Beyond The Four Spiritual Laws

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508) 2John 1:10-11 . . If anyone comes to you and does not bring this
doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who
greets him shares in his evil deeds.

The greeting in view is the holy kiss mentioned in Rom 16:16, 1Cor 16:20,
2Cor 3:12, 1Thess 5:26, and 1Pet 5 :14. The holy kiss is reserved for
brethren, not for outsiders.

Some have construed 2John 1:10-11 to mean believers are forbidden to
respond to a knock on their door by Latter Day Saints and Jehovah's
witnesses, or invite them in for a chat. That's not really what John's saying.

In his day, missionaries were put up in people's homes during their travels;
thus assisting them in their mission. So then, if you greet cultists as
brethren, and/or put them up for the night, or assist them in any way to
accomplish their mission, then you become an accomplice; and that includes
buying flowers from Moonies.

509) 3John 1:5-8 . . Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest
to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity
before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly
sort, thou shalt do well: because that for his name's sake they went forth,
taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we
might be fellow helpers to the truth.

The "Gentiles" in this instance can be considered, for all intents and
purposes, unbelievers because that's what most of the non-Israelites were in
the Roman world of that day.

Paul and his contemporaries didn't stoop to the despicable practice of
selling tickets to their meetings, and/or passing the hat among the crowds
that gathered to hear them. God forbid! No, just as the Old Testament's
priests were supported by their constituents, so Christ prefers to draw
support from his own rather than from strangers.

510) 3John 11-12 . . Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is
good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen
God.

The "one who does evil" refers is a believer who walks in the flesh rather
than in the Spirit. In other words, they habitually give in to the base nature
instead of resisting it.

For now, it isn't possible to literally feast your glims on the actual person of
the Bible's God. But what John's saying is that believers who do evil are
somehow unaware who they're dealing with. I think one of the more serious
temptations is for Christians to take God for granted; and to forget that first
and foremost the Bible's God is a monarch who does not tolerate
insurrection in His kingdom. He may be your Father, but He's still your
sovereign too.

● Mal 1:6 . . A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am
a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?

● 1Pet 1:17 . . And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons
judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning
here in fear:

The koiné Greek word for "fear" in that verse is phobos (fob'-os) which
means: alarm or fright. In other words: a little Theophobia goes a long
ways towards giving God the degree of respect He not only wants; but also
fully deserves. If it's unwise to trifle with rattlesnakes, high voltage electrical
wires, arsenic, and IRS audits; then surely it's agreeable that it's just as
unwise to trifle with God.

Inquiring minds can "see" God on the pages of holy writ by means of The
Lord's personal tutoring.

● Matt 11:27 . . No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows
the Father except the Son: and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal
him.

So then, a believer who's lazy at Bible study, and/or indifferent to complying
with Christianity's commandments, will fail to see God, and subsequently,
they will fail to imitate Him simply because they don't know enough about
their Father in order to utilize Him as a role model.

● Eph 5:1 . .Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children

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511) Jude 1:3 . . Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you
about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing
that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to
the saints.

The koiné Greek word for "contend earnestly" is epagonizomai (ep-ag-o-nid'
zom-ahee) which means: to struggle for

Webster's defines "struggle" as:

1• to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or
opposition.

2• to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition

3• to proceed with difficulty or with great effort

Some example that Webster's gives for struggle are:

• He has been struggling with the problem of how to keep good workers
from leaving.

• They struggled for the right to vote.

• She struggled up the hill through the snow.

• She struggled to lift the package by herself, but it was too heavy.

• He struggled to get free of the wreckage.

• He's been struggling in math class for most of the year.

• The team has continued to struggle in recent weeks.

• He was living as a struggling artist in the city.

Given the peace-loving nature of true, God-given Christianity, I seriously
doubt that Jude means Christians should get involved in political activism,
civil disobedience and/or inquisitions and crusades. So, then, I would say
that struggling for the faith means doing everything in one's power to keep
the faith of one's own church from being suppressed and/or crushed to
death by people with ideas; for example:

● Jude 1:4 . . For certain men, whose condemnation was written about long
ago, have covertly slipped in among you. These are irreverent men, who
pervert the grace of our God as a license for unethical conduct; and
contradict Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign and Lord.

These kinds of people get on staff covertly, which means at first they look
genuine, but it's only a matter of time before they show their true colors.
The Ephesian church is a prime New Testament example of spiritual decay.
When Paul said his farewells to that at-one-time shining beacon for Christ;
here is what he predicted.

● Acts 20:17-31 . . And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the
elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them:

. . .Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased
with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves
will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among your own
selves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples
after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did
not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

Paul's prediction came true. By the time of The Lord's evaluation of the
Ephesian church in Rev 2:1-7, they had become cheap goods.

When the faith of a church becomes as hollow as the one at Laodicea (Rev
3:14-22) nothing short of a wipe can save it. The whole staff has to go;
every last one of them from the senior pastor on down; and don't forget the
membership committee. Why? Because they are typically interested only in
numbers; not believers; I've seen it.

When applying for membership in a mega church in San Diego some years
ago, I had to meet three prerequisites. First off, I had to attend the Pastor's
class for candidates. Then I had to make a profession of faith and undergo
water baptism. And then finally, I had to be interviewed by the membership
committee. For that, I was herded into a room with three other candidates
and asked to explain how I came to know The Lord.

I have an excellent testimony in that regard but the other three in the room
with me were so vague and generalizing that I thought for sure they would
be rejected; but no, they were given the right hand of fellowship same as
me. Right then and there I knew that church was infested with irreverent
men. That membership committee was just too accommodating-- the
interview wasn't meaningful at all; it was just a formality. At that point in a
church's life, the life of its faith has been over from some time and nobody
on the inside knows it; like a frog boiled to death by starting out with cold
water.

Jude isn't saying you should make an effort to revive the faith of a hollow
church; he's only saying you should take a serious interest in preventing the
faith of your church from becoming a husk.

According to 1Cor 3:6-9, churches are like farmland. Without proper
husbandry, crops fail to produce and the land risks becoming fallow.

● Heb 6:7-8 . . For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and
brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled,
receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is
worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

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512) Jude 1:20-21 . . But you, beloved-- building yourselves up on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit --keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

"keep yourselves in the love of God" is somewhat vague. It can indicate
God's love for the believer, and/or it can indicate the believer's love for God.
I tend to suspect it's both because Jesus said:

"If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15)

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.
He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him" (John
14:21)

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If
you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed
my Father's commands and remain in his love." (John 15:9-10)

The Greek word translated "keep" is very ambiguous. One of it's meanings
refers to safe-guarding and/or protecting so as to prevent loss.

It's impossible for a believer to stop God from caring for them, but by their
conduct they can, and they often do, make it difficult for Him to actually like
them.

Prayer in the Holy Spirit simply means to communicate with heaven via
God's given method rather than one's own, or a method prescribed by one's
denomination; i.e. man-made methods. The protocol has to be God-given or
else your thoughts will just bounce off heaven's door like popcorn off the
side of a brick house.

The mercy spoken of is one's resurrection to a permanent, immortal body;
which is something that Jude says them that are sanctified by God the
Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ and called should anticipate, viz: not
just wish for, but instead fully expect. (Phil 3:20-21, 1John 3:2-3)

513) Jude 1:22-23 . . On some have compassion, making a
distinction; but others rescue with fright, pulling them out of the fire, hating
even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Some Christians are offended by fright because it violates their concept of
love. But fright can be a good thing if it's applied judiciously. For instance: it
is just as wise to be afraid of God as it is wise to be afraid of cactus spines, a
mule's kick, and/or a forest fire.

Christians neglecting to build themselves up on their most holy faith, to pray
in the Holy Spirit, to keep themselves in the love of God, and to look for the
mercy of their Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life; are seriously off
reservation. Some are so far off-reservation that somebody needs to get in
their face and confront them about their condition, even if it means
becoming harsh, insensitive, and judgmental because stray Christians are
also away from God's providence; and that is a very risky situation to be in.

Some off-reservation Christians can be stopped from destroying themselves;
while others are too far gone. Of those with possibilities, counselors have to
use a little God-given common sense as it isn't necessary to employ fright
with everyone-- just the ones who are particularly difficult. Some people can
be reasoned with, while others only understand fear and can be persuaded
to move in the right direction only by literally lighting a fire under them.

514) Rev 14:6-7 . . And I saw another angel flying through the sky,
carrying the everlasting gospel to preach to the people who dwell on the
earth-- to every nation, tribe, language, and people. Fear God! he shouted.
Give glory to Him! For the time has come when He will sit as judge. Worship
Him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all the springs of water!

The everlasting gospel is very elementary. Pretty much all it says is:

1• There's a supreme being.

2• He deserves respect.

3• There's a frightful reckoning looming on the horizon, and

4• The cosmos-- all of its forms of life, matter, and energy --is the product
of intelligent design.

Giving "glory" to God simply indicates giving someone credit where credit is
due; and "worship" basically just simply means admiration. People who
disbelieve intelligent design of course do neither.

The everlasting gospel's points are as valid in our day as they will be in the
days ahead; viz: the everlasting gospel is timeless.

-- The End --