Romans # 68

A Living Sacrifice

March 12, 2000

 

Last Sunday we examined ROMANS 12:1 where Paul said, ¶I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.            Let's pray…

 

We found in our study that Paul spoke of  several things in this one verse of Scripture.  He spoke of the following:

 

1.      Present your Bodies.

2.      A Living Sacrifice

3.      One which is Holy

4.      One which is Acceptable

5.      This presentation is Reasonable

6.      It is our Service To God

 

Last week we examined point number 1.     Present your Bodies. 

 

   The first thing we examined was the presentation which Paul speaks of here. He said, Present your bodies…So we first examined this approach that he was speaking of. Paul is suggesting that we each have a sacrifice to be made to God, and our approach is very important. We are to lay this sacrifice at the feet of the Almighty. And it is to be done in a spirit of free will offering, from our heart, openly and without regret. It is a present, therefore, what we are doing is a gift to God. Not an obligation, not a penalty, but a free will gift. One that you are not under penalty to perform, but one in which you want to, you desire to do.

 

BELIEVEST THOU THIS? 50-0716  E-81 It's your approach to a Divine gift what brings the results. It's the way you come to it. Isn't that right? The way you approach anything...

 

MINISTRY OF CHRIST  53-0607  E-62   But, brother, let me tell you something now. It's your attitude towards any Divine gift, your approach to that attitude determines what you're going to get out of it.

 

PROVING HIS WORD 65-0426  31    It's your approach. The attitude is what it takes. And that's what it is tonight, dear friend; it takes the attitude. We are, and believe that we are in the Presence of Jesus Christ, but it's your attitude that brings the results. The mechanics is here and so is the dynamics. If you can just get started, God will do the rest.

 

So, even in the very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is our attitude and our approach to God that will determine whether we get anything out of His Presence or not.

 

The next thing we examined pertaining to this verse was where Paul called it  a living sacrifice, Paul said, I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice.

 

We looked at the walk and how it was to be performed in an exact way. From the message, LAW OR GRACE  54-1006   127 brother Branham said,    Now, the high priest, being anointed, going in, he had to take the blood of an animal with him or he would die.  And another thing, about his garment. Did you know, at the end of that garment, did you ever know what was on the end of it? He had something on the end of it. And every... It was a little thing hanged down at the end of the border of his garment, and it was a pomegranate and a bell, and a pomegranate and a bell.  And he had to walk a certain way when he went in. He couldn't make himself just any way. He had to walk a certain way. For every time he made a step, them bells had to play, bumping against the pomegranates, "Holy, holy, holy unto the Lord." Then the Lord heard him on the approach. Amen. Hallelujah.  There it is. God hears you if you're coming God's provided way on your approach, for you're coming, crying from your heart, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." There you're entering though, when you come seeking for the Holy Spirit. See? "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." 131And then, the congregation, the only way they knowed... Now, if you went in there not dressed exactly that way, he'd have died in the door. He never come out no more. He died in there, if he didn't go in dressed and anointed to go in.

 

We examined  HEBREWS 10:19 where Paul said,     Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20    By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21    And [having] an high priest over the house of God; 22    Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23    Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;)  24    And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  25    Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26    For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27    But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28    He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29    Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?   30    For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 

We looked at this Parrhesia boldness which is to come at the breaking of the seals.

 

That's the right kind of noise, having a freedom in speaking the word, unreservedness of speech. That's Malachi 3:16  But not just talking the Word, but getting into the Word until the Word gets into you.

 

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD  spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18    Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

 

TOKEN THE  63-0901M    35-3    Notice, they were not just yet come together to talk about the message. They come together to apply the blood, to apply the token. That's what you must do. it's time that we laid aside all the foolishness of the world, time we laid aside everything else. We've seen enough now, that we're positive, sure, and the Token must be applied. Without it, you're going to perish; you must perish. That is the only thing. Oh, don't come together, say, "I believe it." Get beneath it. Get into it. How to do it? By one Spirit we're baptized into the Body of Jesus Christ. Everybody believe with all your heart. See? He was not responsible for any out from beneath it. But you believe. Get beneath it. Israel didn't come together to say, "Let's all go over to Goshen today. We'll drive up to Goshen. You get on your camel, and we'll take the ox cart, and we'll take the Joneses over here, and so forth, and the Goldbergs, and we'll all go up to Goshen. And you know what? Moses is going to speak today." That wasn't it. No, sir, brother. It's to get beneath that blood. Yes, indeed. Not to talk about it, get into it. One of them say, "You know, Mr. Goldberg, I actually know that's the truth. Yes, brother, I believe it is the truth. I know that it is the truth."

 

ROMANS 12:1   I beseech you therefore, brethren,  by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice….    A living sacrifice, one that is alive…

 

This morning I would like to again examine this living sacrifice. For only those who have been made alive by the resurrection power of God can make this sacrifice.

 

CORINTHIANS 15:21   For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. 22    For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  And what does it mean to be made alive? What is this living sacrifice? This is the Greek word, ZAO and it means  zao    {dzah'-o}  -- live      -- be alive (9) 

1) to live, to breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead)

 2) to enjoy real life --to be active, blessed in the manner of the living and acting;  

3) living water, having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul 

4)  to be in full vigour; to be fresh, strong, efficient, to be  active, powerful, efficacious (effective)

 

And what produces this life?

 

Paul said, EPHESIANS 2:1   And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;  2    Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3    Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4    But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6  And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: 7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9    Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

Worketh = energeo, which means to energize.

 

EPHESIANS 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,        energeo    {en-erg-eh'-o}  to display one's activity, -- effectually work (1)     -- effectual fervent (1)     -- work effectually in (1)

 

ROMANS 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

 

I CORINTHIANS 12:6  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

 

GALATIANS 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

 

EPHESIANS 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

 

EPHESIANS 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],

 

PHILIPPIANS 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

 

I THESSALONIANS 2:13    For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

 

II THESSALONIANS 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.

 

JAMES 5:16  Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 

In  COLOSSIANS 3:1    If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2    Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3    For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4    When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5       Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6    For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7    In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8       But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9    Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10    And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

 

Once you have been made alive, you must do certain things to keep yourself  alive and full of energy.

 

MATTHEW 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 

JOHN 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11    The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12    Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13    Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14    But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

 

JOHN 5:24   Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.  25    Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.  26    For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

 

MATTHEW 22:31  But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,    32    I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

 

JOHN 6:47  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48    I am that bread of life.  49    Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50    This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.  51    I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat? 53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54    Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day 55    For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56    He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57    As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58    This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

 

JOHN 7:37    In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  38    He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

 

JOHN 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:   26    And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

 

JOHN 14:19   Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

 

ACTS 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.   29    Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

 

  36    I want you to notice here of the prophet, apostle, rather, Paul, who--who, how he made mention of this, how, "You has He quickened, who were once dead. You hath He quickened, who were once dead, dead in sin and trespasses, walking after the things of the world, the desire of the flesh, and fulfilling the desire of the mind. Has..." What caused this change? you see? And what caused it from one time being dead, to quicken? "Quicken" means "made alive." There was a change from death unto Life. There's no other--there's no other thing that could happen to any person, so great, as to change him from death to Life. A man, if he was dying, physically, and could be healed physically, that would be a great thing, but nothing so great as when he is spiritually dead and God has quickened him to Life.

  38    You once in times past, dead... You were dead. Even many here tonight, one time can look back and know that you were dead. But now why aren't you dead tonight as you were then? You deserve to be that way, because you was a sinner, but God Who is rich in mercy. That's the--that's the thing: God Who was rich. All these things that we were, but God. That made the change right there: God Who is rich in mercy.

Oh, I'm so glad for that, that He being rich in mercy. If He was just rich in money, if He was just rich in materials, which He is, but yet the greatest thing is being rich in mercy. Oh, what a great word that is, how that we were once dead.

  40    And we was speaking the other night on how the seed must die. And everything around that germ of life must not only die, but rot. If it doesn't rot, it cannot live. And rot is "completely done away with; it's finished." And until we get to the place that our own ideas and our own thinking is completely gone and it's rotted away from us, then the germ of life can begin to live. Now, now, we might, I might inject just a little bit of doctrine here that I don't... If you don't believe it, all right. That's just okay. I do believe it. I believe that--that a man, when he's born in this world, that when you're a little baby, born into the world, you could not have been here without being the foreknowledge of God, because He is infinite and He knows all things. And when that little baby is born into the world, there's something in that baby. If he's ever going to have Life, there's a little something in there, in that child then, that he comes to sooner or later. That little seed is in him. Now, if you'll take... The Scriptures plainly declare that.

  42    Now, if you've got Eternal Life tonight, if we have Eternal Life, then we always were, because there's only one form of Eternal Life. We always were. And the reason we were, because we are a part of God. And God is the only thing that's eternal. And like Melchisedec received tithes from Abraham, and it was 'lotted to his great-grandson, Levi, who was yet in the loins of Abraham; paid tithes, for he was yet in the loins of Abraham when he met Melchisedec. I want to speak on that over at the other place, one morning: Who Is This Melchisedec? Now, notice that. Way back, God knew this boy coming down. He knowed all things.

Now, we are a part of God. You always was. You don't remember it, because you were only an attribute in God. You were only in His thinking. Your very name, if it ever was on the Book of Life, it was put there before the foundation of the world. He knew what you were.

  45    I'm only saying this, not to mix up doctrine, but to straighten it out, that we might get away from this fear and scare: you don't know who you are. You are not going to be, but now you are the sons of God. See, you always were the sons of God. See? For when God had you in His thinking at the beginning, you have to be, some part of you, your Life that's in you now, had to be with God before there... Well, when you--before you even become material here on earth, before there was anything, but God, you were one of His attributes. He knowed what your name would be. He knowed the color of hair you'd have. He knowed all about you. The only thing happened is when you, being a sinner...

47    Many of you can--can fellowship with me on this thought. When you was a little boy, or a little girl, you'd walk around and there would be certain things that would just, where it wouldn't bother the other kids, it seemed like there was something in you that cried out. There was God somewhere, yet you were a sinner. You remember that? Certainly. Now, what was that? That was that little form of Life in you then.

And then after while, you heard the Gospel. Maybe you went to church; you picked out this and that, and went from denomination to denomination. But one day, you being part of God, you had to be part of the Word. And when you heard the Word, you know where you come from, you knowed what was the Truth. You were always, the seed was in you always. The Word seen the Word that was in you, that was before the foundation of the world, saw the Word and you come to It.

  49    Like my little eagle story, of how the little eagle was hatched out under a hen. And the little fellow walked with the chickens, he, the hen clucked, and he didn't understand her clucking. And--and the little chickens, their diet they had in the barnyard, he--he didn't understand that, how that they did that. But there was something in him, seemed to be different from what that chicken was, because at the beginning he was a eagle. That's right. One day his mama come hunting him, and, when he heard that scream of the eagle, it was different from the cluck of the hen. And that's the way it is with every born again believer. You can hear all the theology you want to and all the manmade discrepancy; but when that Word flashes out there, then there's something takes ahold, you come to It. "You who were once dead in sin; that life has He quickened." There has to be a Life there to quicken to, first. God by His foreknowledge knowed all things. And we were predestinated to be sons and daughters of God. "Ye who were once dead in sin and trespasses, wherein we all had our times past, but hath He quickened."

  51    Look at Paul, when Paul was a great theologian. But when he come face to face with that Word, Jesus, it quickened. He come to Life right quick, because he was ordained to be that. The... He was part of the Word; and when the Word saw the Word, it was his nature. All the clucking of the hens in the orthodox churches, didn't have no effect upon him; he had saw the Word. It was part of him. He was an eagle. He wasn't a chicken; he was just in the barnyard with them. But he was a eagle to begin with.

  52    I heard a similar little story, I hope it don't sound sacrilegious, about a little duck being born under a hen one time. He couldn't understand. A funny-looking little fellow, odd guy, and he couldn't understand the dust and everything. They were playing in the barnyard. But one day the old hen led the little brood out behind the barn, and he got a smell of water. Why, he took out towards that water as hard as he could go. Why? He had never been on a pond before. He'd never been in the water. But he was a duck to begin with. Only thing he had to do was come to himself. That's the same thing the believer is. There's something in him, that, when he meets God face to face, he comes to himself. That seed is in him, and it's quickened. My, that's right, and he flies away from the things of the world. They become dead to him. My, I remember, we all had our life in the past in those things of the world. But once we got ahold of that real Thing, something that quickened us, a little seed that come to Life, then all the things of the world rotted right there. We had no more desire of it.

  54    "He that's borned of God, doth not commit sin. The worshipper once purged has no more conscience of sin, no more desire to sin." The sin question's over. You become a part of God in Christ. Christ died to redeem you. Now, just think of all that we would've been if it hadn't been for God. But God in His rich mercy, how He has redeemed us tonight. Where would we been tonight if it hadn't been for God's rich mercy upon us? Once the world was so sinful, that man had caused corruption to come upon the earth until it even grieved God that He ever made man. The whole head was a putrefied sore, the whole body, and God even grieved that He ever made a man. So He said, "I will destroy men who I've created." He will destroy them because he has nothing but just a bunch of corruption. And the whole human race would've been wiped out at that time, but God rich in mercy would not let the innocent perish with the guilty. And He went away and made a provided way for the ones that wanted to come in, that wanted to do what was right. He made a way of mercy for those who desired mercy, and He prepared an ark. In other words, He put some wings on His eagles, that they could fly above the judgment, and not drown with the chickens. But He--He made a way of an escape in the days of Noah. This caused Him to do that, to provide it, because He was rich in mercy.

  58    But after He has provided a way for people and then they refuse it... Now, the reason they refuse it is because there's nothing in there to receive it. There's nothing to receive it. My mother used to say, "You cannot get blood from a turnip, because there's no blood in a turnip." So if there is no form of Life in there to receive It, then It cannot be received.

That's the reason the Pharisees could look right in the face of Jesus and call Him Beelzebub, because there was nothing in them to receive Him. "But all the Father has given Me," He said, "will come to Me." There's--there's some way it's going to be presented.

  60    You can talk to people sometime on the streets, talk to them about the Lord; they laugh right in your face. Well, we're supposed to do it anyhow. But listen, "There's no man can come to Me except My Father draws him first." God has to do the drawing. There has to be a Life. "And all that He has given Me, will come to Me."

 

ROMANS 1:16    For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  17    For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

 

ROMANS 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9    Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10    For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11    Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12    Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13    Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.   14    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15    What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16    Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17    But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  18    Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

 

ROMANS 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (MAKER ALIVE)  your (MORTAL) bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12    Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13    For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14    For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15    For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16    The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 ¶  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

 

II COR 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men  3    [Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 4    And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:   5    Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God;

 

II COR 5:14  For the love of Christ constraineth us;( it causes us to do things we would not do by our own nature),  because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:   15    And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

 

GAL 3:11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.   12    And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

 

GAL 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25    If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26    Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

PHIL 1            :21     For to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain.

 

I THESS 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.   16    For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17    Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18    Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

I THESS 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,   10    Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.  11 ¶  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

 

II TIM 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.   13    But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14    But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them];

 

TITUS 2:9 [Exhort] servants to be obedient unto their own masters, [and] to please [them] well in all [things]; not answering again;  10    Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.  11¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13    Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 

HEBREWS 3:10  Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. 11    So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

 

HEBREWS 4:12 For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13    Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14    Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. 15    For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. 16    Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

 

HEBREWS 7:24 But this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.   25    Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26    For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27    Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28    For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, [maketh] the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

 

HEBREWS 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  15 ¶  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

 

HEBREWS 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.   39    But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

 

HEBREWS 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

 

I PETER 1:3  Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5    Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

I PETER 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23    Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

I PETER 2:1   Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2    As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3    If so be ye have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious. 4       To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious, 5    Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6    Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7    Unto you therefore which believe [he is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8    And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.  9    But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

 

I JOHN 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10    Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.

 

REVELATION 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18    I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

 

REVELATION 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

 

REVELATION 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.