What is meant, 'until the fullness of the Gentiles'?

In this THINK ABOUT THIS… let’s talk about what the apostle Paul meant, “until the fullness of the Gentiles.” – Romans 11:25. What did he mean?

To help us better understand, let’s begin in verse 1.

“I say then, has God cast away His people? …” Speaking of the Israelites. “2) … do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he [made intercession] with God against Israel, saying, 3) ‘LORD [this being a prayer that the prophet Elijah gave to the LORD God], ‘they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.’”

Truly, let me tell you──since about the year 2011──several times I have felt just like that. But, ‘the LORD God has not cast away His people who He foreknew.’ In other words, ‘Do you not know what God’s living word says concerning Elijah?’ He said that he only remained. And, like I said, there have been times in my life that I feel that exact way. I’ve discussed this with my sister as well as Minister LaMar before. I also typed up an article entitled, ‘You’re Not Welcome Here’ in which I relate how a sycophant leader of a church was going to bring me in front of their ‘synagogue, rulers, and authorities.’

Verse 4 – “But what does the divine response [of the LORD God] say to [the prophet Elijah]?” The LORD God said: ‘I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’

So, certainly, at that time they didn’t have the Holy Spirit, they weren’t promised eternal salvation, but they HAD NOT bowed their knee in front of a false god or a false goddess. The children of Israel that came out of Egypt, were 600,000 who journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. And, on average about 600,000 women – Exodus 12:37-38.

That’s about one million, two hundred thousand!

In the time of the prophet Elijah, there must have been five, six, or even seven million. So, seven thousand men out of about one million, two hundred thousand people is a small amount.

Throughout the generations from that time, we have had a great deal more than seven thousand that HAVE NOT bowed their knee in front of a false god or a false goddess – or even a different Jesus.

But there is a remnant, as the apostle Paul continues, “Even so then, at [the] present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”

What the apostle Paul is saying is that there is a small proportion of Israel that has been converted. And, remember, at the time that he wrote this, the TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL ── not one of them had any promise of salvation. We often call them the “lost ten tribes.” Interestingly enough, the Jews of his day referred to the lost sheep of the house of Israel as ‘the dispersed.’ They had gone into places like Western Europe and Britain. Those that were there in Judea, and in Rome – the world in that area at that time – were those that were known as Jews. In other words from the tribe of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi.

Keep in mind, that the LORD God did not offer ancient Israel the glorious Holy Spirit or eternal salvation. But now, the apostle Paul is speaking about, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has come and eternal salvation has been offered. 

Let’s go on and continue this ── to me, this is very exciting! Learning and growing in spiritual knowledge and understanding!

Verse 6 – “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; [or rather, ‘of rituals’] otherwise … otherwise work is no more work. 7) WHAT THEN? …”

Meaning, what does that refer to, or what does that mean?

“ … Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but THE ELECT have obtained it, …”

Now, the true elect of God are those that DO HAVE GRACE, regardless of whether they are Jew or Gentile.

“ … THE ELECT have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.”

So, the overall majority of the modern nations of Israel were blinded, and the overall majority of the Gentiles have been cut off from the LORD God ──and they do not know that they have been blinded. Truly, they don’t know anything concerning the LORD God, and they can’t know. Take as an example: China. Think of the ancient Xia Dynasty. They certainly didn’t know anything about the LORD God. And, the oldest religion one can find ──Hinduism. They believe in one single all-powerful god but this single god often referred to as Brahman is accompanied by a whole host of other gods who all focus on one aspect of the human experience. There are 33 core gods within Hinduism with other lesser gods that play their part as well.

So, “the rest were blinded.”

Verse 8 – “Just as it is written: ‘God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, TO THIS VERY DAY.’”

So, the LORD God has given them this stupor ── this blindness. It’s not their fault. The LORD God is the responsible party, and therefore the LORD God must do something about it.

The ‘Great White Throne’ Judgment

Back in 2020, I had asked in an article, ‘Do you understand Ezekiel 37?’ This great and awesome prophecy has not been fulfilled by the Jews which has gone back to the nation called Israel in the Middle East.

Truly, this awesome prophecy in Ezekiel 37 is what the LORD God is going to do as far as Israel is concerned. The LORD God is going to bring them back in the ‘Great White Throne’ resurrection! At that time all Israel is going to be offered and given a chance for eternal salvation.

But, continuing ── ‘God has given them a spirit of stupor, …’ And, he’s talking about Israel – or rather the modern nations of Israel.

Verse 9 – “And David says: …” So, he goes all the way back to what King David said concerning Israel in his generation. “ … ‘Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10) Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.’”

So, understand, that was what King David had said. But, the apostle Paul continues.

Verse 11 – “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? CERTAINLY NOT! …’”

And, we’re going to see that the LORD God is going to save them yet ── but it hasn’t happened yet.

“ … But through their fall, to provoke them [the Israelites] to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12) Now if their fall [speaking of the original Israelites] [be the] riches for the world, …”

And, of course, they didn’t come to the Gentiles until after our Lord Jesus ── it wasn’t during Old Testament times.

“ … Now if their fall be the riches for the world, and their failure [be the] riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!”

So, he’s saying that salvation is yet going to come to them.

Verse 13 – “For I speak to you Gentiles; …”

The apostle Paul is addressing the Gentile Christians there in Rome.

“ … inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14) if by any means [that] I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and save some of them. 15) For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be …?”

They are going to be received back! The LORD God cast them away, as is spoken of in the Old Testament, i.e. Hosea 1:10 – “’ You are not My people.’” So, the LORD God has not accepted them back ──yet.

“ … what will their acceptance be but LIFE FROM THE DEAD?”

And it certainly will be ‘life from the dead’ because this will happen in the ‘Great White Throne’ Judgment.

Verse 16 – “For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.”

The apostle Paul is speaking about a tree and the root of a tree. Along with the branches of a tree.

Beginning in verse 17, he actually begins talking about an olive tree.

Verse 17 – “And if some of the branches were broken off [speaking of Israel], and you, being a wild olive tree [a carnal olive tree], …”

‘Some of the branches being broken off.’ That’s through their unbelief. And, ‘and you, being a wild olive tree.’ He’s talking to the Gentiles, they are the branches on a wild olive tree.

“ … and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree.”

So, the branches of the wild olive tree are cut off from the wild olive tree ── which means their Gentile ancestry. And are grafted, contrary to nature, onto the good olive tree to be converted and to become a true Christian.

Verse 18 – “do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you [the LORD God is truly the root and our Lord Jesus Christ is the trunk of the tree, and we are the branches].”

Verse 19 – “You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.’” And, this is what a Gentile might say.

Verse 20 – “Well said. Because of unbelief, they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.”

In other words – don’t get too self-righteous about it because you have been grafted in ── because the gift of the offer of salvation has come to you. ‘Do not be haughty, but fear.’

Verse 21 – “For if God did not spare the NATURAL BRANCHES, He may not spare you either. 22) Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on [them] who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”

Again ── and we certainly can’t reiterate this enough ── within the Old Testament, the LORD God did not offer the children of Israel the Holy Spirit or the gift of eternal salvation. Yet, there was the government of God. There was the Law of God. He gave them God’s Way of life ── even though they would not live accordingly. They had the letter of the Law. And, without the glorious Holy Spirit, they couldn’t keep God’s Law spiritually. However, they wouldn’t even keep it literally, to the letter of the Law.

Verse 23 – “And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, WILL BE grafted in, …”

Yes! Praise always our mighty merciful CREATOR GOD! They have been cut off, but they too are going to be grafted right back onto that tree again!

“ … ‘for God is able to graft them in again.”

Verse 24 – “For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature [speaking of Gentiles from a wild olive tree], and were grafted contrary to nature into a [good] olive tree [which is Israel], how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”

Now, we come to the question ── ‘until the fullness of the Gentiles’?

How do Gentiles get in? Truly, if you REPENT, and are properly baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus, and had hands laid upon you, receiving the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit ── are converted ── you are a converted Israelite. ALL the promises pertain to the children of Israel. You’ve got to become an Israelite (cf. Galatians 3:7, 14-16). The glorious promises and the New Covenant ── if you’re going to accept the New Covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is with “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” – Galatians 3:29. You are no longer a Gentile.

Verse 25 – “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, THAT BLINDNESS IN PART HAS HAPPENED TO ISRAEL …”

Meaning, the overall majority of the modern nations of Israel. All but a few have been blinded.

“… until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

Or rather, “but this will last only until all of you Gentiles have come to Christ.” ── as the Living Bible translates it. Or the number of Gentiles to be converted becomes complete.

Verse 26 – “And so all Israel will be [so, ALL ISRAEL will be] saved, …”

Now, this expression, “ALL ISRAEL” is used in a great many places throughout God’s living word. And it doesn’t mean every single person in the house of Israel, but it does mean the house of Israel as a whole. They, as a whole, are going to be saved.

The Deliverer Is Coming!

So, he’s speaking about the whole of Israel being saved when… “as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion [the city of God in the new age], And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; …’”

Truly speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ’s second coming! He will reign for the first thousand years on the Earth, and all of those still living at that time will be called. I just spoke of this in a new A Morning Bible Study ── What Will God’s Kingdom Be Like?

So, what about the Old Testament children of Israel?

They are going to remain in their graves. After the first thousand years, He will call them out of their graves and they will be resurrected ── and then in that ‘Great White Throne’ Judgment they will be offered eternal salvation.

Verse 27 – “’ For this is My covenant [an agreement] with them. When I take away their sins.’”

Verse 28 – “Concerning the gospel they are …”

He’s speaking about his own generation at that time.

“ … concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, …” – because the majority of the Jews rejected our Lord Jesus Christ. “ … but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30) For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience [their unbelief], 31) even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32) For God has committed them all to disobedience [or rather, unbelief], that He might have mercy on all.”

And then he praises God’s riches, the wisdom, and the knowledge of God! How wonderful are His judgments and Way!

Verse 34 – “’ For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?’

Verse 35 – “’ Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?’”

Verse 36 – “For of Him, and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

Truly, one of the most wonderful chapters of God’s living word is the eleventh chapter of Romans. That our Lord and Savior is coming! And, He won’t come until, ‘the fullness of the Gentiles’! □

Just What Is "Conversion"?

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COJCOM · Just What Is Conversion? - Audio Article

by Leonard V. Johnson

Conversion simply means a “change.” It means to turn from our sinful life. It means to turn to the LORD God’s Way. It means to completely “come out” from among this world’s ways, and to yield in unconditional surrender and obedience to the Creator of all things!

Conversion is not possible through human effort alone. It can only be done through the glorious power of the LORD God (the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ).

There are a couple of factors involved BEFORE a person can be converted – can be changed.

1) The person MUST be divinely called by God the Father – cf. John 6:44.

2) The person MUST answer that call.

Now, there are the world over people who have “checked out” of the world – such as monks, and hermits. Some are pessimistic and believe that the sky is falling, like Chicken Little. Some have gotten off the grid and have turned against society – having realized what this world truly is. But yet, they are not converted. Why? Because God the Father has not called them out of this world.

Then some have outright rejected the calling of God the Father. Or, like the person Minister Michael C. Garrett speaks of in the audio booklet “The MARK of the BEAST,” completely turn their back on the LORD God after being called. I, myself, continue to pray for D.D.’s safe return to the fold of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But why are there people that reject His calling, or fall away from the faith?

Because bright lights, associations, friends, and the lusts of this world continue to mean a great deal to them. Therefore, to be truly converted, a person MUST have received a divine calling from Father God – an invitation to obey the LORD God on Their terms. And, the person must CHANGE concerning their past conduct. And this change MUST be towards the LORD God’s Way. It also means just what Minister Guy LaMar wrote about in his latest Think About This… you must be reconciled to the LORD God. Repent. And to repent is to turn away from the ways of this world and begin OBEYING the LAW OF GOD, ACCEPT OUR LORD JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR, and EMBRACE THE GLORIOUS NEW COVENANT!

The LAW that brings one true happiness, joy, peace of mind, and ultimately eternal life! Conversion is a living and dynamic change that the person has to experience.

And true conversion produces definite signs of the fruits of the Spirit of God.

These fruits of God’s Spirit are distinguishable from the fruits of human nature. These fruits are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These fruits should be obvious not only to the individual, but also to their neighbors, friends, and family – including our brethren. These fruits of God’s Spirit should shine brightly before us, as our Lord Jesus Christ says, “’ You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’” – Matthew 5:14, 16.

Seven Signs of True Conversion

Each of these seven is an integral part of true conversion. A lack of any of these denotes an elementary stage in the teachings of and by Jesus Christ.

Reverent Fear of the LORD God

1) A reverent fear of the LORD God “is the beginning of knowledge” – Proverbs 1:7.

Most important, we should reverently fear the LORD God. And to fear the LORD God means that we are to RESPECT THEM. It means to rightly attribute all power and glory to THEM. For there is only One that rightly deserves to be called reverend – and that’s the LORD God! – Psalm 111:9, KJV. And we rightly love the LORD God by keeping the LAW OF GOD – 1 John 5:2-3.

The LORD God is not tyrannical. Every Law, statute, ordinance, command, and judgment the LORD God issues is for mankind’s good and well-being. The LORD God is not “willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” – Psalm 111:10.

If a person will only believe that the LORD God is (Hebrews 11:6), and will only acknowledge the LORD God is the SUPREME POWER and that there is no other (Isaiah 45:5-6).

King Solomon rightly summarized the duty of mankind upon this earth – “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: FEAR GOD, and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: for this is the whole duty of man.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13, KJV.

Repent and believe in the gospel

2) As our Lord Jesus Christ instructs all people, “’ The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in [and obey, I add editorially] the gospel.’” – Mark 1:15.

Quite possibly misunderstood like no other step towards eternal salvation is the true meaning of repentance. The very word “repentance” has been blasphemously tossed about throughout the world like a small fishing bobber in an endless ocean. On your television every Sunday morning you can find vast audiences that have supposedly repented and now believe the gospel. There’s a short video that Minister Guy LaMar shared on his Facebook page that shows a “church” group that is moving, bouncing, and gyrating about like mental patients in a psychiatric ward! Surely, old-time religion Pentecostal. I imagine they believe they have repented and now believe in the gospel! Or, some are like a person that my dear Sister spoke of a few days ago – a Judeo-Christian who confesses all her sins on her Facebook page! World-renowned and uber-wealthy Evangelists utilize every form of rhetoric at their disposal to “move” vast audiences toward the collection plate and convince them that they have repented. Yet, these same Evangelists are ignorant of the true meaning of repentance and just what it involves.

The LORD God’s living word is clear – “Then Peter said to them, ‘REPENT, and let every one of you BE BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:38.

So, we must repent. But repent of what?

Sin.

Proper repentance is a prerequisite for proper baptism.

Now, some baptize their infant child. Has that child – between the 8th day to the 40th day of the child’s birth – sinned!? No – of course not. So, according to the living word of the Eternal One, we are required to repent of our sins BEFORE we can be baptized.

The LORD God’s definition of sin – “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” – 1 John 3:4.

So, we are to repent of breaking the LAW OF GOD – summed up in the TEN COMMANDMENTS. Notice:

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; 9) but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10) For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point [such as the keeping of the Day of the Sun instead of the holy Sabbath], he is GUILTY OF ALL.” – James 2:8-10.

The righteous TEN COMMANDMENTS define the spiritual principles by which we conduct ourselves in relationship to the LORD God and all mankind.

So, since we must repent of breaking God’s Law, we very much need to know and understand thoroughly just what is proper repentance.

The Apostle Peter – under divine inspiration – explains – “’ Therefore let all the HOUSE OF ISRAEL know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord [Master] and Christ [Savior].’” – Acts 2:36.

The Apostle Peter told the people of Judea and all those who were dwelling there in Jerusalem - some of whom had a direct hand in murdering our Lord Jesus Christ – of an important prophecy spoken by the prophet Joel, and of the many miracles of our Lord Jesus─ “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.” “Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death.” And when the people heard this great testimony “they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

They were moved in their hearts. In other words, moved with remorse, deep sorrow, and filled with regret. Yes, they repented of breaking the LAW OF GOD!

Why?

Because our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, was murdered, and died to pay the penalty for our sins – and the sins of the whole world. He took the death penalty that we have incurred and died in our stead.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23.

“’ Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.’” – Ezekiel 18:4, 20.

This is why we need to properly repent. We need to regret all our transgressions deeply and sincerely against the LORD God, which brought upon us the death penalty and caused our Lord Jesus to be crucified on a cross.

So, to properly repent means to not only be sorrowful but also DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! ─ stop breaking the commandments of the LORD God!

There’s a scene in the movie Liar Liar where the main character (who is a lawyer who cannot tell a lie) receives a phone call from his secretary telling him that a client needs some advice, “He knocked over another ATM. This time at knifepoint. He needs your legal advice.” And his response is spot on: “Stop breaking the law!”

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” – 2 Corinthians 7:10.

As the Prophet Isaiah says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.” – a reminder that there is coming a famine of hearing the word of God (Amos 8:11-12). “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” – Isaiah 55:6-7.

Also, proper repentance is a life-long process. We will transgress the LORD God’s Law physically and spiritually from time to time (1 John 1:8-9). It is these we must continue to repent of to God the Father and our Lord Jesus!

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

3) One of the last things that the Apostle Peter wrote – under divine inspiration – speaking to us brethren, “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18) but GROW IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.” – 2 Peter 3:17-18.

As I’ve been saying for many years now – sadly, some say, “I don’t want to learn any more than I did in 1972! – don’t confuse me!” Or, whatever year they use. Stagnation in the living Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God leads to death. After proper repentance, proper baptism, and the laying on of hands, and upon receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, we must continue the IMPORTANT process of spiritual growth by having our Lord Jesus Christ live within us! – “ … ‘I AM the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in [as well as “on”] Me shall never thirst’” – John 6:35. We can only continue to grow spiritually if we continue drinking in our daily supply of God’s living water – His Spirit. This is one of the great meanings behind the keeping of the Days of Unleavened Bread!

During the physical life of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as the early apostles – and according to Josephus, «Οι Εβραίοι είχαν για πολύ καιρό τρεις αιρέσεις φιλοσοφίας που ήταν ιδιόμορφες για τους εαυτούς τους. η αίρεση των Εσσαίων και η αίρεση των Σαδδουκαίων, και το τρίτο είδος απόψεων ήταν εκείνων που ονομάζονταν Φαρισαίοι. …” 1

In English - “The Jews had for a great while had three sects of philosophy peculiar to themselves; the sect of the Essenes, and the sect of the Sadducees, and the third sort of opinions was that of those called Pharisees; …”

And of course, then there was the pagans. The Apostle Paul teaches – through the inspiration of God’s Spirit – extensively of the physical limitations of the Old Covenant – of Judaism. There was no promise of salvation within the Old Covenant. After accepting our Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior and believing the true gospel – still, many of the churches continued to have issues with Judaism and paganism. As many of the churches of God do today.

The LORD our God tells us that this whole world is in religious confusion! It is deceived and blinded by Satan the Devil, the present and very present world ruler – 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2.

“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ 10) But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. … 11) For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit [that] is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9, 10, 11-12.

The true spiritual revelations from our Lord Jesus Christ through His Spirit cannot be comprehended by the natural mind. The truth of the LORD God is only understood through God’s Holy Spirit.

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, nor indeed can be.” – Romans 8:7.

The LORD God’s Spirit cannot work with a closed-minded person.

The saints of the LORD God must be open-minded! They are willing to listen to the LORD God’s true ministers and to examine without prejudice. We must also be willing to see and hear the Word of God, the Truth of God, and the ultimate Plan of God from the LORD God’s true servants without any barrier of personal ideas philosophies, or traditions. Sadly, there are a great many people in the world that has studied the Holy Bible on their own, the majority of what they have learned is based upon their own ideas of what they think God’s word says. They have not proven the living word of God as we are instructed – “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV. A person CANNOT be properly converted with this type of mind. We surely must be like the Bereans –

“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11) These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” – Acts 17:10-11.

Stay Steadfast In the Faith

4) Our LORD God tells us to “Be sober, be vigilant; because [our] adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9) Resist him, STEADFAST IN THE FAITH, knowing that the same sufferings [and temptations and tribulations] are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” – 1 Peter 5:8-9.

In a Personal From… last September, I stated that MOST people who profess Jesus Christ will not recognize Him when He returns! How many of you will believe that the tiny light in the night sky (when it finally appears – cf. Matthew 24:30) that gets larger and brighter as time goes by will actually be our Lord Jesus Christ returning to the Earth!? Or, will you think it’s an invading alien force!? – cf. Revelation 17:14. How many of you, brethren, will be spiritually ready!? – cf. Matthew 24:31.

Will you be steadfast in the faith?

A properly converted mind is a steadfast mind. A mind that is 100% sure that the LORD God exists! (again, Hebrews 11:6). A mind that knows beyond any doubt that the Holy Bible is indeed the inspired word of the LORD God – and is a type of “instruction manual” for all mankind. A mind that knows and understands that our Lord Jesus Christ has a Church – a “little flock” (Luke 12:32), and that the “gates of Hades [the grave] shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18), and that our Lord Jesus Christ is working through his true ministers and servants.

We must “prove all things” according to the living word of God. Not what we think is right – Proverbs 3:5.

As we get closer to the end of this age, a great many more will either switch churches, or faiths or even downright become a “none” – a growing religiously unaffiliated person. According to a Pew Research Center report, “Today, about 28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion.” 2 Then there are those who constantly change doctrines. We are not to continue being “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine [or, conspiracy theory], by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.” – Ephesians 4:14. The Apostle James tells us that “he who doubts [as in faith] is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:6.

Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us, “’ No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” – Luke 9:62. The person who desires and lusts to go back to their old lifestyle is not fit for the kingdom of God! The Apostle Peter states it this way –

“For if, AFTER they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them AND OVERCOME, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21) For it would have been better for them not to have known the Way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them.” – 2 Peter 2:20-21. He says that one that does such a thing is according to the true proverb, ‘As a dog returns to his own vomit.’

King Solomon had this to say, “And look! The tears of the oppressed, But they have no Comforter [spiritually, he was speaking in anticipation of the coming Messiah – our Lord Jesus Christ!] ─ On the side of their oppressors there is power, But they have no Comforter. 2) Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, More than the living who are still alive. 3) Yet, better than both is he who HAS NEVER EXISTED, Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 4:1-3.

Our Lord Jesus says this about a person who betrays Him – “ …’ but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.’” – Matthew 26:24.

There came a time when many of our Lord Jesus’ disciples “went back and walked with Him no more.” And He asked the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ – John 6:66-67.

The Apostle Peter spoke up and stated, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

THERE IS NOWHERE ELSE YOU CAN GO TODAY TO RECEIVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE EXCEPT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!

Are You Able To Be Taught?

5) A willingness to be taught.

King Solomon wrote, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding” – Proverbs 3:13.

Properly understanding God’s living word is indeed a joy and a blessing! And, if it is applied in our life, our lives truly become happy and meaningful.

Listen to this startling truth – and I have now mentioned it several times – you remember Abraham’s plea!? “Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place.” And the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” And then Abraham said, “Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous?” And then, forty, and thirty, and then twenty, and finally ten. And the LORD said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten righteous people.” And we know the result. Abraham’s nephew Lot couldn’t even convince his own family to leave. It was only his wife and his two daughters who were still living at home which left Sodom. Those five cities on the plain of Jordan were allowed to be destroyed because there weren’t even ten righteous people in that city. And, brethren, let us not sell ourselves short – but we should wonder – is it that Almighty God is holding back the utter destruction of the United States of America, the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth of Nations, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand respectively – because there are maybe ten in one-million righteous people within these nations!? It should make us wonder. Is that number depleting as time goes by!? In prayer to Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ – a thought crossed my mind – just before the blowing of the SEVENTH TRUMP very few saints of God will be left. There will come a time when the LORD our God cannot find ten righteous people!

If you are (and I hope and pray that you are) thoroughly and properly converted, you are ONE IN A MILLION! Because only properly converted brethren actually possess true wisdom and spiritual understanding. Yet, how many of us gained this wisdom and spiritual understanding on our own – without Jesus Christ and His true ministers!? Not one.

Again, we must be willing to be taught.

A man of Ethiopia (Upper Egypt), a eunuch, understood this –

“So he [Evangelist Philip] arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28) was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29) Then the Spirit said [the very mind of the Lord Jesus Christ] to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot.’”

30) So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ 31) And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.” – Acts 8:27-31.

Our Lord Jesus Christ utilizes human agents to do His work. Notice Romans chapter 10 –

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe [on] Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? …” – Romans 10:14, 15.

The overwhelming majority of human beings, having not been properly converted, do not want to accept the living truth of the LORD God. They do not want to be taught. The majority of people go to a church service every Sunday to be entertained! Like the line uttered by Maximus (a fictional character inspired by Marcus Nonius Macrinus) in the movie Gladiator in response to the cheers of the Roman crowd as he fought in the Colosseum, “Are you not entertained?” They want to be entertained – but not taught. The LORD God says that His people “are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Because they have rejected (and continue to) reject knowledge. As a whole the LORD God is not teaching the children of Israel (which includes Judah) today! But someday – as the Apostle Paul says, “all Israel will be saved.”

Also, and Minister Michael C. Garrett points this out extensively – many of us, brethren, tend to look at personalities only. We tend to have favorites – even among so-called leaders of the splintered Church of God. The Apostle Paul pleads with us, brethren, as he did the Church in Corinth –

“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, …” – yet, sadly, the splintered churches (all seemingly vying to be the Philadelphia Church) do not all speak the same thing. “ … and that there be no divisions among you, …” – again, there is great division among the Church of God, meaning those church groups that came from the Worldwide Church of God. “ … but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. … 12) Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ 13) IS CHRIST DIVIDED? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” – 1 Corinthians 1:10-13.

Minister Michael C. Garrett –

“Now, the Worldwide Church of God, at one time, said it was UNIFIED. And you went into a congregation of the Worldwide Church of God and they spent hours telling themselves how much they loved each other. And they used to exclaim, “O’ we are the church of Philadelphia, the church of godly love!” And they spent a lot of time just telling… bloviating about how filled with love they were. Now, there are other denominations in this world that do the same thing. There are some Baptist congregations that talk about love, love, love, “♪ ♫…all you gotta have is love…♪ ♫” Well, they say it so often, I think it’s like saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Now, many of us have said the Pledge of Allegiance. And I’ve had to realize at times, well, I’ve stood there in front of the flag and placed my hand over my heart and said the Pledge of Allegiance and said it in a remote way – like a robot – that I didn’t even understand the words which I was saying. Even though the Worldwide Church of God said that it was a church of ‘brotherly love,’ within a few years that organization split, fractured, schismed, into hundreds of pieces. And now the very people who one time said to the people on their right, “O’ I love you, friend! I love you, brother! I love you, sister!” Now are mortal enemies! And all I can say is, something about that just doesn’t smell right. How can you at one time say you love somebody and down the road then you treat them with contempt and disrespect!?”

(Garrett, M.C. Notes Regarding - The Day of Atonement – Prophetically the Day of the Lord, 2019, pg. 8).

Our Lord Jesus Christ is not divided! And, His true ministers are not divided!

Are You Willing To Be Corrected If Wrong?

6) Why is the living word of God argued over more than any other book? Because human nature doesn’t like to be corrected. All the learning in the world comes to naught if you are unwilling to be corrected when you are wrong. Developing and growing in God’s character requires a person to be willing to be corrected.

“For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” – Proverbs 3:12.

This correction comes through God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!

Sadly, the people of this world tend to not want correction –

The LORD God cries out unto the descendants of the House of Israel (the United States of America, the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth Nations, Australia, and New Zealand respectively in this dual prophecy –

For the Prophet Jeremiah saw the condition that the nation of JUDAH was in and how he knew what the LORD God thought about what was occurring in that land and to His people. It was in a state of disrepair. As is the descendants of the House of Israel and the House of Judah TODAY –

“’ For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.’” – Jeremiah 4:22.

“O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, But they have NOT grieved; You have consumed them, But they have REFUSED TO RECEIVE CORRECTION. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to return.” – Jeremiah 5:3.

Because as a nation we refuse correction, the LORD God must bring national punishment!

Sadly today in this generation JUDAH (modern-day Israel) continues to refuse correction! Let us notice something that the Prophet Isaiah was inspired by the LORD God to warn concerning the grave damage which is soon to come to JERUSALEM in this dual prophecy – sadly, the City of David that has an annual gay pride parade!

“Therefore I said [the Prophet Isaiah saying when he sees this terrible destruction in vision], ‘Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.’ 5) For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity …”

Now, surely you’ve read the expression that our Lord Jesus Christ speaks about – ‘for then there will be great tribulation.’ Well, the word trouble means tribulation. And here, the Prophet Isaiah is speaking in this two-fold prophecy of this same ‘great tribulation.’ Talking about the DAY OF THE LORD!

Verse 8 – “He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest.”

Just like it was in 587 BC when the southern kingdom of Judah fell into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Judah (modern-day Israel) will look to their own strength to defend themselves, while others of them will drown their sorrows as to their country in feasting, but none will look to the LORD God!

Verse 9 – “You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. … 11) … But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.”

There will be great damage to Jerusalem and Palestine.

Brethren, and my fellow human beings – let us be corrected by the LORD God the easier Way before it is too late! Let us have King David’s attitude –

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24) And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24.

The Prophet Jeremiah cried unto the LORD God – “O LORD, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.” – Jeremiah 10:24.

Correction is always for our good. But remember that correction comes from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! Without the ability to be corrected when wrong – and act upon it – a person is not converted.

Do You Listen To & Respect the Servants of Jesus Christ?

7) “ … ‘on this rock …’” – As “Peter” and “Rock” are one word in the dialect familiarly spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ ──the Aramaic, which was the mother tongue of that country in that period. This beautiful new name given to Peter, Képhas (Cephas) emphasizes the Apostle Peter’s role in the early New Testament Church of God, much like a solid rock upon which to build. “ … ‘I will build My church, …’” ─ not on the man Simon BarJonah (which means son of Jonah). “MY CHURCH,” says our Lord Jesus, calling the Church of God His own! So, a Church, not churches. And, our Lord Jesus has kept His word! His Church has existed continuously since 31 AD!

And our Lord Jesus Christ has placed within His Church – throughout this present dispensation (this divinely appointed age) –

“ … apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for edifying of the body of Christ, 13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:11-13. Speaking of the resurrection.

To Note: In our Personal From… Armstrong Religion I had stated –

the twelve apostles. … To be clear: this type of apostle is NOT present in God’s Church today. The qualifications to be this type of an apostle were – 1) To have been a witness of the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! … 2) To have been explicitly chosen by our Lord Jesus Christ. … 3) To have the ability to perform signs and wonders. … Now, there were a few in the New Testament who were called an apostle in a generic sense.

As we state on our About Us page ── this great work undertaken by our Lord Jesus Christ is yet to be finished. And perhaps more than ever should be shouted to our Lord Jesus Christ’s spiritual “lost sheep” of Israel, in which Jesus admonishes us when He says, ‘FEED MY SHEEP!” We are small in number (Luke 12:32), however, our desire to feed the sheep of Jesus Christ as well as His potential sheep is huge and ambitious! We strive daily to teach the living word of God, the Truth of God, and the ultimate Plan of God.

Can you recognize our Lord Jesus’ true ministers!? He clearly tells us that you will recognize false prophets – as well as false self-appointed apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers – by their fruits. By the very fruits of their character. So likewise, our Lord Jesus is telling us that we can know His true and faithful ministers and servants by their fruit – which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – cf. Matthew 7:15-20; Galatians 5:22-23.

In God’s living word a minister (servant) of our Lord Jesus Christ is not linked or licensed to being someone “officially” yielding some kind of authority!

The Apostle Paul instructs us that we should follow his example as he followed our Lord Jesus' –

“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15) NEVERTHELESS, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16) that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering THE GOSPEL OF GOD, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:14-16.

Again, our mission statement ── the glorious gospel message is the gospel message preached by Jesus Christ of Nazareth and His Church concerning the history of our Lord Jesus and the future coming of the kingdom of God that will be established by our soon-coming King of kings and Lord of lords. The establishment of the LORD God’s government on Earth. This gospel message includes what our Lord Jesus has done in the past, what He is doing now, and what He will do in the future. It is the message of the NEW COVENANT. The primary purpose and commission of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Church is to ‘FEED MY SHEEP!’ – cf. Matthew 28:19-20. □

Bibliography:

1) The Antiquities of the Jews 18.1 § 2.

2) Pew Research Center, Religious ‘Nones’ in America: Who They Are and What They Believe, 24 Jan. 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.

A Morning Bible Study - Is God's Spirit Within You?

 Leonard V Johnson    About

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tells us that we will know a true Christian by their fruits – Matthew 7:15-20; 12:33-35. Is God’s Spirit within you? Are you a Spirit-begotten child of our living God – and how can you tell!?

Let us delve into God’s living word and find His answer to these IMPORTANT questions. This knowledge is vitally important to properly understand.

One of the first things listed in our Statement of Beliefs is the Holy Spirit. It is the very power, mind, and life of God. The Holy Spirit is not a Person – or a third member of a so-called trinity. The family of God is not limited to any “trinity” – as the greater majority of this world’s Christianity presumes. God is a family. And one of the greatest of mysteries of which Almighty God speaks of is the TRUTH that the God family is in the process of expanding the God family and “plant[ing] the heavens” – Isaiah 45:18; 51:16.

And our Lord Jesus Christ is the firstborn Son of this divine family! All glory, honor, and praise be to God, true Christians are to be co-heirs to inherit sonship with our Lord Jesus in the family of God! To be gifted eternal life (Romans 6:23), power, and glory, when born again into the very family of God into the glorious kingdom of God on the EARTH – 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10.

Now, we are aware that within those last two paragraphs there is a lot to digest for many. A great many of our peoples have NEVER HEARD of what God’s living word truly teaches. We have a great many articles and sermons which help explain this awesome TRUTH of God, and PLAN of God! Such as: “Personal From… What Gospel?”, “A Morning Bible Study – God’s Coming Kingdom”, “The Two Keys to Eternal Life”, “Salvation Offered To All”, “Future Rulership With Christ”, and “The Truth Concerning the Trinity Explained”.

Yet, before a true Christian can be born again, they must first be begotten by the Spirit of God so they can grow spiritually, developing the very righteous character of God. And this is only possible through the glorious Holy Spirit living within the person. CHRIST IN US! – cf. 2 Corinthians 3:17.

1) According to God’s living word – the Holy Bible – who must all Spirit-begotten true Christians strive to “grow up in all things”?

Notice what our Lord Jesus expects from His servants –

“’ Therefore you shall be PERFECT [or complete – spiritually mature is what the word means], just as your Father in heaven is perfect.’” – Matthew 5:48.

“till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:13.

The word “perfect” in Matthew 5:48 is the Greek word teleios, meaning “perfect, mature, finished.” (Strong’s Concordance #5046). So, what our Lord Jesus is saying is that His followers are to become spiritually mature.

Of course, we cannot become absolutely spiritually mature – perfect – until the glorious resurrection.

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. [See: Revelation 1:12-16] … 9) Whoever has been BORN of God does not sin, for His seed [the Holy Spirit] remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been BORN OF GOD.” – 1 John 3:2, 9.

In the meantime, God desires us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” – 2 Peter 3:18.

“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and DOES NOT keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” – 1 John 2:4.

“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6) He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” – 1 John 2:5-6.

Anyone who does NOT obey and DOES NOT keep God’s commandments is NOT His! Thus, they DO NOT have the Holy Spirit of God. They have their own idea of just what the Holy Spirit actually is – but they truly are NOT His!

God does not bend His rules to fit people’s imaginations of what their religiosity or tradition claims.

The Holy Spirit is only within those who are TRULY OBEDIENT TO GOD and forsake their own lives for Jesus Christ and who OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS – summed up with the TEN COMMANDMENTS!

“’ IF you love Me [‘If you are loyal to Me’], keep the commandments – namely, My commandments. 16) And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that it may be with you throughout the age’” – John 14:15-16, NET.

What is the end result of this spiritual process of growth!?

“My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” – Galatians 4:19.

Our Lord Jesus Christ causes that new creature to be created in you, which Paul talked about.

And, this is an aspect of the Days of Unleavened Bread which many are not aware of. Instead, the remnant churches of God continue to preach – “Go around each year and look for old crumbs of bread!” That is a Judaic concept! And then somehow that was supposed to make you put sin out of your life – totally illogical. Can’t do it! Can’t put leavening out of your life – it’s everywhere! Just like yeast – it’s everywhere! And evil thoughts exist in you at every cellular level! You – of and by yourself is carnal – born into sin! cf. Psalm 51:5.

We are flesh and blood, and we’re not subject to the will of God! – Romans 8:7. But, the glorious Spirit of God begins to make a change – which is called conversion. Bit by bit – step by step. And, looking for crumbs doesn’t make it happen!

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live [meaning not of and by our own volition, our own willpower], but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” – Galatians 2:20.

Truly, it means exactly what God’s living word says - ‘Christ lives IN me!’ and for seven days we have this physical ritual of imbibing unleavened bread to remind us WE NEED JESUS CHRIST in the innermost parts of our being!

2) According to God’s living word – does our living Lord Jesus truly “live” within Spirit-begotten children of God to help them grow spiritually!?

“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” – Colossians 1:27.

Our Lord Jesus Christ does the ‘works’ within us! And the FOUNDATION did not come by our works! It was God’s doing! He GAVE us the FOUNDATION to build upon. And that FOUNDATION is CHRIST JESUS! – Christ In Us – cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 2:20; 4:19; Ephesians 3:17.

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21) make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” – Hebrews 13:20-21.

We speak quite a bit about the concept of CHRIST IN YOU!

And it actually comes from a phrase that we read about in Romans 8:10, when the Apostle Paul says, “But you are not in the flesh but IN THE SPIRIT, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if ANYONE does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” – Romans 8:9-10.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are [children] of God.” – Romans 8:14.

And since JESUS CHRIST is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17) and your body is the temple of the Spirit – which is Christ in you, we must be nourished daily by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!! Christianity is a growth process. The begotten child of God MUST grow! And this growing process requires TIME! We MUST overcome these three – Satan the devil, this world, and our own SELVES!

3) Since our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ says that we are to know true Christians by their “fruits” – what about false prophets and false ministers!?

“’ BEWARE of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16) You will know them by their fruits’” – Matthew 7:15-16.

Now, suppose you try and find fellowship with one of the hundreds of church groups which are in this world – which include the Baptists, Church of Christ, and Methodists. They believe in the immortality of the soul – if indeed they have not gone “modernist” – they do not OBEY God’s eternal Law and therefore cannot have His Holy Spirit. There is no basis whatsoever for fellowship with them. They are being deceived. They are of the UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS! What about those churches which worship on the correct day? - they may even annually keep God’s Festivals. But do they have the fruits of God’s Spirit!?

So, we MUST have fellowship first and foremost only with Jesus Christ, and only those who are joined together in the Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God – all speaking the same TRUTH.

How did our Lord Jesus describe Himself, our Holy Father, and Their truly begotten true Christians!?

“’ I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2) Every branch in Me THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT HE TAKES AWAY; …’” – which means that we, brethren, are being winnowed and sifted as in removing chaff from wheat grain.

“ … ‘and every branch [in Me] THAT BEARS FRUIT HE PRUNES, that it may bear more fruit. 3) You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, UNLESS it abides in the vine, neither can you, UNLESS YOU ABIDE IN ME.

I AM the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, BEARS MUCH FRUIT; for without Me you can do nothing.

If anyone DOES NOT ABIDE IN ME, …’”

The very Greek word here for “abide” is menō, which means “to follow His example of a life OBEDIENT to the will of God.”

And, for that matter, let’s take a look at Webster’s English definition of “abide.” –

abide \ə - ‘bīd\ vb abode \- ‘bōd\ or abid-ed; abid-ing [ME, fr. OE ābīdan, fr. ā-, perfective prefix + bīdan to bide; akin to OHG ir-, perfective prefix] vt (bef. 12c) 1: to wait for “ AWAIT ” 2 a: to endure without yielding: WITHSTAND b: to bear patiently: TOLERATE … to remain stable or fixed in a state 2: to continue in a place: SOJOURN. 1

The LORD our God’s habitation is where He lives. And the habitation (the dwelling place) that He chooses is not a town, a city, a state, a location, but within each and every one of His chosen begotten children. Our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ abide within us – Their habitation is within Their holy temple. This is the place They wish to place Their name – within us. We MUST SOUJOURN WITH THEM!

“ … ‘he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7) If you ABIDE IN ME, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8) By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples’” – John 15:1-8.

Once you are begotten by the glorious Spirit from Father God, you must continually be led by His Spirit and BEAR MUCH FRUIT throughout this Christian life.

But what fruit are we to bear!?

In the Book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul outlines for us the fruit we are to produce – the results of the glorious Holy Spirit living within us.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness [faith], 23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” – Galatians 5:22-23.

Love – which is the Greek word agape. The highest form of love, the love of God for man and of man for God.

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit [which] was given to us” – Romans 5:5.

The primary characteristic of the LORD God is love – 1 John 4:16. And it is the greatest attribute that is transmitted to us by the Spirit of God – 1 Corinthians 13:13. God’s Spirit living within us imparts to our spirit His very traits! And the first and most important fruit of God’s Spirit is love.

I recall from my youth attending a church group – with a membership over 100,000 at the time – and after three-and-a-half years was . . . Let’s just say “shunned”! It turned out, they DID NOT have God’s love. They, instead, only had a form of human love.

4) Is the love of God the very love which helps us to fulfill – to OBEY – the Law of God!?

“Owe no one anything EXCEPT to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” – Romans 13:8.

And continuing, the Apostle Paul clearly shows us the Law he was referring to – “For the Commandments [speaking of the Ten Commandments], ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are ALL SUMMED UP in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” – verse 9.

5) Again, and I add this as a direct question – because it is SO VITALLY IMPORTANT! Can an individual who DOES NOT OBEY the LORD God’s commandments possess the Holy Spirit of God which helps us produce the fruits of the Spirit!?

“’ And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given TO THOSE WHO OBEY HIM’” – Acts 5:32.

When you receive the gift of God’s Spirit, the love of God is the first and foremost important fruit that will begin to manifest within you. The other fruits mentioned by the Apostle Paul amplify this glorious characteristic of God’s very nature – love. The very divine love gifted to those whom God the Father calls out of this world and its churches.

Is faith another vital fruit of God’s Spirit?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23) Meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law” – Galatians 5:22-23, NET.

It is NOT possible to please God without real faith!

“But WITHOUT FAITH it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God MUST believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” – Hebrews 11:6.

6) Must obedience to the LORD God accompany one’s faith in order to make it alive and acceptable to God!?

“Do we then make void the Law through faith? CERTAINLY NOT! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” – Romans 3:31.

The universal message from nearly every pulpit falsely tells people that Jesus Christ abolished, or “fulfilled,” His Father’s law – but your Bible says otherwise!

God’s living divine word mentions nothing about grace being a license to disobey the Law of God! To be “under grace” means to be extended mercy and forgiveness as a result of sincere repentance and resolve to obey Almighty God.

This is explained further by the Apostle Paul –

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Law but under grace? Certainly not!” – Romans 6:14-15.

Now, does that raise a lot of tongue-wagging! The people who want to say that the Ten Commandments are done away, they will cite this verse and say, “See, you’re not under law, you’re under grace.”

We don’t have enough room here in this short Bible Study to go over this VERY IMPORTANT subject, but to learn more be sure to watch the sermons “Look To Jesus, Not Moses,” as well as “Is The Law Done Away?”

Also, a very brother to our Lord Jesus, Saint James explains to us –

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” – James 2:14.

“Faith without works is dead” recorded Saint James. But what exactly did he mean!?

Turn with me if you will to Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Yet, we need works. Saint James was inspired to write: “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16) and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” – James 2:15-17. And, he repeats it yet again, “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” – verse 20. And yet again, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” – verse 26.

In the Word of God, when you see things repeated over and over and over, you realize that God’s truly trying to get you to wake up and to understand that this thing that He’s saying is VERY IMPORTANT!

Now, I boldened parts of those verses because of those three words – grace, faith, and works. The word grace comes from the Greek charis which means “the state of kindness and favor toward someone.” The word faith is from the Greek pistos which means “faithfulness, belief, trust, with the implication that actions based on that trust may follow.” And, the word works comes from the Greek ergon meaning “work, deed, activity, task, job.”

Now the majority of Protestants and Catholics alike base their belief wholly on the works of charity. And most Protestant churches teach that the fault with the Old Covenant was God’s Law and that as the Old Covenant was made with Israel, the New Covenant is made with Gentiles. And that the New abolishes God’s Ten Commandments and is based wholly on promises. This, of course, is NOT true! Complete obedience to God’s eternal and universal Law is a condition we must meet to have salvation. Be sure to read Acts 15:13-39 and Acts 21:17-26 – Saint James completely endorses and supports Saint Paul!

Q: Why would the LORD God want someone in Their family that has faith, but without works!? One of our greatest jobs in God's glorious kingdom will be to help people - physically and spiritually! Now, not one person can earn salvation by "works" - “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Yet, EVERYONE MUST PRODUCE 'good works'!

God’s grace and faith saves us. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” – Ephesians 2:10.

7) When one receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, will God’s fruits of His Spirit suddenly appear within us overnight!?

“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” – 2 Peter 3:17-18.

And he also tells us how this growth must take place – “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, HYPOCRISY, envy, and all evil speaking, 2) as NEWBORN BABES, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3) if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” – 1 Peter 2:1-3.

Now, there are so many of our peoples that just want to believe what they want to believe. They absolutely refuse to accept or even hear want they don’t want to believe – whether it’s right or wrong. Prejudism is a strong barrier to growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

After true repentance, baptism, and the laying on of hands, and after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, we must continue the IMPORTANT process of spiritual growth by having our Lord Jesus Christ live within us! –

“ … ‘I AM the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in [as well as “on”] Me shall never thirst’” – John 6:35.

We can only continue to grow spiritually if we continue drinking in our daily supply of God’s living water – His Spirit. As for myself, every morning before I get out of bed, I thank God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ for another day, and ask Them to renew in me Their Spirit! – cf. 2 Corinthians 4:16; Psalm 51:10. □

1) Webster M. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, abide, 1996, pp 2.

Scriptural Index:

Old Testament - Psalm 51:5, 10; Isaiah 45:18; 51:16.

New Testament - Matthew 5:48; 7:15-20; 12:33-35; John 6:35; 14:15-16; 15:1-8; Acts 5:32; 15:13-39; 21:17-26; Romans 3:31; 5:5; 6:14-15; 8:9-10; 14; 13:8, 9; 1 Corinthians 13:13; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 13:5; Galatians 2:20; 4:19; 5:22-23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 10; 15-17; 20; 26; 3:17; 4:13; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 11:6; 13:20-21; James 2:14; 1 Peter 2:1-3, 9; 2 Peter 3:17-18; 1 John 2:4, 5-6; 3:2, 9; 4:16; Revelation 1:12-16; 5:10.