THE TOP TWO...

The Top Two...                 February 19, 2004                     edited 1.17.13
              (These remarks apply to fellowships of the Children of God
                              who take a literal view of Scripture.)

There is  increasing  interest in  two subjects in the church and Bible 
teaching ministries today.  The first is the proliferation of publications 
or broadcasts about last days, the "Catching away" of the church and  
the second coming of  our  Lord, Jesus Christ.  There is growing inte-
rest,  on the part of some,  in the work of  the Holy Spirit in tne world.   
In addition  to  these,   the  increased  interest of the secular media in 
things religious.  Just as Jesus’ birth occurred in the fullness of  time,
the catching away of His church and his subsequent second coming is 
just around the corner  of  time.  As stated  by Christ in  the New Tes-
tament, "no one knows knows the day nor the hour," but the signs are 
right, and  it  appears  prophecies  concerning events surrounding last 
days have  been fulfilled.  Most scholars who assume a literal view of 
Scripture agree the catching away of the Church of Jesus Christ could 
occur any moment.   If we believe  God is  the author of  Scripture and 
He gave His Word to reveal Himself to His people, a literal view is the 
only option left  to us.   It is an established  fact;  symbolism is used in 
Scripture.  Symbolism has a literal  interpretation  as one applies  dili-
gence to the study of the Word of God.

Let’s return to the first of the two top subjects among God’s children 
today.  Since we believe  Christ could return for his church at any time, 
what should  be our  posture relating  to friends and  loved ones?  If we 
do not  warn  them of  the imminence of  this event, and the  disastrous 
results of their failure to receive our Lord, we will bear  responsibility, 
and we  will  be made to answer for our  failure to make efforts to per-
suade them to consider Christ, err it is too  late.  Another ramification 
of  this pending  event is our responsibility to  be sure we make  things  
right with relatives,  friends  and enemies.  (Enemies must be  few and  
never of  our making)  We must  keep short  accounts in our  relation-
ships  with  these as well  as with our God.  Since all  men will bow the  
knee to our Lord during time,  to the saving of the soul, or at the judg-
ment to no avail.  We must walk humbly with our Lord and be quick to 
submit to the leadership of his Spirit.

This leads to  the second subject on our minds today,  the work of the Holy 
Spirit in today’s world.

When our Lord ascended back to the Father after his death, burial and
resurrection, He said He would send the Comforter or His Spirit to dwell 
in believers after a time.  This  promise was  fulfilled on the day of Pente-
cost  (Acts 1:8) as believers were baptized and filled with His Holy Spirit.  
This  means  God the Spirit came to earth and  began to abide in  His chil-
dren  giving  gifts  to each,  empowering  them to  live above  reproach in 
service to God and  mankind.  The promise was;  “I will never leave you”  
We take  this  to  mean  as  long  as  there is one of  God’s children on the 
earth,  the Spirit will be with and  in that  believer.   We believe with  the 
"Catching  away" of  the church,  the Holy Spirit  “who now restraineth” 
will  be  taken  as  well.   1 Thessalonians 4: 13-17  (Then the  Man of  Sin 
may  be  revealed.)  The Holy Spirit of  God is the one who limits Satan's 
success on the earth.  

      The Holy Spirit  abiding in  and on the  individual  believer is Jesus 
Christ assuming control of the life as we reckon ourselves dead to self 
and  alive in Christ.  This assuming of  control is done little by little,  in 
the  process  called  Sanctification.   Our  Lord  actually  begins to  live 
within us.   When we speak it is Him.  When  we  act it is him  and over 
time our  thoughts  and  motives come  to be more  and  more under his 
control.  This  impacts the life of  believers  with a  purifying effect and 
this cleansed life motivates us to emulate Him in every area of life. 

     There will  never be a time on the earth that we will be "like Him" in 
truth  but when we see Him after  this time on earth we will "be like him 
for we shall see Him as He Is."  See Romans 6: 1-11,  These life changes 
changes do not  make us to be  Children of God.  Being  Children of  God 
and filled with His Spirit brings the changes to life.


   (The word, Sanctification, simply means becoming         more like Jesus Christ.  "A state of purity")
                                                                                          
 donporter 1.17.13                   edited 9.19.14