Those Who Wash their Robes
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February 07, 2010 |
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 "But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (Revelation 3:4-5)
The garment here spiritually refers to the heart of man. So, today's scripture does not mean that we have to wash our clothes, but has the meaning of casting off the uncleanliness of our hearts and to sanctify our hearts. As the end time of the world draws closer people's consciences become dulled. The unrighteous and immoral things that people used to feel ashamed of years ago are openly revealed by so many people today.
No matter what kind of life the people are leading, however, you must not become stained with the world. You have to lead a sanctified life that is different from the world. You must not compromise with the world saying, "Just about everyone else is doing these things." You have to be on guard keeping your hearts and bodies by reflecting on the word of God.
Even though some brothers in faith are in spiritual slumber, you should neither feel comforted nor think, "It should be OK for me to stop washing my robe, just for a while." You cannot wash a robe for someone else and no one else can wash your robe. So, you have to stay awake and clear-minded and diligently adorn yourselves as the brides of the Lord, and, thus you have to prepare white robes. Then, what can you do to wash your robes until they are white?
First, to wash your robes, you have to cast off adultery. You have to hope for the things that are spiritual and get rid of the adulterous things that are hostile toward God.
If you love God and the Lord, you cannot love the world. It is because the ruler of the world is the arch enemy of God, the devil and Satan. That's why God says in James 4:4, "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
From the standpoint of mankind, when fleshly adultery and spiritual adultery are compared, the fleshly adultery may be considered more serious and grave. But in fact, if you have no spiritual adultery within you, you will never commit adultery in flesh. If you love God to the fullest measure, you have naturally cast off fleshly adultery. But many of you possess the attribute and commit spiritual adultery. In doing so you love the world and in loving the world you may even be driven to the point of committing adultery of the flesh.
Therefore, you should have a longing heart for spiritual things in your heart. Otherwise, worldly lusts will flood into your heart as you see, hear and experience fleshly things. You seek worldly pleasures thinking, "That lady's dress looks so elegant! I'm going to buy the same dress to wear later," and "I heard about a new restaurant. Soon I will pay it a visit." In the world there are so many things that urge you to seek the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:15). If you follow the urging of the flesh and seek it, you will put great distance between you and God. So, you should not set your eyes on earthly things but always look up to heaven and diligently wash your robes.
Secondly, you should neither compare others to yourself nor judge others.
When people compare themselves with the others and judge them, they reveal many evils. For example, suppose a new believer who has come to the church some time before you is favored by seniors of the church and the people around him. Suppose that he has received higher position than yours. Then, how would you feel? Would you be grateful as if you were commended along with him and determined to serve and encourage him to do even better? In that matter, those who involve fleshly thoughts may have become jealous and tried to reveal his faults.
If you really hope for Heaven, it doesn't matter to you who is more favored and who is more commended. You have to think critically of whether you serve everyone, whether you are sacrificing yourself for the benefits of others and whether you rejoice with the truth. Then, you can be recognized by God and receive blessing and give many testimonies.
If you all become one, please God, and prepare yourselves as proper vessels in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, God himself will work and bless you. You should neither compare others to yourself nor judge others, and you have to see, hear and think of everything only in goodness all the time. To rejoice with the truth, serve one another and become one in love is to wash you robes.
Thirdly, you have to fervently seek spirit. But what is important is that you have to do it in a spiritual way.
For you who live in this world to experience the spiritual realm, it costs much effort. But if someone who has made the way for the spiritual realm ahead of you and leads you, it will be much easier. Joshua always followed Moses like his shadow, so he could clearly understand the will of God in that spiritual accompaniment. That's why he became the successor of Moses, and performed the miracle of God of making the sun and the moon still. But, you should check whether you have sought a man of spirit and understand exactly for what purpose you are following him and what kind of fruits you have to bear.
When our Lord Jesus manifested miraculous signs and wonders, numerous people gathered and followed Him. But what did He say to them? John 6:26 says, "I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled." However, when many people left Jesus, in John 6:68, Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." When you realize the truth, keep it in mind and put it into action, you can bear the fruit of spiritual accompaniment. Through this, you can wash your robes.
Therefore, I wish for you to hold fast to hope for heaven and complete adorning yourselves as pure and spotless brides of the Lord soon.
To read this message in more detail, visit our website (www. manmin. org) and click on 'sermon'.
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