After we have suffered for a season we find we have come into a new place in God. God and Christ are dwelling with us. We come to know by personal experience that Christ is in His Father and we are in Christ and Christ is in us.

Today we understand these facts doctrinally. We hold to them by faith. If we are willing to press forward in the Spirit to the fullness God has for us we will begin to experience the Presence of the Father and the Son in our personality to a greater extent than we have known. The Lord Jesus will come to us as a Person, a Friend, a Bridegroom, an elder Brother. Jesus will become much more real to us.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them."

Paul's preaching of grace can be misunderstood easily. Paul's explanation of the transition from the Law of Moses to the grace of Christ readily can be perverted to mean righteous and holy behavior are not part of the Christian redemption. However there is no true faith in Christ apart from the transformation of character that always proceeds from such faith.

Millions of Christians have been persuaded that under grace we are not obligated to keep the commandments of Christ. "It doesn't matter too much what we do, how we live, because we are saved by grace." A "state of grace" is presented that is seen as separate from the believer's personality and behavior. It is a deception of enormous proportions. Salvation is understood to be a ticket to Paradise rather than what it is in actuality, the restoration of the human personality through Christ.

As a result of this common misunderstanding of the early chapters of Romans, the believers are not keeping Jesus' commandments. They are not walking in the paths of righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God that the Holy Spirit requires. The testimony of the churches has been destroyed. When the believers are admonished concerning the numerous New Testament exhortations to righteousness, to holiness, and to obedience to God, they protest they are saved by grace and not by works.

The truth is, no Christian is eligible to participate in the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles until he or she is keeping the commandments of Christ. We show our love for Jesus when we, by His Virtue and assistance, do what He told us to do. Then the Father is pleased with us and loves us because we have listened to His beloved Son.

The Lord loves us when we keep His commandments, and then He reveals Himself to us.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? (John 14:22)

To be continued.