Free From Sin

I got a chance to ride Sunshine, the new horse the brethren bought me and used the new saddle they gave me, and I really enjoyed it. Sunshine is a good riding horse. I love riding because I came up as a boy riding horses or mules, which ever was available, when we worked the fields. We had a little trail winding around the trees and down through the fields and across the terraces and whatever, and we'd ride them sometimes at a hard gallup. And when the dinner bell would ring, rather than walk we'd ride the horse, because we would be quite a ways away. So, I always liked to ride, and one day the Lord Jesus in Revelation 19 is coming back riding the horse. He's coming back riding a beautiful, white horse, the white horse rider of Revelation 19, and He's going to ride until the blood runs to the horses' bridle.

A lot of things I'd like to say. I noticed that Mr. Gorbachev and Mr. Bush wasn't agreeing when someone went over to say something about war. They had a cross up, and they ruled it out as to going to war, saying that that would be the last thing that they would resort to, and Mr. Bush pressed the issue. They said that they would stand with him as a last resort, that they would not rule forces out, but otherwise war was disallowed. And I don't like the idea of them going to war. You know, if you think of it as a man, and you see Hussein doing the things that he does with his arrogancy and going in taking over the oil fields, it would cause you to be real disturbed and you'd get upset, and you'd think, well, Mr. Bush needs to go right in and have war and put a stop to it. But then, when you think of it as human beings, blood spilt, many lives being taken, because most of it will probably be hand to hand combat for the sake of the people that will have to be spared in Kuwait, it makes it bad. It could be my son or your son or whoever they might call, whoever they've already called. And that makes it bad.

So I've been praying asking God to be as merciful as He can. As I said, Mr. Bush stepped into a trap, and there's nothing that he can do to save face except fight. If he backs off, leaves the thing in the condition that it's in, nobody will have any confidence in him in that he's already having some problems along the lines of taxes. It would really be a bad situation. Whereas, it's very obvious that if the nations come together and really mean business, that they can go in, and it will be a devastating blow, and in just a little while, the man would be scared half to death and he would withdraw because of the uniting of the superpower, and the world would see a demonstration of union, even by the means, even if it was by the means of bloodshed, and the whole world would be shook up. You know, when God gets ready to do something, He will allow things to happen like it did to Moses on the mount, when the mountain burned with fire, and like as when the Hebrew children survived the fiery furnace. He does that to spread His glory and His name and His power across the world, and right now He's getting ready to establish the superpower for one great union as an army.

And this was the thing, of course, Mr. Gorbachev has been pulling for. Naturally, he's going to work with it, though his heart will not be in that thing as to fighting against Hussein. But to stay in line, he'll have to do it. He would much rather follow the Nobel peace prize thing as that prince of peace type, and of course that brings in what the Bible speaks of, when it says in Daniel, and he'll destroy many by peace, or destroy morals and lives and everything else. Whereas, no doubt, Mr. Gorbachev is a very fine man in a lot of ways. But people who are not born again, whether it be Mr. Bush or Gorbachev or whoever, they don't know what to do. So they fight, though the Bible emphatically states that the battle is not to the strong, and the race is not to the swift, and unless God keeps the city, the watchman riseth but in vain, for the battle is the Lord's. Yet, they still fight, and though the Bible said no weapon that is formed shall prosper against thee, as to people fighting against the saints of God, but they still fight, and although down through the Old Testament, it's been a proven thing that God won the battle for the righteous, even if He had to cast hailstones out of heaven to do it, as in the days of Joshua, and sometimes take one man, run through a troop, leap over a wall, or like Samson, slay a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. Like another with an ox gourd slay seven hundred men with an ox gourd, just one man. But it's always been that way, that they look to the power of arms and they always will.

And then the other night, we just kind of briefly went over a few things as to point out according to what Daniel had said as to the image, what would be the great finale of the whole thing at the end time, and right after we had spoke of the feet of iron and clay, and that not mixing, I think it was the following day that one of the people as to the legislation or one of the leaders as whoever it was, in Washington or somewhere, made the statement that Mr. Bush had clay feet. So it is a true fact that this is all coming to an end. The world is coming to an end fast. And this thing is one of the things to magnify the great superpower, and cause all of the world to shake and tremble under the union and power of one great army and one great leader, for it is said, Who can make war against him? And the Lord is getting ready to bring the fear of one man, as to antichrist upon all of the world, and all the armies will be afraid to rise against his great superpower, for it will come under the control of one man. Principally speaking, it's under the control of Bush right now, and that means that the Lord is fixing to demonstrate right over there around Babylon, and Mr. Hussein is the one that has risen up for this occasion. Said on one occasion, He spoke of Pharoah, He said, For this cause have I raised him up that I might show My power, or that is demonstrate My power through Moses and let My name be magnified throughout the earth. For this cause have I raised him up. And He hardened Pharoah's heart continually to the extent that the people in so many words said, Pharoah, you're crazy. You're a mad man. You're out of your mind. Said, Egypt is already a rubbish pile. Said, It's just a heap of rubbish. And you still refuse to let these people go. And of course God hardened his heart, until He finally demonstrated His power in such great, magnitude that all of the world remembers today the recordings of those wonderful things that God did at the hand of Moses.

Reading over in chapter 5, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free," (that's Galatians 5), "and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." He goes down a little farther, (Galatians 5:5) "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith," (Galatians 5:13), "for, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." (Galatians 5:16-26), "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

(Galatians 6:1-10), "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." In Ephesians let's read chapter 3. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," It's chapter 1 verse 3. (Ephesians 1:3-5) "Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,"

All right he goes on to tell us: (Ephesians 1:6-11) "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will:" (Ephesians 1:13-23), "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all."

Now he says in chapter 2, (Ephesians 2:1-6) "And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" He says in the tenth verse, (Ephesians 2:10), "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." He says in the ninth verse that this is not of works, lest any man should boast. He says in the eighth verse: (Ephesians 2:8) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." He says in the third chapter of the book of Ephesians (Ephesians 3:1-5) "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit."

So it's evident here that the Lord is doing something great in our age and in our times, especially he says as to the perfecting of the church. He goes on to say, as to the perfecting of the church, and the Lord is doing these things by giving us the Spirit of revelation, and Paul, being the Gentile apostle, he is the one that is working this thing in His day, and he's setting everything in order, having been caught up as one to the third heaven, seeing things that had never been made known before, the revelation of Jesus Christ coming to Paul, and then later John seeing it as the rent veil, and wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ; and here we are today, and we're still talking about the revelation of Jesus Christ. And John said at the time of the revelation, then the end was at hand. You can read it in the book of Revelation. When he spoke of the revelation of Jesus Christ, he said, And the time is at hand. So whenever and wherever and whatever age that the revelation comes, that is the end of the world, because that is the unveiling. That is the unveiling of the great, wonderful mystery of God.

All right, now when we think of the revelation, the revelation, that God may grant unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. You know, the church is in a sad condition today. One of the great things about the church is that we should win souls. The Bible said he that winneth souls is wise, and if a person isn't a soul winner, they're not very much. They should win souls. This should be the preeminence of our life is to win souls, to go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, not just for the purpose of winning souls, but that everyone may know about Jesus, and that if they refuse to serve God, that those that come to Christ may be saved in the day of judgment, but those that refuse to hear, God may be just in that day when they're condemned and turned away, that all may hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's needful that the gospel go into all the world, for the Bible said then shall the end come. When it is preached to every creature, then shall the end come. But it's still sad to think that though we would even win souls, though we might be a soul winning station for God, which I trust that Bethlehem is; and I hope that we'll be able to win souls, not only in our ministry as individuals, but as to working through others around the world, as we've been able to do through the years; but it's still a sad situation to find that in the greater part of the world, that men are not going on with God as in the ministry. And of course, the church cannot go on with God unless the ministry leads them, because as Paul said here in his writings, the five-fold ministry is set for the perfecting of the saints. And the Lord is coming back after a church that is perfect. And this we wish even the perfecting of your faith, as to reveal to you in detail the things that God has so allotted you in Christ Jesus.

And when we think of these things and we realize that people are not going on with God, we realize that they are not praying that God would grant unto them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. So it doesn't matter if you are a Christian, that doesn't mean that you have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. There's one Spirit, many operations. You may be a Christian, but just a babe in the Lord. Or you may be one that's just getting in as if by fire in a continual repentance of not really going on with the Lord like you need to, as one that may have life but no strength because of physical handicap, as to making a natural application here as to a type. See, just living in this world don't mean you're strong and healthy just because you've got life. Jesus said, I've come that you might have life. But just having life don't mean that you are fully healthy. He said, I come that you may have life and that you may have it more abundant. And the word abundant means filled up and overflowing. A person with filled up and overflowing life is one that's filled with exuberance. They are kind of bouncing around everywhere and jogging around everywhere, or they are participating in all kind of things, naturally speaking. They're very active while others are inactive because they don't have the health and whatever.

So then, God wants us to have understanding. The Bible said with wisdom get understanding. And the Bible said there's one Spirit, many operations. And we should pray that God would grant unto us the Spirit of revelation, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may be able to comprehend with all saints the heights, the depth, the width and the length of this great, wonderful thing of God, for by revelation Paul was caught up into the third heaven. By revelation John saw the door open and he went up into heaven. It is by revelation that we go into the mysteries of God, for the Spirit of God searcheth out the things of God, yea the deep things. And as it was with the disciples when they said to Jesus, Why do you speak to these people that are without in parables, seeing that they understand not what you say? And Jesus said, It is not given unto them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but unto you it's given. Unto the world it's given to hear the gospel. But unto you it's given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

It is little wonder that the church world today would spend their time in sports and be so foolish and so childish as to give their times to ball games and frolics of the world, you know, but yet when you stop to think that the preachers haven't gone on with God, and that they're not walking in the deep mysteries of God, and that they really don't have anything to offer to the congregation as to a growth in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you can understand why that the church has turned the way it has to the beggarly elements of the world. And why that it is in bondage again as the church world to the beggarly elements as to desire of natural things and as to the folly of the world and as to the gullible desires of the human body, as that of the human senses. See, we're made to understand that if the minister doesn't go on with God into the deep mysteries of God, into the revelation of God, then the church has nothing to feed off of. Jesus emphatically stated it is not given to the world to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but unto you it is given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Folks, we're not just listening to a word of a printed page. We're not just preaching a word of a printed page, but we are preaching a Word of Spirit and a Word of life. And this Word of Spirit and this Word of life it comes to life. It changes into Spirit by faith from your heart. In doing this, it brings us to the wonderful, unveiled mystery of the kingdom of God. I read to you here where Paul said that it pleased God, that in the fullness of time, that He should send forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law; that He should redeem them that was under the law; that He might gather all things in heaven and in earth into the wonderful body of the Lord Jesus Christ. As it was in the days of Noah, and this is as the waters of Noah to me, for as the opening was made in the side of the ark, so was the opening made in the side of the body of the Lord Jesus when the water and the blood came out as the spear went in. So then, as Moses was put in the cleft of the rock, so are ye today put in the cleft of the rock. As Jesus said, Upon this rock, and who is a rock but our God? And God being made manifest in human flesh, as He spoke to Peter as the beginning of the church, the head of the church, and as to the membership which is the body of the church, Him being the head thereof; or upon this rock I build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

So then, we see that as to the mysteries of God, that ever since Calvary the veil has been rent in twain. Now I remind you again that before Calvary, the veil was not rent in twain, though this was given to us in Christ before the world ever was, as the predestinated seed of God, and our names written down in the lamb's book of life, and the Bible said we are God's elect according to what He foreknew as to foreknowledge, and the Bible said who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? And the Bible said, when Paul was preaching, they that were predestinated as to the elect, that they heard Paul, and they accepted it and the rest did not. See, and we know that this was given to us in the Lord Jesus. We understand that. But it was not brought to light as to the rending of the veil, or the opening of the curtains on that great drama of life, as to the revealing or the revelation of Jesus Christ. See, it was not until Calvary. But when the veil was rent in twain, that is to say, He made within Himself twain, two, both Lord and Christ, and when the body was separated from the Spirit, or the Lord separated from the Christ, in that the body was referred to as the Lord, then it was there that this great, wonderful revelation came forth. And the Bible speaks of the rending of the veil as to being His flesh, the Bible said, and bringing a more sure word of prophecy, and now the true light shineth as in that day.

So then, we find that as Paul said, having the revelation, leaving the Jewish church, he turned to the Gentiles, saying as to thus fulfill the Scripture, that it is written: God has set us to be a light to the ends of the earth. So then we realize that when the veil was rent in twain, that with the separating of the Christ from the Jesus, that it indicated that my spirit had been separated from my body, and the body of this death as Paul called it, the sinful image, the bastard child image, had been smitten at Calvary, esteeming Jesus smitten of God. He that knew no sin was made my sin, that I might be made the righteousness of God in Christ as to the new form of the resurrection. Having been delivered for my offenses, He was raised again for my justification. So then I find that I am free from the body of sin in the sight of God. Though to you, you still know me after the flesh, but the Bible tells us, as Christians, not to know one another after the flesh. We have known Jesus as to Christ after the flesh, but henceforth we know Him no more after the flesh, as to a defeat, as to shame, as to going to Calvary, as to being smitten, as dying out of the presence of God. But we know Him as the great, resurrected Christ, which is at the right hand of the Father, the great, triumph one over all sin, over all sickness, over all power of evil, for He said, I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven, and I have destroyed him that hath power over death, speaking of Lucifer. And the Bible says that He, Christ Jesus, was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.

So then if the works of the devil is gone, as to sin as to sickness, and if the devil himself has been destroyed, that means he cannot touch you nor me. He cannot touch us. We can complain about him beating our brains out, we complain about him jumping on us, we complain about all of the problems he causes us. But all that we complain about is but a lying vanity, because if God has destroyed him that had power over death, where is he? And if God has destroyed all of his works, where is then his works? It is nothing but lying vanities. You are free from the body of death by the body of the Lord Jesus. Dead to the world by the body of Christ Jesus, and dead to the law and dead to sin, therefore the law hath no power over you, and in that the law hath no power over you, that means that you cannot sin against God, because the strength of death, the strength of death comes by sin, and the strength of sin comes by the law. So then, transgression of the law is sin, and the sting of sin is death, and if there is no law, then there is no transgression, and where there's no transgression, there is no sin. And that's why the Bible says he that is born of God cannot sin, for God's seed remaineth in him, even Christ, the Word of faith, being justified by faith and not of works, lest any man should boast. It is the gift of God. We're the workmanship of God in Christ Jesus unto perfection. Having made Him to be what He wanted us to be, He that knew no sin, that was made my sin, that I might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, because He wanted me to be righteous. He wanted me to be perfect. He wanted me to be justified. He wanted me to be holy.

So, the Bible said God hath perfected, made perfect, forever them that are sanctified, and He sanctified them once and for all by the offering up of the body of the Lord Jesus at Calvary. Therefore, having sanctified them one time by the offering up of the body of the Lord Jesus, and made them perfect forever, Paul says, who then can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? For he that is born of God keepeth himself, the writer said, and the evil one toucheth him not, because you're sealed as to the inner man with the Holy Spirit, and light can't get near darkness. So then ye are children of light in the world of light, and God hath translated us from that world of darkness into His marvelous kingdom of light, and He hath hid us with Christ in God whom the heavens have received, until the time of the restitution, the restoring of all things or the coming in of the great millennium earth. So then I am free from sin.

I remind you once again, five hundred years before the coming of the Messiah, the angel came, the voice said, And Messiah shall come, make an end of sin. Four hundred and eighty-three years later He came to Calvary. He made an end of sin. And today, to Christians, sin is no more. Not only to you, but to all the world. The Bible said He took away the sins of the world. That's the only reason why the world can stay intact right now. That's the only reason that people can get by with all of the things that they're doing in mistreating one another, is because the blood is on the seat of atonement. And at this time, God does not see their iniquities. His eyes cannot behold the iniquity. He is looking at the world through the blood of Jesus as to grace. But when the blood comes off of the seat of atonement, God, before He can look at the rest of the world, He will destroy them immediately. And the wrath of God will come upon them, but you who God can see through the blood, having been born again, born of the Spirit and covered with the blood of Jesus, will continue on throughout eternity in this wonderful love, this life and this grace of God. That is it is an eternal gift from God.

All right, so then we see who we are and what we are and where we've come from, where we are and where we're going. See, we are free from sin. How am I free from sin? Because sin hath no power over me, because there is no such thing as sin to me as a Christian. If you are a Christian, there is no such thing as sin to you, for he that is born of God cannot sin. Christ made an end of sin and sin is gone, because when He folded up the law and laid away the law, then that was the end of sin, because transgression of the law is sin, and you're not under the law unless you're fallen from grace. And if you're fallen from grace, then are you under the law. And when the blood is taken off of the seat of atonement, God will destroy you at His coming. The brightness of His coming will destroy you. All right, so then, we are children of light. Where are we? I am free from the body of death, the body of sin, the body of corruption. It is buried in the name of Jesus. It is gone forever. At death my spirit went back to God Who gave it. I am today as an angelic being hid with Christ. My spirit is interwoven with His Holy Spirit, and my spirit is sealed by the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ that triumphed over Satan, and nothing can penetrate that Holy Spirit to touch me. He that is born of God, the Bible said, keepeth himself and the evil one toucheth him not. So then, darkness can't get near light. I'm hid with Christ in God Whom the heavens have received until the change, that is to say, of the redemption of the body.

I say this again. I'm born of God in my spirit. I am born of God. The flesh profiteth nothing. The body of death is now gone. It's buried, the body of corruption. Satan cannot get to my spirit. He's cut off. I'm dead to Satan by the body of Jesus Christ. When the Lord smote Him, we esteemed Him smitten of God. He was made my sin. God ended my sin. And now, as to the resurrection for my justification, being delivered for my offenses, He made an end of my sin, raised again for my justification, and today I'm therefore justified by faith in Christ Jesus. I am His workmanship in God or in Christ. I am perfect in Christ Jesus. I am perfected forever. I'm sanctified once and for all. I know that we have sanctification, the Bible said, to sanctify yourself daily. I understand that, in putting away the filth of the flesh, to bring the bodily change. I understand that. We're working with the body. We're moving it on as to bring the purchased possession into a position of the change. But it has nothing to do with salvation. Whether you fall or stumble, whatever, a good man falls seven times, get back up. He's not sinned against God. If you sin one time, you're doomed forever. If you sin one time, you're doomed forever. This is why Paul said after that you come to the knowledge of the truth, therefore having tasted of the heavenly gift, been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, if you should fall away to renew you again unto repentance, he said, would be impossible. But he said, Beloved, we're persuaded better things of you. It would be impossible if you went back out in the world and sinned. You could never come to God anymore.

See, I know all unrightousness is sin. I understand that, you know, in our classification of sin as to all unrighteousness. But I also know that if I've got an orange tree, the orange tree, though it has limbs, though it has leaves, though it has a trunk, though it has a body, though it has fruit: the tree consists of principally one thing and that was the seed, and from the seed came the tree. Big trees from little acorns grow. So then sin is but one thing, and that is from unbelief as to the unbelief in the garden when Eve disbelieved. From that grew the great tree of sin, and that tree was cut down at Calvary. John laid the axe to the root of the tree, and that whole family tree, all the way back to the garden was cut down, and the generation of vipers was gone as to the mind of Lucifer, the carnal mind of death. And then Jesus came forth as the tree of life that was in that garden. And today, by regeneration, the washing of regeneration, here we are a new tree, a new family tree, even the family of God, the children of God, and if children of God, heirs and joint-heirs, partakers of the wonderful things of God, in that He has given us all things that pertain unto life, having made us His workmanship in Christ, or that is He wanted me to be perfect, so He made Christ perfect. He wanted me to be eternal, so He made Christ eternal. He'll fold all of the others up, lay them away, but Thou, O God, ye shall continue as an everlasting priesthood.

So the other shall wax old. He made me to be bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, and it's not me living but Christ living within me, and the life I now live, I live by the Son of God which is in me. Not as the temporal life that I had and lost through Adam, as in Adam all die; but the eternal life I now live, I have this life. I now live this life in Christ Jesus, and it's not me living, but it's Christ. Though you look on me as the flesh, God never again sees me from Calvary as the flesh. Never again. The body is dead and gone. He never sees my stumbling, my staggerings, my mistakes, not even that of the world until the blood comes off of the seat of atonement, at which time we automatically will be changed, for the dead in Christ shall rise first, and they which are alive, or we which are alive, remain, they that remain shall be changed in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, caught up to be with the Lord, so shall we ever be with Christ.

Now, but I said this, though we are born again as a spiritual being on the inside, we are still waiting to wit the redemption of our body. Not waiting for the redemption, but to wit as to the purchased possession, for God has already purchased the body, and the dispute is over the body. And all the problems between Satan and the Lord is over the body, Satan having stole the body. Like people, their dispute is over their wife. So that on the inside has been born again, translated into the marvelous kingdom of God. But we're waiting for the change of the body, to wit the redemption. We are trying to subdue it, trying to sanctify it daily for His use, bring it more and more into that perfect man, so that it will be perfect before Him as a church that can be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Not because of your works, but because of your faith and your endeavor in Christ as to the justification by the finished works of the Lord Jesus Christ, for by grace are you saved, and that through faith, that it's not of yourself, lest any man should boast, but it is the gift of God, for we're already perfect forever in Him.

But as I said, if you have adoption, you got to have it by the law. Adoption must go through the law. So then if the casting away of the Jews, as to the revelation, be the reconciling of the world, what will the receiving of the Jews be but life from the dead? Or that is to say, if the days of the Gentiles ends, it will bring in the Jews, in that when the Jews' day ended, it brought in the Gentiles. Now if the Jews come in, it brings in again the law. It brings in the law, then that means that the Jews which is typical as to the body will then be redeemed. Right now they're in blindness. Right now they're dead. Right now they're buried. So Paul says, How great is the mercy of God that He hath blinded them, that He might not lay anything to their charge at this time, for they also are God's elect. And to whom it is given to know to do good, and if he do it not, it is sin. If they don't know, then it is not charged to them. So then He hath concluded them in unbelief, to have mercy on us, that when we are all brought together as the membership, translated as spiritual beings, as the Jew into the kingdom of God, then He'll bring back the natural Israelite. And that is the adoption. That is the change of the body. That is the law. And then and there we will wit the redemption of the body. Until then, God is letting the body be dead because of sin. The body is thus dead because of sin. And you know folks, with the eastern crisis going on like it is now, we're right close to what Paul spoke of in his revelation there as to the casting away, as to the receiving of the Jews. We're right close now to that change from mortality to immortality, terrestrial to celestial, from the corruptible to the incorruptible.

Now, if this be so, then we understand why there was a rent veil, why that the Lord said those that are under the law could not be made perfect without us. All died under the law, died in the faith, confessing that they were pilgrims. They embraced the faith of faithful Abraham, and was found as Lazarus, when the rich man saw him as in Abraham's bosom, which means within the faith of Abraham. And here, all of these rested within the bosom of father Abraham. See, so that is to say, these that we speak of back under the law could not be made perfect. Daniel, thou shalt rest in thy lot. But when He to whom the promise was made, not as to seeds of many, but as to one even Christ, when the seed thus came as to whom the promise was made, then He went down into the heart of the earth, preached to the souls in prison, and thus they were to be made perfect, even as we were made perfect, as to say that the great Holy Spirit had come to them. And the Bible said He gave unto them white robes, there as Revelation speaks of it, even as to the Jews that are dead as pointing to those that are yet to die. Saying that you have to wait until your brethren in like manner also suffer, and He gave them robes and told them to be patient as under the fifth seal.

So we see that under the great altar, which of course is Calvary, or back under the law, these souls were waiting. See, they could not be justified by the law, for no flesh could be justified by the law. So they had to rest in their lot until Christ came, then when Christ as to the hope of glory came, then they could be made perfect with us. And altogether, see they will rise, and we'll join them to go up to be with God. And as I said concerning the Jews the other night, being driven out of their homeland, and the prophets coming over there to tutor them, they also have to be justified by faith. They have to be converted to the faith. They can't be saved no more than anybody else. As a people, they cannot be saved. They must be saved by the grace of God through faith as to recognizing the Messiah. And when they do, Revelation 19, we will join them, they'll come back into power. We will join them, and they'll rule over the nations for a thousand years, because they will have become Christians. All of the world as to God's people will have become Christians then. The types will be over. The bodily redemption will be denoted as they live that perfect, pure life through the millennium, when Satan is bound as not to disturb those that are sealed as to the elect, even as the hundred and forty-four thousand.

And we could say a lot about that and about the nations. We have said some things about it in the past. But I'm simply saying one thing, and that is that all will be Christians, all will be Christians, and it will be a glorious time at the coming of the Lord Jesus. So then the veil has been rent in twain. So today, reckon yourselves to be dead in deed unto sin by the body of the Lord Jesus, and today alive unto God to His Word and to the Holy Spirit. And now it is His Spirit living within your body. And you are now in the sight of God, even until the time of the change, already in the sight of God, by grace are ye bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, which gives you the right as faith to drive Satan out of your life, to drive sickness out of your life, because He said, I give unto you power over all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. You have power. And greater is He that is within you, Christ the hope of glory, than he that is in the world, who is the prince of the powers of the air, even Lucifer.

So then when these things happen to you, I want to tell you again, it is lying vanities. How can he that has been destroyed in your behalf do anything to you? But as repercussions, as flashbacks, as you allowing the warfare in your mind as to let that nightmare that you had a few nights ago come back, or as to that experience of fear come back and dominate your life, why should you do that? Why should you do that? Why not let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus? And be of a good courage, and be not dismayed, and have faith, so that by faith of this mind, it will eradicate the lying vanities, calling those things that are not as though they are, those things that are as though they are not. Because truthfully, if they are lying vanities, then they are not. How then would you allow them to live there when Solomon said, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and vexation of the spirit? So as to the lying vanities, the Bible said, draw nigh to God. Resist the devil and he'll flee from you because he's afraid of you, because you're the church and you're his master, and he knows that you're of the body of the Lord Jesus. He can't touch you. You're perfect in the sight of God. And the only hope that he hath is taking you as in childhood or in your weakness to suppress you, to pull you away from the membership of the body, to oppress you and cause you through fear to bow down to him and be troubled all the time.

You don't need to do that, folks. You need to rejoice forevermore. You need to rejoice in hope. You need to praise the Lord. You need to count all of your trials as joy, and give glory and praise and honor to the Lord, for He is faithful that promised. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He says, Lo, I'm with you always, even until the end of the world. And He is a present help in the time of need, and He will not alter the thing that's gone out of His mouth as to the promises of all things that pertain unto life. But He will hasten to perform His Word. He will watch over His Word to perform His Word. And today He hath made you free. I am the Lord God that healeth thee. I heal all of your diseases. I forgive all of your iniquities. And today you are perfected as that which is perfect in His sight, eternally and forever. So you don't have anything to do except rejoice forevermore. And not have any fellowship with the darkness of the world, with the temples of Belial, or with lying vanities.

I just wanted to talk to you a little bit, encourage your faith, to let you know that God loves you, and that you are the great and mighty victorians. You are the great and mighty victorians. Not as to going to be, but are already ye are, for already are ye the sons of God. Beloved, it doth not yet appear as to human visibility that which is visual. We don't see it as of yet as to what you shall be, as in the change, but already in the sight of God, ye are. And you're dead as to the body of faults and problems, so then are you His children. Ye are bone of His bone. Ye are the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, members in particular. Don't let sin reign in your mortal body. Don't give place to it not for a moment. And when you do stumble, when you do stagger, when you do make a mistake, don't condemn yourself over it. The Bible said happy is he that doth not condemn himself over that thing which he alloweth. Satan would like to take your faith down, taking your shield of faith down, that he might penetrate it and cause you problems. And don't cast away your faith which hath great recompense of reward. Holding fast to your shield of faith and your confession of faith, for He is faithful that promised.

So if you stumble, you stagger, you make a mistake, don't mean a thing. He's never touched you. Through all your staggerings and stumblings, he hath never touched you. Do you realize that if Satan one time could touch you, that Christ wouldn't have you, that you would be spotted? You could never be a virgin. Paul said, I've espoused you to one husband, even the Lord Jesus Christ and that as a chaste virgin, and don't you know you couldn't be a virgin if you were ever touched one time, not one time? And that means that in all of your staggerings and stumblings, not one time, not one time has Satan ever touched you. So don't condemn yourself. Just be godly sorry that you didn't have more strength, and godly sorry that you didn't make a greater effort and godly sorrowful that you didn't go on to try to have the strength of our Lord to be strong in the power of His might, in that He said, Let the weak say, I'm strong. And repent. Be quick to repent and go to the Lord; not as to repentance unto life, for it would be impossible to do that, Paul said. Not as to a repentance unto life. But repenting as to Paul said, And I've made you to repent after a godly sort, a godly sorrow that worketh repentance. See, I don't repent over this, he said.

So let's just be sorry and let the Lord know that we're not in harmony with mistakes and sorrows and wrongs and rebellions and contrariness, in that stubbornness, these kind of things, rebellion is as the sin of adultery and witchcraft. Paul said, that is of the flesh. Let's don't do that. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, no condemnation. Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Ye shall never come into condemnation, for there is no condemnation to you, for ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. How then could you walk after the flesh when you're born of the Spirit, and when the Bible said you're not even in the flesh? You're not even in the world because you're not in the flesh. Your body is dead to the world, thus your spirit went back to the God world, back to God Who gave it. So you can't walk after the flesh, because you're not even in the flesh. So why condemn yourself when you stumble, when you stagger as in your growth as to your development, as to a little child coming into the full measure of the full stature of the perfect man, Christ Jesus? A little child will stumble. You will take his hand. Is he any less your little child because he stumbled? When he gets his little hands dirty, is he any less your child, though he may get a spanking? Thse that God loves He chastens. He deals with you as sons. If He doesn't, then are you bastards. You've never been born again.

So he's your little child. That's your little daughter. And as they grow, with all their mistakes and errors, it's that way. And a true son and a true daughter, when they get old enough to know that they've offended you, they're very sorry. They will come and say, "Dad, I'm sorry. Momma, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do like that." I know we got a bunch of renegades today, but we still got a few good children. And I know that the problem with the children is the parents have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are on edges. We got a bunch of parents that's renegades. Make a sincere commitment to God. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time.

By Rev. George Leon Pike Sr.

Founder and first President of Jesus Christ’s Eternal Kingdom of Abundant Life, Inc.

Holiness Unto The Lord