The truth does not set us free, but our precise and full knowledge of that truth. The more is our revelation of the truth found in the scriptures the more that our freedom will be. The proportion of our freedom is relative to our revelation of the Word of God.
Matt 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
To have real weight or clout with Jesus. Having a greater affection for anything in this life makes a believer unfit and unprepared to follow Jesus. He is unable to adequately respond to his life and the call of Jesus. The spiritual power necessary to please the Lord will not be there. There will be a lack of balance between the believer and Jesus himself
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
All verbs are in the present tense, showing that it is a scripture of proportionality. Love for the world proportionally robs the believer from the love of God and the things of God within their hearts. Our hearts have a limited space. Any space taken by the things of this world is space gone for the things of God.
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Greek: You cannot be a slave to two lords… You will hate one, and love the other one unconditionally…you will embrace one; and think little of the other…Ye cannot be a slave to God and to material acquisitions.
To the extent that we embrace material gain for the wrong motives is to the same extent that we will think little of, and hate the Lord. By hating the Lord, we will hate what He requires from us. Our ability to obey the Lord, as Lord, will be restricted to the extent that we are submitted to the lordship of material gain.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
He that lights upon, finds delight, and holds on to his own selfish life, shall bring himself to ruin, destruction, uselessness and misery through the corruption that his selfish life creates.
He that ruins destroys, and wastes away his selfish life for the sake of the Lord shall discover, recognize, acquire and procure real life from the Lord.
Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
In actuality the word “follow” is defined as a union in traveling the same road. It is a oneness with the pattern of Jesus’ life, His ministry, and even of His death, if necessary.
“Be a mimic of me, even as I am also a mimic of Christ”.
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers ( mimetes) of me, even as I also am of Christ.
“Be a mimic of me, even as I am also a mimic of Christ”.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Secondly is the notion of “forsaking”. This is the act of our bidding farewell to, and renouncing all that will not glorify God. The scriptures in Luke and Mark use the very same Greek word for forsaketh.
Luke 9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house.
Mark 6:46 And when he had sent them away he departed into a mountain to pray.
Thirdly is the notion of “our ability to be a disciple”.
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
The word “ cannot” comes from two words which mean not to ability. The opposite is true. Can, is to have ability, to have the capacity, or power to carry out something. We all know that dunamis is the dynamite power of God, that we as believers seek to get. In addition dunamis is an enabling power. God’s dunamis enables the casting out of demons and brings forth the operation of spiritual gifts. These scriptures tell us that the Christian who does not bear the cross, forsake all that he has, and put his family and his life second the Lord, will not have the “dunamis power “ or capacity, or ability, or power to be a disciple of our Lord.
The inherent power that he or she needs to change will not be there, or to be a worthy or spiritually influential disciple with the Lord will also be absent.
The “cannot” is constructed in grammatical phrase called an “absolute negative”. Simply expressed it tells us that “under no circumstances”, or, “never”, or, “it is impossible” for the Christian who is not willing to do these things to ever be disciple of Jesus. The spiritual capacity or ability simply is not present.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony ( martyrdom); and they loved not their lives unto the death.
They overcame Satan by means of the blood of the lamb and by means of the word of our martyrdom.
The word for testimony is not a simple spewing out of scriptural verses upon the enemy. It is an correct verbal confession of what the cross has done and doing inwardly in our lives. Only then, will our words be backed up with the authority of a resurrected life that emerged from martyrdom. The devil cannot touch resurrection life and will back away from us.
John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Hath nothing (Greek absolute negative) “The devil has absolutely nothing in me or nothing in common with me.” There is no connection or open door between the works of the devil and me. This is true binding.
The next three scriptures are as the above one. The fear that these devils had was that they knew that there was nothing in common between Jesus and them. The Lord had effectively bound the devil out of His life, thus giving Him absolute power over him. This is what the demonic shuddered at, and was the cause of their torment.
Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
Mark 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Luke 4:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Herein lies the true meaning of Biblical binding. To bind is not to allow or permit something to occur. Genuine binding of the demonic occurs within a pure life, which has no defilement or connection with what is common with Satan and his cohorts. This is what nothing in me describes.
At every point of our lives in which purity reigns and the devil shares nothing in common to us, he has been bound. Now mind you, we will never experience absolute purity and sinlessness on this side off heaven.
Be assured that if we live in habitual stubborn disobedience and chronic bondage our vocalized confessions of binding the enemy is scorned and mocked by the devil who will continue to afflict and latch on to us wherever he finds sin.
1 John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong (SPIRITUALLY STRONG), and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh(ENERGY) in the children of disobedience:
The Greek word for worketh is defined as giving energy to.
This particular verse is in the present participle. It signifies that the sons of stubborn and obstinate disobedience energize the scheme of the devil on a continuing basis upon their lives. Disobedience gives energy for the devil to work in our lives.
The word for disobedience is being non-compliant.
Non-compliance or compliance holds both for unchurched and churched people. The sons of disobedience are anyone who chronically resist God in their hearts. The devil is an equal opportunity employer who does not discriminate anyone who chooses to reject God.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We are encouraged here to take the whole armor of God and having done all to stand, to stand therefore.
“Having done all” is the word “katergazomai.’ Paul tells us that after having completed, accomplished all things that God has given to us and gotten the victory over all things, to remain standing.
The Christian life is one of accomplishing all things that God gives us to an utter completion and victory. No stone must be left unturned.
Simply stated, “having done all, to stand,” is wonderfully depicted by the cartoons of the “Coyote and the Roadrunner.”
In one of their many scuffles, as a ball of dull is kicked up, both of these guys always got lost in their dusty fights. When the dust finally settles, the roadrunner usually remained standing. This is exactly what it means to “having done all, to stand.”!
We must fight by the Spirit without compromise, or without discouragement, until we remain standing victoriously; as Satan, sin, and the world lay scattered at our feet in full visibility, once the ball of dust finally settles!
Phillip 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Work out: Carry out all things that pertain to my salvation to absolute completion, resulting in success and liberty.
To work out is in the middle Greek tense signifying that the responsibility to complete our salvation is ours.
Utterly carry out, finish and achieve to completion everything that has to do with your salvation. Utterly finish it! Do not leave anything lacking! (Therefore growing up into Christ in all things.)
Mat 12:29 Or else how can ( dunamis power) one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Greek (paraphrase) No one will have the dunamis power to come into the strong one’s house to change the situation, thoroughly plunder his goods until they are laid waste, and then occupy. (Like the USA did to Al Qaeda after 9/11. ) He must bind the strong one first and then he will be able to thoroughly plunder.
The strong man is the demon that is last to be bound from our lives. He is the one that we can discern constantly standing before us face to oppose and withstand us every second of our lives in a variety of deceptive measures.
The Lord has allowed the strong man to afflict me until I have bound every major area of sin in my life through obedience to Him, which has led to liberty in those areas. After completing this process, the Lord is now dealing with the strongman in my life.
Luke 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
Greek: When the strong one fully furnished with weaponry guards his palace, his goods, wealth, and property lie in peace and safety.
22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
Greek: But when a stronger one than the strong man comes upon him with a hostile intent, attacks him, and conquers him, he takes from the strong man the armor which he trusted in and thoroughly distributes out (to others) the strong one’s weapons and goods.
Jesus is obviously the stronger one.
My friends, the strong man must be defeated in two ways. We bind him to the point where there is not one significant area of unrepentant sin left in our lives.
Secondly, it is only the revelation of the Lord Jesus laboring in us by His grace, and attacking the strongman as the stronger one, that is effective.
With the strong man is finally bound and conquered we find ourselves running, leaping forward, and plundering for the Lord!
Mark 1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
Rebuked him – Greek “To heap something upon someone’s honor.”
All created things have an honor that makes them to be what they are. An honor that belongs to someone, or something, is the glory that makes that created being to be what it is. Even sickness and sin has a glory, though perverse, that identifies it as a particular sickness or sin, and gives to it its substance and power.
When we rebuke a sickness with faith in the name of the Lord Jesus, we destroy the very substance and power of the sickness, by coming against its honor.
Hold thy peace – From the word to muzzle something. Effectively the Lord Jesus commands the demon to be reduced to silence and his activity to be placed in check.
Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place ( a space or airport landing strip) which has been marked off) to the devil.
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
The kingdom of God is taken by spiritual violence, spiritually strong, and spiritually forceful people, who from moment to moment snatch, seize, and take it away as a precious bounty.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed( don’t follow the schematic drawing or the blueprint of this world system) to this world: but be ye transformed( metamorphosis; or attain to a complete and radical inward change and becoming a totally different person) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove( only when we are radically changed can we then test, approve and own for ourselves the mature, well pleasing, and good will of God) what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Transformation is the same word used for the metamorphosis of a tadpole to a frog or a caterpillar to a butterfly. If we do not pay the price to affect that transformation, we will never be free.
Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Of no account do I make my life or hold my life in honor, so that I may complete my course on the horse track on which I am racing upon with joy, and the ministry that I received from the Lord to testify fully and thoroughly of the glad tidings of the grace of God.
Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after ( BIBLICAL WORD FOR PERSECUTION) , if that I may apprehend (GRASP AND SEIZE) that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
I persecute, pursue, and overtake, in hope that I can grasp, seize, and make my own, all of what is contained in what Christ originally grasped and seized me for.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Therefore I neglect and no longer care for what is behind me. I stretch myself out and towards, and run swiftly after what is before me. The direction being, the mark of the goal of the high price of unbroken fellowship of Christ’s resurrection life, and the hope of His calling for me.
1 Timothy 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Seize and grab to, pull in, and make it our own possession. Eternal life while we are on the earth is the resurrection life. It does not come magically to us but must be seized and pulled in and obtained though obedience.
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Matthew 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Took from the Greek word to receive. To get, possess and make my own. The foolish virgins did not obtain, and possessed the fullness of the Spirit.
Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth(inward strength and force, to have strength to overcome health, ability, capacity) any thing, nor uncircumcision,but a new creature.
Only Christ being formed and birthed in us is of any capacity or ability for us to overcome and get the spiritual victory.
It’s impossible to get this type of revelation as the one above from a Bible phone app.
I look at the exegetical commentaries and Biblical language word studies that I painstakingly purchased over many birthdays and Christmases.
Most of them are free and can be freely downloaded.
There is absolutely no excuse not to be a scholar of God’s word today if we so do want it.
Am 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
America is in a famine of the hearing of the Word of God, though our access to it and its exegetical study is at an unprecedented pinnacle in history.
Jose and Mary Alvarez 