| E-MAIL SERVICE | Sign me up to receive the daily Word of Righteousness free via my E-mail address! ( ONLY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH ) | |
| ARCHIVES | I want to check out the daily Words of Righteousness for any of the last fourteen days or from previous weeks. ( ENGLISH ONLY ) | |
| FEEDBACK | I have a question or comment about today's Word of Righteousness. ( ENGLISH AND SPANISH ONLY ) | |
| BOOK LIST | I would like to see the complete book list of the Words of Righteousness author Robert B. Thompson. (SOME SPANISH TITLES AVAILABLE ) |
The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Three Temptations of Christ, #8
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (I John 3:1-3)
We must learn to judge our actions through the Holy Spirit. Little by little we achieve the victory of sanctification of body, of soul, of spirit. In this manner we purify ourselves in preparation for His glorious appearing.
We might say that the area of sanctification is a reaping to the Holy Spirit as the area of initial salvation is a reaping to Christ. Of course, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit always work together in all aspects of our redemption. Nevertheless our analysis of these three areas of redemption may be helpful to us as we ponder the meaning of atonement and redemption.
In sanctification we become dead to the life lived in the impulses of the flesh and mind. By the power the Holy Spirit provides we are raised into freedom from the need to continue serving the lusts of the flesh and the eyes.
The second area of redemption is a place of wilderness wandering, of learning the ways of God, of testing, of coming under God's law of the Spirit of life, of Christ pruning back the fruit of our life and the bearing of more fruit, of daily manna from the Lord.
In the area of sanctification Israel begins to be formed into an army, and also is moving toward maturity as the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah, Chapter 42). But the fullness of the development and ministry of God's warriors and servants takes place in the third area—that of conquest.
In the first area, salvation, we Christians are so occupied with what we are receiving from God that not too much is accomplished from the standpoint of what we shall return to God in the way of service. Growth in service comes to us if we follow on to know the Lord. We exercise a priestly role as we learn more about how to please the Lord and serve Him.
Spiritual warfare rages about us as we press on past initial salvation into the fullness of sanctification. The battle against sin, against the rulers of spiritual darkness, is taking place in every true believer in Christ.
The peoples of the world do not battle fiercely against sin because the world is dead in sin. But the Holy Spirit lives in the believers in Christ. Therefore, in them there is a struggle against spiritual darkness going on night and day.
Satan is striving to maintain his hold over the conduct of each Christian. The Holy Spirit in each Christian is striving to bring him or her into deliverance from the spirit of the world, Satan, and the fleshly nature.
The Christians who are pressing on in Christ are gaining victory over Satan. Holiness requires a period of time for its accomplishment. However, God has promised that He will deliver the lords of darkness into our hands and that He will make war against them until they have been destroyed completely (Deuteronomy 7:23).
To be continued.