THE WASHING OF HIS WORD "Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." John 13: 6-8 Here we have a scenario in which Christ was washing the feet of the disciples, but upon approaching Peter, Peter denied the advances what was Christ's response? He told him that if he washed him not, he would have no part of him, why is that? You see, in this particular event, Christ was using the washing of the disciples feet to convey a spiritual truth, what we need to identify is what was this washing that Christ was speaking of.  Ephesians 5: 25, 26 tells us: "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 the word." So we see that the washing Christ was showing in John 13: 6-8 was a spiritual washing, justification, and we know that this word is the faith of Christ, according to Romans 10: 8:"But what saith it? The WORD is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is the word of Faith, which we preach." So faith is identified as that same word in Ephesians 5:25, 26. And it is this faith that makes us righteous, according to Romans 5: 1. But, what is it about the faith that makes us righteous?  The spirit of God dwells within it, look at Galatians 3: 14, which says: "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ; that he might receive the promise of the spirit THROUGH faith". So the Spirit of God, comes on the gentiles through this faith, or rather the gentiles receive the Holy Spirit through faith, and where does the spirit dwell? In the heart: " And because you are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father." Galatians 4: 6. The spirit dwells within our heart in justification, and we become his children, hence we cry Abba, Father. Also, the faith must dwell IN us, look at Romans 3:22: "Even the righteousness of God (God himself, Jeremiah 23: 5, 6) which is by Faith, INTO all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference." So the faith must be IN your hearts, and since the Holy Spirit comes by faith, the Holy Spirit must be where? In your hearts, and if the Holy Spirit dwells within your heart, then are you a son of God, according to Romans 8: 14. But, if we have not the spirit of God in our hearts, are we his? No, Romans 8: 9 tells us: "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his." You have no part of Christ if you are not washed by his word and if the Holy Spirit is not in you, thus confirming what Christ said to Peter in John 13: 8: "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Thus showing that Christ was teaching Justification by faith in this particular scenario and event. Further evidence to this fact is found within the very chapter itself, look at verses 10, 11: "Jesus saith unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. "For he knew who should betray him, (Judas Iscariot) therefore said he, Ye are not all clean!" In other words, ye are not all washed by the word! Do you think that the mere washing of his literal feet would have made a difference in whether Judas would have betrayed Jesus or not? No, but had Judas Iscariot been washed or justified by the word, would he have betrayed and given up the Lord to be crucified? No! Thus confirming that Jesus was teaching Justification by faith!
Grace and peace. By Bro. Kerron Alexander
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Sis. Alexandria's Scripture Reading Sis. Alexandria recites proverbs chapter 3 from memory JUSTIFICATIONThe following are thoughts from my Bible study/meditation on The Three types of Justification in the bible, first shared 1 year ago today.  Missionary Work in Akulivik, Canadian Arctic 1. Oh what salvation full and free that God by his grace can first justify me! A wretched sinner, the carnal mind How could he ever this lost soul find? He called me to repent and to believe His gospel of faith he begged me receive I repented and gave up my idols of nought Believed in his words as the penitent ought 2. Then all it took was his imputation God's mental estimation that changed my condition He thinks of me as having righteousness No more he esteems me as that sinful mess And so by his grace I am made free from sin Divine imputation cleanses me from within.  Missionary work in Dublin, Ireland. 3. You see, God alone can think and it is God alone esteems and it makes God alone can save man from sin And when God justifies, Who dares a charge lay? 4. I am free, oh I am free! By his imputation Free from sin, free from sin! By God's mental estimation Made a doer of the law By his faith's motivation 'Tis a subjective change In my heart's condition  Peaceful scene at Questelles Bay, St. Vincent 5. Now I live by faith, Doing good works of the law Not by my might or strength But by his Spirit's power All glory to him who first justified me 6. Then secondly, Since my works by faith be His friend, he declares me 7. Then finally, When judgment comes in heavenly court On account of my works I shall certainly know Holy or unjust? Filthy or righteous? Oh lord I cry, Whether I live or should die Let my humble soul be by you justified! Amen. Sis. Anesia O Baptiste Sabbath 30th May, 2015 A Child's Christian Duty2 Year Old Br. Diyahsab Ballantyne recites Ephesians 6:1 and sings a song. HOW DEMONS TREMBLE AT THE ONENESS OF GOD Dedicated to all baptismal candidates to remind you of the real controversy of which we are a part, that you may endure to the end. Based on my study of James 2:19 which says, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." What does it mean for the devils/demons or evil angels to tremble at God's oneness? Why do they tremble and what does this mean for God's people? Tremble-Greek- Phrisso: To bristle, to have one’s hair stand on end. In the NT, to shudder or quake from fear or aversion” The Complete Word study Dictionary New Testament, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, pg. 1454 (entry 5425) I find the meaning of the word “tremble” here to be instructive about how Satan and his evil angels think about YHWH GOD and particularly His God aloneness or numerical oneness. Not only do they fear Him in a sense of trepidation, no doubt, knowing that He will destroy them. However, the meaning of Phrisso also takes in shuddering from aversion. What is this aversion that makes evil angels shudder? Aversion means: a: a feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn from it. b : a settled dislike c : a tendency to extinguish a behavior or to avoid a thing or situation and especially a usually pleasurable one because it is or has been associated with a noxious stimulus” www.merriam-webster.com/dictinaory/aversion Synonyms for aversion include: disgust, distaste, horror, loathing, nausea,repugnance, repulsion, revulsion This brief word study exposes evil angels’ hatred for YHWH’s God aloneness which explains why they are so adamant about destroying those who worship HIS God Aloneness. The issue here is they hate His ONENESS. The thought of it makes them shudder or quake from aversion. Can you imagine such hatred for YHWH GOD? So filled with hatred that they tremble? Imagine someone who is very angry and wants to lash out and their very being is affected physically by their wrath. Hmmm...  Do you remember the temptation of Christ in Matthew chapter 4? At the third temptation Satan came out clearly and demanded worship from Christ, who answered him forthwith, “…Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the LORD thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:10. The next verse tells us the following about Satan’s reaction, “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him”. Satan fled at the extolling of YHWH’s God aloneness. He has an aversion to it. He loathes and is disgusted by God's oneness and as Christ asserted it, rebuking him, he fled. (James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”). My dear brethren, is it any wonder therefore that Satan and his evil angels will have special wrath against God’s church and I hasten to add, God’s church who exalts His God aloneness?That is, YOU. They are justified by the ONE GOD (GOD WHO IS ONE)- Romans 3:30, being recreated to fulfil their original purpose of testifying of God’s God aloneness-Isaiah 43:1,7,10-12. They keep the first commandment- Mark 12:29 and as such, Love God and their fellowmen, seen in all the ten (10) commandments of God’s holy law-Mark 12:29-31, Romans 13:8-10, 1 John 5:2-3. In the last days, these who believe in ONE GOD are the enduring/patient saints described as Keeping the commandments of God by faith of Jesus- Revelation 14:12. They are the same remnant-Revelation 12:17. To believe there is ONE GOD, is to accept as true His God aloneness, to not have idols with him, to praise Him as God alone. Isaiah 37:15,16,20; Ezekiel 14:6 Psalm 86:8, 12, 9-10. So the dragon’s wrath (Revelation 12:17) is directed hot against them because he shudders at God’s God aloneness exalted by them. He wants to extinguish them because they are a constant counter claim against His own pantheistic lie that He, a creation, could be God with God- Isaiah 14:12-14. Thou believest that there is ONE God...the devils also believe and tremble! Selah!  So we are admonished to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” 1 Peter 5:8. To devour in the Greek is Katapino which means- “From kata and pino; to drink down, i.e. Gulp entire (literally or figuratively) -- devour, drown, swallow (up).” Nevertheless, through the one GOD who is Christ (1 John 5:20), through his victory at the cross, Satan is finally cast down-Revelation 12:10, John 12:31-33, Luke 10:18. And Christ has given you and me authority over demons as said in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” But understand this, dear brethren, that Satan knows this and he and his army of evil angels multiplies their efforts times ten against God’s God-aloneness believing and exalting Saints/Remnant. In the chapter "The Ascension of Christ", subheading "The wrath of Satan" of her book The Story of Redemption, Ellen White said this about the reaction of Satan and his evil angels towards Christ's resurrection and ascension: “Satan again counseled with his angels, and with bitter hatred against God's government told them that while he retained his power and authority upon earth their efforts must be tenfold stronger against the followers of Jesus. They had prevailed nothing against Christ but must overthrow His followers, if possible. In every generation they must seek to ensnare those who would believe in Jesus. He related to his angels that Jesus had given His disciples power to rebuke them and cast them out, and to heal those whom they should afflict. Then Satan's angels went forth like roaring lions, seeking to destroy the followers of Jesus.” Emphasis supplied.  It is important that you understand this reality so you may arm yourselves with the mighty weapons of God-Ephesians 6:10-18. Rest assured that by your testimony of YHWH's God aloneness, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." So keep your born again experience by growing in the grace and faith knowledge of Jesus Christ,"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4.
Congratulations to you all on your baptism, and go forth to conquer by faith, doing many exploits for Christ in his winning army. My prayers ascend for you. Amen. Sis. Anesia O. Baptiste God does Not Dwell in All Men God dwells with those who obey him, walking in his commandments in sinfree living. Spiritual scriptural knowledge is necessary to correct all false ideas which motivate sinful actions. One such idea that can be rejected or corrected through the study of the Bible is the evil teaching that states that “God dwells in all men”. It is taught in religions like Hinduism and Roman Catholicism. The teaching is definitely not true and the implications of believing such falsehood are soul-destroying. It supports gross wickedness in the name of God or Religion. If God is in all men, then He is in the wicked too and is therefore responsible for the evils they commit. Then how can he punish the sinner, if He dwells in the man while he is sinning? You see, this false doctrine charges God with evil.  " The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18 The Bible tells us that God does not dwell in the wicked. In fact, the sinner’s sinful experience makes him a child of Satan. “He that committeth sin is of the devil…ye are of your father the devil…” 1John 3: 8; John 8:44.
God dwells in the mind of a person when that individual repents, believes the Gospel and is justified or rectified by God. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel…And by Him all that believe are justified from all things…” Mark 1:15; Acts 3:39). God himself makes a clear division between those in whom He dwells and those in whom He does NOT dwell. So, who dare say God dwells in all men when God says He does not? Who dare say every one of us, no matter how bad we are, has good/God dwelling in us”? God does not dwell in all men. “ …for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial?...” 11 Corinthians 6:14-16. False doctrines like the aforementioned have many persons deceived. They justify sin (in their own lives and the lives of others especially other professed Christians) yet call themselves Christians or children of God. Again, this is blasphemous and charges God with evil. Such unbiblical teaching propagates Satan’s argument that good and evil dwell together. Come out of such error and be saved! God dwells only in the man whom He justifies or makes sin-free. Repent now and allow God to change you that you would not be wicked anymore and that God would not destroy you with other wicked at His soon second coming. Sis. Ann-Marie Ballantyne And thou shalt love YHWH thy God |
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