Jesus was speaking in the temple of God, to those who believed on Him (Jn. 8:31). However, because of their pride in their religious and ancestral identity, they refused to receive the truth He was bringing. What Jesus revealed about their rejection of the truth was shocking:
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father, ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not...because ye are not of God. Jn. 8:44-47 (excerpt)
The hearing and receiving of the truth from Christ was essential, as He also said, "Verily, verily, I say into you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death." v. 51
Again, being challenged by the peoples' religious pride in their physical descendancy from Abraham, Jesus revealed His eternal nature, and therefore, His authority over death, and His identity with the Great I AM, by declaring, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." v. 58.
Those who heard His words became very offended with religious indignation, and sought to stone Jesus to death. As a verifying sign in their midst, confirming all that He had been telling them, He passed right through the midst of them without being seen, and out of the temple.
The devil, in the form of a serpent, told the lie from the very beginning that man could
escape death, and remain alive, without having to abide in God, or His Word:
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Gen. 3:1
The woman did not have an accurate knowledge of the Word, and she added to the command that God had given them regarding the tree of which they could not eat, saying that they could neither eat of the tree in the midst of the garden, nor touch it, "lest ye die". The serpent immediately challenged her:
"...Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Gen. 3:4-5
Those who do not have a knowledge, or understanding of God's Word, and the Person of the Living Word, Jesus, are very susceptible to the lie of the serpent, the same lie that exists today: that man is able to sustain his own life apart from God. We will see later, the current manifestation of this original lie.
We are warned in 2 Peter 2 that there are, and will be, false prophets and teachers who would bring damnable lies, heresies, among us. Because the truth will be spoken of as evil, many will follow the lies. We see today how the truth of faith is treated as if it is an evil thing. Peter went on to say that covetousness and merchandising is the reason behind this exploitation of man through lies. For the same kind of unrighteousness, the flood was brought to destroy life, except for the righteous Noah, and his household. Fire and destruction fell upon Sodom and Gomorrha, except for the man Lot, and his household, who was grieved by the unlawful deeds he saw around him. Those who have chosen to walk apart from God, Peter taught, are self-willed, covetous, adulterous, unclean, despising government, and speaking evil of the spiritual things that they do not understand:
"While they promise...liberty, they themselves are the servants (slaves bound) of corruption (destruction, perishing, eternal misery in hell)..it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Pet. 2:19-22 (excerpt)
Yes, these who were both catching others, and were caught themselves with lies, once knew the truth of Christ and His salvation. They who, as Adam, were called to be sons of God, but chose the lie, instead. We are also called to be sons of God, and Peter tells us to stir up our pure minds in remembrances of the truth brought by the prophets of the scriptures, and the present, living apostles in the Church. Peter warned that scoffers will come in these last days, mocking the return of Christ, willfully forgetting that the life of the world was previously destroyed by flood, for just this cause. They are fooled by the fact that the Lord is longsuffering for us, because He does not desire any to perish, but to repent. However, the day of the Lord will indeed come, and it will come suddenly, and with fire enough to melt the earth (2 Pet. 3:1-10). Peter concludes by telling us that with these things in mind, we need to be living in a manner of holiness and godliness, being diligent to be found of Him in peace, continuing to grow in the knowledge of Christ, and in His grace.
Salvation is not a walk that can be neglected nor taken for granted. It requires us to move always upward and inward in Christ. Jesus told us that those who abided in Him, and in His sayings, would never see death.
How is the original lie of Satan in the garden manifesting again today? In the same way that the serpent assured Eve that she and Adam, though apart from the Word of God, would not surely die, there is a new form of that false promise being developed and offered today. It is called trans-humanism*. It consists of physically implanting in man a technology that promises to identify and heal diseases, prevent aging, improve memory, lengthen life, perhaps even leading to eventual immortality. This chip, or form of A.I., would change the nature of man. Again life is being promised apart from God, apart from His Word. The Book of Revelation warns us not to be fooled by this tempting promise (Rev. 13:16, 14:9-11). The only true promise of life, even eternal life, comes through Christ:
"Verily, verily (surely, truly, of a truth), I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed (to pass over from one place to another, to remove, to change place) from death unto life." Jn. 5:24
Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior:Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart. I want to know You as my Lord, and as my Savior, who covers my sins, and cleanses my heart. Come into my heart, forgive me, and fill me with the Holy Spirit, who will lead me into all truth, and will teach me how to follow You. I believe that You are the Son of God, the Messiah, that You were crucified for me, and rose from the dead to give me everlasting life. I believe that You are coming again. Lord Jesus, in Your name I believe, pray, and receive all of these things. Amen.
*Transhumanism article
To Contact/Submit Prayer Request/Support the Ministry:
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
http://endtimeschool.com/
To hear Dr. Stevenson's complete message:
https://www.facebook.com/kenneth.e.stevenson/videos/10212191781251553/
The new book, "NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WRQeedvvH4
We are warned in 2 Peter 2 that there are, and will be, false prophets and teachers who would bring damnable lies, heresies, among us. Because the truth will be spoken of as evil, many will follow the lies. We see today how the truth of faith is treated as if it is an evil thing. Peter went on to say that covetousness and merchandising is the reason behind this exploitation of man through lies. For the same kind of unrighteousness, the flood was brought to destroy life, except for the righteous Noah, and his household. Fire and destruction fell upon Sodom and Gomorrha, except for the man Lot, and his household, who was grieved by the unlawful deeds he saw around him. Those who have chosen to walk apart from God, Peter taught, are self-willed, covetous, adulterous, unclean, despising government, and speaking evil of the spiritual things that they do not understand:
"While they promise...liberty, they themselves are the servants (slaves bound) of corruption (destruction, perishing, eternal misery in hell)..it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Pet. 2:19-22 (excerpt)
Yes, these who were both catching others, and were caught themselves with lies, once knew the truth of Christ and His salvation. They who, as Adam, were called to be sons of God, but chose the lie, instead. We are also called to be sons of God, and Peter tells us to stir up our pure minds in remembrances of the truth brought by the prophets of the scriptures, and the present, living apostles in the Church. Peter warned that scoffers will come in these last days, mocking the return of Christ, willfully forgetting that the life of the world was previously destroyed by flood, for just this cause. They are fooled by the fact that the Lord is longsuffering for us, because He does not desire any to perish, but to repent. However, the day of the Lord will indeed come, and it will come suddenly, and with fire enough to melt the earth (2 Pet. 3:1-10). Peter concludes by telling us that with these things in mind, we need to be living in a manner of holiness and godliness, being diligent to be found of Him in peace, continuing to grow in the knowledge of Christ, and in His grace.
Salvation is not a walk that can be neglected nor taken for granted. It requires us to move always upward and inward in Christ. Jesus told us that those who abided in Him, and in His sayings, would never see death.
How is the original lie of Satan in the garden manifesting again today? In the same way that the serpent assured Eve that she and Adam, though apart from the Word of God, would not surely die, there is a new form of that false promise being developed and offered today. It is called trans-humanism*. It consists of physically implanting in man a technology that promises to identify and heal diseases, prevent aging, improve memory, lengthen life, perhaps even leading to eventual immortality. This chip, or form of A.I., would change the nature of man. Again life is being promised apart from God, apart from His Word. The Book of Revelation warns us not to be fooled by this tempting promise (Rev. 13:16, 14:9-11). The only true promise of life, even eternal life, comes through Christ:
"Verily, verily (surely, truly, of a truth), I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed (to pass over from one place to another, to remove, to change place) from death unto life." Jn. 5:24
Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior:Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart. I want to know You as my Lord, and as my Savior, who covers my sins, and cleanses my heart. Come into my heart, forgive me, and fill me with the Holy Spirit, who will lead me into all truth, and will teach me how to follow You. I believe that You are the Son of God, the Messiah, that You were crucified for me, and rose from the dead to give me everlasting life. I believe that You are coming again. Lord Jesus, in Your name I believe, pray, and receive all of these things. Amen.
*Transhumanism article
To Contact/Submit Prayer Request/Support the Ministry:
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
http://endtimeschool.com/
To hear Dr. Stevenson's complete message:
https://www.facebook.com/kenneth.e.stevenson/videos/10212191781251553/
The new book, "NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WRQeedvvH4
No comments:
Post a Comment