The Doctrine of Idolatry – Part 74: Spiritual Adultery With Demons - Part 35
January 13, 2012
OUTLINE:
The Value of Testing
Testing is how faith is validated in the A.C., making it paramount to the spiritual life.
Life Beyond Knowledge
There exists a transcendent, spiritual life that is far beyond mere knowledge of scripture. It begins at salvation with a naivety and ends with being “filled up to all the fullness of God” at spiritual maturity.
1Ti 1:14
and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
Rev 13:15
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. [martyred]
Tribulation Martyrs
The Tribulation martyrs will overcome evil with good by casting their doctrine out in front! Rom. 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Heb 10:38
BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.
Fatality – The Ultimate Test
The Bible articulates the fear of death as the great test of faith for man in time. Fatality to the uneducated Christian is scary. To the educated Christian, fatality is promotion.
2Co 5:9
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
Eyes On the Prize
Our focus shouldn’t be related to whether or not we are physically on earth or in Heaven, but rather the issue is that we love Him and consider it a supreme privilege/honor to be able to even DO so!
Eyes on Christ
Life and death become merely details in the grand scheme of things!
In Life and In Death
How you live is highly related to your attitude towards death.
Relating To Death
It’s the quality of how we spend our time with our Lord that counts, not how much time we have left on earth with Him.
Relating To Death
How we spend our time has everything to do with how we think about death!
Relating To Death
God has given us Truth about eternal life so that we are delivered from the fear of death. Time is not a factor when we orient to God’s reality.
God’s Reality
Through the eternal lens of God, the reality of physical death represents promotion for the believer and instills immediacy in the mature believer regarding the production of evidence for the A.C. appeal trial.
“faithful until death”
means that doctrine gives us the ability to remain steadfast and surefooted in the spiritual life, even when death is upon us
Testing Our Faith
The reality of death is the test of the believer’s spiritual condition and true scale of values. The experience of dying is a test of our living values.
Testing Our Faith
Dying can be the greatest happiness in life or the greatest misery, and it depends upon the content of Bible doctrine in your soul.
Testing Our Faith
If Bible doctrine is not first in your scale of values dying is a nightmare.
Testing Our Faith
Fear of death became fear of life. If you are afraid of death you are afraid of life.
Testing Our Faith
The phrase “Life is Short” should never be cause for panic, but rather cause for rejoicing!
Testing Our Faith
Carnal believers renounce their faith in TLJC when faced with martyrdom.
Testing Our Faith
Believers with PVTD refuse to renounce their faith in TLJC when faced with martyrdom because there is no fear of death. Doctrine prepares a believer for death.
Testing Our Faith
If there is nothing worth living for there is nothing worth dying for ( ala Martin Luther King, Jr: “If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.”)
Testing Our Faith
Wisdom (epignosis) removes the fear of death as well as the fear of life.
Testing Our Faith
Christ’s mind (Bible doctrine) must be “real” enough to a believer in order for them to live or die gracefully.
Testing Our Faith
Christ’s mind (Bible doctrine) provides a believer with a scale of values based on eternal things, not things on earth.
Testing Our Faith
The believer with maximum doctrine in his soul cannot be corrupted by fear of death any more than he could be corrupted by fear of failure in life.
Death In the Tribulation
Death will be a very real threat in the Tribulation (Rev 13:15). This poses a magnificent opportunity for the faith of the Tribulation saints to be put to the test!
Tribulation Evangelism
- The 144,000 Jews (Rev 7:4-8)
- Their converts (Rev 7:9-17)
- The two witnesses (Rev 11:3-14)
- The angel with the everlasting gospel (Rev 14:6-7)
The Two Witnesses (Rev 11:3)
The 1260 days refers to the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation, THE most difficult time in all of human history.
“witnesses”
from martus – means heralds; refers to two human beings with a prophetic ministry that teaches the Gospel and speaks to TLJC’s 2nd Advent
The Two Witnesses
Their ministry is coterminous with Satan’s desperation.
“prophesy”
from propheteuo – means two things: 1) to fortell the future; 2) to teach Bible doctrine; the 2 witnesses will do both of these things
“two anointed ones”
are the prototype for the Rev 11:4 reference; the two olive trees provide the oil for the lampstand
The Two Witnesses’ Weaponry
The 2 witnesses are permitted to use weapons to defend themselves. This is required due to Satanic opposition and orders to kill believers (ala Rev. 13:15)
God’s Grace Protects
As long as God has a plan for you, His grace will provide protection for your life.