Temptation and Resurrection

There are many elements within the scope of our faith in Christ, but there is only one that will take us all the way to the obtaining of the prize, which prize is eternal life. It was that element that the Father was most pleased with Jesus for demonstrating it: "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Heb. 1:8,9). Jesus loved righteousness and he hated evil, and that took him all the way through Calvary and beyond. It also makes him just like his Father. Loving the righteousness of God and hating everything that is contrary to it is the core element of our faith, and it is that formula alone that can take us to where we are seeking to get to. The otherworldly knowledge and wisdom that Jesus manifested, and the magnitude of spiritual power that he demonstrated was off the charts, yet it was not those things that God commended him for, or rewarded him with the name that is above all names. There's been a lot of focus among God's people for quite some time on how to operate in spiritual gifts, how to manifest divine healing, and on learning practically every aspect of theology. Yet all of these things are only by-products of the core value of loving what is good and right in God's eyes, and subsequently hating what is evil. Look at what the scripture says of Jesus in regard to his second coming to this world: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war... And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh" (Rev. 19:11,20,21). Yes indeed my friend, when Jesus Christ comes back from heaven to this world, it will most certainly be to make war against the wicked who have rejected and defied him, and who have set themselves to destroy Jerusalem. It is his love for righteousness and his hatred for iniquity that has put him in the position to do just that, and that same love and hatred will be what motivates his destruction of the wicked.

The apostle Paul tells us that those who do NOT love righteousness and hate iniquity in the end time will be deceived and lost as a result: "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (II Thess. 2:10-12). It's with very good reason that we need to keep our focus on being filled with "righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the holy Ghost," and being continually led therein (Rom. 14:17; Rom. 8:14). If we maintain our lot in regard to "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, [and] live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" then we will be taught knowledge by the Spirit of God, and we will operate in spiritual gifts naturally (Tit. 2:12). The holy Ghost IS the righteousness of God, and all knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual operations are in the Spirit (Col. 2:2,3; II Cor. 12:17; I Cor. 12:4-7). Nevertheless it is "righteousness and true holiness" that we should seek first, and allow that horse to pull the cart of knowledge and spiritual gifts, rather than vice-versa (Eph. 4:24; Mat. 6:33). Those who persist in the pursuit of these secondary things before the core value things of God, are surely in danger of ending up like those whom Jesus warned us about: "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mat. 7:22,23). Rather we should heed the admonition of the apostle Paul, a man who knew the value of fearing God and keeping his commandments: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7:1). To punctuate the point I will once more give space to the great apostle of the Gentiles, and quote a couple of verses which immediately preceded that one: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (II Cor. 6:17,18). Amen.