Every pure word, thought, and action which does not occur in us naturally must of necessity be given in commandment form. When God created Adam and Eve, His law was placed within their hearts, and so there was no need to write it on tables of stone or in books, for they had it written internally. However, with the passage of time they fell into sin, and because their posterity immediately and steadily declined in moral and spiritual knowledge, it then became necessary to write in commandment form, all of the principles of God’s law, which are not naturally occurring in the human consciousness.
The law of God is spiritual but we are carnal, being sold under sin, and therefore it takes effort and practice under the auspices of the Holy Ghost in order for all aspects of righteousness to become natural, or second nature to us. Even though the image of God has not been obliterated in us who are born in sin, and even though a faint, indistinct
knowledge of godly principles still exist in most of us, yet it is not natural for any human being to do what is right without the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. So as it stands, doing wrong is natural for most of us, and doing right is abnormal in the human experience. This is according to the solemn testimony of the scriptures. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
For instance, if we were to ask a simple question of men, is it natural for us to commit adultery, in our thoughts, in sight, and indeed, most honest-hearted men will say yes, but some, in order to save face may say no. To most of those who dare to answer in the affirmative, the word of God speaks two words: “Stop lying”, for according to the scriptural definition of adultery, and also according to the testimony of some of the most righteous men who have ever lived, it is natural for the minds of most men to wander onto forbidden themes and most are prone to commit adultery in thoughts or in actions. Let’s read:
Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
The reason why Job had to make a covenant with his eyes is because for most men, keeping ourselves from adultery does not come naturally, and therefore Job found it necessary to take a solemn oath, that by the grace of God, his eyes and mind will not wander onto forbidden themes. What is worthy of note is the testimony of scripture in regards to Job’s spirituality. Let’s read:
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name [was] Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
This is one of the reasons why God had to give the injunction against adultery in commandment form, because it is not natural to us to keep ourselves pure. Again, the question is asked, is it natural for us to covet, or not to covet? The answer of course is yes, it is natural for us to covet, but again there may be those who would dare to disagree. To such the Bible again speaks those two little words: “Stop lying”, for covetousness lies at the very foundation of our sinful nature, and thus it requires a well directed effort to root it out of our lives. And because it is not natural for us to refrain from covetousness, God gave us the injunction against it in commandment form. Let’s read:
Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's.
Matthew 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Micah 2:1 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.
2:2 And they covet fields, and take [them] by violence; and houses, and take [them] away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
Similarly with the issue of love, which stands at the
foundation of God’s character and government. It is not natural for us to love, because the Bible states that we are naturally self-centered, and naturally put ourselves first and then others next. When we speak about love, we are not speaking merely about learned common courtesy that is manifested in the world, we are speaking about that agape love which only comes from God, and which enables us to love not only our friends, but also our enemies, and even those who deliberately plan to do us wrong, and take pleasure in our misfortunes and perplexities. This type of love does not occur in us naturally, and therefore God has to again give it to us in commandment form. Let’s read:
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so?
5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
And we are never to be deceived into thinking that this carnal, natural state of things ceases to exist from the point of baptism onward, for the apostle Paul, when writing in the context of his own fierce struggles against sin and self, describes those carnal desires, and deeply rooted tendencies to evil, which carry on a military campaign against anything that is good and upright. Here it is again, that natural tendency to do evil, occurring now, not merely in unbelievers, but rather in those who have been baptized and have sincerely given their lives to Christ. Let’s read:
Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
1st Corinthians 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am] of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping [him], and desiring a certain thing of him.
20:21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
20:24 And when the ten heard [it], they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
20:25 But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Hence the reason why Christ told Peter that when conversion would have taken place in him, he will strengthen the brethren. The reason for this statement is because many Christians are baptized into Christ, but are not yet converted, and so we must be very careful not to discourage them with yokes of spiritual development that they are not yet ready to bear. It is worthy of note that Peter, James, John, and Judas were all ordained preachers, whom Christ sent to preach the word of life, and yet, not one of them were converted as they went on their first missionary journeys. Let’s read:
Matthew 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother;
10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into [any] city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:
22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Some of us may be now wondering whether or not we are converted, or just baptized, and others of us may be saying to ourselves that this definitely does not refer to me, but I know of someone like that. Really? When a person plans to travel oversees to a country like India, they usually go to the bank so that they can “Convert” their U.S currency into Rupees, which is the currency used in that country, and as the transaction proceeds, the teller will request that the U.S dollars first be given up, before the Indian rupees are handed over, a process that takes some time.
The same is true when a person is thoroughly converted, there is a giving up of the old in order to procure the new, but the process takes time, and therefore we must be very careful not to judge or discourage each other as the ongoing procedure is taking place, since most of us are baptized, but are still undergoing the process of complete conversion. This solemn truth is correctly deduced when we observe what a thoroughly converted Christian does on a consistent basis.
A converted Christian who is gainfully employed, pays his or her bills on time and does not attempt to evade debts he or she has incurred, including rent, mortgages, taxes, tithes and offerings. This is according to the word. Let’s read:
Romans13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one
another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled
the law.
Converted Christians do not cheat on their spouses, nor do they carry on inappropriate conversations with the opposite sex outside of the marriage, especially after hours. And because they are thoroughly converted, they are not afraid to let their spouses suddenly read their emails and text messages, for they have absolutely nothing to hide, and transparency characterizes all that they do, this is according to the word. Let’s read:
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.
Proverbs 5:18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
5:19 [Let her be as] the loving hind and pleasant roe; …. “and be thou ravished always with her love.
5:20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
5:21 For the ways of man [are] before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
And children and young adults are not exempt from the standards of true conversion, for the principle applies to everyone who desires a complete transformation by Christ. A thoroughly converted teenager or young adult does not watch any questionable or sexually explicit television shows when their parents are not around, and they do not switch to 3ABN, when they hear the sound of keys and footsteps at the front door. This according to the scriptures. Let’s read:
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
A converted Christian does not hold grudges against anyone for injustices done at the work place, where just dues were not remitted in a timely manner, nor do they become angry and upset when a younger subordinate is promoted to a higher position of honor or authority over themselves, even though the promoted one lacks the experience, skill, and know-how to advise them on how to do the job. This again is according to the scriptures. Let’s read:
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.
Philippians 2:3 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Again, a converted person does not seek a certain position on the church board by snitching on others in the same position, nor by criticizing the work that others are doing, with the intent of being promoted to a position of honor and authority, but instead they rejoice greatly when others are chosen instead of themselves, and offer their support in tangible ways, even though they know that they can do a much better job. This again is according to the scriptures. Let’s read:
Luke 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
22:26 But ye [shall] not [be] so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
A thoroughly converted person does not withhold their financial support from the church when they do not agree with some of the church’s actions or policies, or the direction in which it is going, neither are they offended when their ideas and suggestions are not adopted and implemented, but instead signally rejected. A thoroughly converted Christian will still continue to return a faithful tithe and offering to the church as God’s appointed agency, even though the funds may be misspent, wasted, or even stolen, for their commitment is to God and not to man. This again is according to the scriptures. Let’s read:
Matthew 17:24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute [money] came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
17:25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?
17:26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.
17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Question: Why would Christ pay tribute money to a den of thieves? And why should we?
Answer: Only if we are converted. And so, we believe that if we now asked for a show of hands of those who think they are converted, it’s possible that not one hand will be raised, yet we are all baptized into Christ with the hope of eternal life springing up in our hearts.
Even yours truly, if you were to ask me if I am converted I’ll say no, and yet like Peter and the other disciples, and all of us sitting here today and listening online, God has commanded everyone of us to preach the gospel. And because of this we will make one request on behalf of all of us, that we do not discourage one another in the process of conversion, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way.
We said this by The Spirit of The Lord in order to say this, that there are younger members of the Lord’s family, who like ourselves are baptized, but not yet converted, and in the spirit of love and kindness, God commands us to love, and to be patient with those who are still undergoing the process of being converted. And He has also instructed us to be kindly affectioned one to another, not focusing our energies and attentions on the short-comings, failings or inconsistencies of each other, but rather looking for the good in others, knowing that God will one day bring us to perfection and spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus.
A baptized person does not soar at once to spiritual heights, for the work of sanctification is the work of a lifetime, and often when we slip and fall in the process, it’s just the means whereby we become stronger in our determination to keep climbing Jacob’s ladder. A jet liner does not reach cruising speed or altitude without going through different stages or processes in order to get to the point where flying becomes effortless.
It first has to gas up, where the right type of fuel will give it the needed energy to fly. Then it has to taxi down the runway, where the most amount of effort and energy are needed to get it off the ground, and then gradually as it gains altitude, it becomes easier and easier for it to fly, until it finally reaches cruising altitude where flying eventually becomes effortless. But one thing is very important throughout the entire process, and necessary at every stage, the jetliner must be in constant contact with the control tower, which in the case of a Christian is Jesus Christ, and when we consistently keep our focus on Him He will enable us to soar.
There are some who may be flying at cruising altitude already, and because flying has now become effortless, they may be tempted to look down with disgust upon those who may be just fueling up, or those who might be taxiing down the runway. Whatever the stage of our spiritual growth and development, one thing is certain, that God is able to make us fly, for He has promised that we will one day mount up with wings like an eagle, if we continue to abide in Him.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth, and it is the will of God that we help each other to soar to cruising altitude, for God will strengthen and uphold every baptized, and believing child of His. Let’s read:
Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to [them that have] no might he increaseth strength.
40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!