In the tenth chapter of Revelation, in the setting of the "Great Disappointment," we find something very exciting pertaining to God's last day people. Between the sounding of the sixth trumpet (the fall of the Ottoman Empire, August 11, 1840; Revelation 9:14-21) and the sounding of the seventh trumpet (the second coming of Christ; Revelation 11:15-19) lies the promise that just before the seventh angel sounds, or Jesus comes, "the mystery of God should be finished" (Revelation 10:7).
What is this "mystery of God" that is to be finished in these last days? Paul speaks of this "mystery which has been hid from ages" and says that "God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:26, 27).
What Jesus is waiting for is to be revealed in His people. This is the mystery of God that is to be finished before He returns. Again in Ephesians, the apostle speaks of this mystery throughout most of the third chapter. It is his prayer that God's people might "be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith" (Ephesians 3:16, 17). The word heart means "mind" and what Paul is saying is: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).
The Lord must dwell in our minds, by the power of His Holy Spirit, and have absolute control of our thoughts, before He can have control of our actions. It is not until we make that surrender that we can "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). But once we do submit, God "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20). However, this power cannot work in us unless Christ dwells in us, for it is only His power that can enable us to do things, which are "exceedingly abundantly" more that we could ever "ask or think." To experience this, it must be "God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Do we have the faith to fully accept the Bible teaching that the life and character of Jesus can be fully reflected in His people? Many do not and instead of praying, as did the disciples of old, "Lord, increase our faith" (Luke 17:5), or crying out "with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24), they begin to devise deceptive little parables and fables to try to illustrate their "doctrines of devils" and "cunningly devised fables" (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 1:16). Dear reader, I implore you to base all your beliefs upon what God says rather than what man says. A compilation of all of the words of wisdom of the world's greatest scholars and theologians is not what we need, not at all. What we need is the word of God.
Hear what God's word says: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:2-9). "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (1 John 5:18).
Scripture declares we will not sin if God's seed remains in us. If Jesus is abiding in us, it becomes an impossibility for us to sin, for Christ is not the minister of sin. If the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and we are totally submitted to Him, we cannot sin. To say that we must sin is to say that the Holy Spirit is a sinner. The Holy Spirit will lead no one into sin. It is only when we let go of our faith that Satan gains the victory. We must have the faith of Jesus. "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12). Our faith must grasp the promises of God, for if it does not, we cannot lay hold on the power of God, and if we do not have the power of God, we cannot stop sinning, but if we do have this power, we will not continue to sin.
"The Saviour took upon Himself the infirmities of humanity and lived a sinless life, that man might have no fear that because of the weakness of human nature they could not overcome. Christ came to make us partakers of the divine nature; and His life declares that humanity, combined with divinity, does not commit sin."[1]
Many do not realize it, but "when they excuse sin and cling to perversity of character, they give Satan a place in their affections, and pay him homage."[2] This is why "He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to believe He can keep him from sinning, has not the faith that will give him an entrance into the kingdom of God."[3]
In order to excuse their sinfulness, we often hear people say, "In Christ was no sinful propensity, and we have these sinful propensities, therefore we cannot live as Christ lived." However, "We must realize that through belief in Him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful propensity."[4]
With such clear, direct, and irrefutable testimonies as these, it is amazing how many still assert that we cannot overcome sin until Jesus returns and does some miraculous thing to "lock us in" so that we will not sin anymore. We must never be duped by such a devilish deception, for sin must be put away before Jesus comes.
"All preparation for heaven must be completed here. When Christ comes, our characters will not be changed. These vile bodies will be changed, and fashioned after the likeness of His glorious body; but there will not be a moral change wrought in us then."[5] "When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. ... No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us. ... Many of us are rough stones from the quarry. But as we lay hold upon the truth of God, its influence affects us. It elevates us and removes from us every imperfection and sin, of whatever nature."[6]
When Jesus comes it is in order that His people might be glorified, that we might receive a body "like unto His glorious body" (Philippians 3:21). But if we do not have a character like His character, He will not, He cannot, give us a body like His. He now "sits as a refiner and purifier of His people; and when His image is perfectly reflected in them, they are perfect and holy, and prepared for translation."[7] But before He comes "everything that is imperfect in us will have been seen and put away."[8]
It is very clear that God calls upon His people to put away all sin from their lives and allow Christ to live His perfect life in them. It is only through faith, as we allow Him to live His life in us, that we are able to separate sin from us and live the life He lived.
"Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation ... there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble. It is in this life that we are to separate sin from us, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ."[9]
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