By Elias Aslaksen Matthew 7:24-27; Ezekiel 33:30-33; James 2:14-26: There is tremendous seriousness as well as tremendous power and a deep mystery in these simple words. When it comes to these scriptures, most people make a dreadful mistake by reading them as if it were written: “Has a desire to do them.” But that is not what is written. Only the person who does them is like a wise man. It is very easy for us to take false comfort in desiring to do God’s will, and that is where it stops. On the day of reckoning and on the day of trial the question will not be one of desire, but what has become reality and what is being done. Every time a person carries out God’s will, he builds a little bit on the rock. When the rain descends and the floods and storms come, they do not ask whether you have a desire or not. The strength and the building that the storms cannot move lie in the person really having lived God’s Word. This Bible study and also the previous one, as well as the prophets and the apostles and Christ Himself, unanimously teach us this sober, utterly serious, and true doctrine: that only being a doer of the work weighs anything in the scales. Let us therefore be careful that we are not deceived by anything at all, either in ourselves or in others, but let us put all the emphasis on carrying out God’s will with our body, with zeal and faithfulness, as long as we are in this body. Amen. Matthew 7:28-29; Titus 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 1:5, 2:13: Jesus did not speak like the scribes and the Pharisees. He spoke in a way that the people had never heard any other man speak; He spoke with authority. Likewise, Paul exhorts his true son in the faith, Titus, to exhort and correct with all authority. Authority is the same as firmness, decisiveness, and full assurance. Firmness is grounded in truth. God’s Word is authoritative on its own because it is true. The opposite of speaking with authority is to speak with uncertainty and lack of clarity: perhaps it is like this and perhaps it is different; this happens to be my opinion, but perhaps you have a different opinion that is just as good or better. These are, to put it briefly, words of man, or merely talk. “If anyone speaks [in the church], let him speak as the oracles of God.” 1 Pet. 4:11. This is the same as speaking with authority. We can, and we should, speak with authority to the extent that we have made progress in God. No one has any use for any other words. It is just vanity. For example, if we were at the railway station in Oslo and inquired about a certain train, and we received an answer that perhaps it was that train or perhaps seven or eight other trains, what would we do with such an answer? The degree of our authority depends on how much we live in the truth. Matthew 8:1-17; 3 John 3; Isaiah 53:3-4; Isaiah 40:29-31: Matthew 8:17 is the key word when it concerns healing from physical illness. This word was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah and interpreted by no less than Jesus Himself. Just as He bore our sins in His body and carried them away (1 Pet. 2:24), so He has also taken our sicknesses and carried them away. This is indeed very comprehensive, for He has even borne our infirmities. We know that we cease from sin by faith. In the same way we can also get rid of sickness and infirmity by faith. Based on Isaiah 40 we also see that we can constantly gain fresh physical strength by faith, so that we can always discharge our daily tasks to the fullest, and even beyond that if there is a need for it. The example of the centurion gives us an especially uncomplicated explanation of faith. It could just as easily be stated like this: “God is a God of order.” 1 Cor. 14:33. Even in the earthly service in which the centurion was engaged, when he said to the one “Go,” he went, and to another “Come,” he came, or to his servant “Do this,” he did it. The centurion thought how much more order and punctuality there must be in God’s great, heavenly and perfect kingdom. Jesus had not found such great faith in all of Israel. The way in which the centurion viewed the matter reveals the very core of the nature of faith. On the other hand, it may be necessary or practical for us that God lets us become sick, but this does not mean that we shall continue to be sick. On the contrary, we ought to seek healing, and then above everything else believe in Matthew 8:17.

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21. Not everyone has God’s commandments. Most people are so occupied with the things of this world that they do not know God’s commandments. It is also a revelation to receive the commandments, but Jesus says that He will manifest Himself to the one who has His commandments and keeps them. Many people have had this first revelation of receiving Jesus’ commandments, but they remain standing in front of the commandment. They do not come to the second revelation which they would have received if they had kept His commandments. That is why most people do not have any joy in their life. They remain standing in front of the commandment and feel condemned. Jesus said He would manifest Himself to the one who kept His commandments. Then we become His friends. John 15:14-16. We become His chosen ones, and the result is happiness and joy. God revealed Himself to Abraham and said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” With that revelation Abraham received the commandment. We can imagine that it did not make him so happy. The way became narrow for him, but he loved God above all and kept the commandment. Then God revealed Himself to him again and said, “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Gen. 22:15-18. This revelation made Abraham happy. He received the promise after he had kept the commandment. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” 1 Cor. 2:9-10. “Us” are those who love Him, who have kept His commandments. They learn to know everything that God has prepared. They don’t just know it as knowledge, but Jesus reveals Himself to them and promises it to them. This causes their happiness to increase as they keep His commandments. Jesus says, “He who loses his life for My sake shall find it.” Abraham had to lose his life by sacrificing Isaac. He had to have faith for that, because he did not know what he would receive in return. He discovered that only after he had kept the commandment. Then he received it again many times over. Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Rom. 8:18. Paul had pressed through to the promise. The way was narrow, but it was nothing compared to the glory which he had attained. Paul is a witness, and many others who have gone this way can also testify to it. It is worthwhile for those who stand in the first revelation, thinking that the way is narrow and the sufferings are hard, to consider these witnesses. Many people do not love Jesus so fervently that they manage to overcome the hard and difficult things in order to come to the second revelation—to the happiness that comes with being Jesus’ chosen friend. That is also why they do not become a witness.Sigurd Bratlie