pleased to work in the heart. John the Baptist said it so well – He must increase and I must decrease. We diligently seek Him, and He is a rewarder of all those who diligently seek Him, in such willingness to turn at His loving reproof. It is there we see His love, grace, and power of His blood, to transform by the renewing of our mind, to receive UNDERSTANDING that proves the truth, by His more sure word. We do there grow in THE Faith which will stand, because it is based upon God’s INTEGRITY.
We receive Christ not just driven by the desire of the necessity of avoiding the wrath to come for all followers of the devil and his angels, but we are also and even more powerfully drawn by His love. To one who truly has received Him, Messiah is much more than a “Get Out Of Hell Free” card. Messiah to those genuinely receiving Him is so much more than something to save a soul from the worm that dies not, and the fire that is not quenched. Genuinely receiving Messiah, also of necessity, brings this great love of the God Who IS Love, and this desire as Paul said, - That I may KNOW Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.
There does come of necessity with the genuine born again experience this love that is worked out through a hunger and thirst for TRUE righteousness as defined by His more sure word. That is the mark of the genuine affection and sincere love, that goes out to Him as the only object really worthy of our heart's affection, our spirit's worship, and our soul's desire. THERE IS NO TRUTHFUL WAY to say that anything less than this comes up to the meaning of the Scripture expression to receive Christ. We ALL must be able to map out in our hearts more or less of this work of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes men may get off track and this is why the LORD calls ALL of His People TWICE every year at Passover, and the Day of Atonement, to be born again AGAIN.
Will you be born again, AGAIN? Will you see God’s heart intent for His people to receive MORE of His GRACE in the so called High Holy Days, or the Days of Awe, leading up to the Day of Atonement?
Now since we are living in the last days of Strong Delusion and great apostasy and great falling away from THE Faith, something unpleasant becomes most necessary. I must make an attempt to show the truth of the RELIGIOUS COUNTERFEITS of the genuine born again experience.
The many religious counterfeits such as the purpose driven church of self-idolatry have a very different purpose than of receiving Him. Genuinely receiving Him is different from receiving Him into our judgment, or into our understanding of a doctrinal manner. Receiving Him in the depths of a broken heart, as the only Savior for our guilty soul, is our ONLY hope for eternity. I hope we can see how that the apostate religious systems detour one from this ONLY way. The Lord must of necessity be our first love. He does not deserve, nor will He be pleased with less than first place, in our heart's worship. The blemished offering, the ill-favored, or second best offering is an ABOMINATION in the sight of the Lord.
Therefore, when no eye sees but the eye of God, and only the ear of Yahweh hears the yearning desire of our heart, there must be this breathing out of the spirit after His love, grace, and saving power of His atoning blood. Thanks be unto God for His two special callings of His people every year that they might receive more of His Grace found in Repentance at Passover and the Day of Atonement. Will we receive His invitation to be born again, AGAIN? Will we remember our first love and make the biblical response? Will we experience this SEAL of having received Christ into our heart by faith? Will we be content with any religious counterfeit?
As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on His name. Did the word BECOME ever strike you as perhaps the most important word in that verse? Can you see the IMPLICIT and EXPLICIT fact of a further step? Do you see the clear implication that to receive Christ, and to become a son of God, are two distinct things, and that one comes before the other? Let me tell everyone who has received Christ that it is TRUE. It is ONLY to those who receive Christ that the POWER, and the privilege, to BECOME sons of God is given. May we all have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Do we really understand what it means to BECOME a son of God? We do see how evidently it is not the same thing as receiving Christ, but a step that follows on after receiving Christ. To BECOME a son of God is a privilege given to and reserved for those who do genuinely in spirit and in truth receive Him. To BECOME a son of God is to become so in a new and experienced way, which could be called the receiving of the Spirit of adoption, whereby the soul cries - Abba, Father. It is to EXPERIENCE that perfect love - 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. It is an EXPERIENCE beyond merely to receive Christ as our hope of salvation from the wrath to come, but to be enabled by the witness and work of the Spirit in the soul to ENJOY and EXPIERIENCE that relationship.
Have you seen how the apostles described the sons of God negatively as well as positively? We are told what the Sons of God ARE, and we are told what THEY ARE NOT. This is very important because it is by contrasting what they are not, with what they are, that we can have true solid spiritual knowledge of their real character and position.
Those who have received Christ, and by receiving Christ have "become the sons of God" are known because they have NOT been born of blood. The Jews of the temple complex at the time of Messiah’s first coming, put great confidence in their lineal descent from Abraham, telling the Lord - we be Abraham's seed. Is it any different for those today who would say they were born in a Christian country, to Christian parents? The temple complex religious leaders even told the Lord that they were never in bondage to any man. The religious leaders actually told the Lord, how dare you say to us, You shall be made free? Are You greater than our father Abraham? Their flesh and blood descent from Abraham was the basis of their hope.
Watch this now. Is that different from those who would say they are second, third, or fourth generation of some church denomination? The religious leaders at the temple mount believed that, being descended from Abraham’s bloodline, they were inheritors of all the promises which were made to Abraham. They did NOT see the difference between the children of Abraham by blood, and the children of Abraham spiritually. WE MUST SEE THE GENUINELY BORN AGAIN SONS OF GOD ARE NOT BORN OF BLOOD. God’s promises to Abraham were made to the spiritual seed of Abraham, as the father of all those who believe, NOT by blood lineage. They, the temple religious leaders presumed themselves to have the promises of Abraham because they were born of his bloodline. Paul makes things very clear in the Fourth chapter of Romans. Paul NUKES that idea and presumption, which they had by being born of Abraham’s bloodline.
Yes, Paul nukes such vain hope that would come from being born to Christian parents. Ye MUST be born again. So many need to receive God’s call to be born again, AGAIN, but will rather hold vain religious hopes. Paul made it so evidently clear that those who are so highly favored as to BECOME the sons of God, had something more than being born of blood.
Birth means CHANGE. The beginning of something implies CHANGE. Birth is a transition from a state of being something less than a living breathing human person, to being a living breathing human person. It brings one into the stark realities of this cold, uncomfortable world, where light may be seen. When John in 1:13 says that they were born NOT of blood, he implies that a change of some kind MIGHT take place, like the change that took place in the natural birth. Being born of blood, or the will of man DOES NOT make a man BECOME a child of God. Do you suppose, like the Lost Catholic, or Lost Baptist, or Lost Tongue Evidenced person, that some sacramental or religious observance is ground for Strong Confidence? We have probably known or heard of holiness children of holiness parents, doing some not-so-holy things when they thought no other holiness people might see them. How many today put strong confidence in their parents, and grandparents, and maybe great grandparents having been on the church rolls of such and such denomination?
We should know that if we trace it back and found lineage that even was directly of John Calvin, or John Wesley, or Martin Luther, that what has happened is that the religious father taught religion to his child, and made him just as religious as himself. A change may have taken place. Maybe even religious books were read rather than novels. Maybe spiritual songs were played in preference to pop music. The question remains, is that experience of receiving Christ, yet failing the opportunity to BECOME Sons of God? Is that CHANGE little more than the change of normal birth by blood or the will of man? Has there been GENUINE CHANGE in Spirit and in Truth? Sadly, the majority in truth before God would have to admit there has been no spiritual change, and no almighty work of the Holy Spirit in the soul. What they have is the false hope, and the false confidence of the religion that has been handed down from parent to child. The strength of their faith is founded upon a parent’s instruction. Those who are born of God have something much more solid upon which to stand in the coming storm.
In the first Chapter of John’s gospel we also see another genuine and contrasting COUNTERFEIT of the sons of God. We see the counterfeit of the spiritual birth as we see that they were NOT born of the will of the flesh. The counterfeits were born of the will of the flesh. Does the FLESH will to be religious? YES, very much so, and the religious spirit inclination is particularly destructive, defensive, easily hardened, and one of the hardest COUNTERFEITS of the genuine Sons of God. We all have a RELIGIOUS old man, as well as an IRRELIGIOUS old man, and that is very much a part of why the vast majority need to be born again, AGAIN. That old man will of the flesh does not die easily, and is much more easily revived.
The counterfeit religious spirit has many subtle forms. Thus there is a will in the vast majority to be religious, and, if possible, save themselves. Saving oneself, sanctifying oneself, making oneself think oneself to be good in the sight of God, is the BROADWAY of the religious path to destruction.
Those who were "born of God," had power given to them to BECOME the sons of God. It is sad how few take advantage and avail of that power to experience a deeper, higher, spiritual reality in BECOMING Sons of God. Sadly, the masses of those who need to be born again or to be born again, AGAIN, cleave to religious efforts, after the will of the flesh. Most have even become dull to the desire of BECOMING Sons of God, and many will continue to ignore God’s call to receive more grace, by His supernatural work, found and evidenced in REPENTANCE and FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The flesh can never rise above itself. It begins in hypocrisy, it goes on in hypocrisy, and it can only end in hypocrisy. BEWARE THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES. It may put on beautiful religious appearing garments, some more fancy or plain than others. Still it is just a religious covering of a religion that can NOT rise above itself. The necessary brokenness of spirit has never happened that they might KNOW from experience that - Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fleshly religion, with or without a Hebraic spin, never can rise above itself. There is no brokenness of heart, no sense of the need of repentance of spirit, no godly sorrow, no genuine humility, no living faith, no solid spiritual hope, no depth of spiritual perception. Missing, is that love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit. That remains the complacent state of those that are born after the will of the flesh.
Do you suppose there are self-abasing views to be found within the Purpose Driven church of self-idolatry? What about the Messianic movement where spirituality is sometimes measured in how many Hebrew words you speak, and if you were born of that bloodline. Sad such things would happen in the greatest PROPHETIC move of the Spirit in church history. Do you suppose there is any concern for soundness of doctrine in the purpose driven church of self-idolatry? Is it any surprise there is great growth in the church of self-idolatry in these last days of such strong delusion? You know that there are such things in the purpose driven church of feel good selfism. What about the Fear of God? Many churches have so little fear of God they think it to be loving to tolerate professing ordained homosexuals in their pulpits. Hearts are not being melted and softened, but rather hardened in covetousness and pride.
The God promised perfect, purified seven times by the Holy Ghost, KJV, King Jesus Version, Holy Bible is glibly CORRECTED by the presumptuous bible correctors. How presumptuous must one be to be a Bible Corrector? Yet, some would say it needs real Hebrew Names and more Hebrew words. To which I say that may be VERY RELIGIOUS, BUT NOTHING BUT PRESUMPTION, AND DEFINITELY NOT THE WORKING OF THE RUACH HA KODESH WHO IS NOT THE SUPERINTENDANT OF SUCH PRESUMPTUOUS RELIGIOUS EFFORTS. Being a Messianic believer, who has planted and nurtured Messianic congregations, before the movement was either popular or messy, I do have experience and Holy Spirit authority to say that. There are many Messianic messes that need to be born again, AGAIN, and these coming Days of Awe may be the last call for you and me. The Spirit of God will NOT always strive with man. Yes, indeed I do hope you are as uncomfortable reading this as I am writing it.
That First Chapter of John also tells us about another birth, which is of the will of man. The birth by the WILL of man is NOT the birth by which one may BECOME a Son of God. Man has a will to become religious. There is little difference, but rather only more hardening against the truth, by the reinforcing of that feel good religious spirit. It is similar to the birth according to the will of the flesh, wherein we take up religious stuff, in place of our irreligious stuff. The birth according to the will of man is more like the religion given us by some pope, rabbi, or religious trafficker in the souls of men. What do we see the vast majority of religion, in these last days of the great falling away from THE Faith, being about? It is about self. That is the purpose of the purpose driven church to cover over a conscience that is in sore need of a very sharp jolt, rather than more feel good painkiller and reality remover. If we look at the purpose of most purpose driven churches, by the standards of the KJV Holy Bible, it really is SHOCKING. Spiritual discernment would see that the vast majority of the global religions of tolerance are ANTICHRIST. The description, that it is according to the will of man, is quite accurate.
Who do we hear today, shouting with all the passion they can muster, to flee from the wrath to come? Who do we hear crying very LOUD, and trying to thunder the obvious signs of God's vengeance against the sin-loving antichrist world? Today it is FEIGNED FAITH and FEIGNED AFFECTION that is called religion, tolerance, and compromise. The program is to convince those from infancy to grey hair, that they should become religious according to the antichrist directions of tolerance and compromise, and forget about such passé things as a literal eternal lake of fire, and blood sacrifice atonement.
The play is on the emotions with music designed to dull and deaden the self-control fruit of the Spirit upon the emotions. Just conform to this growing religion to feel good about your self, and be religious after the self-will of man. What is the purpose of the churches of the will of man of self-idolatry other than to leave the soul under the wrath to come? In all this religion, NO deliverance from the demons, spirits of infirmity, no pardon of sin, no separation from the world, no salvation from death and hell is to be found. The religious births offered may be of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, and ALL will leave a man just where they found him, dead in sin, void of the fear of God, and totally ignorant of what God has said.
The one whose name is called The Word of God, would call all of His people to examine themselves to see if they be IN THE Faith. That is God’s intended purpose for those ten Days of Awe, from His feast of Trumpets, to His feast of the Day of Atonement. Will you receive His invitation to be born again, not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God?
Those who were blessed to receive Christ, and be given power to BECOME the sons of God, partake of the birth that is different than the false ones of blood, the will of flesh, or the will of man. Yes, it is DIFFERENT. Those who would avail of the power to BECOME a son of God will not follow another gospel, or another Jesus. Those availing of the power to BECOME sons of God were born of God. The Lord Himself gives life and light to souls. The Spirit of the Lord Himself brings them out of natural darkness, vanity, self-righteousness, and strong delusion of self-idolatry into His own marvelous light. In the LIGHT of His Word by His Spirit the TRUTH may be PROVED. The Lord Himself, by His sanctifying work upon their consciences, did BOTH cast them down and lift them up.
The Lord Himself had brought them to the birth and brought them forth, and they do KNOW they truly are born of God. Such will know they have received the kingdom of God with power, so as to BECOME new creatures, and to pass from death unto life.
Saints know they deserve hell, just as surely as they know they will not be getting what they deserve. The vast majority of those who are religious, and on the church membership rolls, really has nothing more than a birth of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man. That vast majority will have no doubts or fears, no sharp trials or any concern about their eternal state before God. Saints, however, those who are exercising the power to BECOME sons of God, those whom the Lord is teaching by His Word and His Spirit, are often tested, often feel like the lone sparrow on the rooftop, and often question whether their inward spiritual experiences and directions are from a real work of God upon their souls, or whether they are counterfeits of God’s work of grace in them.
What an AWSOME paradox that it truly is. The saints who are BECOMING sons of God know they deserve to go to hell as certainly as they know WHY they will not get what they deserve.
What an awesome reality. Those who have every reason to fear seem to have no fear at all. At the same time those who are exercising the power to BECOME sons of God who have no reason whatever to fear, standing complete IN Christ, depending only upon His blood atonement, are the objects of God's eternal love. Those who are concerned about BECOMING sons of God know we do not arrive until we get there. They are the sheep for whom Messiah died. What an AWESOME paradox that they also are the only people who are plagued with the fears that spring from their own unbelieving hearts. They are the ones who seem to have to be doing the heaviest fighting against the temptations with which Satan continues to trouble their minds.
We should see clearly how that BECOMING sons of God, is so very far removed from the purpose driven churches of self idolatry, self esteem, and strong feel good about selfism. Those who are taking very seriously the power to BECOME sons of God get the trials, do the real work of evangelism, and know they need to go to the KJV Holy Bible EVERY DAY to prove some things, and hear from the more sure Word, by His Spirit of Truth.
Satan has no need to rock a sinking ship, but just needs to keep them comfortably asleep. 1 John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world LIETH in wickedness. Check out that word LIETH – like a baby cradled in its mothers arms - in a passive or horizontal posture, comfortably passive in their state of unawareness.
Let me tell you a very sad truth – in these last days, God is not very likely to rock that boat either. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. God will not rock that sinking ship because He really has no purpose of mercy towards them. Those in the churches of self-idolatry, self-esteem, and strong feel goodism about self, are not subjects of His kingdom, they are not objects of His love. In these last days of Strong Delusion He will leave them carnally secure; in a dream, from which they will not awake. It is like the truth of Psa 73:20 says that - As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
But on the other hand, where Satan perceives a work of grace going on; where he sees the eyes sometimes filled with tears, where he hears the sobs heaving from the contrite heart, where he observes the knees often bent in secret prayer, where his listening ear often hears the poor penitent confess his sins, weaknesses, and backslidings before God (for by these observations, we have reason to believe, Satan gains his intelligence), wherever he sees this secret work going on in the soul, mad with wrath and filled with malice, he vents his hellish spleen against the objects of God's love. Sometimes he tries to ensnare them into sin, sometimes to harass them with temptation, sometimes to stir up their wicked heart into desperate rebellion, sometimes to work upon their natural infidelity, and sometimes to plague them with many groundless doubts and fears as to their reality and sincerity before a heart-searching God.
It is sad that the greatest faith healer of all time also was an equally great FAILURE at the other half of what God had commissioned him to do, besides restoring healing by Faith in the Name of Jesus. His other commission, just as important, was to tell God’s people that their THOUGHTS SPEAK LOUDER IN HEAVEN THAN THEIR WORDS. When the attacks of Satan drive us to the Word of God, by His Spirit, and for His glory, we will have VICTORY. For our Great King said IT IS FINISHED. Alleluia Yeshua.
What an awesome paradox where we see that those who have no work of grace upon their hearts at all, are left secure, free from doubt, and with nothing to fear. At the same time, those in whom God is doing His sanctifying work are troubled in their minds to have a need every day, to confirm things by his more sure word of the KJV Holy Bible. Sometimes those who are diligently seeking God, being diligent to exercise the power to BECOME sons of God, find it difficult to really believe that they are the people in whom God takes delight.
The awesome paradox illustrates the depths of self-delusion and human hypocrisy. It shows the deceit of the heart of natural man. It shows the great subtlety of the most wise of God’s creatures that seeks to destroy every human soul. Satan is seen to lay escape proof snares for all who are not very careful to watch and pray. Those who are BECOMING sons of God are the only ones who seem to understand the great danger of being deceived at the last. Those who are dead in their sins, have no seeming care in the world regarding such snares because they are so comfortably held in them. As long as they can soothe, rationalize, and deaden the natural conscience, and do something to relieve any conviction, they will remain quite comfortably deceived and strongly deluded.
At the same time, those who are BECOMING sons of God have a very much alive and sharp conscience. They really Fear God. They know what happens when one becomes a hypocrite before God. They understand how necessary it is to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. They are driven to the more sure word of the KJV Holy Bible, where they KNOW they have the way of PROVING the truth, and what is the way to walk therein. God, who knows and will meet their needs gives assurance from His Word by His Spirit. The Word given life by His Spirit speaks with power to his conscience. That absolute truth of the God who can NOT lie, establishes him in a blessed assurance. Those who are BECOMING sons of God KNOW that he must be tested and tried in his mind. He knows that it is according to the more sure word that he must have these various tests for simple reason that he cannot rest satisfied except in the mercy of God.
I am quite confident that there are many who read the GJiGT updates who are indeed BECOMING sons of God. I can easily be more sure of you than sure of myself. When you become aware of how much you may have been walking in the flesh, and how real is the possibility that you could be deceived in the end, I say REJOICE. That truly is evidence not of unbelief, but evidence His sanctifying grace is at work in you. The question is what will you do? What do you do in those circumstances? Do you want to call some minister, or rabbi, brother or sister? NO. You know better. You know of The Friend who sticks closer than a brother. You do not trust past good works as most religious folk are prone to do. What do you do? What should you do?
I say thank God for His promise to give us wisdom if we will ask with FAITH. James 1:5 AND THEN Go to His more sure word looking for that EXCELLENT OIL of the reproof of the Holy Ghost. Prov 1:23. You know God has given you understanding as you receive His reproof. You know He has given you revelation and He will give the understanding, in His time as we remain in that state of seeking His reproof, in that way of BECOMING sons of God. The more you are BECOMING sons of God the more you hate the flattery by which we know the antichrist will corrupt so many in the last days. It is not only OK but even a good sign to be slow to receive a word of encouragement from some religious person. You know Paul said it so well - 2 Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. Peter said it well too - 1 Pet 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. John the Baptist may have said it best of all - John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
You know where to find that TRUSTWORTHY answer to the cry of your soul. It comes by the Spirit of Him whose name is called the Word of God. He gives life to His word which you know you need more and more every day, that more sure word of the KJV Holy Bible. You get comfort from The Comforter. Though it may be for a short season, your soul is satisfied with a word with God’s integrity backing it. You have tasted. You have seen that the Lord IS GOOD.
We know the doubts and attacks are all part of the program, which God is going to somehow cause to work together for GOOD. We have dealt with, and will continue to deal with, that issue of whose WILL, will be done. We are set. We will NOT be moved because we have laid hold of a Faith that is known to be THE Faith, because it is based upon God’s integrity. Alleluia Yeshua. Praise the Lord Jesus, and thanks be to God for that more sure word, of that God promised, perfect, holy bible, the King Jesus Version.
We are fully persuaded and fully determined. We will and want to do what God said just because God said so. Only such real faith honors God and the rest is phony baloney. The attacks of Satan and his men, especially his religious men, will drive us to a throne of grace to receive answers of mercy there from the God, who alone is good, and who can NOT lie. Only the Lord whose name is called the Word of God speaks peace to us, and blesses us as we are tested and tried. We have seen it. We know the truth of Rom 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. We have settled the question of whose will and whose purpose.
We will be quicker next time to make the sacrifice of praise, knowing He knows when it is a sacrifice, and we KNOW He is worthy of such sacrifice. The embarrassment of hypocrisy being stripped away is for our good. We have even seen how things painful to the flesh have drawn us to Him whose name is called the Word of God.
So according to God’s appointed times we are coming again to that season, those days of Awe, when we have special reason and hope to find more of His grace. We know the evidence of finding His grace. It is that time when we will more deeply examine ourselves to see if we be IN THE Faith. God’s people are being tested, and I can tell you that for sure. The pressures of this antichrist world are relentless. Sometimes the darkness may seem so thick and gross we can feel it. We many not have always been faithful – but I ask you in ALL seriousness - Has the Lord been to you less than you have hoped? Of course the answer is NO among all who truly do have the blessed hope, and are BECOMING sons of God.
Only be very strong and of good courage. Stay IN the Word. The KING IS COMING and we are headed for the Big Church of the Firstborn, 3600 square miles big, coming soon to Mount Zion. Yes, we are Zionists headed for Zion, and the One Thousand Year Sabbath IN His Presence.
From Chittim, Isa 23:1.
Shalom & Simcha,
Jim Searcy
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