Entire Sanctification

Err From Thy Commandments (Psalm 119:21)

Ken

“Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:21 KJV). God rebukes the proud with a curse. Sinful pride is being more concerned about our glory than His. An evil misfortune wished upon someone is only incidental, unless it comes from the Almighty. “But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). Erring from God’s commandments is not an attempt to obey that falls short, but a lack of heart to do what God requires. We shift the blame from ourselves to God, if we say we are doing the best we can, but only a sinful nature or inopportune circumstances prevented us from fully obeying and complying with His commands. God is a “discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12) and knows if we really are sincere and trying to be obedient. On the other hand, it is easier for us to blame a sinful nature or poor circumstances. 

Theologians have given us the opportunity of laying the blame upon a sinful nature. In Adam’s fall, we sinned all. Popularly put, I can’t help it, I was born this way. Blaming a sinful nature for our sinning is like blaming God for why I am the way I am. It is true, we may be more prone to steal to survive, if we were born poor; but, possessing riches is no guarantee we will not become thieves. Consider this in support of not being born with a sinful nature: “For this is the love of God: that we keep His commandments. And His commandments do not weigh us down” (1John 5:3 NET). In short, God’s commandments are not impossible to obey. If we could plead His commands too weighty, then we are absolved from loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and our neighbor equal to ourself. God is no man’s fool. Perfect Love must be possible or else God’s Kingdom has no foundation. Father, may we rest in Your Spirit inspiring us to keep Your commandments. And, may we teach and act, as if the laws of Your Kingdom are a joy to be obeyed. Preserve us from misunderstanding Your precepts. May You receive the praise for our obedience, for it is You, who works in us “to will and to do” (Philippians 2:13). Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Longing for Thy Judgments (Psalm 119:20)

Ken

“My soul [Hebrew, nephesh, living being, whole person] breaketh for the longing that it hath unto Thy judgments at all times” (Psalm 119:20 KJV). Sounds like the modern phrase, This breaks my heart, which means such an intense desire or conflict, it would do damage to our whole person, if the LORD does not intervene, like an addiction to God and His Word. “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments” (119:10). OT Israel may not have had the NT covenanted Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but the LORD placed no limit with their contact with His Word. It achieved the same goal — oneness with God manifested in obedience to our LORD. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Father, may we under Your New Covenant receive all the blessings of Your Indwelling Holy Spirit to inspire us to obey You and be drawn ever more closely to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

Promises of God

Ken

“For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2Corinthians 1:20 KJV). Fine words, but what meaneth this? The Son of God, Jesus Christ (1:19) is the Him (1:20). What promises? The First Advent of Messiah (Isaiah 7:14) and His Second Advent (9:6). Yea, but there is more. “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2Peter 1:3-4). “All things that pertain unto life and godliness” (1:3) means anything and everything concerning our existence is included in God’s promises. C.H. Spurgeon compared God’s promises to checks drawn on the Bank of Heaven. “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). Charles G. Finney maintained the promises of God are God’s means to entirely sanctify us, that is, to make us more like Christ. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it” (1Thessalonians 5:23-24). Amen.

Not Sin Against Thee (Psalm 119:11)

Ken

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11 KJV). Perfect sentiment. Not just rule keeping — Thou shalt, Thou shalt not — but maintaining our sacred relationship with God. We often confuse rote memory of Scripture with hiding God’s Word in our heart because it helped us to encourage our children to memorize Scripture — which is still important. But, we always knew hiding God’s Word in our heart meant more. Our relationship to the person of God is our relationship with the Word of God. A physical Bible is not our relationship. An intellectual Bible is not the goal. A living relationship with the One Who Is the Word is our quest (John 1:1; Revelation 19:13). Only then can we achieve the Psalmist’s goal — “that I might not sin against Thee” (119:11). Sin prevention is only possible through absolute dependence upon God Himself. “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Father, You are worthy of our deepest love, for You care for us. You gave us Your Son. You know our relationship to You must be protected from the corrosiveness of sin. May we learn to cling to You harder than any abstract attempt of memorizing Scripture, hoping that will be enough to prevent sin. Break through the false assumptions of sin prevention by merely reading or memorizing Scripture. Cause us to have a living, vibrant relationship with You that prevents the presence of sin. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen. 

Preparing for His Appearing: Parable of the Ten Virgins

Ken

Ready to meet the Lord means more than having professed Him to be your Savior, but a continual practicing of the presence of God. “And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46 KJV). Christ gave a Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), where the wise ones had prepared enough oil for their lamps to be ready to meet the Bridegroom and enter in at the wedding, while the foolish ones failed to bring enough oil and could not attend the wedding. “The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you” (1John 2:27) is the “oil” of the Holy Spirit. The Wise Virgins were the True Believers because they had the presence of the Holy Spirit (oil in their lamps), while the Foolish Virgins were the False Professors without the Holy Spirit (no oil in their lamps). 

The difficulty goes back to the Church teaching the free gift of grace for salvation does not require an active but equal “faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6) from us. To be clear, salvation without Christ is impossible. “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). God has created us with the capacity to choose or reject Him; and, He has taken special measures to draw us to Himself. “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). Our response, sadly, has been to put the blame for our lack of success and perseverance upon Him, by labeling all His Love as Unconditional. 

In reality, Unconditional Love is given to all, even if it is rejected, as in, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Conditional Love, on the other hand, is only given to the obedient. “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21). Conditional Love occurs only with the obedience that accompanies faith. “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18). Failure to grow and persevere results from failure to teach the difference between Unconditional and Conditional Love. 

The Foolish Virgins were counting upon Unconditional Love alone to get them in to the wedding, not realizing Unconditional Love was only enough to get an invitation. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). The Wise Virgins understood Conditional Love requires Faithful Obedience, which secures a seat at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

Father, You are the All Wise God, who we love for sending us Your Son. Cause the confusion about Your love to vanish away as You enlighten about Conditional and Unconditional Love. May Your Church answer Your call to Come Up Hither at the Rapture because we kept oil in our lamps. Come quickly, in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Overcoming the World

Ken

Nikaō or overcoming is nearly exclusively used in the NT by John. Saints conquering the world is God’s expectation of us. Whenever we find difficulty with victory, we need the Holy Spirit to grant us a more perfect understanding of our victory. For example, sin is primarily an action, not simply a condition, since overcoming sin involves a better comprehension of what sin is. Remember, even Lucifer had to sin before he became a sinner. Sin is the act of transgressing God’s law or the “transgression of the law” (1John 3:4 KJV), which is more than a condition of “lawlessness” (3:4 NIV, NET). Beginning with that understanding, the Saints no longer need to let the enemy overcome them with accusations that they are inherently evil and unworthy to receive the crown of victory. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God” (1John 5:4-5 KJV). Jesus seven times addressed the Seven Churches of Revelation with the challenge and promise of overcoming (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Overcoming means more than getting to the finish line of a race, but defeating the enemy and coming away victorious. Overcoming gravity is not just a safe landing but ascending to the heights. Christians need to see the rainbow as not just surviving the Flood but going on to build the Kingdom of God. We overcome through confidence in Christ. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place” (2Corinthians 2:14). FATHER, we can conquer all things through Christ. Cause us to understand how to overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, that the adversary would not have mastery over us. Cause our understanding of Jesus to be the source of our ability to overcome. Magnify Your name through our victory. In Jesus’ name, we pray . Amen.

Make Jesus Our Focus

Ken

Jesus as our central focus must always be right, unless it is only being used as a clever slogan to accomplish what one really thinks is important. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39 KJV). Judge every action we take by how well it makes Jesus the center of our attention. “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” (Hebrews 12:2). Continually evaluate our circumstances by how well Jesus maintains the central focus. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

Bema Seat Judgment of Believers 

The “judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10) or Bema Seat Judgment is to determine how well we’ve maintained Jesus as our center focus. It takes place after the Church has been translated into His presence following the Rapture (1Thessalonians 4:17). Everything about Christ’s Church rests upon the foundation of Jesus. Everything only has significance in relation to Jesus. We carefully build upon the foundation of Christ (1Corinthians 3:11), with Christ as our cornerstone (Ephesians 3:20; 1Peter 2:6), and culminating with the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb ultimately being the Temple itself (Revelation 21:22). It is all about Jesus. 

Christ’s Judgment Seat 

“9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 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. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1Corinthians 3:9-15). 

LORD, make us True Laborers in Your Kingdom. Cause us to only build with gold of Christ honoring doctrine, silver of Christ unifying practice, and precious stones of Christ uplifted disciples. Cause the very thought of seeking to do only enough for man’s praise to cause us to seriously vomit. Guard our hearts. Make us more concerned about causing You offense than any man. Build Your Church focused upon Jesus. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.

Waiting for Christ’s Return

Ken

How often do you hear a sermon about waiting for the return of Christ? “And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1Thessalonians 1:10 KJV). Paul devoted two entire books of the NT to the theme of waiting for the return of Christ. “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (2Thessalonians 3:5). This demonstrates the practical nature of properly teaching Bible prophecy. The Thessalonians lived as if they were waiting for Christ’s return, which, if properly taught, always promotes godly living (1Thessalonians 4-5). Sanctification was not simply a theoretical doctrine, but Spirit empowered daily living. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:23). LORD, may we, like the Thessalonians, be waiting for the return of Christ, and may we be full of your Spirit, as we live our daily lives, until You return. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

Explanation: Name of Jesus

Ken

The name of Jesus is powerful because Jesus saves us from the sin separating us from God, whose holiness frees us from the sin separating us from Jesus. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 KJV). The adversary hates the name of Jesus both because he loses followers, and he can no longer be saved from his own sins. Jesus, meaning ‘Jehovah is salvation,’ seeks to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). OT Israel had a limited view of salvation for the gentile world, just as the NT church has a limited view of salvation as only delivering us from the penalty of sin, but not from the necessity of having to sin. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:23). The “name of Jesus”: (1) is essential to “receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38), (2) was used for a lame man to “rise up and walk” (3:6), (3) was proclaimed, taught, spoken, and “preached boldly” by early disciples (4:10, 18; 5:40; 8:12; 9:27), and (4) was used to command a demon out of a fortune teller, “in the name of” (16:18). Why such critical importance for the “name of Jesus”?  Because Jesus is the tip of the spear, the point of the arrow, the edge of the knife that defeats our true “adversary the devil” (1Peter 5:8), who tempts us to sin. But, of more importance, Jesus has promised to save us from ourselves. “He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Either sin separates us from God or God separates us from sin. LORD, You are the God of Salvation, who is able to save “to the uttermost” them that come to You through the name of Jesus (Hebrews 7:25). We do not want to waste our time with gods many and lords many, but only You. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). In Jesus name, we pray. Amen and amen.