ADDING TO YOUR FAITH
ALL THE VIRTUES
Rev. William Soto Santiago, Ph.D.
Sunday, July 29th, 2012
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Very good morning, and good afternoon also for those whose time is past 12:00 noon, and for those who is not 12:00 and have another time, good morning; may the blessings of Christ, the Angel of Covenant, be upon you all and me too. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
For this occasion we read in Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 1 onwards, which says:
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he saith,
When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
God bless our souls with His Word and allow us to understand It.
“ADDING TO YOUR FAITH ALL THE VIRTUES.”
In order to come unto the stature of Christ, unto a perfect man, we must add all the virtues that are mentioned in the Scripture, which the Holy Spirit is adding to each person who surrenders to Christ, for Christ to work in him and through him.
We already saw also that the Apostle Peter in I Peter, chapter 1, verse 1 to 14, speaks of these virtues, of which faith is the first, and then to faith are added … Second Peter is where these virtues are mentioned, for every believer in Christ is made partaker of the divine nature. Therefore, those divine virtues are manifested in the believers in Christ which the Holy Spirit operates in the believers in Christ. Peter in Second Peter, chapter 1, verse 3 onwards:
“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
It is important to understand these things and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest these virtues, which are divine virtues of the divine nature, to be manifested in the sons and daughters of God. Remember that the sons and daughters of God are in the image and likeness of God.
God had four thousand years to bring a perfect Work, a Masterpiece. He was reflecting that Masterpiece from Adam to John the Baptist in the patriarchs of old, which lived five hundred and nine hundred and some years, then until Noah, and then after Noah in Shem and all those people until Moses, Abraham, Moses , and then after Moses… in Joshua, the judges, of whom Samuel was the last of the judges, and was a prophet too, and was the one who anointed the first king of Israel, Saul, and also the second anointed king of Israel, David.
Then we find Him in all those people, reflecting Christ, rather Christ reflected through them. Notice, He was reflected in Moses: Moses once when God would destroy the people because of sin by which destruction comes, because “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” that’s is somewhere in Romans, chapter 3, verse 23, or Chapter 6, verse 23 there [Chapter 6]. Moses said to God not to destroy the people, said to Him: “All nations will say that You took them out of Egypt to kill them in the wilderness because You could not bring them into the land You promised them.” Moses turned to God’s promises, to what God had told Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and also what God had told Moses, what God had promised the people, and said to Him: “If not, then blot me out of the Book that You’ve written (in other words, the Book of Life).”
God heard the voice of Moses, and this is what? reflecting Christ; Christ in Moses intervening for God not to destroy the people, because that is what He would do in His first Coming, in which humanity would come to its end, where God would call to judgment not only the Jewish people but all humanity.
Christ said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground, it abideth alone: but if it falls into the ground and dies, it bears much fruit.” (John, by chapter 12, verse 24) … Let’s see if it is verse 24 … yes, verse 24; He also said that He would lay down His life for the sheep (John, chapter 10). Chapter 10, verse 14 onwards, says:
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
In other words, He came to lay down His life as an atonement for the sheep that the Father gave Him to seek and give them eternal Life, “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save (what?) that which was lost.” That’s somewhere in Matthew and Luke also … Luke tells us that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost,” and Matthew also; we will look for one of them…
Christ came with and for a divine purpose: to seek and save what was lost. In other words, He came looking for me and save me, and for who else? For each of you also, that was the purpose of His first Coming, and therefore He, being aware for which purpose He came, He knew He had to die. Matthew, chapter 18, verse 11, there we find that passage, and Luke, chapter 19, verse 10, says:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
The people do not know why humanity exists in the present, it is clear that God created man in His image and likeness in Genesis, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 (Chapter 1, verse 26 to 28 and chapter 2, verse 7). Chapter 1, verse 26 to 27, says:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
He said He would create man in His own image and likeness, says: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” And then when He created him, He created him in His image, in other words, created an angelic body, and we do not know how long he was in an angelic body without having a body of flesh; but man being in his angelic body, Adam and Eve, we find that Adam in that stage had dominion over the birds, fish, animals, over all the Earth, that is, he was king in this Earth, and Eve was the queen, in other words, gods of their kingdom; for God is the King of Heaven and Earth, as does a king which has many countries in his kingdom, and says to the older son: “You are going to govern, to reign over this nation,” but of course under the crown of his father, the king. Therefore, the laws would be the laws of his father, of that kingdom which that other country is under.
Likewise under the Reign of God which is the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth, the planet Earth is part of the divine Kingdom, and God places His son Adam on Earth and gives him a companion to rule on this Earth, on this planet as a minor king, a prince who receives a planet to rule on it and over it.
In eternity you will see many wonderful things, because the whole universe has billions of galaxies, and each galaxy has a solar system, and systems… in each solar system, planets, and so on, and each planet has also territories and so shall be in eternity. So, there is a parable that says “to whom were given, given talents …” and also where were given (in another parable which refers to the same)… were given pounds, or… let’s see, Luke and Matthew. Matthew is talents (chapter 25, verse 14 onwards), and Luke, Chapter 19 are pounds.
In both it refers to money which is type and figure of what God gives us not only financially, but the talents He has placed on individuals; and people who have received these talents have used them in the Work of God, those that are serving God in the Divine Program of the Gospel of Christ, in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ; but others, who received one talent or received a pound, buried it.
That is, the talent he received was not used in the Work of Christ, but used it in the world. Remember the parable of Matthew, chapter 13, it tells us… Chapter 13, verses 24 onwards, says… let’s begin in verse 36, but we will use verse 30 also, it says:
“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”
And then in verse 36 is the explanation of the parable of chapter 13 of Matthew, says:
“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
The field is the world…”
In other words, the field, the ground, the land, where both the wheat and the tares was planted, is the world. And now, if the world is represented in the field, in the ground, and in the one who did not use the talent that was given to him… it says, and this is for the Coming of the Lord, says: “After a long time (verse 19)…” a little before, let’s begin in verse 14. Chapter 25 of Matthew, verse 14 onwards says:
“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country
(that is Christ ascending to Heaven), who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.”
Chapter 19, verse 12 onwards, says that this person is a prince, a noble man, chapter 19 of Luke, verse 12 onwards, says:
“He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.”
When Christ shall take the Title Deed, the Title Deed contains all His rights over all creation, all His rights to and of all that He has redeemed with His precious Blood:
“He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.”
Now, here it says that the man who received … one of them, one came and won ten, the other came and won five, and so on. Now look, He says to them: “… and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”
Therefore, every believer in Christ is called to do as Jesus did when He stayed in the temple and was only twelve years old, that shows that children also work in the Work of the Lord, and Mary and Joseph find Him again after three days, and Mary says to Him: “Why have you done this? (in other words) why did You remain and didn’t come with us? Your father and I have sought You anxiously.
There she denied that Jesus’ Father was God, Jesus did not like that, Jesus says to her: “Did not you know I must be about my Father’s business?” Doing what? Fulfilling what the Messiah had to fulfill, because He came for that purpose. Every son of God comes to fulfill his work in the business of His heavenly Father, in other words, he comes to fulfill the part which pertains to him in the Divine Program according to and for the time granted for him to live.
That is, a person in our time cannot say, “Well, the Divine Program at the time of Noah was to build an ark, therefore, we will build an ark and we will be doing what God told Noah.” (That was for Noah). And a person who thinks so, if he was in Noah’s time, would have been doing something else but helping Noah building the ark.
It is always necessary to have knowledge of the Divine Program for the time when one is living, to know the promises God has made for that time and be working as an individual and also together with the group chosen of that time, of that age, working in what corresponds to that time; and through these people, God through His Spirit, Christ through His Spirit will be fulfilling what He has promised for that time, making His promises a reality, just as God fulfilled through Christ the promises of the Messiah in His first Coming.
Those who received the ten talents, the ten servants who received ten talents, at Christ’s return, each one presented himself; they were ten pounds, were coins, money, and were distributed among the ten. Each one received one, and the one who received one pound had to work with what God gave him and had to multiply it. Chapter 19, verse 16:
“Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.”
In a country where a person has authority over a city, what is he? The mayor, or president of the city, as it is called in Mexico, or prefect, as he is called in Brazil; but if he has authority over ten cities, then he is the governor of the State, because a State can have ten cities, another may have twenty cities, another may have five cities, depending on the size of the State.
And according to how you worked, then it earned a certain amount, and it pleased God, if he was faithful in little, if he managed what was given to him, managed in the Work of God, for the Work and glory of Him who gave you the pound, then he is going to invest in something greater. First we have to be tested and pass the exam, the test that applies to each person.
And so they went by, other… everyone received the same pound on this occasion; in the parable of the talents one received an amount and another received another amount, and one received one pound or one talent, but he had to… it was given to him to work with it.
And he that received only one talent, hid it in the ground, buried it; and we saw that in the parable of the wheat and the tares, the ground represents the world, that is, the field represents the world, whoever buried the talent, see where he buried it: in the world.
People have talent for one thing or another thing, as beautiful singing talents, which are given to be used for the glory of Christ, if those talents are used to the world, and everything is for the world, and they have no time for God; but God will demand an account of those talents, whether singing or whatever; we mention songs because it is the talent best known, but there are many talents. If you look for all the talents that a human being can have, all the talents God has given him, there you can see there are many, and are represented in those talents that He gave.
Some people say: “This is mine and I use it as I wish,” not so, that belongs to God, and God has given it for you to manage it properly under the Divine Program, and Christ will some day require it from you, and you will have to give an account for that which He gave you.
It says that he who was given one talent and did not use properly, buried it, was taken away from him, and then that talent was given to the one who had more; in other words, to him who has much will be given more, and he who does not have, even what he has… he that hath not, because no one has talents or pounds, those are things that God has placed in the people, are divine blessings, divine talents that God has placed in different people so they can say, to use them properly in the Divine Program, and say: “I must be about my Father’s business.” how? Working with the talents God has given us, because He says He gave these talents and also pounds, it says that He gave these pounds, and said: “Work (with what?) with those talents or pounds until I come back.”
And some people say: “But what reward will I receive for that talent?” Some say: “I rather use it in the world and they pay me there,” but when Christ will demand an account for it and you have not done what you were supposed to do for God’s Work, it will be taken away, you’ll never have that blessing; it will be given to somebody else.
In other words, those who have done much in the Work, will receive more blessings; the talents that are removed, or pounds, from others, will be given to those who have done more, because they worked harder than others. He who does not have, even that which he has, it will be taken away from him, and he that has, to him will be given more, to him who has much will be given more, to him who has much and has used it in the Lord’s Work. And now, all that is used according to the Divine Program for the time which is allotted for the person to live.
And the virtues that are given, that are placed on people by the Holy Spirit, will bring the human beings to perfection through the Holy Ghost; as it is for individuals, likewise is also for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ which passed through the different stages.
To the first stage of the Gentile Church in the Dispensation of Grace, that stage corresponds to faith, and its messenger was the apostle Paul, see? Faith was already added to it, it was brought by the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul to the Gentiles. And so each age or stage pertains to a virtue in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Mystical Body of Christ.
And after seven stages or seven virtues, the seven virtues, comes love. divine Love, which is the crown with which the Church is crowned and corresponds to the Golden Age, the Age of the Cornerstone for the Church to reach perfection.
And so it is for every believer in Christ to reach perfection. We will reach perfection because it is a Divine program which is already designed by God before the foundation of the world, and then we will become into the image of Christ in all His fullness with glorified physical, immortal young bodies for all eternity; and being in those eternal, glorified bodies, it is then that we will reign with Christ for the millennium and then for all eternity.
Therefore, just as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has been adding these ages that correspond to virtues in the individual, each believer in Christ is also going through these stages in which these divine virtues are expressed. Therefore, allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and me these virtues to obtain perfection, adding to your faith all the virtues, and thus we will reach perfection.
It is important to be aware of the time we live in, which corresponds, in the mystical body of Christ, to the stage of divine Love stage where the Church of Jesus Christ will obtain the great victory in divine Love, and where every believer in Christ as an individual will obtain the great victory in divine Love, wherein the Coming of the Lord will take place, and the faith to be changed and raptured, the Final Trumpet or Great Voice of Trumpet, which is the Voice of Christ speaking to us things pertaining to our time. That’s the sound of the Final Trumpet, the Final Trumpet sounding. John in Revelation, chapter 1, verse 10 to 11, said:
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.”
In other words, It is the Voice of Christ, which is the Alpha and Omega, speaking to the Church represented in John the apostle. Paul says: “If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound …” (what happens then?) “How will we prepare for the battle?”
At each stage or age there is a struggle, a battle, and we must hear the Trumpet giving a certain sound, which is, the Voice of Christ speaking His promised Word for our time so that we are steadfast in the faith of Christ and faith in Christ and working in the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That quote I gave: “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, how will we prepare for the battle,?” Paul says it in First Corinthians, chapter 14, verse 8.
The certain sound of the Trumpet, the Voice of Christ, is His message corresponding to the time the person is living. And that Great Voice of Trumpet or Final Trumpet, being the Voice of Christ speaking to His Church in the Last Day, in the Age of the Cornerstone or golden age of the Church, will give us His promised Word for our time; that will be the Great Voice of Trumpet or Final Trumpet sounding so that the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the transformation of we who are alive may come, because it is at the last trumpet that the dead in Christ shall rise and those who live will be changed.
And where does the last trumpet sound? At the stage of divine Love, which is the Cornerstone Age or Golden Age of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is parallel to the time of Jesus and the time of Noah before the flood, who was building the ark that God commanded him; and the time of Abraham and Lot, because Christ said that the Coming of the Son of Man will be as the days of Noah and that it will be as in the days of Lot also.
It is important to understand these things that belong to our time in order to grow and to reach perfection, until we come unto the stature of a perfect man, the stature of Christ, reach perfection, reaching the stage where we which are alive will be changed, and those that have departed will be raised in eternal bodies.
It is a great blessing to be with you in this Sunday school, in this Bible study on the theme of these virtues: “ADDING TO YOUR FAITH ALL THE VIRTUES.” Just as it is for the Church, it is for every believer in Christ, and therefore is important that each person is in the Mystical Body of Christ, firm in the faith of Christ.
And if there is any person who has not yet received Christ in order to be in the Mystical Body of Christ, you can do it right now and we will be praying for you for Christ to receive you in His Kingdom, to forgive you and cleanse you with His Blood from all sin and baptized you with the Holy Spirit and Fire and produce in you the new birth, for which you may come forward and we will be praying for you.
Remember that without Christ the human being is lost; He is the only way to the Father, He Himself said: “I am the way, the truth and the life, and nobody comes to the Father but by me” (John , chapter 14, verse 6.) He is the only and sufficient Savior for everyone.
Salvation cannot be sought in any other way, but in Christ; in Him and through Him the Work of Redemption on the Cross of Calvary has been carried out” that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal Life.” There is no way to receive eternal Life except through Jesus Christ our Savior.
In other countries you may also come to the Feet of Christ to be included in the prayer that we will be doing in a few minutes. We will stand on our feet to pray for people who are receiving Christ as their Savior in different countries.
With our hands raised up to Christ, to Heaven, and our eyes closed, those present and those in other nations:
Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be done , as in heaven also on earth.
And give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Heavenly Father, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I bring to You all these people who are receiving Christ as only and sufficient Savior right now. Welcome them into Your Kingdom, they have believed in Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary, and are receiving Him as only and sufficient Savior. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, heavenly Father.
Now, repeat after me this prayer those who are receiving Christ as Savior at this time:
Lord Jesus Christ, I heard the preaching of Your Gospel and Your faith was born in my heart.
I believe in You with all my heart, I believe in Your first Coming and I believe in Your death on the Cross of Calvary as the Sacrifice of Atonement for our sins.
I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I need a Savior, a Redeemer. I bear public witness of my faith in You and receive You as my only and sufficient Savior. I beg You to forgive my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood from all sin, and make a reality in my life, my being, Your salvation you purchased for me on the Cross of Calvary. In Your eternal and glorious Name, Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, to whom be glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
With our hands raised up to Christ, to Heaven, we all say: The Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin! The Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin! The Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin! Amen.
Those who have received Christ as Savior in different countries right now, they will ask themselves or will ask: “When can I be baptized? I want to be baptized, because Christ said: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
You may well be baptized, because you believed and received Christ as only and sufficient Savior, and may Christ baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire and produce in you the new birth. Children ten years and older also, who have received Christ as Savior, may be baptized in water in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and may Christ baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire and produce in you, children, the new birth.
Water baptism does not take away sins, it is the Blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin, but in water baptism, which is a commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ, the person is identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Water baptism is typological and is a commandment of Christ. Even Christ Himself was baptized by John the Baptist, who did not want to baptize Him, and said: “I have need to be baptized by you, do you come to me so I baptize you?” And Jesus says to him: “It is becoming us to fulfill all righteousness,” and then he baptized Him, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and said: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” and likewise the blessing of the Holy Spirit comes upon all who receive Christ as Savior and are baptized in water in His Name.
You may be baptized who have received Christ as Savior in different countries, and may Christ baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire and produce in you the new birth, and we will continue to see each other for all eternity in the glorious Kingdom of Christ our Savior.
May everyone continue spending a happy afternoon, filled with the blessings of Christ our Savior, and we will continue to see these days. Until next Sunday, God willing, in person or by satellite, and we will be hearing the Word of Christ our Savior to continue growing until we come unto the stature of Christ, the perfection of Christ, where we will be in the image and likeness of Christ completely.
May you continue having a happy afternoon, filled with the blessings of Christ our Savior. I leave with you the Rev. Jose Benjamin Perez to continue, and in every country I leave the minister concerned. May God bless and keep you all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
“ADDING TO YOUR FAITH ALL THE VIRTUES.