Those Who Distinguish Good From Evil

2009-10-03 21:50

Good and evil are the sanctuary of the true God alone. No flesh must violate the sanctuary. When anyone without the permission of God violates it, he will surely die. It is written, "but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:17).

In the days of his flesh, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, also could not call himself good. It is written, "A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good--except God alone.'" (Luke 18:18-19).

The mature, who with Jesus put off the body of the flesh by the cross and were raised a spiritual body, distinguish good from evil, with Christ in God; they become teachers to serve and teach the young children whose lives are still held in slavery. It is written, "Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion." (Isaiah 8:18).

Therefore, the Bible said, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so." (Hebrews 5:12-6:3).

The elementary teachings(word) about Christ means the message of the cross to put off the body of sin for taking away sin, and the elementary truths of God's word means the message of righteousness to put on the full armor of God for destroying evil. However, both the word of God and the word of Christ whom He sent are of one Father. It is written, "He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:24).

Evil is the work of Satan, and sin is the work of men. Only if both the darkness and the shadow come to an end, the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts. It is written, "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD'--and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah." (Psalms 32:5). The evil of Satan, not the sin of men, now matters.

The Lord said, "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." (John 14:28). The Father is greater than His son. Likewise, evil is greater than sin because evil is the father of sin. And therefore the Bible said, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire..." (John 8:44). And so, the son of good is righteousness, and the son of evil is sin. Therefore, the Bible says, "He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." (1 John 3:8).

The way we go does not come to an end at Christ the Son of God. On our way, the Holy Spirit leads us to God the Father through Christ. Therefore, the Bible said, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5). And also, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6). And again, "Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God." (1 Peter 1:21).

Therefore, the gospel to take away sin was fulfilled in His son, and the gospel to destroy the evil of sin is the eternal gospel to be fulfilled again. The Bible said, "Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people." (Revelation 14:6). And also, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12).

The faith in God and the faith in Jesus Christ whom He sent are one. It is because the will of the Father and His son is one. It is written, "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30). And again, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." (John 14:1).

Therefore, the goal of faith, the salvation of souls, starts with the word of Christ--the faith in the Son of God who gave himself for us and took away our sins--and ends with the word of God the Father who will throw Satan into the lake of fire and destroy evil forever. It is written, "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Revelation 20:10).

However, for the eternal gospel to destroy Satan, "God permitting, we will do so." (Hebrews 6:3). Therefore in the end, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12). Amen. Thank you, Lord.