Back To Perfection

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

Adam

We can never obtain a thing that we don’t understand. I have heard many believers saying we will never reach perfection in this lifetime. All through the bible our Heavenly Father tells us to be perfect even as He is perfect. I heard someone say in a bible study recently, “God tells us to be perfect but He knows that we can’t.” That is not consistent with our Father’s character. If He says we can be perfect in this present world, then we can. We just need to understand what He means by perfect and stop leaning to our own understanding. In His eyes, we are perfect the way He created us, even with our perceived flaws. He made man from a lump of clay and shaped him into a man after His own image.

We were perfect until we decided to turn ourselves into a DIY project.

DYI MAN 2

Whatever is broken in us will remain broke until the Lord fixes us. We can’t fix ourselves, but we can make up our minds to sell out and surrender to His hands. When we surrender in the hands of GOD, through the Cross of Christ, we become that perfect lump of clay in the Potter’s hand. That lump of clay doesn’t look like much; in fact, it can look like a mess, however in the Potter’s eyes it is just what he is looking for. If you look at scripture, you will see that our GOD never chooses anyone perfect according to man’s definition. Look at the men GOD has chosen over the ages, from Abraham to Moses, to David, all the way to the Apostle Paul. All these men like a lump of clay, had messy beginnings, but they obtained one common trait that made them perfect, they surrendered to GOD. They were surrendered to GOD and their hearts were set on pleasing Him. This is what our Father expects of us. To be like Him, faithful, true, and single hearted; not uncommitted and double minded. Checkout these scriptures:

1 Kings 6:61

“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.”

1 Kings 11:4

“For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. ”

Here is an excerpt from my book “True Heritage” on the topic:

Let’s also look at Matthew 19:21 (KJV): “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Are we to believe that the rich young ruler was flawless in every way except for the need to sell off all of his belongings for the poor? No, that’s not it. He was not yet ready to be totally and singularly identified with Christ in his life. The Bible says that the rich young ruler went away grieved because he had great possessions. Matthew 6:20–22 (KJV) says, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” The rich young ruler was not ready to be filled with light, because his heart was divided. Every man has the potential to reach the point of total surrender where he realizes that all of life’s true riches are obtained through following God..https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47347692-true-heritage?from_search=true&qid=ivu4cNWAED&rank=1

 

 

Desiring A Match Made In Heaven

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

cloud heart

You know, if you want someone to love you, the first thing you have to do is reveal yourself to them.  After all, how can someone love you if they don’t know who you are? Once you reveal yourself, it is their values, knowledge, and understanding, which will determine if they choose to love you.

“The gospel of Christ illuminates God’s love in a way that renews faith toward God and restores hope in God’s promises. It is a daunting task to believe that the being who created the massive universe, in all of its wonder, has genuine love and concern for man individually, as well as collectively. What makes this so unbelievable is the rejection we receive from our fellow man. On earth, we see that we are physically alike, and see that we have the same needs, yet we hate and dehumanize one another. Some of these people who reject us and hurt us are family members we feel a definite connection to. So, carrying what you learned from those experiences, you try to process how the Supreme Being could love you, whom you have never seen, whom you strain to relate to, and it seems impossible. It is the wounds from the evil around us that stifle our ability to obtain unto the love of God. The amazing grace shown through the cross of Yeshua the Christ brings the Father’s love within reach. The passion of Christ begins to stir us to the realization of God’s divine love. It is also the divine love demonstrated by those born again through Christ that bares further witness to the prevailing love of God the Father.” (An excerpt from my book, “True Heritage” https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/47347692-true-heritage)

YAHWEH has revealed Himself to us in a very relatable way, by coming to Earth in the form of a human with frailties, and then suffering the death of the cross. He suffered the death on the cross to show the depth of His love for us. Now that He has revealed Himself, the question is, will we love Him. What determines this is how much we value the knowledge of His love, and the relationship He is trying to establish with us. Another factor is, if we understand that an opportunity to know YAHWEH, our Heavenly Father, is the gift of life. The religious and the gospel sensationalist believe and teach that GOD’s love for us is everything, but Yeshua taught that it is our love in return which completes the connection, and opens the conduit of life.

 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” (John 14:21-24)

By the power of the Spirit of Truth which is in me, I can introduce a person to God, but it is their choice to love Him. It is their own love for Him that will determine the sacrifices they are willing to make in order to fulfill the relationship. It is their own adoration and longing for God which will determine the time and effort spent pursuing the knowledge of Him.  It is how much an individual values God which determines if priorities are set before a relationship with Him. A love for this current world, with all of its carnal entrapments, will compete for your focus and affections, but I tell you the things of this world are only lying wonders, and they will never satisfy or fulfill you the way it relationship with your Heavenly Father can. Our Heavenly Father new the carnal mind would emphasize the sacrifice in what is required to know Him, instead of what is gained. That is why He said, “Delight yourself in Him and He would give you the desires of your heart,” and He also said, “Seek first the Dominion of His love, and then everything that pertains to life will be added to you.” It is my hope that what I am sharing here with you will introduce GOD in a way that reveals His sincere love and yearning for you, and that you would choose to love Him back, and that you with Him, will be one of the matches made in heaven.

Knowing the Right Direction Begins With Knowing Where You Are

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

U R Here

You cannot properly plan for your future or plot a correct course for your life, until you have your bearings on where you are. By “where you are,” I am referring to an understanding of your current strengths and weaknesses based on the standards of your Creator; Understanding your values in reference to the mandates of Love; and understanding what you can control and influence in the whole apparatus of your life. Without a grasp on these components of your life, you are ill-prepared to identify a destiny suitable for yourself. There is a plague of narcissism infecting society today which has people’s focus locked on what everyone else has done to impact them, with no sense of what they have done to impact others or themselves. This lack of self-awareness stunts personal growth for the individual, and blocks the development of empathy and unity in the community.

There is one missing element in a person’s life that makes them vulnerable to the state described above, the lack of an ongoing intimate exchange between a person’s soul and the Spirit of GOD. The Holy Spirit is the lamp of GOD in the soul, bringing true awareness to the conditions of the soul, and supplying the strength needed to commit to corrective actions by providing the soul direction, hope, and comfort.  What avails us this opportunity is the death blow to Leviathan by the cross. Leviathan is described in the bible as the King which rules over all of those held captive by pride.  Pride will not allow a person to surrender control of their life to anyone other than themselves. A person ruled by pride is  controlling and tormented by fears.

Only the perfect love of Christ is able dethrone Leviathan and break the power of pride. The love of Christ frees the heart of people from fears, enabling them to trust someone outside of themselves. They become open to accepting the rule of GOD in their lives. The rule of GOD establishes the standards which set a clear path for growth and fulfillment. Reliance on GOD is a firm foundation to building your view of yourself and the world as a whole. This is at the root of the proverb which says, “Commit your ways unto the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” It is also evident in the proverb which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding, and in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” Through trusting the counsel of the Lord, you are able to make sound plans for your life which will bring deep fulfillment.

A Glimpse at Real Marriage

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

threefold

People live together, have sex, share finances, have monogamous relationships, and even have children together but do not consider themselves to be married. People go to work dutifully at corporations and places of employment for upwards of 40 and 50 years, but do not consider themselves married to their jobs. So being loyal to the work in a relationship doesn’t make you married. What then sets marriage apart from these other relationships? The terms of the covenant. In the first example, people enter relationships all the time with no real expressed covenant. It’s often understood, even if not spoken, that either of them can split or go their separate way at any time they feel the need. In the second example of employment, there is a covenant, but it is based on work and some form of compensation and normally doesn’t require ordination by a higher authority like GOD, clergy, or a justice of the peace.  Also, who has ever heard of someone taking a vacation from their marriage, or clocking out from being a spouse until the next day? We probably all have, but I would question if those relationships qualify as marriage at all.  Another important difference to recognize is that everyone needs to work, but everyone does not need to be married. People should only enter a marriage covenant as a result of desiring to be joined to another, not because they need food or shelter, or some other necessity of life.

old couple

People are often praised and esteemed highly if they have been in marriage for many years. Many years of marriage used to be 20 or more years, but due to the pervasion of selfishness in recent times, this has been reduced to ten or more. The principle of quality over quantity has never had a more necessary application than that of marriage. One of my early mentors once said, “Marriage can be the closest thing you experience to either heaven or hell, while still on earth.” How many people have lived unhappily, unfulfilled, or miserably in a marriage relationship for many years, but stayed because divorce was considered a worse option? I have found that many people considering divorce really need to be considering remarriage, because the divorce has actually already taken place; it just has not been formalized. True marriage involves pursuing an intimate knowing of one another, but there are people who consider themselves to be married but are actually strangers, because they never share their true heart with one another. True marriage involves unity or becoming one, but there are couples who consider themselves to be married and they can’t agree or unite on hardly anything. True marriage involves sharing an expression of love for one another, which means each seeks to joyfully fulfill the other at the expense of self, but there are those who consider themselves to be married yet perform the necessities of marriage life grudgingly and painstakingly, only because they feel they have too.

bible 2

I am speaking here about basic biblical marriage. If you are either unfamiliar with biblical teaching or do not believe the holy bible has authority, then your idea of marriage can be what ever you imagine. On the other hand, if you want your marriage to have the life-giving blessings of The Creator, The Most High, YAHWEH (the self-existent one), then there are some specific criteria that must be part of the covenant. For the body of Christ, the Church, one of the main misunderstandings leading to missing the mark and unfulfillment, is not understanding their own heart and coming to terms with what they really value. A drug addict looking to remain drug free, focuses on not doing drugs. They are still in bondage to drugs because it is still their main focus. A person not wanting to be a sinner, focuses on not committing sin. They are still in bondage to sin because sin remains their main focus. A person looking to remain married, focuses on avoiding problems and disagreements, to avoid divorce. They are not free to journey into the joyful depths of real marriage because they are focused on the minimums to avoid divorce. This is also bondage. The Apostle Paul talks about being a bondservant to Christ. This means every day, he lives his life thinking, “How can I get closer to Christ? How can I know Christ more? How can I please and be more of a blessing to Christ? How can I love Christ more? This form of bondage leads to indescribable freedom!

So, what is the key to entering real marriage? It is the same key to a fulfilling life with GOD.

SURRENDER, as a result of experiencing TRUE LOVE.

To be clear, I am not speaking of true love with your spouse, I am speaking of true love between a person and GOD. I am also not speaking of surrendering to your spouse but surrendering to GOD. There is a certain amount of mutual submission required between married couples to find harmony, but it will not happen joyfully if surrender to GOD does not come first. GOD is love, so you need union with Him before you can love anyone, including yourself. GOD must be your FIRST love. That is my desire for every human, whether you are considering true marriage or not. It is from the spring of love that flows from GOD that we have the hope, strength, desire, and knowledge to fulfill the covenant of the joyful marriage He has ordained. Only GOD is good. If you want to be a good husband or a good wife, and have a good marriage, don’t focus on your spouse, focus on GOD, and His goodness will permeate your life. It is this same spring that feeds a true civilized society. So then, what is true marriage? It is individuals expressing their relationship with GOD through physical and social intimacy, bound by a covenant, which He has authorized.

Consciously Addressing the Unconscious

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

turning on the light

I recently took a course on “Unconscious Bias “. I was impressed with the many scientific studies performed which validate this mental phenomenon. The key word being “unconscious”. Somethings are truly too close to see. It is why you are better off sometimes getting someone else to proof your writing. I’m sure we have all looked at an email we sent and realized we left out that missing from the sentence (that was intentional “word”). In humility, we must be opened to having our lives proofed by outside entities, like having our positions fact checked by research, or excepting that our view of something can be improved by receiving information from someone that has a different vantage. Realizing that our world view, as well as our view of ourselves, can me distorted unconsciously by misinformation or a lack of information, we have a moral obligation to consciously seek knowledge to be as truthful as we can be. To say that truth is relative is just an excuse to be immoral. Opinions and feelings are relative, but truth is like math concepts, it is universal and can be applied anywhere to find solutions.

In my book, “True Heritage: Recovering from Spiritual Identity Theft”, I look at some of the consequences suffered by society resulting from not knowing or by ignoring the truth from the Creator. To save civilization, GOD has sent Truth and Light to destroy the darkness which has held humanity captive by deception and the intentional oppression of truth. I appeal to your determination to be the best that you can be, for yourself and your loved ones, and for the community abroad, through an invitation to read this book. You will find a viewpoint that is as ancient as time itself, yet as fresh as this mornings dew.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47347692-true-heritage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Can Receive the Message of Salvation?

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

The Hook

To be born again, you must first die. The missionary can try to fix that up with whip cream and cherries and chocolate chips, but it will always be a bitter truth to those not fed up with their current life. If you love this current world, you will be offended by the cross. To be clear, you will be offended by anyone telling you that you have to sacrifice your life on the cross. Most people will say Christ sacrificing His life on the cross was a beautiful act of love, but when they are asked to take up their own cross to follow Him, they are offended. They know that taking up their own cross means they will have to stop fornicating and living lustfully, stop getting drunk, stop cheating and lying, stop hating their brothers and sisters. In other words, stop living in sin. I know some people will be offended at even reading this. They are offended because their stony hearts have not yet been broken by the love demonstrated from GOD through Christ. The scripture says in 1st John 2:15-16,

“15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

The refusal to surrender your life testifies to the fact that you do not yet love and trust GOD. That is verse 15 of the scripture cited above. You are still doing life your way, instead of putting your life in His hands. This is the reality that I had to face when I was resisting the cross. I had to come to terms with the reality that I was unwilling to surrender the things which were giving me pleasure and making me feel secure, for a chance at receiving the promise of something better in obedience to GOD. To even seriously ponder this proposition, you must know the feeling of a soul starting to buckle from weightiness of life in this world. To make that swap, you have to be convinced of two things; that Yeshua is GOD, and that He really does love you. If you are missing either of these elements in your belief toward GOD, its guaranteed that you have not taken up the cross and totally surrendered your life to GOD.  Hebrews 11: 6 states,

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Those who do not believe the Almighty Creator of all things, in the face of Yeshua the Christ, think they have more options than what are truly available. No greater love has ever been shown greater than the testimony of GOD’s love through the witness of Christ, and until you truly know that, you will always hold on to your self-life. I or know other person, can convince someone to surrender their life to GOD. That point in a person’s existence is orchestrated by GOD, where they will know who it is that is posing the question, “Will you trust me with your life?” Those that have accepted the offer from GOD and want so badly for others to have the same benefits, can only share His love as best they can, and testify to the benefits and terms of the amazing opportunity.

The message of GOD’s Salvation can’t be shared like a bad car salesman trying to get a contract signed by concealing all the cost. Christ new His target market,

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

When the rescue beacon of GOD’s voice finally reached my stony heart, it was shattered at the awareness of how I had dishonored and disrespected Him, and how I had rejected His love in counting Him unworthy of my trust, and at the depth of my injustice at refusing to suffer, in the face of the enormous cost that this salvation was being made offered. All of that, and He continued to pursue me, understanding that He alone had what my heart truly longed for and needed. In light of this, my self-life was wrecked into splinters, like a shipped washed into a mountain side by humungous waves. From that day forward, I have been compelled to surrender all.

The Gospel of Christ doesn’t need augmenting for the 21st century, or for any period in time. The cost of Salvation will always be same, His life in exchange for your death. The proselyte can be of good cheer, because resurrection life is real, and it is far more satisfying!

Understanding The Salvation of GOD

Posted by D.L.Fuller on

People in conversation sometimes make the mistake of thinking they are talking about the same thing. This happens frequently when there is a conversation about biblical things, because there are so many doctrines floating around about the tenets of Christian faith. I have found that few people have a biblical understanding of Salvation, so I have written at length here to try and shed more light on it. A conversation I was privy to recently dealt with the topic: “Once you have confessed that you believe the testimony of Christ, and accept Him as your savior, does your salvation hinge on any actions of your own or is that final.” I see a lot in this topic, just from the view point of the question, which suggest a lack of understanding about what Salvation really is. From outside the veil of the spirit, Salvation is seen mainly as deliverance from eternal judgement in hell. While that is a benefit of Salvation, it isn’t the primary objective of Salvation. Unfortunately, blanket forgiveness fire insurance has become the main hook used by many ministers for the reason to accept Salvation through Christ. A message like that appeals a lot to a guilt-ridden congregation the morning after Saturday night. The Bible promises that the truth will make you free, not feel good. The freedom that comes from adhering to truth makes you feel outstanding! Through the revelation of the Spirit, one comes to understand the main goal of salvation is to reconcile man to GOD, for He is Life. The words of Christ are recorded in John 17:3,

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

It is impossible for the carnal mind to know GOD, so man needed to be born again of the Spirit of GOD. This is what is explained in 1 Corinthians 2:11-12,

“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

Now put that with John 1: 10-13,

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

So, the Salvation of Christ gives us power, through rebirth of the spirit, to receive the knowledge and spirit of GOD (Holy Seed) whereby we are transformed and bear righteous fruit. This rebirth makes it possible for us to have intimate fellowship with GOD…Sweet reconciliation. Forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ makes this new life possible. The blood of the Holy Lamb sanctifies us on the altar, enabling us to be received by GOD and consumed by His Holy Spirit. Without the blood of Christ, we would be considered unclean and rejected. GOD grants us free will through the light of the gospel to confess our sins and to acknowledge our need for the blood of Christ. It is our choice whether to surrender ourselves into His care. Only those that take up the altar of their cross and receive the sprinkling blood are candidates for the rebirth, also called resurrection life. Those accepting salvation merely to avoid suffering, pause at the requirements of new life. Those truly seeking rest for their souls, having the old man shattered from the fall upon the gracious Rock of Salvation, count all things behind as dung, for the opportunity to know more intimately that heart which is filled with immeasurable grace and everlasting love.

Those who have partook of the offering of salvation, are free to make the daily decision to sacrifice carnal life in order to obey the will of the spirit unto life. This is the teaching of the Apostles Paul in Romans 12:1-2,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The act of presenting your body a living sacrifice is not a one-time act. Daily, we must determine to live spiritually, in obedience to the Word and Spirit of GOD. The orientation of this carnal world compels us to act without conscience on impulse. We have to govern these bodies by the power of the spirit, or we may be driven back to the wallowing in the mire, the uncleanliness of living in darkness, the ways of death. Be mindful of the fact that we arrive at that place by choice, not chance. It is when we grieve the spirit by ignoring the gentle guidance, when we stop giving in to the call of GOD to fellowship in prayer, meditation, and study. It is when we allow ourselves to get bitter in the desert from the strict diet of manna and pure waters from heaven, because our flesh misses the sweet meats and drinks of Egypt’s oppression. After being delivered from Egypt, all those that escaped were later destroyed in the wilderness, never to reach the promised land. The only exceptions were Joshua and Caleb. The wilderness symbolizes the journey after Salvation. The ultimate goal of the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt was for them to inherit the promised land. Here is the question at hand, did the Israelites which died in the wilderness lose their salvation. They were delivered from Egypt and they ate the bread of heaven, but they never would surrender their lives in trust to GOD, so they perished before reaching their destination. This is the equivalent of a person today confessing Christ as Savior, but afterwards despising the sufferings required by the cross to inherit new life, therefore turning back to the ways of the flesh and becoming reprobate. This is 1st Corinthians 9:24-27,

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

The Apostle Paul is speaking here about staying faithful unto the end of your journey, so that Salvation can complete its work. The word castaway in these verses comes from a Greek word which means, rejected, unapproved, or reprobate. The goal of salvation is to have you partake of the life which is in GOD through unity with Him, but if you don’t value Him enough to go through the hardships required to connect with Him, how can salvation finish its work in you. Here are a few scriptures that speak to this:

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” (1st Peter 4:1-2)

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:3)

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:35-39)

All these scriptures speak of Salvation as a journey we must persevere through until we obtain the promise of new life. By faith, you have it when you ask for it, but it still must be worked out to fruition. It is the misunderstanding and the erroneous teaching of this next scripture that perpetuates the misguided question…Can you lose your salvation?

 “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:8-10)

Look at the meaning of the words used here in Roman 10:10 which explains the process of Salvation:

“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

We see here that we believe “unto” righteousness, and we confess “unto” salvation. “Unto” is a function word to indicate movement or an action or condition suggestive of a movement toward a place, person, or thing reached. (Merriam Webster) So belief in our heart moves us until we reach righteousness, and confession moves us until we reach salvation. How does one know when they have reached the destination? This is a very personal thing which does manifest itself in a public way. Just like whenever you reach somewhere you are destined to, when you begin to see what you were told would be there, you have arrived. As I shared earlier, the destination of Salvation is knowing GOD. GOD reveals His nature to us by word and spirit. When we begin to see is nature arise in us, it is the evidence that we have gotten to know Him. Study the bible and you will see that often the scriptures say a man knew his wife and then they produced a child. The child is the evident fruit of their union. Those who except the Salvation of Christ are called His bride, and those that go on to know Him bare His fruit. Here are the words of Christ affirming what I am saying here in John15:3-6,

“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

In marriage, a man and a woman become one flesh. You know the physicality of that. The process of a person knowing GOD occurs when through faith, they allow the Word of GOD to penetrate their heart, and they keep it until it matures to new life which issues out of them. It takes time to truly get to know someone. Child baring is a process GOD has given us to understand salvation. In context of marriage, the way GOD intended, it is clear. Through perversion, Satan is attempting to destroy the practice of sex and marriage as originally designed. His goal is to perpetuate his deceptions and to destroy a context for understanding GOD’s plan of salvation, like what I am sharing in this writing.

To know someone, you must spend time together and go through things together. Salvation happens as we get to know GOD. Yeshua didn’t ask the disciples to repeat some words after Him which they couldn’t even understand. He told them to come and follow Him. He tells us to take up our cross and follow Him daily. He is saying, “come get to know me, my thoughts, my words, and my ways.” The journey of salvation is where we get to know Him. Our Father tells us that they which seek Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The gospel of Christ as often taught today, is void of the true reward of salvation, the promise that we can have the life of GOD abounding in us through knowing Him. Salvation is most often presented as a way to escape Hell, but unless this teaching deals with the process which displaces the Hell we carry in us, from our fallen lineage as children of the devil, it is powerless.

The popular understanding of Salvation in our society today is divorced from resurrection living. This skew comes from a love of the world and the things which are in it. GOD can deliver us from Egypt, but can we let go of Egypt? A love for this world, and an attachment to the things of carnal life, is a stronghold keeping many from their cross. Look for a moment at Galatians 14:6,

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Everything that is to fulfill us lies on the other side of the cross. Remember the words of our Savior,

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-25)

Looking at the truth in the word, and understanding free will, can a man decide that he is no longer going to deny himself, and can he also decide that he no longer wants to follow Christ the Savior? If a man does choose to turn away, how will that impact his days from then on and into eternity? Does a man’s salvation hinge on his decisions after saying a confession…. absolutely. Here is the important thing though, if his belief is sincere, then his confession will be true. It follows then that he will embrace the cross in gratefulness and love for the Savior, while hanging onto the hope of eternal glory, and then finish the journey to the end. Take a look at Hebrew 6:1-12,

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3 And this will we do, if God permit.

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

I hope I have clarified what I meant when I said earlier that the question of “Can we lose our salvation?” is misguided. In context of what I am sharing here, I hope it gives new understanding to what salvation is and how we are actually saved from death. Does it make since to ask, if I don’t finish the race will I still get crowned, or if the marriage is not consummated is the bride and groom still one? Run the race to the end and get your crown, believe me, it’s been rigged for you to win. Consummate the marriage and bear the fruit of his seed and no questions need be asked.

I want to end on this note…There is no part of Salvation that we earn or merit of ourselves, it is a gift GOD’s grace. Now that He has graciously put us on the path of life, and is leading in the way, we have to follow Him, one day at a time, one step at a time, by the power He has given us.