The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times

In Matthew 5:21 through 5:48 Jesus gives a portion of the Law by which those who are living in the Millennial Kingdom will be required to obey. He uses the Mosaic Law to show a comparison of how it was and how it will be. Jesus is not modifying the law. He specifically said He did not come to abolish the law, but to complete the law¹. Part of the tribulation is the judgment of those under Mosaic Law because of their failure to abide by the Law, which brings in a new dispensation. A new dispensation means new regulations and expectation.

As we look at Matthew 5 it is important to understand the conditions men will be living in at this time. Satan will be bound, the world system will be destroyed, the sin nature will be subdued by the law of God being written in the hearts, and God will visibly rule from the New Jerusalem. In the Kingdom of the Son, everything that scandalizes and all who commit lawlessness will be judged and thrown directly into the lake of fire.

Murder compared to Anger without a cause.

Under the Mosaic Law the Jews are instructed to not murder²; however in the Millennial Kingdom anyone who expresses their anger towards their brother without a cause will be liable to be judged. This included calling a brother an empty headed fool or moronic without cause. The threat of Gehenna is a very real thing during the Millennial Kingdom. A person is held personally liable for his or her own actions. Expressing anger without a cause can and will produce lawlessness which will result in immediate judgment.

 

“οργίζω” is used for the outward explosion of anger. This is not describing the inner anger that a person may feel towards another, but the outward manifestation of the fury that comes from the strong feeling of displeasure. Although anger is not a sin, a person can sin in their anger and therefore bring judgment upon themselves.

 

 

A Good Mind Towards Your Adversary

If during the Millennial Kingdom an adversary comes against a person, that person is to keep a good mind towards the accuser, least they are found guilt and thrown into prison until the debt of which they are being called into account for is paid in full.

Adultery and Lust

This section of Scripture is often used to imply that a person can sin within their mind; however, Scripture is very clear that sin is an act and therefore cannot happen within the mind³. In addition, when we properly examine this passage it does not say that this individual is sinning within the mind, but that he is held liable for the determination to commit the act.

Under the Mosaic Law a person was held liable for committing adultery. Unlike a Jew living under law, a man living during the dispensation of the fullness of times will have God’s law written on his heart. Therefore, no one will teach this man what God’s expectations are for how he governs his life. Since the law of God is written on his heart, and the person and determinate will reside in the heart, he will have to violate his conscience to determine to commit an act that is against God’s law. Such a determination will cause a person to scandalize themselves. Since in the Millennial Kingdom the angels will gather everything that scandalizes, he will have to remove the part of his body that was used to cause the scandal in order to avoid being thrown into the lake of fire with it⁴. This is why it is stated that the eye must be removed or the hand cut off rather than the whole body going into the lake of fire.

 

Note: “Hell” is a translation of the word “Gehenna” not “Hades”. Hades is where all unbelievers go when they die. Gehenna is also known as the lake of fire and is the place of final judgment for all unsaved. No one will go to Hades during the Millennial Kingdom; rather, they will be immediately judged and thrown into the lake of fire.

 

 

Unjustifiable Allegorization of Scripture

Although an allegorization is a legitimate use of language, it is not a legitimate method of interpretation. Scripture was written in a specific language that prohibits the use of allegory outside of its normal grammatical use. Only within the literal interpretation of the language when the customary use of the language permits an allegory can it be used; however, even then it still must be understood according to the context.

Every time Jesus uses an allegorizaton, it is stated that He is doing so⁵. In Matthew Chapter 5 there is not such statement, or implication. Jesus is speaking clearly and plainly. He is instructing the Jews on the regulations of His Kingdom. Since Jesus is not only speaking specifically to the Hebrew nation, but is referring to a new dispensation, in order to apply this section to Christians, it has to be unjustifiably allegorized. Jesus is not speaking to Christians. It is not until late in Acts, after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that the saints within the Church, which came into existence on the day of Pentecost, are stylized as Christians⁶.

Matthew chapters five through seven are the instruction given to the Jews by Jesus for His Kingdom. They cannot be applied to a Christian.

 

Next: The Christian Life…

 

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¹ Matthew 5:17

². Murder goes beyond just the killing of another human to any act of senseless slaughter

³ 1 John 3:4 Sin is lawlessness (lawlessness is always  an act); James 1:14, 15

⁴ Matthew 13:41, 42

⁵ Examples: Matthew 13:3 (Note: Matthew 13:10, 11 state that a parable is used to hide the truth, not reveal it); 20:1 (The use of “like” grammatically supports allegorization in this case).

⁶ Acts 11:26

Morning Service

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Through His Divine Inherent ability, He has given to us everything pertaining to Life and Godliness: Taken out of Adam, placed into the Christ, provided with the means to have victory over our spiritual enemies, indwelt by the Holy Spirit…

 

Evening Service

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Threatened by the Chief Priests and Elders of Israel, Peter and John report to the saints what was said as they were examined because they were preaching resurrection from the dead by Jesus Christ…

 

 

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Please Give Responsibly: As part of our Priestly service, we financially support the Church. Our support is counted by God to be a Spiritual sacrifice; however, we must give correctly, for it is a cheerful giver that the Lord loves. Give of your excess, and give what you have determined in your heart, freely, not under compulsion, but from a grateful heart.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one, just as he has purposed in his heart, not out from grief nor out from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

You are the salt of the earth…

As Jesus continues speaking to the crowd, He addresses the fact that the Jews are the salt of the earth. The Jewish nation is the salt of the earth because of the promises that God gave to Abraham. In Genesis 15:18-21, God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants regarding a specific section of land. It is because of this covenant that the earth is being preserved. Jesus is using the term “salt” metaphorically to describe how the nation of Israel keeps the earth from total destruction. However, if a Jew is not believing in the promise and doesn’t live a life that glorifies God, what value towards preserving the world does this Jew have? Just as salt that has no flavor is cast out to be trodden by men, so a Jew who does not believe in the Kingdom will be tossed aside. The message that Jesus is bringing requires the Jews to change their mind about His coming Kingdom, Matthew 4:17. The Kingdom is now at hand. If they do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, then how can they enter into the Kingdom?

 

Christians are never describe as salt. There is only one section in Scripture where salt is used in connection with a Christian; Colossians 4:6. Christians are instructed that their speech should be with grace and seasoned with salt.

 

 

As God’s nation the Israelites are also described by Jesus as being a light to the world. He likens them to a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. The nation as a whole is responsible for showing light to the world by their good works so that their Father who is in heaven will be glorified (The Gentile nations that observe their good works will have a proper opinion of God). The Mosaic Law is a light to their feet and a lamp for their path¹. Through living according to the Law they could manifest their God, the only true God, to the nations².

 

Christians are called light; however, similarity is not identical. Light is God’s life in activity³. The Jewish nations showed the light to the world through the Law. Christians show the light to the world through manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. Christians are sons of the light⁴ and are therefore expected to walk in the light⁵. A son holds a special place of privilege. Since we are sons we are not under any law; rather, we are able to mature so we do not need tutors and governors to garrison us around all the time. We express light by showing love to our fellow Christians⁶ according to the commandments that we as Christians received from Christ; Love one another of the same kind⁷, believe on the character of His Son Jesus Christ⁸, abide in Christ⁹. 

 

 

 

Next: The New Standard the Jews are to Live by in the Kingdom…

 

¹ Psalm 119:105

² Romans 2:19

³ John 8:12; 11:9

⁴ 1 Thessalonians 5:5

⁵ 1 John 1:7

⁶ 1 John 2:9

⁷ John 13:34, 35 Jesus gives a new standard by which those of the dispensation of grace are expected to live by. Under the Mosaic Law the Jews were instructed to love their neighbor as themselves. Jesus changes this standard for Christians. The love for another Christian is not set by how we love ourselves, but by how Christ loves us. This type of love can only be expressed to other Christians when a saint is Spiritual^* and therefore able to use the fruit from the Spirit.(“Others” is a specific Greek word that means “others of the same kind” (αλλήλων). Christians are not instructed to love everyone as Christ loved them, but specifically to express Christ’s quality of love to other Christians. It is by this expression of love that all will see that we are Christ’s disciples); 1 John 3:23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

⁸ 1 John 3:23

⁹ 1 John 3:24; John 15:1-4

^* Spiritual – Having a mind that is set on who you are in Christ and living a life that is led by the Holy Spirit.

Happy are those…

Happy are those who mourn for they will be comforted. During the transition from the Dispensation of Law to the Kingdom of the Heavens, Scripture reveals a very difficult time for Israel. The man of lawlessness is going to break his treaty with Israel and they will have to flee into the wilderness for their lives. Although this time is going to be challenging for the Israelites, Jesus is giving them hope.

Happy are the gentle for they will inherit the earth. Some translations read “meekness”; however, the Greek word means “gentle”. Those who express gentleness during this time of great distress will be rewarded with the inheritance of the earth.

A technical moment: πραυς comes from πραοτης, which means “gentle”. It does not come from πραϋτης, which means “objectivity of mind” (often translated “meekness”).

 

Happy are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness… happy are the merciful…happy are the the pure in heart…happy are the peacemakers…happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness…happy are you when people falsely accuse you…

All this happiness comes become of the knowledge that in the end they will receive the promises give to Israel by God. The gentle will inherit the earth, the merciful will be sown mercy, those thirsting for righteousness will have their righteousness (they are seeking justice), those who are persecuted and insulted for keeping God’s Word will ultimately be rewarded with the Kingdom of the Heavens, Matthew 5:10.

Since the Sermon on the Mount is addressed to the Jews, if Christians attempt to apply what is says to their lives as instructions to live by, this section of Scripture has to be unjustly allegorized in order to agree with the New Testament.

Note: The New Testament is a covenant that is made by the blood of Jesus through His death on the cross and resurrection out from among dead men. It is a better covenant that is built upon better promises¹. It is not the covenant given to the Jews. Since Jesus was born under the Mosaic Law, it is important to note that the New Testament does not actually begin in our Bibles until approximately John 13 in the upper room when Jesus reveals information about the new relationship coming for those who will be saved during the Dispensation of Grace.

 

When it comes to an expression of gentleness in the life of a Christian, there is only one place in Scripture where this type of character is requested. A wife who has a disobedient husband² is to express gentleness with piety to win him over, 1 Peter 3:4. When we look into the Epistles, we see a large contrast between the life of a Christian and the Beatitudes. Christians are comforted in their mourning, they do not have to wait³. Christians are never promised land; rather, their inheritance is in the heavens⁴. God expresses His mercy towards Christians apart from any work⁵. A Christian is not called a son of God, but is an actual son⁶, etc.

The Beatitudes are for the Jews who will enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens. It is not healthy for a Christian to attempt to live by them. It cannot even be said that they are a good moral law to live by. Mainly because the Beatitudes are often in total contrast to how a Christian is to live. Example: We do not show mercy go get mercy, but rather show mercy because we were shown mercy⁷. The danger of allegorizing Scripture is that God’s Word is no longer taken for what it says, but rather is changed to meet the theology of the one interpreting the Word. If we take it for what it says, and properly divide the Word, it not only makes sense, it is no longer confusing since we are not trying to apply something to our lives that God did not instruct us to follow.

Do we live by grace or by law? God has given us much more than He gave the Jews. We are able to use the fruit of the Spirit and are to live by grace, not by any quality of law. The only way the Beatitudes can be applied to a Christians life is if they are applied as a law for the Christian.

 

Next: Are Christians the salt of the earth?

 

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¹ Hebrews 8:6

² Probably one who is not saved, but since disobedient is used rather than unbelieving a saved husband that it not living according to proper doctrine can also be included.

³ 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4; Colossians 2:1, 2

⁴ Philippians 3:20

⁵ Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:4, 5

⁶ Galatians 3:26

⁷ Romans 11:30-32

The Beatitudes

Jesus begins speaking about the time just prior to the setting up of the Kingdom. This is the time which we know as the tribulation; a time when both the dispensation of Law and the Gentile nations are judged. Up until verse 21, when Jesus begins to present the rules for His kingdom, He is speaking to the Jews about the time leading up to the Kingdom, which includes the tribulation.

The meaning of words is so important to our comprehension of anything that we read or hear. If we do not fully understand the meaning of a word, we are not going to grasp the full sense of the information we are receiving. Many translations do us a disservice in this area by translating different Greek words with the same English word. For example: The word “bless”. Often times “bless” is taken as a means by which a person receives a benefit which is usually financial. The problem with applying this meaning to the Greek words translated as “bless” is that neither of them has the implication of financial gain, or any gain for that matter. The first Greek word means “to speak well of”. Our English equivalent is “eulogize”. The second word in the Greek is “happy”.

 

The miss-implied meaning of gaining a benefit to the New Testament concept of  “bless” actually comes from the Hebrew word for “bless” which does carry the meaning of a financial gain, or benefit. However, as you can see, in the New Testament, this is not the case.

Since neither Greek word implies a benefit, which word is used in the Beatitudes and why? Is the person who lives by the Beatitudes well spoken of or happy?

“Happy are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the Kingdom from the Heavens.” As Jesus begins to speak to the crowd he starts with the mindset of a Jew about to enter into the Kingdom from the Heavens. Why would someone who is poor in spirit be happy as a result of being poor in spirit? To understand what makes this person happy we need to comprehend the meaning of “poor in spirit”.

“Poor” comes from a word that means “to lack” or “be in need of something”. It is usually applied to those who do not have the basic necessities for biological life. However, here Jesus is not using this word for those who are poor in life, but adds the clarifying clause, “in the spirit.” The spirit of a man is the part that is rational. It has the capability to know intuitively the things of a man¹. Therefore, to be poor in spirit would mean that you are lacking something in your knowledge. This is not someone who is mentally challenged, but someone who lacks information that, in this case, will cause the person to be happy.

The word “poor” never carries a meaning of “humble” or “low”. It simply means “to lack”.

 

When we look into the greater context of the time period in which Jesus is speaking of, which is the tribulation period, the man of lawlessness is going to desolate the temple. At this time, the Jews will be in the wilderness because Satan has broken his seven year covenant with Israel, has entered the temple, and is presenting himself as a god. The lack of this knowledge would allow a Jew living during this time period to remain happy. Knowing of the desolation of the temple and what Satan’s man of lawlessness is doing would be horrific to the Jews².

In addition to the one who is poor in the spirit being happy, there is also a promise given. This person will receive the Kingdom of the Heavens. This Kingdom is promised to Israel, not to Christians. Those of the dispensation of grace have their citizenship in the heavens³.

Scripture never applies “poor in spirit” to Christians. Actually Christians are instructed to know the times, to use the new mind that they have to determine the will of God in all situations, and to turn back from the things that lack. As a matter of fact, the Church of Laodicea is rebuked because of their lack of the truth⁴.

 

The Jew who is ignorant of the things the man of lawlessness is doing in the temple will be happy as a result of that lack of knowledge.

Next: Happy are those who mourn…

 

 

¹ 1 Corinthians 2:11 “For what man intuitively knows the things of a man, expect the spirit of man, the one in him?…

² Daniel 8:11-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4, 8 – 12

³ Philippians 3:20

⁴ Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? The one being knit together with Him. And we have a quality of the mind of Christ.”; Ephesians 4:22,23; Galatians 4:9; Revelation 3:17.

The process of a sin

In James chapter one verses thirteen through fifteen we are given the process by which we produce sin in our lives. There are basically three steps that we go through each time we sin. A temptation is presented within our minds, we accept or reject the temptation; upon acceptance, we seek to fulfill the temptation, then we perform the desire¹. Within these basic steps there are two main elements that we need to identify to fully understand the process that we go. First there is the process that is happening within the mind. Scripture refers to this as a trespass ². We trespass when we determine to fulfill a desire that is against the standard that God has for us³. The second element is producing the sin. Sin is always exterior to the body⁴. According to Scripture, you cannot sin in your mind because sin is the action part of the process; sin is birthed.  Each man is solicited to do something that lacks in character by his own desires. These desires lure out and bait a person into determining to fulfill them. Once the person has determined to fulfill the lust, the opportunity has to present itself so that the trespass is worked out, which is then sin.

(Desire → Trespass)⁵ → Sin

We trespass against God when we determine to perform a sin because we did not take the way of escape that He provides for us to bear up under the temptation⁶. Although a trespass is unrighteousness, it is not a sin⁷.

In the Millennial Kingdom, the hearts of men will be new⁸. They will have the law of God written upon them⁹. Since God’s law is written in their hearts, their consciences will be correctly trained to determine good and evil. Therefor, to determine to do something that is against the standard that God has set for them to live by will require a determination to ignore their conscience which will scandalize them. Although their environment will not be like ours is now, they will not have the influences that we face each day from the world system or Satan and their sin nature will be subdued by their conscience, we can still understand how the conscience will affect them because even today our conscience can be trained to not allow us to determine to do certain works of the flesh. Take murder for example. Many of us would never murder a person. Even if someone entertains the thought due to anger at a person, to determine to fulfill the desire would offended the conscience so much that the person would be scandalized by the determination to follow through with such a heinous act. It is going to be the same way in the Millennial Kingdom, only they have the law of God written on their hearts, which will convict them through their consciences.

The heart is referring to the center of a man where the person and determinate will reside. Each of the three parts of our being expresses different desires to our heart¹⁰. Not every desire is fulfilled that enters the heart. We have to determine which desires we are going to fulfill.

Since God’s law is not written in our hearts at birth, we have to learn how to live by grace. As we learn, there are times when we trespass without realizing it. However, in the Millennial Kingdom they already know the law from birth so a trespass for them will be intentional.

With a New House Comes New Rules and New Expectations

During the Millennial Kingdom, God’s angels will take all that scandalizes and all who commit lawlessness and throw them directly into the lake of fire. The standards are much higher because of the environment and household that mankind is living in. Therefore, since in the Millennial Kingdom when a person determines to fulfill an evil desire, and this type of thinking causes a person to become scandalized because it is contrary to what they know is right, they must remove the body part that would have been involved in the sin so that they are not thrown into the lake of fire with it¹¹. All that scandalizes will be thrown into the fiery furnace.

In Matthew chapters five through seven, Jesus is giving the Jews the new rules for the Kingdom. Since the Millennial Kingdom is in a new dispensation¹², the Mosaic law will not be the standard by which they live – Jesus stated that He has come to fulfill, or bring to completion, the Mosaic Law. Therefore, the Sermon on the Mount is for the Jews who will enter into the Kingdom of the Heavens (The Millennial Kingdom).

Next: The Beatitudes…

¹ James 1:13-15 God does not solicit anyone to do something that lacks in character.

² We trespass when we determine in our minds to fulfill a desire that is against God’s standards.

³ The standard that He expects Christians to live by – Who a Christian is in Christ, Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27

⁴ 1 John 3:4 All the ones sinning are also doing lawlessness. and sin is lawlessness.

⁵ ( ) denote the process happening within the mind

⁶ 1 Corinthians 10:13

⁷ Dead in your trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:1

⁸ Ezekiel 36:26

⁹We are made up of a spirit, soul, and body, 1 Thessalonians 5:23

¹⁰ This is not the Mosaic Law, it is the law of the Kingdom of the Heavens, Matthew 5-7

¹¹ Matthew 13:41, 42

¹² Ephesians 1:10

The Kingdom of the Heavens

The message of the Kingdom from the Heavens is about the coming Messiah, who will fulfill the promises of God to Israel. He will rule from David throne over not only Israel, but all the nations. Not only will the Messiah rule, He will save His people from their sins.

God has revealed to us more about this time in man’s history. We know it as the Millennial Kingdom. For one thousand years Christ will visibly reign from the New Jerusalem. After which time the Great White Throne Judgment on all unsaved will happen.

In Matthew chapters five through seven, Jesus is giving the Jews the doctrine that they are to live by in this new Kingdom. He clearly states in Matthew 5:17, 18 that He has not come to abolish the Mosaic Law, but rather to bring it to completion. The Dispensation of Law is about to end because the Kingdom is at hand.

Note: In Matthew 7:28 Scripture uses a word for teachings that is specific to a type of doctrine that is to be learned and practiced by the Jews.

 

During the Millennial Kingdom, life on earth is going to be substantially different than we know life now. Two of the three spiritual enemies that we have as Christians will not be able to influence those who are in the Kingdom; Satan is bound and the world system is destroyed ¹. Righteousness will rule on earth at this time because everything that offends will be removed and throne into the Lake of Fire. In addition, God is going to give man a new heart. A heart in which His law is already written. So even the influence of the sin nature is going to be substantially diminished during the Kingdom. Understanding these changes is essential to comprehending the Sermon on the Mount. As a matter of fact, if you do not understand the changes that God is going to make during the Millennial Kingdom, you are going to have to allegorize the Sermon on the Mount because it will not be understandable when applying it to our lives as Christians.

 

One of the most significant changes is that God will give men a new heart. A heart that has His law written upon it. This is not the Mosaic law, but the law of the Kingdom. Not one title or jot will be removed from the Mosaic law until it has been completed. Since the standards by which God expects those in the Kingdom to live by is written on their heart, no one will need to be taught about God ². Because of this the process that a person goes through to perform a sin is far more difficult.

 

Next: The Process of Sin…

 

¹ Psalm 2:8, 9; Revelation 20:2

² Jeremiah 31:33, 34; Hebrews 8:10, 11; Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26

Is the Sermon on the Mount for Christians?

It is important, as with all passages of Scripture, to understand who is being addressed. Not all Scripture is applicable to a Christian. God has revealed to us through His Word that there are seven dispensations. Within His plan, God has set apart seven section of time in which He has or will set standards by which those whom He is dealing with at that time are expected to live by.

The Jewish Nation was given the Mosaic law, by which they were expected to live. Before the giving of the Law, man did not have the law¹ and therefore was not expected to live by it. In the Dispensation of Grace, which is the household that saints are in today, the standard is not law, but grace². These are two totally different standards.

The Sermon on the Mount has been applied by many to Christians for a substantial amount of years; however, there is a problem. In order to apply the sermon to Christian, Jesus’ words have to be substantially allegorized. Anyone that allegorizes Scripture is ignoring what the literal meaning of the words are and applying their own interpretation without lexical or grammatical support. We would not do this when translating any other book to English, so why do it with the Bible? It is done to the Bible because otherwise it will not fit into the theology of the teacher.

To properly understand what Jesus is saying, lets take a look at the literal meaning of the Sermon on the Mount and see why it is so important to always take God’s Word for what it says, not for what we want to imply that it means.

In the context of Matthew, Jesus is coming to the Jewish nation with a message of the Kingdom from the Heavens³. He is the Messiah, who will sit upon David’s throne and rule over a kingdom in which the Jews will possess the land promised to their forefathers and their enemies will be crushed. There are only two people groups on the earth at this time; the Jews and the Gentiles. The Church began on the day of Pentecost, after the resurrection of Christ. It is not until Acts 11:26 that saints are stylized as Christians. At the time of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is still on earth and is beginning His ministry to the Jewish nation. This effectively eliminates the application of this passage of Scripture to the life of a Christian⁴. Jesus is giving the Jewish nation instruction concerning the rules of the His Kingdom.

To understand the rules of the Kingdom, we need to take a step back and look into what was revealed in Scripture about life on earth in the kingdom. God has promised some substantial and significant changes that will occur when Christ takes the throne that will great affect those who are living on the earth.

Next: The Kingdom of the Heavens…

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¹ Romans 5:12 – 14

² Ephesians 3:2

³ John 1:6-11 (He came to His own things and His own people did not receive Him); Isaiah 9:6

⁴ A Christian is one who has expressed faith in Christ by believing that Christ died for his/her sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scripture, 1 Corinthians 15:3,4.

1 John 1:5-10 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, “God is light, and darkness is not in Him. If perhaps we should say, “We have fellowship with Him.”, and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth. However, if perhaps we should walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another of the same kind, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If perhaps we should say that we have no sin nature, we cause ourselves to wander and the truth is not in us.  If perhaps we should confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous in order that He should forgive our sins and should cleans us from all unrighteousness. If perhaps we say, “We are in a state of having not sinned.”, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Sin is a constant struggle in the life of every believer. We all face those temptations that are just so hard to resist. We may struggle with these desires, and sometimes even put up a good fight, but ultimately we given in and get entangled with things that we know God does not wants us to be involved with in our lives. This often leads to a life of shame before God. We promise we will not do it again only to end up back on our knees for the same problem.

However, the Christian life does not need to be a life of shame and failure. To have victory over these desires, we need to understand where they come from and how God wants us to deal with them. God knows that we have a part of us that is always seeking to do things that are contrary to His standards. He even knows our internal struggle with desires that continually tempt us to commits acts that are offensive in His sight. He does not ignore the presence of our sin nature, but gives us the tools we need to overcome it. Part of what we received at salvation deals with this specific problem in our lives.

Living a life that glorifies God begins with a mind that is seeing things as they really are. We are to frame our minds on the things above, not on the things of the earth[1]. These “things” have to do with some very significant changes that happened at salvation. In God’s mind, we are no longer in Adam but rather we are in Christ. God puts the death and resurrection of Christ to our account. That is, He sees us as having died for our sins[2] and having been raised to walk in newness of life before Him[3]. Since He puts this to our account, He also treats us as being raised and gives us all we need to live a life that manifests the new life that we now have. Which means, although we cannot control the thoughts that come through our mind, we can control which thoughts we allow to affect our actions.

In 1 John, the Apostle John writes about the sin nature and how we perceive its effect on our lives. The message that he is announcing is that God is light. Light manifests actions[4]. Since God dwells in the light[5], He always presents things as they really are. There is no darkness in Him. Darkness describes the works that come from the flesh. These works are hidden and do not want to be manifested for what they really are. Since God is light, if we say that we share in common with Him, then we should also be walking in the light. However, if we are producing the works of the flesh, which are a manifestation of darkness, and saying that we share something in common with God, we are lying and the truth is not in us, since there is no darkness in Him.

“The truth” is referring to a specific set of facts that have to do with having victory over the sin nature. In John 8:32, while speaking to the Jews who believed, Jesus revealed that the truth was going to set them free from the sin nature[6]. What exactly is this set of facts is revealed in the book of Romans. Starting in the fifth chapter and going well into the eight chapter, Paul address the issue of sin in a Christian’s life. Having victory over the sin nature requires that we take God at His word. He says that we have died with Christ and as a result of our death, we are no longer bound to the sin nature[7]. He also says we have been raised to walk in newness of life and therefore when we are living a life that manifests who we are in Christ the sin nature is rendered ineffective[8]. It is not that we do not get desires from the sin nature, but rather that we are no longer a slave to the sin nature and therefore do not have to perform those desires.

If we say we have fellowship with God, we need to be properly applying the truth to our lives so that we are having victory over our sin nature. Only then will we be walking in the light. Otherwise, we are lying. If we are manifesting the works of the flesh, walking in the darkness, we are not sharing in common with the Father because we are not applying the truth. Once the truth is applied to our lives, we begin to walk in the light, manifesting His character, and the blood of Christ cleanses us from our sins. The blood of Christ will cleanse our conscience from dead works so that we can serve a living God[9]. This is a cleansing that takes place within time and is referring to the removal of the actions in our lives that are produced from the sin nature. In addition, when we properly apply the truth, we can weigh our actions with who we are in Christ, and if they are not lining up with God’s opinion of us, we need to agree with God that our actions are against His standard for us and when we do this, He cleanses us from our sins. You see, if we say we have no sin, we are just deceiving ourselves, but when our actions do not line up with who we are in Christ and we recognize the error, the reaction should be to apply the truth so that we begin having victory over whatever action we are producing that is sin.

In our Christian life, we need to put aside the things of the flesh and cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles the flesh and the spirit[10]. If we are saying that we have fellowship with God, but are manifesting what we know is sin, we need to agree with God that are actions are sin, which should then result in applying the truth to our lives so that we can begin to walk in the light as He is in the light. Confession comes by identifying that our actions are not lining up with our words. If we agree with God that our actions are sinful, should we continue in those actions? Absolutely not! How can we, who have died to the sin nature[11], continue to feel at ease with manifesting the works of the flesh? Realistically, we cannot continue to feel at ease with the sin nature because we are now slaves to righteousness. Therefore, we need to correctly apply the truth to our lives. Know – Reckon – Yield. Know that you have died with Christ and have been raised to walk in newness of life, count what God says to be true, and yield your members to righteousness. Only then can we truly say we have fellowship with the Father.

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[1] Colossians 3:1-3

[2] Christ served as a substitute for us in our death for sin

[3] Romans 6:1-3

[4] Ephesians 5:13

[5] 1 Timothy 6:16

[6] John 8:32, 34

[7] Romans 7:1-6

[8] Romans 6:6

[9] Hebrews 9:14

[10] 2 Corinthians 7:1

[11] Romans 6:1, 2

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 …for though in the flesh we walk, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not pertaining to the flesh, but pertaining to the natural ability of God towards the tearing down of fortresses; pulling down logics and every high thing lifting itself up against the experiential knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought into the obedience of Christ.

 How do you control the thoughts in your mind?

 So often we struggle with thoughts that are of a “lacking in character” type, which flood our minds all day long. Perhaps they are thoughts that we will never do because ultimately our conscience would not permit such an action; nonetheless, we struggle with them. Perhaps we would do them if the opportunity presented itself knowing full well that we should not be involved with that type of action. Or perhaps they are thoughts that seem to be impossible to resist. They take over our minds, making us feel guilty and unworthy before God for even allowing such a thing in our minds, not to mention actually doing them.

 We need to remember that our battle is not a battle of the flesh; we are not waging war against fleshly enemies. Our enemies are spiritual and affect our way of thinking. When it comes to how we deal with thoughts in our minds we need to realize that the thought is not a sin, or even a trespass. The thought in itself is nothing until we make it something.

 In James 1:12 we are told how we are tempted by a desire to do something that lacks in character. First, the lust has to enter your mind, hence, a thought. Then, you have to accept the thought as your own. The thought is the bait. It is the means by which either your sin nature, Satan, or the world system seeks to gain control over your frame of mind. The bait intends to draw you out of your safe place, which is a place where your mind is framed on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. It does this by getting you to accept the thought and commit in your mind to perform the thought, which is a trespass. A trespass will ultimately result in a sin when the opportunity arises for the act to be committed and is thus followed through.

Because these desires can be so strong, to defend ourselves we tend to fall into trying to put a law up against them to control them, rather than taking the way of escape. I should not be thinking such thoughts! No! I refuse to think this way. Or something along those lines comes up in our mind to combat the thought. It may seem like this is a good way to deal with a bad thought, but the problem is we are setting a “do not” law upon ourselves and not applying the proper defense against the attack. That law will ultimately give the sin nature strength to overcome our mind. We can get so afraid of dealing with a thought that we focus on saying, “no”; rather than processing the thought correctly and bringing it into captivity with who we are in Christ.

 The grace from God child trains us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust, in order that we should live with a saving frame of mind while manifesting godliness in this now age, which is the present evil age. We live in a time when the manifestation of character that is unbecoming of any human is not only committed on a normal basis, but seeks to engulf all around it by involving them in the act by either getting them to participate or approve of such ungodly character. Part of this child training is learning how to deal with and properly process thoughts that enter into our minds. Remember, the thought is not a sin, the thought is not even a trespass. It is only the bait that is seeking to get us to bite so that we accept it as our own, which is a trespass against God because we did not take the way of escape, so that ultimately we will perform the act that lacks in character and fulfill the desire.

When a thought comes into our minds, we need to appropriately process the thought. We need to identify what type of thought it is. Is it a good one or a bad one? Sometimes to make the determination we need to develop the thought in our mind and consider the outcome of such an action. Other times there is no doubt that the thought is a bad one. Each thought that enters your mind should be considered and weighed as to its value. There is nothing wrong with this process, it does not make you unrighteous before God, as a matter of fact, by evaluating the thought you are then able to use the means that God has given you to overcome the enemy that is attacking you. If it is a bad thought, the next step is to identify which one of your spiritual enemies is causing the lust. We determine this by the type of desire. The better we know the methods of our enemies the fast we can identify the source of the temptation. At this point, do not say NO! to the thought; rather, take the proper way of escape. If it is a lust from the flesh, set your mind on the thing above. Remind yourself that you are dead to the sin nature and alive to God in Christ, count this to be true, yield your members to righteousness rather than unrighteousness. If the source is from Satan or one of his demons, put on the full armor from God. If the world system is the culprit, recognize that you have been crucified in Christ to the world system. Although you are in the world, you are not of the world. We may use the world, but not abuse it. This will prevent taking our love that is to be directed at the saints and directing it at the world system.

So the next time a bad thought comes into your mind, do not be afraid of it. Process it correctly, apply the proper defense against it and bring it into captivity. God has promised that He will not put on us more than we can handle but with all temptations, He gives us a way of escape so that we can bear up under them.

 Colossian 3:1-3; Titus 2:11, 12; Galatians 1:4; Romans 6:1-3, 11, 13, 18; 7:9; Galatians 6:14; 1 John 2:15, 16; John 17:14; 1 Corinthians 7:31; 10:13; Ephesians 6:10-18