In the ninth chapter of John’s gospel beginning with verse 14 we find John’s disciples speaking with Jesus, whom John had identified as God’s Messiah.  They were wondering why they fasted often but His disciples did not fast at all.  The Lord’s answer has much to do with the “walk” (thoughts, words and acts–the totality of life) of those who have answered His call to “walk” with Him in total agreement with (in obedience to) Him.  He asks: “Can two walk together unless they agree?” (Amos 3:3).  To agree with the Lord requires one to obey Him, otherwise one’s “agreement” is merely a mental construct at best, and a deception at worst.  Satan agrees with Him, as do his fallen angels.  They know His Word and know that it is true.  Their problem is that they do not “walk” with Him in obedience to His Truths with which they agree.  If asked, church people will agree that the Holy Bible is God’s Word, way and will for them.  If asked if they obey it they will admit that they do not.  Like a plastic flower that looks like a real flower, their “agreement” is in reality a deception–a facade of light designed to explain their darkness.  Having been asked to water his wife’s flowers, a friend of mine admitted that he had unknowingly watered her  fake flowers also.  They looked so real that he could not tell the difference.  Both the fake and the real received nourishment.   However, only the real flowers benefitted from the water, just as God’s Word benefits only true saints who walk with Him.  Which brings us to a parable spoken by the Lord which speaks to that issue.

In Matthew 9:14 we find John’s disciples questioning Jesus about His disciples lack of fasting.  His simple parable carries eternal implications for all who wish to spend eternity with Him.  He told them that performing righteous acts is meaningless unless one is in fact righteous.  He had told the ancient Israelites the same thing as recorded in the Book of Amos chapter 5, verses 18-27 where He was speaking to the nation of Israel about their sins, specifically their desecration of His Sabbath.  He told them that He HATED their feast days, their burnt offerings and peace offerings, their singing and playing of musical instruments.  Why did God HATE THE VERY THINGS HE HAD COMMANDED THEM TO DO?  BECAUSE OF THEIR SINS, SPECIFICALLY THEIR BUSINESS DEALINGS, WORKING, PLAYING, ETC. ON HIS HOLY, SANCTIFIED, BLESSED SEVENTH DAY SABBATH.  Does this sound familiar?  It should, for the Catholic/Protestant Church System follows in their ancestors’ religious footsteps, doing everything BUT what God commands us to do on what man calls “Saturday.”  The Counterfeit Church then adds insult to injury by worshiping the sun on the sun god’s day–Sunday.  For this reason the false church will, as did ancient Israel, go into captivity in the lands of those who will have defeated and enslaved the so-called “Christian nations” in which she (the church) exists.  God’s wrath has been, is being and will continue to be poured out on church people in the same manner, to the same extent and with the same results as non-church people.  The cause is the same for both church people and non-church people–INIQUITY (LAWLESSNESS)–REFUSAL TO ALLOW GOD TO RULE THEIR LIVES.  Both groups reject God’s governance.  In His view, there is no difference between the churched and unchurched.

In Matthew 9:15-17 tells John’s disciples that even though His (Christ’s) disciples were preaching the gospel, healing the sick and casting out demons, THEY HAD NOT BEEN CONVERTED. Therefore, fasting would not have its designed effect.  Just as one who repeatedly runs is a runner, and one who repeatedly drives is a driver, and one who repeatedly paints is a painter–ONE WHO REPEATEDLY SINS IS A SINNER.  Jesus is telling us that if one repeatedly sins (remains in his original wine “bottle”), doing righteous things (filling the “bottle” with new wine) does no good.  In fact, it will destroy the bottle.  Likewise, placing a new piece of cloth (righteous patch) on an old (the original) garment destroys the garment.  ONE MUST HAVE A NEW BOTTLE/GARMENT IN WHICH TO PLACE THE NEW WINE/PATCH.  Simply put, we must have a new (righteous) outer covering which the world sees and hears as dictated by the Holy Spirit.  Otherwise, all of the righteous things we do is all in vain.  Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 15:9 when He said: “IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME ….”  Note that people actually worshiped Him (new wine and patgch), but it was all in vain because they did not obey His commands (old bottle and garment).  Instead, they obeyed their own doctrines.  For this reason their religiosity (Bible reading, church going, fasting, hymn singing, money giving, preaching, helping others,  etc.) was in vain because they were still acting, speaking and thinking like the world around them.  Nothing has changed. He HATES acts of righteousness performed by  sinning salvation seeker, EVEN THOUGH HE COMMANDS  SALVATION SEEKERS TO DO THEM.  Identical twins can obey His Words by doing those things exactly the same way.  One offers up the sweet aroma of holiness while the other offers up the putrid stench of sin.  Read His message to the end-time church to see His reaction to her religiosity (Rev. 3:14-20).

“If any man is in Christ he is a NEW CREATION, OLD THINGS MUST PASS AWAY, BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE MADE NEW” (2 Cor. 5:17).  The new creation’s thoughts, words and acts no longer reflect those of the dark world that surrounds him.  He is “peculiar,” “pure” and “holy” (Titus 2:14/ 1 Pet. 2:9).  THE NEW CREATION IS AS DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD AS LIGHT IS FROM DARKNESS.  God’s sanctified saints do not act like the world, do not watch the same t.v. programs, read the same books, go to the same places, use the same words, etc. as do those in Satan’s domain.  For this reason the world, including the church world, hates His people who “walk in newness of life.”  Read Persecution.

“Can two walk together unless they agree?” the Lord asks through the Prophet Amos.  To truly agree with Jesus one must be sanctified just as He was sanctified while on earth.  Sanctification means separation–set aside unto holiness.  Biblical sanctification (sainthood) requires one to be segregated from the world while living in the world.  This can include one’s family.  One’s family is often the saint’s worst enemy (Mat. 10:36).  Sanctification requires one to emulate Christ’s walk (life) of holiness as commanded in 1 John 2:6: “He who claims to abide in Him (sanctified) must also walk (live) even as He walked.”  True sanctification places God’s “armor” around the saint which enables him to ward off Satan’s “fiery darts” of temptation (Eph. 6:10-18–read this passage carefully).  Though sanctification is accomplished by God through the Holy Spirit which enters the believer at conversion, the choice to obey the Spirit unto sanctification is a choice made by the believer.

Becoming sanctified does not guarantee that one will remain sanctified.  Recall that King David begged God to “… not take your Spirit from me” for having sinned.   “Christ in you, the hope of glory” means that His Holy Spirit resides within the believer.  Isaiah 29:2 tells us that sin separates us from God–causes the Holy Spirit to leave the one who sins.  One sins by choice.  One chooses to either obey God or Satan.  However, without the Holy Spirit residing within, one does not have the power to resist Satan’s temptations.  To be sanctified and to remain sanctified are choices the believer must make.  Only those who become and remain sanctified by obeying the “voice” of God through the Holy Spirit are true sons of God (Rom. 8:14).  Only true suns of God who maintain their sonship “… until the end will be saved” (Mat. 10:20).  Read Hope and Salvation.  Key word–Hope.  Only the sanctified who have God’s power in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit can overcome Satan’s temptations.  And then it is only by personal choice on the part of the believer.  No obedience=no indwelling Spirit=no sanctification=no conversion=no salvation.  God does not abide where He is not obeyed.  Jesus said that only those who “… overcome (Satan) even as I (Jesus) overcame (him) will sit with Me on My throne” (Rev. 3:21) in the Kingdom of God.  David paid a heavy price for sinning the Holy Spirit out of his heart (mind).  When he deeply repented and welcomed the Spirit back in, his life changed totally and permanently.  Both his “bottle”/”garment” and his “wine”/”patch” had to be made new.  As it is written: “ALL THINGS MUST BE MADE NEW.   L.J.