Is eternal life alone a sufficient guarantee to God that we will never sin again or turn and rebel against Him? If you think it is, then perhaps you should re-evaluate that line of thought.

Bear in mind that when Lucifer was created as an eternal spirit being, his creation was “perfect.” Ezekiel  28:15 says this about Lucifer: “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.” Notice, he was perfect in all his ways. He was THE perfect created spirit being at that time–till iniquity was found in him, that is sin.  In the course of time his mind became corrupted by sinful thoughts and desires, and he became Satan, the adversary and enemy of God.

Consider this–a perfectly created being turned in rebellion against his Maker and became God’s enemy, as it were. He attempted, unsuccessfully, to overthrow His Creator, and in the future, he will attempt to overthrow Him again, as Revelation 12:7-8 tells us: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon [Satan the devil]; and the dragon and his angels [demons] fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.”

So the question is, how can God guarantee absolutely that this will not happen with us when we, as His born-again children, are changed to spirit and become God beings–“gods” (compare John 10:34-35)–in His divine Family?

Right now, we are flesh-and-blood human beings. Our physical existence is temporary and would remain so if there was no resurrection or change to immortal life. We are today begotten children of God who received God’s Spirit at baptism. We do not read that Satan was ever begotten by God’s Spirit when he was created. Rather, we read that God is reproducing Himself through man–not through angels. He begets us through His Holy Spirit and creates in us His divine nature. This potential to become true members in God’s Family–GOD beings–was never offered to angels (compare Hebrews 1:14; 2:5, 16; 2 Peter 1:2-4; Revelation 19:10; see also 1 Corinthians 6:3).

The guarantee that God wants to find in us is referred to in Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” In addition, we must consider Ephesians 3:14-19 in this context, stating:

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

The mind that was in Christ Jesus was the mind of God the Father; and to become filled with the fullness of God–by growing in God’s grace and knowledge–is God’s absolute guarantee that we will never rebel against Him, because we will develop the same mindset that God and Christ have. This mindset says, in effect: “I will not sin; therefore, I cannot sin.”

God cannot rebel or sin against Himself. By creating in us His way of thinking through His Holy Spirit–His divine nature–He guarantees that we will NEVER sin or rebel against Him in the future.

We will become God beings; therefore, God the Father and Jesus Christ will not have to keep watching their backs in fear of their children and brothers and sisters rebelling in some manner. We will have developed and grown into the mindset of God. This necessitates, however, that we prove to God now that we are willing to develop His mindset. If God sees that we are unwilling to submit to Him and obey Him, then He will NOT grant us eternal life in His very Family.

But as long as we are willing to worship and please God, then our glorious future is guaranteed, and this will also be a guarantee to God that we will remain faithful to Him for all eternity.

Several years ago I asked a friend how things were going and if he had gotten a job, since I knew that he had been searching for one. In the course of our conversation he informed me that he had landed a job with a certain company. I was surprised and asked him how he had  managed to get a job there, since it was very difficult to get in.

He relayed to me that he showed up there on Monday morning at 8:00 am and asked to talk to the Personnel Manager. After an introduction and laying out his qualifications and desire to work for the company, he was told by the Manager that there were no openings at that time. On Tuesday morning, at 8:00 am, he showed up again and asked to see the Personnel Manager who was quick to ask him why he had returned. My friend told him that he wanted to get a job there. The Manager responded that he had already explained to him the previous day that there were no openings at that time.

On Wednesday, my friend showed up again at 8:00 am and asked to see the Personnel Manager.  The Manager told him once more that they had no openings. On Thursday, at 8:00 am,  my friend showed up again. The Manager took one look at him and said: “Just report for work tomorrow at 8:00 am.”

“So that’s how I got the job there,” my friend told me. “I guess, my persistence paid off.”

Indeed it had. Persistence can be described as an ongoing effort and action in spite of opposition, obstacles, set-backs, rejection or discouragement.

The concept of persistence can be found in the Bible. For instance, Christ gave the following parable of the widow and the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8:

“And He also spoke a parable to them to teach it is always right to pray, and not to faint, saying, A certain judge was in a certain city, not fearing God, nor respecting man. And a widow was in that city. And she came to Him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not do so for a time. But afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, that she not wear me down in the end. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says. And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night to Him, though He has been long-suffering over them? I say to you that He will avenge them speedily. Yet when the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?”

The admonition is clear. We are not to throw in the towel if we are rejected the first time. We need to keep seeking, asking and knocking.

Perhaps God is really testing our persistence when we ask for something and do not receive an immediate response. What should we do? We should keep asking until we obtain what we have requested or until it is clearly revealed to us, for instance through obvious circumstances, that God’s answer in a particular situation is “No.”

Paul asked God to be healed. He might have suffered from an eye problem or even from malaria, as some commentators suggest. Did he quit after his first request was not answered in the way Paul had expected? No. He asked three times–apparently being anointed three times–until God’s answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Paul clearly realized, after his third request, that God would not heal him in this life, and Paul accepted and even gladly submitted to God’s Will.

Sometimes we are asked to pray for an individual who is suffering from a sickness or who has a different serious problem. Do we quit praying after a few days, or do we continue until the person is healed or his problem is solved, or particular circumstances clearly reveal that God’s Will is different than what we were praying for?

Christ gives this promise to the Philadelphia church: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Paul encourages us in Ephesians 6:18-19 to pray “always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel…”

God commands us to be persistent and to persevere–just like the unjust judge who granted the widow her request and the Personnel Manager who gave my friend his job. They obtained what they desired because they would not give up.

How persistent are you?

When I was growing up and going through some trials or difficult times, my mother used to have the following saying in French: “Il faut endurez sur la terre.”  Translated into English, it means: “You have to endure on this earth.” She understood that life wasn’t always a cake walk and that even as a youth at home, there were tough times that one had to endure, without caving in and giving up. 

Near the end of his life, the apostle Paul conveyed this same understanding in his admonition to Timothy. He wrote in 2 Timothy 4:5-8:

“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Christ expressed the same sentiment in Matthew 24:13: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

It is one thing to be called, but quite another to respond in a positive way to God’s calling. If one throws in the towel along the way, either because of trials or persecution, then there is no reward in the end. That is why it is so important to set our mind on the completion of our calling by enduring to the end–the end of our physical life or the return of Jesus Christ, whichever comes first.

As we are living in the end time, trials and persecution will increase even to the point that the love of many will wax cold (Matthew 24:12). This warning is addressed to Church members, not just to people in the world. It may be carnal people who will persecute God’s elect, but Christ said that the love of God will wax cold among the people of God. And unbelievably, perhaps, it will be God’s people who will persecute and betray and even HATE one another (compare Matthew 24:10). And why? Matthew 24:12 tells us, why: “And because LAWLESSNESS will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Lawlessness or transgression is the same as sin. Sin is defined as the transgression of the law, or lawlessness (1 John 3:4). It is the love of many that will grow cold because of lawlessness or sin. This refers to many IN THE CHURCH OF GOD. Sin among true converted Christians will abound or increase, because they will not heed Christ’s warning to endure and remain faithful.

Let us take very seriously Christ’s admonition in Revelation 3:11: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

Notice,  we are to hold fast, that is to endure, so that we do not lose our crown–God’s gift of eternal life and rulership in His Kingdom. Christ added in Luke 9:62: “‘…No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'”

Once we have put our hand to the plow; that is, once we have begun to respond to our calling and commit to God’s way of life, we cannot look back to what we have left behind; we must not have regrets and give in to desires to go back into the world from where we came; otherwise, Christ will have no pleasure in us.

On the other hand, if we faithfully continue in our calling–through thick and thin–and endure to the end as profitable and diligent servants in God’s Work, then we can look forward to an incredible future. It includes living forever as spirit beings and members in the very Family of God–and to rule under Christ on this earth. Isn’t this something for which we should gladly endure?

Although this Editorial was written prior to Passover, by the time it is published, Passover will be over. Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are a time to examine ourselves and to make an effort to put sin out of our lives. In the Bible, leaven is many times compared with sinful, hypocritical and proud conduct. During the Seven Days of Unleavened Bread, we are reminded of the physical and spiritual applications of sin and righteousness. The physical removal and avoidance of leavening, which we must not neglect, points to the spiritual and symbolical meaning, which is even more important not to neglect.

Passover is a time to re-commit ourselves to our calling from God, and to stay engaged in the efforts that fulfill the purpose of our calling–to preach and publish as a witness the gospel of the Kingdom of God to this sick and dying world, prior to the return of Jesus Christ.

Our efforts to put sin out of our lives are important, since this process helps us to draw closer to God. Sin acts as a barrier in our relationship with God, and especially at this time of year, we are reminded that we must be distancing ourselves from sin. Isaiah 59:2 says: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”

Since separation from God is the effect of sin, then the benefit of removing and abstaining from sin is that we can draw closer to God, and that He hears us as a result. Sin is our enemy, and we must recognize this and deal with it. We cannot ignore sin or attempt to sweep it under the rug, as it were; otherwise, sin will overpower us and the results will be devastating.

To remove sin from our lives is of course not just a “once-a-year” exercise, but it must be done on a continual basis, in order to maintain the positive effect of God hearing and answering us. We understand that it is through the Sacrifice of Christ that we obtain forgiveness of our sins. We also need God’s help to overcome and conquer sin. We cannot do it on our own. And so, God gives us His Spirit to overcome sin–but we must use His Spirit to do so.

It is important for us to carry forward into the balance of the year the vital lessons that these Spring Feast Days picture. They remind us of our responsibilities toward God to stay committed to His Work and purpose for us, and to maintain a state of  continual removal of sin. When we remain close to God, He will respond to our prayers and requests throughout the whole year, and He will help us to fulfill the purpose of our calling. As we read in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58:

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

How much importance do we place on belief or believing something? I am not just talking about “believing” anything, but rather things in relationship to God the Father and Jesus Christ and their ability to perform miracles in our life. Some may not think it is that important, while others may feel that it is somewhat important, and then there are those who know that it is very important.

There was a popular song called “Believe,” which was performed by two well-known artists. This song had very interesting lyrics. Here are a few lines from that song: “There can be miracles when you believe. Though hope is frail, it’s hard to kill… Who knows what miracles you can achieve? When you believe, somehow you will. Now you will… when you believe.”

It is amazing how true these words are. Let us consider some of the healings that Christ performed, and let us also review some of the examples when Christ did not do mighty works.

We read in Mark 9 that a father asked Christ to heal his son who was demon-possessed. Christ answered him: “… ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!'” (Mark 9:23-25). Then we read that the demon did in fact leave the child.

This man believed but only up to a certain point. He had little faith and asked  for more, and as a result his son was healed. This demonstrates the power of belief or faith.

Another example can be found in the book of Matthew. We read in Matthew 9:27-29: “When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’ And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.'”

Christ specifically asked them if they believed or had the faith that Christ could heal them, and they replied with YES. After that expression of their conviction, they were healed, according to their faith.

Belief or faith is a living dynamic force which can have positive miraculous results, as demonstrated by the healings performed for those who believed. On the other hand, lack of belief is a strong negative force, which resists or impedes the ability to heal and perform miracles, as shown by the next example, recorded in Matthew 13:53-58:

“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

Christ did not do many mighty works there because of unbelief and because of their rejection of Christ. The parallel passage in Mark 6:5-6 is even more telling: “Now He COULD DO NO mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a FEW sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief…”

Their lack of faith inhibited Christ’s ability to heal MANY people and to perform many MIGHTY miracles. This is really amazing when you think about it, because we are not just talking about an ordinary man here. Christ was God in the flesh, the second member of the God Family, the God of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit of God the Father dwelled in Him without measure, and it was through the power of THAT Spirit that on some occasions, He healed “all sick people” who were brought to Him and “who were afflicted with various diseases and torments” (Matthew 4:24). However, as we have seen, because of unbelief and the rejection of Christ, He was unable to perform mighty works or miracles on other occasions–showing the negative and restricting consequences of unbelief.

The same kind of rejection of one of God’s true ministers might also prevent the healing of sick persons today. We read in Matthew 10:1 that Christ gave His early apostles power over unclean spirits and to heal “all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” He promised in Mark 16:18 that that same power would be given to all of His true ministers throughout the ages. But as people could not be healed because of their unbelief and their rejection of Christ, so the same may be true for people today who hold grudges against God’s true ministers; who have not really repented of their sins and are unwilling to reconcile with others; and who do not REALLY believe that God can and will heal them (compare James 5:14-16).

It is clearly evident that miracles can be performed if we believe and not waver in faith, and that the ability to heal is stifled, as it were, by unbelief, which causes resistance and barriers for those who are in need of miraculous intervention. Such unbelief can prevent the effectiveness of the healing powers of God.

These are glaring warnings for us today, not to fall into the ditch of unbelief or of rejection of God’s true servants. Do you want to have your prayers answered? Do you want your prayers to be effective?  If you do, then it is imperative that you believe, with true and unwavering faith, and then you can expect miracles. The real question is: “Do you believe in miracles?”

One of the most moving and emotionally charged accounts in the Bible is the story of Joseph in chapters 37 to 50 of the book of Genesis–especially those Scriptures which describe his reconciliation with his brothers and the settlement of his father Jacob and his whole family in the land of Goshen in Egypt.

The record covers the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers because of his special relationship with God and Jacob; their original intent to murder him; and, due to Reuben’s intervention, their decision to sell him into slavery. It reports that the brothers deceived their father by presenting to him Joseph’s tunic of many colors which they had covered in animal blood; and relates how Joseph became a servant in the house of Potiphar in Egypt.

We can read about the famous episode of Potiphar’s wife trying to seduce Joseph; his rejection of her advances since he did not want to sin against God or betray his employer; and his imprisonment as a consequence. Because of his correct interpretation of two dreams, he came to the attention of Pharaoh. He was released from prison; rose to prominence in Egypt; and set aside grain to provide for food, as God had warned that a famine would come over the whole world. This famine caused Jacob to send his brothers to Egypt to buy food there. After several incidents, Joseph revealed himself to them and obtained the consent of Pharaoh to bring his whole family to Egypt in order to settle there.

Joseph set an inspiring example for us in the way he directed his life, and how he coped with the trials which he faced.

He was betrayed by his brothers; and while he was testing them later to see whether they had repented, there is no account of him seeking revenge for their misdeeds. While in Potiphar’s household, he was faithful in his responsibilities and resisted the easy temptation and continued insistence of Potiphar’s wife to commit adultery with her. He set a fine example for young men in this day and age who may encounter similar temptations, and he showed a solid foundation in not wanting to sin against God.

Due to the lies and false accusations of Potiphar’s wife, he went to jail, but while waiting patiently for God’s intervention, he found favor with the keeper of the prison. He eventually was released and rose in power and authority within the Egyptian ruling class, and he finally understood that God had planned from the outset to bring him to Egypt and give him great power in order to be able to save millions of people from famine. Ultimately, he was able to reconcile with his brothers and present himself to his father Jacob, who had thought him dead for many years. All of this shows that with endurance and continued trust in God and His plan for us, things will eventually work out for good.

For those of us who are called in this day and age and who will be given eternal life at Christ’s coming, we will ultimately experience the great joy of an emotional reunion with our families who were not called to salvation in this life, but who will be raised in the Second Resurrection. As Joseph’s brothers realized what they had done and bitterly repented, so we will be able to assist our relatives in their choice to accept Christ as their Savior and walk in God’s way which will lead to eternal life for them. Imagine their surprise when they see they have been raised from the dead as physical beings and see us alive–as glorified beings. And as Joseph was able to satisfy the physical needs of his family members, so we will be able, on a much greater level, to take care of our relatives in physical and spiritual ways.

Joseph’s inspiring example contains the abiding lesson for all of us that patient endurance of our trials and unwavering faith in God will bring a positive, joyful and successful outcome–not just for us, but also for others.

The Feast of Tabernacles, which we just observed, was an opportunity to get away from our routines and enjoy, as it were, a small foretaste of what the Millennium will be like. We kept it in a place of relative peace and tranquility. We listened every day to encouraging messages. We fellowshipped with brethren whom we may not have seen for a whole year or even longer. We ate in fine restaurants. We saw sights and did things which, due to our busy lives, we didn’t perhaps have the time or opportunity to do at any other time of the year.

The Feast pictures the future; yet not just the future in general, but also our future role in the administration to be established in the Millennium, under the tutelage and direction of Christ. We know that it will be a time of world peace. The nations will not LEARN war anymore. Isaiah 2:4 tells us: “He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.”

That in itself will be major turn-around in comparison with what we see today. Just think of the wars and the hatred in this day and age. In the future, we will function as kings and priests (Revelation 5:10). In that capacity, we will be responsible for both the physical and spiritual well-being of those in our charge.

We will have to ensure their safety and prosperity, with housing, food, clothing and those other physical requirements that a person needs to feel secure in the physical realm. The spiritual growth and understanding will be accomplished through our teaching of God’s Word in relation to His laws, statutes and judgments. People will learn that the way of give produces good and right results. They will compare this with the past human history of wars and destruction as a living example of Satan’s way of get, which brings about curses and suffering.

Threats of war and violence will have been removed in the Millennium. We will be able to concentrate on the accomplishment of God’s plan for all mankind. God’s ultimate purpose is to prepare for Himself a people that will know and worship Him, and to facilitate the process of bringing them into the very Family of God, as His full-fledged sons and daughters.

God wants us to help bring about man’s incredible human potential. But just what will God use as criteria for the distribution of these physical and spiritual responsibilities in the future? How can we prove to God that we can be useful instruments in His service–now and later?

One important aspect is the manifestation of our willingness to submit to authority. If we cannot submit in the flesh, we will not be changed to spirit at the time of Christ’s return.

Let us ask some candid questions: Are husbands and wives submitting to one another? Are wives submitting to their husbands as to the Lord? Are employees submitting to their employers? Are all of us submitting to the hierarchy of the ministry that Christ, as the Head of His Church, has placed in His Church? Are we submitting to Christ in the same way as Christ is totally submissive to God the Father–the greatest authority of all? Are children submissive to the authority of the parents? Are we submitting to governmental authorities over us?

All of these areas–and many more–constitute our training ground now. How we fulfill these obligations is crucial to prove to God our willingness to submit to whatever authority there is for us today. Of course, our obedience would have to cease if we were ordered to act contrary to God’s Word.

Fulfilling our current responsibilities NOW will guarantee our future responsibilities THEN, when conditions in an environment of peace and harmony will be conducive for both the physical needs and spiritual growth of those in our care.