The Revelation

Of The Cross
What The Lord Gave To Me In 1997

The Cross Of Christ Series

Jimmy Swaggart Study Guide

 ISBN 978-1-934655-33-7
06-033 • COPYRIGHT © 2007 World Evangelism Press®
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER
1. CHAPTER 1 — The Revelation Of The Cross (What The Lord Gave
To Me In 1997)
2. CHAPTER 2 — One Of The Greatest Days Of My Life
3. CHAPTER 3 — The Sin Nature
4. CHAPTER 4 — The Cross Of Christ
5. CHAPTER 5 — The Holy Spirit
 Chapter 1
The Revelation Of The Cross
What The Lord Gave To Me In 1997

SUBJECT
HOW TO LIVE FOR GOD
THE TICKET PAYS FOR EVERYTHING
PREACHERS
THE GREATEST DECISION I EVER MADE!
IS SIN A CHOICE?
SANCTIFICATION
SIN IS THE PROBLEM
 CHAPTER ONE

THE REVELATION OF THE CROSS

What The Lord Gave To Me In 1997
Public humiliation, and especially on a worldwide basis, is a trauma that many people
never get over. There is no way to describe it. Perhaps what I heard sometime ago might
come close to explaining it.
Every ounce of skin pulled from one’s body with every nerve exposed, perhaps would
be a physical way to explain that of which I speak.
Then, on top of that, when one has failed, despite doing everything that one knows to
do not to fail, and is left only with confusion, and the Lord is never the author of confusion,
the situation quickly becomes unbearable.
In such a situation, regrettably and sadly, everyone else knows why you have failed,
and they are quick to voice their opinion. But the truth is, they do not know.

HOW TO LIVE FOR GOD

I came to find out in all of this, that most of the modern Church has little idea how to
live for God. Oh yes, one can definitely be Saved without knowing how to properly live for
the Lord, but one most definitely cannot walk in victory without knowing how to live for
God.
I realize the statement, “not knowing how to live for God,” sounds somewhat over
simplistic. One would think that every Christian would automatically know how to live for
God, but the truth is, they don’t. If one doesn’t understand the Message of the Cross, even
as it was given to us by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul, then simply put, such a
Believer does not know how to live for God.
The following little illustration is known by all, but I think it bears repeating.
It really happened!

THE TICKET PAYS FOR EVERYTHING

A young man and his wife, raised in poverty in Ireland, had scrimped and saved for
several years to try to purchase passage to the United States. They desired to immigrate to
this country. Where they were, it seems there was no opportunity, so they desired above
everything else to come to the land they had heard so much about, the United States of
America.
They finally scraped together enough funds to purchase the least expensive ticket on a
ship coming to this great country.
The voyage was almost over, and one of the Stewards on the ship happened to walk by
their little cabin. As stated, they had the least accommodating quarters. The door was open,
so he stopped to chat with them for a few moments.
He saw crumbs on the bed, and asked what it was?
 The man answered, “That’s our lunch.”
The Steward retorted by saying, “What do you mean, your lunch?”
The man answered, “Yes, that’s our lunch. We had enough money for passage, but we
didn’t have any money left over for food. So we packed what little we could, and by now it’s
getting stale and very difficult to eat.”
The Steward stood there looking at them for a few moments, and said, “Do you mean to
say that you have been eating this type of food the entire voyage?”
Again the man answered, “Yes! We simply didn’t have money for anything else.” The
Steward looked at them and said, “The ticket you purchased also paid for your food. In fact,
there are several restaurants on this ship, and you have access to all of them. You can eat
all the food you like, as many times a day as you desire.”
The man and his wife stood there looking at the Steward and finally said, “You mean
the ticket we purchased, also paid for our food, which means we have been needlessly
eating this stale bread?”
“That’s exactly what I’ve stated,” the Steward answered!
That little illustration describes very well, I think, the plight of most Christians. The
ticket that Jesus purchased for us at Calvary’s Cross, pays for everything. But the truth is,
most Christians, even though they have “more abundant life,” even as every Born-Again
Believer does, simply aren’t enjoying “more abundant life.” In other words, due to a
paucity of understanding as it regards the Cross of Christ, which is the means by which
Christ gives us everything, as previously stated, most Christians, even Preachers, simply do
not know how to live for God. As a result, our Spiritual Life, which flows into every other
aspect of our being, is so much less than what it ought to be.

PREACHERS
When Believers come to Preachers seeking help, most of the time the Preacher doesn’t
know what to tell them. Let me give you an illustration from my own experience, which I
feel would be typical of that which happens untold numbers of times each day all around
the world.
Years ago, Frances and I were in a particular Service, to which we had been invited.
After the Service, scores of people gathered around to shake hands, and so many were
so kind. After most of the crowd had thinned out, a young man walked up to me, and said,
“Brother Swaggart, I need help!”
I looked at him. His eyes were full of tears, which instantly told me that he was dead
serious.
He went on to state how that he had been Saved for sometime, and baptized with the
Holy Spirit, but then he added, “Brother Swaggart, I’m fighting homosexuality.”
He then went on to say, “I’m doing everything I know to do to get victory, but I’m
failing, and I don’t know what to do.”
He paused for a moment, and then said, “Can you help me?!”
This was in 1987. At that time, I did not know the Message of the Cross. In other
words, I did not know nor understand God’s Prescribed Order of Victory. So I told him
what most every Preacher would tell him.
 I told him that he had to seek the Lord to a greater degree. He had to consecrate more. I
then concluded, if I remember correctly, by adding what most Preachers say, “You’ve got to
try harder!”
I’ll never forget the haunting look in his eyes. He looked at me and nodded his head,
and said, “I’ll try.”
Deep down in my heart, I knew that what I had told him was not sufficient, but yet, and
as stated, at that time I really did not know the answer.
Most modern Preachers will give the same advice that I have just mentioned, or else
they will state, “You need professional help,” which has become the rage in most modern
Churches. The latter speaks of psychological help. Without going into any detail, there is
no help from that source. James answered that directly when he said: “Glory not (boast
not), and lie not against the truth. (This refers to the fact that if we do boast of anything
other than the Cross, then we are ‘lying,’ pure and simple [Gal. 6:14].)
“This wisdom descends not from above (any wisdom that claims Salvation or Victory in
any way or manner other than the Cross is not wisdom from above), but is earthly, sensual,
devilish. (Whatever its appeal, if it’s not the Cross, it is of Satan. This covers humanistic
psychology, plus anything else devised by men, i.e., ‘demons’)” (James 3:14–15).
There is only one answer for humanity, and that is the Cross of Christ. Let’s say it in
another way:
The only thing standing between mankind and the Judgment of God is the Cross of
Christ.
The only solution for humanity is the Cross of Christ!
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Source of everything that we receive from God, and the
Cross of Christ is the Means by which these things are given unto us (Rom. 6:1–14; 8:1–2,
11; I Cor. 1:17–18, 23; 2:2; Col. 2:14–15).
The Revelation, which the Lord gave me concerning the Cross in 1997, answers the
question as to how to live for God. In fact, it is the only answer, the answer that I hope to
give you in this short Volume.

THE GREATEST DECISION I EVER MADE!

As stated, when one has failed, and one doesn’t really know why one has failed,
especially considering that everything has been done that one knows to do, such a person is
left very confused. As such, Satan takes full advantage!
Several of us were sitting in the living room of our home in Baton Rouge. The Ministry
was in shambles, and the fault was mine. Yes, the fault was mine and in totality, but not as
most people think. The fault was mine in my not functioning according to God’s Word. The
truth is, I thought I was functioning according to His Word, but I wasn’t.
A few weeks ago (as I dictate these notes), I read the account of a Pastor, with whom I
am not acquainted, who pastored a tremendously large Church in a distant State, and who
had failed. He had to resign his Church, and the humiliation was awful.
Without going into detail as to what the failure was, he went on to state how night after
night he would cry himself to sleep, struggling with this power of darkness within his life
that seemingly he could not overcome. He would vow before the Lord never to do it again,
and he would earnestly repent, but not knowing how to properly live for God, not
understanding the Cross, every time, he would do it again, until finally he was exposed
with all the resultant humiliation and shame.
Was this man a hypocrite?
No he wasn’t!
The truth is, even though he was trying in all the wrong ways, he was trying his best to
live for God. And the Reader had best read these words very carefully. Because one can try
with all of one’s strength, and if one does not function according to God’s Manner and
Provision of Victory, one is going to fail, no matter how hard they try.

IS SIN A CHOICE?
Functioning in a particular Denomination for many, many years, I heard Preachers say
over and over again, as it regarded a fellow Preacher who had failed, etc. “Sin is a choice,”
they would say! “All they had to do,” as the rhetoric continued, “was to simply say no and
walk away.”
Is it that simple?
No, it’s not!
Paul said, and I quote from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE: “For that which I do
(the failure) I allow not (should have been translated, “I understand not”; these are not the
words of an unsaved man, as some claim, but rather a Believer who is trying and failing):
for what I would, that do I not (refers to the obedience he wants to render to Christ, but
rather fails; why? As Paul explained, the Believer is married to Christ, but is being
unfaithful to Christ by spiritually cohabiting with the Law, which frustrates the Grace of
God; that means the Holy Spirit will not help such a person, which guarantees failure [Gal.
2:21]; but what I hate, that do I (refers to sin in his life which he doesn’t want to do, and in
fact hates, but finds himself unable to stop; unfortunately, due to the fact of not
understanding the Cross as it refers to Sanctification, this is the plight of most modern
Christians)” (Rom. 7:15).
There are three things that characterize every person who is truly Born-Again. They are:
• The Believer loves the Lord.
• The Believer loves the Word of God.
• The Believer hates sin.
Yes, sin is a matter of choice, but not as I was told as a young Preacher.
The choice is, do we function God’s Way, or do we function in a way devised by
ourselves or other men? That’s the choice!
The sadness is, most Believers, including Preachers, do not function according to God’s
Manner of Victory, either because of ignorance of the Word, or rank unbelief. Regrettably,
I’m afraid that in most cases, unbelief is the problem.
As it regards the Seventh Chapter of Romans, the Holy Spirit allowed the Apostle Paul
to give us a page out of his own life and living.
After Paul was Saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit, he set out to live for the Lord
thinking that he could now keep the Ten Commandments. But to his dismay, he found that
he couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. In his defense, this was before the great Word of
the Cross was given. In fact, it would be given to him (Gal 1:12).
 The Message of the Cross is actually the meaning of the New Covenant. It’s that to
which the Old Covenant strained, and is the pivot point of the entirety of the Word of God.
In other words, the entirety of the Bible is the Story of “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.”
As stated, the meaning of the New Covenant, which is the meaning of the Cross, was given
to the Apostle Paul, the meaning of which he gave to us in his fourteen Epistles. Unless one
understands that meaning, one simply cannot successfully live for God.
And I might quickly ask, if the great Apostle Paul couldn’t properly live for God
without knowing and practicing this great Truth, the Truth of the Cross, then how in the
world do we think that we can do what he was not able to do?
Many Preachers attempt to pass off the Seventh Chapter of Romans as Paul’s
experience before he was Saved. A mere cursory examination of this Seventh Chapter
totally refutes such erroneous thinking.
No! The Seventh Chapter of Romans is the experience of the Apostle Paul after he had
come to Christ and had been baptized with the Holy Spirit. In fact, this experience of the
Apostle of spiritual failure, probably lasted for several years, at least until the Lord gave
him the great Revelation of the Cross.
And there’s something else we must quickly add here, beginning with the Seventh
Verse of this Seventh Chapter of Romans, the tenses regarding the verbs change. To help us
understand it, they change from the past tense to the present. In other words, the great
Apostle is saying, and beginning with the Seventh Verse, that even now, if he tries to live
for God by any means other than God’s Prescribed Order, he will fail, just as surely as his
name is what it is. And that goes for every other Believer as well.
The truth is, most good Christians are stating in their heart of hearts, “O wretched man
that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). Let me quote
this Verse from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE:
“O wretched man that I am! (Any Believer who attempts to live for God outside of
God’s Prescribed Order, which is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified,” will, in fact, live a
wretched and miserable existence. This life can only be lived in one way, and that way is
the Cross.) Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (The minute he cries ‘Who,’
he finds the path to Victory, for he is now calling upon a Person for help, and that Person is
Christ; actually, the Greek Text is masculine, indicating a Person)” (Rom. 7:24).
But it doesn’t have to be that way. The Lord, through the Apostle, has given to us the
key to the grandest and most wonderful Life, this Life is imparted by Christ. As we have
stated, Christ is the Source of this Life, the Cross is the Means by which He gives it to us.

SANCTIFICATION
Most modern Believers have some understanding as it regards the Cross respecting
Salvation; however, basically, the modern Church has no understanding at all, as it regards
the Cross referring to our Sanctification, i.e., “the manner and way in which we live for
God on a daily basis.” In fact, the Cross of Christ has been so little preached in the last
several decades that the modern Church doesn’t know anymore where it’s been, where it is,
or where it’s going. Preachers are proposing every type of panacea, every type of solution,
every proposed answer that one can think of, as it regards our daily living for the Lord, and
most all of it is wrong. Listen again to Paul:
“For Christ sent me not to baptize (presents to us a Cardinal Truth), but to preach the
Gospel (the manner in which one may be Saved from sin): not with wisdom of words
(intellectualism is not the Gospel), lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
(This tells us in no uncertain terms that the Cross of Christ must always be the emphasis of
the Message)” (I Cor. 1:17).
Paul is not knocking Water Baptism, but rather stating that nothing should be the
emphasis except the Cross of Christ.
Regrettably, modern Preachers are holding up Water Baptism as the answer, the Lord’s
Supper as the answer, memorizing Scriptural Texts as the answer, The Purpose Driven Life
Book as the answer, humanistic psychology as the answer, etc.
Some of the things mentioned are perfectly Scriptural in their own right, but they are
not the answer to a victorious life. I speak of Water Baptism, of the Lord’s Supper, of
Scriptural memorization, etc. Let me state it again:
These things in their own right are proper, excellent, and will be of tremendous
blessing, as should be obvious; however, to try to make them function in a manner that God
never intended, will not bring the desired results.
In other words, as wonderful as memorizing Scriptures is, and I memorize them
constantly, one can do so on a continuing basis, and quote them every day of one’s life, and
while one will be blessed in such activity, as should be obvious, one will not have victory
over sin.

SIN IS THE PROBLEM

Sin is the problem, and the Cross of Christ is the only answer for that problem. Paul
also said:
“But this Man (this Priest, Christ Jesus), after He had offered One Sacrifice for sins
forever (speaks of the Cross), sat down on the Right Hand of God (refers to the great
contrast with the Priests under the Levitical system, who never sat down because their work
was never completed; the Work of Christ was a ‘Finished Work,’ and needed no repetition);
“From henceforth expecting until His enemies be made His footstool. (These enemies
are Satan and all the fallen Angels and demon spirits, plus all who follow Satan.)
“For by one Offering He has perfected forever them who are Sanctified. (Everything
one needs is found in the Cross [Gal. 6:14])” (Heb. 10:12–14).
So, we are told in these Verses, that there is only one Sacrifice for sin, one means of
cleansing, one means of expiation, and that is the Cross of Christ.
Then Paul began to tell us how to successfully and thereby properly live for the Lord,
the information is contained in many places in his writings, but above all, in the Sixth
Chapter of Romans. He begins that Chapter by telling us that sin is the problem, and yes, it
is the problem even with Christians, and especially with Christians.
We should understand, that the admonition given by the Apostle in the Sixth Chapter of
Romans is for Believers. It’s not for unbelievers, for they don’t know what he’s talking
about. So he tells us:
 “What shall we say then? (This is meant to direct attention to Rom. 5:20). Shall we
continue in sin, that Grace may abound? (Just because Grace is greater than sin doesn’t
mean that the Believer has a license to sin.)
“God forbid (presents Paul’s answer to the question, ‘Away with the thought, let not
such a thing occur’). How shall we, who are dead to sin (dead to the sin nature), live any
longer therein? (This portrays what the Believer is now in Christ)” (Rom. 6:1–2).
As the great Apostle sets out, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to give to us God’s
Prescribed Order of Victory, he begins with the problem, and that problem is sin.
He then tells us, and emphatically so in Verses 3 through 5 that the Cross of Christ is
the solution to that dilemma and, in fact, the only solution. There is no other.
Unfortunately, the modern Church has relegated the word “sin” to the dustbin of
antiquity. In other words, the modern Church says we should not mention sin, because that
may offend unbelievers. Other parts of the Church claim that now that a person is a
Believer, sin is no longer the problem. It is also claimed by some that if the Preacher
mentions sin, that will create a sin consciousness in the heart and life of the Believer,
thereby causing him to sin. So, the way to keep a Believer from sinning, or so they say, is
to never mention sin.
That’s strange, when one considers that Paul mentions sin in the Sixth Chapter of
Romans alone, some 17 times.
No, it is impossible to tell one how to have victory over sin, if one doesn’t mention sin.
How foolish can we be?!
 Chapter 2
One Of The Greatest
Days Of My Life

SUBJECT
THE PRAYER MEETINGS
TELEVISION
MIRACULOUS PROVISION
SEEK ME NOT SO MUCH FOR WHAT I CAN DO,
BUT RATHER FOR WHO I AM
DISCOURAGEMENT!
REPENTANCE
HOW DO WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS?
THE SEVENTH CHAPTER OF ROMANS
FRUSTRATING THE GRACE OF GOD
WHAT IS GRACE?
A FORMULA THAT MIGHT BE OF SOME HELP
 CHAPTER TWO

ONE OF THE GREATEST

DAYS OF MY LIFE
To be sure, the day in question, which was in October of 1991, certainly did not seem at
that time to be anything positive. In fact, everything looked dark, in fact, so dark, that there
didn’t seem to be any way out.
Almost all of the advice that I was getting at that time, I found out later, was totally
contrary to the Word of God. If I had followed that advice, I would have destroyed myself.
Regrettably, that of which I speak was coming from Preachers.
Some time in the afternoon of the day in question, with Frances by my side and a few
friends (I don’t remember if Donnie was there at that moment, but he most definitely was
every other time if not then), I laid my Bible on the table in front of me, and said, “I don’t
know the answer to a victorious, overcoming, Christian life, but I know the answer is in this
Book. And by the Grace of God I’m going to find it.” It was one of the greatest decisions I
ever made, and regrettably, I had to make it in the face of almost the entirety of the Church
world, who was advocating something else entirely.
If I remember correctly, it was the same day in question. That night we all went to
prayer, and the Lord mightily and gloriously moved. In fact, it was one of the most
powerful movings and operations of the Holy Spirit that I have ever felt, seen, witnessed, or
experienced.
The Lord spoke that night and said, “I’m not a man that I should lie, neither the son of
man that I should repent. What I have blessed, nothing can curse.”
The gist of that utterance comes from Numbers 23:8, 19–20.
When that utterance was given, I then knew that I had direction from the Lord as to
what I should do. I might quickly add, as that utterance was given, the Power of God swept
that place in such a way as to defy all description. In other words, no one had to ask, “Is it
of the Lord?” It was obvious that what had happened was most definitely of the Lord.

THE PRAYER MEETINGS

As previously stated, when I laid my Bible on the table and stated, “I don’t know the
answer to a victorious, overcoming, Christian life, but I know that the answer is found in
the Word of God.” And then I continued, “And by the Grace of God I’m going to find that
answer.”
Now when most Christians read these words that I’ve just written, and especially
Preachers, almost all will immediately conclude that they definitely do know the answer to
a victorious, overcoming life. But the Truth is, they don’t! Unless one knows and
understands the Cross of Christ as it refers to Sanctification, in other words, the manner and
the way in which we live this life on a daily basis, then one doesn’t know or understand the
key to victorious living. It is just that simple! And the truth is, and as stated, precious few
individuals presently, and that includes Preachers, understand the Cross as it regards
Sanctification. Salvation? To an extent yes. Sanctification? No!
If my memory is correct, it was the morning after the Lord had moved so graciously the
night before. I was on my way to the office. I remember basically the exact place I was
when the Spirit of the Lord spoke to my heart and stated, “I want you to begin two prayer
meetings a day, one in the morning and one in the evening.” This would be with the
exception of Service nights, such as Wednesday evening and Sunday morning and evening.
I’ve always had a strong prayer life. My grandmother when I was a child, taught me to
pray. She taught me to believe God. In a sense, she was my Bible School and my Seminary.
More than likely, what she taught me could be wrapped up in the following phrase. She
would tell me, and often:
“Jimmy, God is a big God, so ask big.”
That simple admonition of Faith has helped me to touch this world for Christ, and to see
literally hundreds of thousands brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. She taught
me to believe God! To take everything to Him in prayer! So, as stated, I’ve always had a
strong prayer life. In fact, I think it’s impossible for any Believer to have a proper
relationship with the Lord, unless they have a proper prayer life. Regrettably and sadly,
exactly as it was prophesied on Azusa Street at the turn of the Twentieth Century, “People
are praising God to Whom they no longer pray.” Sadly, that is true! In other words, this is
not a Church praying generation.
And yet, despite the fact of having a strong prayer life, if someone had told me previous
to what the Lord spoke to my heart, that I should have two prayer meetings a day, I would
have thought that would have been a bit much. But I knew it was the Lord, and I set out to
obey Him exactly as instructed.
Every morning at 10:00 a.m. several of us would gather together at the Ministry to seek
the Lord. Every evening at 6:30 we would do the same again. Sometimes there would be no
more than three or four present, and sometimes there would be 25 or 30. Actually, I kept
this regimen for over 10 years, and to a point, still continue it on a personal basis.
Once again if I remember correctly, it was in the first morning Prayer Meeting that we
had at the office. All of our staff members had gathered together. To be frank, the Ministry
at that time, didn’t look like it had much future. None of us knew what to do, except to take
it to the Lord in prayer.
Once again, the Spirit of God moved that morning in such a way as to defy all
description.
I didn’t even know if I was to continue preaching, until the Lord spoke to my heart in
the prayer meeting the night before saying to me, “I’m not a man that I should lie, neither
the son of man that I should repent. What I’ve blessed nothing can curse.”
With that Word He was telling me, that He had called me to preach when I was a child,
had put me in the Ministry, had helped me to touch this world for Christ, and that His Plans
for me had never changed. In other words, when God calls someone, He doesn’t rescind
that Call. Men may drift from that Call, in fact, may refuse to carry out what God has called
them to do, but that’s on man’s part and not God’s. The Scripture plainly says:
“For the Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance” (Rom. 11:29). The notes
from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE say: “The Gifts and Calling of God are not
subject to a change of mind on God’s Part.”
 Regrettably, religious men may attempt to stop the Call of God on someone’s life, but
God never does.
So, the Lord answered that question for me in no uncertain terms. He had called me to
preach, He had anointed me to preach, and I was to continue to preach this Gospel
irrespective as to what men might say.
However, there was another lingering question in my mind. Should I continue on
Television?
The Lord had called me for Television back in 1975. He had helped me to touch this
world for Christ through Television, actually seeing literally hundreds of thousands brought
to a Saving knowledge of Redemption through Christ Jesus. In fact, our Telecast had been
aired over a major part of the world, translated into various languages.
While Television reaches an enormous number of people, which is the idea of the
Gospel, still, it takes an enormous amount of money to get it done. And there was no other
way that we had to raise these funds except from the people, and how could we do so,
considering that they had lost confidence in us?
All of these thoughts were in my mind. What should I do? When the Lord spoke to me,
graphically so, that I was to continue preaching, did that mean to continue with Television
as well?
So that morning in our first morning Prayer Meeting at the office, all of these things
weighed heavily on my mind.
Once again, the Lord spoke mightily and Moved mightily that morning, and Moved on
everyone there. Again, there was no doubt it was the Lord, and there was no doubt as to
what He was saying.

TELEVISION
As we went before the Lord that morning, and after I had expressed my feelings and
questions to all of my associates, the Lord answered and in a most powerful way.
The Lord spoke to my heart and stated, “I have called you for Television, and you are to
continue to use this medium to spread My Word.”
I see it in my mind’s eye like it happened yesterday. I was sitting on the floor as I was
seeking the Lord, and then the question loomed large. “But Lord, how can we pay for the
programming?”
As stated, even though tremendous numbers of people are reached by Television, still, it
costs a lot of money to pay for the airtime and the overhead.
And then the Lord gave me an illustration that adequately answered my question. He
took me to an obscure illustration given only in the Gospel according to Matthew.

MIRACULOUS PROVISION
I’ll give it to you directly from the Word of God, including the notes from THE
EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE.
“And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to
Peter, and said, does not your Master pay tribute? (Temple tax, of about a half shekel per
person, required of every Jew yearly [Ex. 30:13].)
 “He (Peter) said, yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented
(confronted) him, saying, what do you think, Simon? (Revealed by the Spirit, Jesus
questions Peter even before Peter broaches the subject.) Of whom do the kings of the earth
take custom or tribute? Of their own children, or of strangers? (Assumes the answer.)
“Peter said unto Him, of strangers (the correct answer). Jesus said unto him, then are
the children free. (Jesus was Lord of the Temple, therefore, did not owe the tax, nor His
Disciples).
“Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them (proclaims Him paying the tax, even
though not owed, in order that His enemies not have any occasion against Him), go thou to
the sea (Galilee), and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first comes up; and when you
have opened his mouth, you shall find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them from
Me and you. (It was a shekel, which was enough to pay the tax for both Peter and Christ)”
(Mat. 17:24–27).
After bringing that illustration to my mind and, as stated, found only in Matthew, the
Lord spoke to my heart, and stated, “As I met the need that day as it regards the taxes,
likewise, I will meet the need as it regards Television and, in fact, the entirety of the
Ministry.”
I knew it was the Lord Who had spoken this to me; therefore, I sat there on the floor
weeping before Him, thanking Him for His Answer as to what I should do about
Television, and the manner in which the expenses would be met.
But yet, it came to my mind graphically so, that this has to be the most unorthodox way
to raise money in which one could ever think.
To be sure, such a manner would stretch my Faith, which evidently was intended by the
Lord. Figuratively speaking, He would find fish after fish, and the money would be
supplied.
That was in October of 1991. I have watched the Lord from that day until now do
exactly what He said He would do. Money would be found in the most unorthodox places,
all supplied by the Lord. The only difference between then and now, is that now we need
bigger fish.
Since that day, there have been many times when it looked like the needs would not be
met. The bills would pile up, with seemingly no way to pay them. But then at the last
moment, the Lord would supply another fish, so to speak, and money would be supplied,
with the bills paid, which one I think could say, constitutes a Miracle each time. How we
give the Lord all the praise and all the glory.
That was our first prayer meeting as a group, and the Lord started it off in a tremendous
way.
And then at a point in time, the Lord told me as to what these prayer meetings were all
about.

SEEK ME NOT SO MUCH FOR WHAT I CAN DO, BUT RATHER FOR WHO I
AM
After several weeks of prayer meetings, the Lord again spoke to my heart, and stated, as
it regarded these prayer meetings, “Do not seek me so much for what I can do, but rather
for Who I am!”
 This did not mean that we were not to lay our needs before the Lord, but rather, that the
emphasis must be placed on Who He is, rather than what He can do. In other words, the
Lord was desiring that a greater relationship be established between Himself and this
Evangelist. In fact, all prayer should lean toward that direction—relationship.
At this stage of the game, the Lord really didn’t tell me what these prayer meetings
were about, that for which I was to seek, except what I’ve just related. Nothing was said
about the Cross of Christ. In fact, if someone had asked me about the Cross of Christ, I
would have thought that I understood the subject as well as most Preachers. As it regarded
the answer to my dilemma, how to live a victorious, overcoming, Christian life, nothing
was stated by the Lord as it regarded that all-important subject. In fact, I didn’t even really
know that for which I was to ask, for which I was to seek, I had only one directive, and that
was increased relationship.
That was in 1991 that the Lord gave me instructions as it regarded the beginning of the
Prayer Meetings, and it was not until 1997 that the Lord gave me the Revelation of the
Cross.
During those times, the Holy Spirit would move greatly, opening up to me various
Passages of the Word of God, which would prove to be a tremendous blessing. But there
was nothing that answered my question.

DISCOURAGEMENT!
I actually did not even really know what to expect. That for which I was seeking was in
generalized terms, and not at all specific. I knew what I wanted, at least I thought I knew
what I needed, but I had no idea as to the manner it would be given. Six years is a long
time. To be frank, at times I would grow discouraged. Why was it taking the Lord so long?
Other than great Blessings, which came at times, as it regarded these prayer sessions, there
was no indication that I would receive anything more. But yet, the Lord had said to conduct
two Prayer Meetings a day, and He left it open-ended. In other words, He never told me
how long it would take, or what would happen whenever the answer came. I was to just
continue.
I look back now, and I realize that the Lord was teaching me many things. My Faith
was being tested, as well as my hunger and thirst for the Word of God.
At a particular point in time I grew very discouraged. As previously asked, why was it
taking so long?
I voiced my concerns to the Lord, and did so quite a few times. And then my mind left
the subject, at least to the degree of discouragement, as the Prayer Meetings continued.
I don’t honestly remember what night it was, but I can still see the setting, and the few
people who were there.
I had read a Text from the Word of God, commented on it for a few moments, as I
always did, and then we went to prayer.
It must have been about ten or fifteen minutes into my seeking the Lord, when all of a
sudden, His Presence covered me. He spoke to my heart and said, “You have asked me as to
why it’s taking so long. This is my answer to you.”
The Lord then gave me one of the most obscure Passages in the Word of God. It says:
 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon
line; here a little, and there a little” (Isa. 28:10).
The meaning of the Passage as taken from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE is:
“The Hebrew word for ‘precept’ is ‘tsav’ and means ‘injunction’ or ‘commandment.’
The second ‘precept’ is from the Hebrew word ‘tsavah,’ which means ‘to enjoin’ or ‘to
appoint, charge, set in order.’ The Hebrew for ‘line’ is ‘qav,’ which means ‘a rule,
measuring cord, here a little and there a little.’
“The idea is that everything must be measured by the Word of God. No other
‘measurement’ will be accepted.”
In answer to my question, as to why it was taking so long, this is what the Lord gave
me.
At that time, I really did not understand what the Lord was saying. What an obscure
Passage! Why did the Lord give me that?
And yet, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it was the Lord Who spoke to my
heart.
I came to find out, that basically He was saying two things. They are:
• First of all, He was telling me that everything must be lined up with the Word of
God, and perfectly.
• Second, He was telling me that when He did give me the answer, that it would come
“here a little and there a little,” i.e., “little by little.”
And that’s exactly the way it has all come, and continues to come even unto this hour—
a little here and a little there.
In fact, when the Lord first opened up to me the Message of the Cross, I realized that
what He was giving me was absolutely phenomenal. I had the presence of mind to request
of Him that this door would remain open, in other words, that He would continue to teach
me, which He most definitely has, “here a little and there a little.”
While the Lord had answered my petition, still, I really did not know that for which I
was seeking, did not even really know that for which to ask. But of course, the Lord knew,
as He always knows.
I’m going to make a statement on Repentance that may seem out of place at this time;
however, as we go forward, I think it will become clearer as to why I’m addressing the
subject here.

REPENTANCE
The first thing we must understand is, Repentance, as much as it is needed, and even
demanded by the Lord, still, is not Deliverance. That’s the reason that individuals who truly
love God, but yet do not understand the Cross of Christ, repent over and over again, most
of the time for the same problem, whatever that problem might be. Their Repentance is
truthful, honest, sincere, and Scriptural. As well, the forgiveness as given by the Lord, as
should be understood, is genuine and real. But unless the Believer understands the Message
of the Cross, that same individual, despite the fact of trying not to do so, will find himself
or herself committing the same sin all over again, and despite that previous Repentance.
Now many will look at such a thing, and claim that the Repentance was not genuine.
That is wrong!
 The Scripture is clear. The Holy Spirit through John the Beloved said, “If we say that
we have no sin (refers to ‘the sin nature’), we deceive ourselves (refers to self-deception),
and the Truth is not in us. (This does not refer to all Truth as it regards Believers, but rather
that the Truth of the indwelling sinful nature is not in us.)
“If we confess our sins (pertains to acts of sin, whatever they might be; the sinner is to
believe [Jn. 3:16]; the Saint is to confess), He (the Lord) is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins (God will always be true to His Own Nature and Promises, keeping Faith with
Himself and with man), and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (‘All,’ not some. All
sin was remitted, paid for, and put away on the basis of the satisfaction offered for the
demands of God’s Holy Law, which sinners broke, when the Lord Jesus died on the Cross.)
“If we say that we have not sinned (here, John is denouncing the claims of sinless
perfection; he is going back to Verse 8, speaking of Christians who claim they had no sin
nature), we make Him a liar (the person who makes such a claim makes God a liar, because
the Word says the opposite), and His Word is not in us. (If we properly know the Word, we
will properly know that perfection is not in us at present, and will not be until the Trump
sounds.)”
John went on to say, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not.
(This presents the fact that the Lord saves us from sin, not in sin. This Passage tells us that
as Believers we don’t have to sin. Victory over sin is found exclusively in the Cross.) And if
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous (Jesus is
now seated at the Right Hand of the Father, signifying that His Mission is complete, and
His very Presence guarantees intercession [Heb. 7:25–27; 9:24; 10:12]:
“And He is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also
for the sins of the whole world. (This pertains to the fact that the satisfaction is as wide as
the sin. If men do not experience its benefit, the fault is not in its efficacy, but in man
himself)” (I Jn. 1:8–10; 2:1–2).
I think it would be proper to also give the next four Verses, for they deal with the same
subject.
“And hereby we do know that we know Him (refers to a ‘know so’ Salvation), if we keep
His Commandments. (This can be done only as the Believer understands that the Cross is
the solution for all things, and that it must ever be the Object of our Faith. That being done,
Christ will live through us by means of the Person of the Holy Spirit, and the
Commandments will be kept, referring to the entirety of the New Covenant [Gal. 2:20].)
“He who says, I know Him, and keeps not His Commandments (if our claims do not
correspond with His demands, then we really don’t know Him), is a liar, and the Truth is
not in him. (If one’s life is not changed by what is professed then one really doesn’t have
what is professed.)
“But whoso keeps His Word (we are to abide by the Word of God, ever making it the
rule of our lives, and we can do so if our Faith is solidly placed in the Cross), and in him
verily is the Love of God perfected (refers to the ‘Fruit’ of one who ‘keeps His Word’):
Hereby know we that we are in Him (refers to Rom. 6:3–5).
“He who says he abides in Him (pertains to a claim being made) ought himself also so
to walk, even as He (Christ) walked (pertains to the manner in which we order our
behavior)” (I Jn. 2:3–6).
HOW DO WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS?
The Holy Spirit is clear through John the Beloved that the Commandments of the Lord
must be kept. There is no argument about that. The question is, how can it be done?
The Commandments being spoken constitutes the entirety of the Word of God. It is to
be obeyed, and if it is obeyed, very positive results will follow. But again I ask, how can
this be done?
Many think that the act of Salvation, and I refer to being Born-Again, instantly gives a
person the ability to “keep the Commandments.” Others think that the Baptism with the
Holy Spirit, which is always accompanied by speaking with other Tongues, is what gives
us the power. In fact, most Pentecostals (and I am Pentecostal) believe this; however, this is
wrong.
Victory over sin, for that’s what we’re talking about, is not gained by the Baptism with
the Holy Spirit, nor any of the Gifts of the Spirit. Don’t misunderstand, these things are
tremendously wonderful, and that in which every Believer must participate; however, just
because one speaks in Tongues everyday, does not mean at all, that one walks in victory.
Actually, and please read the following carefully:
Most Spirit-filled Believers, and I speak of those who are truly Spirit-filled, are not
living a life of victory over sin, but rather the very opposite, despite the fact that they are
desperately trying not to fail. Let me prove that from the Word of God.

THE SEVENTH CHAPTER OF ROMANS

The great Apostle Paul was Saved on the road to Damascus. His Salvation was dramatic
to say the least! He actually had a Vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, and better than that, one
most likely could say that he actually saw Christ (Acts 9:1–7).
Some three days later, Ananias was commissioned by the Lord to go pray for Paul (then
called “Saul”) in which Paul would then receive his sight (he had been blinded on the road
to Damascus by the great Vision he saw of Christ), and that he might be baptized with the
Holy Spirit (Acts 9:8–18).
Paul then instantly began to preach the Gospel, in other words, he began to preach
Christ (Acts 9:19–22).
But yet, despite all of this, seeing a Vision of Christ, being Born-Again, being baptized
with the Holy Spirit, and preaching the Gospel, still, Paul, according to his own words,
simply could not live victorious. The Seventh Chapter of Romans bears this out. This
should be a tremendous lesson to us and for us.
If Paul couldn’t live the life he ought to live, couldn’t be what he ought to be, couldn’t
walk as he knew he ought to walk, despite all of these great things that happened to him,
how do you think that you can do any better? Listen again to the Apostle. Even though the
following has already been addressed, please bear with me in addressing it again:
“For that which I do (the failure) I allow not (should have been translated, ‘I
understand not’; these are not the words of an unsaved man, as some claim, but rather a
Believer who is trying and failing): for what I would, that do I not (refers to the obedience
he wants to render to Christ, but rather fails; why? As Paul explained, the Believer is
married to Christ, but is being unfaithful to Christ by spiritually cohabiting with the Law,
which frustrates the Grace of God; that means the Holy Spirit will not help such a person,
which guarantees failure [Gal. 2:21]; but what I hate, that do I” (refers to sin in his life
which he doesn’t want to do, and in fact hates, but finds himself unable to stop;
unfortunately, due to the fact of not understanding the Cross as it refers to Sanctification,
this is the plight of most modern Christians)” (Rom. 7:15).
The Apostle then went on to say, “O wretched man that I am! (Any Believer who
attempts to live for God outside of God’s Prescribed Order, which is “Jesus Christ and Him
Crucified,” will, in fact, live a wretched and miserable existence. This life can only be lived
in one way, and that way is the Cross.) Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
(The minute he cries ‘Who,’ he finds the path to Victory, for he is now calling on a Person
for help, and that Person is Christ; actually, the Greek Text is masculine, indicating a
Person)” (Rom. 7:24).
Once again allow me to ask the question, if Paul couldn’t live a life of victory, despite
all the great things that had happened to him, and I speak of Paul before he was given the
Revelation of the Cross, how do you think that you can do what the great Apostle could not
do?
The truth is, unless one understands God’s Prescribed Order of Victory, which is the
Cross of Christ, and the manner in which it refers to our Sanctification, such a Believer
simply cannot live a victorious life. There are no exceptions!
In fact, it was to the Apostle Paul that the Lord gave the meaning of the New Covenant,
which is the meaning of the Cross, which the great Apostle gave to us in his fourteen
Epistles, and more specifically in Chapters 6, 7, and 8 of his Epistle to the Romans.

FRUSTRATING THE GRACE OF GOD

In a very abbreviated way, the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us how to live for God. He
said, “I am Crucified with Christ (as the Foundation of all Victory; Paul, here, takes us back
to Romans 6:3–5): nevertheless I live (have new life); yet not I (not by my own strength and
ability), but Christ lives in me (by virtue of me dying with Him on the Cross, and being
raised with Him in Newness of Life): and the life which I now live in the flesh (my daily
walk before God) I live by the Faith of the Son of God (the Cross is ever the Object of my
Faith), Who loved me, and gave Himself for me (which is the only way that I could be
Saved)” (Gal. 2:20).
Then the Apostle makes another statement, which regrettably, characterizes almost all
of the modern Church. We deal with here in this fashion, because most Believers would
argue with my statement, which says that the Believer, no matter his experience with the
Lord, cannot live a victorious life, unless he understands the Cross. In answer to that, the
Apostle said, “I do not frustrate the Grace of God (if we make anything other than the
Cross of Christ the Object of our Faith, we frustrate the Grace of God, which means we
stop its action, and the Holy Spirit will no longer help us): for if Righteousness come by the
Law (any type of Law), then Christ is dead in vain. (If I can successfully live for the Lord
by any means other than Faith in Christ and the Cross, then the Death of Christ was a
waste)” (Gal. 2:21).
That is the major difficulty with most Christians, and that includes all of us. We
“frustrate the Grace of God.”
 How do we do that?

WHAT IS GRACE?
Grace is simply the Goodness of God given to undeserving Believers. It is just that
simple! But there are several things about Grace that we must understand.
1. This is the Dispensation of Grace, but that doesn’t at all mean that Grace is
automatic. In fact, it most definitely is not automatic, even as Galatians 2:21; 5:2, 4 amply
proclaims.
2. God has no more Grace today than He did thousands of years ago. The Truth is, He
can now dispense Grace in a far greater quantity than ever before, and all because of the
Cross (Col. 2:14–15).
3. All of this means that the Cross is the Means by which Grace is dispensed to
Believers (Rom. 6:3–5; I Cor. 1:17–18, 23; 2:2).
4. For the Grace of God to come to the Believer in an uninterrupted flow, the Believer
must anchor his faith exclusively in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the Cross. If
our faith is divided, which is the cause of Grace being frustrated, the end result is never
positive but always extremely negative.

A FORMULA THAT MIGHT BE OF SOME HELP

The following is a formula that might help you the Believer to understand a little better
that of which we speak. Please look at it carefully.
• FOCUS: The Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:6).
• THE OBJECT OF FAITH: The Cross of Christ (Rom. 6:3–5).
• POWER SOURCE: The Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:1–2, 11).
• RESULTS: Victory (Rom. 6:14).
Now let’s look at the same formula, but yet inverted.
• FOCUS: Works (Eph. 2:8–9).
• OBJECT OF FAITH: Performance (Rom. 7:9).
• POWER SOURCE: Self (Lk. 9:23).
• RESULTS: Defeat (Gal. 5:4).
 Chapter 3
The Sin Nature

SUBJECT
THE DEFINITE ARTICLE REGARDING THE SIN NATURE
WHAT IS THE SIN NATURE?
WHY DOESN’T THE LORD REMOVE THE SIN NATURE AT CONVERSION?
THE DOMINATING SIN NATURE
VICTORY OVER THE SIN NATURE
UNBELIEF
IF JESUS WON TOTAL VICTORY AT THE CROSS, HOW CAN SATAN
CONTINUE TO HOLD MEN IN BONDAGE?
SINLESS PERFECTION?
THE POSITION AND THE CONDITION OF THE BELIEVER
THE JOY THAT FILLED MY HEART
 CHAPTER THREE

THE SIN NATURE

I actually don’t remember the day or the month in which the Lord began to give to me
this great Word of the Cross. In fact, there has been some argument even as it regards the
year; however, I believe it was 1997.
As was my custom, I had gone to the office early to prepare for our daily Broadcast
over the SonLife Radio Network. I was studying Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. I was in the
Sixth Chapter.
I was looking at various Commentaries, that is if I remember correctly, as it regards this
particular Chapter, which I came to find out was and is one of the most important Chapters
in the entirety of the Word of God.
In fact, I have learned that the entirety of the Bible strains toward Paul’s Epistle to the
Romans. It contains the theology of the Church. So, in effect, the entirety of the Old
Testament strains toward the Epistle to the Romans, while the entirety of the New
Testament, that is the part that follows Romans, links itself to this great Epistle. And as it
regards the Epistle to the Romans, the entirety of that Book strains toward the Sixth
Chapter, which is where the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul literally tells us how to
live for God. As stated, it is one of the single most important Chapters in the entirety of the
Word of God, and as it regards the subject at hand, I personally believe, the most
important!
I picked up a book that morning by the great Theologian, Kenneth Wuest. In fact, I had
read his material any number of times. At any rate, I was studying what he had to say about
this Sixth Chapter. And then I saw it. In fact, the Holy Spirit came upon me, and made it so
real what our Brother had to say as it regards the Sin Nature. In fact, the entirety of this
Sixth Chapter of Romans deals with this very problem—the sin nature.
The ironical thing about it is, I had previously read this same material at least once, and
maybe several times, but for some reason I did not properly understand what the good
Brother was teaching. But when the Holy Spirit came upon me, He made it crystal clear to
my heart and life as to what the sin nature is, how it operates, and, as well, how we can
have perpetual victory over this terrible difficulty that plagues every Believer.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this Volume, when one does wrong, and at the same
time is struggling with every ounce of his fiber and being to not do wrong, and then doesn’t
know why he has failed, this is a tremendously debilitating position in which to be. Such a
situation has caused untold difficulties for untold numbers of Believers down through the
ages.
We’ve dealt with this, and I won’t deal with it again except to say, if the Believer
doesn’t properly understand the Cross of Christ, he is left with little more than his
willpower to thwart the efforts of Satan. Paul graphically tells us that the willpower, while
necessary, is within itself inadequate. Listen to the great Apostle:
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing (speaks of man’s own
ability, or rather the lack thereof in comparison to the Holy Spirit, at least when it comes to
spiritual things): for to will is present with me (Paul is speaking here of his willpower;
regrettably, most modern Christians are trying to live for God by means of willpower,
thinking falsely that since they have come to Christ, they are now free to say ‘no’ to sin;
that is the wrong way to look at the situation; the Believer cannot live for God by the
strength of willpower; while the will is definitely important, it alone is not enough; the
Believer must exercise Faith in Christ and the Cross, and do so constantly; then he will
have the ability to say ‘yes’ to Christ, which automatically says, ‘no’ to the things of the
world); but how to perform that which is good I find not (outside of the Cross, it is
impossible to find a way to do good)” (Rom. 7:18).
To which we have already briefly addressed in this Volume, regrettably, most
Christians think that since they now know the Lord, they can easily say “no” to sin. When
they find out that it’s not that simple, they are left very confused.
Let the Reader understand, that the Lord does not strengthen a person’s willpower once
they come to Christ. The will remains the same. As we have stated, the will of the Believer
is most definitely very important; however, within itself, it is not enough to pull down the
strongholds of Satan.

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE REGARDING THE SIN NATURE

I realize that most Believers, especially if they aren’t Preachers, have never heard of the
statement “definite article.”
What is it?
When Paul originally wrote the Text, some fifteen of the seventeen times that he used
the word sin, he would have in front of that word “the,” making it read “the sin.” The word
“the” is what is referred to as the definite article.
When Paul used the term in this manner, this means that he wasn’t speaking of acts of
sin, but rather the sin nature or the sin principle, which is the root cause of sin. Regrettably,
when the King James people translated the New Testament, on most occasions they left off
the definite article. Possibly it was done because in English it makes the sentence sound
somewhat clumsy. At any rate, due to the fact of the King James translation, and most
every other translation I’ve seen, the definite article is not included as it originally was, and
gives a slightly different meaning to the Text, which keeps individuals from knowing and
understanding what the sin nature really is. In fact, there is only one Scripture in the Sixth
Chapter of Romans, just to use that Chapter as an example, which speaks of acts of sin. It
says:
“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the Law but under Grace? God
forbid” (Rom. 6:15).
In this one Verse, as stated, Paul is using the word “sin” as it regards acts of sin. Every
other occasion, even in the Fourteenth Verse, where the definite article is not used, still, he
is speaking of the sin nature.
(The word “sin” in Verse Fourteen is used as a noun instead of a verb; consequently,
Paul is speaking of the sin nature there as well.)
Now, some Preachers claim that the Believer no longer has a sin nature. He might have
had one before conversion, but after Salvation, such no longer exists. My answer to that is
this:
 Paul is addressing himself to Believers in the Sixth Chapter of Romans. He is not
dealing with the unsaved. So, if Believers no longer have a sin nature, why would the Holy
Spirit deal with this subject in the Sixth Chapter of Romans as He did, and in such detail?
The truth is, all Believers continue to have a sin nature.

WHAT IS THE SIN NATURE?

The sin nature is exactly what it says. It refers to the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden,
and how that their very nature became that of sin.
When Adam and Eve fell, they fell from a position of total God consciousness, down to
the far, far lower level of total self-consciousness. Their very nature became one of sin,
iniquity, and transgression. In other words, it is the nature of the unredeemed to do wrong,
to sin, to fail the Lord, to disobey. In fact, before conversion, the unredeemed person is
totally and completely ruled by the sin nature, and twenty-four hours a day.

WHY DOESN’T THE LORD REMOVE THE SIN NATURE AT CONVERSION?

Actually, at conversion, the sin nature is made dormant. It is rendered useless, and for
all practical purposes, lifeless. The problem is, it can have a resurrection very fast.
After conversion, if the Believer will place his faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross,
he will have no more problem with the sin nature; however, I think one can say without fear
of contradiction, that this is never the case. Every Believer, and due to many reasons, finds
himself, especially as a new convert, placing his faith in something other than what Saved
him, i.e., “the Cross.” As such, this is the way and means by which the sin nature is
revived. Not understanding the Cross of Christ, every Christian falls into this trap. And then
comes the endless battle with the sin nature.
When the Believer fails the Lord, and we speak of committing a sin of some kind, this
does not reactivate the sin nature. It’s when the Believer places his faith in something other
than the Cross of Christ. That is what activates the sin nature.
The sin nature will most definitely be removed, and in totality, at the Trump of God.
Paul wrote:
“For this corruptible (sin nature) must put on incorruption (a Glorified Body with no
sin nature), and this mortal (subject to death) must put on immortality (will never die)” (I
Cor. 15:53).
The “corruptible” refers to the sin nature, while the “mortal” refers to these physical
bodies that are always in a state of dying. The physical body at the time of the sounding of
the Trump, which is the Resurrection of Life, will then be glorified, which means it will
never again be subject to death, dying, sickness, aging, etc.
Incidentally, John the Beloved addressed the sin nature by saying, “If we say that we
have no sin (refers to ‘the sin nature’), we deceive ourselves (refers to self-deception), and
the Truth is not in us. (This does not refer to all Truth as it regards Believers, but rather that
the Truth of the indwelling sin nature is not in us)” (I Jn. 1:8).

THE DOMINATING SIN NATURE

 If the Believer does not understand how to address the sin nature, which is totally and
strictly Faith in the Cross of Christ, and that alone, he will find the sin nature ruling him in
some way. Paul also said:
“Let not sin (the sin nature) therefore reign (rule) in your mortal body (showing that the
sin nature can once again rule in the heart and life of the Believer, if the Believer doesn’t
constantly look to Christ and the Cross; the ‘mortal body’ is neutral, which means it can be
used for Righteousness or unrighteousness), that you should obey it in the lusts thereof
(ungodly lusts are carried out through the mortal body, if Faith is not maintained in the
Cross [I Cor. 1:17–18])” (Rom. 6:12).
Let me say it again:
If the Believer doesn’t understand the Cross as it regards our Sanctification, in other
words, how we are to live for God, without exception, such a Believer is going to be ruled
by the sin nature. While such a Believer may be totally sincere before the Lord, and spend
much time repenting, still, he will find himself committing the same sin over and over
again. The only difference is, the sin will get worse and worse. In fact, the far greater
majority of the modern Church, one might say, virtually all, is ruled presently by the sin
nature. And how do I know that?
I know that, simply because the modern Church knows almost nothing about the Cross
of Christ as it refers to our Sanctification; consequently, due to the fact that the Cross of
Christ is the only source of victory, virtually the entirety of the modern Church world falls
into the category of which we have spoken.

VICTORY OVER THE SIN NATURE

Even as we’ve already stated, there is only one avenue of victory for the Child of God.
That avenue is Faith in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the Cross. Listen again to
Paul:
The great Apostle said, “For Christ sent me not to baptize (presents to us a Cardinal
Truth), but to preach the Gospel (the manner in which one may be saved from sin): not
with wisdom of words (intellectualism is not the Gospel), lest the Cross of Christ should be
made of none effect. (This tells us in no uncertain terms that the Cross of Christ must
always be the emphasis of the Message)” (I Cor. 1:17).
Why did I choose this Scripture?
Paul is saying here that even Water Baptism, as important as it is, must never be used as
a means of victory over sin. The Ordinance was not designed by God for that purpose.
In fact, one could use any type of Church discipline in the place of Water Baptism, and
it would fit perfectly. While Water Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the memorizing of
Scriptures, and witnessing for souls, and a hundred and one other things that one might
name, all and without exception, have their place and are very important; however, none of
these things, which incidentally the modern Church espouses in one way or the other, will
give the Believer victory over sin. The only answer for sin, and to be sure and as stated sin
is the problem, is the Cross of Christ.
The Believer must place his faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross, understanding
that Christ is always the Source of all things that we receive from God, but that the Cross is
the Means by which these things are given to us. That’s the reason we must have faith
exclusively in Christ and the Cross. This being done, the Holy Spirit, Who superintends
everything received from the Lord, will then have liberty to work within our hearts and
lives, thereby bringing about the desired results, which He Alone can do (Rom. 8:2).
There is no other means of victory over the sin nature, except by Faith placed
exclusively in Christ and the Cross.

UNBELIEF
Why is it so hard for the modern Church, to accept the Cross of Christ as the means by
which all victory comes?
There are several reasons, but the main reason is unbelief.
First of all, Preachers, even the laity, are loath to give up their pet scheme as it regards
their efforts to live a holy life. Such becomes their idol, and they don’t give it up easily.
Thousands of Preachers are advocating the “Purpose Driven Life” scheme. They’ve
sold out to this false way. They do not easily repudiate that which they have accepted.
Thousands of Preachers have bought into the “Word of Faith” scheme, so to speak. The
tragedy is, there isn’t much faith there at all. This particular man-devised scheme claims
that the Preacher should never mention sin. To do so, they say, only creates a sin-
consciousness in the heart and life of the hearers. So, the way to keep from sinning, the way
to have total and complete victory, they say, is for the Preacher to never mention sin, and
the people to never think about sin. This will guarantee them a sinless life so to speak.
Once again, that is strange when one considers that Paul mentions sin, as stated, some
seventeen times in the Sixth Chapter of Romans alone. No, I’m sorry, but that scheme
won’t work. Satan makes havoc of those who subscribe to such foolishness, which
regrettably, many have. In fact, the Word of Faith scheme has repudiated the Cross,
referring to it as “past miseries,” and “the greatest defeat in human history.” In most of
these Churches, they do not sing anything about the Blood, about the Cross, about Calvary,
about Redemption by the Blood of the Lamb, referring to such as “defeatist songs.”
They also teach, that when Jesus died on the Cross, He died as a sinner, even a
loathsome sinner. They teach that as a sinner He went to Hell, and was tormented there
some three days and nights by Satan and demon spirits, when at that time, God said, “It is
enough.” At that moment, they go on to say, Jesus was “born-again” even as any sinner is
Born-Again, and of all places, in Hell. They teach that He then was resurrected.
The trouble about this is, there’s not a shred of it found in the Word of God.
Jesus did not die spiritually on the Cross, meaning that He died as a lost sinner. He
never went to the burning side of Hell—Paradise, yes, the burning side of Hell, no! He did
not suffer in the burning side of Hell for three days and nights tormented by demon spirits.
Such isn’t in the Bible. He was not “born-again” as sinners are Born-Again. The truth is:
Jesus never sinned. On the Cross, He took the penalty for our sin, but definitely not for
His, for He had none. Paul wrote:
“For such an High Priest became us (presents the fact that no one less exalted could
have met the necessities of the human race), Who is Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners (describes the spotless, pure, Perfect, Character of the Son of God as our Great
High Priest; as well, this tells us Christ did not become a sinner on the Cross, as some
claim, but was rather the Sin-Offering), and made higher than the Heavens (refers to the
fact that He is seated at the Right Hand of the Father, which is the most exalted position in
Heaven or Earth)” (Heb. 7:26).
However, the major problem as it regards rejection of the Cross, is unbelief. Most
simply do not believe that Jesus addressed every problem at the Cross, every sin, every
perversion, and, as well, defeated Satan and every power of darkness. If they did believe
that Jesus won total victory at the Cross, and over every sin and perversion, they would not
recommend humanistic psychology. Paul also said:
“Blotting out the handwriting of Ordinances that was against us (pertains to the Law of
Moses, which was God’s Standard of Righteousness that man could not reach), which was
contrary to us (Law is against us, simply because we are unable to keep its precepts, no
matter how hard we try), and took it out of the way (refers to the penalty of the Law being
removed), nailing it to His Cross (the Law with its decrees was abolished in Christ’s Death,
as if Crucified with Him);
“And having spoiled principalities and powers (Satan and all of his henchmen were
defeated at the Cross by Christ atoning for all sin; sin was the legal right Satan had to hold
man in captivity; with all sin atoned, he has no more legal right to hold anyone in bondage),
He (Christ) made a show of them openly (what Jesus did at the Cross was in the face of the
whole Universe), triumphing over them in it. (The triumph is complete and it was all done
for us, meaning that we can walk in power and perpetual victory due to the Cross)” (Col.
2:14–15).

IF JESUS WON TOTAL VICTORY AT THE CROSS, HOW CAN SATAN

CONTINUE TO HOLD MEN IN BONDAGE?
That’s a good question!
As it regards the unredeemed, they are in bondage simply because they will not accept
what Jesus has done for them. Considering there is no other means or way of Redemption,
they remain in bondage.
That is understandable, but why is it that Satan can hold Believers in bondage who are
definitely Born-Again, and even Spirit-filled? And even as we’ve been saying, most
Christians presently are living in a state of spiritual bondage in one way or the other.
The reason is this:
Sin is the legal right that Satan had to hold men in bondage. Jesus, however, atoned for
all sin at the Cross. In other words, He took away Satan’s legal right to hold anyone in
captivity. But the problem with the Believer is the same as with the unbeliever. That is
somewhat of an oxymoron, speaking of a Believer who doesn’t really believe.
For the Believer to have the benefits of that for which Jesus died, the Believer’s Faith
must be exclusively in Christ and the Cross, understanding, even as we have repeatedly
stated, that the Cross is the Means by which all of this is done. Then the Believer is taking
full advantage of that for which Christ paid such a price. As a result, He can walk in
perpetual victory.

SINLESS PERFECTION?
 No, the Bible does not teach sinless perfection. Anyone who has any understanding of
themselves whatsoever, and a general understanding of the Lord, knows, and beyond the
shadow of a doubt, that none of us are sinlessly perfect. The very idea of such is somewhat
ludicrous.
Now at the same time, this doesn’t give the Believer a license to sin. The Lord saves us
from sin, and not in sin; nevertheless, Believers sin many times each day, without even
knowing that they do. That’s the very reason that Believers need the constant Intercession
of Christ. The Scripture says, and concerning Intercession:
“Wherefore He (the Lord Jesus Christ) is able also to save them to the uttermost
(proclaims the fact that Christ Alone has made the only true Atonement for sin; He did this
at the Cross) who come unto God by Him (proclaims the only manner in which man can
come to God), seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. (His very Presence by
the Right Hand of the Father guarantees such, with nothing else having to be done [Heb.
1:3])” (Heb. 7:25).

THE POSITION AND THE CONDITION

OF THE BELIEVER
Every Believer, at least those who are truly Born-Again, has a position of perfection. In
fact, God can accept no less. But we all know that the Believer’s “condition” is not up to
his “position.”
While the position of the Believer never changes, and because it is in Christ Who never
changes; still, our condition changes constantly, as is obvious.
It is the business of the Holy Spirit to work within our hearts and lives, to bring our
“condition” up to our “position.” To be sure, it is a life-long project.
The work carried out by the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives, is done because of that
afforded by the Cross. Before the Cross, despite animal sacrifices, the sin debt remained,
even on the Godliest; consequently, when Believers died before the Cross, they were not
taken to Heaven, but rather went down into Paradise, which was separated from the burning
side of Hell only by a great gulf (Lk. 16:19–31).
As Paul plainly said:
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (The
word ‘impossible’ is a strong one. It means there is no way forward through the blood of
animals. As well, it applies to all other efforts made by man to address the problem of sin,
other than the Cross)” (Heb. 10:4).
Likewise, before the Cross, the Holy Spirit was very limited as to what He could do for
Believers. In fact, He could not come into hearts and lives, even the most ardent Believers,
and there to remain indefinitely. While He definitely came into the lives of some to help
them carry out a task, it was only for that task, and for a period of time.
The reason was, and as stated, the sin debt had not yet been paid. Animal blood being
insufficient, the Holy Spirit was limited inasmuch as what He could do for the Believer.
Since the Cross, the Holy Spirit can now come into the heart and life of the Believer,
and there to abide forever. Jesus said:
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter (‘Parakletos,’
which means ‘One called to the side of another to help’), that He may abide with you
forever (before the Cross, the Holy Spirit could only help a few individuals, and then only
for a period of time; since the Cross, He lives in the hearts and lives of Believers, and does
so forever);
“Even the Spirit of Truth (the Greek says, ‘The Spirit of the Truth,’ which refers to the
Word of God; actually, He does far more than merely superintend the attribute of Truth, as
Christ ‘is Truth’ [I Jn. 5:6]); Whom the world cannot receive (the Holy Spirit cannot come
into the heart of the unbeliever until that person makes Christ his or her Saviour; then He
comes in), because it sees Him not, neither knows Him (refers to the fact that only Born-
Again Believers can understand the Holy Spirit and know Him): but you know Him (would
have been better translated, ‘but you shall get to know Him’); for He dwells with you
(before the Cross), and shall be in you (which would take place on the Day of Pentecost
and forward, because the sin debt has been forever paid by Christ on the Cross, changing
the disposition of everything)” (Jn. 14:16–17).
Due to the Cross, we now have many more privileges in Christ. But once again let me
state, it is all because of the Cross of Christ.
Regrettably and sadly, most Preachers, it seems, simply do not believe, as stated, that
what Jesus did at the Cross answers all sin, all perversions, all transgressions, all iniquities,
etc. In other words, the answer for everything as it pertains to Christ, is found in the Cross,
and is found only in the Cross.

THE JOY THAT FILLED MY HEART

As the Holy Spirit that early morning hour opened up to me the meaning of the sin
nature, I will never forget how I felt. I began to slowly pace back-and-forth across my
office floor, tears rolling down my cheeks, because at long last, I knew the reason for the
failure.
Why didn’t the Holy Spirit show this to me years earlier?
That I cannot answer!
This we do know, the timing engaged by the Lord is just as important as everything else
the Lord does. He does things at the right time, and for a variety of reasons. I don’t know
why, and it’s really not my business to know why. My business is to thank Him, and to do
so unceasingly, because of what He has shown me.
Even though the Lord at that time, gave me an understanding of the sin nature, which
speaks volumes within itself, still, the Lord did not tell me at that time the solution to the
problem. But yet, I was so happy to know the reason, that at that particular time I did not
really question the Lord any further. My rejoicing knew no end as it regards what He had
done, even though it was incomplete.
 Chapter 4
The Cross Of Christ

SUBJECT
IS THE CROSS OF CHRIST A THEOLOGICAL QUESTION OR
A MORAL QUESTION?
RELIGION
THE CROSS OF CHRIST, THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THE TRUE
CHURCH AND THE APOSTATE CHURCH
CAIN AND ABEL
THE PROBLEM OF UNBELIEF
A PERSONAL NOTE
THE OFFENCE OF THE CROSS
WHAT HAPPENS TO PREACHERS WHO PREACH SOMETHING OTHER
THAN THE CROSS?
WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT THE CROSS?
ENEMIES OF THE CROSS
THE OPEN DOOR
 CHAPTER FOUR

THE CROSS OF CHRIST

A few days later in one of the morning Prayer Meetings, the Lord was to take this
Revelation a step further, and what a gigantic step it would be.
As we went to prayer that morning, after a few minutes of seeking the Lord, an unusual
Moving of the Spirit took place in my heart. And then the Lord spoke to me.
No! It was not an audible Voice; it was rather, in my spirit. But I knew, and beyond the
shadow of a doubt, that it was the Lord. He said three things to me, all three very similar,
but yet so very, very important.
He said:
• “The answer for which you seek is found in the Cross.”
• “The solution for which you seek is found in the Cross.”
• “The answer for which you seek is found only in the Cross.”
I knew, and instantly, that the Lord was speaking of the sin nature, and the solution to
that problem. Emphatically, He told me that it was the Cross. Once again, He took me to
the great Sixth Chapter of Romans, Verses 3 through 5.
I want the Reader to understand this clearly. The Lord spoke to me, and stated that the
Cross was the only answer to this problem. It was not one of several answers, but rather the
only answer.
This leaves no room for anything else. It is the Cross Alone, which is the Means by
which Jesus gives us all things.
When we speak of the Cross, we aren’t speaking of the wooden beam, as I’m sure most
understand. We are actually speaking of the “benefits of the Cross.” Benefits I might
quickly add, which will never be exhausted. Concerning this, Paul said, “Now the God of
Peace (proclaims that Peace has been made between God and fallen man, and done so
through what Jesus did on the Cross on man’s behalf), that brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus (presents the only mention of the Resurrection of Christ in this Epistle to
the Hebrews), that Great Shepherd of the sheep (presents the One Who died for us, and
Whom God raised from the dead), through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant (points to
the Cross and proclaims the fact that this Covenant, being perfect, is Eternal)” (Heb.
13:20).
What Jesus did at the Cross, presents a Finished Work. It must never be added to or
taken from. It is sufficient for all things.

IS THE CROSS OF CHRIST A THEOLOGICAL QUESTION OR A MORAL

QUESTION?
What do we mean by that question, “is it theological or moral?”
The answer is this:
If men reject the Cross, it is never from a position of theological grounds, but rather
from a position of moral grounds.
What do we mean by that?
 The Message of the Cross is so simple, that even a child can understand it. So, this
means that if people reject the Cross, they are not doing so from theological reasons, but
rather for moral reasons.
It is a matter of self-will, a matter of self-righteousness, a matter of faithlessness, etc.
These are all moral situations.
Man is loath to give up his religion. And what is religion?

RELIGION
Religion is that which is devised by man in order to reach God, or else to better oneself
in some way. It is all man-devised, man-concocted, etc. Inasmuch as all religion is devised
by man, it is that which God can never accept. All Salvation, that is if it is true, originates
with God. Man has nothing to do with it, with the exception of accepting what God has
already done.
Whenever man concocts his own religion, which pertains to anything other than Faith in
Christ and the Cross, he is, in effect, stating that what Jesus did at the Cross is insufficient,
and must have things added. This is a gross insult to Christ.
Sometime back, a particular individual who was and is with a major Pentecostal
Denomination, made the statement that modern man is facing problems that the Bible does
not address; consequently, modern man must have the help of humanistic psychology along
with the Bible in order for his needs to be met.
Pure and simple, this is a religious scheme concocted by man, and it insults Christ and
what He did at the Cross to no end.
Concerning the position taken by this man, what does the Bible say?
“According as His Divine Power has given unto us all things (the Lord with large-
handed generosity has given us all things) that pertain unto life and Godliness (pertains to
the fact that the Lord Jesus has given us everything we need regarding life and living),
through the knowledge of Him Who has called us to Glory and Virtue (the ‘knowledge’
addressed here speaks of what Christ did at the Cross, which alone can provide ‘Glory and
Virtue’):
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and Precious Promises (pertains to the
Word of God, which alone holds the answer to every life problem): that by these (Promises)
you might be partakers of the Divine Nature (the Divine Nature implanted in the inner
being of the believing sinner becomes the source of our new life and actions; it comes to
everyone at the moment of being “born-again”), having escaped the corruption that is in
the world through lust. (This presents the Salvation experience of the sinner, and the
Sanctification experience of the Saint)” (II Pet. 1:3–4).
Now, one can believe the so-called Preacher in question or one can believe the Bible!
One cannot believe both. Either the Lord gave us everything, which He said He did, or else
He didn’t. If He didn’t, we should turn to humanistic psychology. If He did, then we must
believe what He said, and avail ourselves of its privileges.

THE CROSS OF CHRIST, THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THE TRUE

CHURCH AND THE APOSTATE CHURCH
 That is the case now, the Cross of Christ being the dividing line; in fact, that has always
been the case.
Immediately after the Fall, the Lord gave the First Family the means by which they
could have forgiveness of sins, and communion with Him. It would be by the means of the
slain lamb, an innocent victim, which would typify the Redeemer, Who had been Promised,
and Who was to come, namely the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, Adam and Eve would not
have known that particular Name, but it had been told them that a Redeemer was coming.
The Lord had said to Satan through the serpent: “And I will put enmity (animosity)
between you and the woman (presents the Lord now actually speaking to Satan, who had
used the serpent; in effect, the Lord is saying to Satan, ‘You used the woman to bring down
the human race, and I will use the woman as an instrument to bring the Redeemer into the
world, Who will save the human race’), and between your seed (mankind which follows
Satan) and her Seed (the Lord Jesus Christ); it (Christ) shall bruise your head (the victory
that Jesus won at the Cross [Col. 2:14–15]), and you shall bruise His Heel (the sufferings
of the Cross)” (Gen. 3:15).
So, they knew a Redeemer was coming. In fact, Eve thought that her firstborn, Cain,
was that Redeemer. We know that from the fact that she said, “I have gotten a man from the
LORD.” Notes from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE state: “By Eve using the title
‘LORD,’ which means ‘Covenant God,’ and which refers to the ‘Seed of the woman,’ she
thought Cain was the Promised One; she evidently didn’t realize that it was impossible for
fallen man to bring forth the Promised Redeemer” (Gen. 4:1).
Cain turned out to be a murderer!
The name “Cain” means “that is begotten,” while “Abel,” means “that is vanity,” thus
illustrating the ignorance into which she was plunged because she had trusted Satan for
knowledge. She would find quickly that Cain was out of the Evil One (I Jn. 3:12), and not
at all what she had previously anticipated.

CAIN AND ABEL

Looking at Cain and Abel, we find there is no difference between the brothers, but an
Eternal difference between their Sacrifices, and that is the key to everything the Bible
teaches. Cain and Abel were both corrupt branches of a decayed tree, so to speak, both born
outside Eden, both guilty, both sinners, no moral difference, and both sentenced to death.
Concerning this, Williams says, “The words ‘by Faith’ (Heb. 11:4) teach that God had
revealed a way of approach to Him (Rom. 10:17). Abel accepts this Way, Cain rejects it.
Abel’s Altar speaks of Repentance, of Faith, and of the Precious Blood of Christ, the Lamb
of God without blemish. Cain’s Altar tells of pride, unbelief, and self-righteousness.”
Williams went on to say, “Abel’s Altar is beautiful to God’s Eye and repulsive to
man’s. Cain’s Altar, beautiful to man’s eye and repulsive to God’s. These ‘Altars’ exist
today, around the one, that is, Christ and His Atoning Work, few are gathered, around the
other many. God accepts the slain lamb and rejects the offered fruit; and the offering being
rejected so of necessity is the offerer.”
The last phrase should be looked at very closely; “The offering being rejected so of
necessity is the offerer.” It held true then, and it holds true now.
 God accepts man on the basis of the Sacrifice of Christ, and man’s Faith in that
Finished Work. If man evidences faith in anything else, and I mean anything else, no matter
how good or noble the other thing may seem to be, it is instantly rejected by God. He
accepts alone His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and the price that He paid on the Cross. Faith
in that guarantees Eternal Life, faith in anything else guarantees eternal destruction (Gal.
1:8–9).
The Cross of Christ is the pivot point of the entirety of the Word of God. It begins on
the first page of human history, and continues unto this moment and, in fact, its benefits
will last forever. That’s why Paul referred to it as the “Everlasting Covenant” (Heb. 13:20).
So, the Cross of Christ is the dividing line between the True Church and the Apostate
Church. As well, I believe that this dividing line is greater than ever. So that tells us, if in
fact it is true, and I definitely believe it is, that as one views the Cross of Christ, one will
view God’s Redemption Plan. It was Martin Luther who stated, “As one views the Cross,
one views the Reformation.”
He was exactly right! And it has not changed from then until now.

THE PROBLEM OF UNBELIEF

When the Lord gave me the Message of the Cross, I was so strengthened, so
encouraged, so thrilled, that I really do not have words to describe that of which I speak. In
my heart of hearts, knowing that the far greater majority of the modern Church had little or
no understanding at all as it regards the Cross concerning Sanctification, in other words,
how we live for God, I felt if they could only hear the Truth of this Word, that it would be
eagerly accepted.
Sadly, I was to find out that was not exactly the case.
While the ignorance was there, and remains there, at least for the most part, regrettably
and sadly, it is a willful ignorance. In other words, they don’t know, and they have little
desire, if any at all, to know. Listen to the great Prophet Hosea:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge,
I will also reject you, that you shall be no Priest to Me: seeing you have forgotten the Law
of your God, I will also forget your children” (Hos. 4:6).
The notes from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE concerning this Verse, state:
“ ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,’ is the cause of all the problems in the
Church, and the world, for that matter! The ‘knowledge’ spoken of is the Bible. This ‘lack
of knowledge’ was not ignorance, but rather a willful rejection of the Law of God. They
didn’t know, but it was because they didn’t want to know!”
I found to my dismay, that the real problem was not so much ignorance, even though
that was definitely prevalent, but rather “unbelief.” The modern Church doesn’t want to
know about the Cross.

A PERSONAL NOTE
For several years I felt in my heart, that if God had given this Revelation to someone
else, that it would have been more readily accepted. I, of course, know of the animosity that
most in the modern Church has as it regards my person. Understanding that, I felt that this
provided a tremendous hindrance to many in the Church seeing this great Truth. In other
words, if it had been given to a different messenger, many would more readily accept it.
The Lord in all of this time, never really addressed my thoughts concerning this
situation, and then a few days ago, actually in the dead of the night, the Lord spoke to my
heart, and gave me an answer to the situation.
When I awakened, and it must have been approximately 2 a.m., once again, the thought
came to my mind, that if the Lord had given this Revelation to someone else, it would have
been more readily accepted.
And then the Lord spoke the following to my heart: “It doesn’t matter to whom I would
have given this Word concerning the Cross, even the leaders of giant denominations, they
would have been rejected as well.” And then He said to me, “It is the Message they are
rejecting.” And then, “While the messenger may be used as an excuse, the truth is, it is the
Message they are rejecting.”
I knew instantly in my heart that it was the Lord, and I knew as well that what I was
being told was exactly right.

THE OFFENCE OF THE CROSS

Paul said, “And I, Brethren, if I yet preach Circumcision, why do I yet suffer
persecution? (Any message other than the Cross draws little opposition.) then is the offence
of the Cross ceased. (The Cross offends the world and most of the Church. So, if the
Preacher ceases to preach the Cross as the only way of Salvation and Victory, then
opposition and persecution will cease. But so will Salvation!)” (Gal. 5:11).
Why is the Cross of Christ an offence?
The Cross, due to the price paid there, tells man exactly what he is, actually, something
man does not desire to hear. So, the Cross is an offence.
As well, the Message of the Cross demands that Faith be placed exclusively in this
Finished Work of Christ. That means that everything else, all of man’s schemes, devices,
ideas, have to be discarded. Man does not enjoy hearing that.
When the Preacher comes over Television telling people that if they’ll memorize three
Scriptures and quote them over and over again, this will solve their problem; and then they
are told that it won’t, it’s not what they desire to hear. When the Preacher tells people that if
they will take the Lord’s Supper and do so quite often, this will solve all their problems;
and then he is told that it won’t, once again, it’s not something that he enjoys hearing.
When the Preacher is told that the “Purpose Driven Life” scheme is of no spiritual worth,
and because it is unscriptural, once again, he’s not happy to hear that.
That, among many other reasons, is the reason that the Cross of Christ is an offence.
Paul plainly said, that if he yet preached Circumcision, which is the same thing as
Preachers holding up the Lord’s Supper, or some other proposed solution as the answer,
then the offence of the Cross would cease. But when he preached the Cross, which he most
definitely did and, in fact, that’s all that he preached, those who preached Circumcision, or
Water Baptism (I Cor. 1:17), etc., grew incensed. It is no different now than it was then.
WHAT HAPPENS TO PREACHERS WHO PREACH SOMETHING OTHER
THAN THE CROSS?
Paul answered that as well. He said, “But though we (Paul and his associates), or an
Angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached
unto you (Jesus Christ and Him Crucified), let him be accursed (eternally condemned; the
Holy Spirit speaks this through Paul, making this very serious).
“As we said before, so say I now again (at sometime past, he had said the same thing to
them, making their defection even more serious), If any man preach any other Gospel unto
you (anything other than the Cross) than that you have received (which Saved your souls),
let him be accursed (‘eternally condemned,’ which means the loss of the soul).
“For do I now persuade men, or God? (In essence, Paul is saying, ‘do I preach man’s
doctrine, or God’s?’) or do I seek to please men? (This is what false apostles do.) for if I
yet please men, I should not be the Servant of Christ (one cannot please both men and God
at the same time)” (Gal. 1:8–10).
The Apostle went on to say: “But I certify you, Brethren (make known), that the Gospel
which was preached of me (the Message of the Cross) is not after man. (Any Message other
than the Cross is definitely devised by man.)
“For I neither received it of man (Paul had not learned this great Truth from human
teachers), neither was I taught it (he denies instruction from other men), but by the
Revelation of Jesus Christ. (Revelation is the mighty Act of God whereby the Holy Spirit
discloses to the human mind that which could not be understood without Divine
Intervention)” (Gal. 1:11–12).
I will not attempt here to judge the hearts of men, for only God can do such a thing;
however, I have given the Word, exactly as it was given to us by the Holy Spirit through
the Apostle Paul, and I think we should take it very seriously.
Our Lord paid a tremendous price for our Redemption. That price was the giving of
Himself in Sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary, which satisfied the demands of a thrice-Holy
God. To ignore that great Sacrifice, or to treat it lightly, and especially to repudiate it,
cannot, to say the least, meet with the approval of the Lord.

WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT THE CROSS?

The Scripture says, “And He said to them all, if any man will come after Me (the criteria
for Discipleship), let him deny himself (not asceticism as many think, but rather that one
denies one’s own willpower, self-will, strength, and ability, depending totally on Christ),
and take up his Cross (the benefits of the Cross, looking exclusively to what Jesus did there
to meet our every need), daily (this is so important, our looking to the Cross; that we must
renew our Faith in what Christ has done for us, even on a daily basis, for Satan will ever try
to move us away from the Cross as the object of our Faith, which always spells disaster),
and follow Me (Christ can be followed only by the Believer looking to the Cross,
understanding what it accomplished, and by that means alone [Rom. 6:3–5, 11, 14; 8:1–2,
11; I Cor. 1:17–18, 21, 23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:13–18; Col. 2:14–15])” (Lk. 9:23).
The Master then added something to that. He said, “And whosoever does not bear his
Cross (this doesn’t speak of suffering as most think, but rather ever making the Cross of
Christ the Object of our Faith; we are Saved and we are victorious not by suffering,
although that sometimes will happen, or any other similar things, but rather by our Faith,
but always with the Cross of Christ as the Object of that Faith), and come after Me (one
can follow Christ only by Faith in what He has done for us at the Cross; He recognizes
nothing else), cannot be My Disciple (the statement is emphatic! If it’s not Faith in the
Cross of Christ, then it’s faith that God will not recognize, which means that such people
are refused)” (Lk. 14:27).
I think by now that surely we see how important that the Cross of Christ actually is. In
fact, there is nothing more important!

ENEMIES OF THE CROSS

The Apostle Paul stated, “Brethren, be followers together of me (be ‘fellow-imitators’),
and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example (observe intently).
“(For many walk [speaks of those attempting to live for God outside of the victory and
rudiments of the Cross of Christ], of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even
weeping [this is a most serious matter], that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ
[those who do not look exclusively to the Cross of Christ must be labeled ‘enemies’]:
“Whose end is destruction [if the Cross is ignored, and continues to be ignored, the loss
of the soul is the only ultimate conclusion], whose God is their belly [refers to those who
attempt to pervert the Gospel for their own personal gain], and whose glory is in their
shame [the material things they seek, God labels as ‘shame’], who mind earthly things).
(This means they have no interest in Heavenly things, which signifies they are using the
Lord for their own personal gain)” (Phil. 3:17–19).
The Cross of Christ completely obliterates the greed message, the message that, in fact,
is so popular at the present time. When the Message of Redemption is reduced down to the
dollar bill, then it should be obvious that those doing such, have no knowledge of
Redemption, and as such, the Cross of Christ has no place in their thinking. In fact, the
Holy Spirit through Paul labeled these people, whomever they may have been, as “enemies
of the Cross of Christ.”
These were individuals, and are individuals, who not only did not preach the Cross, but,
as well, denied its veracity, and repudiated those who did preach the Cross.
The land, sadly and regrettably, is full of this type presently.
Let the Reader understand, the Cross of Christ alone stands between man and eternal
Hell. That’s quite a statement, but it is true. One might be able to say as well, that the Cross
of Christ is the only thing that stands between mankind and the Judgment of God.
Man is a sinner, and God is unalterably opposed to sin, and in every shape, form, or
fashion. So, the only way that man can escape the Judgment of God is for man to accept
that which God has ordained as the answer to the dilemma, which is the Cross of Christ.
That’s how important the Cross actually is.

THE OPEN DOOR

That morning when the Lord gave me three things about the Cross, telling me that the
Cross was the “answer” and the “solution,” and was the “only answer,” I knew that
something great and wonderful had been given to me. Thankfully, I had enough presence of
mind to request of the Lord that this door remain open. In other words, I knew that even
though what I had been given was of stupendous consequence, still, I had not even really
scratched the surface. There was so much more to learn, so much more to know.
The Lord did exactly what I asked Him to do. He has kept that door open, and it’s
almost every day that I learn something new about this great Finished Work of Christ. To
be frank, what Jesus did at the Cross is absolutely inexhaustible. I have an idea that a
trillion years from today, we will still be learning great things about that which Jesus did,
hence, Paul referring to it, as stated, as “The Everlasting Covenant” (Heb. 13:20).
 Chapter 5
The Holy Spirit

SUBJECT
I WILL SHOW YOU THINGS ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT YOU DO NOT NOW
KNOW
THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS
THAT WHICH I PROMISED YOU IN 1988
HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKED BEFORE THE CROSS
ANIMAL BLOOD WAS INSUFFICIENT
SPIRITUAL ADULTERY
FAITH IN THINGS OTHER THAN THE CROSS OF CHRIST
THE CROSS IS THE POWER OF GOD
THE CROSS OF CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS
THE CROSS OF CHRIST
THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD
THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING
THE SPIRIT OF COUNSEL AND MIGHT
THE SPIRIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD
THE GREATEST LAW IN HEAVEN AND EARTH
 CHAPTER FIVE

THE HOLY SPIRIT

When the Lord spoke to me and said, “the answer is found in the Cross,” and then, “the
solution is found in the Cross,” and finally, “the answer is found only in the Cross,” I knew
this was something very, very special. But yet, considering that it was all in the Cross,
where did the Holy Spirit enter into this picture?
When I was a child, my Grandmother taught me the value of the Holy Spirit, the Power
of the Holy Spirit, and the absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit within my life, and then in
my Ministry. I had experienced His anointing in a great way, preaching over Television to
many millions of people, and seeing literally hundreds of thousands brought to a Saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ, and I exaggerate not. I certainly knew how important the Holy
Spirit was to everything that we do and, in fact, if the Holy Spirit doesn’t have His Way,
then very little, if anything, is going to be done for the Cause of Christ. The Holy Spirit is
absolutely indispensable! And yet, the Lord had stated that it was all in the Cross.
For weeks I pondered this question, knowing what the Lord had given me about the
“sin nature,” and then the solution to the sin nature, which is “The Cross,” but yet, I knew
that the Revelation was not yet complete. However, to relate this experience as it should be
related, I must go back to the month of March, 1988.

I WILL SHOW YOU THINGS ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT YOU DO NOT NOW
KNOW
As I addressed the day in question, there is no way that I can express the heartache, in
fact, the broken heart, that enveloped me at that time.
With the whole world calling you a hypocrite, and the Church world basically saying
the same thing, the humiliation is such, that had I not had a firm grip on the Lord, I don’t
see how it would have been possible to survive.
Frances and I had stayed home from the office that day, and I was to spend the day in
prayer, which I often did. Please believe me, I had much to pray about.
Our house is situated outside the city limits on some twenty-five acres of land. In those
days, during my prayer times, which were early each morning, I would walk the perimeter
of that enclosure, seeking the Lord.
As it regards the situation at hand, I was at the extreme back of the property, that is if
the location matters at all.
As I attempted to pray that morning, it seemed like every demon spirit descended upon
me, with the oppression being so awful as to defy description. Satan taunted me, telling me
what a fool I was. How I had disgraced my wife, my family, my Church, and above all, the
Work of God in general.
At that time, if I remember correctly, I had $800 in the bank. Satan told me, “Take the
$800, get in your car, and disappear.” He then said, “You’ll do the Work of God a service,
if no one ever hears from you again.”
 I fought that so long, until I remember leaning up against the fence at the back of the
property and saying to the Lord, “I can’t stand this. You said that You would not allow
anything to be placed on us any harder than we could bear.” And then I added, “Lord, I
don’t think any human being can stand this. Please help me.”
I remember walking away from the fence and taking a few steps in the opposite
direction. And then all of a sudden it happened. It wasn’t gradual, it was instant.
One moment the oppressive powers of darkness were so heavy, until I thought I would
not survive. And then instantly, that spirit of darkness was broken, and I was covered with
the Spirit of God. As it regards that particular moment, I have never in my life experienced
such as I did at that time. One moment I could hardly stand, and the next moment it seemed
like a thousand pounds had been lifted from my shoulders, and the Spirit of God covered
me like a cloud. It seemed like I didn’t have a problem in the world, and then the Lord
spoke to my heart. He said, “I will show you things about the Holy Spirit that you do not
now know.”
That was it, very short, to the point, “I will show you things about the Holy Spirit you
do not now know.”
Instantly the thought came to my mind, the Holy Spirit is God. As such, there is all kind
of things about Him I do not know. But yet, I knew that the Lord was speaking of the
situation at hand.
As the days passed into weeks and months, the terrible trauma of what had happened
did not really lessen at all. Many times, I thought of that moment, and wondered what the
Lord was telling me.
As the months went into years, and we struggled to survive, often times that Promise
would come back to me. What did the Lord mean? During all of this time, nothing had
happened to which I could point and claim that this is the answer given by the Lord.
I thought of it many times, but all I could do was place that moment which took place
on that day in March of 1988 in the Hands of the Lord.
And then in 1997, nine years later, the Lord, as I have related, gave me the great
Revelation of the Cross.

THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS

It must have been several weeks, or even three or four months after the Revelation of
the Cross had been given, that the answer would come, and in the most unexpected way.
That particular morning in 1997, we were on the air over the SonLife Radio Network.
Only two of us were on the Program that morning, Loren Larson and myself.
The Program lasts for 90 minutes each day, and we were almost at the end of the
session.
All of a sudden, and without premeditation or warning, I made a statement that
surprised even me. I’ll emphasize again, it was not something I had studied, not something
I had premeditated, not something that I had previously known. As I began to speak the
words that I will momentarily give, it surprised even me. Where did they come from?
Where did I learn this of which I was stating?
I said, “The Holy Spirit works exclusively within the parameters of the Finished Work of
Christ and, in fact, will work in no other manner.”
 This means that the Holy Spirit works exclusively within the liberty afforded by the
Cross.
As I have stated, this was not something I had read in a book, not something that I had
thought about. What led up to this statement I do not recall.
When I said it, I instinctively knew that it was right and, of course, as I look back now,
I know it was the Holy Spirit Who spoke this Word through me. And yet, He had never
done such with me previously, and has never done such since.
When I made the statement, it shocked even me, and for a moment I paused, and there
was a dead silence. At a point, Loren spoke up and said, “Can you give me Scripture for
that?”
Once again, and emphasizing the fact that this was not something premeditated, for a
moment I did not know what to say. And then once again the Spirit of God began to move
upon me. Then I quoted the following Verse.
“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin
and Death” (Rom. 8:2).
I do not recall having studied that Verse, do not recall even knowing the Verse, at least
to quote it by heart, but there it was coming out of my mouth.
When I said it, I knew that this Scripture explained my statement, and did so fully, that
the Holy Spirit works exclusively within parameters of the Finished Work of Christ.
The Program ended after a few moments, and I remember getting up and turning to my
right, when all of a sudden the Spirit of God came over me again. I stopped dead still, and
the Lord spoke the following to my heart.

THAT WHICH I PROMISED YOU IN 1988

All of a sudden it came back to me, that morning in 1988. It was like a flash across my
mind and my spirit. It was like it was happening all over again. And then the Lord said, “I
told you that I would show you things about the Holy Spirit that you did not then know.”
Then the Lord said, “That which you have just experienced is the fulfillment of that
Promise.”
I stood there with tears running down my face, knowing that the Lord had done
something very special. Again, I knew that what I had been given was a monumental truth,
but yet I knew it was only the beginning.
Most of the modern Church little knows or understands how the Holy Spirit works
within our lives. To be frank, even Pentecostals (and I am Pentecostal) have little
knowledge of the Holy Spirit and how He works, outside of speaking with other Tongues,
and some knowledge about the Gifts of the Spirit. Other than that, there is little
understanding. And sadly, even in most Pentecostal circles, at the present time, even these
things just mentioned are falling by the wayside.
As it regards the sin nature, and as it regards the Cross of Christ, these great truths have
been known and understood down through the centuries since they were given to the
Apostle Paul; however, as it regards the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives, I
have never read in any book anywhere, that which the Lord gave to me.
Let’s look closer at this Passage in Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 2. I’m quoting from THE
EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE.
 Paul said, “For the Law (that which we are about to give is a Law of God, devised by
the Godhead in eternity past [I Pet. 1:18–20]; this Law, in fact, is ‘God’s Prescribed Order
of Victory’) of the Spirit (Holy Spirit, i.e., ‘the way the Spirit works’) of Life (all life comes
from Christ, but through the Holy Spirit [Jn. 16:13–14]) in Christ Jesus (anytime Paul uses
this term or one of its derivatives, he is, without fail, referring to what Christ did at the
Cross, which makes this ‘life’ possible) has made me free (given me total Victory) from the
Law of Sin and Death (these are the two most powerful Laws in the Universe; the ‘Law of
the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus’ alone is stronger than the ‘Law of Sin and Death’; this
means that if the Believer attempts to live for God by any manner other than Faith in Christ
and the Cross, he is doomed to failure).”
Inasmuch as the Holy Spirit works entirely within the framework of the Finished Work
of Christ, meaning that He will not function outside of that Work, this demands that our
Faith ever be in Christ and the Cross. If our faith is anything other than the Cross of Christ,
this greatly hinders the Holy Spirit. While He does not abandon us, and thank God for that,
still, the things He desires to do, and can do, He is unable to do. The Believer must place
his Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross, and maintain his Faith exclusively in Christ
and the Cross, which, in effect, is what Jesus demanded in Luke, Chapter 9, Verse 23.

HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKED BEFORE THE CROSS

Every single thing done on this Earth by the Godhead has been done by and through the
Person and the Office of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Bible opens with the words, “And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2).
As someone has well said, the Moving of the Holy Spirit is the beginning of life.
There is one thing that the Spirit of God has not done, and that is the Work that Christ
carried out on the Cross, and yet, the Holy Spirit, to be sure, superintended Christ in every
facet of His Conception, Birth, Life and living.
Concerning the Conception of Christ, the Scripture says about Mary, “She was found
with Child of the Holy Spirit” (Mat. 1:18).
When Jesus began His public Ministry, the Scripture also says, “And, lo, the Heavens
were opened unto Him (the only One, the Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom the Heavens would
be opened), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him
(John saw a visible form that reminded him of a dove):
“And lo a voice from Heaven, saying (the Voice of God the Father), This is My Beloved
Son, in Whom I am well pleased (the Trinity appears here: the Father speaks, the Spirit
descends, and the Son prays [Lk. 3:21])” (Mat. 3:16–17).
And then Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (we learn here of the absolute
necessity of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit within our lives), because He has
anointed Me (Jesus is the ultimate Anointed One; consequently, the anointing of the Holy
Spirit actually belongs to Christ, and the Anointing we have actually comes by His
Authority [Jn. 16:14] to preach the Gospel to the poor (the poor in spirit); He has sent Me
to heal the brokenhearted (sin breaks the heart, or else is responsible for it being broken;
only Jesus can heal this malady), to preach deliverance to the captives (if it is to be noticed,
He didn’t say to ‘deliver the captives,’ but rather ‘Preach deliverance,’ which refers to the
Cross [Jn. 8:32], and recovering of sight to the blind (the Gospel opens the eyes of those
who are spiritually blind), to set at liberty them who are bruised (the vicissitudes of life at
times place a person in a mental or spiritual prison; the Lord Alone, and through what He
did at the Cross, can open this prison door), “To Preach the acceptable Year of the Lord (it
is believed that the day on which Jesus delivered this Message was the first day of the year
of Jubilee)” (Lk. 4:18–19).
In fact, the Holy Spirit was so attendant of Christ in everything He did, that Jesus
actually did not die, until the Holy Spirit told Him He could die. Paul wrote, “How much
more shall the Blood of Christ (while the Sacrifice of animals could cleanse from
ceremonial defilement, only the Blood of Christ could cleanse from actual sin; so that
throws out every proposed solution other than the Cross), Who through the Eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God (in this phrase, we learn Christ did not die until the
Holy Spirit told Him to die; in fact, no man took His Life from Him; He laid it down freely
[Jn. 10:17–18]; as well, the fact that Jesus ‘offered Himself without spot to God’ shoots
down the unscriptural Doctrine that ‘Jesus died Spiritually’ on the Cross; had He died
Spiritually, meaning He became a sinner on the Cross, He could not have offered Himself
without spot to God, as should be obvious; God could only accept a perfect Sacrifice; when
He died on the Cross, He took upon Himself the sin penalty of the human race, which was
physical death; inasmuch as His Offering of Himself was Perfect, God accepted it as
payment in full for all sin—past, present, and future, at least for those who will believe [Jn.
3:16]), purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God? (‘Dead works’ are
anything other than simple Faith in the Cross of Christ, i.e., ‘the Blood of Christ.’)
“And for this cause (to purge our conscience) He is the Mediator (He Alone can be the
Mediator) of the New Testament (the New Covenant), that by means of death (the death of
Christ on the Cross, which atoned for all sin, and was necessary if man was to be Saved),
for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament (proclaims
the fact that the death of Christ pertained just as much to those before the Cross as those
after the Cross; His Sacrifice of Himself guaranteed their Redemption, and we speak of all
who had died in the Faith), they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal
Inheritance. (This continues to address those who had died in the Faith before the Cross.
They are referred to as “the called.” The reason their Salvation depended on the Cross was
that the blood of bulls and goats, which was all they had before the Cross, was insufficient
to take away sins [Heb. 10:4])” (Heb. 9:14–15).

ANIMAL BLOOD WAS INSUFFICIENT

Due to the fact of the insufficiency of animal blood, which was all that was available
before the Cross, the sin debt remained on all, even the Godliest. In other words, even as
Paul said, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins”
(Heb. 10:4). The taking away of sins awaited the coming of Christ, and the Work He would
do on the Cross.
In respect to this Work, in fact, the greatest Work that mankind has ever known, and
will ever know, John the Baptist said, when introducing Christ, “Behold the Lamb of God
(proclaims Jesus as the Sacrifice for sin, in fact, the Sin-Offering, Whom all the multiple
millions of offered lambs had represented), which takes away the sin of the world (animal
blood could only cover sin, it could not take it away; but Jesus offering Himself as the
Perfect Sacrifice took away the sin of the world; He not only cleansed acts of sin, but as
well, addressed the root cause [Col. 2:14–15])” (Jn. 1:29).
In fact, before the Cross, when Believers died, even the Godliest, they did not go to
Heaven, because the sin debt remained, but were rather taken down into Paradise. This
place was in the heart of the Earth, and actually a part of Hell, separated from the fiery part,
by a great gulf (Lk. 16:26).
Everyone who went to Paradise, which constitutes every Believer before the Cross, was
dependant totally upon what Christ would do at the Cross. Their being delivered from this
place, awaited the Sacrifice of Himself, which would pay the sin debt, and pay it in totality.
In fact, at this time, Satan actually held these people as captives, because the sin debt
remained. While they were comforted in Paradise, while he could not do anything negative
to them, still, they were in his domain. That’s why Paul wrote, “Wherefore He said (Ps.
68:18), When He ascended up on high (the Ascension), He led captivity captive … Now
that He ascended (mission completed), what is it but that He also descended first into the
lower parts of the Earth? (Immediately before His Ascension to Glory, which would be
done in total triumph, He first went down into Paradise to deliver all the believing souls in
that region, which He did!)
“He Who descended is the same also Who ascended (this is a portrayal of Jesus as
Deliverer and Mediator) up far above all Heavens (presents His present location, never
again having to descend into the nether world), that He might fill all things. (He has always
been the Creator, but now He is also the Saviour)” (Eph. 4:8–10).
The strange statement, “He led captivity captive,” refers to the fact that everyone in
Paradise was being held captive by Satan, but now and due to the Cross, Jesus went down
and liberated these people, and made all of them His captives.
Now, since the Cross, whenever a Believer dies, instantly such a Believer goes to
Heaven to be with Christ (Phil. 1:23). The sin debt being paid at Calvary’s Cross, makes all
of this possible.
As well, the Holy Spirit can now, since the Cross, come into the heart and the life of all
Believers, and there abide forever (Jn. 14:16).
When Jesus spoke of John the Baptist, He said of him: “Verily I say unto you, Among
them who are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist (places
John at the forefront of the Prophets): notwithstanding he who is least in the Kingdom of
Heaven is greater than he” (Mat. 11:11).
What did Jesus mean by that statement?
When He said, “He who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he,” He was
meaning greater in privileges.
John the Baptist was the last Prophet under the Old Covenant. Due to what Jesus did at
the Cross, the least among us have greater privileges in Christ than anyone under the Old
Covenant, even including John the Baptist. That’s the reason that Paul said, “But now
(since the Cross) has He (the Lord Jesus) obtained a more excellent Ministry (the New
Covenant in Jesus’ Blood is superior, and takes the place of the Old Covenant in animal
blood), but how much also He is the Mediator of a Better Covenant (proclaims the fact that
Christ officiates between God and man according to the arrangements of the New
Covenant), which was established upon Better Promises. (This presents the New Covenant,
explicitly based on the cleansing and forgiveness of all sin, which the Old Covenant could
not do)” (Heb. 8:6).

SPIRITUAL ADULTERY
As most Christians know precious little about “the sin nature,” likewise, most have
never even heard the term “spiritual adultery.” Actually, the term is not found in the Bible,
although implied.
Paul deals with it in the first four Verses of Romans, Chapter 7. He said, “Know ye not,
Brethren (Paul is speaking to Believers), (for I speak to them who know the Law,) (he is
speaking of the Law of Moses, but it could refer to any type of religious law) how that the
Law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? (The Law has dominion as long as he
tries to live by Law. Regrettably, not understanding the Cross regarding Sanctification,
virtually the entirety of the Church is presently trying to live for God by means of the Law.
Let the Believer understand that there are only two places he can be, Grace or Law. If he
doesn’t understand the Cross as it refers to Sanctification, which is the only means of
victory, he will automatically be under Law, which guarantees failure.)
“For the woman which has an husband is bound by the Law to her husband so long as
he lives (presents Paul using the analogy of the marriage bond); but if the husband be dead,
she is loosed from the Law of her husband (meaning that she is free to marry again).
“So then if, while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called
an adulteress (in effect, the woman now has two husbands, at least in the Eyes of God;
following this analogy, the Holy Spirit through Paul will give us a great Truth; many
Christians are living a life of spiritual adultery; they are married to Christ, but they are, in
effect, serving another husband, ‘the Law’; it is quite an analogy!): but if her husband be
dead (the Law is dead by virtue of Christ having fulfilled the Law in every respect), she is
free from that Law (if the husband dies, the woman is free to marry and serve another; the
Law of Moses being satisfied in Christ, is now dead to the Believer and the Believer is free
to serve Christ without the Law having any part or parcel in his life or living); so that she is
no adulteress, though she be married to another man (presents the Believer as now married
to Christ, and no longer under obligation to the Law).
“Wherefore, my Brethren, you also are become dead to the Law (the Law is not dead
per se, but we are dead to the Law, because we are dead to its effects; this means that we
are not to try to live for God by means of ‘Law,’ whether the Law of Moses, or Laws made
up by other men or of ourselves; we are to be dead to all Law) by the Body of Christ (this
refers to the Crucifixion of Christ, which satisfied the demands of the broken Law we could
not satisfy; but Christ did it for us; having fulfilled the Law in every respect, the Christian
is not obligated to Law in any fashion, only to Christ and what He did at the Cross); that
you should be married to another (speaking of Christ), even to Him Who is raised from the
dead (we are raised with Him in Newness of Life, and we should ever understand that
Christ has met, does meet, and shall meet our every need; we look to Him exclusively,
referring to what He did for us at the Cross), that we should bring forth fruit unto God
(proper fruit can only be brought forth by the Believer constantly looking to the Cross; in
fact, Christ must never be separated from the Work of the Cross; to do so is to produce
‘another Jesus’ [II Cor. 11:4])” (Rom. 7:1–4).
 Whenever the Lord in Old Testament times referred to Israel committing fornication (II
Chron. 21:11; Isa. 23:17; Ezek. 16:26), He was seldom speaking of literal fornication, but
rather their worship of idols, in other words, their trust placed in anything, even other
nations, other than the Lord. Israel was married to the Lord, and Israel cohabiting,
spiritually speaking, with the heathen, constituted spiritual adultery. So, Paul uses an Old
Testament analogy to prove his point.
As we’ve already stated, every Believer is married to Christ. In effect, He is our
Husband. We are to be faithful to Him in every capacity. We do that simply by placing our
Faith in Him and what He has done for us at the Cross, and do so constantly. If we place
our Faith in anything else other than Christ and the Cross, we are committing spiritual
adultery, which causes such a Believer untold problems.
It should be understood, that the Holy Spirit, although He will not leave in such a
situation, still, is greatly hindered in the help that He can give us. He certainly is not going
to help us commit spiritual adultery. Let’s explain it to a greater degree.

FAITH IN THINGS OTHER THAN THE CROSS OF CHRIST

Whenever the Preacher proclaims something, anything other than the Cross of Christ as
the vehicle by which we can find victory and Blessings, etc., such a Preacher is committing
spiritual adultery, and is attempting to get his followers to do the same. I think it would be
obvious that such is a grievous sin.
I heard a Preacher the other day telling people that if they had an addiction, that they
should set aside so much time each day for prayer and Bible study, and that would free
them of their addiction.
While prayer and Bible study are the two greatest disciplines of the Christian Faith,
still, to try to use them in this capacity, are not intended by the Lord, and constitutes
spiritual adultery. It’s difficult for Believers to see that, but it is true.
No, we are not demeaning prayer and Bible study, God forbid! We are rather stating
that they must be used in the right way.
Paul also said, “And the Commandment, which was ordained to life (refers to the Ten
Commandments), I found to be unto death (means that the Law revealed the sin, as it
always does, and its wages which are death; in other words, there is no victory in trying to
live by Law; we are to live by Faith, referring to Faith in Christ and the Cross).” The
Apostle went on to say: “For sin (the sin nature), taking occasion by the Commandment (in
no way blames the Commandment, but that the Commandment actually did agitate the sin
nature, and brought it to the fore, which it was designed to do), deceived me (Paul thought,
now that he has accepted Christ, by that mere fact alone he could certainly obey the Lord in
every respect; but he found he couldn’t and neither can you, at least in that fashion), and by
it slew me (despite all his efforts to live for the Lord by means of Law-keeping, he failed;
and again, I say, so will you)” (Rom. 7:10–11).
As it should be obvious, the “Commandment” was holy, just, and good (Rom. 7:12),
just as prayer and Bible Study, and the Lord’s Supper, etc., are good as well. But if the
Believer places his faith in any one of these things, plus many we haven’t named, even
though these things, at least for the most part, are “holy, just, and good,” still, the end result
will not be victory, but rather spiritual failure.
 Why?
Our faith must be placed in Christ and the Cross and that exclusively. Anything else
constitutes spiritual adultery, no matter how good that thing may seem to be on the surface.
There was nothing more Holy than the Law of Moses. It was given by God. But yet,
whenever Paul placed his faith in himself, for that’s what actually happened, believing that
he could keep that Law, and do so flawlessly, he found out that the end result was not
victory, but rather defeat. It is a cinch that it will be the same presently. In fact, in a sense
that’s what the entirety of the Seventh Chapter of Romans is all about. If the Believer
places his faith in anything other than Christ and the Cross, he is committing spiritual
adultery, and if he keeps his faith in the wrong object, he is living in a state of spiritual
adultery, in which the Holy Spirit can never sanction.
Considering that the modern Church knows almost nothing about the Cross of Christ as
it refers to Sanctification, sadly and regrettably, that means that the majority of the modern
Church is living in a state of “spiritual adultery.”
The end result of that always is: “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from
the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24).

THE CROSS IS THE POWER OF GOD

Paul said, “For the Preaching (Word) of the Cross is to them who perish foolishness
(Spiritual things cannot be discerned by unredeemed people, but that doesn’t matter; the
Cross must be preached just the same, even as we shall see); but unto us which are Saved it
is the Power of God. (The Cross is the Power of God simply because it was there that the
total sin debt was paid, giving the Holy Spirit, in Whom the Power resides, latitude to work
mightily within our lives)” (I Cor. 1:18).
When the Holy Spirit through Paul talks about Power being in the Cross, He is not
talking about the wooden beam. As well, there was no power in death, even as Jesus died!
So, how is the Cross the Power of God? In essence, the Power is in the Holy Spirit. The
idea is, when Christ died on the Cross, He atoned for all sin, past, present, and future, at
least for all who will believe (Jn. 3:16). As we’ve already stated elsewhere in this Volume,
the sin debt paid at Calvary, gave the Holy Spirit the liberty to come into every Believer,
and to do so permanently. That’s why the Cross is the Power of God. So, if Preachers don’t
preach the Cross, then very little, if any, Power of God is manifested. That’s why Paul said,
“We preach Christ Crucified” (I Cor. 1:23).
If the Cross is not preached, there will be no power, which means that no one will be
delivered. Drunkards will remain in bondage! Drug addicts will remain in bondage!
Gamblers will remain in bondage! To see victory in these lives, the Cross of Christ must be
preached. Again, that’s why Paul said, “And I, Brethren, when I came to you, came not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom (means that he depended not on oratorical abilities, nor
did he delve into philosophy, which was all the rage of that particular day), declaring unto
you the Testimony of God (which is Christ and Him Crucified).
“For I determined not to know anything among you (with purpose and design, Paul did
not resort to the knowledge or the philosophy of the world regarding the Preaching of the
Gospel), save Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified (that and that alone is the Message which
will save the sinner, set the captive free, and give the Believer perpetual victory)” (I Cor.
2:1–2).

THE CROSS OF CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

We are given a description in the Book of Revelation as to exactly how close, how
intertwined one might say, is the Lamb of God, which typifies the Cross of Christ, and the
Holy Spirit.
The Scripture says, and I quote from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE:
“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the Throne, and of the four Beasts, and in the
midst of the Elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain (the Crucifixion of Christ is
represented here by the word ‘Lamb,’ which refers to the fact that it was the Cross which
redeemed mankind; the slain Lamb Alone has Redeemed all things), having seven horns
(horns denote dominion, and “seven” denotes total dominion; all of this was done for you
and me, meaning that we can have total dominion over the powers of darkness, and in every
capacity; so there is no excuse for a lack of victory) and seven eyes (denotes total, perfect,
pure, and complete illumination of all things spiritual, which is again made possible for you
and me by the Cross; if the Believer makes the Cross the Object of his Faith, he will never
be drawn away by false doctrine), which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the
earth (signifying that the Holy Spirit, in all His Perfection and universality, functions
entirely within the parameters of the Finished Work of Christ; in other words, it is required
that we ever make the Cross the Object of our Faith, which gives the Holy Spirit liberty,
and guarantees the ‘dominion,’ and the ‘illumination’ [Isa. 11:2; Rom. 8:2])” (Rev. 5:6).

THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS

• Through the Cross, Christ as our Second Man has overcome all powers of darkness.
• The Cross opened up the Throne of God to sinful man, and did so by making man
clean through the shed Blood of the Lamb.
• The Cross makes possible total victory in every capacity typified by the Seven
Horns.
• The Cross makes possible total understanding of the Word of God, typified by the
Seven Eyes.
• The Cross opened up the way for the Holy Spirit to abide with Believers
permanently and forever.
• The Cross made possible the coming dominion of Christ over the entirety of the
world, and does so as the Last Adam.
• The Cross opened the door into the very Presence of God.

THE CROSS OF CHRIST

Any Believer should be able to see the great significance (and that is a tremendous
understatement) of the Cross of Christ as portrayed here in Scripture.
In our study and understanding of Christ, we must always remind ourselves, that even
though He was God and is God and will never cease to be God, still, everything He did,
was as a man, the Second Man, the Last Adam, and He did it all as our Representative Man.
The Scripture says, “And so it is written (Gen. 2:7), The first man Adam was made a living
soul (the natural body); the last Adam (Christ) was made a quickening Spirit. (The word
‘last’ is used. No other will ever be needed. ‘Quickening’ refers to making all alive who
trust Him.)
“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural (Adam came
first); and afterward that which is spiritual. (Christ, as the Last Adam, came second in
order to undo that which occurred at the Fall.)
“The first man (Adam) is of the earth, earthy (materialistic): the Second Man (Christ) is
the Lord from Heaven (a vast difference between the ‘first man’ and the ‘Second Man’)” (I
Cor. 15:45–47).
What the first Adam failed to do, which was to perfectly obey God, the Last Adam, the
Lord Jesus Christ, did so in every capacity, and without sin or failure in any manner. And I
emphasize it again; everything that He did was for you and me.
To be sure, everything He did was of utmost significance; however, His main Purpose,
His main Mission, that for which He really came, was the Cross. It was there that He
satisfied the demands of the broken Law, and did so for every human being who has ever
lived, at least for those who will believe. When He did this, this totally and completely
defeated Satan.
Perhaps one can say, the greatest thing that resulted from the Cross, was that the Holy
Spirit now comes into the heart and the life of the Believer, and does so to abide
permanently (Jn. 14:16).
But the point I wish to make is that the entirety of the working of the Holy Spirit within
our hearts and lives, on a continuing basis, is all predicated on the Cross of Christ, typified
here by the great Vision had by John the Beloved. If one is to notice, it is virtually
impossible to separate the Holy Spirit from the slain Lamb. This means that our Faith as
Believers must ever be in the Cross of Christ (Rom. 8:2).

THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD

What did John the Beloved mean by the statement, “Which are the Seven Spirits of God
sent forth into all the earth?”
We know that there is only one Holy Spirit, but yet John here mentions “Seven Spirits
of God.”
First of all, the number “seven” denotes perfection, universality, and totality. The Holy
Spirit is God; therefore, He is complete in all things.
But yet, the number “seven” denotes something else, actually, the attributes of the Holy
Spirit, which were given to us by the great Prophet Isaiah. I quote from THE
EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE:
“And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out
of his roots (this Verse has to do with the Incarnation with the balance of the Chapter
referring to the glorious reign of Christ during the Millennium. The word “Rod,” in this
instance, refers to a “tender branch,” which means a tender shoot sprouting out of the root
of a dead, fallen tree, referring to both humanity in general and Israel in particular. Jesse
was David’s father, and through this family the Messiah would come; and so He did!):
 “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him (upon Christ), the Spirit of Wisdom
and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the
Fear of the LORD (this proclaims the perfection of the Holy Spirit and all His attributes
listed here resting upon the Messiah)” (Isa. 11:1–2).
These attributes are:
• The Spirit of the Lord;
• The Spirit of Wisdom;
• The Spirit of Understanding;
• The Spirit of Counsel;
• The Spirit of Might;
• The Spirit of Knowledge; and,
• The Spirit of the Fear of the LORD.
And yet, these seven attributes are grouped into three parts, with the Spirit of the Lord
at the Head.

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD

The Holy Spirit is God. He is not merely an emanation from the Father, but is rather a
Person in His Own right, so to speak. When Jesus spoke of Him, He spoke of Him as a
distinct Personality. He said of Him:
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may
abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it
sees Him not neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you and shall be in
you” (Jn. 14:16–17).
Once again, please notice the pronouns that Jesus used.
Again He said, “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into
all Truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He
speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of
Mine and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are Mine: therefore said I,
that He should take of Mine, and shall show it unto you” (Jn. 16:13–15).
Once again, I call attention to the fact that Jesus constantly used pronouns regarding the
Holy Spirit, specifying that He is a Personality in His Own standing. As stated, the Holy
Spirit is God.
There is One God, but manifested in Three Persons, “God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit.”

THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

Jesus said of the Spirit, “The Spirit is Truth” (I Jn. 5:6).
While men have wisdom and understanding concerning certain things, such wisdom
and understanding are always flawed. The reason is man is not truth. The Holy Spirit is
Truth, meaning that there is no error in Him, and there is nothing of which He doesn’t
know; consequently, He has total Wisdom and Understanding regarding all things.
 That Wisdom and Understanding is ensconced in the Word of God, which the Holy
Spirit has given unto us. That’s the reason the Bible is so very, very important. It contains
all things that pertain to Life and Godliness (II Pet. 1:3).

THE SPIRIT OF COUNSEL AND MIGHT

In the word “Counsel,” the Holy Spirit has the answer for all things, and at the same
time, the Might and Power in order to bring it to pass. The idea is, if the Believer will trust
totally and completely in the Lord, ever making the Cross of Christ the Object of his faith,
while Satan will most definitely try to stop such a person, due to the “Might” of the Holy
Spirit, he will not be able to do so.

THE SPIRIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD

The “Knowledge” of the Holy Spirit is perfect, total, and complete. In other words, He
knows all things, past, Present, and future, which speaks of Omniscience. Once again, that
“Knowledge” is found in the Word of God, of which the Spirit is the Author (II Pet. 1:21).
Considering One Who is Omnipotent, meaning all-powerful, Omniscient, meaning all-
knowing, and Omnipresent, meaning that He is everywhere, there must be a correct
reverence and fear of such a One, hence, the “the Fear of the LORD.”
All of this is available to every Believer, all made possible by the Cross.

THE GREATEST LAW IN HEAVEN AND EARTH

I quote from THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE:
“For the Law (that which we are about to give is a Law of God, devised by the
Godhead in eternity past [I Pet. 1:18–20]; this Law, in fact, is ‘God’s Prescribed Order of
Victory’) of the Spirit (Holy Spirit, i.e., ‘the way the Spirit works’) of Life (all life comes
from Christ, but through the Holy Spirit [Jn. 16:13–14]): in Christ Jesus (anytime Paul uses
this term or one of its derivatives, he is, without fail, referring to what Christ did at the
Cross, which makes this ‘life’ possible) has made me free (given me total Victory) from the
Law of Sin and Death (these are the two most powerful Laws in the Universe; the ‘Law of
the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus’ alone is stronger than the ‘Law of Sin and Death’; this
means that if the Believer attempts to live for God by any manner other than Faith in Christ
and the Cross, he is doomed to failure)” (Rom. 8:2).
This particular Scripture tells us, and unequivocally, that our Faith must ever rest in
Christ and the Cross. This guarantees us the help of the Holy Spirit, without Whom we
cannot function as a Believer. And please understand this is not a suggestion, but rather a
“Law.”
As we have stated, it was devised by the Godhead some time in eternity past. It is the
way the Holy Spirit works, which refers to Christ Jesus, and what our Lord did at the Cross
of Calvary.
Over one hundred times, Paul uses the term “in Christ Jesus,” or “in Christ,” or “in
Him,” etc., or one of several other derivatives. Every time, it refers to what Christ did at the
Cross, all on our behalf. Let me say it again:
 The Lord Jesus Christ is the Source of all things that we receive from God, while the
Cross is the Means by which these things are given to us.
Perhaps this Revelation given me by the Lord in 1997 could be summed up as follows:
• An understanding of the sin nature (Rom. 6:12–13).
• The Cross of Christ regarding our Sanctification (Rom. 6:3–5).
• Our Faith in the Finished Work (Rom. 6:11; I Cor. 1:17–18, 23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14; Col.
2:14–15).
• The way the Holy Spirit works within our lives (Rom. 8:1–2, 11).
It is wonderful to know that we have the same Power through the Holy Spirit working
within our lives, all made possible by what Christ did at the Cross, which raised Christ
from the dead. Paul said, and I close:
“But if the Spirit (Holy Spirit) of Him (from God) Who raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you (and He definitely does), He Who raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies (give us power in our mortal bodies that we might live a
victorious life) by His Spirit Who dwells in you (we have the same power in us, through the
Spirit, that raised Christ from the dead, and is available to us only on the premise of the
Cross and our Faith in that Sacrifice)” (Rom. 8:11).
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee;
“Let the Water and the Blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed,
“Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure.”
“Could my tears forever flow, Could my zeal no languor know,
“These for sin could not atone; You must save, and You alone;
“In my hand no price I bring, Simply to Thy Cross I cling.”
“While I draw this fleeting breath, When my eyes shall close in death,
“When I rise to worlds unknown, And behold Thee on Thy Throne,