May I submit to you, beloved of the Lord, a hard letter but full of the love of the Lord……The absence of His love would be for the warnings and heads up of Christ not to be there for us…… While there is time still, we can ask Him to redeem our time here this day.
This fifth love letter from the Lord was then for the Sardis church and is now for the current day church….. For He is alive, beloved. His Word, the Lord Jesus Christ is active. For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, ( Hebrews 4:12).
So then , beloved, we can stand and know what was and is to come has always been and is and will always be…. Then let us perk up our ears and turn off if any distractions that display the error of our hearts desire and make our desire in His grace- Him….. Let us hear the Spirit speak and seek for the understanding and wisdom that will produce 30-60 or 100 fold fruit unto the Lord. For we do not want to be found as some were found in the Sardis church with spotted clothes by the Lord, right? We want our fruit to be of His; full of resurrected power and full of the Lord’s glory.
Remember, we are always producing fruit—– unto the Lord or unto death- the world. In chapter 11 of John, Lazarus is being raised from the dead by the Lord. Martha reminded the Lord, as if He knew not of this subject……- Lord , Lazarus has been dead for four days, and his flesh stinketh!!! Hmmm….. That is why Jesus came to us and died for us because our lives were dead and our works were “stinketh” up to heaven. So Lazarus was a type of us, the Lord friends, that were to be raised in Him when He rose from the dead.
Roman 6:4 states: Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.
Verse 13 of Romans 6, And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Then as verse 19- 23, I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things are death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As we begin to dig into the Sardis church’s letter- let us pray to have perky ears to the Spirit of the Lord. Ears that make our heart pliable in His hands, the hands of the Potter…………Thank You, Lord, for Your Spirit of Grace.
John 15:1-8 and 16: I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
( I have to stop right there and ask—— How do we abide? – He answers this question coming up-).
I Am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them in to the fire, and they are burned.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
As we study as in meditating or eating/ abiding in His Word, His Word abides in us. The more the Word is apart of us the active Word is quickened by the Spirit of God……… We are alive unto Him and dead unto unrighteousness. Praise Him……
WE MUST PARTAKE OF THE WORD OF GOD SO HIS WORD IS IN US AND WE IN HIM……… He is the vine we are the branches…….His Spirit is the Sap that produces the Fruit…….whether it is the fruit of His Spirit or the signs that testify of His goodness……… We must read His Word…….
As it is written in Hebrews 7 and Psalm 95, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit, says: Today, if you will hear the His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, and tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways, so I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest.
Revelation chapter 3:1-6: And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
Remember, therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches………
I wrote out the letter because there are so many factors and important points that we should put our minds on…….and allow our hearts to understand.
This letter is from the One that has the Seven Spirits of God and it is also written by the Seven Spirits of God ………. We are told by God by the prophet Zechariah in chapter 4——Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord……. The Spirit of grace has taken His abode within the children of God, the ones who call on the name of the Lord Jesus……. We are His and His Spirit is within us. We are no longer naked but clothed in the Spirit of God, His righteousness and holiness. There is no store on this earth that can clothe us in such riches as did our gracious God and Father…….and the Son!
I heard a saying from a preacher on the radio recently. I had to think about it for it had to do with the last days: the dividing of the tares and wheat……. He said that those who profess will fall away versus those who possess………I am still pondering that statement but may it be accurate? God knows our hearts and whose house we are….If He is home in us by His Spirit…… as it is written in Colossians- Christ in us is our only hope of glory.
Jesus is speaking to His disciples in His final teaching before His betrayal and death in John 14. The Lord is now setting up the new paradigm shift that will be taking place and preparing the guys to believe……. John 14:10-14, Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to My Father.
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Revelation 14:13, Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them……..
Then we can conclude before we believed, we are dead….. according to God, our Creator, we are dead…. from our sin nature, we are dead……. So if we accept the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross for our sin…… we then die in Him and then we live……..by His Spirit and from now on…. we live by His Spirit’s direction by and in the Word of God…….. So our works are following us? The work by His Spirit through us as His vessels.
So as we walk gingerly through this letter to gleam all the Lord is speaking to us today….. We must first remember how we had ears to hear and believe in the Lord……. By His Spirit of Grace…… We heard and believed….. by the gift of faith given to us by the Father by the Spirit of Grace……..
We received the Gift of Jesus Christ to us as our Salvation by the Spirit of Grace pouring forth faith in to our hearts…….
We then started to walk out our new life in Christ by faith being led by the Spirit of Grace who then came to dwell in us….. by faith…
Did we do any works here but believe when we started the Great Adventure with the Uncreated One? No, just as our next breath is in the hand of our God…… All things come from Him and all things will return to Him….. Christ will be all and in all……… as written in Colossians. Look it up. As He has stated He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith in Hebrews…….. So…… can we look at our heart and life and say yes, I am alive……. I do nothing unless the Father or our Lord has told us? Are we sufficient unto our selves or is our sufficiency of Christ? This great life with and in and by the Spirit is always progressive as we gain higher ground with a perspective from heaven.
The word perfect according to the Lord’s eyes refers to maturity……. or complete ……..In the book of James, second chapter states with out works faith is dead….. The Spirit was not saying there were no works but the works were not perfect or mature…before God. So then what are the works—–the works of the flesh? The works of the flesh are ambition, envy, slander. Well, any work that destroys others to make ourselves be greater….. This is not His way, beloved…..
If we are driven to do works of the flesh, I pray, we stop….. and wait before the Lord…. for we are short sided to the love of God for us. His love is so grand to live in and by….. His love takes us out of the mire clay and sets us high on a rock. His loves changes us from nothing in to His beautiful bride. His loves elevates us from the dirt and seats us with princes. His love takes us in our weak and fearful state and forms us as His warriors. His love is neverending and will never fail you and me…… There is no greater pursuit on the face of this earth than to behold the love that God has for each one of us……….
There were many who had spotted their garments with the works of the world- the flesh…… The Spirit spoke that those whose garments were white, He would walk with…….. Is it not written in Romans 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8 further explains in verses 5-17, For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Sprit who dwells in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors— not to the flesh, to love according to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs— heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
So we have received the Spirit of adoption. The Holy Spirit in whom we now walk with and breath in. We get our instructions for the day and the night….. Our lives are not our own any longer….. Actually, in truth, they were never our own….. for all things will return to the Lord and He will receive an account of all our works……But we get to fellowship with the Holy Spirit everyday- every minute…… I am still after many years in awe of the love of God given to us by the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ is among us……. Only our God could be so good!!!
So if we walk( abide) with and in the Spirit of God who shows us all things to come as well as remind us of the Words of God, we will remain white – clothed with His garment, His Spirit of righteousness.
What could defile our garments? What could make our name to be blotted out from the Book of Life?
Works of the flesh- plain and simple…… We can be steadfast in the Spirit of God by praying and studying the Word….. Giving the Lord Jesus Christ first place in our lives will strengthen our hearing and quickly saying yes to the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit.
There is a definite sound of- pay attention here- from the Lord, do you also hear it? We are not to take lightly the Gift of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If we hold something precious, we value it and take great care to keep it safe……. May we have the understanding and wisdom of God to do the same with the Gift of His Spirit within us…….
The Spirit of God is the Witness of God on this earth as well as the blood and the water as written in the Book of 1 John. We have His Spirit within….. What a privilege we have been given. May we heed the voice of warning not to turn back and defile our garments—— We must remember we are the temple of the Living God…… We must not tread on that privilege.
As our Teacher said—– where our treasure is, there will be our heart also….. God is not blind and there is no darkness, He sees all…….
I will stop on this letter this time….. It is important for us to spend time with the Spirit to allow Him to give witness to us on our garments and the shape we are in as His temple- individually as well as His corporate body- in this nation and as one body through the world.
May we have ears to hear and a heart to quickly obey….. Let us be found pleasing our God today…. Let us be the army of the Lord, following Him being called, chosen and faithful, clothed in white.
This is the Day to Hear and Obey…… I have heard the term once saved always saved…… I have to put that statement before the Lord. The blotting out a name from the Book of Life is a very different truth written. Let us not be deceived by living a lie in a greasy grace street………If we are dead to sin, then we are alive in Him unto all righteousness……. The ways of the world are a death trap and we have been given the Spirit of Grace to escape every snare that tempts us and reign in life victorious…… Is it easy? No… but is our Treasure and our Inheritance worth the hardships here……Absolutely. We live by the eternal weight of glory to come, beloved….. Hold on to our Treasure and our Garment in our God.
Matthew 7:13-14, Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Children, the hour is late.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for an hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.
Selah!
So if we are living in the timeline of mankind, day six of creation…..then I submit to you, that the next letter to the church of Philadelphia would be the plan for mankind by our God complete in the fruition that is His satisfaction……….Are we there or what? By God’ grace, beloved, by God’s grace…..
