Put Aside Our Notions to Welcome the Lord’s Return

Wang Hui

We often live in our notions and imaginations, which can give us wonderful hope or become the motivation of our life. However, once the reality doesn’t line up with our imaginations, that can have serious consequences for us.
I have heard such a story:

Once there was an old lady and her two sons. When the sons were small, their father went abroad to work. The father often sent money and necessaries of life to support the family. As time passed by, the two sons had forgotten what their father looked like, so the old lady often talked about their father to them. Thus, there was an imagined father in their mind. Soon after the old lady’s death, their father wrote to them that he would come back, but he didn’t tell them the time of his return. Knowing that their father would be back, the two sons were very excited and looking forward to their father’s return, for they had long known from their mother that their father had already become a rich man abroad.

One day, an ugly old man dressed in rags, was standing at the door of the elder son. He knocked at the door softly and called the son’s pet name. “Who is it?” asked the elder son. “It’s me, your father,” answered the old man. Hearing his pet name, the elder son knew it was his father coming back because no one knew his pet name except his mother and father. He was both astonished and happy; he wasn’t expecting his father back so soon. He gladly ran to open the door, but he was dumbfounded. Standing outside the door was an old man, short, ugly, and in shabby clothes. “How can he be my father? My father will come back in a limousine with his bodyguards.” So he roared angrily, “You poor beggar! How dare you profess to be my father! I won’t give you any food! Go away!” Hearing that, the old man still said calmly, “I am really your father…” But before he could finish speaking, the elder son interrupted him and shouted, “My father is not like you! He is abroad, rich, and will be back soon. Don’t you try to profess to be my father to take advantage of me? Go away quickly!” The old man wanted to say more, yet the elder son pointed at him and said, “Do you not go? If you don’t go, I’ll set my dog on you!” The old man shook his head, sighed and left disappointedly.

Then the old man came to the younger son’s house. He called his pet name as he knocked at the door. On hearing this, the younger son felt it was like his father’s voice, but he was not sure, for this old man before him differed greatly from his father in his mind. However, he invited the old man into the house and got him something to eat. Afterward, he inquired him of the details of his past. From his words, he confirmed that this old man was indeed his father. So he said, “Father, whether poor or rich, you are my father. I will look after you. Please live with us. This is your home.” Hearing these words, the old man was moved to tears.

Afterwards, the old man had ascertained that his younger son treated him genuinely. No matter how his brother gave bad advice to him, his younger son never kicked him out, but treated him better. In the end, the old man gave all his property to his younger son. After the elder son knew it was a test, he sorely regretted, kowtowing continually and apologizing to his father in bitter tears. He promised that he would mend his ways and treat him well. However, his father shook his head and said, “It’s too late!”

After reading this story, you may feel sorry for the elder son. When his father was standing at his door, he refused him and shut the door on him due to his imaginations. Eventually he was filled with bitter regret. This shows us that our notions and imaginations are too harmful. At the moment, I can’t help thinking of the time when the Lord Jesus came to do His work. Wasn’t it because of their notions and imaginations that the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees opposed the work of the Lord Jesus? Because God’s work was incompatible with their imaginations, that is, because they held on to the views of “impossible,” such as the Lord couldn’t possibly be called Jesus or preach outside the temple when He came, much less be born in a manger, etc., they opposed God—nailed the Lord Jesus who came to redeem mankind to the cross—and committed a heinous crime. Consequently, the entire Israel was subjected to destruction.

Today, two thousand years later, all Christians are looking forward to the return of the Lord Jesus. But they have committed the same mistake, that is, they also use their notions and imaginations to define God. Some insist that God cannot work in China and should work in Israel; others think that God cannot come in flesh and should come upon a white cloud in spiritual body; and so forth. These notions and imaginations severely hinder people from investigating God’s work, and make them shut the door on God’s salvation time and again. Jehovah God said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). And the word of God says, “Put aside your view of ‘impossible’! The more that people believe something is impossible, the more likely it is to occur, for the wisdom of God soars higher than the heavens, God’s thoughts are higher than man’s thoughts, and the work of God transcends the limits of man’s thinking and conception. The more that something is impossible, the more there is the truth to be sought; the more that something is beyond the conception and imagination of man, the more it contains the will of God” (“The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age”).

From God’s words, we can see that God’s thoughts soar higher than the heavens. We can never fathom His thoughts, much less can we measure how He will work by our notions and imaginations. God cannot possibly do His work according to our notions, for man’s notions and imagination are Satan’s schemes. If we always live in our notions and imaginations, we will make the same mistake as the Pharisees—nailing God to the cross. Only if we put aside our notions and imaginations, seek and investigate God’s work, can we witness God’s appearance and welcome the Lord’s return. Otherwise, we will lose the chance to be saved. Just as God says, “The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit” (“When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth”).

The Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:3). We can see that the Lord loves people who has a humble heart. So when it comes to the matter of the Lord’s second coming, if we can put our conceptions to one side, seek humbly and follow God’s footprints, then we will be the most blessed ones. If you have other understanding and new light, you’re welcome to have a real-time chat with us via the online chat window at the bottom of the website or send an email to info@findshepherd.com. We’re all ears to your experience and knowledge of belief in the Lord. Looking forward to exchanging our sharing and welcoming the Lord’s second coming together.

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Who Has Hindered You From Following God?

Who Has Hindered You From Following God?

Chengxin

Once, Brother Yang shared his experience with me.

Brother Yang is the only son of his family. He didn’t get married until he was middle-aged. Seeing his parents were getting old, he wanted to get married and have children as soon as possible. Later, through a matchmaker’s introduction, he got married. After his marriage, he had hoped that his wife would believe in the Lord together with him, but she not only disbelieved, but also did her utmost to oppose his belief in the Lord. They often argued about it, and their life was not happy at all. Brother Yang didn’t want to give up believing in the Lord and serving Him, but he wondered whether he could divorce his wife. So he went to ask his pastor. The pastor told him that marriage was arranged by God; no matter what happened, he shouldn’t divorce his wife; and instead, he must respect marriage and his wife. Then, Brother Yang kept the pastor’s words for more than ten years as if they were truth. Over those years, he could only read the Bible occasionally and secretly. He could no longer attend meetings regularly, not to mention working or spending for the Lord. In the end, he said because he hadn’t attended meetings for a long time and he had already strayed too far from God, he really didn’t want to attend meetings….

Brother Yang’s story provoked us into thinking: Over two thousand years of the continuation and development of the religion, a great number of denominations and sects have been formed, and now no one can approach the standing and prestige of pastors and elders in our hearts. Because they graduated from seminaries, can preach biblical knowledge and theological theories, are ones who serve the Lord, and are the head sheep in the church, many of us think they must be good servants and good stewards of the Lord. For this reason, in times of problems and difficulties, we first turn to the pastors and elders, rather than seek and pray to the Lord and put His words into practice. Just as they say, so will we do. Few of us are serious about whether their words accord with the Lord’s will. And we seldom ponder over these important problems: Whether are their requirements on the basis of God’s words? Even if they are, is their understanding of God’s words pure or one-sided and distorted?

Now is the crucial moment for us to wait for and meet the second coming of Jesus Christ. We learn from brothers and sisters who have visited many denominations that, outwardly all denominations are anxiously yearning for the second coming of Jesus Christ. For instance, some churches require believers to pray with fasting regularly and wait for the Lord watchfully. Some pastors often tell believers, “Now is the time when the Lord is to return. Never crave for the world and money anymore. We should often read the Bible and attend gatherings actively. Only in this way can we welcome the Lord.” However, while they are seemingly preparing to welcome the second coming of Jesus Christ, they often warn believers that only the head sheep and leaders of the church can convey the message of the Lord’s return; they should never read, listen to, or believe any messages that say the Lord has returned or that are related to the return of the Lord, much less receive those who testify about the Lord’s return; and whoever violates it is betraying the Lord and will be expelled from the church. Some brothers and sisters obey all these mandatory and arbitrary regulations without discernment.

It is very common in the religious world that the believers must obey what the pastors and elders say and must always stay within their churches. Even if they can’t feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in meetings, and can’t receive the moving and guidance of the Holy Spirit while reading the Bible and praying, they are still forbidden to search for the movement and footprints of the Holy Spirit’s work outside of their churches. Aren’t the pastors and elders the same as the Pharisees who, in order to maintain their status and power, did their utmost to control the Jewish people and hinder them from seeking and investigating the words and work of the Lord Jesus? At that time, many Jewish people were deceived and controlled by the Pharisees. They didn’t accept and obey the Lord Jesus’ new work, and even nailed the Lord to the cross together with the Pharisees, and thus became the eternal sinners. Until now the whole Judaism hasn’t woken up—the Jewish people are still being deceived by those religious leaders who consume people whole like devils, and as if slumbering in a big dream, they are still ignorantly waiting for the coming of the Messiah.

Then, in the matter of welcoming the return of the Lord Jesus in the last days, has the tragedy already been repeated? The leaders of all denominations and sects spare no efforts in sealing off churches, as if about to put their hands over the believers’ ears and blindfold their eyes. They desperately hinder the believers from seeking any message about the return of the Lord. From this we can see that the religious world in the last days has indeed walked on the old way of Judaism. The return of the Lord will be a thorough test and revelation for these impenetrable and watertight religious groups.

In reality, many of us are very clear that today the disasters in different countries are getting bigger and bigger, that the international situation becomes increasingly tense, and that the biblical prophecies about the signs of the last days, such as the four blood moons, have been fulfilled one by one. All of these show us that the day of the Lord has come. However, due to the constraint and bondage of the pastors and elders, many brothers and sisters dare not to seek the messages about the Lord’s return, and they can only cling to the letters and doctrines of the Bible and the religious rituals. Then what shall we do? Shall we come away from the religious community to look for “what the Spirit said to the churches” (Revelation 2:7), and accept it and follow the Lamb’s footsteps the moment we find it? Or shall we repeat the historical tragedy of the Jewish who didn’t seek the truth but followed the evil ones to oppose God while believing in Him?

Actually, a number of true believers in the Lord have found that today’s religious world has long lost the Holy Spirit’s work. The pastors and elders have repeatedly preached the biblical knowledge, doctrines, and theological theories for so many years and they don’t have anything new to preach, unable to supply life to the believers at all. And the believers all sense that staying within the church is just conducting services and observing religious rituals. Without any watering of the living water of life, their spiritual life become ever drier and they even have been parched and starved to death. Now, the smart people have known that they should not wait interminably, and they have begun to search for the message of the Lord’s return through all sorts of means. For example, they look for the church that has the work of the Holy Spirit through social platforms online. One day, an online friend in the Lord excitedly sent me a post, saying that he had found the church with the Holy Spirit’s work on the Facebook. I asked him how he could tell. He answered, “What is of God will thrive! This church openly testifies on the internet that the Lord has come back and has disclosed many mysteries in the Bible about the Lord’s return in the last days. It’s really worth our immediate seeking and investigating….” After that, I asked more than ten online friends about it and they all thought the same way. I thought: We can find online the gospel of the Lord Jesus’ return. Isn’t it accepting the gospel in the air? Then I thought of the prophecy in Revelation, “And I saw another angel fly in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelation 14:6-7). Amen! Thanks for the Lord’s guidance! Now many online friends in the Lord are no longer restrained by the pastors and elders. They are seeking and investigating this church, and warmly discussing the message of the Lord’s return testified by it. We trust that the Lord will surely lead us to recognize His voice and follow His footsteps.

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Once Saved Always Saved? – Daily Bible Reading

Zhang Ying

Meditations on Being Saved

Every brother and sister who genuinely believes in the Lord thinks they have been saved through their belief in the Lord Jesus, because the Bible records, “For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:10). So, many brothers and sisters in the Lord believe that “saved by faith” means they are saved forever. Then, does this view agree with God’s words and with truth? Next, let’s fellowship about what exactly the real being saved means.

We all know, in the Age of Law, before God asked Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, all Israelites were slaves to the Pharaoh of Egypt and suffered great torture, living a life of no freedom, to the extent that their painful cry reached Jehovah God’s ears. Jehovah God didn’t have the heart to let them be mistreated by the Pharaoh. Thereupon He called Moses to lead them out of Egypt and enter Canaan. As for the Israelites, when they were saved by God from the Pharaoh and broke free from the tyranny of the Pharaoh, they were saved. But it cannot be said that they no longer need the salvation of Jehovah God. Hence before they entered Canaan, Jehovah God issued the law through Moses, making them know how to fear Him, how to serve Him and know how to practice righteousness, how to gain His blessings, what the evil deeds were, and what’s behavior would be cursed by Him, as well as how to get along with others and how to live and so on. God’s work in the Age of Law put the life of the Israelites onto the right path gradually. Their life was not chaotic any more. Especially with the law, the Israelites knew what sins were and how to offer sacrifices to God to be free of their own sins. As for the Israelites, they were saved again.

Does “Once Saved” Really Mean “Always Saved”？

However, at the end of the Age of Law, people failed to keep the law and lost their reverence for God, to the extent that they sacrificed the blind or lame animals on Jehovah God’s altar. If that continued, they would face the danger of being condemned and executed by the law. In order to free man from the threat of death, God was incarnated on earth to do the work of redemption and was crucified as a sin offering for man. As long as man prayed to the Lord Jesus to confess and repent, they would be forgiven of their sins. As such, the sinners under the law were redeemed from Satan’s hand and would not be condemned and executed by the law, living in the grace bestowed by the Lord Jesus. For people under the law, this meant that they were saved again. Just as the Bible says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Romans 10:9). Here, “no condemnation” refers to not being condemned by the law; “you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart, you shall be saved” here means that when people believe in the Lord Jesus and accept His salvation of the cross, they won’t be executed by the law anymore for being unable to keep the law. That is, we won’t be condemned because of believing in the Lord Jesus and God doesn’t remember our transgressions. This is what it means to be saved. However, we should know that although our sins have been forgiven, yet it does not prove that we have no sins. All believers still live in the cycle of sinning each day and confessing each night. Our deep-seated root of sin within our nature has not been resolved. Satan’s poisons such as arrogance, self-righteousness, greed, jealousness, hate, evil and selfishness still accompany us every day, so that we live in sin in spite of ourselves. Even though we often confess our sins to the Lord, our sins have not been reduced but constantly increased. And most Christians cannot live out the glory of the Lord even at home and they make a fuss with relatives owing to some trivial matter. Furthermore, in the church, the co-workers always raise jealousy and strife among themselves. Meanwhile, the believers are often lured by the world and then pursue the evil worldly trends and hanker after fleshly enjoyment, living in sin. These phenomena suffice to show that we have not been saved completely. That is to say, we’re only forgiven of our sins by the Lord Jesus. But He never did the work of thorough rooting out man’s sinful nature, therefore, we have not achieved true sanctity.

Thus, “Once saved, always saved” is people’s notion and imagination and does not conform with the truth at all. What’s more, never did the Lord Jesus say that. His work of redemption is only to teach man how to be patient and humble and how to confess and repent, which only involves some change in man’s outward behavior but not the transformation of man’s nature. So we have not been truly saved according to our current condition.

How Can We Be Truly Saved?

With regard to this issue, I’ve studied many verses. Thank the Lord. I finally found out the answer in the Bible. The verses record, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5). “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). “He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). The Book of Revelation prophesied, “And I looked, and, see, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Revelation 14:1-5).

From these verses above, we can see God will do a new work in the last days. Moreover, this work is different from the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption and probably refers to the work of judgment mentioned in the Bible. Through the judgment, man’s sins will be cleansed and eventually they will break free from the bondage of sins. Just as the prophecy says, “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Is it not the symbol of man’s being purified? We can possibly get rid of sinful nature thoroughly at that time. It seems that whether our sinful nature can be purified is related to the work God does. The work Jehovah God and the Lord Jesus did is not the work of removing our sins, but is only the work of knowing our sins and confessing sins. So no matter how we practice, we are unable to escape the bondage of sins. Therefore, we cannot be fully saved. Only if God does the work of purifying man in the last days can we have the opportunity of fully being saved. Just like the Bible prophesies, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). Thank the Lord for His enlightenment. I understand what the real being saved is and the way to be ultimately purified.

Brothers and sisters, that’s all for today’s fellowship. If you have any different understanding or suggestion, please contact us at any time. May all the glory and praise be to God! Amen!

Since the concept that “once saved, always saved” is wrong, how could we be saved forever and attain the way of eternal life? Where should we go to look for the path of salvation? For more recommendation of articles, please click:

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Reflection on a Picture: Is It Right to Look at Matters Only Externally?

Reflection on a Picture: Is It Right to Look at Matters Only Externally?

Chenxi

In the picture, one rabbit thinks he has gotten a big carrot since its leaves appear large on the outside and thus is gleeful, while the other rabbit feels pain as he supposes his carrot very small, judging from its tiny leaves. As outsiders, we may find the two rabbits in the picture amusing, but then, a question arises in our minds: Is it right to look at matters only externally?

From the Internet

The Consequences of Looking at Matters Only Externally

As recorded in the Book of Job, when Job was tried, his three friends looked at things from the outside and according to their notions and imagination, thinking that Job must have offended Jehovah God since such calamities had befallen him. Just as Eliphaz the Temanite said, “Remember, I pray you, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?” (Job 4:7). Yet the reality is that Job’s trials resulted from a battle in the spiritual realm between God and Satan, not his offense against God. God searches people’s hearts and was fully convinced that Job was “a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil,” so He permitted Satan to tempt Job, and through this allowed Job to testify to his righteousness and his fear for God in front of Satan and the people of the world. With such big matters coming upon him, Job did not look at things from an external point of view. Rather, from his lifetime experiences, from the heavens and earth and all things created by God, he realized that God rules over, manages, and provides for all things, and that everything he possessed was bestowed by God, not earned through his own labor and efforts. Therefore, Job said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). When Job had borne witness, Jehovah God appeared to him and his three friends. It is written in Scripture, “And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends: for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has. Therefore take to you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job” (Job 42:7-8). From these words of Jehovah God, we can see that Job’s three friends were loathed by God because they viewed things from the outside, considering Job’s suffering calamities as God’s punishment, and persistently judged and condemned him. By contrast, Job believed in and submitted to God’s sovereignty instead of looking at things externally, and hence received the blessing of Jehovah God. “So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses” (Job 42:12). “After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations” (Job 42:16).

The Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament prophesies, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7). The Jews long enslaved by the Romans relied on their notions and imagination to interpret these scriptures. They believed that the Messiah would definitely be born in the royal palace, looking majestic, imposing and extraordinary, and that He would come to lead them to break away from the rule of the Roman government and free them from the slavery. Nonetheless, when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, He appeared ordinary on the outside, neither lofty nor erudite; not only did He come from a poor carpenter’s family, but He was born in a manger; not only did He not lead them to break away from the rule of the Roman government, but He was so persecuted that He even had nowhere to lay His head. Judging all of this from the outside, the Jewish people concluded that the Lord Jesus could not possibly be the Messiah, and thus rejected His redemption and salvation. Furthermore, they passed judgment on God, opposed, condemned, blasphemed God, and finally nailed the incarnate God to the cross, committing a heinous, irreparable crime.

The two instances above show that if we rely on our notions and imagination to look at things only externally, we will be unable to gain an insight into the truth and thus make an error in judgment, with grave consequences. Obviously, it is wrong to look at matters only externally.

Reflection

When the Lord Jesus carried out His work, some people rejected Him due to His ordinary appearance, whereas some others followed God’s steps in His new work. These people relied on the Lord Jesus’ work and words, rather than His outward appearance, to judge whether He was the Messiah. After investigation of His utterances and the facts and results of His work, they found out that the Lord Jesus had brought the work God was to do, expressed what God has and is, and brought the truth, the way, and the life to man. They focused on performing a substantial investigation of the Lord’s work instead of evaluating it on a superficial level. Therefore, they found God’s footprints and kept up with the steps of His work, and received His salvation.

The two different attitudes among the Jews toward the Lord Jesus’ work two thousand years ago require reflection of people in the last days. Now is the end of the last days when the prophecies of the Lord’s return have basically all come true. It says in the Bible, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches” (Revelation 2:7). Shall we be like Peter, John, Nathanael, paying attention to studying God’s work and words, recognizing His voice, and following His footsteps? Or shall we be like the Jewish people, who focused on only the Lord Jesus’ outward appearance while neglecting His work and words, refused to accept His work, and was eliminated by His work in the new age? It must be said that this is a crucial choice for people in the last days!

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Are You Someone Who Obtains Eternal Life?

Are You Someone Who Obtains Eternal Life?

Zhang Yan

Now is the end of the last days when the prophecies of the Lord Jesus’ return have all come true, and we expect to be taken into God’s kingdom and obtain eternal life more eagerly, because the Lord Jesus once said, “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God stays on him” (John 3:36). All these years we have been repenting our sins, preaching the gospel, and bearing fruits, just as the Lord Jesus asked. Thus, we all feel ourselves most approved by God, and that as long as we hold on to the Lord Jesus’ way, we will surely obtain eternal life.

Then, is the opinion, after all, in accordance with God’s will? Regarding this question, let’s think back on what the Lord Jesus did in the Age of Grace. At that time, the Lord Jesus incarnate came among us mankind and brought the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, saying, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). From the Lord’s word, we clearly know that what He brought man was the way of confession and repentance. And, in addition to these teachings, He also gave all his mercy and love to His followers, bestowed sufficient grace upon man, healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead…, until eventually He was nailed to the cross for redeeming mankind, thus completing the work of redemption. However, in spite of having received forgiveness of sins from the Lord, we man still live in the vicious cycle of committing and confessing sins. We can still express these corrupt dispositions anywhere and anytime, such as greed, selfishness, arrogance, deceit, and so on, so that we commit sins at any time and any place. For instance, when we labor hard for the Lord for years, we feel we have the capital to flaunt ourselves. Meanwhile, we all enjoy being in a lofty position to have others worship us, and always exalt and testify ourselves. Isn’t this the behavior of our arrogant nature? Such substance is exactly the substance of the Pharisees, with which we always talk big, try every means to be exalted and admired by others in sermons. Not only this, we also have treacherous nature. So, in order to secure our fame and status, we usually act one way in public and another in private, and unwittingly tell lies to deceive and blind man on sundry occasions so as to satisfy our personal desires. This proves that our sinful nature is still deeply rooted within us and thus we can still sin and resist God, that is, we have yet to achieve eternal life, since those who have eternal life are someone whose sins have been cleansed. God’s kingdom is holy, and only those who have been purified are worthy to enter His kingdom. How can we, who often sin, be qualified to enter it? The Lord Jesus never said that man could enter the kingdom of heaven with his sinful nature; while we often absurdly think that as long as we labor, sacrifice for the Lord, and keep the Lord’s name at all times, we will enter it and gain eternal life. However, never have we realized that only pursuing to be purified by the Lord and thereby being thoroughly cleansed is the precondition of being approved by the Lord and raptured into the kingdom of heaven. The Lord Jesus said clearly, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant stays not in the house for ever: but the Son stays ever” (John 8:34-35). He also demanded, “And said, Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). The Lord Jesus told us plainly that if we man don’t become as simple and honest as children, and don’t break away from sin to be purified, we won’t be able to enter the kingdom of heaven or obtain eternal life.

Then, how will the Lord Jesus’ promise that we will have eternal life be accomplished since we still often commit sins now and have yet to obtain eternal life? When studying the Bible carefully, I read the words of the Lord Jesus, “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47-48). “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:12-13). Also, I saw some man’s words of enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). “Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).

From the above verses, we know that when the Lord Jesus was first incarnated to do the work of redemption, He took on all the sins of man as the sin offering and thereby redeemed man from the law, so that man would be no longer condemned or cursed by the law and had the qualification and opportunity to come before God to get close, pray, confess, and repent to Him. Nevertheless, we man haven’t gotten free from our sinful nature and can’t enter God’s kingdom yet. Therefore, in the last days the Lord Jesus will come again, express more truths, and do a stage of work of thoroughly judging, purifying, and saving man, in order to solve our sinful nature and have our corrupt disposition completely cleansed and transformed, through which we can obtain eternal life.

The Lord Jesus once said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give to them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God stays on him” (John 3:36). We all know that what the Lord Jesus did during the Age of Grace was the redemptive work, and what He preached was the way of repentance. The Lord Jesus is Christ, God Himself, and eternal life. It’s just that only when He comes again, which is to say, the Spirit of truth comes, can the way of eternal life be given to man. Those wise virgins who can recognize the Lord’s voice will obtain it, just as the Lord Jesus said, “And I give to them eternal life; and they shall never perish.” Obviously, when He comes again, He will, still in the image of the incarnate Son of man, bestow life upon man through expressing the truth. God says, “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life.” Provided that we merely hold on to the Lord Jesus’ way of repentance yet don’t accept all the truths brought by the returned Lord, then we can’t be called believers in the Son, much less can we obtain eternal life. Instead, only when we believe in the incarnate Son of man in the last days, moreover, accept all the truths expressed by Him, and receive the judgment and purification of these truths to gain life, can our faith accord with the Lord Jesus’ word, and can the meaning of our belief in the Son be complete. Also, this is the only way for us to obtain eternal life and to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven in the last days. All the enlightenment, illumination, and glory be to God!

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Why We Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees

Why We Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees

Liu Zhi

“… Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).

In what context did the Lord Jesus speak the words? The Scriptures provide the following account, “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, When it is evening, you say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O you hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky; but can you not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said to them, O you of little faith, why reason you among yourselves, because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? How is it that you do not understand that I spoke it not to you concerning bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:1-12).

In this record of the Bible, we can clearly see that the Lord Jesus taught His disciples to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. The Pharisees and the Sadducees, as we all know, were the high-level people in the church at that time, but why did the Lord Jesus teach His disciples to beware of them? Let’s come back to the age of the Lord Jesus’ work and take a look at what they had done.
When working in the world of man, the Lord Jesus, with the intention of letting man better know Him and accept His redemption, made the blind see, the lame walk, the demon-possessed healed, even the dead raised, and so on. He performed many miracles. At that time, the Jewish people enjoyed a lot of grace and blessings from Him and saw a great many of His wondrous deeds, so they followed Him and listened to His preaching. While those Pharisees and Sadducees, seeing many people follow the Lord Jesus, wished to still keep their positions and jobs. Therefore, they continuously fabricated lots of rumors against the Lord Jesus and slandered and condemned Him. However, the foolish Jewish people, after hearing the rumors, had no discernment and couldn’t maintain a firm stance. They followed the Pharisees and the Sadducees to deny and judge Him. In consequence, there were overwhelming claims of condemnation of the Lord Jesus in the whole Judaism. Under that background, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).

The disciples of the Lord Jesus, from His work and word, recognized that He was the Messiah who had been predicted to come; they believed that His ability to heal the sick and cast out demons was from God’s authority; they saw through various fallacies and rumors of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and followed the Lord Jesus steadfastly. While the Jewish people, because of being deceived by the rumors of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, followed them to nail the Lord Jesus to the cross, becoming those who resisted and condemned God. In the end, the entire nation suffered the destruction.

The Bible has already prophesied, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie” (Revelation 22:12-15). From these verses, we can learn that many things like making up lies will still happen when the Lord Jesus returns in the last days. Then how should we beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees in order not to follow in the footsteps of the Jewish people? This is the truth that every brother and sister who has sincerely been expecting the Lord’s return should understand.

Tomorrow, in the daily reading column, we will continue to share how to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees and be a wise Christian.

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