THE RELIGION OF THE BIBLE AND THE FAITH OF JESUS Part 6

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:

THE RELIGION OF THE BIBLE AND THE FAITH OF JESUS Part 6

Who, does the Bible say, practices and manifests the religion of the Bible and have the faith of Jesus?

Without a shadow of doubt, it is those who, often unrecognized, despised, and ridiculed for their singularity and “peculiarity as a people, as a chosen nation, a royal priesthood and holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:9), because of their own enlightened, loving, consistent, growing, and “faith that works by love” (Gal. 4:6) in the “faith of Jesus”(all that refers to Christ in the New Testament) and thus “have the Spirit of prophecy which is the Testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev.12:17; 14;12; 19:10).

The Revelation of Jesus Christ in the last book of the Bible, by way of end-time prophecy that proclaims “the EVERLASTING gospel,” distinguishes them from the rest of the Christian world in these “It is written,” “Thus saith the Lord,” definitive definitions and descriptions of who, why, and what makes them such: (All from the KJV; emphasis mine):

First, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make WAR with the REMNANT of her SEED which KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of GOD, and HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST.” Rev. 12: 17.

Second, ( after citing the first, second, and third angels’ messages in their fixed order, verses 6-11): “Here is the patience of the SAINTS : here are THEY THAT KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, and the FAITH OF JESUS.” Rev. 14:12.

Third, (read verses 1-9). John says, “And I fell at his feet [the angel revealing these prophecies to him] to WORSHIP him. And he said unto me, See thou do it NOT: [for] I am thy fellow-servant, and of THY BRETHREN that HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS: Worship God: FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS IS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY.” Rev. 19:10.

Jesus, “the Word from the beginning,” Himself the God of love and law, “manifest in the flesh” in the “great mystery of godliness” in His incarnation, defined the SUM and SUBSTANCE of the true worship of the true religion of the Bible, manifested in those that have the sanctifying “faith of Jesus” through the edifying and enlightening work of the Holy Spirit in “the Testimony of Jesus in the Spirit of prophecy” in these last days, as follows:

“If you LOVE Me, KEEP [do; obey] MY COMMANDMENTS.” John 14: 15. RenderIng it even it clearer “by the word of His testimony,” rebuking all Pharisee-like naysayers, and silencing any all disputes, quibbling, controversy and confusion generated by both ignorant and willful ignorance, Jesus reiterated this sum-and-substance definition of the everlasting covenant-relationship and its conditional promises and blessings between Jesus Christ and His true apostles, disciples, and followers, in the following verse in the New Testament for all professing Christians to study and ponder upon:

“IF ye keep My commandments, ye shall ABIDE in My love, EVEN AS I have kept His [the Father’s] commandments and ABIDE IN HIS LOVE.” John 15:10.

I am sure that all who claim to be Christian, “live, move, and have their being” based exclusively on sola scriptura (as did the early church in apostolic purity), will want and do everything within their God-given talents, abilities and powers by the empowering grace dispensed by the Holy Spirit, will “make their calling and election sure” in and by ABIDING IN THE LOVE OF JESUS, “even as,” His example as the “Son of man,” in our adopted “flesh and blood nature, He abode in His Father’s love BY KEEPING the law, “magnifying it and making it honorable” (the exact opposite of ignoring, “making of none effect,” trampling upon,” disobeying, transgressing, tinkering, amending, distorting, abrogating, and the absurd and apostate teaching that it has been “done away with” by “nailing it to the cross.”

It was CHRIST, not the Law of God, that was “nailed to that shameful tree.”) This IS religion, this IS the faith of Jesus, this IS the faith of Abraham “the father of the faithful” and “friend of God,” the faith of all the named and unnamed SAINTS in the Bible’s eternal HALL OF FAITH (in contrast to the “Halls of Fame,” and ignominious “Halls of Shame” of fallen, sinful morals of corruptible flesh) preserved and immortalized in the divine ARCHIVES and revealed to the eyes of mortal man, both wicked and righteous in Hebrews chapter 11.

Dear friends, please FAST and PRAY for the awakening, conviction, conversion or re-conversion, enlightenment, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, then “roll up your sleeves,” study and store your minds with the great testing truths of the fundamental pillars and landmarks of Present, testing, sealing Truth and “work for the night is coming when man works no more” in death.

To be continued in the next MWM, God willing. NMF