Saturday

Related Verses
Matt. 7:23
23 And then I will declare to them: I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.

1 John 3:4-9
4 Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness also, and sin is lawlessness.
5 And you know that He was manifested that He might take away sins; and sin is not in Him.
6 Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him.
7 Little children, let no one lead you astray; he who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous;
8 He who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God.

Jude 11, 20-21
11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and have rushed out in the error of Balaam for reward and have perished in the rebellion of Korah.
20 But you, beloved, building up yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Related Reading
In Matthew 7:21-23 the Lord rebuked those who prophesied, cast out demons, and did works of power in His name. Why were they rebuked when they were doing these things in the Lord’s name? They were rebuked because they were doing these things out of themselves, not out of obedience to God’s will. This is the reason the Lord said that only “he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens” can enter the kingdom of the heavens [v. 21]. The present age is full of lawlessness and rebellion…Sin is lawlessness and rebellion [1 John 3:4]. Being lawless is being without the law, and being without the law is sin. Satan sinned by trespassing against authority. Man breaks the law when the law is present and acts irresponsibly when no law is present. In either case he sins; that is, he does not come under authority…Breaking the law is a matter of conduct, and it is sin. Being lawless is a matter of motive, and it is sin as well. In lawlessness one not only rebels against authority but acts as if there is no law. In the end times the presence of the lawless one will result in fallen man overturning all forms of authority. He will act according to his self-will and lawlessness will reign…From the time of Satan’s fall, throughout man’s history of transgression to the end of this age, Satan is continually fighting against God’s authority. Man is also standing against God’s authority. God establishes authority, but man rebels against it. Rebellion constitutes the underlying principle of this world. In order to serve God, we have to experience authority. We have to free ourselves from these two worldly principles—lawlessness and rebellion. (CWWN, vol. 59, pp. 106-107) 

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We must realize that there are two principles in this universe. One is the principle of God’s authority, and the other is the principle of Satan’s rebellion. We cannot serve God on the one hand and take the way of rebellion on the other hand…A rebellious man can give a message, but Satan will laugh at such a man because he is operating under Satan’s principle. Service is directly linked to authority. If we do not settle the matter of authority, we will have problems in all areas of our service and living. We have to ask ourselves if we are under God’s authority. As servants of God we have to have a fundamental revelation, a revelation of His authority. We have to face our pathway accurately and squarely. We have to know that any kind of rebellion is from Satan. Those who have not seen authority are destroying their own work…Unless we touch authority and its underlying root, God will not be able to have any work in China, in other places, and in the entire world. If we do not remove the root of rebellion, we will have no future and no work. May the Lord be merciful to us and grant us a real touch with authority. May we turn away from the principle of rebellion and reject the way of rebellion. May the Lord preserve our service in the principle of submission. (CWWN, vol. 59, pp. 107-108)

We should not care for prophesying, for casting out demons, or for works of power. Instead, we should care only for doing the will of our heavenly Father. You may wonder how we can know the Father’s will. We can know it by the Father’s life and nature within us…If you are running according to the divine nature and within the constricted lines, the divine nature will indicate, “Yes, you are right; go on.” But if you are not running according to the divine nature or if you step outside the lines, the divine nature will say, “Don’t go this way.” There is no need for anyone to tell you what to do, for the regulating, constricting, divine nature is within you. This nature tells you where you are. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 287-288) 

Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 59, ch. 12

Further Reading:
Further reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 24

Hymn: #383
1 My stubborn will at last hath yielded;
I would be Thine, and Thine alone,
And this the prayer my lips are bringing,
“Lord, let in me Thy will be done.”
 
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee;
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee.

2 I’m tired of sin, footsore and weary,
The darksome path hath dreary grown,
But now a light has ris’n to cheer me;
I find in Thee my Star, my Sun.

3 Thy precious will, O conqu’ring Savior,
Doth now embrace and compass me;
All discords hushed, my peace a river,
My soul a prisoned bird set free.

4 Shut in with Thee, O Lord, forever,
My wayward feet no more to roam;
What pow’r from Thee my soul can sever?
The center of God’s will my home.