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LESSON SIX: VIRTUE
  “if there be any virtue...”

Imagine going through life without malice, anger, resentment or hate in your heart toward anyone. Imagine being absolutely empty of revenge or getting even against another person including your mate. Imagine not having any bitterness toward God in your heart for your past or present circumstances. If you can imagine all these things then you have embraced Virtue. Imagine being free of any sin in your heart toward anyone in the congregation. This would be a great start in your journey toward maturity and Christian adulthood. Virtue deserves a high degree of esteem in our hearts if we are to release the excellency of the spirit of God in our innermost being. Virtue assumes that we possess good qualities to a high degree. Good qualities mean God qualities. It's the quality of being God-like. This is the possessing of virtue in one’s person. This is the God-given ability to view yourself and others blameless. It is the releasing of all persons of any obligations, the forgiving of all debts or sins of all people.  Wow, this sounds like God’s attitude toward us. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God gave us his son who when he was offered up as a sacrifice was a mature sacrifice. He was a man who took upon him the sins of the whole world and lifted them off all humanity. He was a virtuous man who emptied himself for all mankind in order to save all. He was a man’s man. Not in the sense of macho-man but in the realty of truth-man. A real man is a god-man. Not some ego-centric over bearing rude and crude man with a five o’clock shadow. The definition of a real man should be one who possesses the qualities and characteristics of God manifested by the Holy Spirit. Virtue-man or the Son of God will never become an idol or manifest himself as the ultimate male. He or she will be a son of God from whom virtue will flow out from him to others.

Absolute, Absolutely taken from the Old Testament word absol (virtue) means to absolve ones sins. As the sacrifice of Christ has been applied to our lives so must we absolve the sins of others in our god-like attitude.  John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.  Do we hear what the Master is saying? He has given us a way to release forgiveness in a corrupt world controlled by devils.  He has given us away to hold at bay the evil world. By remitting sins of others we free them of the influence of death. Sin brings forth death. Many are dying in their sins. We have the power to release virtue in the lives of others.

Phil 4:8 whatever is admirable (NIV) Admirable means deserving of the highest esteem, inspiring admiration or approval. Now is the set time to esteem one another. Listen to the Psalmist: Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.  For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.  So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. Ps.102:13-15 We are living in a time when many prophets are constantly telling us how the Glory will be revealed.  Many of us continue to say, “We are living in a new day, a new hour and there will be a great out-pouring of his spirit!” While I do not doubt these words, it still seems many of us are looking to the heavens in order to bring down God. This is much easier then searching through the rubble for the lively stones covered with dust or more properly, to bend or stoop in kindness toward each other. Psalms 102 is telling us that the way the heathen will fear is when we are pleased with the stones and we are willing to specifically satisfy all debts.  We are to owe no man anything save love. The word dust means clay, mortar or mud. The very materials needed for building the Temple of God. Once these stones made up the temple but now they lay in the dirt waiting for the First Fruits to favor them above all temporal things and gather them unto the Lord. When we see this the kings of the earth will fear the glorious sons of God.  Phil 4:8 dwell on the fine, good things in others (TLB)  Oh, what glory we will find when we dwell on good things with our mind. When we see this the kings of the earth will fear the glorious sons of God. Phil 4:8 dwell on the fine, good things in others. Oh, what glory we will find when we dwell on good things with our mind. 2Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge. (TLB)

the voice

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