Let us not forget that the prophets spoke and wrote to and about “the church in the physical wilderness”   at whose head was the Rock–the Christ of God Who would later come to earth as Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 7:38). That church was comprised of the 12 tribes of Israel along with a multitude of Gentiles who came out of Egypt with them (Exo. 12:38). These Gentiles were immediately absorbed by Israel’s tribal system and obeyed the God of Israel. The New Testament writers, being led by that same Rock, wrote to and about the New Covenant Church founded on the Day of Pentecost in 33 A.D. called “the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16). For the past 1700 years or so the vast majority within that church has separated herself spiritually from the Lord and now wanders in the spiritual wilderness called Christendom. Which brings us to 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. Here we learn that in order to have “Christ in you,” strict qualifications must be met by the one who professes Jesus Christ as one’s Savior. This Scriptural fact is summarily dismissed by the whole of Catholicism/Protestantism. Satan’s false prophets have convinced parishioners that, having completed the prescribed religious ritual, been baptized, etc. one automatically receives the promise of “Christ in you.” God-seekers are assured that, having completed the “sinner’s prayer,” one automatically receives the Holy Spirit, is saved and reborn and has the key to his/her mansion in heaven placed on lay-away. None of which is Biblically true.

Faith, we have all been told, is all that is needed in order to receive all that God has for us, including the promise of Christ residing in us. Let us not forget that Satan has ultimate faith–belief that the Holy Bible is true. Satan’s demons also have faith. Knowing and believing what God said concerning their fate, they TREMBLE in fear. Do you tremble because you know the fate of those who rebel against His Word? Have you compared your salvation path to God’s Word with fear and TREMBLING? If not, the demons are one up on you. If you tremble, stay the course until the end when you will be welcomed into the Kingdom of God. If you are a true believer/saint/trembler you know that one of the first things you had to do was to separate yourself from the Catholic/Protestant religious system. You also know that being supposedly saved, being active in church, preaching, witnessing, etc. has no bearing on your relationship with God. You know that the Corinthian passage reveals that having Christ in you involves only one thing–believing and obeying the Word of the Lord. Obedience to Him begins with segregation–God’s loaf must separate itself from Satan’s leaven. The passage that bring this out begins with a command:

“Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers (in the church), for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness? and what concord has Christ with Belial? or what part has he that believes with an infidel? and what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, ‘I will DWELL IN THEM (His temples) and walk in them. I will be THEIR God and THEY will be My people.” Note that He did not say this about the others in the church. Remember the 10 Virgins, the tares, the bad fish, the bad fruit trees.

Note the Lord’s requirements for having the Holy Spirit come to reside within: SEPARATION from those who do not believe God’s Word, who lack faith, who are unrighteous, who prefer darkness and who serve the devil. Now we will turn to verses 17,18 where the Lord tells us how to affect total separation from those in the church who serve the god of the earth. “Therefore, come out from among them (false saints), be separated from them and do not touch the unclean thing (false Christianity–Catholicism/Protestantism). THEN, and only then, I will receive YOU and be a Father to YOU and YOU will be my sons and daughters.” Obviously, all others who remain in the Counterfeit Church system are disqualified. See The Church, The Gospel And The Goats.” To be continued. L.J.