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First John two or go back further, why not the 17th 1St epistle of John second chapter verse 17. And the world pass up the way and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
Little children, it is the last time, and as you have heard that Antichrist shall come. Even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us, but they were not of us, or if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.
But they went out that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ. He is Antichrist that deny the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.
But he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you.
What you have heard from the beginning, if that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye shall ye also shall continue in the sun and in the Father. And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you, but the anointing which you have received of Him.
Abideth in you.
And you need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie. And even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence.
And not be ashamed before him at his coming.
If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of Him.
Ties right in with the previous.
All that is in the world.
That world passes away, and the lust thereof.
But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
That is what's wrought.
In the fear of God and according to His will, we take to heaven with us.
And long before the world passes away.
Many men that sell their souls for a little of this world pass away and leave it.
Men are passing. The world is passing.
But with a Christian, we know where we're going.
And we should live in the good of it now.
Enjoyment of heavenly places. Heavenly places.
Well, the man that gets the most of the world and all that lust could desire down here, he's soon going to leave it all.
And if he could live on forever, it would. It would pass away.
We're not only not of this world. I believe his brother Ballot made the statement. I think I give it really correctly, that the Saint of God belongs to in a system that is in existence before the world has ever built.
Is there a sense here in the world passing away that?
The way I might say is which it is arranged at any given time. It's constantly changing.
Something like in First Corinthians where we have there they use this world as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passes away. Is there a sense of that here? Of course, I believe it goes on to the.
Final passing away of it in its entirety.
Well, I just wondered if there is a sense of that it's constantly changing.
The firm is in the present tense.
Very comforting word in Hebrews 111.
They shall perish, but thou remainest.
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That's the physical world, isn't?
Facial Parish.
In the latter, pop without remaining.
Always something that's secure.
It's like in Second Timothy where you get the last days and failure and ruin on every hand.
And yet, in each chapter in Two Timothy, you have something that's stable and unmoved.
Something to bank on, something to count on in each chapter.
Is the thought in these.
Verses here, what you just read, especially verse 17 beginning at verse 15, is the thought there, the thought of separation.
Being separate from walking apart, walking in separation unto the Lord, that was the burden of our of our reading the last time. And now we've had brought before us in the 17th verse all that is passing.
And that which is abiding is brought before our souls. He that doeth, the will of God abideth. He doesn't pass.
And that which he has rocked doesn't pass.
It's it's a biting.
He that doeth the will of God.
With that link up with Second Corinthians 6.
14.
Through to the end of that chapter.
You might read those precious verses 2nd Corinthians 6.
14.
Thinking about it yesterday evening at the supper table.
Be enough an equal yoke together with unbelievers? For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God.
As God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them.
And will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be your 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.
We also agreed in Philippians Chapter 3.
A couple of thoughts here were burdens on the apostles heart.
Philippians 3.
Verse 18.
For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping.
The latter part of verse 19.
Who mind earthly, earthly things?
Who mind earthly things?
For our conversation or our Commonwealth, our center of interests.
Is in heaven.
From whence also we look for the Savior.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Who self change?
Our bodies of humiliation.
Now in Hebrews chapter.
11.
And the end of verse 13.
And confessed that they were strangers.
And pilgrims on the earth, for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country, or rather their country, our heavenly country. One more thought, I think, is belonging here.
Yes, that's it. Now they desire a better country. Yes, a better country. That is an heavenly.
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That you read about in the third of Philippians walking so carnally. Those were not real, were they?
The principle I do believe we need.
Said as the latter part of the 15th verse, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Looking at it in a practical sense.
I don't believe that where there is the love of the world, there could be the consciousness of the love of the Father. It couldn't be the enjoyment of the love of the Father. Of course we know the man of the world. He doesn't have the love of the Father in him. But it's possible for the child of God to be so taken up with the lust of the eyes, the attractiveness of this world, that.
He could not be enjoying the love of the Father.
The two, the two things are not in agreement. They're mutually contradictory. The love of the world and the love of the Father.
It's.
You'd rather in an abstract way that these two principles are in conflict.
Three forms of conflict.
Is not the world opposed to the Father and Christ? Is Satan and the flesh to the Spirit?
I'm glad you mentioned that, Brother Wilson.
Is so taken up with the world and running after it in its various forms and things, is it not because of the flesh that is in the Christian?
We also read if we solder the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corruption.
If the believer is going to gratify all his fleshly desires, he's going to reap the consequences.
What demons did, I don't know. John Bunyan has him go into the silver mine, be overcome with the fumes. But it was something in the world that attracted demons.
Going to get his name and the word of God is having done that, I'm sure he never would have done it.
But everything is going to come out at the judgment. Seat of Christ is a beacon all through the ages, doesn't it? And I think we see him in heaven.
Which we have in connection with demos. It would indicate So what 3 verses you referred to brother.
I mean.
I wear the demos.
Associated with the Apostle Paul as a fellow laborer in the gospel.
And then in Colossians, is it not where where his name is just mentioned?
Coldness, apparently had come in.
A strange one. And then in the second epistle to Timothy, where we find him going down to Thessalonica.
So told us apart, told us toward the Lord came in first and then to the apostle Paul, and then he goes on down with Thessalonica doesn't say he's the evil world.
No doubt. Perhaps a religious thought before you doesn't mean that. I don't think the scripture mentioned would recall that the world is evil as we see it round about us. But there was an attraction there that took him away from the Lord 1St and then from the apostles when Paul writes to the Colossians.
He has a reserve about demons.
He just as you say, he just mentions demons. And it isn't long until that second epistle of Timothy is written, just a few years.
By that time, he's loved it has come out, he's loved the present world and he's departed.
He was a fellow laborer with Paul and Philemon, wasn't he? We said the other day we do not reach.
A certain maturity and spiritual things in us all of a sudden.
We do not come into spirituality suddenly.
It has to be a desire to go on with God and to please pray and.
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That has to grow. We grow in inventory, and the same thing is true. If we start getting cold and our affections to Christ, the next thing is we've slipped into the one little thing and then another, and finally there's a big failure.
Made this statement, Brother Wilson, and I believe it more and more. There's no such thing as a sudden major fall. We don't, we don't suddenly slip into some major fall in our lives.
It's the consummation of a lack of self judgment, a lack of watchfulness along line, sometimes unconsciously, to oneself.
Ephraim hath Gray hair, you know of it not.
Where is often unconscious of the declension that is coming. And Speaking of not getting spiritual all at once, what provoked that remark was I heard of a place recently where an old brother or elder brother or two had been taken away.
One of the younger brothers said, well, they're going and now we're going to have to take over. And he just girded himself to take over.
That's the wrong attitude, you say? So yes, I believe it is.
Serious thing to try to step into the harness when we see certain ones being taken away and assuming that we can fill our shoe. I personally heard a young brother say that very thing and it wasn't long after he left the Lord's table.
Just deserted the meeting the Lord's Table altogether. I think it's a mistake on the part of any of us to think we're going to step in and into the shoes of anybody.
Work is outlined for us by the Lord as individuals, and He has no duplicates.
I believe that many.
Soul has been hindered.
I believe he's been a stumbling block to himself by thinking, now here's where I take over the position that belonged to that, to that brother. I mean, that's a snare.
Well, tell us about it, brother.
Well, it's simply there was one instance there where God did provide for.
Elisha to have the mantle of Elijah placed upon Elijah. That was God's doing.
But for us to assume to take such a step, of course, would be dangerous.
We all knew and loved her brother Potter. I don't say we're all because there are many young here, but those of us who knew did value him. We Revere his memory.
Soon it is shortly after he was taken, a brother came to me and said who God. Brother Potter's mantle? I said he didn't have one to leave.
He spoke about our declension coming in.
Not suddenly, but gradually. I think we could go further by saying that there is such a thing as declension going on. And faithful brethren.
Endeavoring to to arrest that, to intercept it by a faithful word, to reach his conscience, to remind him of what his course is leading to. And then.
When that is rejected and you don't want to have anybody admonish you, you don't want to be corrected. You're determined to pursue your course. That is awful. I like your thought with Mr. Brown on that 17th verse that not only will he abide, but what he's done will abide. He that doeth the will of God, it's connected with the doing the will, isn't it?
The little children.
Where he's still talking to the same class that he speaks of in the 13th verse.
That is the third class, the little children. It's the last time. Well, it's well for us to.
Keep that ever before us.
We're not looking forward to some change.
In this present age in which we live.
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It's the last time.
The next thing is going to is going to be a a complete resetting of the stage.
And we're to ever remember that we're in that last period.
And there's a becoming conduct that goes with it.
Mr. Garvey, word that even goes farther there. Let me use the hour there in the last hour.
Yes, it is and.
Well, now I believe we do have another term that gets right down and I use the word period. I had in mind a prolonged period, but I do think that there is a term that we get to use it once and I have an idea it's used twice.
In second Peter chapter 3.
Verse 3.
And before reading this verse, I'll just remind you of another term and that is in Second Timothy 3-1 in the last days. Notice that days perilous times shall come. That is difficult times for Christians to live in, just as we're living in today.
But here in verse 3, knowing this first.
That there shall come.
At the close of the days.
Now that takes you about as far to the very end itself as we have in the Word of God.
There shall come at the close of the days, and that isn't the time here spoken of in this chapter when the apostates went out just about as far as you can go. They went out from us in Jude. They're still inside. They crept in.
Said that they would come.
And Jude said they were present.
John says they've gone out.
Well, I would think this last period would include the last days, this last hour.
It's the end of the last hour.
Many antichrists.
If the apostle could write that in his day, what about the president?
It isn't remarkable that he writes about Antichrist to the babes, and he shows here how even the babes can detect them.
Tell the babes about it. But this was their particular danger.
Danger being LED away by men who were denying the truth. It has been said in connection with this they went out promise. I've enjoyed the thought. Not original with me. That said, the others had spoken about how that they would come and we know that John lived on beyond the other.
Two, Peter and Paul. But things have developed and under the presence and the power, Apostolic power that was there, they couldn't remain. They went out. And I believe there's a principle there.
Seems to me that where there is the real power of the Lord present, that kind of thing cannot go on.
The.
Translation in that 19th verse has a very faulty error. The end of that nineteenth verse that they were not all of us. That's very misleading, as though any of them were ever of us in reality.
They went out from us, but they were not of us. Here he is speaking, I suppose, of those who were not the Lords. They were unsaved people.
But they may have been charmed with the truth and may have found a place there.
But eventually.
They have to leave. They cannot stand that power that was there.
Don't you think, though, that there is a principle here?
Say that, I think primarily he's referring to those who are not the Lords.
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What there is, is there not a principle that here's a path of faith, The Lord is marked out and he has a testimony for himself.
But I could get so far apart from that in spirit that I couldn't go on with those who were simply going on in simplicity and face before the Lord. Is there not a principle there? Well, we got numerous instances in the Word where individuals went along in a path of obedience and then became LAX and dropped out.
Even.
Even dear John Mark, when he started out, there was every every reason to believe that there was a dear faithful young man that wanted to serve the Lord but.
He he got weary and turned back, went back home.
Well, it wasn't to his credit for sure, but he was. But he was recovered and was given the Commission of writing one of the gospels. But it was a a sad failure when he turned and went back home after he voluntarily had started out. Beautiful to notice too that the one who failed in his service was the one the Lord used to write to the perfect servant who never failed. Yes, lovely, well I suppose.
Apostle Paul speaks of in second Timothy one where he says all lay that be in Asia have turned away from me as.
Another sample, is it not?
They got weary of the path that Paul was in. To be associated with Paul was to be reproached, maybe suffer martyrdom. If you were too close to Paul, they wearied out. I was thinking of that. Scripture was referred to in Philippians 3 about those that are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Well, I believe that that's what has been said, that that was those that were not real. But I also believe that a true Christian can become an enemy of the cross of Christ, because that speaks of separation from the world.
And a true Christian can get so far into the world that they don't want that path of separation.
When will this manifestation take place? And read about in the latter part of verse 19. But that they might be made manifest that none are of us reading from the new translation. It was it was manifest then manifested that time, yes.
Might be made manifest. They were not that None of them were of us. That's the reason they went out.
Mr. Aaron was Speaking of the power where the Spirit of God is free, that restrains things. I was thinking of in the beginning of the churches history, that of the rest, there's no man join himself to them. There was such power that they didn't come in there. The believers were alone. They were a marked company.
All have joined themselves to them were of the same mind.
But as a little world in this came in, and the quenching came in, you do not find the same power of the Spirit manifest, and you find men find men creeping in unawares.
Period. Wasn't it that no man Durst joined himself under them?
Someone has said, you know, that today we have to fall back on the Scripture about certain people and say, well, whether they're the Lords or not, I don't know. We'll have to fall back on the Lord knoweth them that are his. But a writer Speaking of it said that is a sign of declension. Everybody should know who is the Lord. And if we have to fall back on the Lord knows them that are his. It shows weakness and declension where we are. Yes, that's where we are.
Well, the servants were not allowed to go and pull up the tares, were they? That was reserved for the angels.
Fold up the wheat. Yes, the time mentioned in First Peter 417 regarding a judgment for the time is.
Come, that judgment must begin at the House of God.
And if it first began at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Well, where does judgment begin? In the Book of Revelation At the House of God.
Chapters 2 and three, doesn't it? That's what we have two in Ezekiel 9, isn't it? They got the sanctuary with the older men. This 20th verse, Mr. Brown, that unction is the same word as the anointing, is it? I think so.
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The anointing is done in the 27th verse.
Yes, it's the same Greek word and the Spirit of God is the unction or the anointing is given to the believer for discernment.
Divine Intelligence.
He that is spiritual discerneth all things. Here are the main point in the chapter is discerning the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Antichrist and those who preach Christ in contrast.
And the youngest babe, the one who had just saved yesterday, is able to look up and address God as his Father today. And when somebody comes to him with a false doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, he has, and he should have enough. But the spirit of God dwelling in him as the anointing to recognize that it's wrong, although he may not be able to tell you one thing that's wrong about it.
They can discern that's not the Father's voice.
We had a sister in Des Moines.
Who was not? She was not saved.
And.
There were some of us that got in touch. She she had a position in a.
In a factory there.
And some of us went in there occasionally to buy articles.
My brother sitting right here near me was one that was associated in this. We used to give her tracks and this went over a period of a couple of years.
And God brought on your soul. And she got saved. Well, shortly after she was saved, I went in there one day to make a purchase. And she says, you know, a man came in here and I got to talking to him and he seemed very earnest. And so he he left me a book to read.
And I started to read them but.
Mr. Brown, there's, there's something about that book. I don't know what it is, but I don't feel right in reading it. I'd like to have you look at it.
So I picked up the book and looked at the publishing house, Pacific Coast Publishing house 70 Adventism, and I looked at the statement that had disturbed her. Well, it was Small wonder that it had disturbed her. It was the poison of 70 Adventism. Well, now that that dear soul wasn't able to say why.
The thing wasn't right, but she just felt that wasn't for her to read.
And she read that part wasn't very far, but oh, I suppose that 20 or 30 pages in the book she'd read, and she didn't read any further. Well, that is the very thing we have here. There's an auction there. There's an anointing that gives discernment where there's reality.
Yes, the baby has it. Well, she's been out of the Lord's name several years in a very, very happy Christian she is.
You have a function from the Holy One and know all things. Isn't that an amazing statement? That is, we're capacitated by that anointing. We're capacitated for anything that God has to teach us.
That doesn't mean as I've heard it said.
That we don't need any ministry, That we know it all.
I think that's very dangerous ground to take. In fact, I've never seen any Christian gathered St. take that stand, that he didn't go astray.
While it is true that we have the Spirit of God.
Is it not also true that that spirit can be grieved and we will not have that discernment?
Yes, it's not. He's not apartment to be so grieved with debate.
Just saved.
Brother Patrick and is Speaking of things as normal.
But what you speak of is a sick.
A sick child and if we get out of communion and careless in our ways, we can fall into various errors.
Would the last thought in First Corinthians 2 be something like what we have as to the Holy Spirit in our verse? First Corinthians 2 The very last sentence. But we have.
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The mind of Christ. That's a general statement in contrast to those who have not.
I said what I said, because sometimes you find some of our dear brothers that are so positive that they have the mind of the Spirit of God and.
They go astray and.
Are an exercise to their brother and yet they they feel that they have this function of the spirit and it's not that's guiding them there's a great.
Of ones assuming to have the spirit and he can all he can go all the way into mysticism with it.
Get into all kinds of fanciful things.
Because we are. They're not subject to the Word of God. The Spirit of God will never lead you contrary to the Word of God.
The wheel, is it worth? Well, when we get off onto a self confident course like that, we're the plaything for the enemy.
I heard of a young man recently who?
Said that he would go and look it up in the scripture himself.
Well, somebody said you might refer to the synopsis with it, he says, well, I don't need that.
I have the Spirit of God.
Well, good to have the Spirit of God. I'm glad they have.
But let's not get too self confident.
Because I'm subject to error, I don't suppose there's one here that wouldn't say that he's been mistaken on points of scripture.
And some of us have carried wrong thoughts of certain scriptures all our lives. We're not sufficient in ourselves.
Remember those who have spoken and tossed the word of God and whose faith followed. There are gifts to the church. There's a gift of teachers and the other place.
We have in this chapter here in the 27th verse.
That.
Need not any man teach you? Well, that doesn't mean there's no place for teachers.
But when it comes to the point as what we've been speaking about, discerning of that which comes to us as whether it's of the Lord or whether it's not, while we don't need any man to teach us, we can discern the Father's voice. The babe can discern the Father's voice.
But when it comes to teaching, why we have other scriptures that tell us that the Lord has given gifts to the Church.
And the prophets speak two or three, and the others judge those scriptures. Then our First Corinthians chapter 12 and Romans chapter 12, and Ephesians chapter 4, where it speaks of the teachers that the Lord has given to us for our building up in the truth, the scripture there.
In the 14th is it of First Corinthians.
That is so important.
The 29th verse of the 14th of First Corinthians. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. I think we we get an important principle there. We can give it a wide application.
No brother is the judge of his own ministry.
He speaks, but others are to be the judge.
And so it is with the questions that come up where a brother goes off on a tangent.
And he's at outs with all his brethren. He's got this fanatical slant on things.
And he can't find a mature brother anywhere that agrees with him.
Well, he better stop and take inventory.
I believe that the principle is here. Let the Prophet speak two or three, and let the others judge.
How does it come that I'm totally out of tune with all my mature brethren on this peculiar slant I've taken on on this subject?
I better.
Examine myself and get on before God and see if there isn't something wrong.
00:40:03
We cannot say when remonstrated to in that way hinder me not.
As though we had the mind of the Lord and what we're doing. Nobody could counsel me or.
Or admonish me as to my pathway.
Not also have a another test in the first Corinthians, the 14th chapter in the third verse where we have the gifts and operations.
3 expressions in that third verse.
What should?
Test everything that's given to edification, excitation, or comfort that doesn't fall within those three. Better leave it alone.
Yes, I would.
When Peter sought to admonish the Lord, when the Lord was speaking about his going away and Peter said that it wasn't to be so well, the Lord rebuked him and called him Satan, get the behind me Satan well.
What Peter said from a human standpoint was seen to be nice, but the Lord recognized it as coming from Satan, so we have to remember that the devil can whisper in our ears too. Makes me think of Nehemiah. They can't. They tried to stop him so many different ways from building the wall. Finally they came with good solid advice it seemed like.
But he says, I perceive the Lord did not send him.
First of all, what we've been Speaking of, what the Lord Himself expressed in the 16th of John, and when the Holy Spirit was coming, He would guide into all truth.
Those who go to Switzerland and would see the mountains usually hire a guide, but if they either precede the guide or linger behind him, they're apartment to miss the way and get in trouble. And isn't that the principle here? That the Holy Spirit delights to lead us into truth? And it may be via a channel of learning from others?
Or it may be in a channel in which he gives us enjoyment of the word in our own soul. But the minute we get off that path of guidance and feel self-confidence that we can explore on our own, we're at to get off on a preface somewhere and slide clear down and get hurt because they're not a principle. Also in this connection in First Thessalonians chapter 5.
Verses 19 to 21.
Quench not the Spirit they spy, not prophesied.
Prove all things, hold fast that which is good here it's particularly the Spirit of God keeping the babe from the path, from the footfalls for the of the enemy, the traps that are placed before him by the enemy. Now may I make a comment here too that I believe it's a bad mistake?
For people to dabble in false doctrine or any paper known to contain it.
We're not sufficient of ourselves to dabble in these kind of things. Now. It has fallen to some of us occasionally to have to examine some of these things and mark, mark out the error for others. But it's a bad sign when we take up all the varied kinds of religious literature that's about.
Many a Christian has been stumbled and trapped and gotten into all kinds of error by reading the stuff that's freely offered to him today.
Yeah, this thing is to burn it up. You wouldn't give a sheep a lot of poison to eat and expect it to be wise enough to leave it alone.
Not only in these religious pamphlets that they send to you in the mail and your neighbor gives to you, or they leave them at your door, but also there is a system of turning little knobs in which you hear things too, that are are not good for the soul.
Those who are habitually listening to ministry from all kinds of sources will gradually grow dull in their discernment.
And there will be the loser in the end. No matter how fancy and how striking the ministry may be, there is grave danger in it. Now I like to quote several scriptures. 1 is.
00:45:08
1827 The evangelist God used my salvation gave me this verse about the first couple of days that he was advising me.
And that verses cease, cease.
My son to hear the instruction that causes to err.
From the words of knowledge. Now that's a very important thing to practice. You know, it sounds nice, maybe in your ear, but are we practicing that? To cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causes the earth and the words of knowledge. Now the Lord Jesus Christ give another word.
Take heed what you hear.
And still another I like to read in Philippians 1. Philippians one verse 9.
The Apostle Paul says this. I pray that your love may abound yet more and more.
In now I'm going to read from Mr. Darby's translation, maybe along in here, that your love may abound yet more and more.
In full knowledge and all intelligence.
That ye may judge of and approve things that are more excellent. That ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. Now that shows that there are some things that are more excellent than other things. Now you know it is more profitable to feed.
On the more excellent things.
And not upon the less excellent things. I think this is a good thing for our souls. Scriptures. Brother Smith. I read a moment ago the last chapter of second of First Thessalonians, 18th verse and everything. Give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good.
The The quenching of the Spirit can be either in oneself or in others.
One can sit in a meeting, in an assembly meeting and be in a state of soul that's a hindrance to the liberty of the spirit. Or one can sit in a meeting and be definitely moved of the spirit.
To take part.
And for various reasons that he gives himself, he doesn't do it. He quenches the Spirit. Then another danger is despising, prophesying.
Someone gets up to prophecy. Brother Roth called our attention to what the work of the prophet is because then demand the edification, exhortation and comfort.
Well, someone gets up to prophecy and perhaps because of the personality of the individual, we close our hearts or our ears and and just sit there with a Stony indifference because of the one that's giving it. Despise not prophesying. Then there's the other side of it. Prove all things. That is, you don't accept everything.
That one may say, as Brother Wilson was saying while ago.
Who of us is there here that would say he never made a mistake and he's in his public ministry? I'm sure we've all felt guilty on that. Well, prove all things. Well, how do we prove it? Why, by the word of God.
And then we hold fast that which is good. We don't accept the mistakes a brother makes, but don't throw away everything he said because he made a mistake.
Hold fast that which is good. Those are just general principles laid down for us in those verses.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know you, the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth not Jesus Christ, come in flesh confessing the Person of Christ. We test all doctrine by its attitude toward the person of Christ, the person and work of Christ, anyone that comes along with ministry.
00:50:05
Well the first thing to know is, is he sound as to the person of Christ? If he isn't, we want none of his ministry.
It is particularly needful today when so much is being made of the Spirit of God. Never was a time in church history when so much attention is being paid to what they call the Spirit and spiritual ministry.
But it's leading a lot of Christians into vagaries and all kinds of nonsense.
And I am persuaded that much of it has a wicked spirit behind it.
Try the spirits.
We might have read one more verse there in first John 4 important.
It is, and that's verse six. We.
Are of God.
Now the apostle John in company with the apostles.
He that N God heareth us.
He that is not of God, hearest, not us, hereby know, we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. I read this verse because we've been Speaking of the Holy Spirit. Well, this verse also emphasizes the importance of subjection to the Word of God. The Word of God must always be held, ever raised up.
The Apostle Paul himself said.
These were more noble than they at Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, but they searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things were so. They even proved the Apostle Paul in that 20 second verse of our chapter, Mr.
Brown, who is a liar, but he that denied that Jesus is the Christ, He is Antichrist, the denieth, the Father and the Son.
Isn't that a combination of jewelry? Jewish and Christian error. To deny that Jesus was the Christ was the particular sin of the Jew? To deny the Trinity as the particular sin of Christendom, to deny the Father and the Son. Yes, I think that's true. So they're combined in one verse here and Unitarianism in the next verse.
Well, it's also included in denying a Father and a Son. It's denying the Trinity, basically.
Verse 23. Whosoever denieth the Son.
The same hath not the Father Unitarianism has gone over and become a part of universalism.
Two rank errors joined together.
The one says that Christ isn't God and there's only one person in the Godhead. There's not. There are not three. That's Unitarianism, Arianism.
And the universalism say that since Christ died for all, everybody saved, no matter whether he accepts Christ or not. That's the devil's life, because God will never save anyone apart from the work of Christ.
You know that Christ died for the sins of the world, but that's not true.
No, the apostle Paul Chan says, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
That feet in the eternal state will there be a new heaven and a new earth? He restored that, but she took not away.
That will be the full culmination of that verse. Why not bring out the thought there in first John chapter 2 verses 1:00 and 2:00 as the beginning of our chapter as to that the expression our brother works just mentioned about not taking away the sins of the world verse two. Maybe I have a word on that.
And for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. Now putting in the.
Italics there. The sins of on the part of the translator translators is a blunder.
The propitiatory work of Christ opened up the way for everybody.
The blood was taken inside and sprinkled Once Upon the mercy seat and seven times before the mercy seat. Once was enough for the eye of God, but seven times before the mercy seat to indicate how wholeheartedly God was ready to welcome anybody that came.
00:55:07
So that.
Propitiation.
Has opened the way universally.
But it's only made good to those.
Who come through the person and work of Christ and accepted, isn't that it? It wouldn't be to the glory of Christ if somebody could get saved short of it.
And God will be no party to the dishonor to his Son.
Where we get this, we have the two goats. Well, the one goat, as we've just been saying, the blood was taken in and sprinkled on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.
But then that's only half the story. The other goat was taken and the sins of the people confessed on the head of it by the by the high priest.
Definitely placed on the head of that scapegoat and that goat was taken out and turned loose in a desert place and never to be heard from again.
Well, that goat speaks of substitution.
That speaks of those whose sins actually were taken away.
Because those particular sins were put on the head of that goat. So Christ was the propitiation for all, but He's the substitute for those that have accepted Him, received him, and trusted Him. Scripture never says that Christ bore the sins of all.
Never says that He died for all, but Scripture never says He bore the sins of all He bore. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree.
Say that and by faith. And there are other scriptures like it of course, like in Romans, the end of chapter 4, it says that He was delivered for our offenses and He was raised again for our justification. And again in first Peter 318 he suffered for sins.
The just for the unjust.
The believer enjoys this.
There.
Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, where there's no difference in the first instance, unto all propitiation, and upon all substitution. This, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for their mission of the sins of all, no.
Of many.
It narrows down.
This idea of universalism that everybody is going to be saved without exception.
Is becoming the warp and wolf of modernism and ecumenicalism today. It's in all of the churches with the ecumenical bent. It's a denial that God is just and is going to be a judge.
Your brother of Christ suffered for sin there on Calvary's cross from a holy God.
But as I said before, God will be no party to any dishonor to His Son, and if anybody could be saved short of His finished work, it would be a dishonor.