I have discovered that I can walk in the flesh or in the Spirit but not at the same time.
One morning, under testing I recited, prayed the Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:7-14 and everything immediately changed for the better.
Reciting Hymns, Psalms and other portions of Scripture also work well. Our adversary the Devil is always seeking someone to devour, 1Peter 5:8-9. So, put on the armor of God, Ephesians 6:11-24. See, verse 17.
Revelation 2:18-28 is a church under attack by a sexual predator. Men and women can be very foolish when it comes to members of the opposite gender with Adam being our first example, see verse 19 below. Adam was a devoted husband who knowingly took bad advice from Eve who had been deceived by the Devil. They were both saved and consequences taught them not to repeat their joint mistakes. They were the first humans and not accustomed to transgression but learned the way of righteousness as a consequence as we all do.
James chapter 4 is about, OUT OF FELLOWSHIP Christians who are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit. The invitation here, see 1John 1:9 also, is for them to repent, to return to the Lord and then God will restore them to fellowship and answer their prayers.
ROMANS CHAPTER 6:
JOINT HEIRS WITH JESUS CHRIST,
THE SON OF GOD,
THE SON OF MAN
16**Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient servants, you are servants of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to DEATH, or of obedience, which leads to RIGHTEOUSNESS?
DEATH in this context from the Greek is SPIRITUAL DEATH meaning separation from God. When we sin and we all do as measured by the 10 commandments, we claim 1John 1:9 for forgiveness and cleansing. Cleansing here is by discipline for habitual or logger head sinning, Hebrews chapter 12 and can lead to Revelation 2:22. It is much wiser to repent than to suffer discipline, Hebrews 12:11-13. Discipline is for a course correction and not because God is mad at us. See also Jude 1:4 which is denying the teachings of Jesus Christ.
17**But thanks be to God, that you who were once servants of sin, Ephesians 2:1-10 have become obedient FROM THE HEART to the STANDARD OF TEACHING to which you were COMMITTED,
COMMITTED means we made a commitment to walk with the Lord called repentance and not to continue walking in the lust of the world but we all fail in our weakness, 1John 1:9 but we persist, endeavoring to keep our commitment.
18**And, having been SET FREE FROM SIN, have become SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?
19**I am speaking in human terms, because of your NATURAL LIMITATIONS, 1John 1:5-10. For just as you once presented your members as servants to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as servants to righteousness LEADING TO SANCTIFICATION.
20**For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21**But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is DEATH.
22**But now that you have been set free from sin and have become SERVANTS OF GOD, the fruit you get LEADS TO SANCTIFICATION and its end, ETERNAL LIFE.
23**For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the free gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 2:8-10.
Commentary:
EVIL pays off in short term dividends such as finance, fame, power, position, and honorariums, commendations by like minded peers but in the end the wages of sin is ETERNAL DEATH for unbelievers.
DEATH here for unbelievers who live in sin is not physical death but it is the 2nd death, Revelation 20:14 meaning ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD and there will be no attempt by God to reconcile with them as He did with Adam and Eve and their offspring, Romans 1:18-32 but they will spend eternity in the LAKE OF FIRE either consciously meaning aware, Revelation 14:9-11, or perhaps UN-consciously meaning UN-aware as in disassembled, returned to their basic components, for some. Either way is losing. Matthew 5:12 is possibly an escape for those having the mark of the beast.
DEATH here from sin for believers is temporal separation from God and does not mean we will go to the LAKE OF FIRE as we are saved, Romans 11:29. The danger for Believers is the loss of rewards and premature mortal death, Romans 8:11-14, 2Corinthians 12:21. The cure for this is again 1John 1:9.
We can be reconciled to God by merely confessing our sins to God in prayer, 1John 1:5-10 with repentance removing us from discipline, Hebrews 12:11-14.
Living as the world lives can cause much anxiety and give us a roller coaster life and corrective discipline in God’s woodshed, 1Corinthians 5:5, and Hebrews chapter 12.
FAITH in Jesus Christ pays off in the short term in the PROSPERITY OF PEACE and in the end ETERNAL LIFE with great wealth and the commendation of God as faithful servants who have become SONS OF GOD forever.
Matthew chapter 25:14-30
This section of Matthew and others represents the CHURCH AGE and Rapture with the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ at Matthew 25:31.
The possession’s, property of Matthew 25:14 is the Holy Spirit who assigns Spiritual Gifts, Acts 2:38, 1Corinthians 2:14-16 and 12:4-6, Revelation 11:18.
The outer Darkness of Matthew 25:30 is spiritual blindness and the money here represents SPIRITUAL GIFTS and the BANK represents the LOCAL CHURCH.
The loser here is saved but did not use his spiritual gift to grow by means of grace, 1John 1:5-6 in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, 2Peter 3:18 and the Grace, love of God for the human race so he/she is spiritually blind and he/she will miss the Church Rapture. He/she and like minded people will have tumultuous lives and those still alive, post Rapture will suffer in the Great Tribulation, Revelation 7:14-17 with the washing of verse 14 being 1John 1:7-9. Yes, some have more than one Spiritual Gift, Matthew 25:28, 1Corinthians 12:4-7 but all members are important and functional in the Body of Christ.
Revelation chapter 3:
The Church at Philadelphia:
We do not have to join this Church to be part of this Church but we only need to follow the pattern of this Church to receive the blessings of this Church which includes the Church Rapture and abundant living, not Gold and Silver but peace, fraternity and security.
Christians who follow the pattern shown in the Philadelphia Church will receive the blessings of this Church, Revelation 3:4, 1John 1:9.
Philadelphia, the Ideal Church:
7**”And to the angel (messenger) of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the KEY OF DAVID, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
Jesus, the humanity of the God/man Jesus Christ has the KEY OF KING DAVID as He is the promised Heir of the throne of King David, Matthew 1:1 and Psalm 2, Etc;.
However; Matthew 1:18-25 makes it quite plain that this is the genealogy to King David of Joseph, the step father of Jesus, Matthew 1:2-16 is not the genealogy of Jesus.
The genealogy of Jesus to King David is through His mother, Luke 3:23-32 and not through His step father Joseph.
8**’I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, BECAUSE you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
9**’Behold, I will causethoseof the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie–behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you, Romans 2:28-29, and 9:6-8 and Romans chapter 11.
10**’BECAUSEyou have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, thathourwhich is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.
11**’I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that NO ONE TAKE YOUR CROWN.
The CROWN here represents rewards and Kingdom authority. Those believers who have acted irresponsibly will not have rewards or authority, Luke 16:10-13.
12**’He who overcomes, 1John 5:3-5 I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
13**’He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
MOSES TO JESUS
