Chapter 3 verses twelve and thirteen: In the previous 4 verses the Apostle Paul warned the Hebrew Christians (and all church people today) not to doubt or disobey the Lord in that it will cause Him to pour out His wrath on them and to not allow them to enter into His “rest”–eternal life in the Kingdom of God. In verses 12,13 he warns them (and us) not to have “an EVIL HEART OF UNBELIEF.” Note that doubting God’s “voice” (vs 15)–Word–is, in His words “evil” in that it causes one to “depart from the living God.” Bear in mind that one cannot depart from where one has never been–even the “very elect” can fall away from Him (Mat. 24:24). The word “apostasy” means to fall away. God prophesied that in the latter days the vast majority of those professing to be His people will enter into apostasy–they will fall away from Him (2 Tim. 2:3) because they refuse to search for, find and enter His strait gate and walk his narrow path leading to salvation (Mat. 7:13,14). This the Counterfeit Church has done en masse.

In verse 13 Paul describes those who doubt even one of God’s Words as being “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” For this reason Jesus said that the believer must “… live by EVERY WORD that comes from the mouth of God” (Mat. 4:4), exactly as did He Himself. John later restated this command using different Words, noting that in order to enter the kingdom one had to “walk (live) even as He (Jesus) walked,” and to purify oneself “even as He is pure” (1 Jn. 2:6; 3:3). Purification comes “by the washing of the water by the Word” (Eph. 5:26). This is the same Word by which God sanctifies true believers. Jesus called that Word “Truth” (Jn. 17:17).

Note that in verse 12 Paul warned the Hebrews to “take heed,” meaning to practice diligence relative to the devil. This is essential, for Satan “goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). In order to defeat him, as we must do (Revelation 3:21), we must be constantly aware of his devices and tricks designed to cause us to sin. He knows that sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:2), thereby separating us from the power of His Holy Spirit. This forces us to do battle with the devil using only our own power. We have no chance against him when we operate under our own power. For this reason God said that we are able to fulfill His will and inherit eternal life, “‘not by (man’s) might, nor by (man’s) power, but by My Spirit” (Zech. 4:6).

The Institutional Church has for some 1700 years proclaimed that man, including “saved” man, must sin. The reason being that the church neither believes nor obeys God’s Word and has therefore not been converted. Not being converted, they have not been given His Holy Spirit–His power. Recall that Jesus told the disciples: “… you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you ….” (Acts 1:8). In Luke 24:49 Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem where they would “… receive power from on high.” Why? Because without that Holy Spirit power they could not fulfill the ministry He had assigned them. Recall that Jesus did not enter into His ministry until the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove at the time of His baptism. Not even Jesus could operate under His own power. This the church does, which explains why she has no power to resist Satan and thereby walk in righteousness. Not being able to fulfill God’s command to do so, she blames Adam’s miraculous sin transferal program. See Human Nature for the truth concerning the source of this soul-condemning theory. L.J.