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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Fire of God, continued
But the fearful [cowardly], and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers [fornicators], and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part [their part is in] in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone [sulfur]: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
It is not that they merely have experienced fear, or unbelief. It is that they have continued in these behaviors until they are cowardly, unbelieving, lying personalities.
We know that fearfulness, unbelief, abominations, murder, fornication, sorcery, idolatry, and lying have no part in the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). These works of unrighteousness produce spiritual death—the second death.
For if ye live in the appetites of the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)
All through the Scriptures, Old Testament and New, we find that sin is associated with death and righteousness is associated with life. God invites us to choose righteousness and live.
The second death, spiritual death, separation from God, exerts authority over us if fearfulness or unbelief or abominations or any of the other condemned practices abides in us. Spiritual death can hurt us and kill us until we achieve victory over these through the victory that is in Christ.
Notice the following peculiar (to our way of thinking) expression:
And I will kill her children with death; . . . (Revelation 2:23)
Jesus is speaking here of spiritual death, the second death. As long as the works of darkness are dwelling in us we can be injured and killed by the second death.
Many of us who are Christians have problems with fearfulness, with unbelief, with abominations, with murder, with fornication, with various forms of sorcery and superstition, with idolatry (including covetousness), and with lying (including gossiping, which is a form of bearing false witness). How will God deal with us? God will deal with us by fire.
Our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).
Hebrews 12:29 was addressed to Jewish Christians who had made a strong start in Christ but who now were neglecting their salvation. It is our God, the Christians' God, who is a consuming Fire.
What is it that God consumes?
Fearfulness, unbelief, abominations, murder, fornication, sorcery, idolatry, and lying—all forms of these. They are the works that the fire of God consumes.
It is because of the works of darkness dwelling in us that we suffer. Our tribulations and sufferings in this world are God's fire on the works of our flesh. The purpose of the coming of the Divine fire upon us is to cause us to cease our sinning and self-seeking.
. . . for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. (I Peter 4:1,2)
Our God is a consuming Fire. His fire comes upon us now and separates us from our sins. If we are not willing to be separated from our sins we run the risk of having the Lake of Fire claim us for its own. The second death, the Lake of Fire, has Divine authority over fearfulness, unbelief, abominations, murder, fornication, sorcery, idolatry, and lying. Until we are free from these the second death has authority over us.
To be continued.