Unbelief Maketh A Lie

Chapter Two

It is certain that we will not fulfill the purpose of God in our lives except we follow His instructions. He is the Father and He knows how to develop the Sons. Many in the Body of Christ entertain the idea that we are deficient. It has become apparent that it is necessary to identify these so-called deficiencies. In doing so, we must also identify who bears the responsibility for supplying those things that are lacking.

II Peter 1:5-10

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

According to the above scripture we must add to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. According to Paul these things must be abounding in us. God has already purified our hearts through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This means that we have been given the Holy Ghost who sanctifies us and makes us acceptable in the beloved. However, it is now our responsibility to add to that which the Father has done. Furthermore, when we really examine the things that are to be added to our faith, they can all be summarized in one word, character.

Through the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost, we are able to produce the character of Jesus Christ. This is our responsibility. The Father has given us all that we need to accomplish this. It is evident from the Scriptures that if we do not produce the character of Christ through the knowledge of God and the residence of the Holy Ghost, then we will become blind to what salvation really is. Beloved, you must understand that this is the essence of what Paul is saying. Except we produce the character of Christ, it is possible for us to come to a place in our walk that has no resemblance of the Son of God. Nevertheless, God has given us the wherewithal to produce such character. The simplicity of the matter is that we must walk in the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit the character of Christ is manifested. The Body of Christ simply does not believe this.

Once again, where does the responsibility for moving “in God” lie? Some continue to say that they are deficient in certain areas. But God has given us the means to deal with all deficiencies. We simply have to walk in the Spirit. If this is true, then why do we continue to deceive ourselves and place the responsibility of dealing with our deficiencies on God? We must be responsible for our own soul. We must take responsibility for our own actions, because when we do not walk in the Spirit we do so by choice. It is not because we do not know how to walk in the Spirit or have a lack of knowledge.

IT IS A MATTER OF CHOICE.

The bottom line is the New Creature we have become, the son of God, does not want to walk in its true nature. The soul that has been reborn, regenerated and sanctified unto God has now turned its back on its heritage. To walk after the flesh is to turn your back on righteousness and God Himself. This is the ugly reality of the situation. The soul that has been renewed is once again seeking after things pertaining to the flesh. This is a hard saying for some but the Scriptures bear witness with this line of thought.

II Peter 2:18-19

18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Once again Peter refers to the plight of leaders and God's house. He calls them “servants of corruption” who are overtaken in sin and brought into the bondage thereof. He declares that their leadership creates wantonness and lusts of the flesh in those who had escaped the pollutions of the world.

II Peter 2:20-21

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

Here we learn that one can escape the corruptions of this world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ yet return themselves once again to those corruptions. Then Peter warns that if they are entangled once again and overtaken their latter end is worse than their beginning. He insisted that it would have been better for them never to have been a partaker of the divine nature, then to turn from the law of God and go back to the way of the world.

II Peter 2:22

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Therefore, it is possible for those who were washed and purged of their sins not only to return to their sins, but also to wallow in them. Yes, the soul that was washed, purged and sanctified can make a decision to return to its original sinful state. To shed more light on this we must go to the Apostle Paul’s writings to the Corinthian church.

II Corinthians 7:1

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.

First, we see that it is our responsibility to cleanse ourselves after we have become a partaker of the divine nature. Secondly, this cleansing must be of the flesh and the spiritual parts. Finally, we are required to walk in perfect holiness. I think we all agree that Paul is talking to the church, that Body of baptized believers in Christ. Therefore, we must reconcile the above with the following.