THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL VISION IS DOING GOD’S WILL

The Scripture says the Word of God is a two-edged sword, and a sword is not for playing games. A sword pierces into the heart, as Scripture says, and reveals a person’s innermost thoughts. That can either bring life or heal, just like when an operating knife removes a tumor or whatever it is, or it can kill your old life. No one who wields the sword of the Spirit is likely to be popular.

North America does not have the preconditions for having spiritual vision. A very small minority of people can hear the Word and catch the vision.

PREREQUISITES FOR HAVING THE VISION OF GOD- YEHOVAH         1. Be baptized: Be determined to do God’s will, whatever it costs.

This message is based on Matthew 3:13-4:17:

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS

3 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him: “Permit it now, for in this way it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted him. 16 Now after he was baptized, Jesus immediately went up from the water, and behold, the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming upon him. 17 And behold, there was a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

THE TEMPTATION OF THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS

Matthew 4: Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil, 2 and after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, then he was hungry. 3 And the tempter approached and said to him: “If you are the Son of God, order that these stones become bread.” 4 But he answered and said: “It is written, ‘Man will not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the highest point of the temple 6 and said to him: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down! For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will lift you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him: “On the other hand it is written: ‘You are not to put the Lord- Yehovah your God to the test.’” 8 Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and he said to him: “I will give to you all these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord- Yehovah your God, and serve only him.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and began ministering to him.

First, this passage begins with the baptism of Jesus. The spiritual life begins with baptism. If you don’t begin at baptism, you don’t begin at all. Baptism is the first step for anyone, and Jesus is no exception. Therefore, at the baptism of Jesus, John the Baptist said to Jesus, “You shouldn’t be coming to me to be baptized. I should be baptized by you.” The first recorded words of Jesus that we have when he began his ministry are: “LET IT BE SO NOW.” That is, “You baptize me because it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” What does “fulfill all righteousness” mean? In simple language, Jesus was saying to John the Baptist, “The question is not that I am superior to you but let us do God’s will so that we fulfill all righteousness.”

THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL VISION, THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL LIFE IS DOING THE WILL OF GOD- YEHOVAH

Doing God’s will fulfills all righteousness; not fulfilling His will is not fulfilling all righteousness. No one gets into the kingdom of God except on this one condition that is fulfilled in Jesus’ baptism: Be baptized because it is God’s will. The life of a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus is about wholeheartedly, joyfully doing God’s will. The first thing the lord Messiah Jesus did in order to do God’s will, he was baptized, and this is how Jesus begins to “fulfill all righteousness.” Do you want to do that? Unlessm first and foremost, there is the precondition to do God’s–Yehovah’s will, whatever it costs, there’s no sense in talking about vision.

2. OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS THAT BLOCK DOING GOD’S WILL

There is actually no break between Jesus’ baptism and the temptation. Immediately after his baptism comes the temptation. The second point is this: the moment you want to do God’s will, as Jesus does, temptation comes straight away, trying to stop you in your tracks. If you stand on your ground and say: “I will do God’s will!” Satan will come in, and he will work on you, tempting you and try to turn you off course. If Satan turns you a little bit, you will miss the mark.

3. REPENT: TURN FROM HUMAN VALUES TO GOD’S VALUES

The third thing that we notice is Jesus’ proclamation of God’s kingdom in Matthew 4:17: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near.” “Repent” means more than feeling sorry for having sinned; it means turning around completely. The Greek word is metanoia, the change of mind. Repentance revolutionizes your thinking. And there is no revolution under the sun that man has ever devised that is as radical as the teaching of the lord Messiah Jesus.

Repentance is turning completely away from human values to God’s values, which is impossible for man. No one who has been in touch with God- Yehovah in the lord Messiah Jesus’ life and teaching has ever been the same again. He becomes a totally changed person. The revolution takes place from within as you are enabled by God’s Spirit to be completely changed, converted. Why does Jesus preach about repentance?

Why do we need to turn completely around? It is because of God’s kingdom. What is the kingdom? What does it achieve? Where is it going? And what will be the final outcome of this scenario at the end of the days? The kingdom of God is the central element of the New Testament. The message the lord Messiah Jesus brought was the good news of the coming Kingdom [kingship] of God. It is the message of salvation!

4. RESPOND TO BECOME A DISCIPLE

After the proclamation of the kingdom, that is, the preaching of the sovereignty of God, there comes the calling of the disciples. In other words, God needs to involve us in that project, and that’s where vision comes in. If that vision can be passed to us, and it can be passed to us, we will follow Him. When the first disciples caught the vision, the world went aflame, and 2,000 years on, the gospel keeps on moving. There are live parts of the called-out Assembly that continue the work.

5. FOLLOW GOD’S WILL AND EXPERIENCE THE INDWELLING POWER OF HIS SPIRIT IN YOUR INNER BEING

The power of the kingdom of God goes into action in the world when the disciples follow His will. All those who have walked in the will of God have experienced that power of the kingdom of God. The sick are healed, the dead are raised, demons are cast out, and all kinds of miracles start happening. He works only when there is a need, and when compassion calls for it.

6. LIVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT GOD STIPULATES

The powerful teaching of the lord Messiah Jesus about what kind of people are in the kingdom of God is found in Matthew chapters 5 to 7. The lord Messiah Jesus tells us what the quality of life is that God expects of those who are committed to doing His will. Matthew Chapter 8 to the end of Matthew Chapter 28 tell you the implementation of the kingdom of God. I point to the following pre-conditions because you must fulfill these requirements in order to have the vision of the kingdom of God.

HINDRANCES THAT BLOCK OUT OUR VISION

1. MATERIALISM

We will return to the part about temptation, and I would like you to notice three things about how Satan tempted the lord Messiah Jesus. Many people have fallen from the faith because they were no match for Satan’s skill and cunning, and because within their hearts there was a readiness to respond to Satan’s temptations.

The three temptations of the lord Messiah Jesus in the wilderness:

THE THREE TEMPTATIONS

1.   Turn stones into bread: Satan told Jesus to use His divine power to satisfy His extreme physical hunger. Jesus replied that human life depends on God's word, not just food.

2. Throw Himself from the temple: Satan dared Jesus to jump from the highest point of the temple and trust God to save Him using Scripture. Jesus answered that Scripture also warns against putting God to the test.

3. Worship Satan for worldly kingdoms: Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offered them to him in exchange for worship. Jesus ordered Satan to leave, stating that people must worship and serve God alone.

These tests challenged Jesus' physical needs, trust in God, and obedience to His mission over worldly power. Jesus resisted every temptation by quoting passages from the Book of Deuteronomy.

The need for bread is the essence of materialism. The great problem about the first-world countries is that we are full of good things, full of materialism, which is why people from poor countries want to immigrate to first-world countries.

Notice: The more you have of the world, the more the world has of you. No one who is so possessed by the materialism of the world has any vision.

 Materialism. The world. What is the world? In the Bible, the world is simply a system in which Satan controls you without you knowing it. He uses materialism and other things that we will come to, and you don’t even know that you are being controlled. That’s called “insidious.” Satan doesn’t want you to know that he exists. Then he works quietly. It’s dreadful, isn’t it? The world is insidious.

The world is a system of thought, government, and society where Satan gets you to believe that you are doing what you really want to do, and that it is very good for you. Look at yourself and see how much materialism is a factor in your life. The interesting thing about materialism is you will never be satisfied. There’s no limit. That’s how it works – insidiously. You don’t realize you are being pushed along by this hidden force of greed. That’s all it is, but you call it “security.” “Security” sounds much nicer than “greed,” doesn’t it? The word is “greed.”

2. RELIGION – A CORRUPTED CHRISTIANITY

The second temptation is: religion. The world exploits everything, including religion. Religion is a tremendous power, and the world knows that you can’t stand up against such a power. What do you do? You assimilate it to your own purpose. We have to know that Christianity, as a religious system, is very powerful in North America, in the United States in particular, because the majority of people are Christians in one sense or another, and they can put you in office if you get their votes, or you don’t stand a chance if you don’t.

YOU WILL HAVE VISION IF YOU CONSTANTLY COMMIT TO DO GOD’S WILL

This means that every true Christian has to be in touch with God. Why am I convinced that God is real? It’s because I know God tells me what I need to do, what I may do or may not do to keep in the center of his will. As His creatures, we are committed to doing His will. We don’t have to wait until we are regenerate followers of the lord Messiah Jesus.

First, we do His will, then He reveals Himself to us. “If any man does the will of my Father, he will know whether the teaching is from God.” (John 7:17). The more you are committed to doing God’s will, the more you will experience that He is real. The more you experience him, the more you are committed to doing his will. And so this cycle gets more and more intense.

If you have that pre-condition to do his will, you will have vision, and the vision gets clearer and stronger. I stress again that you say, “I am ready, O God, to do your will,” just as Jesus said, “I have come to do your will,” in Hebrews 10:7. Constantly commit to doing God’s will.

We have a Christianity that only wants the promises but none of the conditions. Christianity is corrupted.

As soon as you begin working and money starts flowing into your bank account, causing it to grow, “the world has more of you and God has less of you” – the world gains a greater hold on you while your relationship with God weakens.

2. DEMOCRACY – THE WILL AND POWER OF THE PEOPLE

First, we saw materialism locks out vision. Secondly, we saw religion; a corrupted Christianity does that too. Let me come to the third hindrance that blocks out vision. What is in the third temptation of Jesus?

Matthew 4:8-9 reads: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and pay homage to me.” Satan was saying to Jesus, “Give me some honor, give me some face, and I will give you all the kingdoms.” Is he bluffing? No, Satan is the fundamental power behind all earthly power. But the earthly powers neither want to know it nor believe it. What does it mean?

If we can’t succeed in our earthly goals by materialism, by our own effort and gifts, if we can’t succeed by even using religion, then if you are desperate enough, just give Satan some honor, and he will give you what you want. You can only thank God that God himself is a far greater power than Satan. Foolish are the people who turn to Satan rather than to God. In North America, Satanism - even in its undercover forms such as spiritism and the New Age - is widespread. Satan says, “Just give me a bit of honor, and I’ll give you what you want. I have the power to do it.” And he does. To have the kingdoms of this world is to have power, control, ability to do your will.

What is the kingdom of God? We are using an archaic word, “kingdom.” It should be the reign of God over mankind. It has to do with his “sovereignty,” also an archaic word. “The kingdom of God” means God’s power reigning in the world and in your life. In the Bible, there is only theocracy, that is, the power of God. “theo” from the Greek word theos means God, and “cracy” from kratos in Greek means power. The Bible only knows the power of God. You have two choices: either you choose human power and authority as the ultimate power on earth, which is the present reality, or you choose God’s kingship.

ISRAEL THREW OUT THEOCRACY

Israel was a theocratic state in the beginning. God ruled Israel through his representative, Moses. Moses only did what God commanded him to do. If you don’t have this kind of person, obviously, you cannot run a theocracy. But eventually, Israel liked to be like other nations who had kings adorned in magnificent attire, extravagance, and ceremonial splendor. The servant of God, Moses, was always humble and meek. There was no glory of a monarch who rode in chariots and marched with armies to show to the nations. They had a man of God but no pomp and grandeur. They had justice and truth but none of the trappings of the world.

Finally, they wanted to get rid of theocracy. They wanted to have a king who could go around behaving like the kings of other nations, and in the end the kings of Israel became as corrupt as the kings of other nations. Eventually, Israel got what they wanted: their king who behaved like a king of any other nation. Ultimately, God was pushed out, as they turned to idolatry. Theocracy was pushed further and further away until Israel perished as a nation. If God had not had mercy upon them and raised them out of the grave after 2,000 years, there wouldn’t be an Israel left. Do they worship God in Israel now? No. Do they love God now as they did in the time of Moses? No. That is the State of Israel today.

DEMOCRACY IS GOOD FOR THE AFFLUENT, NOT THE POOR

Democracy is wonderful as long as you have the financial means to sustain your livelihood. Democracy is wonderful when you live in an affluent country like Canada. Very often, people don’t bother to vote. Who cares who is in government? You just give me my social benefits and don’t you touch that. If you do, I’ll throw you out in the next election. That’s the point: The people do have power. Psychologically, what occurs is that the respect for authority diminishes to the extent that there is no longer any respect for authority. That means gradually we have no respect for authority because the power is in our hands, and we transfer this mentality into our relationship with God. That is terrifying!

A REVERENCE FOR GOD DOES NOT EXIST

“What is man,” Scripture says, “that you are mindful of him?” We have grown up in an environment that is inimical to reverence for God. The fear of God doesn’t exist anymore in the churches. I don’t see anyone fearing God. I have reverence for God because I know His power. I know who He is. The precondition for vision, which comes with a reverence for God, does not exist. We cannot have vision because the precondition doesn’t exist. The world has gone into us so insidiously, even as Christians, that we are not even aware of it. Therefore, I don’t blame you if you are not aware of what’s going on. It’s just like cancer working. You don’t even know it’s there. In our democracy, where we exercise our power, the ideals of materialism, comfort, and ease have shaped our thinking since our youth.

Without vision, the people die of spiritual starvation (Proverbs 29:18)

CLOSING PRAYER

O God, in these days when it is so difficult to know you, to have a vision of yourself, to experience you in your reality and power, when the world tries to beckon us from this and that direction with all its charms and fascinations. God, may it be that in these last days, perhaps you will still raise up one or two people, or even three or four, who will say, “O God, even in this situation, I just want to do your will.” And we know that you will give your vision to such a person. Hear our prayer. Amen.

SUBMISSION TO GOD’S WILL FULFILLS ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS

Matthew 3:13-17: 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it now, for in this way IT IS RIGHT FOR US TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Then he permitted him. 16 Now after he was baptized, Jesus immediately went up from the water, and behold, the heavens opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming upon him. 17 And behold, there was a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Remember when the lord Messiah Jesus was 12 years old; he told his parents, who had been looking for him, and found him in the Temple: “I must be about my Father’s business.”

WHY DID THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS SUBMIT HIMSELF TO JOHN’S BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE?

These words, “I must be about my Father’s business,” sum up, in essence, the spirit of the Lord Messiah Jesus, his character, and the direction of his ministry; therefore, it contains a very important spiritual principle which indicates the secret of the Lord Messiah Jesus’ power as our redeemer.

THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS’ BAPTISM CHARACTERIZES HIS DISCIPLES' BAPTISM

We have to point out that John’s baptism is not identical to Christian baptism. This distinction is clearly made even in Acts 19:1-6: And it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland regions and came down to Ephesus and found some disciples. 2 And he said to them: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him: “But we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit!” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said: “Into the baptism of John.” 4 And Paul said: “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was to come after him - that is, in Jesus.” 5 And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.

That Paul baptized again those who were baptized with John’s baptism in the name of Jesus. He pointed out to them that the baptism of John was of a preliminary character. It was not equivalent to, and not adequate for, Christian baptism.

THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WITH SINFUL MAN.

Why did the Lord Jesus come to John the Baptist to be baptized? It was in order to identify himself with sinful man. It finds its justification in the words of the lord Messiah Jesus’ reply when John the Baptist prevented him: “It is fitting for us.” He did not say, “It is fitting for me,” but “It is fitting for us.” By using the word “us,” he identifies himself with John the Baptist and with mankind generally.

It is quite correct to say that he accepted this baptism as a man. He identified himself with sinful mankind generally, because unless he did identify himself with us, how would he die for our sins? He had to be a man to die for us. “He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11), to be associated with being one of us. Although we are sinners, he identified himself with sinners.

SPIRITUAL REASONS FOR JESUS’ SUBMISSION TO JOHN’S BAPTISM

Jesus submitted to the baptism of repentance to fulfill God’s ordinance.

We see here “the Lamb of God,” at a little over thirty years old, relying totally on the power of God in him to live a life without sin.

John the Baptist was an impressive figure of a man – a prophet of Israel. Israel had not seen a prophet in Israel for over 400 years. No wonder this man caused quite a stir. But he himself confessed that not only was he not the Messiah, but also was unworthy even to be a slave of the Messiah, to untie the leather latches of Jesus’ sandals. He only recognized himself as being a servant who prepared the way for the Messiah. You read this in the passage just before the one we are studying now, where he spoke of his own ministry.

Then, when he saw Jesus, he recognized him as someone whose righteousness was greater than his own. When Jesus came to him, he said, “I should not be baptizing you. You should not be submitting to my baptism, to my ministry. I should be submitting to you, to your ministry.” He recognized that Jesus was far greater than himself when, after he had baptised the lord Messiah Jesus, he witnessed Jesus immediately went up from the water, and behold, the heavens opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming upon him. 17 And behold, there was a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” When John the Baptist heard God say, “This is my beloved Son,” he realized Jesus was the Messiah.

The question is: Why does the greater submit to the lesser?

The Lord’s teaching, “Let it be so now for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness,” shows us his character and the spirit in which he was to become the God-sent Savior of the world. If only we can capture the spirit of the lord Messiah Jesus.

When we study the Bible, our focus should be on entering into the spirit of what God- Yehovah wants to reveal to us. The apostle Paul says, “the letter kills (and it can kill), but the Spirit makes alive” (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:5-6: 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Can you see the beauty of the Spirit revealed here? The greater submits to the lesser. That is the pattern of Jesus’ ministry all along: the greater submits to the lesser. He could easily have said, “This is a baptism of repentance.” Which of you convicts me of sin? You admit that I have no sin; therefore, I don’t need this baptism.” But Jesus will submit to the baptism of repentance if it is an ordinance of God.

THE CENTRAL DISEASE OF CHRISTENDOM: REFUSAL TO LEARN TO BE SUBMISSIVE

Christians often say: “I believe in God and in Jesus Christ, but why do I need to be baptized? I don’t need baptism.” What a striking contrast! Jesus, who really did not need to be baptized in the sense of a legal obligation, yet committed himself to be baptism. But these sinners don’t feel they need to be baptized because, in their minds, baptism is not essential. The one who [Jesus] does not need to be baptized nonetheless submits to baptism, and those who most urgently need to be baptized do not regard it as important for themselves to be baptized. They have not yet understood the spirit of the Messiah.

There is something like mankind that refuses to submit, that will always argue: “Why is this and that necessary? Why does God make this ordinance? It’s not fair that wives should obey husbands. People who claim to be Christians have not learned or understood the Spirit of God that guided the lord Messiah Jesus in all he said and did.

The lord Messiah Jesus refused to take any glory to himself. Rather, he humbled himself. He did not say to John the Baptist, “I am greater than you. Why should I submit to your baptism?” On the contrary, when John objected, he pleaded with God’s servant, “John, tolerate it now. Even if you don’t like the idea of my submitting to your baptism, please accept it all the same. Allow me to be baptized by you.” Oh, that touches the heart! The greater submits and pleads to be accepted into the ministry of the inferior.

IN SERVING GOD, YOU WILL OFTEN BE MISUNDERSTOOD, AS THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS WAS OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD.

In serving God, you are going to be misunderstood, time and time again. Your purest motives will be misinterpreted. When you preach from the purest motives, even your preaching will be misinterpreted.

Notice: John 10:2-5: 2 But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 For this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 Whenever he sends out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 And they will never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Our prayer should be: “Lord Messiah Jesus, help me always be your sheep, listening to your voice, following after you, just as you follow after your God and Father Yehovah.”

The lord Messiah Jesus was not afraid to be misunderstood. People will distort what you do or preach out of the purest motives to attack you. Don’t let their actions discourage you.

JESUS SUBMITTED AS THE GREATER TO THE LESSER

The lord Messiah Jesus was concerned with right­eousness. His desire was to fulfill God’s righteous ordinance of repentance, which could only be achieved by submission to John’s baptism of repentance. Have you got this heart of submission? If not, don’t be in God’s work because there is no future whatsoever for you there.

If Jesus had not entered into his ministry with a complete willingness to submit to God and to John the Baptist, who was inferior to him but still a servant of God, he would not have been chosen by God to become the Savior of the world. You must learn this attitude of submission if you are going to serve God and to experience God’s fullness and power in the life of a disciple of the lord Messiah Jesus.

Let us always ask for God’s help to always treat others as better than ourselves. This is the attitude of submission.

GOD CLEARS THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS

What about being misunderstood then? When we walk with God, trust him to work out all the misunderstandings. And that is precisely what God does. Notice what happens when the lord Messiah Jesus comes out of the water after he was baptized. A voice from heaven speaks, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Some people thought it was thundering. It was God speaking! God put his seal upon the lord Messiah Jesus. Why? It’s precisely because he submitted so completely as a servant to the servant of God, John the Baptist.

JESUS HUMILITY: SUBMITTING TO JOHN THE BAPTIST, A SINFUL MAN.

Notice the Lord Jesus’ humility as he came voluntarily to John the Baptist and asked to receive his baptism. That deeply impresses me. The more I ponder the Lamb of God receiving baptism at the hands of a sinful man, the more I am humbled!

John the Baptist was a great servant of God- Yehovah, but he had very serious faults that the Bible points out. In Matthew Chapter 11, we notice that John completely faded in his spiritual courage. It is disappointing to see, but it’s nonetheless true. In Matthew 11:3, you will read that as John the Baptist sat in prison, somehow, he wavered, and he sent a messenger to the lord Messiah Jesus saying, “Are you he who is to come, or do we look for someone else?” Alas! The great servant of God, John the Baptist, wavered! He took offense at Jesus at the critical moment, so that the Lord Jesus had to say in verse 6, “Blessed is he who is not offended by me.”

The Lord Messiah Jesus still held John in esteem even though he wavered (cf. Matthew 21:25). He still spoke of him as that mighty servant of God. Jesus reveals Yahweh God, who lives in him, who does not estimate us according to our weaknesses and failings. God remains constant and unchanging towards us, while we may change in our relationship to him. Isn’t that beautiful!

The Bible tells us frankly, that John the Baptist, great as he was, hesitated towards the end. But still, the Lord Jesus came to this man of God and submitted to his ministry, not because John the Baptist was an incomparably wonderful person with no faults and failings. Not at all! But it was because he was a servant of God, and because God’s ordinance of repentance was being fulfilled through John the Baptist’s baptism. These things are deep for us to understand.

THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS CALLED FOR REPENTANCE AS HE SUBMITTED TO A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE

The Lord Jesus never asked anyone else to do something that he himself did not do. When Jesus called others to repentance, he himself had submitted to a baptism of repentance. Repentance means a total change of mind.

The lord Messiah Jesus did not change his mind regarding sin, but he did make a change after his baptism and his victorious battle with Satan in the wilderness. From this point on, he gave up his secular job as a carpenter; he left his home and made a very fundamental change – the time had come for him to go forth to preach the gospel, the good news about the Kingdom of God, the message of salvation.

JESUS’ CONSTANT OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WILL FULFILLS ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS

This is the keynote which marks the whole of the lord Messiah Jesus’ ministry, and he preached it not so much in words as by his life in submitting himself to a servant of God, John the Baptist, far inferior to himself. He submitted all the same to fulfill all righteousness.  Righteousness was his central concern.

How do you fulfill all righteousness? It is fulfilled only through total submission to God and to all his ordinances, to his servants, to his people. That is something we all need to learn because our whole nature rebels against it. We want to stand up for ourselves. We want to be number one. In fact, “number one” is the term for “you” in today’s language. The carnal natural man thinks of himself as number one.

The lord Messiah Jesus submitted himself to every institution and ordinance of God. It has been noticed, for example, that although the lord Messiah Jesus was without sin, he partook of the Passover sacrifice nonetheless; isn’t it remarkable? Although God sent him to be the Redeemer, Mary offered the prescribed offerings for sin: the redemption of the firstborn. He fulfilled every ordinance of God. Although he had no sin, he submitted to the baptism of repentance, but that did not import sin into his life, did it? Of course not! What it shows is his obedience to the will of God. He has given us an example to follow in his footsteps.

OBEY THE WILL OF GOD- YEHOVAH AND GOD WILL BECOME REAL TO YOU

Practice obeying the will of God- Yehovah in your life; We should continuously submit ourselves to every commandment of God, and submit more fully to him. That secret may be hard to practice, but it’s so simple. You will find that if you do this, there will be power in your life, and joy of fellowship with God. God will become real to you. Then you will experience a new joy, a new power, a new fellowship with God- Yehovah.

HE WILL ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS

Try living in submission to God- Yehovah, obeying all the words He gave the lord Messiah Jesus to give to us, and He will answer your prayers beyond all your expectations! He will overwhelm you with His kindness as you live in submission to Him, doing His will in your life.

FOR FREEDOM THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS HAS SET YOU FREE

2 Corinthians 3:17 says: “Where the Spirit of the Lord- Yehovah is, there is freedom.”

The freedom we have through the indwelling Spirit of God- Yehovah is not political or external freedom; rather, it is the reality of freedom in your inner being that remains unaffected by anything.

A well-known saying in English is, “Four walls don’t make a prison.” You can put a person in prison, but you cannot break him if he has freedom through the indwelling of the Spirit of God within his inner being.

The reality of God- Yehovah and the experience of freedom in your inner being ensure joy and peace.

BY GOD’S SPIRIT TRUE FREEDOM IS WITHIN YOUR INNER BEING

God set his people free from slavery by the enabling power of His Spirit working in their inner being. The Old Testament and the New Testament are all about freedom. The Bible is a handbook on freedom.

Many Christians have the reputation of being so legalistic, so bound by regulations that they give people the impression that the Christian life is all about laws and prohibitions. The Bible is not about that at all; the whole Bible is about freedom!

What is the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, about? It’s about God setting free a people who were slaves, taking them out of Egypt. After 400 years of slavery, God took these Israelite slaves out of Egypt. How dramatic it was when they passed through the sea with the waters standing up like walls on both sides! God- Yehovah took the Israelites out of Egypt and set them free. Moses said to Pharaoh on behalf of God- Yehovah, “Let my people go. Set my people free that they may serve me.” The Bible is about freedom!

Notice: The entire New Testament is about freedom. In John 8:32, 36, the lord Messiah Jesus said: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. So, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

If the truth doesn’t set you free, it isn’t the truth. How do I know something is true? See if it sets you free; then you will know. If you experience it, you will know that the truth found in the Bible is a reality that you can experience.

FREEDOM FROM DESIRES AND ANXIETIES

Are you free? Or are you governed by problems within that you hardly even know how to describe? Are you constantly pulled in different directions by various desires that enslave you? Do you experience freedom? And to what extent? The lord Messiah Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). What is truth? Remember, the lord Messiah Jesus said truth is what sets you free (cf. John 8:32).

Anything that brings you into bondage is not the truth, as far as Scripture is concerned. The lord Messiah Jesus is the truth because he taught and lived out the truth of God’s righteousness when he was on the earth, so that we must measure our spiritual condition against him. If we are willing to confess the truth of our sins and submit to God’s Kingdom in our lives, God- Yehovah will set us free from the guilt and the power of sin. Have you experienced God’s liberating power through the lord Messiah Jesus?

A PERSON WHO IS NO LONGER AFRAID OF DEATH BEGINS TO EXPERIENCE TRUE FREEDOM

What is the resurrection? Resurrection is freedom. Freedom from what? From what binds most powerfully, namely death. Do you know that human life is governed by one thing: the reality of death? Fear of death controls us.

Why do we work? Because we need to earn money. Why do we need money? Because we need food. Why do you need food? Because I will die if I don’t eat. I don’t want to die. Exactly! We need food, so we must work to have income. The fear of death controls us. If we were unafraid of death, we would not be anxious about going hungry.

The majority of people live in a condition where they experience neither freedom nor the absence of freedom; they exist in a state of ambiguity. Human beings engage in work primarily because they are driven by the need to survive, specifically the need for food.

Diseases threaten us with death, and the fear of death overshadows us all the time. With disease, the possibility of death, and anxiety that threatens us all the time. A vast amount of money is poured into medical research to overcome disease and death.

What has housing to do with death? If you slept outside every day, and the weather got cold, you might freeze to death. Housing is necessary to protect our lives and health from harm by other people. It’s all about surviving death. Everything has to do with death.

Why do we need transportation? We mainly need it to travel to the place of work which helps us earn the money we need for survival.

The shadow of death casts its control over mankind long before he ever gets to the grave. That is why we read in Hebrews 2:14-15 that the lord Messiah Jesus died to “destroy the one who has the power of death (that is, the devil), and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.” A person who is no longer afraid of death begins to experience true freedom.

AM I BEING CONTROLLED BY THE FEAR OF DEATH OR BY GOD?

Romans 8:14 says: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God.” What leads us? What are we controlled by? What determines our lives? Our fears, anxieties, or God? Does death still exercise control over me? If I can be free from the fear of death because of God’s power of resurrection, I will begin to know true freedom.

FOR FREEDOM THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS HAS SET YOU FREE – DO NOT LET ANYTHING CONTROL YOU

Galatians 5:1: For freedom the Messiah has set you free.

Think on these words, “For freedom the Messiah has set you free.” Paul was saying to the Galatians: “The Messiah set you free not so that you can go back into some other form of slavery. The Messiah set you free so that you can stay free, so that you can really enjoy the reality of freedom – freedom from the fear of death, and freedom from every other compelling factor.” Remember: This is what the life of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus is all about.

Any person who has not experienced this kind of freedom doesn’t know what it is to be a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus. Here is a categorical statement: You don’t know what it is to be a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus if you have not experienced the reality of that freedom as ‘new creations’ in him.

Look at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:12: All things are permitted for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be controlled by anything.

Here is a passage of the greatest importance but seldom appreciated. A follower of the lord Messiah Jesus is free, so that “all things are lawful to them, but not all things are beneficial.” These are the words of a true follower of the lord Messiah Jesus. What are you dominated by? What controls your life? Paul says: “I will not be controlled by anything.

I would like you to look into your life, whether you enjoy the totality of freedom, or whether you are controlled by certain things which you think are good. They may be good, but do they control you? If you don’t make sure that a thing, whether good or bad, does not control you, you will eventually come under ever deeper levels of bondage.

BONDAGE TO THE LOVE OF MONEY

1 Timothy 6:7-12: “For we have brought nothing into the world, so that neither can we bring anything out. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these things we will be content. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge those people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all evil, by which some, because they desire it, have gone astray from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patient endurance, gentleness 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…”

2 Timothy 3:1-5: “But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come, 2 for people will be lovers of themselves, ‘lovers of money’, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 hardhearted, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage, with no interest for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God, 5 maintaining a form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid these people.

Strive to experience God’s power of freedom that the lord Messiah Jesus gave himself up to his God and Father Yehovah as a sin-offering sacrifice to give us God’s power of freedom. Strive to experience God’s-Yehovah’s liberating power of freedom brought to reality by the lord Messiah Jesus. Let us actively pursue and engage in the experience of being free.

Try to experience one thing: What is freedom in the lord Messiah Jesus? That is most worthwhile. A follower of the lord Messiah Jesus who does not experience freedom in the lord Messiah Jesus is a Christian only in his head. He has not experienced it in the reality of the mind and heart. He doesn’t know whether God is real or not. Freedom is something that can be attained only by unspeakable power, the power of the Spirit of God- Yehovah because we are in bondage to sin, by the tremendous powers of sin and death.

What kind of power can overcome these? Only the power of God through the lord Messiah Jesus. But those are only words until you experience it. Romans 8:2 says: For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in the Messiah Jesus from the law of sin and death.

CONCLUSION

Experience freedom by constant discipline and practice. Everything worth achieving can only be achieved in a methodical, systematic, disciplined way. Paul loves to use the picture of an athlete. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: 24 Do you not know that those who run in the stadium all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. Thus, those do so that they may receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 26 Therefore I run in this way, not as running aimlessly; I box in this way, not as beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and subjugate it, lest somehow after preaching to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Paul is speaking about disciplining himself and uses the picture of an  “athlete,” derived from Greek origins, to describe the life of a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus as a process of self-discipline that ultimately leads to winning the crown as the prize.

In what way should you live so as to attain freedom by the power of the Spirit? Where the Spirit is, there is freedom (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:17: Now the Lord - Yehovah is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord- Yehovah is, there is freedom).

This does not mean that you sit back and do nothing. We must co-work with God’s- Yehovah’s Spirit to win the crown. We have to do our part to discipline ourselves, realizing that God has the power to help us accomplish it. God- Yehovah never asks us to do anything that He will not provide the enabling power of His Spirit in our inner being to accomplish it!

In everything, there must be a program, a plan of action, to accomplish God’s will and gain the victory.

Do you know what one of the gifts of the Spirit is? The last element mentioned in the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Self-control sums up the whole fruit- the gifts of the Spirit. It’s the dynamic reality of a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus that implements the freedom that the lord Messiah Jesus has won for us, when he gave himself up to his God and his Father, Yehovah, as a sin-offering sacrifice on the cross, enabling God to reconcile [bring us back] to Himself!

We have the ability and power to change. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul says: for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God- Yehovah and take every thought captive to obey the Messiah. We have God’s power to pull down everything that resists God in our lives when we imitate the lord Messiah Jesus.

Even though it is God who gives us the victory, we must learn to engage in combat, fighting, enabled by the Spirit of God to fight for liberation - freedom. Advance in this combat from day to day, and you will experience the reality of freedom within your inner being; and much more, you will experience the reality of God's powerful Spirit in your heart and mind.

THE LAWS OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

First Law: Where there is holiness, there is peace and eternal life.

Peace can never be separated from righteousness or holiness; peace and righteousness go together. In other words, where there is no righteousness, there would be no peace. Only where there is righteousness or holiness will there be peace. God - Yehovah only takes pleasure in righteous people.

Note: God was pleased with the lord Messiah Jesus, His Son, because Jesus was the righteous one. 1 John 2:1: He is called “Jesus the Messiah, the righteous one”. God was pleased with the lord Messiah Jesus because Jesus said, “I always do those things which please Him” [John 8:29]. His whole life was to please his God and his Father, Yehovah. We need to follow the example that he has lived out before us!

The important thing to understand is that holiness is a life that is pleasing to God, a life lived in obedience to Him; a life lived in accordance with His will. If you live a life like this, you will become pleasing to God, become a man/woman of God’s good pleasure. Luke 2:14: “Peace on earth" to men/women in whom God- Yehovah is pleased.

A disciple of the lord Messiah Jesus enjoys deep peace if he/she is obedient to God- Yehovah.

You will not understand peace in its richness, its depth, and its fullness until you learn to live a life that is pleasing to God, until you commit your life totally to Him, living in his way, walking in His path.

Baptism is like walking through the door of the kingdom of God, but you still have a long way. You don’t just stand inside the door; you must live the life of a subject of the Kingdom of God, as a member of God’s household. If you make it your aim in life to say, “I will live a life that is always pleasing to Him; I have come to do your will, O God,” as the lord Jesus is quoted as saying in Hebrews 10:7, you are filled with deep inner peace. A very important spiritual law to understand is: Where there is holiness, there is peace.

If you are not enjoying peace in the depth of your being, you are hiding sin somewhere in your heart, and sin is a very disturbing element. The negative side of this spiritual law is: Wherever there is sin, there is turmoil. There is no way you can get peace so long as there is unholiness and unrighteousness in your heart.

Peace and holiness are inseparable

Peace and holiness always go together; you cannot hold them apart. If you want peace, you must have holiness. If you have holiness, you will have peace. They are intertwined.

Hebrews 12:14: “Strive for peace with all men/women, for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord- Yehovah.” Without holiness, you will not see God- Yehovah; without peace, you will not see God. Peace and holiness are inseparably tied. Philippians 4:7: “… the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in the Messiah Jesus.”

Notice: Righteousness is at the beginning of this list of four virtues, and peace is at the end. Righteousness and peace always come together, with faith and love in between. The righteousness that Paul is talking about is the righteousness of a pure heart. Only the person with a pure heart shall see God- Yehovah.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Without holiness, no man shall see God (Hebrews 12:14).

2 Peter 3:14 is another passage that speaks about peace: Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish and at peace.

While you are waiting for the new heaven and the new earth, strive to be blameless, pure in heart, loving righteousness; then you will find that peace.

The apostles Paul and Peter use expressions such as “pure heart,” “spotless,” and “blameless,” which are simply different terms for righteousness and holiness.

In Romans 14:17, we read: For the Kingdom [Kingship] of God- Yehovah is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Joy and peace are inseparable companions. Where you have peace, you will have a deep inner joy. The trio of righteousness, peace, and joy is inseparable.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 and 7 tell us that we are called to holiness. And Colossians 3:15 says that we are called to peace. So, we are called to peace because we are called to holiness.

You will always find righteousness and peace together; for example, Isaiah 32:17 or Isaiah 59:7-8:

V.17. And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

V.7. Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. V.8. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.

We read in Isaiah 57:21 [NJB], “No peace,” says Yehovah, “for the wicked.”

The wicked cannot find peace anywhere in heaven or on earth, or under the earth. To those who do not love righteousness, there is no peace.

Notice those beautiful words in Psalm 85:10: Righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Let us look at this amazing conjunction of peace and holiness in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of the lord Messiah Jesus.

God- Yehovah is the God of peace because he is the God of holiness, of righteousness, and he sanctifies us [sets us apart]. He keeps our spirit, soul, and body holy by His indwelling presence.

Evil and peace cannot go together. Sin and peace do not go together. That is the fundamental spiritual law. Notice that the angels, in speaking to the shepherds, did not say, “Peace on earth.”, but “peace to men of good will” or “to men in whom God- Yehovah is well pleased,” or “to men in whom God takes pleasure.” Why? Because they love righteousness. There will never be peace on earth because mankind is in bondage to sin.

Notice the warning in Hebrews 10:38 [CJB]: … the righteous person will live his life by trusting [in God and the lord Messiah Jesus], but if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.

If the righteous man draws back from righteousness, from God, God will not be pleased with him. His end will be destruction in the Lake of Fire.

When you have peace, you have eternal life

In the Bible, peace is always associated with life. Life and peace go together. For example, Romans 8:6 says: “To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Or in Malachi 2:5, God establishes: “a covenant of life and peace.”

Second law: Peace is found only in the lord Messiah Jesus, who died on the cross.

The second spiritual law is: Peace is found only in the lord Messiah Jesus. The lord Messiah Jesus is our peace because he is our righteousness. Even in this second principle, the first principle is active – you cannot separate peace and righteousness. For example, Ephesians 2:14 says: The Messiah is our peace.

In 1 Corinthians 1:30, we read: The Messiah is our righteousness and our sanctification.

Note: Sanctification: This is the lifelong, ongoing process where the Spirit of God- Yehovah helps a believer grow to become more like the lord Messiah Jesus. It involves turning away from sin and practicing daily obedience and being totally committed to pleasing God!

He is our peace because he is our righteousness and sanctification.

How did he become our peace and our sanctification? What do those beautiful words in Isaiah 53:5: “the chastisement of our peace was upon him” mean? This means he became sin for us, who know no sin. He offered himself up as a sin-offering sacrifice so that God- Yehovah could reconcile [bring back] humanity to Himself.

Romans 5:1b says: We have peace with God- Yehovah- through our lord Messiah Jesus.

And Colossians 1:19-20: For in him [the lord Messiah jesus] the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, And through him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of the cross -through him - whether things on earth or things in the heavens.

The Messiah died to save us by transforming us to be new and holy.

The Bible tells us that to be saved is to be made into a new person, a member of the new humanity; it is a transformation. “If any man is in the Messiah, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is what born from above means: to become transformed - changed.

So not only are we acquitted, which is called “justification,” not only are we declared righteous, but God- Yehovah also enables us by His Spirit to become righteous. In Ezekiel 36:26, He [Yehovah] will plant into us a new heart. He will take a heart of stone out of me and put in a new heart of flesh. The heart of stone is taken out, and a living heart is put in. That is a genuine heart transplant!

We are totally transformed. We are made righteous. That is why the apostle John says in 1 John 3:9: No one who is born of God- Yehovah will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. You have been transformed. What amazing grace!

However, transformation is a process. We don’t become a totally new person in one day. As disciples of the lord Messiah Jesus, you know you have not finished with your struggle against sin. The writer of the book of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:4: “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

We are fighting against sin day by day. We are not yet perfect, as Paul says in Philippians 3:12: “not as though I am already perfect, but I press towards the mark.” Sometimes in your struggle with sin, you will find that your peace is being disturbed. For example, if you allow sin to creep into your life and you don’t overcome it, you are going to lose your inner peace. Your reconciliation with God- Yehovah stands; that external peace is there, but the internal peace is lost if you don’t determine to be victorious, enabled by the Spirit of God in your struggle with sin.

We must ever depend upon God’s Holy Spirit to constantly bring back that holiness and that peace into our lives. God’s Holy Spirit is the Spirit of peace. For example, in Galatians 5:22 we read: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.”

Psalm 119:165: Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. As followers of the lord Messiah Jesus, we are living out the New Covenant laws in our lives.

Be determined to love righteousness by the grace of God, and you will find God’s peace flooding into your heart.

Notice: Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God- Yehovah is eternal life in the lord Messiah Jesus.

On one hand you have sin and death, and on the other hand, you have God’s gift, eternal life in the Messiah Jesus.

Romans 6:22: But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Note: We are slaves of God because we are bought and paid for by the blood of the lord Messiah Jesus, when he offered himself up as a sin-offering sacrifice, acting as the agent of his God and Father, Yehovah, which means we are also slaves of the lord Messiah Jesus.

You don’t have eternal life without sanctification or holiness. You don’t have peace without holiness. It is absolutely essential for us to understand this first spiritual law.

Notice Romans 6:22: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God- Yehovah, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Paul is speaking to the disciples of the lord Messiah Jesus in Rome, to the slaves of God, not to non-Christians. The result of being a slave of God is holiness, and what is the end of sanctification or holiness? It is eternal life. Understand clearly that this gift of eternal life is given to the people who are the slaves of God, who have been set free from sin by the grace of God.

When I have died with the lord Messiah Jesus and also live within him as a new creation, for God has set me free from the bondage of sin. He transforms my life internally, so as His slave and delight to do His will. Then, God’s gift of eternal life is at the end of this process of sanctification. That is what Romans 6:22-23 is saying: But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in the lord Messiah Jesus.

Third law: Good and evil can never co-exist

The third and final spiritual law is this: Righteousness is bound to be opposed by wickedness. Or good and evil are irreconcilable opposites. That is the reason why you can never have peace if you allow wickedness to exist in your life.

If the only true God is your God, then be totally committed to serving Him, with all your heart, mind, and inner being.

There will be no peace on this earth from evil until God’s kingdom reigns. There will be evil on earth until God’s kingdom reigns on earth and eradicates it. Mankind simply doesn’t have the weapons to deal with evil. There is no way that there will ever be peace in this world so long as mankind is in bondage to sin. Therefore, whether it is in your own life or in the world as a whole, this fundamental law will always be the truth: good and evil cannot co-exist.

When Jesus came into the world, the conflict between good and evil became even more fierce because a greater powerful good had come into the world. And the reason why the conflict becomes fiercer is that “men love darkness rather than light,” as the lord Messiah Jesus says in John 3:19: This is the verdict: "Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." Why? Because they are in bondage to sin.

People in the world today tend to prefer darkness. It’s no use trying to change a country without changing its people. You can change economics, military balance, educational positions, but as long as the man himself is basically evil, in bondage to sin, he is still a sinner even though he is educated; so there will never be peace on the earth until the Kingdom of God is established at the return of the lord Messiah Jesus. That is why we pray for “Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven.”

Righteous Christians will disturb evil and suffer, but will have inner peace. The more righteous you are, the more you become like the lord Messiah Jesus; the more you will face opposition, bitterness, and persecution. If you disturb evil, evil will rise up and attack you. Every person who has made a stand for God and for the lord Messiah Jesus can expect trouble, because there is this law that good and evil cannot co-exist. Satan, the god of this world, will influence people to resist and try to destroy all the righteous people who are living out their lives according to God's Yehovah's will. All those who are preaching and teaching the good news of the soon-coming Kingdom of God.

Satan hates that good news message. He knows he has a short time before the return of the lord Messiah Jesus coming at the end of this age, when he will be removed and caste into a pit, unale to influence mankind, until he is released for a short time at the end of the 1,000 year rule of the lord Messiah Jesus, and will again influence people to rebel against God and His Son and they will all be destroyed.

The more righteous you become, the more you are filled with God’s holiness, the greater the opposition and hatred against you. As the lord Messiah Jesus says to his disciples, “Because the world has hated me, it will hate you. So be prepared. Don’t be surprised when these things come” (cf. John 15:18-19: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”).

The apostle Peter also said to the Christians: Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. [1 Peter 4:12].

Understand this spiritual law: good and evil stand irreconcilable.

The lord Messiah Jesus said to his disciples, “In the world, you will have tribulation (suffering, persecution), but in me, you will have peace” (John 16:33)

The keyword of Philippians is “joy.” In Colossians it is “thanksgiving.” Why can you give thanks when you are sitting in prison? Because of this wonderful inner peace. Outside, the world is falling apart, but inside, your heart is defended by the peace of God like a fortress. Paul says in Philippians 4:7: And the peace of God,  which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in the Messiah Jesus.

Apply these 3 spiritual laws and enjoy peace

First, understand that you do not have peace without holiness. You do not have eternal life without holiness. So, get right with God. Confess every sin and say, “God, change my attitude. Enable me by your Spirit to love what is good and righteous.”

Secondly, understand that peace is found only in the lord Messiah Jesus through his death on the cross. Therefore, repent of your sins and ask God to forgive you through the cleansing that comes from the lord Messiah Jesus’ shed blood, when he offered himself up to his God and Father Yehovah as a sin-offering sacrifice. The Messiah has reconciled us to God by his sin-offering sacrifice; so draw very near to God and take hold of him, for without him you will never have peace.

Thirdly, understand that peace comes to this world only in your heart because there is evil in the world. Good and evil will always be in conflict. Be prepared for the conflict, and rejoice in it, because you know that you are standing on the side of what is good and righteous. Your firm stance as a slave of righteousness will make a significant impact, which is why evil forces will oppose.

Meditate on these three spiritual laws. They can transform your life, so you will not go wrong spiritually. Then, the message of the angels will become a reality to you: “Peace on earth to the men of righteousness - who imitate the lord Messiah Jesus the righteous - in whom God has pleasure!” In this way, God will be glorified!

WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE?

Eternal life should be translated as age-upon-age-lasting life or new-age life.

We have an earnest of that life now as disciples of the lord Messiah Jesus, as in him we participate in this world with a resurrection-life attitude and power we receive from his Spirit in us!

2 Corinthians 1:21- 22: set his seal of ownership on us and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

We should realize that in us, through the lord Messiah Jesus, resides the power that upholds the Universe. If we really realized this completely, then we would accomplish so much more by utilizing the power we have within because of him residing in us by his Spirit. Indeed, we can do all things by and through the lord Messiah Jesus working in us by the powerful Spirit that his God and his Father - Yehovah gave to him to give unto us.

Everywhere the Spirit is mentioned in the N.T., it is the Spirit of our life-giving Spirit, the lord Messiah Jesus, accomplishing all that his God and his Father - Yehovah has commissioned him to do for us and through us!

John 3:14-16: And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so it was necessary that the Son of Man be lifted up so that whoever believes in him will have life in the age to come. For God - Yehovah so loved the world that He gave His uniquely begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have life in the age to come. 

John 14:23: Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father - Yehovah will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

2 Corinthians 3:17: Now the lord [Jesus] is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the lord is, there is liberty.

1 Corinthians 15:45: …so it is written that the first man Adam was made a living soul - being; the last Adam was made a life-giving spirit.

John 3:35: The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.

Mark 9:23: Jesus said unto him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.

So, the life-giving spirit in us is of the lord Messiah Jesus, who is now an immortal glorified man seated at the right hand of his God and his Father, our God and our Father Yehovah. So, we have eternal life - new age life now residing in us.

What are we doing with what God - Yehovah has given us to do? Do we realize the power God - Yehovah has placed at our disposal through His beloved Son, the lord Messiah Jesus? We should be going forth now with increased faith and power to deliver to the world the life-giving message that the lord Messiah Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, of which he will be the vice-regent ruling on this earth, seated on the throne of King David at Zion.

Let us rejoice that we have this resurrection life - new age life - age upon age lasting life - eternal life - through our being ‘new creations’ in the body of the lord Jesus, God's anointed one; we in him and he in us! What amazing grace God – Yehovah has bestowed on us!