September 2000

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od tells His church to “LABOR to enter His REST!” (Heb 4:11) Natural birthing coaches teach that the easiest labor is when the mother totally relaxes. Tense muscles oppose the expansion of the birth canal, making contractions more painful. Complete relaxation of those muscles permits easier expansion which greatly reduces the pain of labor. Having given birth 6 times, I attest to this.
               Years ago. the Spirit revealed how other meanings of the word “labor” (Gk 4704) were used in very enlightening passages. The primary definition repeatedly given is “TO USE SPEED” although this word is not actually used in Scripture. Father explained that He deliberately chose this root to indicate the overtone of alacrity where all the other definitions were concerned. And they include “DILIGENCE, STUDY, AND BUSINESS!
                Diligence (the root most often used in the N.T.) is best used here: “By the divine power of God, all things that pertain to life and godliness have been given to us through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue. By these exceeding great promises, you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that came into the world through lust. So with all DILIGENCE, add: virtue to your faith, knowledge to your virtue, temperance to your knowledge, patience to your temperance, godliness to your patience, brotherly kindness to your godliness, and unconditional Love to your brotherly kindness! For if these divine characteristics are in you and are ever increasing, they will ensure that you are never barren or unfruitful in the *knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas he that lacks these things is **blind and cannot see afar off; and has forgotten that he was purged of his old sins! So brethren, be even more DILIGENT to make sure your calling and election; because if you do all the above things, ***you shall never fall; and the entrance to the Eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ shall ever be abundantly opened to you!” (2 Pet 1:3-11)

*Jn 17:3 defines the “Knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ ...as “Eternal Life”!

**Blindness describes the condition of the first Adam after his fall as it prevented him ever peering down the long halls of heavenly Hope again! His sight was restricted to earthly, temporal things. But here we also learn that Adam’s memory was lost, as it claims he could not remember he was already purged from his old sins! But wait, how could that be if his Savior, Jesus Christ, had not even been born or crucified yet? Re 13:18 says, “The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world” . And when did this happen? When the “Corn of Wheat fell in the ground and died!” (Jn 12:24) Let us also note here that the Heb. root (2142/45) for “remember” is the same used for the only reference to “manchild” in the O.T. (Isa 66:7) which is why we are so often exhorted to remember all that God has done for us! For as David cried out, “My eye is weary from affliction, Lord! I have stretched out my hands and called on You daily! Will You show Your wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? (Selah!) Shall Your Lovingkindness be declared in the grave; or Your Faithfulness declared in destruction? Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? Shall Your Righteousness be known in the land of forgetfulness? (Ps 88:19-12) This is why as Jesus shared a communion of the Bread of His holy Body and the Wine of His sinless poured-out Life with His apostles (sent-out ones) He said, “Now you do this, and as you do, REMEMBER ME!”

***God is giving here the way to prevent a fall such as was experienced by the first Adam. He is not saying the first fall was unnecessary, for it was a divinely ordained event! As Jude 24 clearly states, “The only wise God our Savior is able to keep you from falling!!” What God is saying here is to let this serve as a warning against repeating such folly!

[TO BE CONTINUED]