TILL DEATH DO US PART

   For the Christian, the phrase, "TILL DEATH DO US PART," is misleading. It is untrue, but because we focus so much on the now and natural, we lose sight of the reality of the life that has been given to us in Christ. Rejoice, count it all joy, as you press on through the trials of life: they are bringing you closer to your home. While we are here, we are part of this time period, yet our lives are eternal, not temporal. This phase is only part of the whole, and as we progress through the stages of eternal life, we see more clearly, learn to love more deeply, and appreciate more keenly, just what we have been given.
     When Jesus was anticipating His departure from this earth, He focused on the progression and benefits of that point in His life, knowing that the Spirit of Truth, The Comforter, could not come until He, Jesus, made the way for men to prepare and receive into their hearts the residence of God. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you. ... that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14: 2-3) Question is, where is Jesus?
      "I am in the Father, and the Father in Me." (John 14: 10 and 11) In order for us to be where He is, He must do a work (The Cross) which gives us this access to God. Speaking of the Spirit of Truth, Whom the Father will send, Jesus says, Him "the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you." (John 14: 17) Notice that the Spirit of Truth is already dwelling with them; they can see Him, because they received Him, and the Promise is that He shall be in them. Jesus also speaks of the Father giving "you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever." (John 14: 16) While the Spirit of Truth/ Comforter was resident in Jesus, He was present with man, but because Jesus had not yet overcome the sin, death, and condemnation that man inherited from Adam, the Holy Spirit could not yet reside in man.
    We see on the Cross that Jesus died, but He lives forevermore making intercession for us. If He then is alive, though He died, then there is proof that eternal life exists. How does a man know this? In the same way that men rejected Jesus while He walked this earth (and could not see Him or know Him), men can refuse to receive the Comforter Whom Jesus sent to them. I write this to those whom I assume know Him, but for any that might read this who do not know Him, I plead that you simply ask Him to reveal Himself. No ritual, nor reciting of words: just call upon the Name of the Lord to be saved. This form of repentance brings you to a place of revelation that is only given to you by the Holy Spirit. It is not from man-made trickery, but honest seeking from the heart. On the Day of Pentecost, those that obeyed the Word were in a position to receive the Holy Spirit, and when they were filled with the Holy Spirit they rejoiced in their new found salvation. They knew that they were saved from sin, death, and (condemnation) damnation. (So did I)!
     Now, as we have traveled this road awhile, we have encountered and tried many variations of religion. This is good, because they always seems to fail, which brings us again to repentance, which leads us back to faith, faith in God, not faith in faith, or faith in man, or faith in performance. We fail; all fall short of the Glory of God. If He does not reveal this Glory, we will never have it. You cannot buy it, earn it, or steal it. All your abilities are dead, worthless ("as dung," says Paul). And even though we do not see the complete transformation that we so desire, we press on in faith believing for what appears to be impossible. Why? Why don't we quit when troubles come our way? I believe it is because "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4: 4) This is not a mantra we are to shout so we can subdue every problem that comes our way. It is a recognition and a declaration that I as a man, and any man who does not have and rely upon the Spirit of God, are powerless to circumvent the work of God in your life. By the power of the Holy Spirit Who abides with you, we can be "confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1: 6)
     That Philippians verse is the very first verse I ever knew by heart. It is a "First Love" type of assurance that came to me not just by reading, but by revelation. When the Lord speaks, or reveals a Word to you, it is with power! Many people "hear" the Word, but they do not hear it. The reciting, or sounding of the Word, does not convict a person of the Truth, the Spirit of God does! In my own life, and I've heard similar testimony from others, that when the Lord spoke a Word to me, He empowered me to live it. Once, He told me that His plan for me was to “trust” Him. Well, everyone knows you should trust God; but that day, at that moment, I was enabled to trust Him. (This was about 25 years after first becoming a born-again Christian.) Read Romans chapter 10 from this perspective. Verse 17 might mean a little bit more than it once did. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10: 17) This faith is not the wishful thinking that so often failed you; it is the Blessed Assurance that comes from God, a provision of God, which uplifts you, and brings you peace. (Mercy adds: note that it does not simply say that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, but that faith comes by hearing, and that hearing also comes by the Word of God. There is a power in the Word of God, enabling us to hear, and to believe.)
     God desires for "all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth." (1 Tim. 2: 4) "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,... But is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3: 9) With this knowledge of God's attitude toward man, knowing it is His "goodness" (Rom. 2: 4) that leads men to repentance, consider "what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness." (2 Peter 3: 11) Salvation does not just make a better life for a person; it provides an eternal life with God. Prior to the faith I'm writing about, we were all "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." (Eph. 2: 12) Do a quick word search; you will see that the “hope” we have received through the Spirit is a: "better hope," "hope as … an anchor of the soul," "lively (or) living hope," "hope of salvation," "hope of glory," "blessed hope," "hope of eternal life," and "hope of righteousness." (Heb. 7: 19 & 6:19, 1 Peter 1: 3, 1 Thess. 5: 8, Col. 1:27, Titus 2: 13 & 1:2, Gal. 5:5) These are not things we muster up; they are provisions of God that were imparted to us and that rise within us, as pressures of life force them up.
     This is what I have been experiencing as I am dealing with some negative reports from the hospital. I believe the report of the Lord, but that does not mean I am to refuse to believe what the medical reports reveal! The Promises of God & the scriptures listed above are the reports of the Lord that we are to cling to. The medical reports have nothing to do with the hope that is within me, though they present themselves as fearful-looking giants. My God is able to deliver me, but if He does not, let it be known to all the principalities and powers that the God of all creation has sealed me until the day of redemption. My faith, a faith I did not know I had until the negative medical reports were delivered, has risen. The very things our God has imparted to us are available and will rise to the surface in our times of need. I thought I knew these things before, but now I know.
     It would be so easy, and very dangerous, to fall back upon some of the scriptures I was taught to use to ward off things that appeared as threats. One that comes to mind is, "No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper…." (Isa. 54: 17) Until today, I did not realize that this verse follows Isaiah 53, where we see the Prophetic view of our Salvation through Christ. Isaiah 54 continues with the blessings of this provision of God. It reveals that "the Lord of Hosts, The Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel," shall establish you "in Righteousness." (Isa. 54: 5 & 14) It's dealing with Righteousness, or Right-Standing with God through His everlasting kindness and mercies. (Isa. 54: 7, 8) The closing verses of Isa. 54 are dealing with this Salvation of the Lord, not a physical preservation of Israel, or of our flesh.
     "In righteousness shall you be established [made secure]…." [Isa. 54:14] This is a work of God that by faith assures us that no matter what life throws at us, we are to "know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.... to be conformed to the image of His Son…." (Rom. 8: 28-29) We are to be armed with this truth, and the knowledge that "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) Again, we are seeing that the Word itself is talking about salvation (and the righteousness that is found only in Christ Jesus).
     Moving back to Isaiah: "… you shall be far from oppression; for you shall not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near you. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me: whosoever shall gather together against you shall fall for your sake." (Isa. 54: 14-15) If this were about physical preservation, Israel would not have suffered the many persecutions they have faced over the years since this was written. It is hard for us to fathom that God really does work all things together for good, when we see apparent contradictions, but it is we, not God, who can't figure it out. This is why we need to walk in the faith that He has imparted to us. What does God say next?
     "Behold, I have created the smith that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy." (Isa. 54:16) So, no matter the intention of the destroyer or smith, God will use them for His good (in us). The smith is trying to make you into an image of his choosing, and the destroyer is out to destroy, yet no matter what devices they use, or what plans they implement, their plans will not prosper. Please keep in mind, the words “instrument” and “weapon” are the exact same Hebrew word; so when we see the next verse we understand the intent of the opposition.
     "No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, says the Lord." (Isa. 54:17) This literally means that "nothing whatsoever" has any power to keep you from God, because He alone establishes us. This is cause for rejoicing in the midst of your struggles. Our real struggle is to see that these external temporal things have no power over the internal eternal things. No schemes, instruments, weapons, implements or devices, nothing whatsoever "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:39)
     "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died [for my sin], yea rather, that is risen again [defeating death], Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also makes intercession for us." (Rom. 8: 33-34) Did Christ die for some and not all? For all; so this applies to all. Who is this elect of God? Some special minority of Christians who attain a higher place than others? Rather than for us to divide, let us agree to let God separate the goats and sheep; but look at what Peter says about the elect: "The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, salutes you." (1 Pet. 5: 13) They are the co-elect, or "chosen." Peter wrote earlier: "But you are a chosen generation, ... a peculiar [God's own] people; that you should show forth the praises of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Pet. 2: 9)
      God elected you or chose you, to fill you with His Spirit. A man in the book of Acts tried to buy this blessing, but we "Received ... the Spirit ... by the hearing of faith." (Gal. 3: 2) This election, or choosing, is not as elitist as some would believe, for it is offered to all. And in my life I may have wandered from this Truth -- who "bewitched" me?(Gal. 3: 1) -- It is because of the many false teachings of a false righteousness that appeals to our flesh, which wants to earn God’s favor, even though we know we can’t earn it. But He works all these things together for our good, even our wanderings and our failed attempts, to bring us to a stronger awareness of our need, so that we may know Him better, deeper, richer.
     I have purposely kept away from the scriptures that talk about going home to be with the Lord, etc. We all know them, but I find it more urgent for us to turn our eyes upon Jesus, and to see just what wonders He has done in us.
     

With much love, Joe (with Mercy)