Where sin abounds grace much more abounds. This means in the day of increased temptation there is a greater portion of Christ being given to those who ask for it. We are to pray for rain in the time of the spring rain, and Jesus Christ will come to us as the rain.

If we keep the word of His patience, that is, if we keep on bearing our cross after Him while the synagogue of Satan is having so much "spiritual success," Christ will guard us during the days of increased moral temptation. This is His promise, not to those who merely take the "four steps of salvation" but to those who guard the word of His patience.

Not everyone has an ear to hear in our day. This is because the ability to see and to hear comes only as we keep the commandments of Christ and His Apostles and walk in righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God. Unfortunately righteous, holy, obedient behavior is not often taught in the Evangelical churches. In its place is offered the mythological "God sees you through Christ and you can never be lost no matter how you behave."

The statement "He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death" needs a great deal of attention in our day.

The first consideration is: we don't think of people being "hurt" by the second death but rather of their being cast into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever.

The second consideration is: only the overcomer, the victorious saint, has the guarantee in writing of not being hurt by the second death. This means the believer who is not living a victorious life, which is true of the majority of believers in America at the present time, has no guarantee of not being hurt at all by the second death, whatever this expression means.

When the believers of our day hear about what it means to live victoriously in Christ they say, "This is too strict. This is too hard."

They say this because their teachers and pastors are telling them all they have to do is love everybody and if they sin Jesus will forgive them. Maybe this is the modern version of the victorious Christian life.

Christianity is due for a massive shakeup. Instead of a rapture there is going to be a rupture, a breaking open of Christian personalities so that which is spiritual death may be driven from them. Whether they are Catholic or Protestant, God is ready to clean house. All immorality, covetousness, greediness, hatred, gossip, slander, backbiting, divisiveness, drunkenness, slothfulness, self-seeking, haughtiness, arrogance must be driven from our midst.

Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD. (Isaiah 52:11—NIV)

All the corruption in the churches of today is there because we Christians have not entered salvation through the cross of Christ.

To be continued.