Do You Recognize The Seven Ministries Of The Spirit In Your Life?
Revelation 3:1 KJV
“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Christ In The Book Of Hebrews: “…is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
(2) Looking 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Christ, based upon His faithfulness to do the will of His Father, is now exalted at His Father’s right hand.
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The Roller Coaster Ride Is Over !!!!!!
May we all thank the Lord for His great grace!
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “he that hath the seven Spirits of God” (1)
Revelation 3:1 KJV
“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”
In this text, our Lord is described as having “the seven Spirits of God”. The last time I looked in the Bible there was only one Holy Spirit. So what in the world could “the seven Spirits of God” be talking about?
We find the answer to our question in Isaiah 11:2…
“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”
Here, we find listed the seven-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s people. It is in that sense that there are seven Spirits of God working in our midst.
Everything that the Holy Spirit does for the people of God can be categorized in one, or a combination, of these seven:
- The Spirit Of The Lord
- The Spirit of wisdom
- The Spirit of understanding
- The Spirit of counsel
- The Spirit of might
- The Spirit of knowledge
- The Spirit of fear of the Lord
Here, we find listed the seven-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s people. It is in that sense that there are seven Spirits of God working in our midst.
Please note the four natural divisions of these workings of the Spirit… ““And the spirit of the LORD”, “the spirit of wisdom and understanding”, “ the spirit of counsel and might”,” the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”
In this, and the next three devotionals, I would like us to take a quick look at these four divisions of the seven Holy Spirit ministries to help encourage our hearts by reminding us of the many daily blessings we receive through the ministry of the Spirit.
For this morning I would like us to simply look at the first division which contains only one title of the Spirit… “The Spirit of the Lord”, or “the Spirit of the One who is our Master, Ruler, and King”.
It is the Holy Spirit that brings God’s people to recognize that Jesus is their Lord.
This title reminds us that the Holy Spirit is the One that brings upon the people of God a spirit of repentance and submission to the will and ways of God. It is the Holy Spirit that softens the sin-hardened heart and leads it into compliance with the will of God…
Psalms 143:10 KJV – “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”
Folks, before our salvation, how did we come to a knowledge of our sins and the need to turn from our sins to the Lord? It was through the ministry of “The Spirit of the Lord”.
How did we recognize Christ as the Lord of our life and the One to whom we are to serve? The Spirit of the Lord showed us these things.
After our salvation, as we read God’s word and become convicted over the sin that still dwells within us, how did this take place? It is through the ministry of the Spirit of the Lord”.
As we live our life and recognize the proper decision that we are to make, how do we come to these decisions? It is by the intervention of “the Spirit of the Lord” guiding us and leading us to do His will.
As we enter our day, let us all be thankful for the Spirit’s leadership in our lives, as He brings us into a greater submission to the will of God, the Lord of our life!
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Does Christ Light Your Way In This Sin Darkened World?
Revelation 2:28 KJV – And I will give him the morning star.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Christ In The Book Of Hebrews: “…despising the shame”
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
(2) Looking 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Although Christ hated to be put to unwarranted shame, it was His joy because it resulted in the salvation of His people.
Revelation 3:1-6 “Christ’s Letter To The Church At Sardis”
THE TEXT:
The Letter To Sardis…
Rev 3:1-6 KJV
(1) And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
(2) Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
(3) Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
(4) Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
(5) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
(6) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
THE INTRODUCTION:
From our previous lesson, we saw a very basic summary of the contents of these letters include:
| Church Location | Name Meaning | Areas of Faithfulness | Areas of Unfaithfulness | Possible Punishment | Reward To Overcomers (proof of genuine salvation) |
| Ephesus | Desired or Allowed | Many areas of faithful outward service. Hate doctrine of Nicolaitanes. | Left first love (Christ)Service not motivated by love for Christ. | Removal of candlestick (church no longer enjoying fellowship w God) | Eat of Tree of Life in Paradise |
| Smyrna | Myrrh | Spiritually rich | N/A | N/A | Not hurt by second death |
| Pergamos | Fortified Tower | Faithfulness in face of persecution | Allowing doctrine of Balaam and Nicolaitans(physical and spiritual fornication) | Will war against those who hold false teaching | Be given hidden manna and white stone with new name |
| Thyatira | Sacrifice, Offering, Corpse | Works of love, service, faith, patience | False Prophetess in midst. (sexual immorality and idol worship) | Sickness, tribulation and death upon her and her followers. | Be given power over the nations |
| Sardis | Depart, Escape, Exit | A few faithful areas of service remain. A few faithful members remain. | Testimony that they are spiritually alive but really dead. Their works not “perfect” before God. | Will come upon them as a thief (implied removing anything of value leaving spiritually destitute) | White garments. Name not blotted out of book, confess his name before the Father |
| Philadelphia | Love Of The Brethren | Kept Word not denied name of Christ. Persevered in trials | N/A | N/A | Permanent pillar in temple of God. Name of God and New Jerusalem upon them. New name given to them |
| Laodicea | Judgment Of The People | N/A | Lukewarm service. Blinded to their spiritual destitution. | Spew out of Lord’s mouth. Rebuking and chastening from Lord. | Sit with Christ in throne. |
Beginning in chapter 2 through chapter 3, John writes personalized messages to the 7 churches. Each message contains four basic parts:
- Description of Christ
- Commendation for faithfulness and consequences
- Exposing unfaithfulness and consequences
- Promise to Overcomers
The first of these personalized messages is written to the church at Sardis.
- Description of Christ (v 1)
- Commendation for faithfulness and consequences (v 2,4)
- Exposing unfaithfulness and consequences (v 2-4)
- Promise to Overcomers (v 5-6)
THE EXPOSITORY STUDY:
Revelation 3: –
(1) And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write;
Christ reveals to John His message that was addressed to the pastor (angel) of the church at Sardis. Sardis was the capital city of the Lydian empire. Sardis was known for the gold and silver coinage they printed. Both the gold and silver coinage was the most pure of all coinage found at that time. Because of this Sardis became a very wealthy and influential city.
Sardis was the home of one of the largest temples dedicated to Artemis (Diana). It was also the home of one of the largest Jewish synagogues found in a Gentile nation. Both of these religious structures help us to understand the great wealth and power of this city.
These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;
The symbolism of this description of Christ shows to us His role as the Revealer of divine truth. Notice the two parts to this description:
- He that hath seven Spirits of God – In 1:4, the seven Spirits, based upon Isa 11:2, symbolizes the fullness of the HS ministries, many of which involves revealing Christ and the truths of His Word to mankind. It is only through the intervention of the Holy Spirit in the life of an individual that Christ and His Word can be understood, accepted as truth, and applied to the life.
- He that hath seven stars – In 1:16, the seven stars, represented the pastors of each of the seven local churches which are given the solemn responsibility of declaring truths of Christ, found in His Word, to the local churches.
If we look at both of these together, keeping in mind they are held by Christ, we can see that Christ is the One who holds authority over, and uses, both the Holy Spirit and the Pastors of local assemblies to reveal His truths to mankind. This is an important feature of the work of Christ for the church at Sardis to understand.
I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Christ begins to list that which He knew about the assembly at Sardis:
- thy works – their acts of service
- thou hast a name that thou livest – their possessed a testimony that they were spiritually alive and actively serving their Lord. However, their real condition…
- thou art dead – the were spiritually dead. Although they were outwardly going through the motions of worship and service, inwardly they were spiritually separated from God due to their sins… in that sense, they were spiritually dead as an assembly although they had individual members who possessed spiritual life.
(2) Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: Although the church as a body was spiritually dead, their communion with the Lord hindered due to their sin, there were still some areas of faithfulness that remained among them. The Lord encourages the church to:
- be watchful – they are to “wake up” and recognize their condition and the need to be on guard against sin
- strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die. – they are to build up the remaining areas of faithfulness, because these were also ready to expire.
for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Why are they to do these things?
The Lord recognized their failings and their need to put things in order to renew a right relationship with the Him.
(3) Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.
The church was instructed to:
- Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, – they were to recall the teachings, warnings, and encouragements they had heard and brought to themselves.
- hold fast – They were to hold them tightly and not allow them to slip away
- repent. – to reconsider what they have done, turn from their old ways and begin anew to serve the Lord.
If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
If they did not heed the warnings of the Lord, He would come upon them as a thief. In other words, He would come upon them unexpectedly with the intent of harming not blessing them. He would come upon them and judge them for their laxness and unfaithfulness. This is not speaking of His second coming, but of His “coming” (intervening) in the affairs of the church dealing with their sins.
(4) Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments;
There yet remained in the church a few members who have remained faithful to the Lord and retained a pure testimony in the eyes of those around them. By saying that they “have not defiled their garments”, the Lord is explaining that they are living holy lives that are free from the pollution of sin. This results in them possessing a pure public testimony.
and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
The reward of their faithfulness and pure testimony in this world, would be possession of a white robes of righteousness in the world to come. In other words, their temporal faithfulness would follow them into their eternal existence. They would possess rewards in eternity for their faithfulness now.
1Co 3:12-15 KJV – “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
“for they are worthy” – in other words, it is only fitting and proper for those who are faithful now to be rewarded and shown to be faithful in the world to come. They are not deserving from personal merit, but they are deserving because of the Lord’s fairness, justice, and His work on the cross. This is what makes them “worthy” of their future rewards (2 Cor 3:5).
(5) He that overcometh,
The Lord now gives promises to those who will be victors over the powers of darkness that oppose their service to Christ.
the same shall be clothed in white raiment;and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
He gives them promises of three blessings awaiting them…
- the same shall be clothed in white raiment; – they will be clothed in the righteousness that is given to them through the work of Christ on the cross. Truly, we have no righteousness of our own, but can only be possessed through the grace of God as He applies the work of Christ to our account…
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1Co 1:30-31 KJV)
- and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, – Those who overcome proves they have been genuinely saved. Anyone who is genuinely saved will never lose their salvation, they are eternally secure in Christ. He constantly is interceding on behalf of His people guaranteeing their acceptance by the Father and their entrance into eternity in His presence. (Hebs 7:25, Roms 8:34, 1 John 2:1).
Please note He does not say He blots anyone’s name out of the book of life. He is only affirming here that He does not blot out the names of those who are victors over this world.
- but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. – He will guarantee our entrance into God’s presence eternally as He publicly professes we are one of His people, redeemed through His work, our sins covered by His shed blood (Jude 1:24-25).
(6) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Once again, Christ emphasizes He is only speaking to those who are saved by God’s grace, those who are given the ability to receive, understand and apply the truths of God to their lives.
CHRIST REVEALED:
In this text, we see Christ revealed as the Perfect Revealer of the Truths of God. It is under His authority that the Holy Spirit intervenes in the lives of men, opening their eyes to the truths of God. He also calls and authorizes the Pastors of His local assemblies to teach His Word helping those in the assembly to come to a better understanding of God’s Word.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION (SUMMARY)
Do we see the need to spend time in God’s Word, receiving it in our hearts, coming to a fuller understanding of it, and applying to our lives?
Do we see the need to examine the teachings we receive, making sure that they are Bible based? Do we then forsake those who teach error, while actively following and appreciating those who proclaim His Word bringing honor to Christ?
Folks, this is the great lesson of this text and one of the greatest needs of the Lord’s people in today’s time. May we all never forget the need to stand for the truth, and forsake error as we seek to live our lives for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to see Jesus in the pages of the book of Revelation.
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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “I will give him the morning star”
Revelation 2:28 KJV
” And I will give him the morning star.”
The lost world is currently buried in the darkness of sin. Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, sin has touched every aspect of our physical life on earth…
Psalms 82:5 KJV “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.”
Christ, in our text, describes Himself as “the morning star”. In other words, He is like the dawn sun that arises and gives light to the world. ..
Luke 1:78-79 KJV – “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
He is like the sun that arises in our hearts (at our salvation) and, someday, will arise in this world and chase away sin and the powers of darkness (at His second coming)…
2 Peter 1:19 KJV – “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:”
Folks, when we see the sun that arises in the morning may it remind us of the true Light of the World, our Lord Jesus. It is this same Jesus that enlightens our heart, leading and guiding us in the midst of this sinfully dark world…
2 Samuel 22:29 KJV – “For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.”
But also, when we see the morning sun, let it remind us of the closeness of His second coming. Folks, the day is at hand, may we all see the urgency of service to Him while we yet have opportunity..
Romans 13:12 KJV – “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
And may we be encouraged knowing that soon we will be home with Him for an eternity…
Revelation 22:1-5 KJV – “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
May we all keep the Word close to our hearts and minds this day and everyday.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Do We Hold Fast The Truths Of His Word Or Are They Slipping Through Our Fingers??
Revelation 2:25 KJV – But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Christ In The Book Of Hebrews: “Jesus, … who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross”
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
(2) Looking 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus suffered the crucifixion with joy, knowing through His work His people would be saved.
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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “that which ye have already hold fast till I come”
Revelation 2:25 KJV
(25) But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
What a blessing it is to come to a knowledge, understanding, and application of God’s Word to our lives! How sad it is when we allow those same truths to then slip out of our lives. The writer of Hebrews, possibly Paul, addresses this very issue…
Hebrews 2:1 KJV – “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”
Here, we have explained to us the importance of diligently pointing our mind (“give more earnest heed”) towards God’s Word which keeps the Word from moving or departing from us (“slip”). To put this in today’s terms, “We should be careful to keep our mind on the Word so that it will not slip away from us.”
Folks, how often do we open God’s Word to learn and remind ourselves of its contents? How often do we think of God’s Word during the course of our day? How often do we, on purpose, consider God’s Word in our decision making processes? How often do we share the Word with others as the Lord opens the opportunity? When we do these things, we are assured that the Word will not slip away from us.
May we all keep the Word close to our hearts and minds this day and everyday.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Are Our Works For Christ On The Increase Or Decrease?
Revelation 2:19 KJV
(19) I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Christ In The Book Of Hebrews: “ …Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith….”
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
(2) Looking 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus is the One who begins and brings to completion our faith… after all, saving faith is a gift that He gives to us (Ephesians 2:8) through the exercise of His mighty power…
Ephesians 1:19 KJV
(19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “…the last to be more than the first”
Revelation 2:19 KJV
(19) I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
One of the commendations the Lord gives to the Thyatira assembly is that their service their acts of service has grown over time. Their works, charity, service, faith, patience and the effort they have expended had all increased (“the last to be more than the first”).
What a wonderful thought… as an assembly or as individual Christians, to know that, since we made our commitment to serve our Lord, our service has grown in quality and amount. This should be one of the great goals of our lives… to shine more brightly for Him as we live our lives on earth…
Proverbs 4:18 KJV – But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
So how do we do this? How do we increase in our life of service to our Lord? The Apostle Peter has much to say on the subject…
1 Peter 2:1-3 KJV – Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
In this text Peter points to 3 fundamentals to spiritual growth…
- we must be saved by His grace…“If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
- we must turn from our known sin… “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,”
- we must feed on His Word…“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”
It is this same Word that is used by God to bring about the spiritual cleansing and growth of His local assemblies…
Ephesians 5:25-27 KJV – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
May we all see the need to live daily in the Word of God, realizing that it is through His Word that we will grow in grace and knowledge and increase in our service to Christ…
2 Peter 3:16-18 KJV – As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
Our Lord: The Perfect Judge Of All Men…
Rev 2:18 KJV
(18) And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Christ In The Book Of Hebrews: “Looking Unto Jesus….”
Hebrews 12:2 KJV – Looking 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Our eyes are to be looking to Jesus at all times, the good, the bad, the happy and the sad!
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http://www.settledinheaven.org
Good News, Not So Good News About Caleb
May we all continue in prayer for Caleb and the entire family.
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “His feet are like fine brass”
Rev 2:18 KJV
(18) And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
Christ is symbolically described as having feet “like unto fine brass”. This helps us to understand that the Lord rules (places enemies under His feet) and judges (brass) His enemies in a just, perfect way (fine brass).
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How thankful we should be that our Lord’s ruling hand of judgment is perfect. He NEVER judges His enemies too harshly, nor does He meet out a judgment that is based upon “favorites” or “emotions”. No, He judges His enemies justly, giving to them exactly what they deserve…
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Romans 2:5-12 KJV – “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”
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If you have never trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior, this should be your first priority in life. As you can see, apart from Christ and His work applied to your account, there is no escaping the punishment for the sin you have committed. If you are sorry for disobeying the Lord, by simply turning from those sins and turning to Christ as your Savior, being willing to follow Him as Lord of your life, you will be delivered from the awaiting judgment for your sins.
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For those who have experienced God’s saving grace, we need to take this to another level. Although He never judges too harshly, many times He withholds deserved judgment through His great mercy and love for His people. How can a just God do this? How can He pardon and withhold judgment from those who are guilt of sin? The key to understand this truth is found in the work of Christ…
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2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV – “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
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Christ, the One “who knew no sin”, “became sin for us” so “that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him”. In other words, Christ took upon Himself our sin and the punishment we deserved, so that we might receive God’s pardon for our sin and looked upon as innocent of sin.
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Folks, as we go through our day, if we have been saved by God’s grace, we can know that we stand before God as innocent, the blood of Christ has covered our sins. What a wonderful thought. No matter what our day may hold for us, we are loved by God and declared innocent through the work of Christ, nothing can change this! His love transcends anything we may face on earth (Rom 8:35-39). His forgiveness applies to all of our sins. They are forgotten, hidden, and forever washed away (Isa 38:17, Micah 7:19, 1 John 1:7).
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No matter what we may face in this life, let us remember how good He is to us!
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May the Lord bless us as we seek to serve Him, the One that is so clearly revealed to us in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For an in depth look at this section of the Revelation:
What Must Take Place Before Christ Returns?
32) Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh:
33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors.
34) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
(Matthew 24:32-35)
For an in depth study of the events that take place before the second coming of Christ:
Signs of the End of the World
The Lord, by His grace not only tells us He is coming again but He also gives us signs that will tell us His coming is getting closer. Lets take a look at Matthew 24: and see what are some of the indications that His coming and the end of this world as we know it.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Matt 24:1-51 (KJV)
THE STUDY:
In the above passages, we find the Lord giving us several “signs” or marks of His second coming and end of the age in which we are now living…
Matt 24…
1) And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to [him] for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2) And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Here, we find that the destruction of the Jerusalem temple would be the first sign, of many, that the Lord gives us to indicate when He is coming back. This temple destruction took place in 70 AD as the Roman general Titus came into Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. (Luke 19:41-44)
3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
The disciples linked the destruction fo the temple with Christ’s second coming and the end of the current age. Why did they do this? They recognized that all three of these events would take place during the same time period. It is the period that begins with Christ’s first coming and ends with Christ’s second coming. …
Hebs 1: 1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
The second sign of His coming is the appearance of many false Christs. The Bible talks about these men as “Antichrist”. In other words, they come to impersonate Christ, replace Christ or oppose Christ. In any case, they will be mislead many…
1John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
The third sign of His coming is war. Warfare and the threats of warfare indicate His coming is getting close.
7b) and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Here, we find three other marks of His coming…. Lack of food (famines), deadly diseases (pestilence) and earthquakes. All of these will take place in many varied, numerous places on earth.
8) All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.
These are just a beginning list of the sorrows we face before His second coming takes place. It is important to notice that “sorrows” is the Greek term for “birth pains”. Just as a woman that gives birth experiences an increase in intensity and frequency of her birth pains… so too, these marks will be gradually increasing in intensity and frequency as His coming draws nigh.
9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Martydom and hatred towards the true messengers of the Lord will increase.
11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
False messengers who claim to be sent from the Lord will come on the scene and mislead many people.
12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
The sinful condition of mankind will cause the natural love between men to become cold and perverted. Mothers being willing to kill their children through abortions, the increasing divorce rate and the rebellion of children against their parents and the homosexual lifestyle are just four of a multitude of examples of the natural love between mankind being replaced by selfishness and perversion.
13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
The true followers of Christ possess a faith that will preserver even in the most troublesome of times. They will remain faithful to their calling and their Lord. This is the indication of a genuine salvation experience.
14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
The worldwide proclamation of the gospel is another indication that the Lord’s coming is drawing close. In today’s age of internet and satellite TV the gospel is going into many nations that had been closed to the gospel message. Keep in mind it was only during His first coming that Christ gave the authority and obligation to take the gospel to the Gentiles to the local church (Acts 1:8). Also, the gospel to the Gentiles was first accredited after His ascension at the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:)
15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
The abomination of desolation is referring to the acts of the Roman government as they attempted to bring an end to Christianity. (Luke 21:20 makes it plain that the A of D involved armies overtaking Jerusalem) It was done through the crucifixion of Christ, the martyrdom of the followers of Christ, and the destruction of the temple (see also in Daniel 9:). Keep in mind the A of D written about in Daniel 11: referred to the slaying of a pig on the altar of God in the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes a general in the Greek army. This was a public display that the true worship of Jehovah (Jewish worship) had ended and had been replaced by Greek Gods. Likewise the crucifixion and martyrdom of God’s people was a public display of Christianity being put to death under the Roman dictatorship.
16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
The need to flee form Israel during the times of the great persecution resulted in Christianity being preserved, and spread throughout the world.
21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
The destruction that takes place in 70 AD, is the greatest day of tribulation that the physical Jews will ever face as a nation. It signaled the end of the Lord’s using them in a special way to present Histruth to the world. Spiritually their desolation began with the accreditation of gospel going to Gentiles at Cornelius house. The spiritual desolation became complete when Titus destroyed the temple in 70 AD. Likewise, their physical desolation began with the Greek Empires occupation but came to completion with Titus total devastation of the city.
This tribulation upon the Jews was a foreshadowing of the great troublesome times that the world faces prior to Christ’s second coming. As bad as things may get in this world, we need to remember that things could be worse, and they will be worse during the Tribulation of the last days.
23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. 24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25) Behold, I have told you before. 26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. 27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
As we look for His second coming remember, it will be in the clouds! He will not physically come to the earth during the rapture. He will gather up His children to be with Him much like eagles go skyward and group together over prey.
29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
“Those days” refers back to the age of the appearance of all the signs of His coming (vs 4-27, not just vs 15-21).
This is a description of the 2nd coming of Christ taking place immediately following the troublesome times we have been looking at. At the very instant of His coming great changes in the sky will take place and Christ Himself will appear in heaven. (Isa 12:9-11)
32) Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: 33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. 34) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36) But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
All these signs we have looked at give us an indication of the closeness of His coming but they do not give the exact time. Just like looking at a tree tells us what season it is, so too, these signs help to remind us His coming is close. We cannot know the exact time of His coming but we know it is coming based on the signs.
Note: in vs 34 – “all these things” refers to the signs of the leaves on the fig tree. This includes all the signs prior to His coming but it does not include the second coming itself. Every one of the signs of His coming (including Titus invasion) had appeared in the world by approx. 70-75 AD.
37) But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38) 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, 39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For the lost world, the second coming of Christ is not expected, nor prepared for. That is why He gave these signs to His people, so they would not be unawares. In Noah’s day, everyone was planning for tomorrow they were marrying and getting engaged, they were partying and not giving a thought to their lives coming to an end the next day.
40) Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41) Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
At the rapture, not everyone will be taken, only those who have trusted in Christ. The others will be left to face the Great Tribulation and the wrath of God.
43) But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44) Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45) Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46) Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47) Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48) But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49) And shall begin to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50) The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51) And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We are told all of this to help us be prepared for His coming. We are to be always looking and waiting, as each sign takes place it should remind us that His coming is soon and our opportunity to serve is short. This attitude will result in our receipt of rewards and blessings from the Lord.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
For those who have received the Lord’s gracious offer of salvation, let us serve Him with our whole heart realizing that He is coming soon to take us home. Our opportunities to serve Him are limited.
If you have never trusted in Christ as your Savior, do it today. As you can see from the list of signs of His coming… we see them all taking place in today’s time. His coming is drawing near… we need to accept this message by faith and turn to the Lord to receive forgiveness and spiritual life.
If you have any questions about salvation, I have a tab available on my blog that gives in depth information on what salvation is and what you must do to be saved. Please click on this link for more information about salvation.
If you continue to have questions or concerns about your salvation, find a Bible-believing church in your area. The Pastor would be glad to share Christ and the way of salvation with you. If you feel more comfortable communicating through email, you are always welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com.
May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.
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