Works of Darkness

I received the following newsletter from Bro. David Wilkerson's ministry this morning.  There seems to be a consistent theme God is communicating to His people in this hour.  I pray we all take it to heart.

God is extending His hand as foretold in the letters to the Churches in Revelation.  The main theme?  Repent!

Don't be swayed by doctrines of demons put forth to shipwreck your faith.  Don't think that God will simply overlook wilfull sin; don't think such things will remain hidden.  Jesus brings all hidden things done in darkness to light (I Corinthians 4:5).  Don't think your church activity and "good works" will save you (Matthew 7:21-23). Don't believe that your previous diligence will protect you from your current malaise.

Jesus is the author of salvation for those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).  Yet, even now there is a gentleman continuing to submit comments about how we don't have to obey God to be saved.  How that is a "works" salvation when God says that it is a free gift and not of works.  How we are eternally saved unconditionally.  The Scripture is plain. It is staring him right in the face.  Yet, he still cannot see the truths of God.  Why?  Because he is in sin.  And this man is not alone.

If you are one of the ones continuing to post to this blog, but not seeing your comments approved, take that as a hint that you should move on.  I will respond to sincere questions.  Further, if the Lord tells me to approve such a comment for His purposes of addressing it for the benefit of others, I will.  Otherwise, if a post is contentious or of the wrong spirit, it will not be approved.

Once again, there is only one problem man has with God, and that is sin.  We will always be blinded to His truths until we bring forth fruits worthy for repentance (Matthew 3:8, Luke 3:8; Romans 8:7).  Let's search our hearts and ensure that we are who we claim to be.

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:24-25

"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults." Psalm 19:12
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Works of Darkness
by Min. David Wilkerson

"If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:23). Scripture makes it plain that hidden sins are "works of darkness." We know from God's Word that light has no communion with darkness.

Peter tells us Christ "preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient" (1 Peter 3:19-20). Disobedience cast these souls into a prison of darkness. Likewise today, every willful act of disobedience causes the light of discernment within us to darken. Over time our perception of truth becomes distorted, and our "open heaven" grows clouded.

The Lord suffers greatly whenever hidden sin brings gross darkness upon our souls. And nothing grieves Him more than when we resist and reject His warnings and convictions. Consider this tragic case described in a letter we received:

"My husband has given himself over completely to Internet pornography. Now I've filed for divorce, and he doesn't even care. We were happily married for twenty-five years before all this happened. I couldn't understand why he spent so much time shut up in his room with his computer. Then one day I walked in and was shocked by the ugly filth I saw on the screen.

"He became obsessed. His personality changed, and a meanness came over him. I knew he was addicted. He said, 'I can't help it. I'm going to do as I please.'"

The apostle Paul directs a horrifying statement to those who walk "in the vanity of their mind" (Ephesians 4:17). Such people justify their sin, no longer seeking deliverance from it. Paul says of them: "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (verse 18).

How did they become so dark and blinded? They fell under a blindness that comes upon all who give themselves over to sin: "Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness" (verse 19).

John Owen, the Puritan writer, spells out the tragic result: "A man under the power of some predominant lust is under false security and does not discern coming perilous times."