25-0711A_THE STATURE OF A PERFECT MAN PT-15 (PARTAKERS OF CHRIST'S DIVINE NATURE)

2Pe 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 

2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 

2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 

2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 

2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 

1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 

Jas 5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 

2Th 3:5  And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. 

Isa 30:18  And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. 

1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 

*NOW THIS SPECIAL CONDITION IN SMYRNA MUST BE APPLIED TO EVERY AGE. THERE IS NO AGE FREE FROM IT.

  117-3    SMYRNAEAN.CHURCH.AGE  -  CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.4

Now this special condition in Smyrna must be applied to every age. There is no age free from it. There is no true believer free from it. This is of God. This is the will of God. It is needful. We need the Lord to teach us the truth that we are to suffer and be Christ-like in doing it. "Love suffereth long and is kind."

 

*HE HAS LEFT HIS CHURCH A MEASURE OF SUFFERING THAT THEY, TOO, BY THEIR FAITH IN GOD WHILE SUFFERING FOR HIM, WOULD COME TO A PLACE OF PERFECTION.

In plain language, the very character of Jesus was perfected by suffering. And according to Paul He has left His church a measure of suffering that they, too, by their faith in God while suffering for Him, would come to a place of perfection. Why did He want this?

James 1:2-4,

 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

 

*HIS PURPOSE IS THAT AFTER WE HAVE SUFFERED AWHILE WE WOULD BE MADE PERFECT, BE ESTABLISHED, STRENGTHENED AND SETTLED.

You see, they could not figure out God's love. They thought that love meant no suffering. They thought that love meant a baby with parental care. But God said that His love was "elective" love. The proof of His love is ELECTION--that no matter what happened, His love was proven truly by the fact they were chosen unto salvation (because God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth). He may commit you to death as He did Paul. He may commit you to suffering as He did Job. That is His prerogative. He is sovereign. But it is all with a purpose. If He did not have a purpose, then He would be the author of frustration and not of peace. His purpose is that after we have suffered awhile we would be made perfect, be established, strengthened and settled. As Job said, "He puts strength in us." (Job 23:6b) You see He, Himself, suffered. He learned obedience by the things that He suffered. He was actually made perfect by the things that He suffered.

 

*HE KNOWS HOW TO ENCOURAGE US IN THE RIGHT MATTERS AND DISCOURAGE US IN THE WRONG MATTERS.

  81-3    EPHESIAN.CHURCH.AGE  -  CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.3

How beautifully the Saviour praises and commends His children. He takes full account of their fine spiritual attitudes and behavior. He knows that there is weakness amongst them, but as yet He does not cry out against it. Isn't that just like the Lord? He knows how to encourage us in the right matters and discourage us in the wrong matters. We could all learn a good lesson right here in running the church and our families. And better still, we could all learn a good lesson in that God deals with each one of us in exactly this way. Don't ever be discouraged, Saint of God, for God is not ungracious to forget your labors of love. Whatever we do, even giving a cup of cold water to someone, has a reward and blessing from the Lord.

 

*FAITH SEES WHAT GOD SEES.

WHY.CRY.SPEAK_  JEFF.IN  V-2 N-26  SUNDAY_  63-0714M

168    Now, notice, faith sees what God wants you to see. See? Faith sees what God sees.

169    And reasoning and senses see what the world wants you to see. Notice reasoning, "Why, it's only human sense. It's only--only reason that this... Well, ain't this just as good?" See? That's just exactly, when you use those senses which is contrary to the Word, see, then that's what the world wants you to see.

170    But faith don't look at that. Faith looks what God said. See? You know, you cast down reasons..

 

*WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR SPIRIT, IT MAKES EVERY ACTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOU TICK OFF JUST EXACTLY ACCORDING TO GOD'S TIMEPIECE, THE BIBLE. WHY.IS.IT.THAT.SO.MANY.CHRISTIANS.FIND.IT.SO.HARD.TO.LIVE.THE.CHRISTIAN.LIFE_  PHX.AZ  SUNDAY_  57-0303A

E-31    Notice, now, "I'll give you a new spirit, and I'll put My Spirit..." Notice, the new heart is put right in the middle of you. And the new spirit is put right in the middle of your new heart. And His Spirit is put right in the middle of the new spirit.

It's just like the mainspring in a famous watch. When that... When that mainspring sets in the middle of the watch, it controls every movement of that watch. And that's what's the matter, friends. Now, I hope you see this. And I'm not saying it to be--try to twist or be indifferent; I'm only saying it because I know that someday I'll stand in the judgment with you. You see, if the Holy Spirit is in the middle of your spirit... And that watch spring makes all the rest of the movements just tick just exactly to the place, keeping perfect time. When the Holy Spirit is in the middle of your spirit, it makes every action of the Holy Spirit in you tick off just exactly according to God's Timepiece, the Bible. Right.

 

*ALL THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT JUST TICKS RIGHT WITH THAT MAINSPRING. IT'S THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT DOES IT, GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR NEW SPIRIT.  WHY.IS.IT.THAT.SO.MANY.CHRISTIANS.FIND.IT.SO.HARD.TO.LIVE.THE.CHRISTIAN.LIFE_  PHX.AZ  SUNDAY_  57-0303A

  E-32    You don't lie; you don't steal; you got associates, and your lovely, and you've got peace, joy and long-suffering, goodness, meekness, patience. Why, all the fruits of the Spirit just ticks right with that mainspring. See what I mean?

Now, it's the main spring that does it. It's the Holy Spirit that does it. It isn't your church that does it. It isn't your pastor that does it. It isn't your shouting that does it. It isn't your speaking with tongues that does it. It isn't your healing service that does it. It's the Holy Spirit that does it, God's Holy Spirit in the middle of your new spirit. It makes the whole Church operate, just exactly one big bundle of love.

 

*ALL THESE FINE QUALITIES IS TICKING OUT OF THAT PERSON'S LIFE WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT'S IN THERE TICKING IT AROUND.

WHY.IS.IT.THAT.SO.MANY.CHRISTIANS.FIND.IT.SO.HARD.TO.LIVE.THE.CHRISTIAN.LIFE_  PHX.AZ  SUNDAY_  57-0303A

  E-33    Oh, don't we need it, friends. Examine ourselves today. Examine it by the Word. See? Is our life ticking off just like that? See? Everything, love... What's the fruit of it? How do you know it's keeping right time? It's got love.

Love vaunteth not itself, it's not puffed up. It's sociable, neighborly, loving, believing all things, hoping all things. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, patience, meek, faith. All these fine qualities is ticking out of that person's life when the Holy Spirit's in there ticking it around.

Now, it wasn't by intellectual conception, that this brings forth. It is by the baptism of the Holy Ghost that brings this. If you are trying to live a Christian life, you're only impersonating.

 

WHY.IS.IT.THAT.SO.MANY.CHRISTIANS.FIND.IT.SO.HARD.TO.LIVE.THE.CHRISTIAN.LIFE_  PHX.AZ  SUNDAY_  57-0303A

  E-34    It's not... Paul said, "It's not me that liveth, but Christ that liveth in me. The life that I now live, I live not of myself, but Christ that liveth in me." He becomes dead to all the things of the world, that Christ, the main spring in his life, was ticking off his life just exactly, exactly the way God had laid it down here in the Bible. You get what I mean?

 

*AND HOW SHALL I PROVE MY LOVE TO HIM? BY BELIEVING WHAT HE SAID, AND BY CONDUCTING MYSELF WITH JOY AMIDST THE TRIALS THAT HE IN HIS WISDOM ALLOWS TO COME TO PASS.

  118-1    SMYRNAEAN.CHURCH.AGE  -  CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.4

The cloudy skies and storms of life are no signs of God's disapproval. Neither are bright skies and still waters signs of His love and approval. His approval of any of us is only IN THE BELOVED. His love is elective which He had for us before the foundation of the world. Does He love us? Ah yes. But how shall we know? We shall know because He SAID SO, and manifested that He did love us for He brought us to Himself and gave us of His Spirit, placing us as sons. And how shall I prove my love to Him? By believing what He said, and by conducting myself with joy amidst the trials that He in His wisdom allows to come to pass.