What Now? Prepare for the Harpazo!

Prepare Your Heart and Mind for the Harpazo

The Urgent Call to Prepare

In a world increasingly marked by upheaval and uncertainty, the hearts of mature believers are keenly attuned to the signs of the times. We, who have been called by His grace and sustained by His Spirit, sense a profound urgency in the air—a stirring that points to the imminent return of our Lord.

This aericle, "What Now? Prepare for the Harpazo," is an invitation to a deeper reflection, a call to examine our hearts and minds in light of the glorious hope of the Harpazo (Rapture).

This is not merely a theological exercise, but a vital journey into the core of biblical truth, designed to sharpen our focus and strengthen our resolve.

We will delve into foundational scriptures that illuminate God's sovereign work in building His church, the essential nature of holiness, the transformative power of suffering, and the exclusive allegiance demanded by His Kingdom. We will contrast biblical patterns of church growth, discipleship, and trust with prevalent modern narratives, challenging us to embrace a faith that is uncompromised and fully surrendered.

Our prayer is that through these pages, the Holy Spirit will stir within you a renewed passion for genuine repentance, a deeper understanding of God's sanctifying grace, and an unwavering trust in His perfect work.

May we, as His watchful and waiting bride, be found diligently resting in His finished work, living as true ambassadors of His heavenly Kingdom, and eagerly anticipating the day of our glorious gathering. Let us prepare our hearts and minds, for the time is at hand.

The prophetic clock is ticking, and the signs are undeniable. The "Covenant of Many" has been declared, and the Harpazo—the catching away of believers—is imminent. This is not a time for complacency, but for urgent introspection and surrender.

As the world plunges deeper into chaos, the call to prepare our hearts, to truly believe, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit becomes more critical than ever.

The question that now echoes in the hearts of those who have awakened is: What next? How do we live in light of these truths? How do we navigate a world on the brink of unprecedented change? These vital questions and more will be explored in our next conversation, "What Now?"—a guide to living with purpose and unwavering faith in the final hour.

Only Jesus Can Build His Church

Matthew 16:18 - “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

Critical observation: Jesus says “I WILL BUILD” - not “you will build” or “go build.” The active agent is Christ Himself.

John 6:44 - “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 15:5 - “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

The pattern: God initiates. God draws. God builds. Humans abide and bear fruit as a result.

The Ananias and Sapphira Incident: Fear as Purification

Acts 5:11 - “And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.”

Acts 5:13-14 - “But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number.”

The sequence is remarkable:

Judgment falls on deception
Fear comes over everyone
Others are afraid to join casually
Yet multitudes are added

This reveals a principle: Holiness and the fear of God attract the genuinely seeking while repelling the insincere. The church grew BECAUSE of the display of God’s holiness, not despite it.

Acts 2:47 confirms this pattern: “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Again: The Lord was adding. Not human effort, strategy, or appeal.

What the Bible Says About Sin and Holiness

Romans 6:1-2 - “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Hebrews 12:4 - “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.”

1 Peter 1:15-16 - “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’”

Hebrews 12:14 - “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”

The standard is absolute: No one enters without holiness. Not partial sanctification - THE sanctification.

Can This Holiness Be Achieved by Human Effort?

Galatians 3:3 - “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

Philippians 2:13 - “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Titus 3:5 - “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

Clear answer: All transformation is God’s work through grace, not human achievement.

The Gospel Pattern: Death Before Life

John 12:24-25 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.”

Luke 9:23-24 - “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.”

Matthew 10:38-39 - “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”

The pattern is consistent and non-negotiable: Death to self → Resurrection life

The Apostolic Gospel Message

Acts 2:38 - “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 3:19 - “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

Acts 17:30 - “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.”

Acts 26:20 (Paul summarizing his message) - “but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”

The core message: REPENT (turn from sin) + BELIEVE = RECEIVE the Holy Spirit and new life

Suffering as Essential, Not Optional

Acts 14:22 - “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’”

Philippians 1:29 - “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

2 Timothy 3:12 - “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

1 Peter 4:1 - “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.”

Romans 8:17 - “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

Suffering is promised, expected, and necessary - not something to avoid or claim protection from.

Kingdom Citizenship vs. Earthly Kingdoms

Philippians 3:20 - “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

John 18:36 - “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’”

James 4:4 - “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

1 John 2:15-17 - “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

Matthew 6:24 - “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

The allegiance is exclusive: God’s Kingdom ONLY. No dual citizenship. No divided loyalty.

Trust in God vs. Trust in Human Power/Protection

Psalm 20:7 - “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.”

Psalm 44:6 - “For I will not trust in my bow, nor will my sword save me.”

2 Corinthians 10:4 - “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

Matthew 26:52 - “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.’”

Zechariah 4:6 - “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

The pattern: Reliance on physical weapons, military might, or earthly power structures is explicitly rejected as incompatible with trust in God.

Prosperity Gospel vs. Biblical Gospel

Matthew 6:19-21 - “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Luke 6:24 - “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.”

Luke 12:15 - “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

1 Timothy 6:9-10 - “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

James 5:1-3 - “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!”

The biblical message: Earthly prosperity is warned against, not promised. Seeking it is spiritual danger.

A Different Gospel?

Galatians 1:6-9 - “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

2 Corinthians 11:4 - “For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”

Paul’s warning is severe: Any gospel different from the one preached by the apostles brings a curse.

The Biblical Church Growth Model

From Acts alone:

Acts 2:47 - “The Lord was adding to their number”

Acts 6:7 - “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly”

Acts 9:31 - “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”

Acts 12:24 - “But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.”

Acts 16:5 - “So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”

The consistent pattern:

The Word spreads
The Lord adds
The Holy Spirit comforts and builds
Fear of the Lord is present
Growth happens as God’s work, not human strategy

The Core Question Scripture Poses

Luke 6:46 - “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

Matthew 7:21-23 - “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

The terrifying possibility: Large, successful “churches” hearing “I never knew you.”

The Nature of Lawlessness and REST

The Nature of Lawlessness: SELF in All Its Forms

Matthew 7:23 - “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

Romans 14:23 - “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.”

This is foundational: Whatever is not from faith (trust in God) is sin. Whatever is from SELF-effort, SELF-trust, SELF-preservation is lawlessness.

Proverbs 14:12 - “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Jeremiah 17:5 - “Thus says the LORD, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.’”

The pattern: Self-reliance = curse. God-reliance = life.

Our Part: REST - Ceasing from Our Own Works

Hebrews 4:3 - “For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, ‘AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,’ although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

Hebrews 4:9-10 - “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.”

Hebrews 4:11 - “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.”

Critical insight: REST = ceasing from our own works. The “diligence” required is to STOP striving in self-effort. This is the obedience demanded.

Isaiah 30:15 - “For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.’ But you were not willing.”

The equation: Repentance + Rest = Salvation. Quietness + Trust = Strength.

Matthew 11:28-30 - “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus offers REST for the soul - not more effort, more striving, more self-improvement programs.

Faith: The Gift of God, Not Human Effort

Ephesians 2:8 - “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

The phrase “that not of yourselves” - faith itself is NOT OF YOURSELVES. It is THE GIFT OF GOD.

Hebrews 12:2 - “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus is the AUTHOR (originator, source) and PERFECTER (finisher, completer) of faith. He begins it AND completes it.

Philippians 1:6 - “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Romans 12:3 - “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

Faith is ALLOTTED by God - given, distributed, assigned by Him.

Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Paul lives BY THE FAITH OF the Son of God (genitive construction) - not his own faith, but Christ’s faith given to him.

2 Peter 1:1 - “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Faith is RECEIVED - not generated, earned, or worked up.

Saved by Hearing the Word: The Word of Faith

Romans 10:8-10 - “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART’—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching; that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Romans 10:17 - “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Faith comes FROM HEARING - it is birthed by the hearing of Christ’s word.

1 Peter 1:23 - “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”

James 1:18 - “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

The Word itself does the work - birthing, regenerating, creating new life.

Ephesians 5:26 - “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”

John 15:3 - “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”

The Word WASHES and CLEANSES - not our efforts at self-purification.

The Rich Young Ruler: Stewardship vs. Ownership

Mark 10:17-22 - “As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, “DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.”’ And he said to Him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.’ Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.”

Mark 10:23-25 - “And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’”

Key observations:

The man had kept the commandments - he was righteous by external standards

Jesus loved him - this was not rejection but an invitation

The ONE THING he lacked was surrender of ownership

His possessions owned him - he could not let go

Jesus identifies this as making entrance to the Kingdom nearly impossible

Luke 14:33 - “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

Jesus is NOT speaking metaphorically. The demand is literal: surrender ownership of everything.

Luke 16:13 - “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN. This settles the ownership question forever.

Psalm 24:1 - “The earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.”

Haggai 2:8 - “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts.”

God owns everything. We are merely stewards, managers, ambassadors - never owners.

Ambassadors, Not Owners

2 Corinthians 5:20 - “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

An ambassador:

Represents another kingdom
Has no personal agenda
Speaks the King’s message, not his own
Lives by the King’s resources
Returns everything to the King

Philippians 3:20 - “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are citizens of heaven, residing temporarily on foreign soil.

Slaves to Righteousness

Romans 6:16-18 - “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Romans 6:22 - “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.”

We have been ENSLAVED TO GOD - not made independent, not given autonomy, but transferred from one master to another.

1 Corinthians 7:22-23 - “For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.”

Christ’s slave - bought, owned, commanded, directed entirely by Him.

Comfort of the Holy Spirit vs. Self-Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”

The pattern: Suffering → Divine Comfort → Ability to Comfort Others

The comfort comes THROUGH CHRIST IN THE SUFFERING, not by AVOIDING the suffering.

John 14:16-17 - “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”

John 14:26 - “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

Acts 9:31 - “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”

The comfort is IN the Holy Spirit’s presence, not in the absence of trials.

John 16:33 - “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Peace is found IN CHRIST, while simultaneously having TRIBULATION in the world.

Self-Comfort: Rejecting the Cross

Luke 9:23 - “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’”

Self-comfort seeks to avoid the cross. It is the opposite of following Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.”

Lovers of SELF and lovers of PLEASURE are contrasted with lovers of GOD. They hold to a form of godliness but deny its power - they want the appearance without the transformation.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 - “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

Self-comfort seeks teachers who will not challenge, convict, or demand death to self.

Suffering: The Path to Knowing Truth and Living in Truth

1 Peter 4:1-2 - “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

Suffering in the flesh → Ceasing from sin → Living for God’s will

This is the progression. Suffering is the mechanism by which we cease from sin.

Hebrews 5:8 - “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”

If JESUS learned obedience through suffering, how much more do we need it?

Romans 5:3-5 - “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The sequence: Tribulation → Perseverance → Proven Character → Hope → Love of God poured out

Tribulation is not the obstacle to knowing God - it is the PATH.

2 Corinthians 4:17 - “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”

Affliction PRODUCES glory - it doesn’t hinder it.

Philippians 3:10 - “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

Paul’s highest goal: To KNOW Christ through the FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS.

Colossians 1:24 - “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church.”

Paul REJOICES in suffering - not because he is masochistic, but because suffering for Christ is participating in His mission.

James 1:2-4 - “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Trials → Testing of Faith → Endurance → Perfection and Completion

We become perfect and complete THROUGH trials, not by avoiding them.

Resisting Sin to the Point of Blood

Hebrews 12:4 - “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.”

The standard: Resist sin until it costs you your life if necessary.

Hebrews 12:5-11 - “and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.’ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Key points:

God disciplines those He loves - suffering is proof of sonship

The purpose: That we may share His holiness

Discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness

If we lack discipline, we are illegitimate, not true sons

Entire Sanctification by Grace Through the Holy Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”

Critical elements:

GOD HIMSELF sanctifies - not human effort

ENTIRELY - complete, whole, nothing left out

Spirit, soul, AND body - the whole person

WITHOUT BLAME - completely holy, no guilt

FAITHFUL IS HE - God’s faithfulness, not ours

HE WILL BRING IT TO PASS - God guarantees completion

God does the sanctifying. God completes it. God guarantees it.

1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

The sequence:

After you have suffered - suffering comes first

The God of all grace - not earned, not deserved

Will HIMSELF - God personally does it

Perfect - complete, repair, restore to original design

Confirm - make firm, establish, settle

Strengthen - make strong

Establish - ground, lay a foundation

ALL OF THIS IS GOD’S WORK, done AFTER suffering, by GRACE ALONE.

Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justifie

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