Though I have written on the SALVATION TIME ELEMENT before, the Holy Spirit is leading me to write another expose` using the Book of Philippians as the focal source. In his epistle to the members of the church at Philippi the Apostle Paul tells those people, and us, several things, each of which is of vital importance. Both Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles wrote to and for us who are serving God at the end of the age (1 Cor. 10:11).

In the first chapter we find Paul stating that he is writing to the people in the Philippian church including the pastor and the deacons. In this way Paul is telling the church and its leaders that all are required to obey God’s Words. As this website has pointed out numerous times, the vast majority of church members and their leaders refuse to do so, preferring instead to embrace church doctrine as the final arbiter relative to God’s Truth while ignoring Christ’s Words as He prayed to the father: “THY WORD IS TRUTH” (Jn. 17:17). Notice that Jesus did not include the words of anyone else, which means that we do not need anyone else’s Words. Nothing was to be changed, added to or removed from God’s Word as He had it written and preserved for thousands of years. He has not changed. Religious man, with his hundreds of various words about God’s Word, defies Him to His face. This is why the world is in the mess in which it finds itself–in “the beginning of sorrows” (Mat. 24:4-8). As Jesus warned, only a few of those in His “sheepfold” (church) will have entered it through Him (the “door” of the sheepfold–Jn. 10:7,9). Even fewer have followed His path that leads to salvation (Mat. 7:13,14; 22:14). Read Who Are God’s People? and “My People Called by My Name, key words People and Called respectively.

In verse six Paul makes a statement that is often overlooked, and when it is noticed, is not studied in depth. In it he states that God has BEGUN a good work in the people (including the pastor and deacons). Paul is sure that the Lord “WILL CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK UNTIL IT IS COMPLETED ON THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS”—THE DAY OF CHRIST’S RETURN WHEN SALVATION AND REBIRTH WILL BE AWARDED. This will be the final trumpet blast which will announce His arrival.

The “Lord’s Day,” which the Prophet Malachi calls “the great and terrible Day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5), refers to the final year of the Tribulation Period during which the seven seals of God will be opened which are described in Revelation chapters six through sixteen. The “Lord’s Day” is the final year of the outpouring of wrath on earth’s sinners. The first 2 1/2 years are called The Great Tribulation–the time when Satan will be allowed to afflict those people. The final year (the Lord’s Day) is when God Himself will pour out His wrath on them. God’s true saints will have been taken to a place of safety at the beginning of the Tribulation Period where they will remain until the return of Jesus Christ at the First Resurrection. Read about the saints’ Place of Safety using the key word–Place. At the final trumpet of the seventh seal (Day of the Lord) Jesus will return and call His saints–both living and dead–up to Him in the clouds. Read The Three Resurrections, specifically the first resurrection. Use the key word–Resurrections. Read about the Second and Third Resurrections that will involve all other people.

During the final year (seventh seal–Day of the Lord) God will afflict sinners much worse than Satan had afflicted them during the Great Tribulation. At the end of that time, during the final woe of the seventh seal, Jesus will return, resurrect His saints, rebirth them and call them up to Him in the clouds where He and all of His mighty angels await. In verses nine and ten Paul prays that the people of the Philippian Church will remain pure and blameless until the Day of the Lord.” His words denote the possibility of church people failing to remain in God’s favor to the end, and as a result, not rising to meet the Lord in the first resurrection. Read Revelation 3:21. God said: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). Do not miss the resurrection due to a lack of knowledge which is found only in the Holy Scriptures.

Notice that Paul makes it clear that the salvation process will not be completed until the return of Jesus Christ to earth. Read The Salvation Process, key word–Process. In verses nine and ten Paul prays that the people will continue to love the Lord, which they are required to prove by obeying His Commandments (Jn. 14:15,23; 15:10/ 1 Jn. 23-5/ Mat. 19:17). His prayer is that they will determine what matters in this life and do it so as to be found PURE AND BLAMELESS ON THE DAY OF THE LORD. Only those who do so will rise to meet Him in the air.

REMEMBER: THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN TO, FOR AND ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE–ISRAEL. GENTILES WHO HAVE BEEN CONVERTED ARE SPIRITUAL ISRAELTES WHO HAVE EMBRACED ISRAEL’S GOD AND HIS LAW.

In verses fifteen through seventeen the apostle warns the people about false prophets who pose as true messengers sent by God. Philippi was not the only church having that problem. Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, warned that church about “false apostles and deceitful workers” in the church who claim to be apostles of Christ and ministers of righteousness, just as Satan (their god) presents himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15). He also told them in verse four that if someone came preaching another Jesus and another Spirit and another Gospel, they would believe him. The false prophets in Philippi were preaching Christ “… out of envy and strife.” They preached in the name of the Lord while lying to the people. Paul called these people “enemies of the cross” (3:18). See what Jesus says about such people by reading Matthew 7:21-23. Notice that they will have preached and done many wonderful works in His name. In 3:2,3 Paul calls these people “dogs” and “evil workers.” This characterization also included “converted” Jews who insisted that in order to receive justification (forgiveness of past sins) a male had to be circumcised according the Mosaic law (the book of the law) based on the sacrifice of animals. The Lord had added this religious burden to the Ten Commandment Law because the people would not obey those commandments (Gal. 3:19). It was this sacrificial law that was “nailed to the cross” of Christ (Col. 2:14).

Notice in Philippians 2:10 and 11 that Paul says that every knee must bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord. This includes those who are “under the earth.” God requires even the fallen angels who followed Lucifer–who became Satan the enemy of God–during the rebellion against God anciently. Christ cast some of them into the innermost part of the earth where they remain, alive today. Angels are spirits that cannot die. The vast majority of them remained in the heavens after the war and became known as “devils,” called “demons” today, whom Jesus and His apostles cast out of people as recorded in the Holy Scriptures. We who are in His service continue to cast them out today (Mat. 10:7). The most demons I have cast out of one person was 33. Casting out demons is as much a part of God’s ministry as preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and raising the dead. I, through the power of the Holy Spirit, once brought a man back to life who had been dead three days. I have cast out demons over the phone and by thought. How? By the authority vested in me by Almighty God and manifested by the Holy Spirit who lives within me. When I walked into the area where the dead man’s body was being kept he opened his eyes. I told him that I had come to heal him and asked him if he understood me. He nodded his head. Three days later he walked out of the hospital. The local newspaper (first page, lead article) quoted doctors who admitted that they could not explain how that had happened. God made it happen using the power of His Holy Spirit. While we remain alive on the earth we must, through the power of the Holy Spirit, “Do what you have learned, received, heard and seen” from those who preach God’s Truth. IF you do, “the God of peace will be with you” (4:9).

Lastly, turn back to chapter two verses twelve and thirteen where Paul tells church people to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” If we are already saved, what is there to work out? He is telling us to study God’s Word in search of His Truth. Then to do as He teaches us in His Word. God, through the Holy Spirit, enables us to conduct our lives according to His commands. Again, why if we are already saved?

Satan’s “salvation in this life” deception has wrecked billions of people’s lives through his false prophets. Read about this Truth in the series titled “The Real Elvis.” In it I show how the most famous hypocrite on earth, along with billions of others, have been seduced into obeying the devil with the “understanding” that Jesus will take care of everything for us. Nothing could be further from the Truth. Jesus did not, as billions believe, “obey God for us.” Instead, He died so that we could be justified and receive the Holy Spirit so as to be able to resist the devil’s temptations throughout the remainder of our lives and thereby qualify to receive salvation upon His return. That is why Christ died. Read The Message of the Cross, key word–Message.

An important statement relative to the subject of this teaching is found in chapter four verse three where Paul refers to two holy women “WHOSE NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.” It is essential that we know what God has to say about that important book. Notice that Paul uses the present tense: “ARE WRITTEN” in that book. In order understand the importance of that book we must turn to the Book of Revelation. The Book of Life is referred to in several places. In 13:8 John warns that at the end of the age people will worship the devil and the one (the beast) he uses to deceive them. Here THE BOOK is called The Book of Life and of the Lamb (Jesus) in which the names of God’s true saints ARE (NOW) recorded. In 17:8 John refers to that same beast which will be worshipped by those whose names are not written in the Book of Life. In 21:9-27 we find John describing New Jerusalem in which those whose names are written in The Lamb’s Book of Life will live forever. Read about this city using the key word–Kingdom. In 22:19 it is written what God will do to anyone who changes so much as a word in the Book of Revelation. He will “REMOVE HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE and from the holy City.” This proves that our names can be removed from the Book of Life. Lastly return to chapter 20 verses twelve and fifteen where we are told that at judgment God will open two books–the Book of LIFE and the book of WORKS. (obedience to God’s Words). All will be judged by what is written in those books. Anyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire. If our names are not in the Book of Life, our religious works will not matter. In John 12:44-50 Jesus tells us that He will not judge mankind. ALL WILL BE JUDGED BY THE WORDS HE HAS SPOKEN–EVERY WORD IN THE HOLY BIBLE. L.J.