T Teth.

⁶⁵You have dealt well with Your servant,
O LORD, according to Your word.
⁶⁶Teach me good ^(A)discernment and knowledge,
For I believe in Your commandments.
^67(B)Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
⁶⁸You are ^(C)good and ^(D)do good;
^(E)Teach me Your statutes.
⁶⁹The arrogant ^[a]have ^(F)forged a lie against me;
With all my heart I will ^(G)observe Your precepts.
⁷⁰Their heart is ^(H)covered with fat,
But I ^(I)delight in Your law.
⁷¹It is ^(J)good for me that I was afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
⁷²The ^(K)law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Psalm 119:65-72)

Here we see the example of the one who goes astray from God’s ways, but yet returns. He is the one whom God disciplines, for he is the true son. First, we notice a man who thinks not of himself even as a son, but merely as a servant. But he praises God for his dealings with him and proclaims that God has dealt well with him. He affirms his belief in God’s commands and asks God to teach him discernment and knowledge. Then he acknowledges that he left God’s commands before God “afflicted” him. The key to understanding this stanza lies in seeing that this “servant” is really one of God’s “sons.” Consider Paul’s words to the Galatians:

¹I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,^[a] though he is the owner of everything, ²but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³In the same way we also, when we were children,^(A) were enslaved to the elementary principles^[b] of the world. ⁴But^(B) when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son,^(C) born^(D) of woman, born^(E) under the law, ^5(F) to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive^(G) adoption as sons.⁶And because you are sons, God has sent^(H) the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then^(I)an heir through God. (Galatians 4:1-7)

The point here is that the slave, or servant, who responds to God’s discipline through repentance and continued faith is the one who ultimately becomes a “son of God,” one of the elohim.

The Book of Hebrews fleshes this out in more detail, saying,

⁵And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

^(J) “My son,^(K) do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
⁶For^(L) the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”⁷It is for discipline that you have to endure.^(M) God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸If you are left without discipline,^(N)in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to^(O) the Father of spirits^(P) and live? ¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good,^(Q)that we may share his holiness. ^11(R) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields^(S) the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

¹²Therefore^(T) lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, ¹³and^(U)make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint^(V)but rather be healed. ^14(W) Strive for peace with everyone, and for the^(X) holiness^(Y)without which no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵See to it that no one^(Z) fails to obtain the grace of God; that no^(AA) “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; ¹⁶that no one is^(AB) sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷For you know that^(AC) afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. (Hebrews 12:5-17)

And so we see that  stanza Teth of the great Psalm 119 speaks of God’s overcomers, the men and women servants of the Most High who repent when they are disciplined because they had gone astray. They may fall down in sin, but they get back up (through repentance) and go on with their Creator to the fulfillment of their creation, to the time when they will be glorified as an immortal son of God and begin to rule with the rod of iron, God’s Law. Their defining characteristic is their love for God’s intrinsic nature itself, that nature which goes by many names, not the least of which is “God’s Law.” It is this nature when fully infused into men (by their own choice) which brings them the “holiness” without which no one will ever see God. Jesus meant it when he said, “Be perfect, even as my father in heaven is perfect.” Only the overcomers believe that.

NEW JERUSALEM

THE SPIRT AND THE BRIDE SAY “COME!”

God’s elohim, the sons of God, those who make up the stones of God’s Temple, New Jerusalem, are about to be anointed for their work in the world.  These are the already dead saints and living overcomers who will take part in the first resurrection prophesied by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4 and I Corinthians 15.

We live in the beginning of a new age, a post-Christian age, in which God will do another new work, a work even greater than we have seen over the past two thousand years that was called the New Covenant.  I do not say this to disparage Christians, for I am one, but I do say that Christianity has failed.  Christianity failed to convert the world and where it once ruled, perversion reigns in secular, godless governments.

Today most Christians fail to uphold even the simplest of God’s commands, i.e., that women should dress modestly.   Many Christians have given themselves to abominable carnal practices and teach others to do the same.  Theirs is a false grace which will bring its own reward.   Faithful Christians today band into small groups, attempting to stave the onslaughts of an evil time, attempting to keep some power of righteousness alive in their midst.

Now behold as the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end and elohim come forth.

Psalms 82:1-8  <<A Psalm of Asaph.>> God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods (elohim).  How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.  Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.  I have said, Ye are gods (elohim); and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Check out the categories called Elohim and Gospel to learn more about this important idea of man being made in God’s image, for this is indeed the great mystery of the Gospel, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory!

Click here to learn about being made into God’s image.

 Justice also will I make the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. (Isaiah 28:17 KJ2000)

Righteousness, says Isaiah is the plumbline; it defines perfect moral straightness and integrity with relationship to God. Justice, on the other hand says Isaiah, is the measuring line. It measures horizontally between man and man. To act with justice means to act in equity, integrity, and morality toward other men.

In the beginning God gave us his Law in written form in order to enlighten our understanding with respect to living righteously before him and with justice toward men. The first five commandments give broad directions for living righteously before God.  1) The first commands us to have no god besides Yahweh, the LORD; 2) the second commands to make and serve no idols, no representations of God; 3) the third commands us not the take the LORD’s name in vain (today millions take our LORD Christ’s name in vain by calling themselves Christians. They will be among those to whom Jesus says, “I never knew you!”); 4) the fourth command enjoins us to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy; and 5) the fifth commands us to honor our parents (We must honor our parents for they stand in the place of God to us when we are young. God defines proper order through this and it relates to the “fear of the LORD). All five of these first of the Ten Commandments define a righteous relationship with God.

The second set of the Ten Commandments instead deal with our just relationships with our fellow men. 1) The first, command number six, says “you shall not kill;” 2) the second says, “you shall not commit adultery (all forms of fornication, including homosexual acts are included in this prohibition); 3) the third of the second set says, “You shall not steal;” 4) the fourth prohibits lying; and 5) the fifth prohibits coveting, or lusting after your neighbors’ possessions.  Notice how all five of these commands deal with person to person relationships.

Now consider that the Law defines God’s conception of “truth,” his exact requirements regarding our relationship to him and other men. We see specific examples of the application of this Law, however, which now affend our sensibilities, which now do not appear to be merciful. This includes the example of the man stoned for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. God began the revelation of his Word by giving us his Law before he revealed his great mercy. This is because mercy, unbridled by the Law of truth, is lawless. It allows anything, requires no accountability, and leads to the destruction of the world. We see the effects of unbridled mercy, called grace, in all the Western world today. Here sin and lawlessness reign as men exalt their vileness. But, God revealed truth in the form of law to inform those who would one day be qualified to rule this world.  These ones, these elohim, these overcomers, have been prepared from the beginning of the world.  They will wield God’s truth (God’s rod of iron) in mercy.  This is that which will sweep away men’s refuge of lies in which they dwell.

For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until its righteousness goes forth as brightness, and its salvation as a lamp that burns. And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory: and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (Isaiah 62:1-3)

When one reads and re-reads the Scripture, when one meditates upon the word of God for years, when one eats the manna (truth) of the LORD, mulling it over and over as the clean beasts do their cud and making it a part of their being, then one begins to see amazing things in the Bible. For example, one will begin to really notice the parallel meanings and prophecies of the Books of Isaiah and Revelation.

A consistent theme of Scripture is “many are called, but few are chosen.” God gives this theme many names including Israel, Gideon’s 300, the remnant, the rod (branch), elohim, sons of God, Bride of Christ,  overcomers, Zion, Jerusalem, and New Jerusalem. Many chapters in the books of Isaiah and Revelation relate directly to this theme. Some verses from each book actually parallel and explain verses from the other. Concerning the above passage from Isaiah notice these few facts: 1) the prophecy concerns Zion, which is also called Jerusalem here (this means that the attributes here are ascribed to Zion, not to God), 2) God works on and with Zion for he cannot rest or be at peace until 3) her righteousness goes forth and 4) her salvation burns as a lamp; 5) When this happens, i.e. when she is perfected, then the nations (gentiles) shall see her righteousness; 6) at this time Zion shall be glorified for then all kings of earth shall see her glory; 7) at this time she shall also be called by a new name, a 8) name which the LORD himself will give her; 9) she shall also be a “crown of glory” in the hand of God and 10) a “royal diadem” in his hand.

A key to understanding this passage lies in the phrase “called by a new name.” This phrase also occurs in Revelation 2:17. This verse contains the promise to overcomers in the Church of Pergamum. Pergamum represents the place where “Satan’s throne is,” and thus represents the whole earth, for at this time Satan is the god of this world. All Christians, then, belong to this church and could qualify for the prize revealed in verse 17.

He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except him who receives it. (Revelation 2:17)

Jesus promises the world overcomer three things: 1) hidden manna to eat, 2) a white stone, and 3) a new name written on that white stone which no one knows except the individual overcomer himself or herself.

Hidden manna represents God’s word, God’s truth, which he speaks only to the overcomer. Even today God reveals some of this hidden manna to his overcomers and they, in turn, share it with others of like mind.

The white stone represents the most valuable and precious jewel of all, the highly refined, hardened, and polished diamond. This is the wedding stone given by the bridegroom to his bride at the time of her betrothal, her manifestation, her glorification. I believe this speaks of the glorified state of the overcomer at the time of his resurrection when he has become a perfect jewel before God (in a spiritual sense, not literal of course).

Finally, each overcomer receives a new name known only to him. I believe this speaks of each overcomer’s special calling and gifting in the next age or ages. I think many overcomers have some idea of what this new name may be, but many may well be surprised.

Now, when we compare this passage with Isaiah we see that the white stone dovetails with the crown of glory in God’s hand. When we think of a monarch’s crown, we think of a rim of gold encrusted with fine jewels. Throughout Scripture we see glorified man represented both ways, as gold and as jewels. Thus the crown in God’s right hand typifies all overcomers. We first gain a glimpse of this prophetic picture in that great prophesy given to Moses 3500 years ago:

And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in your hand: and they sat down at your feet; everyone shall receive of your words. (Deuteronomy 33:2-3)

So, in God’s right hand we now see 1) a crown of glory which contains the white stone, 2) a royal diadem, 3) a fiery law, and 4) all of God’s saints. These all picture the overcomer, each representing a different aspect of his spiritual reality when he is glorified.

Today is the Biblical day of the Feast of Trumpets.  “Set the trumpet to your mouth. He shall come as an eagle over the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.” (Hosea 8:1 KJ2000)

And here is the Word of the LORD for today as we enter the twilight time of evening, at the beginning of the Day of the LORD.  As you read this remember that, prophetically, Israel in the following passage represents the Church today.  Today’s Church parades itself in its corruption as Israel did 2800 years ago. But she is about to go the same way as Israel. First, she shall bear her son, the manchild, who shall rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Then she shall fall and rise no more as she hides herself in the wilderness as the wrath of God unfolds in the earth. The carnal Church will never again rise in glory when Christ’s righteousness covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Amos 5:1-27 (ESV) 
    Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:
    [2] “Fallen, no more to rise,
        is the virgin Israel;
    forsaken on her land,
        with none to raise her up.”
 [3] For thus says the Lord God:
    “The city that went out a thousand
        shall have a hundred left,
    and that which went out a hundred
        shall have ten left
        to the house of Israel.”
 [4] For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
    “Seek me and live;
        [5] but do not seek Bethel,
    and do not enter into Gilgal
        or cross over to Beersheba;
    for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
        and Bethel shall come to nothing.”
    [6] Seek the Lord and live,
        lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
        and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
    [7] O you who turn justice to wormwood
        and cast down righteousness to the earth!
    [8] He who made the Pleiades and Orion,
        and turns deep darkness into the morning
        and darkens the day into night,
    who calls for the waters of the sea
        and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
    the Lord is his name;
    [9] who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
        so that destruction comes upon the fortress.
    [10] They hate him who reproves in the gate,
        and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
    [11] Therefore because you trample on the poor
        and you exact taxes of grain from him,
    you have built houses of hewn stone,
        but you shall not dwell in them;
    you have planted pleasant vineyards,
        but you shall not drink their wine.
    [12] For I know how many are your transgressions
        and how great are your sins—
    you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
        and turn aside the needy in the gate.
    [13] Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,
        for it is an evil time.
    [14] Seek good, and not evil,
        that you may live;
    and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
        as you have said.
    [15] Hate evil, and love good,
        and establish justice in the gate;
    it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
        will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
 [16] Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord:
    “In all the squares there shall be wailing,
        and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
    They shall call the farmers to mourning
        and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,
    [17] and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,
        for I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.
    [18] Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
        Why would you have the day of the Lord?
    It is darkness, and not light,
        [19] as if a man fled from a lion,
        and a bear met him,
    or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
        and a serpent bit him.
    [20] Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
        and gloom with no brightness in it?
    [21] “I hate, I despise your feasts,
        and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
    [22] Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
        I will not accept them;
    and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
        I will not look upon them.
    [23] Take away from me the noise of your songs;
        to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
    [24] But let justice roll down like waters,
        and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
 [25] “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?  [26] You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves,  [27] and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.  Jesus answered and said unto them, “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.” (John 8:13-14 KJV)

Here lies a perfect example of why we cannot simply write a program to interpret the Bible or to answer our spiritual questions. Recall that in my last article I quoted Jesus words, “I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who has sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.” (John 5:30-31 KJ2000)  So in John 5 he says his witness concerning himself is not true if he bears witness of himself while in John 8 he says exactly the opposite.  In logic an assertion and its negative cannot both be true.  This demonstrates one of the so-called “contradictions” of Scripture. But, it is no contradiction. Jesus means exactly what he says, as he always does.

Jesus reveals profound spiritual truths and mysteries in chapters 5 through 8 of John. These chapters reveal the identity of Jesus, including his body, progressively. First Jesus tells his hearers that belief in his words brings eternal life. He establishes this authority by noting five witnesses which verify his testimony, John the Baptist, his miraculous works, his Father’s testimony (remember that his Father spoke in approval when John baptized Jesus), the Scriptures, and Moses (remember that Moses wrote many of the Scriptures which prophesied of Jesus).

Chapter six then relates the miraculous event of Jesus multiplying the fish and the barley bread. This event means more than it first seems. It is also a parable that prophesies the time soon coming when Jesus will divide his body and send the pieces of his body (his overcomers, the sons of God) to the ends of the earth bearing the same authority he had on earth. This explains why he goes into such detail concerning himself as the bread of life later in the chapter. “My body is real food; my blood is real drink.” “The words that I speak are spiritual.” Like Jesus these overcomers will possess power to feed the masses, both physically and spiritually. The overcomers qualified themselves by learning the lessons of chapter 5. They learned that if they bore witness of themselves, then their testimony was not true. They learned submission to spiritual authority (John the Baptist), learned to walk by the Spirit (good works), heard the confirmation of their walk directly from their Father in heaven, and learned that the Scriptures prophesied concerning them. They ordered their lives according to these witnesses.

Chapter seven continues revealing the Son of God and the sons of God. Here Jesus says, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me” (John 7:16 KJV) and “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17 KJV) and “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” (John 7:18 KJV) These precepts mark critical steps on the path to overcoming. The overcomer does not develop his own “systematic theology.” His theology changes as God reveals more of himself to him. Thus he does not remain bound by what he has previously written. If God shows him he was wrong about a certain doctrine, he admits it and goes on. His doctrine thus remains free to change as God teaches him all truth. False teachers hate to change their doctrine. They do not want anyone to think they could ever be wrong! They seek their own glory and will thus find themselves full of guile at the judgment. Toward the end of chapter seven Jesus reveals himself as the source of living water.

Chapter 8 then culminates this teaching by emphatically stating, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” thus equating himself with God the Father. It is at the beginning of this chapter that he says something exactly opposite to his assertion at the beginning of this four-chapter teaching, “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true.” Why can he say this now? Why didn’t he say this at the beginning? Because “I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.”

Chapters 5 through 8 reveal the journey of the overcomers. We begin our walk needing the testimony of many witnesses. We end needing only two, our own and our Fathers. Why? Because then we have become one with our Father and our testimony will always coincide with his. Like Jesus at that time we will simply BE. Then, and only then, will we walk in a perpetual state of all our actions being confirmed by two witnesses. Then, when we bear witness of ourselves, our testimony will be true, for we will be speaking the very WORD of GOD.

Until then, let us always be sure that two or three witnesses confirm our words and our actions!

As the Day of the LORD (Yahweh, Jehovah) progresses we will see two things happening at once.  One will be the fall of man’s kingdom, which is Mystery Babylon and the beast upon which she rides; the other will be the rising of the Kingdom of God.  God’s overcomers shall be installed over various regions and cities of the world and will rule with a rod of iron.  The rod of iron is God’s Law tempered with perfect justice and mercy, for in the overcomers God has written his Law.  In them justice and mercy have kissed to enable the bringing forth of perfect order.

The Ark of the Covenant, built by Moses at the time of the Exodus, represents, or typifies, the overcomers, the manifested sons of God.  These are those whom God calls elohim in the Old Testament. The Ark was built of quality hard wood and overlaid with pure gold.  Wood represents man for men are as trees walking alludes the Scripture.  Wood, like man, consists of the dust of the earth and only lives by sun (the Son) and water (the Word of Life).  When God glorifies man he becomes as wood, the creation of God, clothed in righteous, that is, covered with gold.  Within him dwells all the contents of the original Ark of Moses, the manna, the rod that budded, and the tablets of the testimony.

The manna represents the bread of life, Jesus Himself.  Jesus is the Word become flesh.  Overcomers, all of them, are men of flesh who consumed the bread of life during their earthly sojourn.  They did not complain as did all Israel in the wilderness, saying, “We’re sick of this worthless bread.”  No, they willingly consumed it, chose it, and made it their being.  The bread became them.  They, in turn, become the bread of life which Jesus, after the parable, will divide and feed the many thousands.

The rod that budded also represents the overcomers, mere men of flesh who, from the death of their carnal nature give birth to glorified life which bears fruits that remains.  Please see the series called The Two Rods in the May 2010 archives of this site for more information on this.

The tablets of the testimony are the stone tablets upon which God wrote his Law, the Ten Commandments. The Law dwells in the midst of the Ark.  This represents the fact that God writes his Law upon the hearts of his overcomers.  The mercy seat sits upon the Ark and covers it.  This represents the unification of mercy and justice, or law.  Mercy and justice perfectly mix and blend within the sons of God.  Thus they become qualified to rule with the rod of iron.

In Revelation 11:19 we see God’s temple in heaven opened.  Within the temple we see the Ark.  This shows the sons of God in God’s presence, now perfected and ready to do their work.  And what is their work?  To bring the wrath of God to the earth.  The wrath of God, justice perfectly tempered with mercy. This is the rule of the Rod of Iron. And what is the goal of their rule? That others will learn to become as they are! That all the earth, as the waters cover the seas, will become sons of God, men created in the full image of God.

God (Elohim) stands in the congregation of the el; he judges among the gods (elohim, human beings whom God is making in his image).   He asks the elohim, ”How long will you judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.  Think about it!  Take it to heart!  You were created to defend the poor and fatherless.  I have called you to do justice to the afflicted and needy.  Your ministry on earth is to deliver the poor and needy and to deliver them from the hand of the wicked!”

Then God declares his judgment upon the children of men, his elohim,

“They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.”

“I have said, You are gods (elohim); and all of you are children of the most High (Elyon). But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”

But, God ends his rebuke with the stirring climax we see played out in the book of Revelation:

“Arise, O gods (elohim).  Judge the earth!  You shall inherit all nations!

 (Psalm 82)

It’s time to leave the false doctrine of most of Christianity which denies the fact that God declares that we are “gods.”  “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” (Psalms 82:6 KJV)  God purposed in creation to beget children in his own image.  He could not create them “perfect” with no ability to choose evil because then he would have merely made a machine, an automaton that did as it was programmed.  Thus he created man in such a way that he could (and did) disobey direct commands from him.  He also prepared a tree in the midst of the garden by which man would learn good and evil.   And he prepared another tree there by which man would eventually have eternal life.

God purposed that man would first learn to discern good and evil, and learn to willingly choose the good before he could ever have eternal life.  He did it this way because he planned that man become “like” him.  God knows good and evil, but by nature he does only good.  And so shall our nature one day be IF….

This is a big “if!”  This “if” explains why God wrote and delivered the Bible through and to mankind.  God created man a responsible being.  We reap what we sow.  God’s sovereignty does not trump my responsibility.  He will sovereignly move heaven and earth to make me a responsible individual who knows right and wrong and chooses to do right.

Can I perfectly do right now?  No, but I can repent when I don’t, and ask for God’s help to do better.  This is called “practicing righteousness,” and is the mark of Elohim.

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of him. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 2:28-3:3 KJ2000)