Bearing the Fruit of Christ

Saints, The Lord told me a few days ago that the Man-child and Bride are not quite ready for all He has planned. He indicated the time would be soon, but they need to “…Behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.” This is justification by faith and also is how the power to manifest Christ in us comes. 2Co.3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. Today I’m going to talk to you about bearing the fruit of perfection in Christ.

We have learned that we were sanctified and perfected. (Heb.10:14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. We shall be manifested in these things. We receive sanctification and perfection by this position in Christ Jesus. Now we need to cooperate with God to manifest what we’ve received by faith. (Heb.11:1) Now faith is assurance of [things] hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. We want the evidence to be made manifest in our life so that Christ can live through us in this world.

I usually study the Parable of the Sower out of Matthew 13, but I would like us to look at Luke this time. (Luk.8:4) And when a great multitude came together, and they of every city resorted unto him, he spake by a parable: (5) The sower went forth to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden under foot, and the birds of the heaven devoured it. (6) And other fell on the rock; and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture. (7) And other fell amidst the thorns; and the thorns grew with it, and choked it. (8) And other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (9) And his disciples asked him what this parable might be. (10) And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

(11) Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (12) And those by the way side are they that have heard; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. (13) And those on the rock [are] they who, when they have heard, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. (14) And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. So obviously, we’re talking about the manifestation of perfection, which is to bring fruit to perfection. Notice, even though they were receiving the seed, they didn’t bring the fruit to perfection. (15) And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience. These bring forth fruit unto perfection. Glory to God! That’s our hope, that the Lord Himself will manifest His fruit in us.

It’s the seed that brings forth the fruit unto perfection; it’s not us. It’s the seed, the Word of God in us, that has power. One of the points is that we have to hold it fast, hold fast the seed. We see that the seed is being sown in the heart (verse 11) and the seed is the Word of God. If the heart holds it fast, it will bring forth fruit unto perfection. (12) And those by the way side are they that have heard; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. Here the Word is not held fast so that it bears fruit; this is a miscarrying womb.

The heart is the womb that brings forth the fruit, just like the womb of a woman has to hold fast the seed in order for that seed to come to birth. (1Jn.3:9) Whosoever is begotten (the word “begotten” here is the same word for “born”) of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him…. In other words, it stays, it’s being held fast, it “abideth in him.” He cannot sin because he is born of God. So, when the seed abides, it can come to birth, it can bring the fruit to perfection. And we know, since the seed is the Word of God, and Jesus is the Word of God, that the fruit that is born in us is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col.1:27); that is, Christ manifested in His people.

We know that we were perfected at the cross, that His life was given for ours, and that we don’t live anymore – Christ lives in us by faith. But as we hold fast the promise in the midst of the many trials of riches, temptations, and so on, as we hold on to the Word, that Word will bear fruit. Many times in the trial, our mind wants to revert back to the things of the world. Our mind wants to walk by sight instead of by faith, but in the trial, we have opportunity to hold on to the Word and not turn it loose, so that it bears the same fruit of Jesus Christ in us, the same faith, the same miraculous power, the same sanctifying power, manifested through His saints.

When we’re in the midst of the trials, we have to hold fast to the Word and cast down everything else. (2Co.10:5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. That’s the whole point: we are to hold fast to the Word and cast down every other word that empowers the curse. We must cast down the seed of the devil, which is his word and thoughts. Cast it down, cast it out of our mind. We only want the one seed that can bring forth the fruit of Christ. That’s the only seed we want to accept and we have to hold fast to it, because the devil is seeking to take away the seed that’s been sown in our heart. He desperately has to do that, or we will bear fruit and it will be too late. We have to “hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not.”

When you’re in the fiery trial and you know what the promise is, remember that promise is the seed that you have to hold to in order to bear the fruit. We don’t want to have a spiritually-miscarrying womb. Remember, Jesus said, The words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life (Joh.6:63). Any other word besides the Word of God is also spirit and is also life, but not the spirit and life of Christ. We don’t want another life. We don’t want to have “strange children,” as the prophet spoke: (Hos.5:7) “They have borne strange children”. They have to look like the father.

If you have a child who looks strangely different from the father, you wonder, “Now, whose seed is this?” It wasn’t the seed of the father. Well, so it is today. We read the Scriptures in order to become familiar with the Father, Jesus said, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father (Joh.14:9). In other words, Jesus manifested His Father. He was a seed which was in line with His Father, and we have to also be such a seed. The fruit in us has to also be a seed, which is in line with our Father’s Word.

There is an example in Leviticus 19 that points this out pretty well: (Lev.19:19) Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed…. In other words, each seed brings forth after its own kind; you don’t want a mixture here. I remember my father-in-law told me one time about how he planted a row of hot peppers too close to a row of bell peppers and his bell peppers became hot. I can imagine, in some cases, hot bell peppers might be pretty handy, but if you want bell peppers, you want bell peppers.

What the Father is looking for is Jesus. He’s not interested in anything else. He has planted that seed in His field and He wants Christ. (Joh.3:13) … No one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven…. The Lord wants Jesus, so we don’t want two kinds of seed sown in our field, because this is going to be a mixture; it’s not going to be the fruit of Christ. Any mixture takes away from the fruit of Christ.

(Lev.19:19) … Neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together. That’s a good example of “putting on the works of Christ” along with putting on our own works. “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof]” (Rom.13:14). The problem is making sure that the seed is the true seed of the Father, which is the Word of God, making sure that we hold fast to the seed, and making sure that we don’t have a spiritually-miscarrying womb. Leviticus 15 speaks about that in another verse: (Lev.15:19) And if a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood (notice that it doesn’t say “in her body”; it purposely says, “in her flesh”), she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.

This is a parable and, therefore, types and shadows. There’s nothing unclean about the natural thing that this is speaking about. But the spiritual revelation here is that it’s very unclean. (1Co.10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. So what we see here is something concerning a miscarrying womb, because of the issue of blood, where what’s in the blood represents our nature. (Lev.17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood….

The life, the nature, the soul (“soul” is sometimes translated in the New Testament as “nature”) has been passed on to a person through the blood of their parents. This nature of the “old man” is our enemy; it’s the whole problem we’re fighting against. It’s struggling with us and there’s a war going on, but the Blood of Jesus represents His life, His nature, His soul, and bearing fruit is to bear the fruit of the Spirit and soul of Christ in us. That is what the Word manifesting itself in us is all about.

We see here that, if a woman has an issue of blood in her flesh, this is impurity. Why? Because the blood of the old life washes away the seed, and the seed doesn’t bear fruit. The woman is not fertile. In fact, it says here that she will be impure for seven days. She’s not going to be fertile until the eighth day. The eighth day is a new beginning. So in a spiritual way (the verse is not talking about natural women), the “women” spoken of refers to sects and divisions of God’s people, as Scripture speaks about them. (Isa.4:1) And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name…. These “women” are the seven churches doing their own thing.

Women can also be local churches. (2Ti.3:5) Holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away. (6) For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts, (7) ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. So they’re studying, studying, studying. They continue receiving seed, but they’re never coming to the knowledge of the truth. It happens all the time. “Silly women,” as the Scripture calls them, these sects of God’s people who don’t grow up in Him are led captive by these men making disciples of themselves.

(Lev.15:19) … She shall be in her impurity seven days…. (Mat.15:6) … Ye have made void (“of no effect”) the word of God because of your tradition. We see from this that the blood of the woman represents her carnal nature, by which she rejects the seed of Christ (the Word of God), the seed that is to bring forth the life and nature and fruit of the Husband. The Jews were doing just that. They were like a menstruating woman, who were not going to bring forth fruit, because their old nature had determined that they were going to walk after their traditions – those things that were pleasing to their natural life and to their flesh. Therefore, when the Word of God comes along, which sometimes is crucifying to the “old man,” they reject it. It gets washed away by their own nature.

Jesus rebuked them and He told them, Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man (Mat.15:11). Their thinking was coming out of their mouth. That was what was defiling them because they were rejecting the true Word of God. They were making of no effect the Word of God by their tradition, making the seed ineffectual in bringing forth any fruit.

(Lev.15:19) And if a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. Note that the word used here for “unclean” is the same word for “defiled.” Remember Revelation 14:4: “the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb.” It says they “were not defiled with women.” This is talking about them not being defiled with those sects of God’s people who are rejecting the true Seed of God. If we’re not holding fast the Word, then we’re washing it away with our own unclean, fallen nature. (Lev.17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood….

As we read on down, we see: (Lev.15:24) And if any man lie with her, and her impurity be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days…. Well, we know who it is who “lieth” with these women. It is those who are supposed to be sowing the Seed of the Lord. Paul said, For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet [have ye] not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel (1Co.4:15). In other words, Paul sowed the Seed of the Lord God, and it brought forth the fruit of Jesus in those early disciples, and so on. But we see here that those who lie with the woman who was not willing to give up her old life, to give fertile ground to the seed, then that man is unclean, too.

(2Ti.3:6) For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts, (7) ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus said the same thing, “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand” (Luk.8:10). Jesus wasn’t going to sow the seed in that infertile ground. He wasn’t going to give the true Word of God to those people who had no respect for it, and who would just wash it away, like throwing pearls before swine.

It’s that same way today. The true Word of God will not be received by many apostate Christians, and a person wastes their time trying to give it to them. Those apostate Christians will disrespect God’s Word and will cast it to the ground. So the woman with an issue is going to stay in her impurity and the man who sows seed in her is going to stay in his impurity seven days.

These people have the unscriptural idea that they’re going to escape by flying away and miss the seven days of the Tribulation. They’re not going to do it. (Lev.15:28) But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. We’re coming to the time when people need to be cleansed so that at the end of the seven days (the seven-year Tribulation), they’ll be ready to meet the Lord. (Lev.15:29) And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting. (30) And the priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before the Lord for the issue of her uncleanness. (31) Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is in the midst of them. Now we see here that we’re talking about a defiling of a tabernacle, a body of God’s people, a temporary temple of God’s people.

This tabernacle is being defiled because they’ve cast the Word of God to the ground. They have been caught up in the traditions of men, so that their own opinions and their own ideas are more important to them than receiving the Seed of the Word. I’m reminded of this: (Isa.32:9) Rise up, ye women that are at ease, [and] hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech. (10) For days beyond a year shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come. The ingathering harvest (the Rapture) that they’re all expecting to be at the beginning of the seven days won’t come until the end of the seven days. Why? Because they’re defiled.

The vintage did not bear fruit. (11) Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones; strip you, and make you bare (in other words, take off those mixed garments), and gird [sackcloth] upon your loins. And when does He say they are going to bear fruit? (15) Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest. The wilderness is called the Tribulation in Revelation chapters 12 and 17. The “firstfruits” in Revelation 14 “were not defiled with women.” So we see these women who are defiled, have to go through the Great Tribulation in order to be purified. God’s plan is going to be fulfilled.

For those of you who are walking undefiled now, that’s great, and praise be to God when we come to respect God’s Word above our own thinking and the traditions of men. It’s going to take a pure Word. Jesus said to these people, “ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world” (Joh.8:23). We can’t have the mixture of two seeds in our field. There can only be one seed that is not of this world and brings forth the fruit of Jesus Christ.

Remember the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares? The word there for “seed” is the word sperma, letting us know this is not just talking about plants here. The Word, sperma, is what’s going to bring forth this wheat. When a person sows good seed in their field, the Lord’s sperma is there. Who sowed those tares among the wheat? Jesus said, “an enemy hath done this” (Mat.13:28). There’s not supposed to be two seeds sown in the same field. The field, here is in the Kingdom of God on this earth. But in our life, it’s up to us to make sure we cast down the bad seed, which is, “imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God” (2Co.10:5). Receive only and hold fast to the good seed because the good seed will bring forth the birth.

In Luke 8, we’re told, (Luk.8:15) … that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience. I pointed out that in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the Lord used the word sperma. The sperma only brings forth after the nature of the Father, so that’s using a human analogy. Jesus does the same thing again in this chapter: (21) But he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these that hear the word of God, and do it. Jesus also said, (Mat.7:24) Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And He said that the wind and the storm and the rain that comes will not tear down that house because it’s built on the Rock (verse 25).

So we see that to be Jesus’ brother, we must be from the same Father and through the same “mother.” And to be His mother, we must bear the same fruit. We must bear the fruit of Jesus Christ. His fruit must be born in us. We must hold fast to the Seed of the Word of God, so that His fruit will be born in us. When the disciples came to Him and they said, “Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee” (Luk.8:20), He responded, (Mar.3:33) “Who is my mother and my brethren?” He always wanted to bring things to a spiritual level. (34) And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren! (35) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

We have another example in Luke 11 of a woman on a natural level who came to Jesus: (Luk.11:27) And it came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck. (28) But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. This woman could have been a Mariolater, of Mariolatry in our day. It was important to her to know who the physical mother of Jesus was, but He said, “No, that’s not important,” because God could have picked anybody to do that, in that she was the mother of His flesh, not the mother of His spiritual “man.” The important thing is that this parable is fulfilled in our day. Who should bring forth Christ now? Those who hear the Word of God and keep it. So when we think about the mother of Jesus, Jesus applies this to us.

In Isaiah 7, we see this parable: (Isa.7:14) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign (The word “sign” here is owth and it means “omen,” which is a sign of something to come. Now this is the sign of something to come.): behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son…. How is it that Mary was a sign of something to come? Most importantly, she was a virgin. There was no seed of man; it was the seed of God that brought forth the fruit of Jesus Christ in her. In Revelation 12, we see what appears to be a virtuous woman with the 12 stars around her head, standing on the moon (in other words, reflecting the light of the Son), and she’s clothed with the sun (she has put on the Lord Jesus Christ), and she’s bringing forth, or birthing, the “man-child.” So, that woman must be a virgin. Just to fulfill the type and the shadow, she has to be a group of people who are rejecting the word of man. They’re rejecting the seed, or sperma, of man. She must be a virgin. So, therefore, in these end-times, at the time of the birthing of the man-child, there is a group of people who are rejecting the seed of men.

There are two things about that little parable in Revelation 12: one, I think, that is individual and the other that is corporate. Each one of us, as the mother of Christ, must be rejecting the seed of man: what man has to say, what man has to think, what this man in whom we walk thinks and believes with his sight and with his feelings, and so on. We’re to reject those things in order to believe, to stand on, and to hold fast to only the Word of God, so that it bears fruit.

Corporately, there is a body of people who are at this time rejecting the words of man, the seeds of man, and they will bring forth a corporate man-child who is the firstfruits of those who walk in the steps of Jesus Christ in the coming days. We see here that this sign is that they have to be a virgin: (14) … A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us). Jesus wasn’t just with them; He’s just as much with us. He is still Immanuel, God with us. In fact, every Christian carries Jesus, as God, with them, because they’re all pregnant with Jesus. They have all been pregnant with Jesus because of the Word of God, to which they highly respect and hold fast. They’re going to bring forth His fruit.

In Luke 1, we see the story of Mary, which is that sign. The angel Gabriel came and appeared to Mary, saying to her, (Luk.1:28) … Hail, thou that art highly favored (or, indued with grace), the Lord [is] with thee. This is very similar to what we saw about “Immanuel” or “God with us.” “The Lord” here is the word kurios, which is “lord” or “master,” and is used all through the New Testament. The Will of the Lord (Who is “God with us”) is being fulfilled through the type and shadow of Mary in His church and in His people, because everyone who hears and does the Word of God is like Mary. They are like His mother.

Then Gabriel says, (30) … Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor (or grace) with God. Mary wasn’t the person that a lot of Mariolatry religions want to make her out to be. She had to have grace; she had to be saved; she had to be filled with the Spirit, and she had other children after Jesus, after she fulfilled this type. It goes on: (31) And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb (this is the Word of the Lord going through the angel Gabriel, God’s leading messenger angel), and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (which originally meant “YHWH is salvation”). He is “Immanuel” – “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14) but the promise to Mary, as the mother of Jesus, was that she would bear the fruit of Jesus. This was the promise, and that’s the promise to us, too.

The Bible says the same thing about us, that we will bear His fruit: (32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. Once again, a firstfruit is coming forth in this day who will sit in the throne of David. It is Jesus Christ in a body of David, just like it happened in Luke at that time. (33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (34) And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Well, there it is. We see she had not known a man; it was not a man’s seed that would bring forth this Son of God, obviously. Each seed brings forth after its own kind. If it’s the seed of man, the only thing she could have would be man.

Jesus said, “Ye are from beneath; I am from above” (Joh.8:23). He is born from above. No seed of man can bring forth anything from above, and so, she knew not a man. She was a virgin. (Luk.1:35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power (dunamis) of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also [it says in the Numerics, “that which is born”] shall be called holy, the Son of God. That’s a better translation than in the ASV text, which reads, (35) … wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God. (36) And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that was called barren.

The next verse is very enlightening, especially in the original wording, which says, (37) For no word from God shall be void of power. You see, Mary had a Word from God, a Word that by itself could bring forth in her the Son of God. Now I know some translations say, “Nothing shall be impossible with God,” but the word here is “no word (rhema) from God shall be void of power (paI dunateo).” “Impossible” does not represent the original wording there. Everything that God says has the power; it is the Seed that has the power to bring forth itself in a fertile womb. So the Word of God in our heart has the power to bring forth Jesus Christ in us. It is His sperma. It has the power. All we have to do is give it fertile ground. We are Mary if we give the Word of God, which comes down out of heaven, which is not from man, fertile ground. And what did Mary say? (38) And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word…. In other words, she was in agreement with the Word of God. “Let it be so, Lord.” “Just as You say.” “I agree with that.” “I accept that, Lord.”

Many people today are just washing the seed away. They argue with the Word of God, thinking that they have a right to their own opinion. We don’t have a right to have our own opinion – we’re dead. Dead men don’t have their own opinions. We died with Christ and He now lives in us. We have His opinion, so believe what He says. Mary was in agreement with the Word that came from the Lord. Every word from God is powerful. It has the power to bring forth what it says. (38) … And the angel departed from her. She said, “be it unto me according to thy” rhema, and he “departed from her.” (39) And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; (40) and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth.

(41) And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; (42) and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, Blessed [art] thou among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of thy womb. And the same is true today: blessed is the fruit of the womb of this natural life that brings forth the fruit of Christ. (43) And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? (44) For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. (45) And blessed [is] she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord. The things that were spoken to her from the Lord, the Word of God, shall not be void of power. And, because she believed, there was a fulfillment of the words of God – all the words of God.

Many Christians believe that these words of God are just naturally going to be fulfilled. However, they won’t be fulfilled if a person doesn’t have faith. The Word of God has power, but Mary had to agree with what was promised to her by the Word of the Lord: (45) And blessed [is] she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord. Yes, the Lord says, For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (Heb.10:14), but there may never be a fulfillment of that for us, unless we believe, as Mary did. Belief gives fertile ground to the seed, which will bear fruit when a person agrees with it, accepts it and walks in it by faith. We fight a battle with the devil, who has an ally, the old carnal nature, working with him and against us.

The devil can steal the seed because he has agreement in the carnal nature, which washes the seed away. The carnal nature won’t let that seed be held fast, so that it can bear fruit. We’re like Mary only if we hold to the Word of God, as 2 Thessalonians says: (1:10) When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day. Why? “[O]ur testimony unto you was believed.” Jesus is coming to be glorified in His people because that testimony of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” will be believed “in that day.”

This is talking about the time immediately before the coming of the Lord; look at the text. So, right before the coming of the Lord, God’s people are once again going to believe in the Gospel that has been spoken to the “woman” church. Remember what Jesus said: (Mat.9:29) … According to your faith be it done unto you. (Mat.8:13) … As thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. Do you believe that the seed of the promise of the Word of God can bring forth Jesus Christ in you? If you do, it will happen.

We hear all the time in the churches that we can’t be perfect, but there’s no such verse in Scripture. We’re going to read over and over in the Bible what it has to say about perfection before we’re through with this teaching. What we have to agree with is, “Okay, Lord. You said it and I believe it. If, at the cross, You perfected me forever, as Hebrews 10 says, then I accept that Word. Be it unto Thy handmaid, according to the Word of the Lord.” Believe it; receive it. If God says it, it’s yours. When you believe it, (Luk.1:45) Blessed [is] she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord. We believe it. We receive it.

In Colossians, we read, (Col.1:25) Whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation (or, the word is actually “stewardship”) of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God. In other words, even though God has made this promise, He sends forth ministers (a messenger) to share the truth of this revelation with us, just like the messenger who came to Mary. And it’s the same message of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Now, when we believe that, blessed are we who believe, for there shall be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to us from the Lord.

Some people say, “Well, I don’t believe that. We believe we’re sinners saved by grace.” Now that’s not in the Bible! That’s a tradition. The Bible says, “He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb.10:14). “Sanctified” means “separated from the world.” If we are separated from the world, then we believe what God says: (Col.1:25) … (A stewardship) of God, which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God, (26) [even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations; but now hath it been manifested to his saints. So, in the time of Paul, the wonderful revelation that he was about to share was made known. And, though they lost it shortly after that, in our day, once again, it is being made known.

And what is that wonderful revelation? (27) To whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We have no hope of glory outside of Christ in us. The seed brings forth the fruit of Jesus Christ. The part of us that was original, this old man, this old life, is just the dirt in which the seed was sown, but the seed is what brings forth Christ. Each of us must hold fast the seed and not be a miscarrying womb. (27) … Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Col.1:28) whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ. In other words, this is talking about manifestation. We preach the wonderful mystery of “Christ in you,” the holding fast of the seed of the Word, as the mother of the Son of God – being manifested in us and soon to be seen of men.

“Present every man perfect in Christ.” Some may say, “But I thought we were already perfect?” Yes, we are by faith, and now Scripture is talking about manifesting that faith. Faith is the substance of the thing hoped for while the evidence is not yet seen, so faith gives us this substance, as a position in Christ, until the manifestation comes. It’s like believing for a healing – it’s a whole lot better to get one. The faith is just a meantime substance. God wants us to manifest that healing, that deliverance, that provision to us, and that is Christ in us! That is what we hold fast, what we’re not shaken away from. We’re not going to let the devil steal it from us. It’s our right in Jesus Christ. Amen!

Paul goes on to say, (29) whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. The Lord is working in us to bring this to pass, as the Lord was working through Paul, His minister, to share this wonderful mystery, this revelation with the disciples in those days. Now we’re entering into a time when God is going to share this wonderful revelation in these days with His people. He’s going to work mightily through His ministers and He’s going to work mightily through His people to manifest Christ in them. It’s a wonderful revelation and it’s a wonderful fulfillment! Christ is once again going to walk in this earth because God’s people are going to believe. (2Th.1:10) When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day. Paul was saying that he didn’t think it was completely believed in his day: “Our testimony unto you was believed … in that day.” In other words, God is going to share special grace with His people to believe once again this mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Glory to God! We are the mother of Christ! We hear and do the Word of God. We’re not hearers deluding ourselves, beholding our natural face in the mirror: (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. We accept from the beginning that Christ now lives in us, that we no longer live. We accept it by faith, and because we accept it by faith, God says it is going to be manifested. So glory be to God!

This is the perfection that we have in Christ and it will be manifested through us as we abide in Christ. This is “that perfection.” Also, we have this word: (Luk.8:14) And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. The word “perfection” here is a strange word not used anywhere else in the Bible. It’s the word telesphoreo. There’s a common word for “perfection” – teleios – but this word is telesphoreo and it means “to bring to perfection” or “end in view.” In other words, we have to see the end from the beginning. We have to call these things that be not as though they were. We’re “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” (to look in the mirror and see Jesus; that’s having farsightedness) and “are transformed into” that “same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.” And Paul prefaces that with, “But we all, with unveiled face,” so this telesphoreo we see from the beginning. We’re seeing it, accepting it and we’re walking toward it, and we’re going to receive it by faith.

Isn’t it awesome? This is God’s promise to us! Oh, praise be to God! Listen, saints, get into the Word of God. It’s the only thing that brings forth Jesus. Love the Lord. Don’t be distracted. Cast down the words of man.

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Bearing the Fruit of Christ (2)

(audio)

David Eells – 4/27/25

I’m going to continue with our teaching on bearing the fruit of Christ and today, we’ll look at the key to manifesting His perfection.

It’s exciting what the Lord is revealing these days. I believe it will empower multitudes of Christians to stand up and take advantage of the fact that the Lord has provided for them to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ. Brethren, we are going to shake the world, not by our might, but by His. He is restoring everything that has been taken from us and in the days ahead it will be done. Glory to God!

The revelation of perfection will be restored. The worldly church rails against the idea that we can be “perfect,” although we’re not doing anything but reading the Bible. What these people are railing against is the Word of God. (Luk.8:14) And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. (15) And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience.

This phrase, “They … bring no fruit to perfection,” implies that the end result is bringing forth “fruit to perfection.” I mentioned briefly in our last teaching that the common word in Greek for “perfection” is teleios, which means “having reached its end; finished; complete; perfect.” But the word here in this passage is the only word in the Bible like this (and this is the “perfect” place for it, by the way). It’s the word telesphoreo, and it means “to bring to completion, or perfection, with an end in view.” This is the key to manifesting God’s perfection. It’s nothing that we in ourselves have any possibility of doing, but the Father is giving us the key to take hold of His power, so that He Himself is the One Who perfects us.

This key has been hidden for many generations, according to Paul. It has been snuffed out for the last 2000 years in large communities of God’s people. In these days, it’s being revealed again. The key is “the end in view,” seeing the end as something God has already provided for you. You are accepting the finished work of Christ as a free gift. (Heb.10:10) By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. We also studied that sanctification is received first by faith and then by manifestation as we hold to our faith. (14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. So He sanctified us and perfected us by that one offering up of the body of Christ.

It’s already done. The Lord wants us to accept His free gift that we’ve been delivered from sin, that we’ve been separated from the world, and that we’ve been perfected. That’s what the Bible says. To deny that is to deny the Gospel, and there are many anti-Christ preachers out there who are doing just that. They are denying the real Gospel. They have a social gospel.

Peter speaks about seeing “the end in view.” (2Pe.1:2) Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. There is a way in which we receive favor from God for knowledge, and here is some of that knowledge: (3) seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue. He “hath granted”; it’s already been given. We are seeing “the end in view.” We’re accepting that He has already given us everything that we’re ever going to receive. He’s already given us that life and godliness which comes through the knowledge of the Gospel.

(4) Whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature (that’s perfection), having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Being delivered from our sins and, instead, being given over to the divine nature of Christ is something He twice says He “hath granted.” And since it’s already been given, we see it as done, we see it as accomplished. This is the key to what faith is. Faith “calleth the things that are not, as though they were” (Rom.4:17).

We are told how to see in the Spirit here. It’s easy to revert back to the flesh, to see things the way they are, but if we do that, we’re not seeing “the end in view.” We won’t have our eyes on the accomplished fact of what the Cross gave unto us.

Peter continues: (2Pe.1:5) Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence in your faith…. We have to be diligent to hold fast to the faith of the Gospel, so that God may present us “holy and without blemish and unreprovable before him” (Col.1:22). We have to hold fast to the faith which sees “the end in view.” “All diligence in your faith” has no comma after “diligence,” as some versions have. The comma is correctly after “faith,” because we can’t add anything on our part. This is all God’s work, but we can be diligent in the faith that God has given unto us. (2Pe.1:5) … Supply virtue; and in [your] virtue knowledge; (6) and in [your] knowledge self-control; and in [your] self-control patience; and in [your] patience godliness; (7) and in [your] godliness brotherly kindness; and in [your] brotherly kindness love. (8) For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice this: (9) For he that lacketh these things…. Do we lack these things? No, we don’t, because He tells us in verse three, “seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us” all of this. We receive them by faith and this is the key, the clue. Many people are tormented by how they see themselves, but God’s telling you to see yourself by faith, to see that you have received His divine nature by faith, and He’s given you everything that pertains unto “life” which is zoe, God’s life. (9) For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. In other words, if we think we lack all of this, we are near sighted because we are not seeing “the end in view.” We’re not seeing what the Lord says He has given unto us freely, and there’s no faith involved in our walk with the Lord. That’s like seeing our “natural face in a mirror” (Jas.1:23).

James also said that we will be “a hearer of the word and not a doer” of the Word because we see only the natural; we don’t see “the end in view.” (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. We see “the end in view,” which is our perfect Christ Himself. He is the One Who sowed the seed in our heart, as we’ve studied. That seed is His life, His sperma that brings forth His life in us. We see “the end in view,” which is these attributes of Christ that have been given to us. This is the real Gospel.

(2Pe.1:9) For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near…. Those people are near sighted and not “the end in view.” They see their “natural face in a mirror” (Jas.1:23), (2Pe:1:9) “having forgotten the cleansing from (their) old sins.” People do revert back to walking by sight instead of by faith, back to seeing themselves as they are, and being anxious and troubled, because they want to please the Lord, but, at the same time, they see their sinfulness. They set their eyes on their failures and begin to stumble because they have no faith left. They’re not seeing the end from the beginning, as God teaches us.

Truly, when we do sin, we just confess it, and he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1Jn.1:9). We need to confess it, forsake it and step back into that position in Christ, believing and seeing the end from the beginning: that He has given us His divine nature. This is the “secret” of Christianity. It’s faith in a power far, far above ours. It’s faith in God’s power, Who can do as He pleases in us if we give Him this faith.

Jesus said, “According to your faith be it done unto you” (Mat.9:29), and “as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee” (Mat.8:13). The Lord expects us to exercise our faith, to partake of His divine nature. He expects us, as telesphoreo says, (“to bring to completion” or “end in view”), to see it the way God has stated it. If He said it, then that settles it in our heart. This is what we’re holding fast to and not going to turn loose of. We fight the good fight of faith, we cast down imaginations that come into our life, and we accept only what God says. (Rom.1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth…. The good news is that we’ve been given God’s divine nature, His attributes. There’s been an exchange made. Christ and His life, benefits and blessings have been given to us, and He’s taken our curse and sins and put them on the Cross. So, that’s really good news! God is restoring what was hidden.

(Col.1:26) [Even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints, (27) to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. “Christ in you”! How do we get Christ in us? That’s a “good confession in the sight of many witnesses” (1Ti.6:12), a bold confession of the Gospel.

The Bible says, if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth, that we will have it: (Rom.10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Salvation from what? Sin and its curse; which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The word “hope” here in the New Testament actually means “a firm expectation.” We expect the Lord to do what He said He would do, so much that we obey what Jesus said in (Mar.11:24) … All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (past tense) them, and ye shall have them. We believe we received them because by that one sacrifice we did receive them. Everything we pray for has been accomplished by Jesus on the Cross and we’re supposed to see that it’s been done now, because we have “the end in view.”

That’s how we bring forth fruit unto perfection. It’s nothing that you and I can do. It has to be done by God Himself, but we can exercise faith in the good news that He’s given unto us, which is the power of God unto salvation. (Col.1:28) Whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; (29) whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Paul’s not taking any credit here. He labors, striving according to God’s working that works in him. When people walk by faith, God stands up in them. It is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This is the mystery that was hidden for generations until the apostles revealed it and now, once again, God’s people have fallen into the Dark Ages because the real Gospel has been lost for so long.

There’s been a minority of people going all the way through those ages who held fast to the Word and grew in God, and who were persecuted by the apostate church, as there will be in our day. But multitudes are coming back to the revelation of the true Gospel. They’re finding out that they were lied to concerning what the Lord has done for them. They’ve tried and failed to pick themselves up by their bootstraps; they’ve tried and failed to be pleasing unto God of their own self-effort because they were not exercising any faith, and they were not getting any grace. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God. So, if we have that gift of faith working in us, we need to be sure we’re cooperating with God so that He may bring us to what the Bible calls “perfection,” which has also been translated “complete” and “finished.”

What is “complete” and “finished”? We behold “as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” (2Co.3:18). He is complete and finished, the Son of God. And God, through Him, is manifesting His sons in the earth today, much more so as we draw nearer to the end. Glory be to God for the Good News, the great Gospel!

I like especially what Paul said: (Php.3:8) Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord (everything is worthless compared to that): for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, (9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, [even] that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. We need that imputed righteousness which is from God by faith in the Gospel.

We believe that Jesus took away our sins and gave us His life, and that now we’re saints. We were sinners but now we are saved from sin by grace. We are claiming by faith the righteousness which is from God and is first imputed and then manifested. Like everything we ask for by faith, when we’re standing in faith we don’t see it, but everything we stand for by faith becomes manifested because Jesus said, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (past tense) them, and ye shall have them (Mar.11:24).

So there comes a manifestation to those who believe they have received. Some preach, “That’s just something that God’s going to do for you in heaven in the sweet by-and-by.” We have to die to this kind of fleshly thinking. Jesus said in (Mat.9:29) According to your faith be it done unto you. Jesus died so we could die to self and fleshly thinking which gets us nothing. (Rom 12:2) And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So the Lord is bringing us through this conformity to His own death, as we behold “in a mirror the glory of the Lord” (2Co.3:18), and also as it says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal.2:20). So then, also, a conformity to His resurrection power is brought forth by faith in this life! That’s what he’s saying very plainly, as we see in the next verse: (Php.3:11) if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. The word for “resurrection” here is a word used in this text and nowhere else in the Bible, and it means “the out-resurrection from among the dead.” We are truly being resurrected, like Paul spoke about in the Spirit, from among the dead around us. They are dead in their sins, according to Ephesians 2:1. We are entering into the resurrection life of Christ as we continue to believe that His life is the life that now lives in us. Notice carefully: (1Jn 4:17) Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is (Resurrection life), even so are we in this world. We receive it in this world.

That faith is accounted as righteousness and it brings righteousness: (12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect…. He says very plainly that what he’s attaining to is becoming perfect in this life. He was talking about it while he was standing there with the disciples: (12) … But I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. Why did Christ lay hold on us? To give us His Christlike perfection! That’s what he just got through saying very plainly.

Don’t sell the Lord short and don’t sell yourselves short by disagreeing with God’s Word because if we depart from His Word, we won’t have the benefits of it. This is the Gospel. The Lord perfected us with one offering. We need to hold fast to this gift until God brings this completion to pass in us, this maturity in Christ. Christ walking in us is the end result.

(Php.3:13) Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold…. In other words, he doesn’t say that this was manifested in his life at the time. Paul’s not saying, “I am perfect, manifestly.” He’s saying that he’s perfect by faith. He is claiming this gift that can’t be seen yet, but which is being manifested as he holds on to it. (13) … But one thing [I do,] forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, (14) I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So we see that this “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” is perfection. We behold “in the mirror the glory of the Lord” (2Co.3:18).

We don’t live anymore; Christ lives in us. It’s a bold confession of the faith of the Gospel, that the Lord is able to bring to pass. (Php.3:15) Let us therefore, as many as are perfect…. He just taught that “I’m not claiming that I’ve arrived or that I’ve manifested perfection, but I am claiming that I am perfect by faith.” (15) Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you. See, when you walk by faith, you could be missing some things. But if you’re walking by faith, He’s the One Who is your Savior. He will bring it to pass and He can never fail you, if you’re walking by faith. (16) Only, whereunto we have attained, by that same [rule] let us walk. Oh, thank You, Father! This is awesome!

Let’s look at something in (Rom.6:6) Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him,] that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin. Do you want the body of sin to be done away? Do you want to be delivered from the bondage of sin? Well, then you have to know this, that your old man was already crucified. You don’t live anymore because you were crucified with Christ. It’s God’s plan that we shouldn’t live in bondage to sin. I don’t care what the preachers have told you. I don’t care about the anti-Christ gospel that’s been shared with you. This is the true Gospel. This is how faith, that miraculous substance of the things that we hope for, works in our life. You believe what God says, holding fast to it, and He’ll take care of bringing it to pass. (11) Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Are you dead to sin? Well, of course you are. You were crucified with Christ. How could you be anything else? That’s how faith works.

This is not joining the “name it and claim it” people. We’re not naming it; God’s naming it. We’re claiming it because it is the “good confession.” The word “confession” means “to speak the same as.” If God says it about you, you’d better say it, too. You’d better agree with Him. The Bible says, Shall two walk together, except they have agreed? (Amo.3:3) How can you walk with the Lord if you’re not agreeing with Him? You definitely won’t be a disciple, meaning a learner and follower. (Rom.6:11) Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. (12) Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof. So, faith is a way of deliverance from the bondage of sin in your physical body.

The Lord has delivered us, so how could we confess anything else but the good news, the Gospel? (18) And being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. You have been made free from sin. Why are preachers determined to make you out to be a sinner when the Bible says, He was “the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world” (Joh.1:29)?

Do you believe that He bore away your sins and now you are the righteousness of God in Christ? Will you confess the good news of the Gospel? Will you hold fast and continue to fight the good fight of faith? It’s already been accomplished, and you can’t talk Him out of it, but you can give it up. (Rom.6:22) But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification…. By one offering He has already sanctified us, but we also by faith already have the fruit of that sanctification. Claim it! God will manifest it in you. We have to call the things that be not as though they were. We are telesphoreo, we are seeing the “end in view.” We claim that as our vision. We see “that His divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2Pe.1:3). We see that as done. Praise God that it’s finished as Jesus said.

I like what 1 John has to say concerning this: (1Jn.3:2) Beloved, now are we children of God…. The word for “children” is teknon here, not huios. It is “children” in this passage, not “sons.” It’s not talking about “sonship,” but about “manifestly” what you are. (1Jn.3:2) Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be…. We know what we’re claiming from what we already read: we’re beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord. (2) … It is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested…. The word is definitely “if” there in the ancient manuscripts, the Numerics, even the Received Text. The word is “if” because it’s not talking about the physical coming of the Lord. It’s talking about the coming of the Lord in His people, the Lord being manifested in us.

The word “manifested” here is phaneroo, which means “to make visible; to cause to shine.” It’s like a light bulb in you. He’s turning up the glory, the light, the brilliance. You see, as you believe the Gospel, it’s being manifested in you. (2) … We know that, if he shall be manifested (that is, in us), we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. Wow! There it is: seeing the end from the beginning. These are the people who see Him “as He is”, not another Jesus.

Can you imagine beholding in a mirror another Jesus and being transformed into that image? That’s what happens every day, in thousands of churches around the world. They’re painting for you the picture of another Jesus, and you’re admiring that picture. People are coming into that image, and it’s a sad thing. Only the Word of God can bring forth the real, true Jesus. Paul complained about another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit.

(2) … We shall see him even as he is. (3) And every one that hath this hope [set] on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Do you have the hope of seeing Him even as He is? Are you coming to completion because you telesphoreo – you see the end in view? So we have something to do in this; we have to cooperate with God in this process. And how pure may we become? (3) … Even as he is pure.

The question isn’t, “Can WE do that?” Salvation doesn’t come from us. People are questioning God: “Can God do that?” They don’t believe God can do this. They don’t preach the Gospel that is the power of God to save people. Those preachers end up with a “social” gospel that doesn’t do anything but make people feel self-righteous, because they’re “Christians.” They go to church. They’re this religion or that religion. What I am teaching has to do with the real, true Christianity that the Bible says we’re to, “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints” (Jud.1:3).

I also like what Ephesians says about the manifestation of perfection. Listen to this, those of you who don’t believe in perfection, because you don’t know the power of God: (Eph.3:14) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, (15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, (16) that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; (17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…. He’s talking to Christians. Some Christians say, “Well, Christ came into my heart.” Are you sure you didn’t just receive the born again Spirit of Christ? Because when Christ is in your heart, He’s manifested in your soul, in your nature.

What he’s saying here is that His Spirit in the inward man will strengthen you so that Christ will be manifested in your heart. This is the glory of God that he’s talking about. (17) … Through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. That’s a mouthful, so let’s back up again here. He says, “That ye … may be strong to apprehend.” The versions that say “comprehend” have not translated the original word at all. “Comprehend” is not in the ancient manuscripts and not in the numeric pattern. It’s not just “understanding” what God has done; it’s “apprehending,” or manifesting what God has done, what God has given unto you.

(18) … With all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth (Of what? Everything that Christ is!), (19) and to know the love of Christ (so apprehend all that He is, including His love) which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. Now most religions, most ministers, do not offer to us the hope of being filled with the fullness of God. They avoid this verse and a lot of verses like it. They avoid the dozens of verses that we’ve been looking at concerning perfection because they claim there is no perfection.

They’ve never read their Bible and they’re denying God’s people the benefits of the Kingdom. They’re not sharing with them the Gospel because they don’t know it themselves. The Gospel is exciting! God’s giving us a free gift of His Own life!

“Through faith” in what He’s already proclaimed, “that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God.” Pay attention to the next two verses: (Eph.3:20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us (it’s God’s power working in us, and He is able), (21) unto him [be] the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever…. It’s His power, His gift, His faith, and God is offering us this faith daily.

Even if we know this revelation, we can forget it. We can start gravitating back toward the thoughts of the old man, the natural sight and the feelings, instead of holding fast to what we’re supposed to confess by faith. God is able to do more than we can think of. Does that include perfection? Of course! (Eph 3:20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power (His Power) that worketh in us. So, we can believe for more than we think.

Paul is not through because he teaches this again: (Eph.4:11) And he gave some [to be] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) for the perfecting of the saints…. There’s one reason the saints aren’t being perfected, right there: that Nicolaitan error that God said He hated. The pastor is not the head of the church. The head of every man is Christ, not the pastor. The Bible doesn’t teach the Nicolaitan error, which means “to conquer the laity.” It was a priestly order, somebody between you and God, that did your work for you and brought you to God. But there’s no “one-fold” ministry in the Scriptures.

There is a five-fold ministry and Paul just said that it takes the five-fold ministry to perfect us. The Man-child Jesus raised up this ministry through His apostles and He will do it in our day. (12) For the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering…. The Lord doesn’t want us to be perpetual students, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2Ti.3:7). He wants us to be ministers for Him, in different capacities.

I’m not saying He’s calling us all to be elders: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers; but He called us all to minister for Him in whatever capacity we are qualified for. “Minister” here means “a servant.” (Eph.4:12) … unto the building up of the body of Christ: (13) till we all attain unto the unity of the faith…. Jesus said that there would be one flock and one shepherd. That lets us know that He’s bringing His people once again out of the apostate denominations, exactly as Jesus did in His day. He drew them out of the apostate divisions of Judaism and today out of apostate divisions of Christianity, by His grace, into the unity of one flock and one shepherd.

Paul continues this thought: (13) Till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a fullgrown man…. “Fullgrown” here is the word teleios, which means “perfect,” “unto a perfect man.” Some say, “Now David, he’s not talking about us individually being perfect; he’s talking about the body being perfect.” Well, how can a body be perfect if it has an imperfect member? That’s not a perfect body, so we know he’s talking about both the corporate and individual body here. (13) … unto a fullgrown (or perfect) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. We’re growing up to the fullness of Christ if we believe it. We individually behold “as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,” and “are transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2Co.3:18).

The Lord ordained that He would live in us. He is Immanuel, “God With Us.” He left an individual body in order to come back in a corporate body, to minister to the whole world. That process has been thwarted by leaders who don’t believe the Gospel, just as it was in Jesus’ day. History continues to repeat, and God’s judgments do that, too. We are “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).

(14) That we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; (15) but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, [even] Christ. We grow up in all things into Him, His headship, His perfect lordship over our life. This is the expected end that we’re supposed to have in view. You have to see it before you go there. If a person has a perverted Jesus, they can’t go to the real Jesus.

We need the Scriptures to find out Who Jesus really is. I challenge you, in the Name of Jesus, that if you’ve been sitting in a religion and you haven’t been growing, go home and read your own Bible. Find out Who Jesus really is and believe everything you see there. Don’t let apostate pastors tell you any of it has passed away. It’s an eternal Gospel, so it hasn’t passed away; it’s still true. All of it. They’ve told you that in order to rob and plunder you of your benefits in Christ. (15) … Grow up in all things into him, who is the head, [even] Christ; (16) from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in [due] measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love. Praise God!

So we see very plainly that perfection is God’s plan, although it’s being thwarted by many people who don’t know or understand this. Otherwise, why would Jesus, for instance, command us to be perfect? (Mat.5:48) Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. If there is no perfection, how can He command it?

He tells us in the text what “perfect” is: love your enemies, turn the other cheek, etc. The point is, how can Jesus command perfection if it’s not something that He’s giving, and if it’s not something that can “be attained to” by His grace, by His power, through His faith? The people who don’t believe in perfection must think Jesus really missed it here. He must not have known what He was talking about, or He was out of His mind, or “beside Himself.”

Paul said the same thing: (2Co.13:11) “Be perfected.” Both of them were in agreement on this, to command us to be perfect. It’s something that the Lord has provided and given to us and we need to obey that command. We do have the authority to partake of perfection. When the disciples failed to cast out demons, they turned to Him (Mat.17:19) and said, Why could not we cast it out? (20) And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith…. They had the authority to cast out that demon. He only rebuked them when they had the authority but wouldn’t take it. He never rebuked them for not doing something they could not do. That would be ludicrous. So why is He commanding us to be perfect? Because it’s something that we can do through Him.

We wouldn’t command our children to do something they could not do. Yet somehow people think that Jesus would do that! So it’s something that’s attainable because it is commanded.

There’s a pretty good passage we can look at in (Mat 19:21) Jesus said unto him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. One reason a lot of people don’t understand this verse is that they just don’t believe it. A person has to believe it before they can understand it. Notice that if a person wants to be perfect, there are some things the Lord may command them to do.

He will demand that we give up our life in this world and follow Him as a disciple. The young man in this passage had a lot of things distracting him from the Kingdom. They were his god because when Jesus told him to do this, he couldn’t do it. He was in idolatry. As much as he had sought to earn the benefits of the Kingdom by keeping all the Law from his youth, he knew he still lacked something. Well, if you want to be perfect, you need to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Jesus. You need to do what is demanded: give up this idol, this distraction.

Remember one of the problems previously mentioned: (Luk.8:14) And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. One of the biggest problems in a prosperous society is distraction, the distraction of the world. We need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and deny ourselves.

Some people don’t think that Christ calls us to deny ourselves. If you don’t lose your carnal life, you won’t gain your spiritual life. Do you really want to be perfect? As far as I’m concerned, there is no choice. It’s eternal life with perfection, or it’s corruption and separation from God that is offered from below.

Here’s a good example: (Luk.10:38) Now as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. (39) And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet, and heard his word. (40) But Martha was cumbered about much serving; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. (41) But the Lord answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: (42) but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. You see, in seeking first the Kingdom, this is something that will not be taken away from us ever.

Many people are ruled by the norms of society – what is right to do and what is wrong. We’ll do right when the Lord works in us “to will and to work, for his good pleasure” (Php.2:13), but if we sit at the Lord’s feet until He sends us to serve, we’ll be serving Him. Many people are running around thinking they’re serving the Lord, but He says there’s only one thing that’s needful. It’s something that will never be taken away from you.

The religious world loves to get you into service for God because then you’ll be so busy you won’t have time to seek Him for yourself and go elsewhere. That’s not the Will of the Lord. Remember Jesus commanded, “cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Mat.7:5). First He wants us to get right with Him, to sit at His feet and serve Him and then He can use us. He can use one submitted servant of God more than 10,000 lukewarm people. What this one person will be doing is the Will of God.

Many people do, more or less, the Will of God, but we’re learning to do the pure Will of God, as we present our bodies as a living sacrifice. That’s how we come into the understanding of what the perfect Will of God is, as Romans 12:1 says, presenting our bodies as “a living sacrifice” unto Him, serving Him with all of our heart and not being distracted by society, social norms, whatever.

The Lord has accomplished all this for us, so we can rest in Him. It’s not anxiety, it’s not struggle, it’s not striving. If you shove a seed into the ground, that seed is powerful to break through the heavy ground and to bring forth the fruit. It doesn’t have to struggle; it’s a natural thing. Christianity is a natural entering into His rest. He does the work in us, and that work will not be found fruitless because the Lord is going to finish the good work He started in us, until the Day of Jesus Christ. We need to put our faith in His promises and in His Word, take it out of trusting in men and, without questioning, just rest in the Truth that He speaks.

Let’s talk some more about manifesting perfection. We know God has already given us perfection: (Heb.10:14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. But in order to come into it and manifest perfection, we have to take the opportunity to walk by faith in that.

God has given us the manifestation of this perfection by faith. The Scriptures have a lot to say about perfection. Several synonymous words are used like salvation. The full manifestation of salvation is Jesus in you as Paul was teaching Timothy. (2Ti.3:13) But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (14) But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (15) and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The Word of God is what gives us discernment of the false leaders and the wicked, apostate leaders of Christianity. We become so familiar with the Word of God that we hear His voice and we don’t hear another’s, as Jesus said.

We have to know that the people who shared this with us, as Paul shared this with Timothy, are the anointed men of God. We can’t trust other people. We know that there is a perfect numeric pattern going through these teachings. We know that God ordained the Scriptures to bring us to the fullness of salvation, the manifestation of salvation. We know we’re saved by faith, but as we walk in that faith, we’re being saved by manifestation, meaning, Christ’s life is coming to be manifested in us. That’s why Paul says to this Christian, (15) And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation (he’s talking here about the manifestation of salvation) through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (16) Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: (17) that the man of God may be complete (or “perfect”; this is the word artios, meaning “perfect or complete”; it’s used both ways), furnished completely unto every good work.

Notice it’s “unto salvation,” it’s “unto perfection,” and it’s “unto every good work.” It’s also unto discernment of the false. The Scriptures are at the root of all four things mentioned here. The Scriptures give us discernment to manifest these things.

The Scriptures will bring us to perfection, that the man of God may be perfect, furnished completely unto every good work (2Ti.3:17). Glory to God! So the Bible does preach perfection and the purpose of the Word of God is to bring us to perfection. If you’re someone who loves the Word of God, you will grow much faster than the other Christians around you, who are satisfied just to sit in church on Sunday and hear a verse or two, and a lot of other “things.” You’ll grow much faster; you’ll escape the curse around you much faster and you will manifest the salvation of God much faster.

I’ve shared previously how we asked a Greek man in our local assembly what the word for salvation, soteria, meant to him and he answered, “All my needs supplied, like a little baby.” That’s what it means. I thought, “Wow!” We’re talking about any, and all of our needs supplied: spiritual, physical and emotional. That’s what we’re all after – having our needs supplied, as far as being able to walk in the Kingdom, as far as manifesting every good work.

If we’re able, by the grace of God, to come to this completion, this perfection, then it will be “unto every good work” because perfection is “Christ in you” (Col.1:27). Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also” (Joh.14:12). So, first of all, He has to perfect you in order to perfect your works. Perfect people do perfect things: (Heb.13:20) Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, [even] our Lord Jesus, (21) make you perfect in every good [thing]…. Now, people complain, “We can’t be perfect,” but here we’re seeing Who’s going to do it.

We learned that the foundation of it was the Word of God being sown in our hearts, which brings us unto the manifestation of salvation – “Christ in you.” We are told here that Jesus Christ does it. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, the Word made flesh. When we put the Word of God in our heart, it is the Lord Himself Who brings this to pass. And even faith “[cometh] of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom.10:17).

(Heb.13:21) Make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight…. Now the Bible says in this verse, the “Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good”; the word “thing” in the phrase “every good thing” is not really there. Even the Numeric Bible (Numeric English New Testament) reads, “perfect you in every good to do His will.”

When you put the Word of God in your heart, you’re putting God in your heart. The Word is a manifestation of Himself, of His life, His Sperma. I remember one thing about myself coming to the Lord, and it was that I had such a hunger for the Word! I knew nothing about church. I was just reading the Word day and night, and my heart was changing. Sin was falling off me like water off a duck’s back. I was astounded! I was amazed! It was one of the biggest miracles I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen some nice ones. God Almighty is the One Who brings this to pass. We shouldn’t sell God short.

Some of the very people who say, “We can’t be perfect,” wouldn’t say, “God can’t make me perfect.” They just don’t believe that it’s God’s Will, and they’re afraid that it might be God’s Will. And if it is God’s Will, that’s now making them responsible to cooperate with God to repent and turn from their sins. They don’t want that. Multitudes of people who confess Christianity enjoy the life that they live. They have no ambition to be like God, no desire to walk pleasing unto Him, or to walk in the steps of our Lord Jesus Christ. So they’re looking for an excuse, and the devil is right there to give them one, so that they can continue to walk in what they want to walk.

How does God save us in the first place? The New Testament tells us He works in us “according to the good pleasure of his will” (Eph.1:5). Also in (Heb.13:21) … Working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] the glory for ever and ever. Amen. Wow! The Lord has given us an awesome privilege. When we put His Word into our heart, it displaces the old nature that’s in our heart. The more that Word overcomes the nature that’s been passed on to us through the blood from our parents, the more we begin to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ.

Let’s look again at a good example: (Rom.12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service (or reasonable service). (2) And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…. He’s mentioned two things here. One, we have to give up our old life; we have to present our body as a living sacrifice for God. In other words, the trials and tribulations of life are going to burn up that old sacrifice. As we’re going through the fiery trial, we’re holding fast to the Word, and the fiery trial is burning up our old nature. The second thing is to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Christians have to do those two things to find the perfect will of God. (2)… that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

It’s the Word of God coming into you that brings forth the life and nature of Christ. If He’s promising to transform you by the renewing of your mind, there can’t be anything more important than taking out the old software and putting in the new. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God” (2Co.10:5). If we love the Lord, we want to find out everything about Him and everything that pleases Him. If you put it in there, the Lord says the Holy Spirit will “bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you” (Joh.14:26). This should be more important to you than even going to church, because some of you are going there and you’re just not getting fed the Word.

I know some of you have in your mind an idea of perfection, but “perfect” is what the Lord says is perfect in His Word. It’s people who are obedient to His Word, and it’s a gift of God because we just read that it’s He Who makes you perfect. He gave you the faith, He granted you the repentance, He worked in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. And He does all this when you use that faith that He gives you. It’s grace. From beginning to end, it’s grace.

Paul is saying that it’s God’s plan to bring us into the perfect Will of God. How do we prove what is “the good and acceptable and perfect will of God”? Agree with God’s Word and he says that you will prove what is “the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Personally, I believe that sometimes we settle for the good, sometimes for the acceptable, and sometimes, as we continue to grow in knowledge and grace , we find out what it is to be in the perfect Will of God. But I can tell you, it’s perfect people who walk in the perfect Will of God.

Let’s look at: (Col.4:12) Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. So Paul said that it’s “standing perfect”, so that we may be “fully assured in all the will of God.” You may ask, “David, are you perfect?” As scripture says, I don’t judge myself, God judges me but I am perfect by faith. Everybody asks that when a person preaches on perfection: “Well, what about you? Are you perfect?” Yes, I am perfect. I was perfected by the one offering of Christ (Hebrews 10) and I believe it. I hold on to it.

Now, have I manifested perfection? Well, there I have to agree with Paul: (Php.3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. So I’m not saying I have manifested that place, but I hold fast to the perfection that the Lord took hold of me for, so that it comes to pass. Therefore, yes, we can say that we’re perfect by faith, just as we can claim a healing by faith or a deliverance by faith. You can claim deliverance from any sin by faith because the Lord has already taken care of it for you.

Some people would think that arrogant or presumptuous, but it’s because they’re self-willed and they won’t submit to the Word of God, no matter how many verses there are on perfection. And here we find that it is perfectly acceptable for us to believe that we can “stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God,” or else some believe apostles prayed a lot of silly prayers in the Bible that they never really believed would come to pass.

The Lord Himself is the One Who’s going to do this. We cooperate with the Lord. We put the Word of God in our heart. The Bible tells us that it’s “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col.1:27). And the Bible tells us that He’s the Word, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). We’ve discovered that we are like Mary, in that if we believe, there’s going to be a fulfillment of the thing that was spoken to us of the Lord, which is that Christ will come to live in us. That’s the promise and that’s the Gospel, so we can “stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.”

Remember that we must sacrifice our old carnal life for the new life. 2Co 4:16 Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. We should expect to suffer in the flesh. (1Pe.4:1) Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind…. The flesh is at enmity with God; it’s literally the enemy of God. So when we suffer in the flesh, our enemy is suffering, and God’s enemy is suffering. That means the spiritual man is winning the battle.

We’re not talking about suffering in the body; we’re talking about suffering in the flesh. It’s that old nature that is gratified by serving the body, instead of the body serving the spirit. (1Pe.4:1) … for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin. This is because when we’re obeying the spiritual man, we’re suffering in the flesh. When we obey the carnal man, we’re suffering in the spirit. It is, indeed, possible to be “twice dead, plucked up by the roots” (Jud.1:12). Paul said in (Rom 8:13) for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

We want the old man to suffer because he’s the one being sacrificed. He is that beast that’s being burned up on the altar. Peter answered why we must suffer in the flesh here: (1Pe.4:2) that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. Wouldn’t you like to live the rest of your time having dominion over the flesh?

Just think about the things you’ve been delivered from since you’ve come to know the Lord – things that used to have control over you, such as bad habits and sins, and they don’t even tempt you anymore. Why? Because Christ in you is replacing the old man and God can continue to do that in you until the old man is dead, if you keep renewing your mind and sacrificing your life. That’s the plan: that we bear fruit 30-, 60- and 100-fold, so that we “no longer should live the rest of (our) time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1Pe 4:2). Glory be to God!

Now look at another verse: (1Pe.5:8) Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. The devil has to have permission to devour and it has to be your permission to devour. (9) Whom withstand stedfast in your faith (notice we have the authority to say no to the devil), knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. The wording there is “your brotherhood who are in the world.” Now, who are your brothers in the Spirit? They’re the born-again spirits and souls of the people around you among the people of God. But the old man’s not saved, and the wicked are not saved, so your humanity has a brotherhood in the world.

You were in the flesh and you were a fallen son of Adam. In the Spirit, you are a son of the last Adam, Jesus Christ. So your brotherhood in the world are those people of the world – the sons of Adam. The Word says that they’re suffering the same sufferings that you’re suffering, but it’s not accomplishing the same end in them. Notice what it says: (9) whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. The suffering that they go through is suffering because of living in the flesh; the suffering that you go through should be because you’re giving up the flesh, you’re sacrificing the flesh. You can be going through the exact same trials, but you’re growing up in God and they’re staying under the curse.

It’s all in the way you handle it, the way you go through it. If you go through it by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the old man passes away and the new man is being renewed day by day. To those who are of the world, they’re just a little closer to hell, that’s all. (10) And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ (“called” here means “invited”; we’ve been “invited unto this eternal glory in Christ”), after that ye have suffered a little while (that’s because it takes time for the sacrifice, the old man you put on the altar, to burn up), shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.

Once again, God claims that He’s the One Who perfects. All we have to do is please God. Faith is accounted as righteousness until righteousness is manifested in your life. God’s planning on manifesting it. Are you cooperating? Are you giving Him the faith in the Word of God because of the renewed mind? Are you giving Him the sacrifice? Are you willing to sacrifice your life in order to have His eternal life?

You can ask Him to put the “willing” in you because He works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. It’s all grace, but we have to cooperate and God will even put that cooperation in our heart as we ask Him. That’s why we pray, because we know we are not of ourselves capable of doing this, but He is. He said, “ye have not, because ye ask not” (Jas.4:2), so the first thing we need to do is know what we need to ask. We need to know what our opportunity is. We need to renew our mind to know what God has given to us, so that we know what our rights are in the Kingdom. The Bible says, “forget not all his benefits” (Psa.103:2).

We study the Word of God to find out our benefits and our rights in the Kingdom and to learn how to walk by faith, to have that very faith that the Word gives us. (Rom.10:17) So belief [cometh] of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (1Pe.5:11) To him [be] the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

(1Pe.4:12) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you. Like our Lord Jesus, we came here to die, so that we would have His Zoe life. That’s what we’re here for! It’s not a strange thing that God gives us many opportunities to have a fiery trial to put to death the old man. It’s the work of God; it’s His plan.

Many times we charge God falsely, or we’re offended because God brings us through a fiery trial. But it’s His work and we need to cooperate. (13) But insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings…. Think about Christ’s sufferings. We don’t want to be hated by the world. We don’t want to have Judases come against us. We don’t want to suffer for things we never did. We become highly offended if we’re falsely accused. But notice this: (13) but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory…. Now this is talking about rejoicing because the suffering will bring His glory in us. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

We are growing from glory to glory, so through Christ’s sufferings, we come to the revelation of His glory. This is not a revelation of His glory in Him, He’s already glorified. “Rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy” (1Pe.4:13). I rejoice that I’m not the same man I was. I rejoice that God’s life is coming more and more to be manifested in me.

Peter continues in (14) If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed [are ye]; because the [Spirit] of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. It’s a good thing that the wicked people God permits and uses to come against you bring you to your cross. It’s a good thing, not for them, but for you. (15) For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters: (16) but if [a man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name. (17) For the time [is come] for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if [it begin] first at us, what [shall be] the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? (18) And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?

(19) Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator. We need the attitude of, “Okay, Lord. You have the fire. I’m the sacrifice. You’re in control. Please do Your work on me.” So, trust God. You’re going through some fiery trials, there’s no doubt about it, but you have to trust God.

Here is a good revelation of perfection: (Jas.1:2) Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations (or “trials” – peirasmos; both are from the same word); (3) knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. Your faith has to be proven. A faith that is used, that is stretched, becomes strong. (4) And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. If you have a steadfast faith, you’re steadfastly holding on to the benefits that the Lord has promised unto you. If you’re doing this, you’re being patient in your faith. If you’re giving up in the midst of the trial, like in the Parable of the Sower, you’re like three out of the four people whom the Lord mentioned, who gave up before the end. They didn’t endure to bear the fruit, 30-, 60- and 100-fold.

Think about it. Three out of four Christians are going to give up and go back into the world. Some people say two out of three. I think so, too, because one of the four didn’t even understand. Some fail because they don’t seek God to understand. They heard the Word but they didn’t receive the Word with joy. Three did receive the Word, but only one out of the three bore fruit, 30-, 60- and 100-fold. So when you go through the trial, do you give up in your faith before the end? Are you patient to wait to see God answer? Are you steadfast to hold fast to the Word of God, as we saw in Luke chapter eight, so that you bring fruit unto perfection? Pray for everything and never give up.

It says plainly, (4) And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. That really expands the idea of what we’re supposed to be believing for: “perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.” And what do we need to bring about this perfection? We need suffering. We saw the renewing of the mind, and now we see that we have to hold fast to our faith because just knowing the Word of God is not good enough. We have to hold fast to it until it comes to pass. (Mat.10:22) But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. We’re enduring to the end of our faith to see these answered and manifested.

There’s still more here that addresses perfection: (Jas.3:2) For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. A person who guards his lips and speaks according to the Word of God is a perfect man. Speaking the truth bridles the body, bringing it into submission. A person who is able to speak the truth is able to bridle the whole body. If we speak the truth concerning what the Word of God says about us, God will give us grace. He will give us power. (Eph.2:8) … By grace have ye been saved through faith…. Faith is manifested in a major way through our mouth; what we say, so we hold fast to the Word once again, in the midst of the fiery trial, to see God bring an answer.

James continues in (Jas.3:3) Now if we put the horses’ bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also. (4) Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. Can you imagine that your tongue can turn your body? That tiny rudder can turn that enormous ship that is moved by great winds, and he tells us the rudder is our tongue. Agree with the Word of God – speak it, confess it. (Rom.10:10) … And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

So again, salvation is the manifestation of Christ in you. How does Christ come to be manifest in you? You confess Him. (Mat.10:32) Every one therefore who shall confess (Greek - homo logeo – to speak the same word) me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

(Luk.12:8) And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: (9) but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of God. The angels serve them who are heirs to salvation. (Hebrews 1:14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation? So it’s very important that the Lord confess you before the Father and before the angels. So you agree with what the Bible says about you and your circumstances around you. Agree with the benefits of God. This agreement is part of faith.

Are you willing to suffer the loss of your old life, your old man? Are you willing to renew your mind with the Word of God to walk by faith and endure to the end? All of these things are promises of perfection. And now we see that one way you walk by faith is with your mouth. (Jas.3:5) So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! So the tongue can “turn the ship around,” but it can also “burn it down.” Your tongue can destroy you. (Pro.18:21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. It can be good fruit or bad fruit. (Mat.9:29) … According to your faith be it done unto you.

Is your faith good or is it bad? We can have negative faith. We can be so convinced of the curse, sickness and other wrong things, that we speak these out of our mouth. And we’re going to have what we say. (Pro.23:7) For as he thinketh within himself, so is he…. The curse can come right out of your mouth. (Mat.12:34) … For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. We need to be sure to put the Word of God in our heart and be sure to think and meditate on the Word of God, so that we might not sin against Him.

(Jas.3:6) And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. “The wheel of nature” here is also the phrase “cycle of life” which is sowing and reaping. The Sower went forth to sow and he sowed with the Word of God, which is with His mouth. We do the same thing – we sow a seed that will bring forth fruit. The fruit is Christ. We can sow the Word of God with our mouth and watch the fruit grow. But it can also be sowing the fire of hell – a downward cycle, a cycle of reaping the curse.

(7) For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: (8) but the tongue can no man tame; [it is] a restless evil, [it is] full of deadly poison. (9) Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: (10) out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

(11) Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet [water] and bitter? (12) can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither [can] salt water yield sweet. (13) Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. (14) But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction (meaning “division” – you’re out to divide people) in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. (15) This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. Obviously, the opposite of this is love.

Let’s look at what John says here: (1Jn.4:16) And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him. (17) Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment (if it hasn’t come to the fruit of 30-, 60- and 100-fold in you, then you won’t have boldness before God; you’ll be condemned); because as he is, even so are we in this world. This is where faith comes in. You don’t live anymore; Christ lives in you. That’s what Paul teaches us to believe and that’s what baptism teaches us to believe. We were crucified with Christ and now the One Who’s resurrected in our life is Christ Himself and we’re made free from sin, as Romans chapter six says. Praise be to God!

Therefore, “as he is, even so are we in this world” (17). Not as He was, even as He is. We’re claiming that perfection that Hebrews 10:14 speaks about: For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. And even perfection in love: (18) There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. (19) We love, because he first loved us. (20) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. The Bible teaches us what it is to hate our brother, and we can see an awful lot of hatred towards us in some of the people who call themselves brothers. But that’s okay because our God will bring us through the fiery trials.

God is going to raise up Judases around us. They are going to rail against us and they are going to persecute us, even though we’ve treated them right. They are going to crucify in us that which is displeasing to God. (21) And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also. (1Jn.5:1) Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (2) Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments.

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