Life in God...
Pastor Jerry Wilhite,
author
From Revelation 2 through chapter 3:19 Jesus tells how out of the seven churches six are not of Him. Then in the last four verses of chapter 3 Jesus tells how He will help us if we let Him.
Revelation 3
19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
John 3
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For as many as He loves means all. Rebuke means to convict of sin. Chastening is to help us see the error of our way or educate us so we will have a warm felling for His love and change our hearts.
Revelation 3
20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
We have to be listening for Him so He can help us. He is not like Satan that He would force Himself on us; He waits for us to open the door to Him.
John 3
3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Once we have heard from Him and we are reborn in His Spirit we are like any new born baby with a clean slate waiting to be trained and brought up in Him not the world or its ways. All who are reborn are as a new born needing to hear from the right source, taught by the right source, and knowing the right source.
John 14
26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
God will teach us all things, not just things that are of Him, but all things via His Spirit.
Romans 8
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
As the word teachings come from God and His Spirit to our spirit they come up to our soul (mind, will, and emotions) and out of our mouth as rivers of living water.
What we need to understand is that there is no other way to God but via Jesus.
John 14
6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
He is the truth, which proves He is also the Holy Spirit. He is the way which is the proof that He is the word and the life which proves He is God. So to avoid or not go to Jesus is the same as avoiding or not going to God.
1 John 1
5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
In Him is light and all who come to Him, are born of the Spirit, and grow in Him are of the Light as well.
1 John 2
5. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
The word is more than just the written word it is Jesus as well (John 1:14).
The two commandments on which Jesus said that all of the prophets and law rested and all that we need to follow are: 1) Love God with all we are to have no other before Him. 2) Love each other as we love ourselves and He loved us.
If you follow His commandments, believe He is all He says He is, and listen for and to His voice in time you will be reborn and grow in His perfected love.
The only reason some want to show Him as being anything other than love is that they do not know Him.