1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.
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Rejoice in the LORD, the Word of God.
Once a man called the Bible, "Legalistic." I was so grieved until the Holy Spirit reminded me of the following scripture, and then I rejoiced in that Word.
Jesus said: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 13-14
I rejoiced to think of this: We enter into freedom from sin by the Word of God.
None of us who belong to God wants freedom to sin the way the people of this world want freedom to sin. We want freedom from sin and the Word of God is freedom from sin.
Another example of rejoicing in the word: The Holy Spirit reminded me of the following truth.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with HIM in glory. Colossians 3:3-4
It looks like I have no life if you look at me. But the truth from God is my life is hid with Christ. Later when Christ appears, I will appear with HIM.
To rejoice in the Lord is to rejoice in the Word given by the Holy Spirit.
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1-12 To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
(Repetition of the Word of God is a very good thing.)
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
(Jesus warned us to not allow those who come saying Jesus is Lord to deceive us. Mt. 24)
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know HIM, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of HIS sufferings, being made conformable unto HIS death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
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Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
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We must make ourselves go forward.
We cannot turn to right or left. Nor can we go back to the past, other than to remember those things God has done in the past.
When the children of Israel were going through the Red Sea, they were forced to go forward. The sea was a wall on their right hand and on their left hand and Pharaoh with 600 chariots was behind them. The only way to safety was forward.
So it is with us today. We must make our minds go forward. When we begin to drift to past, we must learn to stop ourselves and refuse to go this way, thinking of that which is ahead, the coming of Jesus, the dead in Christ being raised, those alive at the time being changed and rising in the air to meet them, the new Jerusalem wherein dwelleth righteousness.
We must discipline ourselves as good soldiers of Jesus Christ and refuse to think on past in the flesh.
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16-21 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto HIS glorious body, according to the working whereby HE is able even to subdue all things unto HIMSELF.
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