THE LIFE OF THE SAINTS

Introduction: A Warning and a Wonder

We have not even scratched the surface of the subject of the life of the saints. There is a depth to what God has given us in Christ that most believers have never plumbed. But before we enter those depths, something happening in the world around us demands our attention — not to distract us, but to confirm that the Word of God is alive and precise.

I. Pharmakeia and the Great Harlot

During the last Global Day of Prayer, attention was drawn to the subject of Pharmakeia and what the Bible has to say about the pharmaceutical industry. God always has something definite to say about anything that affects the world. The book of Revelation gives us a portrait that is startling in its contemporary relevance:

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.  —Revelation 17:1–5

And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.  —Revelation 17:15

For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.  —Revelation 17:17–18

The woman riding the red beast is Europa — Europe. The woman who sits upon many waters is Rome: Religious Rome — the Vatican. The waters are explicitly identified: peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the connection to the pharmaceutical industry is not speculation — it is Scripture:

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.  —Revelation 18:23

The word “sorceries” in the original language is Pharmakeia — the production and administration of drugs. These scriptures were written many centuries ago. God’s Word never fails. The deception being perpetrated today is not about improving human health. What we are witnessing is spiritual in nature, even when it appears medical. Be careful. When you start hearing about a new strain or a new version of a virus, look around you. Do not be distracted by the evil happening in the world today. Look around and see what the Lord is doing. Be active on the Lord’s side.

II. Reflections of the Millennium: What the Church Already Possesses

If you want to understand the life of the saints, you must understand the book of Acts, the Epistles, the ministry of the apostles, and the millennium — and what it means. The millennium is the earthly kingdom of the Messiah. He brought it before but they rejected it, so the spiritual kingdom was given to the Church. What are those things possible in the Church today? Look at what the prophets said about the millennium, because that is the earthly manifestation of a spiritual kingdom — and what the Church has is far greater.

1. We Are Light

The millennial prophecy of Isaiah 60 reads:

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  —Isaiah 60:1–3

As good as this was for Israel, we already have something better than that:

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  —2 Corinthians 4:6–7

Israel in the millennium will have the glory upon them. But we don’t only have glory upon us — we have it inside us. The Scripture is unambiguous:

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  —1 Thessalonians 5:5

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.  —Ephesians 5:8

It is not a promise. It is a present reality. “I am light. I am a child of light. I am lighting up my world.” And not only that:

Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  —Romans 8:30

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.  —John 17:22

The same glory the Father gave the Son, the Son has given to us. How could our lives have reproach? We are honoured. We are dignified. When people don’t know this, they spend every day struggling.

2. Prosperity Belongs to the Glorified

Isaiah 60:8 and 17 speak of extraordinary prosperity in the millennium — and it belongs to us now because He has glorified us. Too many Christians have taken the Word of God so lightly. They read it but did not understand what it was saying. Listen to what Jesus Himself declares:

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  —Luke 12:22–32

Your prosperity is not because of your job or your business. You work to contribute to society, yes — but your prosperity comes because you belong in the kingdom of God. You are a child of God. Don’t be of doubtful mind. As you serve God that way, nothing is too good for you.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  —Philippians 4:19

God supplies your need according to His riches — not according to your need. If you have need of one house, God can give you ten. He gives according to His riches:

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.  —2 Corinthians 9:8

God is able to direct and channel His grace in your direction. “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be independent of circumstances.” I will always walk in prosperity.

3. Righteousness and Reign

The whole nation of Israel will be righteous at the millennium — but we have already been declared righteous:

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  —Romans 5:1

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.  —Romans 5:17

In Christ, we all have the same righteousness. And those who have it shall reign in life. That is the power of righteousness. The Word of God grows and increases as we walk in it:

So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.  —Acts 19:20

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.  —Acts 6:7

If the Word of God can increase in you, you will realise that God has increased your greatness, and you can shake cities and nations.

4. A Little One Shall Become a Thousand

A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.  —Isaiah 60:22

Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.  —Psalm 71:21

In the millennium, Israel will experience this increase. But as the seed of Abraham, all of us have already been made great. The millennium’s best — a child dying at a hundred years — is still not eternal life. What we have is far superior. And that brings us to the most important revelation of all.

III. The Mystery of Eternal Life

Unless you understand this, you would be living something that is less than Christianity — and you would not even know it. Once the Church catches this message, know that the coming of the Lord is near.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  —1 John 5:11–12

When you receive Christ, eternal life is imparted to your spirit. It is the life and nature of God — the organic and existential attribute of deity. It is an actual life, a living life. It is an experiential life — a life of which the owner is aware and conscious. Our God actually lives. Eternal life can be imparted to, or infused into, a living or dead organism — because it is a different kind of life. When infused, it changes the character and constituent of that other being. Consider what happened to the two witnesses:

And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.  —Revelation 11:10–11

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  —Romans 8:2

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ has made me free from death, in the same way that it has made me free from sin. Eternal life is not about longevity. Its characteristics are defined by the divine nature expressed by Christ. There is one word that defines it: Righteousness — not just doing right, but the nature and quality of God Himself.

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)  —1 John 1:2

Jesus was the manifestation of eternal life. Eternal life was walking the streets of Galilee. He Himself declared it with unmistakable force:

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  —John 8:56–58

That is agelessness demonstrated. Before Abraham was, I AM. You are born of that Word. You are a living Epistle. You look at the Word and enter into what it says about you. What was written of you before you were born — you must now go to the Word and live it. Get out of time into eternity. You were born into eternity when you were born again. Christ Jesus is your new environment.

IV. Eternal Life Brings Fearlessness and Deathlessness

In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.  —Isaiah 54:14–17

In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.  —Proverbs 12:28

What pathway are you walking in? If you walk in the pathway of righteousness, it brings you deathlessness. Man is born with a tendency to die and keeps fighting death all his life. It is like fire — its tendency is to be quenched because it consumes its source. But when you are born again with the life and nature of God in you, things change. You now have deathlessness. How can you drink something that is supposed to kill you and it will not hurt you?

They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.  —Mark 16:18

Why? Because of eternal life. When you have the consciousness of eternal life, everything about you changes. You are distinguished. You are not ordinary. You who are born again are different.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  —1 John 5:13

He wants you to know — not guess, not hope — that you have eternal life. This life is ageless, fearless, and deathless. Death is failure brought into a system. There is no failure in your system. You have eternal life. Your systems do not fail. Meditate on these things. The Word of God was given to us to live by. Thanks be unto God\! What a life we have been given\! No wonder we are filled with the Holy Ghost — because we have eternal life\!

What a life we’ve been given. It is in us. Live it.