Walk Worthy Vision
Preaching & discipling the whole Gospel and purpse of God worldwide
(Note: if you haven’t read Part 1 & 2, please do so first! SPIRITUAL ASCENDANCY: PART 1 [MONDAY MANNA 11] and SPIRITUAL ASCENDANCY – PART 2 [MONDAY MANNA 12])
Saints,
Overcoming the world…and it’s temptations.
Recently, we’ve found ourselves being rebuked much more frequently by lukewarm Christians for being too zealous and extreme. Perhaps you too?
Why do they do this? Do they see us in danger of being too hot? Are we in danger of losing our rewards, or even going to hell?
Do they consider themselves to be too zealous and hot for Jesus, confessing that truth to the watching world with their own mouths?
We never get a clear, straight answer from these people, just that we should cool off and take it easy like them. Being lukewarm (neither hot or cold) have been our observations of them in the Spirit, as we searched their lives diligently for 30-60-100 fold fruit that remains.
So, lest we think all who claim Christ are the same, Paul wrote:
1 Cor. 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
This means to be cut off, i.e. not standing the test, rejected, see also Rom 1.28: depraved mind; 2 Cor. 13.5-7: fail the test of faith, be unapproved; 2 Tim. 3.8: rejected in regard to the faith; Titus 1.6:worthless for any good deed; Heb. 6.8: worthless and close to being cursed.
And again, he exhorts his disciple with this proclamation:
1 Tim. 4:7-8 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Why all the exhortations and warnings if all is automatic, and all are the same?
Last time we wrote:
It has been said that the steps to spiritual downfall of groups during the ages have always followed this cycle. (1) Revelation; (2) Inspiration; (3) Evangelization; (4) Organization; (5) Education; and (6) Stagnation, with this generally happening in less than one generation.
Now let us muse on the western church, and also the affluent church even in 2nd or 3rd world areas. Let us also muse on our own lives, and what our spiritual condition might currently reflect to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. And then let God’s word speak for itself, and to our hearts.
In Revelation 3, the area churches in Asia get a report card from the Ancient of Days. A few in the church (body of Christ) of Sardis were walking worthy, but only a few. Thinking themselves to be OK with Jesus and alive spiritually, He observed they were dead.
Dead.
Wow, I never want to hear that in my life, and you too? Repent and complete the deeds missing, or else, He commanded them. Is this the nice, kind, gentle Jesus we feel we all know?
Weren’t they serving Him just fine?
The Laodicean church surely had some people who were walking worthy too, didn’t they? Yet Jesus doesn’t mention that in His rebuke to them. If you do not become hot, He promised to puke them out of His mouth.
Extremely graphic. Extreme.
That’s not kind, you might say. But is He being loving as we in the western church define love? Is Jesus displaying the fruit of the Spirit when He is being 100% conditional (if-then) in His demands?
Yes. In the end, holiness trumps unconditional love. We can count on it.
Rev. 3:1-6 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent.
Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and 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.’
Rev. 3:14-22 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ “
So then, how important is it to overcome this world and it’s desires (Titus 2:12, 1 John 2:15-17) along with our flesh? A matter of eternal life and death?
Let’s look at those verses with the bold word(s), starting with the Greek word used to often describe overcoming. Recognize that Greek word from The Swoosh company? Even the world knows about overcoming victory in their own demented way.
Nike, conquest (abstract), i.e. (figurative) the means of success: victory.
Nikao – To Overcome, Conquer, Be Victorious, To Prevail:
Luke 11:2 But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
Romans 3:4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“That You may be justified in Your words, and prevail when You are judged.”
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 John 2:13-14 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
1 John 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
1 John 5:4-5 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Rev. 2:7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
Rev. 2:11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
Rev. 2:17 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’
Rev. 2:26 ‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations;
Rev. 3:5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Rev. 3:12 ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
Rev. 3:21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Rev. 5:5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
Rev. 6:2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Rev. 11:7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
Rev. 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
Rev. 13:7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
Rev. 15:2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.
Rev. 17:14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Rev. 21:7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
So, then, beloved, it’s not automatic. We have a huge role in entering by the narrow gate and missing the wide path to destruction. The blessed destination is available for all, but attained by just a few.
God’s marvelous grace is the fuel, His cross and blood the Spirit’s means to overcoming like Him. I can’t think of anything more exciting than to sit down together someday soon with our Jesus, can you?
But in the words of Jesus Himself, let us again say:
‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (the body of Christ, people themselves in a geographic region, not a building).’
You may read Part 4 by clicking here.
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
Marc and Walk Worthy are supported in part by the body of Jesus Christ. Please consider donating on a regular basis:
You may view our Archives here: MONDAY MANNA – ARCHIVES; Complete Archives. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
(Note: if you haven’t read Part 1, please do so first! SPIRITUAL ASCENDANCY: PART 1 [MONDAY MANNA 11])
Saints,
Last issue we wrote about the fact of God’s loving command that “we are to grow up into all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ (Ephesians 4.15).” In that context (i.e. the proper use of the verse in that location), one way we do that is by “speaking the truth in love,” and not hiding the truth in dysfunction which many timid Christians see modeled by others due to the influence of the New Age Movement (NAM).
So, then, some get saved and grow up and some get ‘saved and stuck.’ A.W. Tozer, the great prophet-teacher who died in 1961, wrote extensively of this spiritual discipline.
In response to the last issue, a dear brother wrote and asked us, “What do you believe to be ‘God’s goal’ in this writing? Do you think he is talking about salvation or do you believe it to be achieving God’s plan for your life?”
We’d answer by saying yes and yes to the second question, not an ‘either-or’ but a ‘both-and’. Achieving God’s goal is being mature at every stage of your walk with Him, as we’ll see vividly in a minute. Jesus’ goal here in the writing, I believe, is to exhort us on to this maturity.
An immature follower of the Lamb of God is an embarrassment to the kingdom of God, and causes violent spiritual reactions with Jesus. Just consider our Savior’s words to Laodicea in Rev. 3:14-22:
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
This admonishment (shaping the will with warning) is lovingly given, but our proper response to His patronage and care for us is demanded by the King of Kings. Be zealous (strong emotion, will power, etc), repent (stop what you’re now doing), overcome.
Overcome what?
Your flesh’s temptations, the devil’s temptations, the mediocre culture of others who are conformed to this world, this present age. Don’t practice stonewalling in any way. Sounds a lot like our culture in the affluent West these days, no?
In the end, He doesn’t say “Oh, alright, I know it’s tough in the cushy West. Overcoming is not taught much, it’s not a big deal. Just come on in and have a great time now.”
No. Never. Ever.
He commands His faithful to walk worthy. Or He’ll vomit you out of is mouth. Not only graphic in detail, but a terrifying thought. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
For all too long many of us have treated the Ancient of Days like a casual observer who requires little. Not so. We need to ask His Spirit for complete help. Oh, Lord of grace, keep us standing firm, resisting the devil, and pressing on so we may hear well done and see You in all Your splendor..
Let’s play back Jesus’ words here in another dramatic way, if I may take a liberty here:
‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone refuses or is too distracted to hear My voice and does not open the door, I will not come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who does not overcome, I will not grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
This is a clear clarion call of renewed fellowship for any Christian, along with serious warning.
Serious.
So, it follows that being an overcomer is not just a good idea, it’s a matter of eternal life and death. At least that’s how many of us read this and many other passages like it.
Actually, our work is to trust, His work is to work this out in us as we cooperate with our daily works (Eph. 2.8-10). As Paul said, it’s striving according to the power that mightily works in us:
For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Col. 1:29
The Hebrew concept of maturity is expressed best in the NT by the Greek word teleios, meaning having reached its end, i.e. complete, perfect, and rendered complete (2X), mature (4X), more perfect (1X), perfect (12X).
The word picture is sort of like an apple in May that looks ready to eat (mature for its age), but it’s 100% ready for consumption (‘sinlessly’ perfect) in October.
The great Gospel news is that we can be mature at every turn in life from day 1 of our salvation. God will not put any more on us then we can bear, as we take heed and stand firm (1 Cor. 10.12-13). His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5.3).
Amen?
Just look at the thief on the cross, who I believe was fully mature for his spiritual age (a few hours in the Lord perhaps) by evangelizing his peer, then died. We’re persuaded he’ll hear ‘well done good and faithful slave!’ Can’t wait to meet him in heaven, along with one of my other favorite characters, the ex-blind man in John 9.
The Corinthians had the same problem as the Laodicean’s: immaturity for their age. Paul took them on at almost every turn in his letters, they being natural, fleshly, nonspiritual, ‘mere’ men of flesh:
1 Cor. 2:6-8, 14, 3:1-3 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature (teleios); a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory…
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised….
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
It’s interesting to note that Paul’s rebuke and strong admonishment here since they were being natural, fleshly, nonspiritual, ‘mere’ men. They were practicing a party spirit, factions, their “denominations.” Obviously, then, immaturity rests therefore with those who stand apart from each other in disunity and call themselves by different names. May God have mercy on us who do such things. And may we take courage and right these wrongs, being in one accord (Acts Chapters 2, 4, 15). I’ve never heard a message on the context of this rebuke coming from any teacher in a particular denomination…in the east or west.
Paul obviously thought himself to be spiritually superior to His church plant here.
This is the plain fact.
He asked them to be like him, as he followed the Savior. There probably were those who were mature in Corinth (and also in Laodicea), but in the Eastern and collective societies, one finds their primary identify within the group, not individually. Also see Paul’s comments to Titus concerning the Cretans in Titus 1.12: always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.
Certainly not the Religion of Niceness (RON).
It has been said that the steps to spiritual downfall of groups during the ages have always followed this cycle: (1) Revelation; (2) Inspiration; (3) Evangelization; (4) Organization; (5) Education; and (6) Stagnation, with this generally happening in less than one generation.
Are we in stage (6) now in the West? Is this why our Chinese brothers are praying for us today and plan to come to us to preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20)?
Is this why Christian leaders in Russian often refuse to allow their best and brightest to come and train in our Bible schools in America? What do they know that those of us in the West do not?
Brethren, I firmly believe those of us in America, and many in other affluent areas in the world, live in a culture like Laodicea. Even like Sardis…
We need to test ourselves to see if we’re in the faith (2 Cor. 13.5), and if we’re really, really overcoming. If we’re more like those in Laodicea than Philippi, seek Him and other mature ones for deliverance and guidance for life.
The New Age Movement (NAM) has invaded deeply. Be on the lookout for it in your life and those around you. Seek the Spirit wholeheartedly. Expose this scheme of the devil, and rebuke those who refuse to obey the loving command of walking in maturity from day 1 of our salvation.
We leave you here with a word about ‘holy ambition’ from our dear departed brother T. Austin Sparks, who was quoted in Part 1. Other than the error of mentioning being continuously ‘broken,’ vs whole and healed as we are in Christ, this is excellent:
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? (Ps. 24:3)
It is not wrong to have ambition, to have aspiration, but it is wrong to have it actuated by personal interest and motive. That has to go through the crucible of the cross and be burnt out. Here is the paradox, the problem, the difficulty of a true Christian life: to be broken, emptied, humbled, reduced to nothing, and yet at the same time to have a fiery ambition. How reconcile these two things? I find it in Paul. With the exception of the Lord Jesus Himself, no man was more mastered by the spirit of ascendency and dominion — shall we call it ambition, aspiration? — than he was, and no man was more selfless in it all.
How he suffered at the hands of those who owed everything to him instrumentally! There is no personal thing here. He is the man who can write, “Love… seeketh not its own, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly — giveth itself no airs”. All that is ascendency; not just geographical location, but spiritual ascendency.
Oh, let us ask the Lord to put in us a passionate ambition for His glory, and that we may be kept purified by the cross so that our glory does not force its way in. That will need a lot of the grace of God.
Love, true love, is the most holy thing, and it is in the realm of love that the enemy is always trying to get something compromising, something wrong. We have said ambition is not a wrong thing. It is a divinely implanted thing. God made man to have dominion. Perhaps ambition is the wrong word; aspiration is a more spiritual word — the desire, the sensing of destiny, that you were made to rise, made to attain.
You were not made a worm groveling on the earth: you were made with legs; which means that you were made to get somewhere. Interpreted spiritually and morally, God made us to rise, to reach, to attain. That mighty instinct is found in the apostle — “Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on…” (Phil. 3:12). Here it is at work, that kind of thing. Aspiration is a holy thing…
Aspiration is a holy thing. Is it not just there that all the iniquity is found? — the self-element, the possessive, the acquisitive, the assertive, the domineering, the effort to gain dominion. Then dominion becomes domination, and it has gone wrong: the very spirit of it has gone. Meekness has become pride, the glory of God has become instead our glory…
We live in a world, in a creation, like that, and the prince of this world has got things in his hands; there is no doubt about it. If you live in his world, he has you in his hands. Step across from the kingdom of God’s Son to the kingdom of the enemy and you know you touch death…
Corinthians, you are all divided up against one another, suspecting one another, preferring, choosing; and what is your state? You are in a state of chaos and defeat. Your need is higher ground. As believers, you have to get off this ground of mankind. If you and I, as the Lord’s people who bear His Name, come down on to human ground with one another, we forsake the power and glory and working of that Name.
We say Amen to brother Spark’s wisdom here..
Everyone is ascending to something… either to Jesus Christ the Lord God or actually descending spiritually, even under the guise of ascendency. The ‘Christian TV’ and many church buildings are full of these sorts.
Next time in Part 3 we’ll talk in detail of how this wonderful maturity at every stage in life can be a wonderful encouragement as we strive with the Spirit’s help to enter into the narrow gate of eternal life! It has set many captives free, including many in our circles. Me too!
You may read Part 3 by clicking here.
You may read more of brother Sparks on spiritual ascendency here.
Every grace today, beloved….
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
Marc and Walk Worthy are supported in part by the body of Jesus Christ. Please consider donating on a regular basis:
You may view our Archives here: MONDAY MANNA – ARCHIVES; Complete Archives. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org