Starred correction*

What does it mean to prepare the way? We know that preparing the way is the substance of repentance, as the Spirit of Repentance is the Spirit of Elijah, and as John the Baptist was Elijah who was to come, and John the Baptist fulfilled Isaiah 40, as he prepared the way. Though I have already shown how most people say that repentance is to turn 180 degrees from sin, and that this interpretation of what repentance means comes from the Greek word for repentance, coming from the Greek military command to about face, or turn around, I have also shown how it is the changing and turning unto God which is repentance, while it is the death of Christ which gives the full 180. In these things, we can know that it is entering into His death, which is the perfection spoken about in Hebrews 6, regarding going onto perfection, after having lain the foundation of repentance. We enter into His death through walking with our cross, and running our race, keeping our faith, and fighting the good fight, as we wholly seek God and thus find Him, abiding in His spoken word. This 'enters' into His death, and is the full 180, while repenting is preparing the way, because when we abide in the spoken word of Christ, which is faith and the spiritual knowledge of Him, we can only remain in God by putting off the basic principles and coarse of the world, and thus dying and being dead to sin. We can further understand what it means to prepare the way, by first understanding that the Bible shows that even God repented.

Genesis 6:6 KJV
it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth

This verse took place, just before God had decided to bring the flood, in the days of Noah. So we can see how 'preparing the way,' and going onto perfection is included in this context. The substance of what it means to prepare the way, is found in the definitions of honesty, and integrity. The true definition of honesty, is for someone to think of themselves in light of God's word. And the true definition of integrity is for someone to believe what God's word says about them; these also being in the context of the spoken word of Christ, and not just the written word of God. And so we prepare the way, when we think of ourselves in light of God's word, and then we begin to go onto perfection, unto the full entering in, as we believe what God's word and Spirit says about us. This is also the context that the letters in Revelation were written in, as each letter ends with "Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches." This is true, even as the church had began to fall away.

When simplicity is taken away, and when practicality, and 'life as a process' is taken away, as these are false light, and counterfeits of what really abides in God, then the true fulfillment of preparing the way, as described above, may take place, without the outworkings of it coming unto being only a hearer of the word and not a doer. Because when there is the actual substance of a thinking of one's self in light of God's word and believing what He says, then there is a continual relationship with the LORD. What happens through simplicity and practicality, is that God's word becomes watered down, along with the relationship with Him, and this ends in lukewarmness. Simplicity, practicality, and 'life as a process' take away from the whole seeking and finding of Him, of abiding in His oneness, truly having the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and being spiritual. When a person thinks of himself in light of God's word, and believes what He says, then they are taking every thought captive, unto the obedience of Christ. The word obedience, can be interchanged with the knowledge of loving God, as Jesus said that if we love Him we will obey Him. Both pride and false humility offer ways through things like simplicity, practicality, and 'life as a process,' for obedience to either mean that we have holiness through our works, or righteousness through our ability to 'let go and let God.' Good fruit is our spiritual knowledge of God, just as it is with the fruit of the Spirit, and this is why Paul says:

Galatians 3:5-6
He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

And notice this parable, that Jesus spoke:

Luke 18:1-8
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Firstly, God is not an unjust judge, and therefore within this parable, who is the unjust judge? Firstly, it is Satan, and secondly, it is our own judgments, even as we judge ourselves. David and John show how our prayers are only heard through abiding in God, and this is actually the context in which James speaks about receiving from God, in the first chapter of his letter. David said that if he regarded iniquity in his heart, the LORD would not hear. This, again, goes beyond us trying to receive things to fulfill or make provision for the lust of our flesh. This actually means that we can not receive from God, unless we regard our life in Him, which for those who are born again, having the Spirit living inside of them, means that they are a new creation, created according to true righteousness and holiness, being inwardly perfect, sinless, and incorruptible. And this is why John spoke about us receiving from the LORD through having our prayers heard, and this is also the same context, by which Jesus said that we will receive whatever we ask for, in His name. And so it is God that we are praying to, when we ask according to the new birth, and thus we shall receive from Him.

The meaning of the unjust judge in the above parable, is given through the symbolism of the bronze serpent. Serpents usually symbolize death. And bronze symbolizes judgment, as with the makeup of the tabernacle that was in the wilderness. The people were healed when they touched the bronze serpent, and this means that we can receive from God, through praying to Him according to our new birth, even while we still may be stumbling in sin, and struggling with the outward flesh, which contains sin and death.

But why then, was the bronze serpent destroyed? The bronze serpent was destroyed, because even though being able to receive from God while still struggling with corruption shows the absence of legalism, the bronze serpent became a symbol for legalism, as obedience turned into the mere physical aspect of touching the serpent, and not the spiritual symbol that it represented.

Another aspect of the parable of the persistent widow, is that she was asking for justice, and victory over her adversary. The Bible shows how creation fell through the lie of Satan. And the Bible says that Jesus came so that all of the works of the Devil may be destroyed, and also that He might save ALL that was lost. Therefore, the persistent widow parable shows the ability to receive from the LORD, even though all humans did walk in the world according to sin, death, and corruption, as God gives the victory over the Devil, he (*Satan) being the one that caused Adam and Eve to fall. We know that God subjected creation to futility, through the angels falling, and Satan causing man and woman to sin, but the state of Satan and the fallen angels is one in which all of the blame for falling away is placed on them. This is true, just as this is the meaning of being a vessel of destruction, wrath, and dishonor, of whom the humans who fall away beyond repentance, and or never believe in God and are saved, are also included. And so, it is the persistence of the widow, as in the above parable, by which we may continually abide in God, regard the new birth and new person, and receive from Him, even though we also might be stumbling and or struggling. In this way, it is assured unto us, just as the love of God assures us of our hope, that we can remain in God, and receive every good and perfect gift, apart from legalism, whether it be in laws, or taking advantage of grace and mercy, as with the example of the bronze serpent being destroyed.

Just as we love God because He first loved us, we can repent, and obey Him, because He first loved us, just as Jesus said that if we love Him we will obey Him. Therefore the only way for us to be obedient unto God, is through the reception of His gifts, promises, rewards, inheritance, life, pleasure, and generosity. This is the meaning of singleness, sincerity, purity, and being genuine, and this is the true interpretation of what Paul spoke about concerning not becoming deceived as Eve was, though the imperfect English and Greek languages interpret Paul, as if simplicity is a good thing. And it is through this foundation, that there is oneness with Him, the whole seeking of Him, and continuing in Him.

This doesn't mean that corruption is okay, or that it is okay to forget about God, and sow unto whatever a person wants. Jesus' words in the gospel show what real freedom is. Just as the true meaning of freedom is not against predestination, but is the fulfillment of it. Jesus said that all who sin are slaves of sin, and therefore freedom does not mean that we can do whatever we want. Only through being born again, and knowing God and ourselves according to the new creation and birth, through His foreknowledge and predestination, can we truly abide in freedom.

What happens through falsely proclaiming the meaning of repentance, is that salvation either becomes fully dependant upon works, or mixed with works without the true foundation of what love is, and thus Babylon exists, though people might be claiming righteousness, holiness, or purity. And this discourages what it really means to have faith, as people begin to say that a person can't be repenting if they are still in a sin. If repentance was a work of man, or if it was impossible for someone to be repenting though they still are in a sin, then the very existence of being able to be saved would be taken away. And the main way the true foundation of salvation is first taken away, is through not understanding the aspects of the new birth. And so people begin to call themselves faithful, and depend on their works, while they themselves do not regard the truth of the new birth; and they also attempt to teach this to others, though they really are acting as the religious leaders in Jesus' day were.

Matthew 23:15
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."

And the way that people begin to think that repentance is found in works, and not in the truth of what the new birth means, is the reason Jesus said this:

Matthew *23:26
Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also

The parable of the unclean spirit departing is also the fulfillment of Matthew *23:26. Because when the fruits of repentance are thought of as the physical lacking the works of sin, while also, the new birth wasn't and or isn’t really wholly sought, then the room that the unclean spirit was cast out of is left empty.

Matthew 12:43-45
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

And notice how Jesus spoke in the last verse, regarding this happening concerning the big picture as well.

Therefore it is the spiritual knowledge of God and the new birth which must first be wholly sought. And thus, as Proverbs speaks about the house being built by wisdom and understanding, and filled with knowledge, it is the spiritual which must take place first, and then the physical will come. The context of 3 John 2 is also found in this:

3 John 2
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

But this doesn’t mean that just because we lack physical* prosperity, or are stumbling consecutively, that we are lacking spiritually. That is why we can’t read James’ words on works, and then begin to judge according to the physical, sight, works, or the flesh. Sometimes, we lack physical* prosperity, because of the abundance that God is preparing, this causing darkness to resist in a large manner.

Isaiah 40:27
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak, O Israel:

“ My way is hidden from the LORD,
And my just claim is passed over by my God”?

And since we can repent, even while we are still stumbling and struggling with sin and death, we can be victorious spiritually, even though we may still be overcoming physically. This is just like how Jesus walked, and bore His cross, as His body became sin and died, and as His body didn't rise being proven by the Spirit of Holiness to be the Son of God, until three days later. Since the new birth means being made inwardly perfect, sinless, and incorruptbile, having the Law written on the heart and mind, fully fulfilled, and unable to be broken, so does the ark of the covenant symbolize the new birth. The ark of the covenant contained the unbroken tablets of the Law, which were written after the first tablets were given to Moses, and broken. Therefore, even though we may physically still be overcoming corruption, and stumbling and struggling with sin and death, through the new birth we may still triumph, just as Dagon, the god of the Philistines, bowed down to the ark and to God, when the ark was taken captive by the Philistines.