Only the violent take it by force (4)

1Tm 4 “¹⁰For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”  2Tm 2 “⁶The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.”  This principle is divine,

it is applicable in all creation and all those who have intelligence among men have understood. At the birth of the king's heir, the son born is automatically prince and future successor. Apart from the time factor making him wait for the departure of his father, the son and heir may proclaim by right that the throne belongs to him. However, in order for his father to eventually get to adopt him as his successor to the throne, the son and heir first goes through all kinds of training to become a mature man worthy of the throne, which yet is his rightfully. He must learn how to work, to fight and to be a good defender of the kingdom.

When we received the Lord Jesus in our heart, we received his kingdom in our heart. We thus became heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, but it does not happen without suffering. The Spirit says: Ro 8 “¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: ¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”  He was on earth a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and after the suffering he saw a seed and prolonged his days, and the work of the Lord prospered in his hands. Because of the travail of his soul, he has satisfied his eyes, he has received his portion with the great, and shared the spoils with the strong (Isaiah 53). We likewise need to own his suffering to also be glorified with him.

This violence was not a theory, but life for Paul and he gave his testimony: 2Co 11 “²³Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. ²⁴Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. ²⁵Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”  But how can a man get to have so blest and eloquent a testimony if he will not hurt the world? It is because of the truth, something contrary to the world, that Paul obtained this glorious testimony.

Paul worked so hard as he had hope in the living God, and about going the way of all the earth, he was worried about no concern because he had this warranty: 2Tm 4 “⁶For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: ⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”  All those who love his appearing do not bother about civilian affairs. May everyone have their testimony that they must brandish and gloriously take possession of the kingdom. There is no effort to spare to grasp this unprecedented crown.

Now we know perfectly well that our enemies are those that prevent us from taking possession of the kingdom that our Father has good pleasure to give us: they try to prevent us from seizing the crown which is handed to us. These enemies occupy our heart: Mc 7 “²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, ²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: ²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”  Improper action is preceded by a evil thought, and bad thoughts are sown by bad teachings, i.e. any doctrine other than that of God in its purity and originality.

In Psalm 81, the Lord challenges us to listen to Him and walk in His ways, and see if in a moment He will not confuse our enemies listed above. But when people refuse to listen to His voice and obey Him, He delivers them over to their stubborn heart, and they follow their own counsel: Ro 1 “²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; ²⁹Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful”

 Hence, the real struggle of every soldier of the cross is to oppose (defensive) or attack (offensive) any false teaching, because it is the basis for the corruption of the whole earth. All ministers of the Gospel bear that cross on their shoulders, the duty of hunting by the Sword of the Spirit all the false doctrines that have taken up residence in the heart. They likewise have the same responsibility to counter the new non-biblical or non-apostolic doctrines, regardless of their innocuous appearance. But this war to occupy the kingdom is not only the struggle of the ministers, but all the people, only each person to his position: the ministers who are stepping up their attacks by proclaiming the Word of Truth, and all the brothers and sisters by their testimonies and intense prayers, etc. Ro 15 “³⁰Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me”

 If deception is not threatened or injured, that means Truth is not proclaimed. Because our struggle is for the reign of Truth and the fall of deception. We did receive this exhortation: Jude 1 “³Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”  And it Truth is this: the faith delivered to the saints once and for all, and for it we impose on ourselves all kinds of violence. 2Co 10 “⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”  Perfection is the absence of any error or heresy. When the last heresy has released the tiniest room in our heart, then there will be no evil thought in our heart to lead us to evil deeds.

We fight for this perfection, and we are pointed at as extremists in the world - but never mind that, our Lord was seen as extremist having opposed to all religions that were found in Jerusalem, Israel and worldwide. He was perfect, and no religion on earth could contain His perfection. We use any violence to be restored in that perfection. When we conduct this war, even some friends of the kingdom do not understand us, regarding our attitude as exaggerated. Protestant, independent and revivalist churches often attack the Catholic Church convicting her of idolatry. But idolatry is a practice that is a result of a false doctrine. But when we attack with violence that false doctrine - that unfortunately her critics have also embraced - the same critics turn against us.

Indeed, in order for the Catholic believer to introduce and conclude his prayer with the sign of the cross, he had been previously taught the pagan belief in the Trinity. This practice of the sign of the cross is only one practical result. Many Protestants, independent and revivalist churches believe they are different from the Catholic Church in that they do not practice the sign of the cross, yet they themselves are so attached to the pagan belief in the Trinity which is its background. They are wrong because this difference is at the level of practical manifestation of this pagan belief, but in the background the ones are as idolaters as the others. The sign of the cross is just as much non-biblical as trinity. Read this once again: Ps 81 ¹³Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! ¹⁴I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. ¹⁵The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. ¹⁶He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

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