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Two Minutes With The Bible - Jul 30

Jul 30

SEATED IN HEAVEN

God sees every believer in Christ as already in heaven.
See what the Bible says about this:

"BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE
WHEREWITH HE LOVED US,

"EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, HATH QUICKENED US
TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED),

"AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER AND MADE US SIT
TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS:

"THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEED-
ING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US
THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:4-7).

Most sincere believers, poorly taught in the Word, are
concerned about getting to heaven, but as far as God is
concerned they are already there. They have been "made
accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6). God has given them a
position "in Christ."

We are well aware that most of God's people know little
about this experientially, but God says that as far as He is
concerned, they are already in heaven, and this is what
matters. As Christ took our place on Calvary's cross, God
now sees us in Christ, at His own right hand, the place of
favor and honor. This is why the Apostle Paul says to
believers in Christ:

"IF YE THEN BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS
WHICH ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND
OF GOD.

"SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS
ON THE EARTH.

"FOR YE ARE DEAD, AND YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN
GOD" (Col. 3:1-3).

And all this by the free grace of God:

"WHO HATH SAVED US, AND CALLED US WITH AN HOLY
CALLING, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, BUT ACCORDING
TO HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE, WHICH WAS GIVEN US IN
CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN" (II Tim. 1:9).

Our hearts go out to those of our readers who have not
yet received this "gift of the grace of God." "Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved" (Acts 16:31).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Jul 31

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

Christian liberty is a priceless possession. It can be
abused, of course, but legitimately used it is an overflowing
source of spiritual joy and power.

God's purpose with regard to the liberty of the believer in
Christ is aptly summed up for us in one short verse in the
Galatian letter:

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty
for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Gal.
5:13).

As the cause of spiritual decline in Israel was always
their departure from God's Word to them through Moses, so
the cause of spiritual decline among believers today is al-
ways their departure from God's Word to us through Paul,
and if anything is made unmistakably clear in the Epistles
of Paul, it is the fact that believers in this present dispen-
sation of grace have been delivered from the Law and, as
God's full-grown sons in Christ, have been "called unto
liberty." The failure of God's people to appropriate and
enjoy this liberty today results in spiritual decline as surely
as did the failure of the people of Israel to observe the law
of Moses in their day.

Could anything be plainer than those passages in this
same Galatian epistle, where the Apostle says by the Spirit:

"CHRIST HATH REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE
LAW, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one
that hangeth on a tree" (Gal. 3:13).

"But when the fulness of the time was come, GOD SENT FORTH
HIS SON, made of a woman, made under the law,

"TO REDEEM THEM THAT WERE UNDER THE LAW, THAT WE
MIGHT RECEIVE THE ADOPTION OF SONS" (Gal. 4:4,5).

Thus, to reject our blood-bought liberty and go back to
the servitude of the Law is to repudiate not only the Word
of God, but the Word of God to us, and this must necessarily
result in spiritual decline.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 1

GODLINESS IN AN UNGODLY DAY

It is an interesting fact that the words "godly" and "godli-
ness" are not found in Paul’s writings until we come to the
Pastoral Epistles, the very epistles that have so much to
say about evil days and evil surroundings.

In the epistles to Timothy we read about the "perilous
times" with which this present dispensation of grace will
be brought to a close, while in the letter to Titus we read of
"unruly and vain talkers and deceivers," of "liars... evil
beasts... lazy gluttons," whom Satan would use to neutral-
ize the work and witness of God’s servants.

To Timothy and Titus, these young men of God, the Apos-
tle had much to say about godliness, and we must not forget
that Paul’s words to them are also God’s Word to us, be-
lievers in Christ, who indeed appear to be living in the
closing days of the dispensation of grace, surrounded by a
steadily-rising tide of evil and an ever-growing number of
wicked, godless men.

We do not mean to imply that the Apostle does not deal
with the various phases of the Christian life in his other
epistles, but rather that here in the Pastoral Epistles he
wages a sort of campaign for individual godly living in the
midst of increasing apostasy and godlessness.

May God help us, in our character and conduct, to exhibit
"the power of godliness," the spiritual power that comes
from putting Christ first in all things.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 2

DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO STORIES

"Neither give heed to fables..." (1 Tim. 1:4)

As the present-day English reader comes upon the word
"fables" in the Authorized Version, he is apt to think of
Aesop's Fables, but these were illustrations, while the orig-
inal word muthois means simply stories, including stories of
imagined incidents or events.

There are two types of stories that have exerted an amaz-
ing influence upon twentieth century Christendom. One is
the novel, the other the promotional story.

In considering the above passage, this writer examined
the contents of the popular Christian periodicals coming to
his desk and was astonished to find how many of them were
largely filled with fiction and with stories written to pro-
mote projects or viewpoints. The Apostle says about such
stories that they raise questions but do not answer them,
for stories really prove nothing. This is also true of many
Christian films.

Many Christian novels have indeed exerted a savory
influence upon their readers -- when they have been
founded upon Scriptural truths and principles. Obviously,
however, an author can make his novel "prove" exactly
what he wishes to prove, for the novel involves us in a
world of make-believe. Thus a novel can be dangerous to
Christian faith and practice.

The promotional story holds, perhaps, an even more
prominent place in our popular Christian magazines. No
one can object to factual reports of what God has wrought,
but too many of these stories are nothing more than pro-
motional efforts. Many of these "success stories" are so
successful that thoughtful readers question their validity
and are apt to lay them aside without even finishing them.
Less discerning readers, however, are often deeply moved
by them.

We are well aware that our objections are not popular,
but we are not trying to be popular; we are trying to help
sincere Christians find their way back, step by step, to
renewed spiritual power. This power has been too long
frittered away by substituting the will of man for the Word
of God.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 3

TEACH NO OTHER DOCTRINE

In strong language the Apostle bids Timothy to "charge
some that they teach no other doctrine"; no other doctrine,
obviously, than that which he had taught them. In 1 Tim.
6:3-5 he closes his epistle by saying:

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words,
even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ... from such withdraw thyself."

In these passages the Apostle emphasizes the importance
of fidelity to that heaven-sent message committed to him by
revelation; that message which he says in Tit. 1:2,3 was
"promised before the ages began" but made known "in due
time... through preaching which is committed unto
me..."

Ever since Paul's day religious leaders have substituted
other messages for that committed by the glorified Lord to
Paul. The law of Moses, the Sermon on the Mount, the
"great commission," and Pentecost have all been confused
with God's message and program for the dispensation of
grace. This is what has bewildered and divided the Church
and ripened it for the apostasy.

With all the confused thinking about the Ten Command-
ments and the Sermon on the Mount fifty years ago it was
little wonder that modernism swept so many off their feet
with its teachings about Jesus of Nazareth, the Man of
Galilee, following his footsteps, social betterment, political
reform, etc. Multitudes were so taken up with the social
gospel, so eager to help make the world a better place to
live in, that they did not even notice or believe that the
modernists denied the very fundamentals of the Christian
faith.

But the new evangelicalism of our day is still more dan-
gerous. It is big. It is well financed. It is popular. It is
subtle. Perhaps its greatest danger lies in the fact that
while claiming to be "conservative," it minimizes the impor-
tance of the fundamentals and the danger of apostatizing
from them.

Thus the inspired words of the Apostle Paul: "Charge
some that they teach no other doctrine," are more urgently
needed in our day than they were in his.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 4

DON'T DOTE ON PERSONALITIES

When Paul instructs Timothy to charge his followers not
to "give heed" to "endless genealogies" (I Tim. 1:4), he
refers to the status symbol of the personality of his day.

Recently this writer was informed by a correspondent
from an eastern state that it appeared that he might be
related to a Revolutionary general named Stam -- and, did
we wish him to investigater further! We replied that we
were far too excited about where we were going to care
much about where we had come from!

While there are some in our day who are very proud of
their ancestry and have coats of arms displayed in their
homes, the average Christian probably, has never had his
family tree traced back very far. But in Paul's day geneal-
ogies were very important, even among believers. One's
family relationships meant a great deal. If you were a sec-
ond cousin to Christ or even a third cousin to Peter you
"had it made." You might be crude, or stupid, or even
wicked, but all this was overlooked: you were closely re-
lated to Christ Himself or to the Apostle Peter and all were
ready to give you audience.

Actually, the personality cult is still with us in the
Church today though it manifests itself in different ways.
We live in a day of mass communications, when the faces
of prominent men and women are seen again and again in
newspapers and magazines and even their personalities
come through to us over radio and television. Thus it is the
prominent "Christian" politician, athlete, actor, beauty
queen, or even former gangster who commands the atten-
tion today. Those who arrange evangelistic campaigns
often seek to engage such personalities to attract crowds.
Such prominent figures, though perhaps actually saved,
may be very much "of the world," dishonoring their Chris-
tian calling every day, but their presence draws crowds and
their shallow testimonies are used to justify their public
participation in the work of the Lord.

The new evangelicalism has borrowed many prominent
personalities from the world to help swell its audiences,
while the old prayer that the witness may be hid behind
the cross is to all intents and purposes considered passe.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 5

A JEALOUS GOD

We heartily thank God for every politician, athlete, actor
or even criminal who comes to know Christ as Savior. But
conversion alone does not qualify one for a place of prom-
inence in Christian service. This, especially in Paul's epis-
tles, is reserved for mature believers, wholly separated to
God and established in the truth (See especially II Tim.
2:21).

When hearts beat faster because of the presence of some
glamorous personality on the Christian platform; when
such personalities receive adulation which belongs rather
to the Christ who died for them, God is dishonored and
displeased.

True, the motive in procuring such "crowd-getters" may
have been to reach greater numbers for Christ, just as some
of our spiritual leaders become yoked together with apos-
tate unbelievers in evangelistic endeavors in order to reach
souls for Christ, but the end does not justify the means. It
is never right to do wrong to accomplish some good end.

Have we forgotten that God's Word says: "I the Lord thy
God am a jealous God" (Ex 20:5) and "I will not give My
glory unto another" (Isa 48:11)? True we quote here from
the Ten Commandments, but remember, Paul in his epis-
tles quotes all the Ten Commandments except one (re the
sabbath). The covenant of the Law has been done away but
not the moral law itself, and God is the only Being who has
legitimate and urgent reason to be jealous of His glory.
Christian leaders are playing a dangerous game when they
give glory due to God alone to prominent personalities so as
to swell their audiences.

It is time for the Church to realize that salvation is the
work of God and that true and lasting results will follow
only when we conduct His work in His way.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 6

RETARDED GROWTH

What joy and fellowship there is in gatherings where the
newly-saved are present! In the spiritual realm, as well as
in the physical, everyone loves a baby! But the joy that fills
the hearts of loving parents is turned to bitter sorrow and
disappointment if their babe fails to grow. The latter con-
dition is as unspeakably sad and embarrassing as the
former is joyous. Just so it is in the realm of the spirit.

The "carnal" Christian has failed to grow. He continues
in a state of protracted infancy. He must be kept exclu-
sively on a milk diet because, though saved for years, he is
still unable to "bear," or digest, solid food, still "unskillful
in the Word" and needing to be taught the elementary
things.

Retarded spiritual growth is evidenced in many ways, all
of which come under the heading of carnality or fleshliness.
The Corinthians, so sternly rebuked for their carnality by
the Apostle Paul, are said to have been careless about
morals (I Cor. 5:1), puffed up (I Cor. 4:18; 5:2), inconsid-
erate of each other (I Cor. 6:1-7; 8:1,9,12), stingy (II Cor.
8:6-11; 11:7-9). While possessing the Spirit, they walked
after the flesh.

One of the most marked indications of retarded spiritual
growth is self-interest and party strife, as seen in the case
of the Corinthian believers. They were spiritually small
and petty, so that the Apostle had to write to them:

"For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

"For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?" (I Cor. 3:3,4)

Thus Peter's exhortation to "newborn babes" to "desire
the pure milk of the Word" that they may "grow thereby,"
is prefaced by the words: "Wherefore laying aside all malice,
and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speak-
ings" (I Pet 2:1). The carnal nature is not appropriate soil
for spiritual growth.

Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 7

THE CAUSE OF RETARDED GROWTH

In the physical realm retarded growth may be due to
some mishap or may be simply one of the results of the
curse, having no direct bearing on the behavior of the par-
ents, and certainly not of the child itself. In the spiritual
realm this is not so. God has made abundant provision for
every child of God to grow to spiritual manhood, and Paul
rebukes the Corinthian believers for not having grown.

The trouble with the Corinthians was that they did not
have much appetite for the Word; they did not have a pas-
sion to know and obey the truth, for the babe in Christ who
"desires" the pure milk of the Word will surely "grow there-
by." This was the trouble with the Hebrew believers too,
for when the Apostle would have gone further into the
great subject of Christ as "an High Priest forever after the
order of Melchisedec," he was forced to write:

"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull [Gr., nothros, slothful] of hearing" (Heb. 5:11).

This is precisely the cause of the carnality among be-
lievers today. During World War II there were several
occasions when parents came to the writer with letters from
their sons in the armed forces, explaining that a code had
been arranged by which "Johnny" could let them know to
which theatre of war he had been sent, but that now it was
difficult to understand his letter. Together we would sit
down and study the letter in detail in an effort to make out
exactly what it was that "Johnny" was trying to make his
parents understand.

Such interest and concern over a letter from "Johnny"!
And appropriately so, but do the majority of believers show
such interest in the Word of God to them? They do not.
They are satisfied with "the simple things," with knowing
only a few passages which "warm their hearts." This is the
root cause of the spiritual immaturity in the Church today.

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August 8 th

DOES MISERY LOVE COMPANY?

We have all heard the statement: "Misery loves com-
pany." It is true that when one is sick or in trouble he does
not feel quite so sorry for himself when he realizes that
others are as unfortunate, and perhaps more so, than he.

However, some have used this phrase: "Misery loves com-
pany," in speaking lightly of hell. Perhaps you have heard
someone say: "Well, if I go to hell, at least I'll have lots of
company." This is true, but the company the lost will have
when cast out of God's presence will hardly afford them
comfort.

The Bible story of the rich man and Lazarus brings this
fact out with great force. The rich man, you will remember,
"fared sumptuously every day," while Lazarus "was laid at
his gate, full of sores, desiring to be fed with the crumbs
which fell from the rich man's table."

In the process of time both died, and the rich man, having
felt no need of salvation, suddenly was made to experience
God's wrath upon sin, for the sacred record says: "In hell he
lifted up his eyes, being in torments" (Luke 16:23). From
his place of torment the rich man saw Lazarus with Abra-
ham "afar off," but this surely afforded little comfort, while
we do read that "Lazarus was comforted." The rich man,
then, still with haughty superiority, asked Abraham to
send Lazarus back to earth to warn his five brothers, "lest
they come into this place of torment." He did not wish his
brothers to join him in hell. "Misery" among those cast out
of God's presence, then, does not "love company."

The story is brought to a close as Abraham refuses the
rich man's request, explaining that if his brothers would
not hear the Word of God "neither will they be persuaded
though one rose from the dead" (Luke 16:31).

The way to avoid the lot of the rich man, then, is to be-
lieve the Word of God, particularly that part of the Word
which tells how Christ died for our sins that we might be
justified by grace through faith. Don't be deceived by the
old adage: "Misery loves company." Receive Christ as your
Savior today. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 9 th

NOT DYING FOR LACK OF LOVE

It has been said that "the world is dying for the lack of a
little bit of love." When this statement is examined in the
light of Scripture, however, it is found to be the exact op-
posite of the truth. Listen to what God's Word says about
this:

"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" (John 3:16). "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8). "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:9,10).

Many about us are dying in their sins, but not "for the
lack of a little bit of love." It is rather because they reject
the great love that God has manifested to us in His Son.
We are told in John 1:10,11 that "He was in the world, and
the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.
He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."
This is the problem: men are rejecting His love. "And this is
the condemnation," says John, "that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light" (John
3:19).

But while others reject Him, you may accept Him as your
Savior and know the joy of sins forgiven and of everlasting
life, for "as many as received Him, to them gave He the pow-
er [Lit., right] to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on His name" (John 1:12).

"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on Him" (John 3:35,36).

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 10 th

A CHRISTIAN OBLIGATION

Three times in Rom. 1:14-16, the Apostle Paul uses the
phrase "I am," and each one carries an important message
for every true believer in Christ.

First he says in Verse 14: "I am debtor" -- debtor to all
men, to tell them about the saving work of Christ. But why
was he indebted to people he had never even seen? For
several reasons.

First, he had in his hand what they needed to be saved
from the penalty and power of sin. If I see a drunkard lying
across the railroad track and I do nothing about it, am I not
a murderer if he is killed by the train? If I see a man
drowning and I have a life buoy in my hand but do not
throw it to him, am I not a murderer if he goes down for
the last time? If I see millions of lost souls about me and,
knowing the message of salvation, do not tell them, am I
not guilty if they die without Christ?

Further, Paul felt himself a debtor to others, because the
Christ who had died for his sins had also died for the sins of
others. As he says in II Cor. 5:14,15: "Christ died for all,
that they which live should not henceforth live unto them-
selves but unto Him who died for them and rose again."

Finally, the Christ who had died for Paul's sins, had
commissioned him to tell others of His saving grace. Thus
he says in I Cor. 9:16,17:

"Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel! For... a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me."

Paul could say further what every true believer should be
able to say: Not, "I am debtor, but," but rather, "I am debt-
or... SO, as much as in me is I AM READY" (Rom. 1:15).
He was ready to discharge his debt because he had that
with which to discharge it -- the wonderful "gospel of the
grace of God." And he did indeed make this message known
to others with all that was in him.

And now the third "I am": "I am debtor... so I am ready
.. for I AM NOT ASHAMED of the gospel of Christ, for it
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth..." (Ver. 16). Paul was always proud to own Christ
as the mighty Savior from sin. Do you know Christ as your
Savior? Do you tell others about Him?

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August 11 th

FOR JESUS' SAKE

"Delivered unto death for Jesus' sake" (II Cor. 4:11).

There is much that we all do for our own sake, for the
sake of our children, our loved ones or others, but the real
test of the believer's love for the Lord is what he does "for
Jesus' sake."

Under the dispensation of Law our Lord told His disciples
that to be forgiven they must forgive: "Forgive, and ye shall
be forgiven" (Luke 6:37), "but if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses"
(Matt. 6:15).

But now, under the dispensation of grace, He exhorts us
to forgive one another "even as God for Christ's sake HATH
forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32). The difference is striking. Before
the cross: If you would be forgiven, forgive. Now, in the
light of the cross: You have been graciously forgiven for
Christ's sake. In the light of this be tenderhearted and
forgiving toward others.

And we are to go farther than this: Not only are we to
forgive our brethren in Christ, but we are to be prepared to
show this attitude toward the world as well. St. Paul said:
"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself
servant unto all" (I Cor. 9:19), and referring to his perse-
cutions by unbelievers, he said: "We... are always delivered
unto death for Jesus' sake" (II Cor. 4:11). How many un-
believers would be won to Christ; how many of our Chris-
tian friends would be strengthened and helped, if we adopt-
ed this attitude toward others!

As to suffering itself, the Apostle also gladly bore this
"for Jesus' sake." In writing to the Corinthians, he said: "I
take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for when I am
weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:10). He had learned that
in weakness he leaned the harder, prayed more, and was
brought closer to His Lord, and herein lay his spiritual
strength.

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For You Brother Love :)

Two Minutes With The Bible

August 12th

THE WONDER CURE

Most of us remember the drugstore product which swept
the country like wildfire years ago and netted one man
more than $3,000,000.00 in one year. It was called Hada-
col. Whatever was wrong with you, Hadacol could cure it!
Radio commercials and newspaper advertisements ac-
claimed its healing powers. Some small drugstores dis-
played signs over their doors reading, "MAIN ENTRANCE
FOR HADACOL."

One humorous story was told at that time about a woman
who was supposed to have testified over the radio: "Before I
began taking Hadacol I couldn’t read nor write; now I’m
teaching high school"!

Some people seem to think that Christianity is like Hada-
col was supposed to be. In fact, some evangelists give the
erroneous impression that if one accepts Christ everything
will suddenly go right. Nothing could be farther from the
truth. The Christian life is a battle, and we cannot win this
battle without much diligent, earnest Bible study and
prayer. In fact, it is this battle that makes the Christian
life rewarding. Formerly we were "taken captive by [the
devil] at his will" (II Tim. 2:26), but now God provides us
with complete armor, including "the sword of the Spirit"
and "the shield of faith" (Eph. 6:16,17), and says, "Stand
fast." Indeed, James 4:7 says: "Resist the devil, and he will
flee from you."

God has enlisted every true believer in His "armed
forces," as it were, and He encourages us each one to be
"a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (II Tim. 2:3). Indeed, He
expects this of each corporate assembly of believers as well,
for Paul, by divine inspiration, wrote to the Philippian
saints:

"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 13 th

THE SECRET OF THE GOSPEL

Significantly, it was to Paul, not Peter, that "the secret of
the gospel" was first revealed. (See Eph. 3:1-3; 6:19). It was
he who was first sent forth to proclaim the doctrine of
salvation, and to reveal all that had been accomplished at
Calvary.

The Old Testament Scriptures had predicted that the sins
of others would be laid upon Christ, but they had not
explained how Christ’s death would be the basis for the
sinner’s justification.

Many a criminal has gone free because his crimes have
been "pinned on" another, but this has by no means
justified the criminal! Some sincere Christians seem to
think that substitution is the very acme of Bible truth,
when in fact it is but the beginning, for substitution in
itself does not imply the sinner’s justification.

It is also true that salvation had been offered before Paul.
Men were told what to do to be saved -- though the terms
varied from time to time -- and were even instructed, upon
Christ’s arrival, to believe in Him for salvation. At that
time sacrifices, circumcision, water baptism, etc., were still
required for the remission of sins -- and any believer would
approach God in His way. This is why these religious rites
were observed throughout our Lord’s earthly ministry and
even through Pentecost.

The Apostle Paul, however, was later raised up to make
known "the secret of the gospel," and to proclaim the
glorious accomplishments of Christ at Calvary. All the rich
blessings so thrillingly set forth in Paul’s epistles flow to us
from Calvary. Ours is a heavenly position because He came
to earth to die for our sins. Ours is "the hope of glory,"
because He suffered our shame. Ours is the blessing of
"peace with God" because He bore God’s wrath upon sin.
Ours is relief from the load of sin because He bore that
load. Every one of our "all spiritual blessings" comes to us
from Calvary. Paul’s "secret of the gospel" centers in Cal-
vary. Little wonder St. Paul calls his preaching "the preach-
ing of the cross."

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 14 th

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE PENTECOSTAL BELIEVERS

The prophesied work of the Holy Spirit in connection
with His people Israel should be clearly understood if we
would understand His work today in connection with the
members of the Body of Christ. In Joel 2:28,29 God prom-
ised to supernaturally cause them to prophesy, etc., but in
Ezek. 36:26,27, He also promised to supernaturally cause
them to do His will:

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

"AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND CAUSE YOU TO
WALK IN MY STATUTES, AND YE SHALL KEEP MY JUDGMENTS,
AND DO THEM."

Thus God would show that the only way in which even
His own people can perfectly obey Him is when He takes
possession of them and causes them to do His will. Indeed,
He is still demonstrating this. Though we today have all
the advantages and blessings of the dispensation of grace,
and though we desire most earnestly to obey and serve God
as we ought, we still continually fall short. This is because,
contrary to popular opinion, none of us has been baptized
with the Spirit (See Acts 1:5 and cf. I Cor. 12:13).

We must be careful to notice the immediate change that
took place in the behavior of the Pentecostal believers, now
that the Holy Spirit had come to take possession of them.
Not only did they speak with tongues and prophesy and
work miracles, but they all began living for one another.

"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common" (Acts 4:32).

We have not observed this way of life among those who
call themselves Pentecostalists today.

Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 15

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BELIEVER TODAY

Grace and faith are the characteristic features of the
present dispensation. Not only is salvation now declared to
be by grace, through faith, but the Spirit also operates in
the believer by grace, through faith. He does not take pos-
session of us and cause us to do what is right, but dwells
within each believer (I Cor. 6:19) to provide needed guid-
ance and the strength to withstand temptation, and we may
avail ourselves of this provision by faith.

The Spirit, Who first imparted life to us will also impart
strength to withstand temptation and overcome sin. In our
inability to even pray as we ought, "the Spirit... helpeth our
infirmities" and "maketh intercession for us" (Rom. 8:26).
In our weakness we are "strengthened with might by His
Spirit in the inner man" (Eph. 3:16) and God even stoops to
"quicken [our] mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in
us" (Rom. 8:11).

"THEREFORE, BRETHREN, WE ARE DEBTORS, NOT TO THE
FLESH, TO LIVE AFTER THE FLESH" (Ver. 12).

The implication from the above passage is that though
sorely tempted we are debtors to the Spirit who dwells
within and provides overcoming power.

The question, in times of temptation, is generally wheth-
er we truly desire to overcome, for we may overcome in
any given case by grace, through faith. In the present
dispensation it is not true that it is not possible for the
believer to sin, but it is blessedly true that in any situation
it is possible for him not to sin, for the Spirit is always there
to help.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 16 th

THE BIBLE ON THE FLOOR

"...Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name" (Psa.
138:2).

As I passed by my study the other night, I noticed that I
had left a Bible lying on the floor next to a chair. In study-
ing I had put it down momentarily to consult a reference
book and had neglected to pick it up again.

Now, as I caught a fleeting glimpse of that blessed Book
lying there, it bothered me; in fact it bothered me enough
to make me go back and pick it up and put it where it be-
longed.

Then I began wondering why so trivial a matter had trou-
bled me. Was it because I remembered how dad would
never allow anything to lie on top of the Bible? Had mere
sentiment confused my thinking?

Surely the Word of God is forever settled in heaven and
that book lying on the floor was only paper, ink and a
leather cover. Or was it? Was it not also the Word of God
as given to us? And as such, was it not representative of
God Himself? If our country’s flag must be treated with
honor and respect; if it is sacrilege to treat it as mere cloth,
how much more is this so where the Holy Bible is con-
cerned!

No, it was not merely dad’s example that came to mind as
I saw the Bible lying there: certainly it was not only that.
Rather it was a Scripture passage of which he often re-
minded us; the inspired words of David quoted above:

"Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name."

To be sure God would have us use His Word as a text-
book from which to learn His will. It is no sign of reverence
for this great Book to leave it lying untouched on the shelf.
He would have us use it and study it, perhaps underlining
important passages and marking significant connections.
But with all this we must never forget to treat it with the
reverence and honor due the written Word of God.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 17 th

GOD’S WORD TO US

In charging Timothy to "preach the Word," the Apostle
does not mean, as some have supposed, that the pastor
should draw his sermon material equally from all parts of
the Bible. True, "all Scripture" is given so that the "man of
God" may be fully equipped for his ministry. But in this
same letter the Apostle Paul indicates that the Scriptures
must be "rightly divided" (II Tim. 2:15) and that his own
God-given message is the Word of God in particular for the
present dispensation of grace (See II Tim. 1:7-14; 2:7-9).
Thus the Apostle declares by inspiration that believers are
established by "my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ
according to the revelation of the mystery" (Rom. 16:25).

How often the Apostle insists that his message is the
Word of God! To the Thessalonian believers he writes with
joy:

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God..." (I Thes. 2:13).

Thus the Apostle writes to Timothy, in this his last letter:

"Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me..." (II Tim. 1:13).

"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men..." (2:2).

"Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel" (2:8).

The charge to "preach the Word," therefore, refers to "all
Scripture" in general, but to Paul’s God-given message in
particular. This is obvious, for it is in urging Timothy to
faithfully carry on in his place that the Apostle charges him
to "preach the Word."

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 18 th

EVOLUTION AND SIN

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Rom. 8:22).

Modern evolution, of course, denies the Bible account of
the fall and has much to say about "the ascent of man," but
evolution fails to account for, indeed, assiduously evades,
that which lies at the very root of all man’s troubles: sin.
It fails to explain adequately why man finds himself weak,
poor, miserable, distressed, corrupt, perishing, and it fails
to explain why he is so utterly helpless to lift himself from
this state. It fails to explain his inherent sense of blame-
worthiness; indeed insists he has no cause for a "guilt com-
plex."

Every man feels within himself a disorder, a positive
dislocation of things, which science -- and certainly the
theory of evolution -- is unable to explain. Only the Bible
account of the fall explains it and shows how all man’s
trouble and distress arise from his own nature, which is
fallen and corrupt.

"...BY ONE MAN SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, AND DEATH
BY SIN; AND SO DEATH PASSED UPON ALL MEN, FOR THAT ALL HAVE SINNED" (Rom. 5:12).

It is most important for the unsaved to learn this lesson;
to learn that it is not merely our sins, but our sin that
makes us unfit for the presence of God; not merely our
deeds but our nature; not merely what we have done, but
what we would do because we are essentially sinful as the
children of Adam.

How profoundly grateful we should be, then, that God
loves us despite our sins and our sinful natures, and that...

"...God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).

"In whom we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 19 th

THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD

"Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (I Cor. 1:20).

This challenge was hurled at the intellectual world of
nineteen hundred years ago, so famous for its philosophy,
literature and art. Nor are these the words of one who him-
self lacked the benefits of higher learning. Rather, they
flowed from the pen of one of the most learned men, one
of the greatest thinkers of all time: the Apostle Paul. More
than this, they are found in that Book of books, the Bible,
which has withstood, not barely but magnificently, all the
attacks of a thousand critics through centuries of time. This
Book says:

"The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (I Cor. 3:19).

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10).

Actually, the "intellectuals" in any age are those who
assent to the theories of those who agree with each other
that they are intellectual! Dissent from them and you have
automatically branded yourself an illiterate!

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

"And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

"That no flesh should glory in His presence" (I Cor. 1:27-29).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 20 th

SICKNESS AND SIN

One thing that really concerns this writer about modern
life, is how sin is constantly called sickness. A man com-
mits some moral outrage and they say he is sick -- they even
tell him that.

I went to see a man some time ago who had fallen into
unspeakable immorality and it had caught up with him.
For years his sanctimonious life had been a sham; now the
mask was torn off and he was in trouble -- deep trouble.

I had been telling him that now his best course was to
make a clean confession -- to the courts and to God. But
someone else had gotten to him first. While he stood by,
listening, this man had told his wife: "You must get Jim to
see that he’s sick and needs help. I’m not condoning what
he has done, but I’m hopeful that if he gets the proper help
he can be cured."

What a way to evade the sin question! Of course the man
was sick -- I imagine you and I would be sick too if we lived
as he had been living! But let’s get this straight: His sick-
ness came from his sin, not his sin from some sickness. He
would have been far better off to sob out his heart in con-
trition before God for his sin than to excuse his conduct on
the grounds of illness. Rom. 5:12 says: "By one man sin
entered into the world and death by sin," and Rom. 6:23
says: "The wages of sin is death."

The sobering fact is that while there may be differences
in the kinds of sins we commit, or in the degrees of our sin,
Rom. 3:23 declares that there is no difference in this, that
"all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

This is why we are so pleased and proud to proclaim "the
gospel of the grace of God," how Christ paid the penalty for
our sins that we might have a perfect standing before a
holy God, "being justified freely by His grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). "Thanks be
unto God for His unspeakable gift!" (II Cor. 9:15).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

August 21

THE OLD NATURE IN THE BELIEVER

The believer who would be truly spiritual must recognize
the presence of the old nature within. It would be dan-
gerous not to recognize a foe so near.

The old nature in the believer is that which is "begotten
of the flesh." It is called, "the flesh," "the old man," "the
natural man," "the carnal mind."

Just as "they that are in the flesh cannot please God"
(Rom. 8:8) so that which is of the flesh, in the believer,
cannot please God. "The flesh," as we have already seen,
is totally depraved. God calls it "sinful flesh" (Rom. 8:3),
warns that it seeks "occasion" to do wrong (Gal. 5:13), and
declares that "the works of the flesh" are all bad (Gal. 5:
19-21).

Nor is the old nature in the believer one which improves
by its contact with the new. It is with respect to "the flesh"
in the believer, even in himself that the Apostle declares
that in it "dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18), that it is
"carnal, sold under sin" (Rom. 7:14), that it is "corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts" (Eph. 4:22), that it is at
"enmity against God," and is "not subject to the law of God,
NEITHER INDEED CAN BE" (Rom. 8:7).

"The flesh," even as it remains in the believer after salva-
tion, is that which was generated by a fallen begetter. It is
the old Adamic nature. It is sinful in itself. It cannot be
improved. It cannot be changed. "That which is born [be-
gotten] of the flesh is flesh," said our Lord (John 3:6), and it
is as impossible to improve the "old man" in the believer as
it was to make him acceptable to God in the first place.

The "old man" was condemned and dealt with judicially
at the Cross. Never once is the believer instructed to try to
do anything with him or to make anything of him, but
always to "reckon" him "dead indeed" (Rom. 6:11), and to
"put him off" (Col. 3:8-10).

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August 22

MERCY TO ALL

Years ago, during Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia, I
asked a class of boys: "Who is the most respected, most
honored, most loved man of all history?" Immediately
hands shot up, as one said this and another that. One boy
said Mussolini was the most beloved and honored, but the
others laughed at that idea. Finally, one sincere-looking
lad said: "Jesus." But he was as far off as the one who had
suggested Mussolini.

We wish that our Lord were as greatly honored, respected
and loved as He should be, but He is not. Rather He is
widely rejected and blasphemed, while many are hypo-
critical in pretending to worship Him.

Without question the most honored, most respected, most
loved man of all history is Abraham, proudly owned as
"father" by millions of Jews, millions of Mohammedans and
millions of professing Christians. Clearly this is why God
used this man to demonstrate to all mankind how we may
be declared righteous before a just and holy God. Note what
Romans 4:2,3 says about this:

"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to boast; but not before God.

"For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

Thus God uses the most beloved, respected man of history
to demonstrate the fact that salvation is received by faith
alone. And thus the Apostle concludes:

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).

In every age men have been saved by doing what God
commanded them to do then. Now He tells us to do nothing,
but simply to trust in Christ, who died for our sins. This is
God’s plan of salvation.

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Aug 23

TRUE EVANGELISM

In St. Paul’s mighty Epistle to the Romans he declares
"the gospel [good news] of God... concerning His Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1:1-3).

The good news which Paul proclaimed was essentially
about Christ. He was always talking about Christ. His
epistles were filled with Christ. In his message Christ was
everything.

This is in striking contrast to much of modern evan-
gelism, which is not Christ-centered, but man-centered. Dr.
A. W. Tozer, shortly before his death, wrote:

"The flaw in current evangelism lies in its humanistic
approach... It is frankly fascinated by the great, noisy,
aggressive world with its big names, its hero worship, its
wealth and pageantry... This gross misapprehension of
the truth is back of much... of our present evangelical ac-
tivity...

"This concept of Christianity is a radical error, and be-
cause it touches the souls of men it is a dangerous, even
deadly, error... It is little more than a weak humanism
allied with weak Christianity to give it ecclesiastical re-
spectability... Invariably it begins with man and his needs
and then looks around for God, while true Christianity
reveals God as searching for man to deliver him from his
ambitions."

Tozer was right in this. God’s good news for the world is
about Christ and His power and love in defeating Satan,
overcoming death, nailing the Law to His cross and paying
for man the just penalty for sin, so that all who believe
might be justified. This is why Paul’s gospel is called in
Scripture "the gospel [good news] of the grace of God" (Acts
20:24) and "the gospel of the glory of Christ" (II Cor. 4:4).

To enter experientially into the truth of this good news is
the greatest blessing one can possibly enjoy.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 24

INEXCUSABLE

The second chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is a
dark, sad passage, but it opens the door to the richest bless-
ing the human heart can contain: salvation by grace.

The opening words: "Therefore thou art inexcusable," are
blunt indeed, but God exposes our sinful condition only so
as to save us from it.

This is where most philosophies and the Bible clash head-
on. Most philosophies close their eyes to the sinful nature
of man. They argue, generally, that man is inherently good,
while overwhelming evidence bears witness that he is in-
herently bad. Therefore human philosophy offers no salva-
tion from sin and its just penalty. Only the Bible does this
with its "gospel [good news] of the grace of God."

In Paul’s day the Greek philosophers condemned the
uncivilized pagans for their open immorality and wicked-
ness. But while preaching virtue these moralizers them-
selves practiced vice, and God said: "Therefore thou art in-
excusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for
wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for
thou that judgest doest the same things" (Rom. 2:1).

It is the same today. Multitudes of self-righteous people
are outwardly cultured and moral, but they forget that God
looks upon the heart and sees hate as murder, jealousy as
theft and the lustful look as adultery. He considers, not
what we do, outwardly, but what we desire to do or wish
we dared to do. He sees the desires and motives of the
heart.

But thank God, "Christ died for sinners" -- guilty sinners,
and all who come to God by faith in Christ are "justified
freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

"Inexcusable," or "justified freely by His grace," through
faith in the Christ who died for our sins? Which will it be?

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 25

GOD: A JUST JUDGE

How just are the judgments of God! In Rom. 2:16 St. Paul
says: "God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ
according to my gospel." Notice carefully what this in-
volves:

1. He will judge "the secrets of men." In human courts
there are often miscarriages of justice because all the facts
are not brought to light. But at the "Great White Throne"
there will be a Judge with "eyes... as a flame of fire" (Rev.
19:12), before whom no secret can remain hidden. (See also
Heb. 4:13).

2. He will judge the secrets of men "by Jesus Christ."
Not the Father, but the Son will preside at the judgment of
the unsaved. John 5:22 declares that "the Father judgeth no
man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son" and
Verse 27 adds that the Father has given the Son this au-
thority "because He is the Son of man." This insures just
judgment, for, men will be judged in that day by the One
who loved them enough to become a man that He might
understand and help men, and even die for their sins.

3. He will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ "ac-
cording to my gospel," says Paul. How eminently fair and
just this is. If He judged men according to the law of Moses
no one ever would be saved, for all of us have broken the
Law. Moreover the children of fallen Adam, because of
their depraved nature, cannot consistently keep the Law.
Thus they will not be judged on the basis of that which they
were unable to live up to. This is why He will judge men
according to the good news proclaimed by Paul, which is the
great truth that salvation is denied to no one who takes
God at His Word and approaches Him in His way. His way
for today? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved."

"To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 26

HOW SMALL WE ARE!

Just behind me, in the super-market check-out line, were
two little boys. I noticed that the older one kept looking up
at me and then down at his brother again several times in
succession. Finally, nudging his little brother and pointing
up at me, he said: "Hey, Joey, look how little you are!"

Those who have seen me in the flesh know that I am not
exactly small, physically, and I can easily imagine that,
standing next to these little fellows, I made them look small
indeed!

But all this pertained only to the physical, and as I left
that super-market, I began asking myself: "How big are
you, actually, in the sight of God?" I thought of Psalm
8:3,4, where David mused over the same question:

"When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man that Thou art mindful of Him...?"

Yet we are so important to the heart of God that He en-
tered the stream of humanity, as it were, and became one of
us in Christ, Son of God and Son of Man. Why? Hebrews
2:14,15 gives us one important reason:

"...that through death [His death for our sins] He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Moreover, insignificant as we are in ourselves, He would
use us mightily to His glory for, according to I Cor. 1:27,28,
He has "chosen" the "foolish," the "weak," the "base," the
"despised," and those who "are not" to accomplish His pur-
poses and to bring to naught the plans of the world’s great
ones.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 27

A GOOD JOB

As Loren stood with his father, gazing at a beautiful Min-
nesota lake, the little four-year-old asked: "Daddy, who
made this lake?" "God made it," replied his dad, "and God
made those trees and all this beautiful scenery."

There was a moment’s silence. Then, placing his hands
on his hips, little Loren said: "He sure did a good job!"

Yes, He did, yet this scenery was nothing compared with
the glory this earth will know when Christ returns to reign.
If earth’s rivers and lakes, its mountains and valleys, its
landscapes and seascapes can now be so breath-taking, so
awe-inspiring, what will be its beauty when prophecy is
fulfilled and the curse removed!

"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them [God’s people, Israel] and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

"It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God."

"...for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

"And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water..."

"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isa. 35:1,2,6,
7,10).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 28

A RANSOM FOR ALL

"For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom far all, to be testified in due time" (I Tim. 2:5,6).

Man, in his present condition is not fit to stand in the
presence of a holy God. If we are honest with ourselves we
will feel the need of a mediator -- a go-between -- who can
represent us in the presence of God. Job felt this when,
realizing this need, he cried: "There is no daysman who can
lay his hand upon us both" (Job 9:33).

Thank God, a "daysman" or "mediator" has been provided
for sinful men -- a go-between, who can act as an intermedi-
ary between sinful men and a holy God. This Mediator is
Christ, Son of God and Son of man.

What a blessing to know that the Son of God became the
Son of man that the sons of men might become the sons of
God! Though perfect and sinless, He died upon Calvary’s
cross, disgraced as a malefactor, so that His payment for sin
might be credited to our account and we might stand before
God without one sin to our charge.

Though Christ’s death for sin was credited to all believ-
ers, even of past ages, it was not proclaimed until sometime
after the cross, when God in grace saved Saul of Tarsus, the
chief of sinners (I Tim. 1:15). This is why the Apostle de-
clares that Christ "gave Himself a ransom for all, to be tes-
tified in due time."

It was when Saul, the chief of sinners, was saved on the
road to Damascus, that God began to show to him that
Christ had died as "a ransom for all," and God sent him
forth to proclaim this glorious message.

This is why Paul’s epistles are so filled with references to
salvation through the cross, the death, the blood of Christ.
And it is on this basis that the Apostle offers to all salva-
tion by grace, through faith in the finished work of Christ,
and proclaims to all the simple offer of salvation: "Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts
16:31).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 29

A FAITHFUL SAYING

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (I Tim. 1:15).

Of all Paul’s "faithful sayings," this is perhaps the most
wonderful, and the one through which most people have
found the joy of sins forgiven.

The subject is that "Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners." Why else would Christ have had to leave His
glory in heaven if it were not, as the Bible says, to come to
earth in human form to represent us in the payment for
sin? And, thank God, He paid the full price for the sins of
all men, for it was not a mere man who died on Calvary’s
cross. So complete was His payment that Paul could ex-
claim: "He came into the world to save sinners, of whom I
am chief." Paul, himself, though once Christ’s chief enemy
on earth, had now been saved by Him and, had come to
know the joy of sins forgiven.

The great tragedy is that so many people do not feel their
condition to be hopeless apart from Christ. They have not
yet seen how far they come short of the glory and holiness
of God. They know they are sinners, but they do not yet
feel that their condition is so hopeless that they need a Sav-
ior. Thus they keep trying, trying, trying -- and failing,
failing, failing!

How much wiser we are to confess our sins before God --
to take the place of sinners, so that He can save us. This is
the first step to heaven. When we have done this we are in
a position to accept God’s offer of full pardon and justifica-
tion through Christ, who died to pay the penalty for our
sins.

Since none are perfect and all have sinned, "this is," in-
deed, "a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Why not
believe God’s Word, accept Christ as your Savior and be
saved today?

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 30

THE GRACE OF GOD

In the Bible, the grace of God is His loving favor toward
fallen man. St. Paul has more to say about grace than any
other Bible writer, opening every one of his epistles with
the declaration: "Grace be unto you and peace."

Little wonder, for he himself was God's greatest demon-
stration of salvation by grace. In I Tim. 1:13,14, he says:

" was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy…and THE GRACE OF OUR LORD WAS EXCEEDING ABUNDANT…."

After years of service and suffering for Christ, he de-
clared:

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I ave received of the Lord Jesus, to testify THE GOSPEL [GOOD NEWS] OF THE GRACE OF GOD" (Acts 20:24).

Salvation is wholly by God's grace, not partly by man's
works, for in Rom. 11:6 we read: " ...if [it be] by grace, then
is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace."
And in Rom. 4:4,5: " ...to him that worketh is the reward
not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh
not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his
faith is counted for righteousness." Thus salvation is "not of
works" but "unto good works" (Eph. 2:8-10). Good works is
the fruit, not the root.

"All have sinned," says Rom. 3:23 but, thank God, all
may be "justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

Thus it is God's purpose "that in the ages to come He
might show THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE
in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Aug 31

HEAVEN IS BETTER THAN THIS

A large percentage of the people of the world wake up
every morning with some kind of ache or pain. If you are
one of the many victims, with some infirmity of the flesh,
perhaps you will agree with the little chorus which says:
"Heaven is better than this."

The Scriptures tell us that "the whole creation groaneth
and travaileth in pain together until now" (Rom. 8:22). Note
the expression: "the whole creation." This takes in the
whole world; no one is excluded. Indeed, the very next
verse goes on to say to Christian believers: "And not only
they, but ourselves also... even we ourselves groan within
ourselves... waiting for... the redemption of our body."

No doubt many of us feel like crying out with the Psalm-
ist David, "Look upon mine affliction and my pain" (Psa.
25:18). In spite of all sorrow, trouble and pain which the
child of God must endure, however, he can be assured with
the Apostle Paul that: "our light affliction, which is but for
a moment [comparatively], worketh for us a far more exceed-
ing and eternal weight of glory" (II Cor. 4:17). When we go
to be with the Lord we will no longer be living in "this
earthly tabernacle," but will have "a building of God, an
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Cor.
5:1). Paul even adds that as Christians we earnestly desire
"to be clothed upon with our house [our new body] which is
from heaven" (II Cor. 5:2).

Finally, St. Paul declared that "to depart, and to be with
Christ... is far better" (Phil. 1:23); far better, not only than
all earth’s sorrow and trouble and pain, but far better even
than earth’s greatest joys and its dearest treasures.

How wonderful it is to know that "Christ died for our
sins," to have a light beyond the grave, a hope beyond the
tomb! Surely "heaven is better than this!"

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 1

OUR WEAKNESS AND GOD’S POWER

When our Lord was on earth He healed great numbers of
sick and diseased people. The believers at Pentecost also
healed many in the name of Jesus, offering to Israel His
return from heaven upon condition of their repentance
(Acts 3:19-21).

All those who were healed, however, finally succumbed to
physical infirmity or disease again and died after all. This
was because the Lord Jesus was rejected as King, not only
in His incarnation but also in His resurrection. Rom.
8:22,23 declares the result as we see it in our own day:

"...we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit [that is], the redemption of our body."

But Christians in "this present evil age" often need phys-
ical infirmity to draw them closer to God in prayer and
faith. Paul himself said:

"...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh... lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12:7-9).

The Apostle’s response to this shows how well he under-
stood that suffering and weakness are an important part of
Christian discipline.

"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me... I take pleasure in infirmities...for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:9,10).

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a for more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Cor. 4:16,17).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 2

THREE BILLION WILLS

As long as man remained obedient to the will of God, his
Maker, all was well with him. His life was perfectly bal-
anced because it was centered in God. As soon as he lis-
tened to Satan, however, and set his will against God’s, all
began to go wrong. His life was now off center and out of
balance. It was no longer subject to the one central will.
Alienated from God, man now reaped the fruit of his re-
bellion, not only in his banishment from Paradise, but in
the self-will of his offspring.

Of the first two children born into the world, one bludg-
eoned the other to death, and this was but the beginning.
Whereas God had originally created man in His own "im-
age" and "likeness" (Gen. 1:26,27), we read later that Adam
begat Seth "in his own likeness, after his image" (Gen. 5:3).

And so parents down through the ages have begotten
children like themselves, with fallen natures and wills of
their own, until now we have some three billion wills oper-
ating in the world instead of the one central will of God.

This does not mean, however, that God has abdicated, or
that the future of the world is now subject to the wills of
three billion fallen creatures. Nor was God forced to for-
mulate new plans because of the fall of man. Far from it,
for despite man’s rebellion -- even through it -- God has been
carrying out His plan and every true believer rejoices that
God "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will"
(Eph. 1:11). While He does not rule directly in the affairs of
men, He very definitely overrules, and as a result "all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
All glory to that blessed One of whom it is written:

"Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me) to do Thy WILL, O God" (Heb. 10:7).

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Sep 3

GOD’S PROMISE vs. MAN’S EFFORTS

"For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath..."(Rom. 4:14,15).

This should be self-evident to us all. If blessing is gained
by the works of the Law, it is earned. This is why Gal. 3:18
says: "If the inheritance be of the law it is no more of prom-
ise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise."

The Apostle Paul, God’s great apostle of grace, declares in
Rom. 4:4,5:

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

But let’s go back to that phrase: "the law worketh wrath."
Many people somehow do not see this. Even some clergy-
men tell us that the Law was given to help us to be good.
But God Himself says, "the law worketh wrath." Every
criminal knows this, and every sinner should know it. God
certainly places strong emphasis upon it:

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of
transgressions" (Gal. 3:19), "that every mouth may be stop-
ped, and all the world may be brought in guilty before God"
(Rom. 3:19). "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall
no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowl-
edge of sin" (Rom. 3:20).

If we come to God expecting eternal life because of our
good works, are we not offering Him our terms, which He
can never accept? He will never sell salvation at any price,
and certainly not for a few paltry "good" works, when our
lives are filled with failure and sin.

Our only hope? God has promised to give eternal life to
those who trust in His Son (John 3:35,36; Acts 16:31; etc.).
"The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our
Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 4

UNIONS OR UNITY?

Here is a company of Bible-believing Christians joined
together in, let us say, an evangelistic endeavor. All are
trusting in the shed blood of Christ for salvation, though
some are Baptists, some Presbyterians, some Episcopalians
and some represent other denominations.

Are all these believers one? Yes, in Christ, for "there is
one body" (Eph. 4:4).

What united them? The "one baptism" (Eph. 4:5) by
which the Holy Spirit unites all believers to Christ and to
each other: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body whether we be Jews or Gentiles..." (I Cor. 12:13).

Yet these same believers, all trusting in the finished
work of Christ for salvation, remain sadly divided as far
as fellowship in the work of the Lord is concerned. They
may have blessed fellowship in their evangelistic endeavor,
but at its conclusion they go back to their mutually exclu-
sive church organizations.

The reason? Basically it is that they have confused "the
gospel of the kingdom," proclaimed by Christ on earth and
His twelve apostles, with "the gospel of the grace of God,"
proclaimed by the ascended, glorified Lord through the
Apostle Paul (Acts 20:24; Eph. 3:1-3).

Striving over baptismal modes and meanings, most of
them still require their particular forms of baptism for
entrance into their churches, while explaining at the same
time that the ceremony has no saving value and that it is
not required by God for entrance into the true Church.

Can’t we stop being Presbyterians, Baptists and Meth-
odists and just be Christians? Why should the Church of
Christ remain divided and weak, when God says:

"WE BEING MANY ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND EVERY ONE
MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER" (Rom. 12:5).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 5

GRACE AND DEBT

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:4,5).

As we look back at all the Old Testament types: the phys-
ical types, the narratives, the sacrifices, we exclaim: "The
cross was not an accident, nor an afterthought on God’s
part: He had it in mind all the while." Surely Paul was
right when he said of believers that "[God] hath saved us
and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II
Tim. 1:9).

It is on the basis of the cross, typified all through the
Old Testament, that God now saves us by grace through
faith alone, and the types show that this was indeed His
eternal purpose. Furthermore salvation should be by grace
through faith.

As our text, above, declares: if man could earn his salva-
tion it would be the payment of a debt, not the bestowal of a
gift -- and God will never be indebted to anyone. He will
never be in a position where He owes us, sinners, a debt.
Nor will He ever allow us to disgrace ourselves and annoy
others by our boasting about how we earned eternal life.

But He can, on the basis of the penalty paid at Calvary,
bestow salvation as a free gift. This is why we read:

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

"It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8,9).

God owed Abraham nothing, but seeing his faith He said,
in effect: "This man believes Me; I will count his faith for
righteousness" (Gen. 15:6). And this He still does for those
who trust Him, only He has now revealed the basis for this
action: Christ’s payment for sins at Calvary. This is why, in
Romans 4:5, He forbids works for salvation and declares
that the believer’s faith is "counted for righteousness."

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 6

GRACE NOT EARNED

Have you ever noticed that God does not hold the great
men of Scripture up to us because of their personal good-
ness? Almost invariably their records are marred by failure
and sin, but God bids us look at their faith, to see what
their faith did for them. Even those who lived consistently
good lives are not held up to us for their personal worth,
because God knows their imperfections. Thus Rom. 4:2,3
says:

"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory—but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

And Verse 6 goes on to say about David:

"Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works."

This is because man cannot live a life good enough to
make him acceptable to God, for with God only perfection is
good enough. One sin spoiled the earth; God will not allow
one sin to spoil heaven too. This is why in grace He gave
Christ to die for our sins and to pay the just penalty for us.
Because of the all-sufficient payment of Christ in our be-
half, God can now be "just, and the Justifier" of those who
place their faith in Christ (Rom. 3:26).

The famous eleventh chapter of Paul’s letter to the He-
brews bears out the fact that salvation, or acceptance with
God, is obtained, not by human effort, but by faith. This
great chapter on the heroes in God’s "Hall of Fame," begins
with the words: "For by it [faith] the elders obtained a good
report," and then goes on: "By faith Abel ...," "By faith
Enoch...," "By faith Noah...," "By faith Abraham...,"
etc., and closes with the declaration:

"...these all...obtained a good report through faith..."

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 7

THE PRIMARIES AND CHRISTIAN FAITH

The presidential primaries are now in full swing, with
nearly all the candidates talking confidently about win-
ning, but it has long been a question just how much these
primaries mean. Some, indeed, have started by winning in
the primaries and have gone on to become president. But
others have done well in the primaries, yet have never even
come close to being nominated by their own parties.

It’s something like this with faith. The primaries are
like mental assent, or intellectual faith. Before a person can
be saved he must, of course, know about sin and salvation
and must give mental assent to what the Bible says about
these things. He must agree that Christ died for man’s sins.
But while intellectual faith is a good start, it is not enough
to save you. You must go on from there to trust yourself to
Christ, who died for our sins (I Cor. 15:3), otherwise your
intellectual faith has done you no good.

God wants our heart trust; it is this kind of faith that
honors Him, and it is this kind of faith that saves. In
Romans 10:9-13 He says:

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE IN THINE HEART that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVETH unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith: Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed...
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

If Christ is not a risen, living Savior, He is no savior at
all. We must believe this in our hearts if we are to call upon
Him for salvation.

Thank God that "He showed Himself alive, after His pas-
sion, by many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3) and that millions
have indeed found the peace and joy of sins forgiven
through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His redemptive
work at Calvary.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 8

CAMPAIGN EXCITEMENT

We hope our readers are interested in our government
and in what policies it pursues, but there is something even
more important than this important to you and me per-
sonally, and for all eternity.

God has put each man on the spot, as it were, by offering
justification and eternal life as a free gift, through Christ,
who died for our sins. Rom. 6:23 clearly states: "The wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord."

Now the question is: Will you accept this gift, or will you
reject it? Perhaps you reply: "I won’t do anything about it;
I’ll take my time and think it over." But you can’t; you
can’t just do nothing about a free gift which God offers for
your acceptance "now" (II Cor. 6:2). If you do not accept it,
you thereby reject it.

God purposely puts us on the spot in this matter, for the
consequences are truly great. God’s Word says, in John
3:35,36:

"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

God does not take it lightly when He offers forgiveness
and all the riches of His grace as a gift and this gift is
spurned. Unbelievers are not condemned only because they
have sinned, but because they have spurned God’s grace
and rejected salvation through Christ, who died to save
them. Thus it is written in John 3:18:

"He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Which will you do, accept Christ or reject Him and the
gift of salvation He purchased for you with His blood?

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 9

CHRIST AND POLITICS

Did you ever think of Christ’s relation to politics? He
came into this world, remember, as a King. The very open-
ing words of the New Testament are: "Jesus Christ, the Son
of David...“ (Matt. 1:1). This emphasizes the fact that He
came from the royal line. John the Baptist had gone forth
as the King’s herald, to prepare His way, and the twelve
apostles proclaimed His royal rights as they preached "the
gospel of the kingdom." This was all in fulfillment of
Isaiah’s prophecy:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and
the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David..." (Isa. 9:6,7).

Instead of crowning Him King, however, they nailed Him
to a cross and wrote over His head His "accusation": "This
is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

Actually our Lord had come especially, this first time, to
be rejected and crucified for the sins of men. Psalm 22,
Isaiah 53 and other Old Testament passages had predicted
that at His first coming He would be despised and rejected.
Matt. 20:28 says of this coming: "The Son of Man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a
ransom for many."

Our Lord did not die an untimely death; the cross was not
a useless sacrifice. He knew that man’s greatest need is
moral and spiritual -- that his sins must be paid for if he is
not to be condemned forever before the court of eternal
Justice. So in love He came to be rejected and suffer and die
"the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God"
(I Pet. 3:18).

He will come again to judge and reign as all prophecy
indicates, but for the present He deals with mankind in
grace. Eph. 1:7 says that "in [Him] we have redemption,
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the
riches of His grace" and Rom. 3:24 declares that believers
are "justified freely by [God’s] grace, through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus."

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 10

TWO SIDES OF ONE COIN

"I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved" (II Cor. 12:15).

The true man of God will faithfully serve the congrega-
tion which the Lord has entrusted to him without thought
of reward. Like Paul, he will "gladly spend and be spent"
for them even if his toil and sacrifice go unappreciated.
Where the congregation is too small to support him fully he
will cheerfully engage in enough secular work to supply the
deficiency. This is as it should be for, in ministering to his
people, he is serving God.

But there is another side to this coin, for Christian
assemblies should appreciate the ministries of their pastors
in their behalf. This is especially so where the minister
gives himself unstintingly for his flock.

It is a sad fact that too many pastors are grossly under-
paid. Most of the members of the congregation would not be
willing to live on the low economic level on which they keep
their pastor and his family living for years on end. He must
be willing to sacrifice, but they must not be deprived of any
of the luxuries to which they are accustomed. They do not
realize how discouraging it can be for the pastor and his
family to constantly have to do without, while the better-
off members of the congregation hardly notice.

This is why the Apostle Paul reproved the niggardly
Corinthians and declares: "Even so hath the Lord OR-
DAINED that they which preach the gospel should live of
the gospel" (I Cor. 9:14). And this, too, is why he wrote to
the large-hearted Philippians:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction ...Not that I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account" (Phil. 4:13-17).

Where true, Bible-believing pastors are concerned, let’s
not be Corinthians; let’s be Philippians.

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 11

CHRIST IN US

It has been well said that if there is anything good in any
man it is because it was put there by God. And something
good -- a new nature -- has been imparted by God to every
true believer in Christ.

While there is still within us "that which is begotten of
the flesh," there is also "that which is begotten of the Spir-
it," and just as the one "cannot please God," so the other
always pleases Him.

Adam was originally created in the image and likeness
of God, but he fell into sin and later "begat a son in his own
likeness, after his image" (Gen. 53). It could not be other-
wise. Fallen Adam could generate and beget only fallen,
sinful offspring, whom even the law could not change. But
"what the law could not do, in that it was weak [because of]
the flesh, God, sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin," accomplished, "that the righteousness of
the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:3,4).

As Adam was made in the likeness of God, but fell, so
Christ was made in the likeness of sinful flesh -- though
without sin -- to redeem us from the fall, that by grace,
through the operation of the Spirit, a new creation might be
brought into being, "the new man which after God, is cre-
ated in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24).

Thus in addition to our fallen Adamic nature true be-
lievers, through faith, have also become "partakers of the
divine nature" (II Pet. 1:4). This is the "inner man" of
which Paul speaks in Eph. 3:16, and this "inner man" de-
lights to do God’s will (Rom. 7:22).

The Adamic nature, which Scripture calls "the flesh," is
that which was generated by a fallen begetter. It is sinful
in itself, even in the believer. It cannot be improved or
changed. But "that which is born [or begotten] of God" al-
ways pleases Him. It was begotten by the Spirit of God
Himself. This is why our Lord said to Nicodemus:

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit....Ye must be born again" (John 3:6,7).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 12

LIBERTY NOT LICENSE

The fact that we are given perfect liberty in Christ does
not mean that we should spend our lives in gratifying our
own fleshly desires. Just the opposite is the case. Believers
have been delivered from the bondage of childhood and
given the liberty of full-grown Sons in Christ (Gal. 3:24;
4:1-7), and this advance from infancy to maturity in itself
implies the acquisition of a sense of responsibility.

The doctrine of our liberty in Christ does not support, it
rather refutes, the false theory that those who are under
grace may do anything they please. Paul was "slanderously
reported" in this connection (Rom. 3:8), but there were
carnal believers then, as there are now, who actually did
use their liberty as license to gratify their own desires. To
turn from liberty to license in this way is fully as serious
an error as to turn from liberty to law.

Many a believer, motivated only by his own fleshly de-
sires and not at all by love for Christ or others, has in-
dulged in pleasures of the flesh and of the world, justifying
himself on the ground that he is under grace and has lib-
erty in Christ. Taking others down with him in his spir-
itual declension he complains of any who would help him,
that, "They are trying to put me under the law."

Such are actually guilty of departing from grace, for "the
grace of God ...hath appeared":

"Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

"Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:11-14).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 13

HEAVEN -- AND WHO WILL GO THERE

Most people are surprised when they learn that the Old
Testament, though three times as large as the New, does
not contain one single promise about going to heaven. God’s
people, in Old Testament times, looked forward to a glori-
fied earth, with Messiah as its Ruler.

This was so even when our Lord was on earth and con-
tinued to be so through Pentecost. Peter, addressing his
kinsmen just after Pentecost, said in essence: "Repent, and
God will send Jesus down here" (See Acts 3:19-20), but
Paul, in his epistles, says by divine inspiration: "Believe,
and God will take you up there."

This apostle of grace teaches us that God has already
given believers in Christ a position and "all spiritual bless-
ings" in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:4-6; 1:3). And he
teaches further that at the close of this dispensation of
grace "the dead in Christ shall rise" and "we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together ...to meet the
Lord... and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thes.
4:16,17).

Thus it is that Paul, God’s special apostle for our day,
declares that "our conversation [or citizenship] is in heaven"
(Phil. 3:20) and writes of "the hope which is laid up for you
in heaven" (Col. 1:5). Thus it is that he encourages per-
secuted saints, saying: "Ye...took joyfully the spoiling of
your goods, knowing...that ye have in heaven a better and
an enduring substance" (Heb. 10:34). And thus he writes
even of death:

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Cor. 5:1).

"...to die is gain....to depart and to be with Christ...is far
better" (Phil. 1:21,23).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 14

THE CHRISTIAN’S PROSPECT

Those of us who trust in Christ for salvation have a glo-
rious prospect. For the present, while waiting to go to be
with Him, "we have redemption, through His blood, the for-
giveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph.
1:7). In infinite love God has made us to be "accepted in the
Beloved" (Eph. 1:6) and has pronounced us "complete in
Him" (Col. 2:10).

Our position is now a blessed and exalted one, for God
has made us to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus" (Eph. 2:6) and has "blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3).

But this is only the beginning, for, referring to the Chris-
tian’s death, Phil. 1:23 tells us that "to depart, and to be
with Christ. . .is far better"; far better, not only than earth’s
sorrows and troubles, but far better even than earth’s dear-
est treasures and joys.

But even this is not all, for the time will come when, the
Church, "the Body of Christ," having been completed, the
Lord will come to receive all of its members, living and
dead, to Himself. Referring to the resurrection of the de-
ceased believer’s body, I Cor. 15 declares that "it is raised in
incorruptibility" (Ver. 42), "it is raised in glory" (Ver. 43),
"it is raised in power" (Ver. 43), "it is raised a spiritual
body" (Ver. 44), for "as we have borne the image of the

earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (Ver.
49). And as to those believers who will be alive at His com-
ing, he says: "We shall all be changed" (Ver. 51).

"For...we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall
change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:20,21).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 15

CAN THE LAW SAVE?

This writer does not wear clerical garb, but somehow
when he visits a church away from home, someone is apt to
step up to him and ask: "Are you by chance a minister?"

Acts 13 tells how this once happened to Paul and Bar-
nabas. They had entered a synagogue as strangers and
simply sat down to listen. After "the reading of the law and
the prophets," however, the leaders of the synagogue sent
someone to ask them: "If ye men and brethren have some
word of exhortation for the people, say on" (Ver. 15). Some-
how Paul and Barnabas had been recognized as men of God.

The custom at that time was to read a passage from the
Law and then some passage in which the prophets urged
the people to observe the Law. This was followed by an ex-
hortation by one or more of the religious leaders present.

In this case Paul did have a word of exhortation for the
people, but it would be somewhat of a surprise. Getting to
the point of his message, he preached to them about Christ
and the resurrection and closed his talk with the following
words:

"Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Vers. 38,39).

Exhortation? Yes, the Apostle was saying in effect:
"Don’t trust in the Law for salvation -- trust in Christ, who
died for your sins." This makes sense and it agrees with the
Bible as a whole. "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom.
3:20); "it was added because of transgression" (Gal. 3:19);
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the
curse" (Gal. 3:10); but "Christ hath redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13).
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, with-
out the deeds of the law" (Rom. 3:28). And then he exhorted
them further not to "despise" this divine truth.

It should be obvious that the Law can only condemn sin-
ners, but it is also a fact that Christ died for sinners, to save
them from the condemnation of the Law.

"Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1).

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Sep 16

THE LAW MISUNDERSTOOD

There are three misconceptions that most people enter-
tain about the law of God and its Ten Commandments:

1. Most people have a vague notion that the Law always
was; that it must have been given to Adam or soon after.
Actually, it was given by Moses about 1500 B.C., after
about 2,500 years of human history had elapsed (John 1:
17). So mankind lived on earth for about 2,500 years with-
out the Law, or the Ten Commandments.

2. Most people suppose that the Law was given to man-
kind in general, while in fact it was given to Israel alone
(Deut. 5:2,3).

3. Most people suppose that the Law was given to help
us to do right. Even some clergymen teach this, although
the Bible clearly teaches that the Law was given to show
us that we are guilty sinners.

It is true that the Law, while given to Israel, also shows
the Gentile that he is a sinner. This is why Rom. 3:19 says:

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought in guilty before God."

But most important of all: few people realize that the
Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins to deliver us from the
just condemnation of the Law. This is taught in the follow-
ing Scriptures:

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us..." (Gal. 3:13).

"For God hath made Him to be sin for us, [Himl who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21).

"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:14).

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Two Minutes With The Bible

Sep 17

THE LAW AND THE WRATH OF GOD

Romans 4:15 clearly states that "the law worketh wrath,"
but so many people, it seems, do not wish to see this. Even
some clergymen tell us that God gave the Law to help us to
be good, when God Himself says the very opposite; that it
was given to show us that we are bad and need a Savior.

"The law worketh wrath." Every criminal knows this and
every sinner should know it, for the Bible has much to say
on the subject. Rom. 3:19,20 declares that the Law was
given "that every mouth may be stopped, and that all the
world may be brought in guilty before God," and this pas-
sage goes on to say: "Therefore by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the
knowledge of sin."

II Cor. 3:7,9 calls the Law "the ministration of condemna-
tion" and "the ministration of death." Gal. 3:10 says that
those who are "of the works of the law," i.e., who seek to
make themselves acceptable to God by keeping the Law,
"are under a curse," because the Law can only condemn
them.

Those who approach God, expecting eternal life in return
for "good works" are offering Him their terms -- which He
will never accept. God will not sell justification to those
already under condemnation for sin. But He does offer sin-
ners complete justification by grace because:

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written; cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Gal. 3:13).

Thank God, those who trust in Christ, "having redemp-
tion, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to
the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7), "being justified, freely by
His [God’s] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

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Oct 5

GOD’S JUST JUDGMENTS

"We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth..."

The first 15 verses of Romans 2 always make me think of
our Lord’s dealings with the rich young ruler of Luke 18:
18,19. "Good Master," the ruler had said, "what shall I do to
inherit eternal life?"

The Lord answered in effect: "Why do you call Me good?
There is none good but God, so if I am good I must be God.
But do you want to know what to do to inherit eternal life?
Simply obey the Law, the Ten Commandments."

Our Lord, of course, was trying to show the young man
that it was impossible to earn salvation by doing good. To
keep the Law was impossible for any child of fallen Adam,
and breaking the Law could only bring condemnation. Now
this absolute justice is the basis for the believer’s confidence
in God.

It is wonderful to know that God does not merely pity
sinners and smuggle them into heaven if they are sorry.
If He did, someone in heaven could point an accusing finger
at this writer and say: "What, you here!" Thank God, He
has rather taken us before the bar of justice, pronouncing
us guilty, but has stepped down, as it were, to pay the pen-
alty for our sins Himself, then justly declaring us righteous!

This is why salvation, in Scripture, is based upon Christ’s
payment of our just debt. This is why Rom. 3:24 declares
that believers are "justified freely, by His grace, through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

"That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign
through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.
5:21).

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Oct 6

GOD NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS

In Romans 2:11 we read that "there is no respect of per-
sons with God," and these very words, with slight varia-
tions, are found many times in the Bible. How wonderful!
No "big wheels" with Him! Rather, all stand on the same
footing before His bar of justice.

Do you know why the kings in Israel’s history were -- and
were meant to be -- so rich? This was so that they might
rule with true justice, beholden only to God. The rich could
not bribe the king, nor could the powerful intimidate him,
for he was far richer and more powerful than they. There
was only one person over the king, spiritually: the prophet,
who kept reminding him of the Word and the claims of God.

Well, God is infinitely richer than all the wealthy rulers,
barons and money magnates of this world put together,
thus there is "no respect of persons with Him." Also, justice
is one of His divine attributes, hence it is unthinkable that
He should show favoritism.

But now a question: If God is no respecter of persons, why
did He favor one nation, Israel, above all the rest and, for
many centuries, bless them above all others? The answer:
God made a difference to show that "there is no difference"
(Rom. 3:22,23). He made an artificial difference, a dispen-
sational difference, to show that there was no essential dif-
ference, no moral difference. He erected a "middle wall of
partition" between us to show that that wall must be bro-
ken down (Eph. 2:14-16).

And thus it is that the same God who once said to Israel:
"Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant
.. Unto you first..." (Acts 3:25,26) -- this same God now
says:

"There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek [Gentile], for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:12,13).

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Oct 7

BOLDNESS TODAY

Some may suppose that it would require little boldness
today to proclaim grace in all its purity. Who is ever per-
secuted now, at least in free, enlightened lands, for preach-
ing God’s grace? Ah, but do not be deceived. Satan was no
less active in his opposition to the truth when Constantine
exalted the professing Church to prominence than when
his predecessors persecuted the Church and sent its mem-
bers to death by fire and sword. Indeed, the devil was
doubtless more successful in Constantine’s day than he had
been when persecution raged.

Does any believer in the Word of God suppose that Satan
has relented in his opposition to the truth today, just be-
cause men, at least in this land, are not burned at the stake
or thrown to the lions? Do not be misled. Satan’s enmity
against God and against His Word continues undiminished.
His hatred of "the gospel of the grace of God," is as bitter,
and his opposition to it as determined as it ever was. But
well does he know that the constant discouragements con-
nected with being in the minority often succeed in silencing
those who would stand against physical persecution.

Today Satan uses the new evangelicalism with its highly-
organized, highly-financed campaigns -- and its woeful lack
of doctrinal and dispensational teaching of the Word -- to
neutralize the saints. Multitudes are attracted to these
neo-evangelical extravaganzas, at which the participants
are for the most part performers, and those who stand for
the truth often feel very small as compared to the vast
unthinking majority. But let us never forget that God uses
"things that are not" to accomplish His work (See I Cor. 1:
26-29).

Let us, who know and love the truth, then, determine by
God’s grace that nothing shall make us unfaithful to our
glorious commission; that, whatever the cost, we shall
faithfully and boldly proclaim to others the unadulterated
gospel of the grace of God, "the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery."

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Oct 8

THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH

"This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I John 5:4).

There are many who look upon faith as an abstract sort
of thing. Some suppose faith is merely looking on the
bright side of things; to others it is will-power; still others
confuse it with a person’s view-point.

In the Bible, faith is simply believing God. "Faith" is the
noun and "believe" the verb. This is seen in Rom. 4:5, where
the Apostle Paul declares:

"To him that worketh not but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

The above passage from I John 5 also makes this plain,
when seen in its context:

"This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

"Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God" (Vers. 4,5).

It is, then, the believer in Christ, and only the believer in
Christ, who can overcome the world. Unbelievers are swept
away by the attractions and the pretentions of this world-
system, but the believer in Christ need not be.

St. Paul declared by divine inspiration that unbelievers
follow "the course of this world," directed by Satan, "the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience"
(Eph. 2:2).

We do not mean to imply that believers are not often
tempted to follow "the course of this world." Indeed the
world would sometimes entice or intimidate us, but "this is
the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

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Oct 9

WONDERFUL NEWS

The newspapers are filled with sensational news these
days, but the divine extension of this present age of grace is
the most sensational news of all, yet most newspapers
rarely, if ever, mention it.

We are prone to take the blessings of our times too much
for granted. We forget too easily that for more than 1900
years the world has been ripe for God’s judgment -- ever
since His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was crucified and sent
from this world a royal Exile.

All through the Old Testament Psalms and prophets it is
clear that the world’s rejection of Christ was to be visited
with awful judgment. The Second Psalm, describing the
world’s rejection of "the Lord and His Anointed," goes on
to say: "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord
shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them
in His wrath and vex them in His sore displeasure." In
Psalm 110:1, too, we have the Father saying to His rejected
Son: "Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine en-
emies Thy footstool."

Yet, when all seemed ready for the divine judgment to
fall, God interrupted the prophetic program and saved Saul
of Tarsus, the "chief of sinners," the leader of the world’s
rebellion against Christ. More: He appointed this Saul, as
the Apostle Paul, to proclaim "the gospel of the grace of God"
(Acts 20:24), the wonderful news that because Christ suf-
fered, the Just for the unjust, at Calvary, any sinner may
be saved by grace through faith, apart from religious or
other works.

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life, through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). And there-
fore: "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness"
(Rom. 4:5). Judgment will come, but thank God, He has in
grace delayed it until now. "Behold, now is the accepted
time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:2).

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Oct 10

FORGIVENESS THAT CANNOT BE REVOKED

Centuries before Christ, the Psalmist said: "If thou, Lord,
shouldst mark iniquities... who shall stand? But there is
forgiveness with Thee..." (Psa. 130:3,4).

It is doubtful whether the Psalmist understood the basis
upon which a just God, through the ages, has so graciously
forgiven sins, but this has since been revealed in the Epis-
tles of Paul.

There we read: "God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you"
(Eph. 4:32). But this is only part of the truth, for God for-
gives sinners, not merely because Christ desires this, but
because Christ paid for their sins and purchased their re-
demption. Thus Eph. 1:7 declares: "In [Christ] we have
redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, ac-
cording to the riches of His grace."

And thus Paul could proclaim to his hearers in the syn-
agogue at Pisidian Antioch:

"Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through
this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

"And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which
ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38,39).

Obviously such forgiveness can never be rescinded or
revoked, for it is based upon the full and complete payment
of our whole debt of sin by "the precious blood of Christ."

Sad to say, many people do not feel they need forgiveness,
for they have not seen themselves as they truly are in the
sight of a holy God, but those who are conscious of their sins
and are willing to say with the prodigal son: "I have
sinned," may experience the peace and joy of sins forgiven
by faith in Christ who paid sin’s penalty for us.

Here is forgiveness that can never be revoked because it
is based on the "one offering [of Christ at Calvary]" by
which our Lord "hath perfected forever them that are sanc-
tified [i.e., set apart as His own]" (Heb. 10:14).

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Oct 11

WHAT'S BEHIND OUR MORAL DECLINE?

One does not have to be a prude to conclude that our
country is suffering a serious moral decline. Our rulers and
law enforcement agencies seem powerless to cope with it.
Campaigns to check it seem vain. J. Edgar Hoover of the
FBI warned us again and again that the alarming rate of
this downward trend would spell ruin for America if not
checked soon. But what most people fail to realize is that
behind this moral decline there is a spiritual decline. Amer-
ica has departed from God and His Word.

Paul’s letter to the Romans tells us how the heathen got
that way. Rom. 1:21,22 says: “When they knew God they
glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became
vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened. Professing themselves to be wise they became
fools,” and the verses that follow tell how God finally had to
“give them up” to “uncleanness” and “vile affections”—all
because “they did not like [wish] to retain God in their
knowledge” (Ver. 28).

St. Paul further describes them in Eph. 4:17-19, as
walking “in the VANITY OF THEIR MIND, having THE
UNDERSTANDING DARKENED, being alienated from the
life of God through the IGNORANCE that is in them,
because of the BLINDNESS of their heart; who being past
feeling [conscience] have given themselves over to lascivious-
ness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” This, sad to
say, is an accurate description of increasing numbers in
America today. They are throwing off restraint and going
after uncleanness “with greediness.”

But this is not liberty, it is enslavement. It is not a sign
of strength, but of weakness. It does not indicate superior
intelligence, but grossest ignorance, and is the result of
alienation from God.

How much better off are those who have come to know
God through Christ! Of these the Apostle says: “And you,
who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by
wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled, in the body of His
flesh, through death, to present you holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in His sight” (Col. 1:21,22).

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Oct 12

COLUMBUS THE BELIEVER

Everybody knows that Columbus discovered America, but
few people know Columbus the sincere believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ, who braved the dangers of the ocean vastness
mainly because it was his deep desire to bring the gospel to
the Indies. His perseverance in the face of almost insur-
mountable odds should be a lesson to God’s people. Cen-
turies before Columbus, Paul wrote to the Corinthian be-
lievers:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).

This stirring appeal of Paul to Christians everywhere (I
Cor. 1:2), implies that there is a tendency to abandon the
work of the Lord through discouragement or carelessness,
for he pleads with us to be "steadfast," and "unmovable" --
not easily shaken, reminding us that our "labor is not in
vain in the Lord."

How we need the exhortation!

We do not soon abandon our businesses or our homes. We
work on in spite of difficulties and obstacles, and when the
outlook is darkest we often toil the hardest. Sometimes our
bodies suffer for it, but we do not immediately give up.

If this is so where our own affairs are concerned, how
much more should it be so where the things of God and the
needy multitudes about us are concerned! If it is so where
temporal matters are concerned, how much more should it
be so where eternity is involved!

Christians, let us awake! Let us "buy up the time!" Life
is too short to fritter away the precious moments. Let us
rather neglect our own affairs than to neglect the work of
the Lord and the perishing souls about us.

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Quote from: Ambassador4Christ on October 11, 2003, 08:59:20 AM

One of my Favorites, AMEN!!!

Brother Love :)

Oct 13

THINGS NEW AND OLD

When our Lord had finished His familiar discourse on
"the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," He said:

"THEREFORE, EVERY SCRIBE WHICH IS INSTRUCTED UNTO THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MAN THAT IS AN HOUSEHOLDER,
WHO BRINGS FORTH OUT OF HIS TREASURE THINGS NEW AND
OLD" (Matt. 13:52).

A new era had just dawned in the world’s history. A new
message was being proclaimed. John the Baptist had begun
to cry: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
and the Lord Jesus and the twelve had taken up the same
message.

Some listened eagerly, others turned away -- among them
many of the scribes, the Bible teachers of the day. They did
not welcome any new teaching. Yet Christ’s message of the
kingdom in no way conflicted with the Old Testament
Scriptures. Indeed, it was based on the Old Testament and
confirmed by it. This is why our Lord reminded His hear-
ers that the right kind of scribe would bring forth out of the
treasure-house of Scripture, things both new and old.

How this lesson is needed today! Some cast away precious
treasures out of the Bible, contending that they are old and
out of date. Others, while clinging tenaciously to old truths,
reject new light. While mere professors of religion too often
cast aside old truths with the complaint that they are out-
worn, true possessors often reject new light simply because
it is new. They vie with each other to be orthodox instead of
vying to find more light from the unfathomable Word of
God.

Is it possible that we have drained the Well of Scripture
dry? Are there no more precious stones in that exhaustless
Mine? Have any of us received all the light that shines
from the Holy Bible?

Then, cost what it may, let us keep digging into the
Scriptures, that as we minister to others we may bring
forth out of the divine Treasure-house things both new and
old.

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Oct 14

A COFFIN FOR THE LAW

God had barely given the Law to Moses when He ordered
that it be put in a coffin. That’s right -- a coffin. The reason
for this is that the Mosaic covenant clearly stipulated:

"Now therefore, IF YE WILL OBEY MY VOICE INDEED, and keep My covenant, THEN ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine" (Ex. 19:5).

Israel, of course, did not obey God’s voice indeed, but
broke the Law before Moses even got down from Sinai. It
was because of this that God, in grace, commanded: "And
they shall make an ark..." (Ex. 25:10). This word "ark" is
rendered "coffin" in the last verse of Genesis and that is its
simple meaning. But why did God order a coffin as the very
first article of furniture for the tabernacle? The answer is:
To put the Law in. Read it for yourself:

"And thou shalt put into the COFFIN the testimony [the Law] which I shall give thee... and thou shalt put the MERCY SEAT above upon the coffin..." (Vers. 16,21).

If God had not put the covenant of the Law in a coffin and
met His people from a "mercy seat" none of them ever
would have been saved.

This Old Testament type has a lesson for us today, for if
God dealt with us according to our works none of us would
ever be saved, but "Christ died for our sins," meeting for us
the just demands of a broken Law, so that we might be
saved by grace through faith in His redemptive work.

Col. 2:14 says concerning this "handwriting of decrees,
that was against us," that our Lord, in death, "took it out of
the way, nailing it to His cross," and Rom. 7:6 explains:

"But now we are DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, that being DEAD
wherein we were held; THAT WE SHOULD SERVE IN NEWNESS OF SPIRIT, and not in the oldness of the letter."

Thus believers in Christ are saved "by grace... through
faith... not of works" but "unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10).

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Oct 15

THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD

In 1866 Alfred Nobel invented an explosive made of
nitroglycerin absorbed in a porous material. It was by far
the most powerful explosive that had so far been invented.

When Nobel and his friends saw what his invention could
do, and had to decide on a name, they sought for the strong-
est possible word for power -- in any language. The word
they finally chose was the Greek word dunamis, from which
our word dynamite is derived.

This word, in Greek also the strongest word for power, is
used again and again in the New Testament and is gen-
erally translated simply "power."

When our Lord wrought miracles, for example, St. Luke
testifies that "the POWER [dunamis] of the Lord was pres-
ent to heal" (Luke 5:17). In promising His apostles that
they too would work miracles, He said: "Ye [shall] be en-
dued with POWER [dunamis] from on high" (Luke 24:49).

When the Sadducees questioned the resurrection, Jesus
answered: "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the
POWER [dunamis] of God" (Matt. 22:29), and St. Paul
declares that Christ was "declared to be the Son of God with
POWER [dunamis]... by the resurrection from the dead"
(Rom. 1:4).

Using this same word, Paul, by inspiration, declares that
"the gospel of Christ... is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO
SALVATION, to every one that believeth..." (Rom. 1:16).
This is because, according to this gospel, or good news,
"Christ died for our sins," and "the preaching of the cross,"
he says, is to believers "THE POWER OF GOD" (I Cor.
1:18).

But not only are believers saved by the power of God;
they are "KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD" (I Pet. 1:5).
Indeed, the adjective of this same word "dunamis" is used in
Heb. 7:25, where we read that the Lord Jesus Christ is
"ABLE... TO SAVE... TO THE UTTERMOST [THOSE]
THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM." Thus the Bible uses
the very strongest word for power to show how secure is the
salvation of those who trust in Christ.

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Oct 16

THE PROMISE GOD MADE TO HIMSELF

"In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world [or, "ages"] began" (Tit. 1:2).

"The Cretians are always liars" (Ver. 12). "God... cannot
lie" (Ver. 2). What a contrast! And how reassuring to know
that our salvation depends upon the Word of God, who
cannot lie!

Our opening passage, above, however, states that God
made this promise "before the world [or, "ages"] began."
How can this be? There is no indication that He made this
promise to the angels, and there was no one else to whom
He could have made it -- except Himself, and this is exactly
the truth of the matter. Have we not all made earnest
promises to ourselves?

Before God ever made one promise to any man, He prom-
ised Himself that He would provide salvation and all the
riches of His grace for sinners through Calvary’s finished
work, and the promises later made to men were but pro-
gressive revelations of a firm purpose He had already made
in His own heart of love. Paul, the apostle of "the mystery,"
refers to this blessed fact again and again in his epistles:

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery... the hidden...
WHICH GOD HATH ORDAINED BEFORE THE WORLD UNTO OUR
GLORY" (I Cor. 2:7).

"According as HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM [CHRIST] BEFORE
THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD..." (Eph. 1:4).

"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, BEING PREDES
TINATED ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF HIM WHO WORKETH
ALL THINGS AFTER THE COUNSEL OF HIS OWN WILL" (Eph. 1:11).

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to HIS OWN PURPOSE AND [HIS OWN] GRACE, WHICH WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN" (II Tim. 1:9).

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Oct 17

WHO’S BEEN GOOD TO WHOM?

As I left a restaurant, recently, the cashier and part
owner asked how "the pastor" was feeling. I replied: "Fine.
The Lord has been very good to me."

With this she began to tell how good the Lord had been to
her. She had come to America from Greece and had raised a
family and prospered here until now, with her family, she
owned and operated a good-sized restaurant. "So," she said,
"the Lord has been good to me," and after a moment’s hesi-
tation, "but then, I’ve been good to Him too!"

Imagine! How He needed her! It is sad, but this is the low
conception of God held by many religious, but unsaved
people. They entertain the strange notion that if they put a
few dollars into the Church, God ought to bless them -- or
the still more foolish notion that if they are good to others,
He ought to be good to them!

But He owes us nothing just because we may have been
good to others! And even if we sought only to please Him,
this would not make Him our debtor. He does not need us.
There is nothing we can do to enrich Him. This is why
Eph. 2:8-10 declares that salvation is "not of yourselves,"
and "not of works, lest any man should boast."

No, we cannot gain His favor by "being good to Him."
Yet, it is true that His children will be rewarded for faith-
fulness to Him. This is not a dispensational matter; it is a
promise that God has always held out to His people (Dan.
12:3; Matt. 25:21; I Cor. 4:5; I Thes. 2:19; II Tim. 4:7,8;
I Pet. 5:1). But such rewards are "rewards of grace."

Let us who know Him, then, seek above all else to be
faithful in our service to Him, not to gain acceptance with
God, for He has already "made us accepted in the Beloved"
(Eph. 1:6), but rather out of love and gratitude to Him who
gave Himself for us.

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Oct 18

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS

Strange, is it not, that when men are successful, they
generally credit themselves liberally for their success but
when things go wrong they begin to blame others -- even
God.

The writer does not have up-to-date information about
two particular plots of ground in Moscow, but some years
ago one of these was a beautiful garden, the other a patch
of weeds. Above each there was a sign. Over the one: "This
plot is cared for by the United Soviet Socialist Republic,"
over the other: "This plot is cared for by God"!

Evidently the atheistic Soviets who hatched this "bright
idea" did not stop to think that only God could produce the
beautiful flowers in the USSR plot. All their watering and
cultivating would have been in vain except for the God they
deny.

As to the other plot, they probably did not even know that
even in Eden God put the garden in man’s charge "to dress
it and to keep it" (Gen. 2:15), and later, when man sinned,
God said to Adam, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake" (Gen.
3:17). This is why the Soviets must employ a gardener to
control the weeds in even their garden! How wrong and
foolish, then, for man ever to blame God for anything that
goes wrong for him or causes him trouble!

Actually, when I have been asked: "If God is a God of
love, why does He allow all this trouble and misery, and
all this wickedness?" I have replied: "That’s easy. When
God sent His Son into this world offering peace and right-
eousness and prosperity they cried: ‘Away with Him’ and
nailed Him to a cross. If the Bible is true, and in this case
it has surely proved to be true, how can this world expect
peace while they still reject the Prince of Peace?"

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Oct 19

CREATION AND CHRIST

When we believing Christians hear some "scientist"
speak of "our ancestors" roaming this earth, say, 40,000,000
years ago, we become upset, and exclaim: "What nonsense!"
Why? The answer is that we know that the speaker is not
stating scientific facts; he is propagating the long-disproven
theory of evolution. Worse than that, the speaker has de-
nied God’s own account of creation by disseminating a
theory far more difficult to believe.

Yet, when the believer hears a scientist refer to some
planet, say, 460,000,000 miles away he rejoices and ex-
claims: "How great is our God!" Why the difference? Ah,
because astronomy, unlike evolution, is basically a science.
Granted, some astronomers may go far afield when they
speculate on the origin of the universe; they may even
make many errors in their calculations, but astronomy
proper is nevertheless a science, based mainly on math-
ematics and physics. This has proved to be true as men
from earth have orbited the earth and the moon and have
landed on the moon, returning back to earth again. Indeed,
it is only a few months since two soft landings (of instru-
ments) were made on the planet Venus, about 67,000,000
miles away, and all the above with the earth, the moon and
Venus, not only travelling through space at incredible
speeds, but with each all the while revolving on its own
individual axis!

The Lord Jesus Christ dwelt in glory "far above all heav-
ens" in eternity past and came to earth to subject Himself to
humiliation and death only that He might pay the penalty
for our sins and redeem us to Himself:

"That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph. 27).

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Oct 20

GLORIOUS CONSUMMATION

In Eph. 1:9,10 Paul makes a statement regarding the
mystery which has baffled many students of the Word:

"Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him."

This will be the glorious consummation of the mystery
but we, of the dispensation of grace, are to show men and
angels that true oneness is to be found only in Christ (Eph.
3:9-11).

The world knows nothing of this perfect oneness and,
indeed, the Church does not experience it -- except in Christ.
There is no true oneness anywhere -- in the world or in the
Church -- except in Christ. We might illustrate this by two
members of the body: our two arms. They hang from op-
posite sides of the body yet work together as one. But
wherein lies their oneness? The answer is: In the head. It
is the head which makes my arms and hands operate as
one, and so our oneness as members of Christ’s Body, is in
Christ, the Head. It is the recognition of Christ as our
Head, then, and this alone, that can make us one, experien-
tially. Thus the Apostle says:

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

Soon enough the Lord will take us out of this world and
all those events will transpire which will finally bring in
"the fulness of [the] times," when all in heaven and earth
will be "gathered together in one... in Christ"! "What a day
of rejoicing that will be"!

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Oct 21

LITTLE GIRL, ARISE

I was addressing an Assyrian audience on the raising of
Jairus’ twelve-year-old daughter by the Lord Jesus Christ,
and using the narrative to illustrate how God, through His
Word, gives resurrection life to those who are "dead in
trespasses and sins."

I had as my interpreter the incomparable Bedour Hanush
Afraim Kassab, but there was one point in the narrative
where my audience needed no interpreter. I will explain.

It so happens that Aramaic, spoken by our Lord on earth,
is almost identical to Assyrian and there is one small
phrase in the story where our English Version presents the
very words our Lord spoke to Jairus’ daughter: "Talitha
cumi," or "Little girl, arise."

Now it also happened that in our audience there was a
little Assyrian girl who, like Jairus’ daughter, was twelve
years old. As I told of Jairus’ anxiety for his dying daughter
and his anguish at the news of her death, the little As-
syrian girl could understand nothing; she had to wait until
my words were interpreted into Assyrian. But when I got to
the words "Talitha cumi" she needed no interpreter. Leap-
ing from her chair she stood looking at me with eager,
sparkling eyes, as if to say: "What do you want of me?
What can I do now?"

Like Jairus’ daughter, our little girl had heard and un-
derstood just those three words and had applied them to
herself. So it is with those who have received "life in
Christ." "Dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1), they paid
little heed to the Word of God (I Cor. 2:14), but one day, by
the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, they did take heed
and believe some simple gospel passage, like "Christ died
for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3) and, applying it to themselves,
were "raised to walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4).

Nothing would please us more than if some reader should
thus apply the gospel of God’s grace to himself and receive
eternal life. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and THOU
shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

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Oct 22

THOU SHALT NOT SMOKE!

Have you read about the clear law against smoking ciga-
rettes in the state laws of Illinois? It’s been on the books
since 1907 and here is what it says:

"Every person who shall manufacture, sell or give away
any cigarette containing any substance deletrious to health,
including tobacco, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding
$100.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period
not to exceed 30 days."

This law has been on the Illinois state law books for 96
years, but in late years, certainly, it hasn’t been enforced
and most Illinoisans don’t even know it’s there. The reason
is that so many people smoke cigarettes that the authorities
don’t even try to enforce it.

The prohibition era demonstrated the fact that human
behavior cannot be legislated. This is so even with the law
of God. Some people think that the Ten Commandments
were given to help us to be good, but this is not so, for the
Scriptures themselves state clearly that they were given to
show us that we are bad and need a Savior.

Rom. 3:19 declares that the Law was given "that every
mouth may be stopped, and that all the world may be
brought in guilty before God." Rom. 3:20 says: "By the law
is the knowledge of sin."

This is why we read in Rom. 8:3 that "what the law could
not do, in that it was weak [on account of] the flesh," God
sent His Son to accomplish. Also in Heb. 7:19 we read that
"the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better
hope did." This is the "better hope" that we proclaim: that
through Christ we may have "the forgiveness of sins" and
that "by Him all who believe are justified from all things,
from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses"
(Acts 13:38,39).

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Oct 23

THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH

In II Thes. 2:10 St. Paul declares that the apostates of
the coming age will "perish, because they received not the
love of the truth, that they may be saved." This is something
worth considering very seriously.

God calls this present dispensation "the dispensation of
the grace of God" (Eph. 3:2). During this dispensation faith-
ful Christians are proclaiming "the gospel of the grace of
God" (Acts 20:24). This is the message of God’s grace and
love in giving Christ to die for our sins so that we might be
saved from its penalty and power.

All, however, do not believe this glorious message or ac-
cept God’s grace in Christ. These, the Apostle declares, will
be left behind when our Lord comes, at the close of this
dispensation, to receive His own to Himself. Because they
rejected the truth, and the love it proclaimed, God will give
them up "that they might believe a lie," and put their faith
in Antichrist, "that they all might be damned who believed
not the truth" (II Thes. 2:8-12).

It was infinite love that brought Christ to Calvary to
suffer shame and disgrace for our sins, and this love is
being proclaimed in this dispensation of grace. But this
dispensation may be brought to a close at any time and
bring in the day of God’s wrath. How important then to
accept God’s love, and trust His Son without delay! "Be-
hold, NOW is the accepted time... Behold NOW is the day
of salvation" (II Cor. 6:2).

If you do not trust Christ as your Lord and Savior now
and you are caught unawares and lost for all eternity, you
will never be able to say, "It was because God did not
choose to save me." Whatever all the reasons involved in
His electing grace, He does not accept the responsibility for
your rejection of Christ. He says that the unsaved will
perish "because THEY received not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved." Don’t gamble with the future. Re-
ceive God’s gift of salvation now through faith in Christ.

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Oct 24

THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL

Twice in Galatians 2 Paul speaks of "the truth of the gos-
pel." In both cases the Apostle had been forced to speak out
to defend the purity of "the gospel of the grace of God."

In Verses 4,5 he refers to his contest with those at Jeru-
salem who would have brought the Gentile believers under
the law of Moses. Among them were "false brethren," he
says, "unawares brought in... to spy out our liberty which
we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bond-
age: to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an
hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."

In the second case he refers to a controversy with Peter
who, having enjoyed blessed fellowship with Gentile Chris-
tians, had been intimidated by some of his Jewish brethren
into separating himself from the Gentiles. Concerning this,
Paul writes: "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I with-
stood him to the face, because he was to be blamed" (Ver.
11). Why was Peter to be blamed? Verse 14 answers: Be-
cause he "walked not uprightly according to the truth of the
gospel," i.e., "the gospel of the grace of God," in which be-
lieving Jews and Gentiles are "one body in Christ."

How we should all thank God for Paul’s vigorous defense
of the gospel of grace, under which all who trust in Christ
as Savior are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the one true
Bible Church (I Cor. 12:13).

Doubtless Paul’s stand for "the gospel of the grace of God"
stemmed from the fact that he himself had experienced the
truth of this blessed message. As the chief of sinners he had
been gloriously saved. All his power and prestige as a Phar-
isee, all his intellectual achievement, all his rigid Law
observance meant nothing now, as in the presence of the
glorified Lord he saw himself a sinner, the chief of sinners,
and was saved by the matchless grace of God.

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Oct 25

ONENESS WITH CHRIST

"I am [have been] crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20).

What is salvation? It is actually coming into oneness
with the Lord Jesus Christ.

"The wages of sin is death" and "the soul that sinneth it
shall die," but Christ was not a sinner. Even Pontius Pi-
late, after having examined Him carefully, said: "I find no
fault in Him" and "I find no cause of death in Him."

It was therefore not His death that He died at Calvary. It
was ours. He had come from heaven to be born into the
human race as one of us in order to die our death.

It is when we view that death at Calvary and say: "This
is not His death He is dying. It is mine;" it is then that, by
an act of faith, we become one with Him. His death was
ours; the penalty for our sins, but it is not applied to us
until by faith we accept it as ours. Thus the Apostle Paul
declares by divine inspiration:

"I have been crucified with Christ" and he adds: "the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith [the fidelity]
of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me"
(Gal. 2:20).

Since the believer has been united with Christ in death,
he is united with Him in resurrection life also. Col 2:12
says that believers are "buried with Him in baptism." This
is not baptism by water. This is a divine baptism, the work
of the Holy Spirit, for he goes on to say: "wherein also ye
are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of
God."

Little wonder the Apostle begins this lesson for believers
with the declaration:

"For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him" (Col. 2:9,10).

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Oct 26

SATAN AND THE TRUTH

"If any man be in Christ he is a new creation..." (II Cor. 5:17).

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus..." (Eph.
2:10).

"And ye are complete in Him..." (Col. 2:10).

"In Christ!" What a glorious truth! What a high and holy
position! No religious ceremony, neither circumcision nor
baptism, needed to make us spiritually complete. God only
asks now: "Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are
called" (Eph. 4:1).

Many Christians are satisfied with salvation through the
blood of Christ, but God wants us to have much more than
this. He wants us to have "the full assurance of understand-
ing" (Col. 2:2), to know the security, the blessedness, the
glory of a position in Christ. He wants us to know "the ex-
ceeding riches of His grace" (Eph. 2:7), and to enjoy "all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3).

But Satan does not!

For proclaiming these glorious truths the Apostle Paul
was bitterly opposed on every hand, even by some saved
religious leaders of his day.

And Satan has not changed!

Proclaim this message today and "your adversary the
devil" will soon be roused to action. He hates this message
of grace which the glorified Lord revealed through Paul
(Eph. 3:1-3) and let us not be asleep to the fact that, as in
Paul’s day, he will again seek to use even saved religious
leaders, evangelical "big guns," if he can, to oppose it, thus
robbing Christ of His glory and believers of their blessings.

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Oct 27

DEMON POSSESSION

The modern revival of E.S.P., fortune telling, astrology,
magic, the Ouija board, the spirit seance and a score of
other occult practices have caused many to wonder whether
human beings may be possessed or controlled by evil spirits.

Many Christian people recall the cases of demon posses-
sion recorded in the Bible in connection with our Lord's
earthly ministry.

There is indeed much evidence that there was a great
outbreak of demon activity when Christ was on earth. This
outbreak seems to have abated soon after the Lord's ascen-
sion to heaven, but many are asking: Has another such
epidemic broken out?

Whatever the answer to this question, the Scriptures
clearly indicate that the best defense against the activity
of Satan and his hosts is sincere faith in Christ, of whom we
read that, "having vanquished" the powers of evil at Cal-
vary, "He made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them in it" (Col. 2:15). It is on the basis of Christ's finished
work of redemption that St. Paul joins believers in...

"Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet [fit] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Col. 1:12,13).

Not only is the true believer in Christ "delivered... from
the power of darkness," but upon believing he becomes "the
temple of the Holy Spirit," a living shrine where Christ is
worshipped. Thus St. Paul says again: "What! Know ye not
that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" (I Cor. 6:19).
How then could the Christian's body also be the dwelling
place of an evil spirit?

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Posted For A4C By Brother Love :)

Oct 28

WHO SHALL SEPARATE US?

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom. 8:35).

True Christians have been saved from the penalty of sin
for one reason alone: because of "the love of God, which is
[manifested] in Christ Jesus our Lord."

St. John wrote by divine inspiration:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and
sent His Son to be the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sin.

"We love Him because He first loved us" (I John 4:10,19).

Let us understand this clearly and remember it always.
It is not our love to Him, but His love to us, that saves us
and it is His love to us that keeps us saved. This is where
we must begin the Christian life.

A wayward husband returned to his grieving wife one
day, after many months of living in sin. Sobbing his heart
out in remorse and shame, he told her how often he had
longed to be home again with the wife he knew to be so true
to him. Asked why, then, he had not returned sooner, he
explained that he was ashamed; to which his wife replied:
"John, I want you to know something and never forget it: I
love you." John sobbed in response: "Who wouldnt want to
live for a woman like this!"

Just so it is the knowledge that Christ loves us no matter
what; that nothing shall ever separate us from His love; it
is this that makes the sincere believer determine, by Gods
grace, to be always true to Him.

Thus the Scripture doctrine of the believers eternal se-
curity in Christ by no means leads to careless living. On
the contrary, it affords the greatest possible motivation to
"live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world"
(Tit. 2:11,12).

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Posted For A4C By Brother Love :)

Oct 29

A TWOFOLD PURPOSE

Have you ever noticed the wording of the majestic state-
ment with which the Bible opens?

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).

It does not say that God created "the universe," but "the
heaven" and "the earth."

This is because God had a special purpose for the earth
quite distinct from His purpose for the rest of the universe.
This purpose concerning the earth and the nations to dwell
upon it is progressively revealed in the Scriptures. We look
forward to its glorious consummation when "the earth shall
be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the
sea" —- when the Christ who was crucified here shall come
into His right, reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords.

But God also had a very special purpose concerning heav-
en which He kept hidden in His own heart of love until
man’s sin and rebellion had reached their climax. Then He
stooped down, saved the "chief of sinners" and used him to
make known the wondrous secret of His purpose to offer
to sinners everywhere, salvation by grace through faith
alone, reconciling them to Himself in one body by the cross
and giving them a present position and a future prospect in
the highest heavens.

God’s purpose concerning the earth and Christ’s reign
upon it is the subject of prophecy (Luke 1:68-76), His pur-
pose concerning heaven and our exaltation there with
Christ is the subject of "the mystery" (Eph. 2:4-10; 3:1-4).
Into these two great subjects the Scriptures are basically
divided.

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Posted For A4C By Brother Love

Oct 31

WHAT GOD IS DOING

The distress and confusion which prevails in the world
about us does not upset the instructed believer in the Word
of God.

He understands the divine plan and knows what God is
doing. He does not expect peace on earth while the Prince
of Peace remains an Exile from His own world. He has no
illusions about this age, or about what statesmen and pol-
iticians can accomplish therein, for God calls it "this present
evil age" (Gal. 1:4).

The instructed believer knows too why God does not in-
tervene in the affairs of men and why our Lord remains a
voluntary Exile from the world. "This present evil age," he
knows, is also "the age of grace." It began when God saved
Saul of Tarsus, the "chief of sinners," the leader of the
world’s rebellion against Christ (I Tim. 1:13-16) and sent
him forth with the "gospel [good news] of the grace of God"
(Acts 20:24).

The instructed believer understands clearly that God is
not saving the wreck that man has made. He is rather
saving individuals from the wreck and uniting them, by the
Spirit, to Christ and His Body, "for by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one Body..." (I Cor. 12:13).

The instructed believer knows too that this world will not
always be a scene of trouble and sorrow, of war and blood-
shed, of misery and death. He knows that after our Lord
has come for His own, after He has recalled His ambas-
sadors from this world, He will put down man’s rebellion
and set up His own beneficent reign, when government will
be purified (Jer. 23:5), war and bloodshed will be abolished
(Isa. 2:4), health and long life will be restored (Isa. 35:5,6;
65:20), the animal creation will be tamed (Isa. 11:6-9), the
desert will blossom as a rose (Isa. 35:1,2,6,7) and Israel will
become a spiritual blessing to all nations (Zech. 8:13,23).

Meantime, the instructed Bible believer takes advantage
of "the dispensation of grace," telling others how men may
be "justified freely, by [God’s] grace, through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

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Posted For A4C By Brother Love

Nov 1

CHOOSING COMMISSIONS

How foolish and wrong it is for any of us to use "snatch-
grab" methods, as Pastor J. C. O’Hair called them, in ascer-
taining our Lord’s will for us! What right have we to choose
some particular segment or segments of our Lord’s instruc-
tions to the eleven in the forty days between His resurrec-
tion and ascension, and to apply only these to ourselves or
to the Church today?

Nothing could be clearer than the fact that our Lord
"showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible
proofs, being seen of them forty days and speaking of the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). In
those forty days then, one Person, our Lord, spoke to eleven
men, and gave instructions as to the program they were to
carry out after His ascension. In every single case it is
crystal clear that these commands were not directed to
others, who were to live at some future date, but to the
apostles, who were to commence to carry them out after His
departure, when the Holy Spirit had endued them with
power.

This is emphasized by the phraseology found in all five
records of the so-called "Great Commission": Matt. 28:19:
"Go ye," Mark 16:15: "Go ye," Luke 24:48: "Ye are wit-
nesses," John 20:21: "So send I you," and Acts 1:8: "Ye shall
be witnesses." How preposterous, then, to argue, as so
many hard-pressed theologians have done, that one or more
segments of the great commission are to be carried out by
another generation at a later time!

By what rule of hermeneutics or logic have we the right
to exclude from the interpretation of these commands the
very persons to whom our Lord gave them, and if this com-
mission is binding on the Church today, what authority
have we to choose which part or parts we shall obey?

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Nov 2

HEALING, THEN AND NOW

"And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, and saying unto Him, If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean" (Mark 1:40).

It is interesting to observe exactly what the leper did and
did not say to our Lord in the above passage. He did not
say: "If You could, You would," even though more and
greater miracles would unquestionably have enhanced our
Lord’s fame. He rather said: "If You will, You can" -— "If
Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean."

The people of our Lord’s day did not question the gen-
uineness of His miracles. No one suggested that the in-
firmities He dealt with might be psychosomatic in nature,
that they were probably either real healings of imaginary
infirmities or imaginary healings of real infirmities. They
could not raise these objections, for the evidences of the
supernatural character of His healings were too over-
whelming to admit of this. Everywhere He went healing
the sick or casting out demons, the people "wondered and
were amazed," and spread "His fame" abroad from city to
city. At Capernaum:

"All they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them" (Luke 4:40).

How different it is with the "healers" of our day and with
their claims! Entirely apart from the objections of those
who question these "healings" on Scriptural grounds, it is a
simple fact that great numbers of people among the general
populace question the validity of both the "healers" and
their "healing miracles."

Meantime, as one has said, the death rate remains "one
apiece." There always comes that last time, when the "heal-
ing" doesn’t work and the patient dies. This is why all mod-
ern "healers" leave behind them a long, sad trail of disil-
lusionment and shaken faith.

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Posted For A4C By Brother Love

Nov 3

THE HOPE OF GLORY

We are taught in Romans 5 that the believer in Christ
receives justification, peace with God, access to God and the
"hope," or anticipation, of sharing His glory some day. God
wants His children to enjoy this coming glory by faith, to
live in eager anticipation of it.

How much there is to humiliate us in this life! God cre-
ated man in His own image and likeness, but man sinned
and fell from his exalted position. To Adam God said:
"Cursed is the ground because of thee; in sorrow shalt thou
eat of it all the days of thy life."

Since that dreadful day man’s life has been a constant
struggle. Everything tends to go wrong rather than right.
Each has his share of trouble, sorrow, sickness and then -—
death, the greatest humiliation of all, when in sickness and
pain, or at best in utter weakness, he must give up this
life itself.

Sin and the fall! This is what modern science and philos-
ophy fail to face up to. Most popular scientists and philos-
ophers today hold that man has come up from the slime pit
and the ape to modern man; that man is improving all the
time. But the truth of God’s Word is that man has fallen
through sin and is growing worse morally and spiritually
until now he can kill more of his fellowmen faster than he
ever could before.

But it is this fact, this fact of sin and the fall that God has
so graciously provided for. He took all the suffering and
shame, paid all the penalty for our sins, and then rose from
the dead so that we might rejoice in the hope, the eager
anticipation, of glory to come!

As St. Peter puts it in I Pet. 1:3: "[He] hath begotten us
again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead."

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Nov 4

HE THAT IS SPIRITUAL

"He that is spiritual judgeth [discerneth] all things, yet he himself is judged [discerned] of no man" (I Cor. 2:15).

The truly spiritual man is so far above the wisest sages of
this world, yes, so far above the mass of Christians with
whom he comes into contact, that he can understand them,
but they can never quite understand him.

We should all long to be truly spiritual, but what is true
spirituality?

In the Pauline Epistles the human race is divided, by the
Spirit, into four classes: the natural man, the babe in
Christ, the carnal Christian, and the spiritual Christian.

All four of these are referred to in one passage of Scrip-
ture (I Cor. 2:14—3:4) and it should be noted that they are
classified according to their ability to appreciate and assimi-
late "the things of God" as revealed in His Word.

Through diligent, prayerful study of the Word, and with
a sincere desire to obey it, the spiritual man has come to
know God and the Lord Jesus Christ more and more inti-
mately. Babes in Christ and carnal believers about him
cannot "discern" him, simply because they have not come to
know God as he. But he, having grown to spiritual matu-
rity, quite understands them. He is among those of whom it
is written:

"But strong meat [solid food] belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Heb. 5:14).

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Quote from: Ambassador4Christ on October 30, 2003, 12:59:54 PM

Oct 30

THE MYSTERY

In Eph. 3:1-3 "the dispensation of the grace of God" is
specifically called "the mystery" (i.e., secret). It is thus des-
ignated for two reasons:

1. It had been "kept secret since the world began, but
now," through Paul, had been "made manifest" (Rom. 16:
25). "In other ages" it was "not made known" (Eph. 3:5).
Rather, "from the beginning of the world" it had been "hid
in God" (Ver. 9), "hid from ages and from generations, but
now... made manifest to His saints" (Col. 1:26).

2. It was at the same time the explanation, the key, to all
God’s good news, including that which had been proclaimed
in ages past. It explained how it was that Abel could be
declared righteous by bringing an animal sacrifice, "God
testifying of his gifts" (Heb. 11:4), how Noah could become
"an heir of... righteousness" by building an ark (Heb. 11:7),
how anyone could be saved under the dispensation of the
Law, and how it is that we can be saved today by grace
through faith alone.

Thus we have in Paul’s epistles, not only the gospel [good
news] of "the secret" (Eph. 3:1-3), but at the same time,
"the secret of the gospel" (Eph. 6:19,20).

This great secret, revealed to and through Paul, has
rightly been called the capstone of divine revelation, for it
concerns God’s eternal purpose in Christ.

Through Paul, the chief of sinners saved by grace, God
has now made this glorious secret known to us (Eph. 1:9)
that we, in turn, might make it known to others (Eph. 3:9).

This one is one of my favorites. Really helpful

Brother Love :)

Nov 5

SPIRITUAL VICTORY

If we go to the Scriptures and claim, by faith, the Spirit’s
help in overcoming our sins, we enter into the enjoyment of
the fullness of spiritual life and blessing. If we fail to do so,
we wither and die -— as far as our spiritual experience is
concerned. We can never lose our salvation, of course, for
"everlasting life" was obtained by faith in Christ, not by
walking in the Spirit. This is confirmed by the fact that the
same apostle who pleads: "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God," hastens to add: "WHEREBY YE ARE SEALED
UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION" (Eph. 4:30).

But failure to appropriate God’s gracious provision for
victory over sin does result in death as far as our Christian
experience is concerned. This is what the Apostle means,
when he says, by the Spirit:

"FOR TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH; BUT TO BE SPIR-
ITUALLY MINDED IS LIFE AND PEACE" (Rom. 8:6).

"FOR IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE: BUT IF YE
THROUGH THE SPIRIT DO MORTIFY [PUT TO DEATH] THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, YE SHALL LIVE" (Rom. 8:13).

To the careless Corinthians, the Apostle Paul exclaimed:

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s" (I Cor. 6:19,20).

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Nov 6

THE SPIRIT OF SONSHIP

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption [Lit., sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15).

The position of the believer in the family of God is amply
illustrated for us in the Epistles of Paul. In Gal. 4:1-5 the
Apostle alludes to the fact that in the life of every Hebrew
boy there came a time, appointed by the father, when the
lad was formally declared to be a full-grown son, with all
the rights and privileges of sonship.

It was now assumed that the young man would no longer
need overseers to keep him in check. There would be nat-
ural understanding and co-operation between father and
son. And so the "adoption" [Gr., son-placing] proceedings
took place, indicating that the child, now a full-grown son,
was no longer under law, but under grace.

"And because ye are sons," says the Apostle, God hath
sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a
[full-grown] son" (Gal. 4:6,7).

This is the position of every believer in Christ. He may,
like the Corinthians, still be a babe in his spiritual experi-
ence (I Cor. 3:1), but in Christ he occupies the position of a
full-grown son, and to grow spiritually it will do him no
good to go back under the Law; he must rather recognize
his standing before God in grace. This is why the Apostle
says in Rom. 8:15:

"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption [sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

A recognition of this position will do far more to help us
live godly lives than will the "dos and don’ts" of the Law.

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Nov 7

FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE

"And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of
these is love" (I Cor. 13:13).

St. Paul had been discussing, in I Cor. 13, some of the
miraculous signs that were to vanish away as God’s revela-
tion became complete. But faith, hope and love, he de-
clared, would abide as a triune evidence of true Christi-
anity.

These three are all we need in the present "dispensation
of the grace of God." Any church where faith, hope and love
are found in abundant measure is a "full" church. It may
have but a few members, but what greater blessing could it
wish for than faith, hope and love in its fellowship?

Faith, hope and love are a trinity often referred to in St.
Paul’s epistles. Each is of basic importance in its way, and
none can exist without the other two.

Faith is of primary importance. "Without faith it is im-
possible to please [God]" (Heb 11:6), and how can there be
hope and love without faith?

Hope holds the central place among the three. Hope in
the Bible is more than a wish; it is the opposite of despair,
an eager anticipation of blessings to come. Hope is the
Christian’s experience, his living with eternity’s glory in
view.

Love is the crowning virtue of the three; it is the fruit of
faith and hope, and is greatest in the sense that it is "the
bond of perfectness." Moreover, love is eternal. Some day,
for every true believer, "faith will vanish into sight; hope be
emptied in delight" and love will reign supreme.

May God help us, in our fellowship with each other, to
evidence a full measure of faith, hope and love.

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Nov 8

LIVING TO THE GLORY OF GOD

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to
the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31).

This is the great guiding principle of the Christian life.

The Apostle Paul points out in the preceding context that
what may be perfectly right for one person to do may trou-
ble another’s conscience. The sincere and gracious believer,
therefore, will not carelessly violate his brother’s conscien-
tious scruples, offending him by indulging in that which he
considers wrong. In Paul’s day, this particularly involved
the foods of which men partook, but from both Romans 14
and I Corinthians 10 it is evident that Christian conduct in
general is involved.

If, in my daily conduct, I consider not only my own, but
also my brother’s conscience, it does not follow from this
that I am disobeying Gal. 5:1, failing to "stand fast... in
the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." True, I
have no right to give up my blood-bought liberty, but I do
have liberty to give up my rights. This the world about us
is slow to do, but it is one of the signs of true regeneration.

My aim in life should not be to gratify my own desires,
much less to show up my brother’s weaknesses by vaunting
my liberty in Christ. My one aim should rather be to glorify
God in all I say and do.

All this, of course, has to do only with the conduct of
believers in Christ. The unbeliever can do nothing to the
glory of God. His very rejection of Christ is a continual
offense to God who, in love, gave His Son to die in our
place. The only way in which the unbeliever can honor God
is to turn from his unbelief and trust Christ as Savior and
Lord.

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Nov 9

HEROES OF FAITH

In Rom. 4:12 the Apostle Paul declares that Abraham
was the father, not of his physical offspring alone, but also
of those who "walk in the steps of that faith" which Abra-
ham had.

Have you ever noticed that God does not hold the great
men of Scripture up to us because of their personal virtues?
Almost invariably their records are marred by failure and
sin. But God bids us observe their faith and what their
faith gained for them (See Rom. 4:3,9,11,12).

There is a whole chapter on this subject in the Book of
Hebrews. Hebrews 11 is properly called "the great faith
chapter," and its heroes "heroes of faith," for it tells how
Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and scores of
others "obtained a good report" before God. They all fal-
tered and failed again and again, but Heb. 11:39 declares
that "these all... obtained a good report THROUGH
FAITH."

This is why Rom. 4:9-12 states that God’s blessing is be-
stowed upon those who "walk in the steps of that faith"
which Abraham exhibited, just as it was bestowed upon
Abraham himself.

This truth is driven home in Verses 3 to 5 of the same
chapter:

"For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3-5).

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Nov 10

THE NOBLE BEREANS

Many Christian groups and organizations call themselves
Bereans, but it is surprising how few people know what a
true Berean is.

The 17th chapter of Acts relates how Paul called upon his
kinsmen at Thessalonica and for three sabbath days "rea-
soned with them out of the Scriptures," trying to show them
that Jesus was the Christ.

Steeped in their own religion, however, the majority were
unwilling even to consider the truths Paul proclaimed. In-
deed, they resented the fact that some did believe and, in
their bigotry, "set all the city on an uproar." Finally Paul’s
life was in such peril that the Christians there sent him
away by night to Berea, a town about forty miles away.

At Berea Paul again sought out his "kinsmen according
to the flesh" -- and what a different reception! Here is what
the record says:

"THESE WERE MORE NOBLE THAN THOSE IN THESSALONICA, IN
THAT THEY RECEIVED THE WORD WITH ALL READINESS OF MIND, AND SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, WHETHER THOSE THINGS WERE SO" (Acts 17:11).

These people did not immediately close their eyes to fur-
ther light. On the contrary, they gave Paul an interested
hearing, listening with open minds to what he had to say.
But they were not gullible either for, having listened to
Paul, they subjected his word to God’s Word, searching the
Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so. For
this God called them "noble." They were the true spiritual
aristocracy of their day.

We should all be Bereans, spiritually big enough to listen
with open minds to the teachings of men, and then big
enough too to subject their teachings to the Word of God,
the Bible, to see for ourselves whether these things are so.
Our Lord said: "Search the Scriptures... for... they... testify
of Me" (John 5:39). As we do this we will find eternal
life -- and more -- in Christ.

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Nov 11

"A TRUE VETERAN"

Before you have placed your trust in Christ as your Lord
and Savior, there is nothing whatever you can do to please
God or to gain acceptance with Him. John 3:35 declares
that "the Father loves the Son" and cares what you think
about Him and do with Him. This is why Verse 36 goes on
to say:

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on Him."

But once you have received Christ as your Savior and
Lord there is much you can do to please God. You can wit-
ness to His saving grace, you can please Him by living a
godly life, you can work for Him, you can sacrifice of your
means to further His cause, and yes, you can fight for Him.

"Fight for Him" you say? Yes indeed, for this world sys-
tem, our Adamic natures and Satan and his hosts, are all
antagonistic toward the Christ who died for our sins. Sa-
tan’s forces, especially, work behind the scenes to "blind the
minds of them that believe not" (II Cor. 4:4). These fallen
angels, we read, are "the rulers of the darkness of this
world" (iEph. 6:12).

This is why God urges His children to be "strong in the
Lord," putting on "the whole armor of God," so as to meet
and defeat these evil forces (Vers. 10,11). This is why He
puts a sword ("the Word of God") into our hands and bids us
"stand... stand... stand!" (Vers. 11-14).

Ah, but a great veteran, who waged many battles in
making Christ known to the lost, gives us an inkling of the
thrill that goes with being "a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

In his last words, just before his execution, the Apostle
Paul declared triumphantly: "I have fought a good fight!"
(II Tim. 4:7). It was indeed "a good fight" in which he had
been engaged, a fight to bring light and salvation and bless-
ing to benighted souls. And the reward: "Henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown" (Ver. 8).

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Nov 12

THE BLESSINGS OF CRISIS

The Apostle Paul, who had been through one desperate
crisis after another, wrote as follows:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom.
8:28).

How many people have found life going along smoothly
for years when, all of a sudden, they have found themselves
in the middle of some serious crisis!

Perhaps the sudden death of a loved one changed life
completely and presented serious problems wholly unantic-
ipated. Perhaps it was the sudden loss of wealth, so that life
had to be completely readjusted. There are hundreds of
unexpected incidents that can suddenly bring one face to
face with stark and stern realities completely unforeseen.

For believers in the Lord Jesus Christ such crises can
prove great spiritual blessings. They tend to draw us closer
to our heavenly Father, to cause us to pray more and to
lean harder upon Him. They show us the insecurity of all
that is temporal and give us a greater appreciation of our
eternal security in Christ. They give deeper meaning to the
Scriptures we study and even to the hymns we sing. They
sanctify and enrich our fellowships.

To those -- and only those -- who truly love God and are
"the called according to His purpose," all things do indeed
"work together for good" -- caused by God, of course, to
"work together for good."

This is why God’s Word to the Christian is:

"Be careful [care full] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6,7).

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Nov 13

HOW THE SPIRIT HELPS

"The Spirit... helpeth our infirmities" (Rom. 8.26).

A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. If one link
in a chain will hold one hundred pounds, another fifty, and
another ten, the chain as a whole will hold ten pounds, no
more. This is why James 2:10 says:

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

Many people suppose that we will be saved or lost ac-
cording to how good or bad we have been. This is not so. It
is not a question of how good or bad we have been, but of
whether or not we have sinned. A man need commit only
one robbery to be a robber, burn only one house to be an
arsonist, kill only one human being to be a murderer -- and
commit only one sin to be a sinner. This is why the Word of
God says that all are sinners.

How wonderful to know that in grace "Christ died for our
sins" and that by simple faith in Him we may be saved and
fully justified before God! (Rom. 5:6,8,10).

But born-again Christians find that the above principle is
just as true of them as of the unbeliever. None of us is any
stronger than his weakest point. Frightening, isn’t it, es-
pecially when we consider that Satan constantly attacks us
at our weakest point to wreck our testimony if he can.

But here is where the believer can rejoice that "the Spirit
..helpeth our infirmities" (Rom. 8:26). He dwells within to
help in time of need, so that we need not fail (Rom. 8:11,12).
This does not mean, however, that He takes control of us
without being called upon, as He did "when the day of Pen-
tecost was fully come." Unlike the Pentecostal believers, we
live under "the dispensation of the grace of God." What God
provides by grace we must appropriate by faith. Thus in
any given case we may have victory. Indeed it is concerning
the weak brother in Christ that Paul declares by inspira-
tion: "God is able to make him stand" (Rom. 14:4).

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Nov 14

FACING UP TO FACTS

Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Chapters 1 and 2, present a
dark picture of the human race, but acknowledge the facts
they record and you have taken the first step to salvation.
By nature we shrink from facing up to our sins, but we are
better off if we do.

If a man has early indications of cancer, and his physi-
cian keeps the truth from him, the patient will die of can-
cer. A good and wise physician will say: "You have cancer
and we should do something about it without delay."

Thus God, in His Word, tells us frankly about our sinful
condition, but only to save us from it.

This is where most philosophies and the Bible clash head
on. Most philosophies close their eyes to man’s sinful na-
ture. They presume that man is good by nature, when over-
whelming evidence bears witness that he is sinful by na-
ture. Thus human philosophies offer no salvation from sin
and its just penalty. Only "the gospel of the grace of God"
does that.

The Bible says of the whole human race: "All have sin-
ned" (Rom. 3:23), and to each individual: "Thou art inex-
cusable" (Rom. 2:1). But the same Bible says: "Christ died
for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3), and "We have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

Trust in Christ for salvation and you will have accepted
God’s great message to the world. Then, as you consider
that great Book, the Bible, you will say with Fawcett:

"It shows to man his wand’ring ways
And where his feet have trod;
But brings to view the matchless grace
Of a forgiving God."

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Nov 15

WHAT ABOUT ME?

Hebrews 2 states that unbelievers are, "through fear of
death... all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Ver. 15). How
often they must ask themselves: "What will become of me:
finally become of me?" The best they can hope is that God
will be merciful to them and accept them at last, but God
cannot do this without a just basis, and since unbelievers
have rejected His gracious payment for sin, they must re-
main under its condemnation. Many hope that physical
death will be the end for them, but they fear that the Bible
may be true and that death will not be the end.

This writer once talked with a profane barber who had
boasted that he was his own "God," and would be until they
put him "six feet under." To this we replied: "The Bible
says that ‘it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this
is the judgment.’ You may not believe this, or accept it as
the Word of God, but you can’t prove it isn’t so, and I would
urge you to look into it carefully, asking God to give you
light."

Here we ask the reader a very personal question: Are
you saved? Have you accepted Christ and His payment for
your sins, now standing before God "justified from all
things," and "accepted in the Beloved"? If not, we beg you:
do not delay. These are serious times and who knows how
soon God will take His own away and bring this dispen-
sation of grace to a close. Then it will be too late, so we
urge you, face up to your sinful condition now, and place
your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who, in infinite love and
grace, bore the burden of your guilt and condemnation at
Calvary. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
be saved..." (Acts 16:31).

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Nov 16

THE VALUE OF BIBLE STUDY

"From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 3:15).

Timothy was a fortunate young man. His father was not
a believer in Christ, but his godly mother made up for this
lack as, day after day, from his earliest childhood, she
taught him the Word of God. As a result he came to know
Christ at an early age and later became St. Paul’s faithful
co-worker and close associate in making known the wonder-
ful "good news of the grace of God."

In his very last letter the great Apostle Paul recalls
Timothy’s "unfeigned faith... which dwelt first in thy grand-
mother Lois, and thy mother Eunice" (II Tim. 1:5).

If only we had more such mothers and grandmothers
today, with husbands to help them! If only our American
children were not set adrift on a restless sea of human spec-
ulation, but were taught the eternal truths of God’s Word,
the Bible!

We all need to "know the Holy Scriptures," not only be-
cause they teach reverence for God and build moral char-
acter, but most of all because they "are able to make [us]
wise unto salvation through faith... in Christ Jesus."

The theme of the Bible, the Old Testament as well as
New, is the Lord Jesus Christ, the riches of whose saving
grace are unfolded to us in the Epistles of Paul, the chief of
sinners saved by grace. It was to Paul that God committed
the preaching of the cross of Christ. He it is who tells us
about the riches that flow from Calvary. He it is who tells
us, by divine inspiration that:

"...WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH [CHRIST’S] BLOOD, THE
FORGIVENESS OF SINS ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS
GRACE" (Eph. 1:7).

"THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEED-
ING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US
THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:7).

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Quote from: Ambassador4Christ on November 16, 2003, 09:45:08 AM

Another Favorite

Brother Love :)

Nov 17

THE CHRISTIAN HOME

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:15).

There is no place in all this world so wholesome and re-
freshing as a Christian home, a home where Christ is truly
loved and honored.

This writer was brought up in such a home. There were
ten of us: dad, mother and eight children. There was lots
going on all the time, but a truly happy home it was, for
dad and mother never let us get so busy with temporal
things that we brushed eternal values aside.

On the basis that "man shall not live by bread alone, but
by every word of God" (Luke 4:4), we read some small por-
tion of the Bible before every meal, and had family devotions
before retiring at night.

Result: all eight children have blessed the dear dad and
mother who led them aright, morally and spiritually, and
best of all, taught them the importance of trusting in the
Savior who died for all our sins. More: five of the children
and many of the grandchildren have given themselves for
full time Christian service, and have become pastors, col-
lege deans, Christian writers and missionaries in various
parts of the world.

This is not because we are one whit better than others,
but because we have experienced the help and grace of God
in our lives. And it all began as, one day, a young Amer-
ican, like Joshua of old, came to a decision and declared:
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

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Nov 18

MELTING HEARTS

Melting hearts, in Scripture, are consistently associated
with discouragement and fear. Note a few examples:

"And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt..." (II Sam. 17:10).

"Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt"(Isa. 13:7).

"The heart melteth and the knees smite together..." (Nah. 2:10).

Christians, therefore, should not pray for melted hearts,
as so many do. There are too many believers with melting
hearts now! Indeed, men of God, down through the ages,
have always found it a real task to keep the hearts of Chris-
tians from melting. Fear can easily become cowardice and
cowardice, like courage, is extremely contagious. For this
reason God explicitly instructed the military officers of
Israel to announce to their armies:

"What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart"(Deut. 20:8).

If ever God’s people needed confidence and courage it is in
the day of crisis -- especially spiritual crisis -- in which we
live. Here Paul’s word to the Ephesian believers is appro-
priate:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against [wicked spirits] in high places" (Eph. 6:12).

Thank God! While the opposition of our adversary during
"this present evil age" calls for special courage and stead-
fastness of heart, God has made particular provision for us,
for He has given us more light on His Word than was given
those of former ages and we can meet the enemy with "the
whole armor of God." Moreover we have God’s Word
through Paul, that battle-scarred warrior:

"God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God" (II Tim. 1:7,8).

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Nov 19

THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER

The question is sometimes asked: If God’s will and pur-
pose are unalterable, why pray? The answer is simply:
Because the divine purpose, which any answer to prayer
must represent, includes the prayer itself. It is enough that
He "who worketh all things after the counsel of His own
will" (Eph. 1:11) invites and exhorts His people to "come
boldly unto the throne of grace" to "let [their] requests be
made known unto God" (Heb. 4:16; Phil. 4:6).

But prayer is not merely petition, as many suppose. It is
one aspect of active communion with God (meditation on
the Word being the other) and includes adoration, thanks-
giving and confession, as well as supplication. Hyde, in
God’s Education of Alan, Pp. 154,155, says: "Prayer is the
communion of two wills, in which the finite comes into
connection with the Infinite, and, like the trolley, appro-
priates its purpose and power."

We have an example of this in the record of our Lord’s
prayer in the garden, for, while He is not to be classed with
finite men, yet He laid aside His glory, became "a servant"
(Phil. 2:7) and "learned obedience" (Heb. 5:8; Phil. 2:8). In
this place of subjection He made definite and earnest re-
quests of His Father, but closed His prayer with the words:
"Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done" (Luke 22:
42) with the result that He was "strengthened" for the
ordeal He had to face (Ver. 43).

Thus prayer is not merely a means of "getting things
from God" but a God-appointed means of fellowship with
Him, and all acceptable prayer will include the supplication
-- as sincerely desired as the rest: "Nevertheless, not My
will, but Thine, be done."

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Nov 20

MISUSE OF PRAYER

Many Christian people fail to pray acceptably. They
indulge their wills, earnestly praying that God will lead;
yet all the while determined that He shall lead according to
their desires, even if contrary to His revealed will. Then,
when faced with the written Word, they say: "But I have
prayed much about it." They even challenge God, like the
young woman who justified herself for entering into an
unequal marriage vow by saying: "I asked the Lord if this
wasnt His will just to hinder it somehow." Such misuse of
prayer is worse than superstition; it is sacrilege, for the
young woman should have known -- probably did know --
that the written Word had already condemned what she
wanted, prayed about and got.

Then too, there is much superstition among Gods people
with respect to prayer. How readily some believers "feel
led," seek for "inner promptings" or listen for that "still
small voice" in answer to their prayers! They say: "The
Lord told me" this or that, or "The Spirit whispered to me"
or "I could just hear Him saying." When such remarks are
made to this writer he usually inquires further into the
details and invariably learns that no voice was heard at all,
but that the speaker merely took some feeling or impres-
sion to be, in some mystic way, a direction from the Lord.

God does speak to us through His Word, even when some
incident or circumstance emphasizes the truth of His Word,
but with the Word complete He no longer speaks to us by
visions or even by still small voices, and the instructed
believer will be careful not to depend upon "inner prompt-
ings," knowing that by nature "the heart is deceitful above
all things" (Jer. 17:9).

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Nov 21

REPETITION OF PRAYERS

One of the most unscriptural and unspiritual misuses of
prayer is the repeating of prayers composed by others.
Many members of both Protestant and Catholic churches,
indeed, many sincere believers, repeat over and over again
prayers that have been prepared for them to recite. Un-
doubtedly the greatest number of all make it a practice to
repeat the so-called "Lords Prayer," taken from the Gospel
records.

Evidently all these millions of professing Christians have
overlooked the fact that it was when the disciples asked our
Lord to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1) that He said:
"AFTER THIS MANNER therefore pray ye" (Matt. 6:9).
Moreover, He prefaced these words with the specific in-
junction:

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them..." (Matt. 6:7,8).

Both Protestants and Catholics make much of repeating
the "Lords Prayer." They repeat it singly and in unison, in
trouble and sorrow, in sickness and death, in storm and
drought, in war and disaster, with little or no regard for its
contents.

Imagine praying, "Give us this day our daily bread" at a
funeral service! Imagine praying, "Thy kingdom come" at a
sick bed or in a storm at sea! Yet this is solemnly done
again and again throughout Christendom. Whole audiences
continue to repeat the prayer in unison -- and this in the
face of the fact that it was in connection with this very
prayer that our Lord pronounced the mere repetition of
prayers "vain" and enjoined His disciples not to follow the
heathen in this practice.

What a difference there is between praying and saying
prayers! No truly spiritual believer will do the latter.

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Nov 22

LEGITIMATE PRAYER

Prayer, in Old Testament times, was based upon a cov-
enant relationship with God, or it was an appeal to His
revealed nature as merciful, gracious, etc. Today it is based
upon the redemptive work of Christ, whose death opened
the way for us into the Fathers presence. This is why ac-
ceptable prayer today is offered "in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ." With our Lords departure from this world in
view, He said to His disciples:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: NO MAN COMETH UNTO
THE FATHER BUT BY ME" (John 14:6).

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name.... At that day ye shall
ask IN MY NAME: and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for
you, for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me..."
(John 16:24-27).

Thus today we pray directly to the Father in the name of
the Son.

Our prayers, however, are often faltering and sometimes
the way is so dark before us that we do not even know what
to ask for. Thus Paul declared: "We know not what we
should pray for as we ought" (Rom. 8:26). But he was quick
to follow this with the declaration:

"AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR
GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE THE
CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE" (Rom. 8:28).

This is why the Apostle Paul encourages Gods people;

"BE CAREFUL [ANXIOUS] FOR NOTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING,
BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, WITH THANKSGIVING, LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD:

"AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH PASSETH ALL UNDERSTAND-
ING, SHALL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST
JESUS" (Phil. 4:6,7).

"LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF
GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO
HELP IN TIME OF NEED" (Heb. 4:16).

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Nov 23

THANKSGIVING

God’s verdict upon the pagan world is that "they are with-
out excuse, because that, when they knew God, they glorified
Him not as God, neither were thankful..." (Rom. 1:20,21).

The Psalmist, on the other hand, declares:

"IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND
TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH:

"TO SHOW FORTH THY LOVINGKINDNESS IN THE MORNING.
AND THY FAITHFULNESS EVERY NIGHT" (Psa. 92:1,2).

Believers today have even more to be thankful for than
did the Psalmist, for we can rejoice in what God has done
for us through Christ and His redeeming work. Thus Paul,
by divine inspiration, speaks of...

"GIVING THANKS UNTO THE FATHER, WHO HATH MADE US
MEET [FIT] TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS
IN LIGHT:

"WHO HATH DELIVERED US FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS,
AND HATH TRANSLATED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR
SON" (Col. 1:12,13).

It is because of this "deliverance" that the humblest be-
liever can cry with Paul: "Thanks be unto God, who always
causeth us to triumph in Christ!" (II Cor. 2:14) and "Thanks
be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ!" (I Cor. 15:57). How appropriate, then, are the fol-
lowing exhortations:

"In everything give thanks" (I Thes. 5:18) and "By
[Christ], therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise... giving
thanks to His name" (Heb. 13:15).

"For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God" (II Cor. 4:15).

Most of all, "THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS UN-
SPEAKABLE GIFT," our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! (II
Cor. 9:15).

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Nov 24

THE RICHES OF GOD

Some years ago there came to this country a very poor
young man. He found a job in the timber lands of Wiscon-
sin. Being industrious he gradually accumulated some tim-
ber acreage of his own. Soon be began to prosper, and after
a few years he invested in a lumber milling industry. It
was not long after that until he owned more than one mill.
This led him to expand into northern Wisconsin and Min-
nesota. Before long he was very rich, investing in timber
acreage in the far northwest and eventually owning valu-
able land by the thousands of acres, the very finest timber
in the country. At the time of his death neither he nor his
relatives nor friends knew what he was worth financially,
so wealthy had he become.

When the time came for him to die, however, he could not
take one cent of his riches with him, for as I Tim. 6:7 says:
"We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can
carry nothing out."

It seems difficult for most men to learn that "a mans
life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth" (Luke 12:15). They close their ears to the words
of wisdom spoken by our Lord:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal" (Matt. 6:19, 20).

The truest, most lasting riches of all are referred to in
II Cor. 8:9 where the Apostle Paul says:

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."

And these riches may be had by faith -- by accepting them
as a gift, for "the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus
Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

Written by Pastor Stam

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Nov 25

GODS FAITHFULNESS AND OURS

Many people suppose that salvation is Gods reward to
those who do their best to live good lives. This is not so, for
Gods Word says of those who are saved:

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9).

Referring to this "salvation which is in Christ Jesus," St.
Paul says: "It is a faithful saying, for if we died with Him,
we shall also live with Him" (II Tim. 2:10,11).

In other words: The believer, viewing Calvary aright, has
"died with Christ." Viewing the Cross, he has said: "This is
not Christs death. He was no sinner. He had no death to
die. He is dying my death!" And so by faith he is "crucified
with Christ" (Gal. 2:20). The penalty for all his sins has
been fully paid, for he died -- in Christ, and thus has also
risen with Christ "to walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:3,4).

This is all Gods doing, and only now is the believer in a
position to do good works that will please God. Thus the
Apostle writes of believers, in II Tim. 2: "If we suffer, we
shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny
us" (Ver. 12). When the believers service for Christ is re-
viewed some, indeed, will "receive a reward," but others will
"suffer loss," though they themselves will "be saved, yet so
as by fire" (I Cor. 3:14,15).

It will be deeply embarrassing, in that day, for unfaithful
Christians to face empty-handed the One who gave His all,
Himself, to save them. Yet salvation is by grace, thus the
Apostle hastens to conclude his statement in II Timothy 2,
with the words:

"If we are unfaithful, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (Ver. 13)

Thus our rewards as believers depend upon our faithful-
ness, but our salvation, thank God, on His!

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Nov 26

TRUE THANKSGIVING

Many people entertain only vague notions about thanks-
giving, just as they do about faith.

They confuse faith with optimism, will power, presump-
tion, imagination, and all sorts of other things. A doctor
tells his patient that but for his faith, he never would have
come through his illness. Somehow the patient was "just
sure" he would recover. A smiling mother encourages her
married daughter to "have faith, that everything will turn
out all right." But faith in God is believing God; believing
what He has said. True faith is based on the written Word
of God (See Rom. 10:17).

But unregenerate men have vague ideas about thanks-
giving. A man escapes some great harm and thanks his
"lucky stars." Another says: "Im grateful for a healthy
body," but to whom is he grateful? He doesnt say. In many
cases it doesnt even occur to him to ask. Hes "just thank-
ful"!

How refreshing, then, it is to open our Bibles, especially
to the Epistles of Paul, the chief of sinners, saved by grace,
and to see him giving thanks for specific blessings, and
to a specific Person -- God!

"Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet [fit] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Col. 1:12,13). "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!" (II Cor. 9:15). "Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory!" (I Car. 15:57). "Thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph!" (II Cor. 2:14).

It is our prayer for all our readers that this Thanksgiving
season, and always, you may be especially thankful for "the
gift of God [which] is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our
Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Nov 27

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

Two boys fight in a back alley. Fists fly. Shouts go up
from the other youngsters standing by. "Give it to ‘im! Let
‘im have it!"

Finally one of the two struts away with an arrogant bear-
ing, head and shoulders wagging. He has won!

But has he? Look at him. He has a bloody nose, a black
eye and welts on his face and arms. And if looks could kill
he wouldn’t even be alive, for while his friends shout his
praises, the boy he has beaten gives him a look that says:
"Just wait." He has not won anything except, perhaps,
a bitter and lasting enemy.

So it is with the wars that nations wage against each
other. Necessary as it sometimes becomes to defend our
liberties, our homes, our way of life, by force of arms, sel-
dom does any nation actually win the war. Rather all lose,
even the "victors," as in their "victories" they sow the bit-
terness and hate which are the seeds of future wars.

It is different, however, with "the good fight of [the]
faith," for the Christian may come out of every battle
stronger than when he went in. Only the Christian can say
with regard to the heartaches and disappointments, the
difficulties and obstacles, that cross his path: "In all these
things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved
us" (Rom. 8:37).

During Paul’s busy ministry for Christ he suffered a
painful "thorn in the flesh," and "besought the Lord thrice"
that it might be taken away. The Lord did not see fit to
remove the thorn, but answered Paul: "My grace is suf-
ficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness"
(IICor. 12:9).

Paul’s response: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me... for when I am weak, then am I strong" (Vers. 9,10).
Let all go well, and we are prone to grow careless in our
Christian lives. Adversity, on the other hand, makes Chris-
tians lean the harder and pray the more -- and therein lies
their strength and their victory.

Written by Pastor Stam

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Nov 28

THE NEW CREATION

In Romans 5:12 God tells us how we are all related to the
first man, Adam:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin... so death passed upon all men..."

This verse clearly indicates that every child born into the
world since Adam has partaken of Adam’s sinful nature.

Parents sometimes wonder why their children act as they
do. The answer is simple! Every child is related to rebel-
lious Adam by physical birth, and soon rebels like Adam,
whose offspring he is.

In Scripture we are told that God "commendeth His love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us" (Rom. 5:8).

When you are in trouble and someone comes to your aid,
are you not automatically drawn to that person? Should we
not then be attracted to the One who cared so much for us
that He "made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him
the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:7,8)?

Through natural birth we partake of the sinful natures of
our parents back to Adam, and frequently we even have the
same physical features as our parents. How touching, then,
to know that the Lord Jesus Christ took on Him "the like-
ness of men" (apart from sin) and, as the God-man, died for
our sins upon the cross, where sinful men (people like us)
nailed Him! As we recognize this and place our faith in
Him, a spiritual birth takes place and we become the chil-
dren of God (John 1:12). More than this, we become mem-
bers of the Body of Christ, God’s new creation, for "if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creation" (II Cor. 5:17). "cre-
ated in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath be-
fore ordained, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

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Nov 29

SO SOON

How highly the Galatian believers had esteemed Paul;
how heartily they had loved him when he had first come to
them proclaiming grace! The Apostle recalls it in Gal. 4:
13-15:

"Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

"And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

"Where is then the blessedness ye spoke of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me."

How happy in grace, how thoroughly blessed, had the
Galatian Christians been -- when Paul was with them! But
let the Apostle turn his back, as it were; let the legalizers
come courting on the morrow and suddenly these same
believers were ready to go back under the Law. "So soon"
had they fallen from grace! The Apostle was dumbfounded!
"I marvel," he says, "that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel"
(Gal. 1:6).

How unspeakably sad! And how natural that, hearing
the news, the Apostle should sit down immediately to write
them this urgent epistle, in large letters.

The temptations to "fall from grace" are as great today
as they ever were. It would be well, therefore, to read this
letter to the Galatians often so that we might be among
those who "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free" (Gal. 5:1).

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Nov 30

THE FIRST BOOK TO READ

In years gone by, when life was simpler, men had more
time to ponder over the really important questions: What
will become of me when I die? Is there a heaven -- and a
hell? Can I know God? Will He forgive my sins? If so, on
what basis? What must I do to be saved?

The materialism, commercialism and technology of our
day, however, have so complicated life that secondary prob-
lems hinder many people from even considering at leisure
that which is most important.

Yet, despite all the hurry and anxiety, all the noise and
distraction, there are troubled souls, hungering and thirst-
ing for true satisfaction, for hearts cleansed from sin, for
deliverance from the awful burden of a guilty conscience.

Such people should read Pauls Epistle to the Romans and
meditate on its great message of salvation. In fact, this is
the first book they ought to read.

In Romans the inspired Apostle declares that "all have
sinned" (3:23) and that "the wages of sin is death" (6:23).
But this is not all. Romans also proclaims the good news
that the Lord Jesus Christ "was delivered for our offences,
and was raised again for our justification" and that there-
fore we may have "peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ" (4:25; 5:1).

More than this, Romans offers abundant grace to all who
trust in Christ. "The law entered that the offence might
abound, but where sin abounded grace did much more
abound" (5:20,21). Thus believers are "justified freely by
[Gods] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus" (3:24) and "the [free] gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord" (6:23).

We urge those who are not sure of salvation to read care-
fully and prayerfully this great Epistle to the Romans. You
may be thanking God for the rest of your earthly life -- and
forever -- that you did.

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Dec 1

BELIEVERS JUSTIFIED

Our Lords appearance to Saul of Tarsus (later called
Paul) on the road to Damascus, changed the pitiless per-
secutor in a moment into the docile, yes the devoted fol-
lower of the Christ he had so bitterly hated.

This transformation took place not only because he had
now seen the risen, ascended Christ; it was caused also by
what he had learned from Christ. From heaven the Lord
had revealed to Paul the glory of His finished work of re-
demption and had sent him forth to proclaim "the gospel of
the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

This is seen in the closing words of the Apostles first
recorded sermon, delivered at the synagogue at Antioch in
Pisidia. After mentioning the death and resurrection of
Christ, the Apostle said:

"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38,39).

Paul never changed this message, but kept emphasizing
it wherever he went as well as in his writings. He saw in
this truth the answer to mans condemnation for breaking Gods holy law. Thus he wrote to the Romans:

"...by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested" (Rom. 3:20,21).

"[We] declare, I say, at this time, [Christs] righteousness; that [God] might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26).

Mark well: He does not say, "believeth and is baptized."
This was the message committed to the twelve (Mark 16:
16; Acts 2:38). With the ushering in of the dispensation of
grace God was manifested as "the Justifier of him which
believeth in Jesus."

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Dec 2

EVERLASTING LIFE

Romans 8:2, when correctly read, is a most blessed pas-
sage of Scripture. To get the sense we should place a dash
between the words "Spirit" and "of." Thus it would read:
"For the law of the Spirit -- of life in Christ Jesus, hath made
me free from the law of sin and death."

When a sinner places his trust in Christ as Savior he is
justified before the bar of God, because Christs death and
righteousness are imputed to him. This is a judicial matter.
But at the same moment something else happens: the
Spirit regenerates and gives new life (Tit. 3:5). This is a
law, an inexorable, unchangeable law. The sinner who
sincerely places his trust in Christ as Savior is given life
by the Holy Spirit. It is always so; it is never otherwise.
I John 5:12 says: "He that hath the Son hath life...." John
3:36 says that "He that believeth on the Son hath ever-
lasting life" and Col. 3:3 declares that the believers life is
"hid with Christ in God."

Thus the Apostle could say: "The law of the Spirit, [that
of] life in Christ, hath made me free from the law of sin and
death." Adam forfeited his life by sin, but the believers
new life can never be forfeited, for this life is nothing less
than the life of Christ, in whom the sinner has already died
and paid for his sins -- and in whom he now stands perfect
and complete before God.

It is a law, a fixed unchangeable law, that sin brings
forth death (Rom. 5:12; 6:23; et al). This is called "the law of
sin and death," but the believer has already died for sin in
Christ and has been given new life by the Spirit. Thus "the
law of the Spirit," that of "life in Christ," has made the sim-
plest believer "free from the law of sin and death."

Thank God for "the law of the Spirit," everlasting life
through the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.

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Posted By Brother Love For Ambassador4Christ

Dec 3

A STONE OF STUMBLING

Some thirty years after the death and resurrection of
Christ, St. Peter wrote to the believers of the Jewish disper-
sion:

"Unto you therefore which believe He is precious; but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

"And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient..." (I Pet. 2:7,8).

It is true that Israels builders, 1900 years ago, "disal-
lowed" Christ as the cornerstone for their building, and
that when He became the "Head of the corner," according to
Psa. 118:22, it was for them an occasion for stumbling and
embarrassment.

But Christ is a "stone of stumbling" to all who reject
Him. In Rom. 9:33 St. Paul quotes from several Old Tes-
tament passages:

"As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence; and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed."

In Peters day and in Pauls, those who looked upon
Christ as their Cornerstone were never given cause to be
ashamed. It was those who disallowed and refused Him
who kept stumbling over Him and were constantly embar-
rassed by Him.

So today, those who put their trust in the crucified, risen
Christ are eternally secure and will never be put to shame
for having done so. But those who reject Christ keep for-
ever stumbling over Him. They hear Him preached over
the radio, they see Him offered as the One who died for
their sins, they are constantly confronted with His claims
and they are embarrassed. They keep forever stumbling
over Him.

Moral: trust Him now as your personal Savior, for "who-
soever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed."

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Dec 4

THAT WHICH WAS LACKING

"I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied" (I Cor. 16:17).

Sad, was it not, that the Corinthian church, undoubtedly
the largest of all the churches founded by Paul, had been so
ungenerous and insensitive, even to Paul’s personal needs,
that he had to labor at tentmaking in order to minister
among them. They did not even provide for the Apostle’s
meager needs. Thus, sadly, he writes:

"And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself" (II Cor. 11:9).

It was no different where the work of the Lord in general
was concerned, for whereas the churches of Macedonia had,
out of "great trial of affliction" and "deep poverty," given
"to their power" and had desired to give "beyond their pow-
er," the Apostle had to exhort the Corinthian believers to
"perform" their promises to help "the poor saints at Jerusa-
lem" and to "prove the sincerity of [their] love" (II Cor.
8:8,11).

Those who suppose that men of God should remind be-
lievers to live godly lives, to labor for Christ and to witness
for Him, but that for some reason they should not remind
them of their responsibility to contribute of their means --
these should read Paul’s letters to the believers at Corinth
and see how much the Apostle has to say about this matter.

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Dec 5

ALWAYS ABOUNDING

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).

We should note carefully that the Apostle Paul here
addresses only his brethren in Christ, those who have truly
been born again -- born into the family of God.

Furthermore, he sent this appeal to Christians every-
where: to "all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus
Christ our Lord" (I Cor. 1:2). He knew that there is a tend-
ency among all believers to be tempted to abandon the work
of the Lord through discouragement or carelessness, so he
pleads with us to be "stedfast" and "unmoveable," remind-
ing us that our labor is "not in vain in the Lord."

How we need this exhortation! We do not soon abandon
our businesses or homes. We toil on in spite of difficulties
and obstacles, and when the outlook is darkest we often
work the hardest. Sometimes our bodies suffer for it, but
we do not immediately give up.

And how much more urgent is the work of the Lord!
Souls are perishing all about us for whom Christ died. It is
our plain duty to pray for them and tell them of His love.
It is our responsibility to toil and sacrifice that they may
hear and believe the good news. What shall we say when
some day we stand before our Savior if we have been sat-
isfied merely to know Him ourselves? And what will He
say?

Let us then be up and doing, "always abounding in the
work of the Lord." Life is too short to fritter away the pre-
cious moments God has given us to proclaim His saving
grace. Let us tell them, then, by lip and by life, by our
testimony and by our behavior, that "Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners" and that "we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the
riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

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Dec 6

THE WORD OF TRUTH

In Eph. 1:13 the Apostle Paul declares that men are
saved and sealed by hearing and believing "the Word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation." This declaration is sub-
stantiated by many other passages of Scripture. Our Lord
said: "He that heareth... and believeth... hath everlasting
life" (John 5:24). This at a time when sacrifices and bap-
tism were still required for the remission of sins. Even then
men had to hear and believe to be saved, for "faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).

Now, however, salvation is received by hearing and be-
lieving alone. Works for salvation are not merely unneces-
sary; they are forbidden.

Today salvation is "to him that worketh not, BUT be-
lieveth" (Rom. 4:5). "For by grace are ye saved, through
faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: NOT
OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST" (Eph.
2:8,9).

God has changed His dealings with men from time to
time down through the ages, teaching one lesson at a time.
This is why it is so important to note the dispensational
distinctions in Scripture, "rightly dividing the Word of
truth."

Once the works of the Law were required for salvation:
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is mani-
fested" (Rom. 3:21) and men are saved solely by faith in
Christ, "being justified freely by [God’s] grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

We are saved, then, as we hear and believe what Paul
calls, "the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation" (Eph.
1:13), and we are established in the faith as we obey II Tim.
2:15: "rightly dividing the Word of truth."

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Dec 7

WHERE DO YOU STAND?

Joshua 5:13 and 14 contain a lesson which every believer
should learn. God had appointed Joshua to lead the people
of Israel into the land of Canaan. It was just before the
battle of Jericho that the great leader looked up to see a
man with a drawn sword facing him. His sudden appear-
ance must have startled Joshua, but he showed no trace of
fear -- not Joshua!

Advancing toward the man Joshua demanded: "Art thou
for us or for our adversaries?" No wonder the answer
brought him to his knees! He had been standing face to face
with the captain of the Lord’s hosts, no doubt Michael, the
angelic prince of Israel (See Dan. 10:21 and 12:1).

The question was not whose side was the angel of God on,
but whose side was Joshua on! Was he himself in harmony
with God’s will?

What a lesson to learn! In the constant battle over truth
and error there is a tendency for Christians to demand of
other Christians: "Whose side are you on? Are you for us or
for our adversaries?"

If this is as far as we have gotten in our service for the
Lord we still have much to learn, for the great question is
not: "Are you on my side?" but "Am I on God’s side?"
God’s truth will prevail. His purposes will be carried out,
and even though we might be on the side of the most power-
ful and influential of men, we will surely be driven to de-
feat if we are not in harmony with God’s Word and will.

Should we not all fall on our faces with Joshua, then, and
ask: "What saith my Lord unto His servant?"

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Dec 8

PEACE AND ACCESS

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access..." (Rom. 5:1,2).

"Being justified... we have peace with God"! What a
priceless blessing! We believers are prone to take this bless-
ing altogether too much for granted.

Since the day we trusted Christ and the burden of sin
rolled away, most of us have never had another question
about our eternal destiny. Hence the danger of taking our
salvation for granted. We often fail to appreciate suffi-
ciently what it means to be able to arise in the morning, go
about our business during the day and give ourselves up to
unconsciousness at night, always assured that through our
Lord’s redemptive work we have "peace with God" and our
eternal destiny is secure. Surely this knowledge should
overwhelm our hearts with constant gratitude and have a
profound effect upon our daily conduct.

The companion blessing to "peace with God" is our full
and free access into His presence: another blessing of grace
far too little appreciated. Think of the wonder of our free
access to God; how He, the Ruler of the Universe, invites us
to come confidently before His "throne of grace" at our con-
venience -- "in time of need."

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).

We should never forget that this high privilege was pur-
chased for us by the precious blood of Christ, and that
having thus been purchased, it is His will that we believers
avail ourselves of "this grace." Could there be greater proof
of His love for us?

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

"...a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.

"....Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith..." (Heb. 10:19-22).

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Dec 9

WASHED, SANCTIFIED AND JUSTIFIED

"And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanc-
tified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the
Spirit of our God" (I Cor. 6:11).

The preceding verses of I Cor. 6 contain a long list of vile
sins and vices into which men have fallen, and the Apostle
adds: "And such were some of you." God’s Church is not
made up of "good people" who have never fallen into sin. It
is rather made up of sinners, saved by grace, through the
infinite payment made for sin by Christ on Calvary’s cross.

"And such were some of you." Had the Apostle included
the more "refined" sins, such as pride, self-righteousness,
etc., he would have had to say: "And such were all of you."

Note further, however, that the Apostle says: "And such
were some of you."

Thank God, he goes on to say of those who had been thus
stained with sin: "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God."

How beautiful these three phrases: "But ye are washed,
but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified"! The word "but"
appearing before each phrase indicates that each should be
considered separately. Such vile creatures were some of
you, "but ye are washed," cleansed from the sins that con-
taminated you. "But ye are sanctified." Having been
cleansed you are now set apart as sacred for His glory. "But
ye are justified." When God justifies us, who can condemn?
"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is
God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth?"

All this is done for the believing sinner, as our verse says,
"in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God."

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Dec 10

CAN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS SAVE?

St. Paul pointed out a basic Scriptural -- and logical -- fact,
when he said: "For not the hearers of the law are just before
God, but the doers of the law shall be justified" (Rom. 2:13).

Many people suppose that God gave us the Ten Com-
mandments to help us to be good. The fact is, however, that
He gave them to show us that we are bad. Rom. 3:20; Gal.
3:19 and a hundred other Bible passages teach this clearly.
How can the Law be of any advantage to a law-breaker?
How can it justify us unless we keep it -- perfectly?

Do you recall the woman caught in adultery, in John 8?
She was a Jewess. She was better off than the Gentiles, for
she had the law of Moses to show her right from wrong, but
this didn’t justify her; it condemned her. So her "advan-
tage" turned out to be a serious disadvantage, for "not the
hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the
law shall be justified."

James 1:23,24 says that one who knows the Law but
doesn’t obey it, is like a man looking into a mirror, seeing
his dirty face, and then walking away without doing any-
thing about it. This is why Rom. 2:14,15 declares that the
consciences of the heathen confirm what the Law says,
"their thoughts the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one
another."

Those in heathen lands know that it is wrong to lie and
steal and commit adultery, yet they know nothing about
the law of God, or the Ten Commandments. How, then, do
they know that these things are wrong? God made them
with this knowledge; He gave to them, and to us all, con-
science, a sense of blameworthiness in doing wrong.

How good to know the One who has paid the penalty for
our sins so that our hearts may be cleansed from "an evil
conscience" (Heb. 10:22)! "Christ died for our sins" (I Cor.
15:3). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved" (Acts 16:31).

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Dec 11

BUT NOW

The words "but now" are found in many places in the
Bible, but most often in the Epistles of Paul.

These two words are deeply significant, for they indicate
a change in program. If my secretary is transcribing some
dictation and I say: "But now I would like you to take a
letter," this indicates a change in program.

So it is with this phrase as we find it in Rom. 3:21:

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested."

Prior to this time God’s people were under the Law.
There was no other way to approach Him.

But though under the Law, they constantly broke the
Law, so that those who sought salvation by the Law stood
before God condemned rather than justified. Thus the Apos-
tle says in Verse 20:

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested" (Ver. 21).

How can this be? How can a man be declared righteous
apart from the Law? The answer, the only answer is, by
grace through faith in Christ.

Though perfect and sinless, Christ died for sin. Whose
sin? Yours and mine. Thus as Paul declares in Acts 13:38,
39:

"Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all who believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law" (Rom. 3:28).

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Quote from: Ambassador4Christ on December 11, 2003, 03:16:12 PM

AMEN!!

BUT NOW!

Brother Love :)

Dec 12

MERCY UPON ALL

Have you ever wondered how the pagan world got that
way: idol-worshipping, wicked, gripped by superstition and
fear?

The Bible supplies the answer in Paul’s Epistle to the
Romans. Three times in Chapter 1 we read of the Gentile
world: "He gave them up... He gave them up... He gave
them over...." Why? Because they had given Him up:

"And even as they did not wish to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient [becoming]" (Rom. 1:28).

It would have been difficult to believe 30 or 40 years ago,
that our young people would be dancing to the wild, exotic
music of pagan lands (if this can be called music), or that
our studios would be selling the twisted, hideous paintings
of pagan art (if this can be called art).

When you wonder why the lovely melodies and harmo-
nies of yesteryear have given place to the noise and din of
today’s "music"; when you wonder why the beautiful paint-
ings of those days have been largely replaced by the mas-
terpieces of chaos that surround us now -- why in so many
ways we seem to be reverting to paganism -- read Romans 1.

All this is the natural result of a departure from God and
His Word. Yet there is hope and assurance and joy in store
for any individual who will yet heed the message of God --
particularly in the Book of Romans.

Here we read how Jew joined Gentile in rejecting Christ,
and God had to give them all up. But listen to this passage
from Rom. 11:32: "For God hath concluded them all in un-
belief THAT HE MIGHT HAVE MERCY UPON ALL."
That is, He gave up the Jewish and Gentile nations so that
He might show His grace to any individuals who might
turn to Him by faith in Christ, thus reconciling both (Jew-
ish and Gentile believers) unto Himself in one body, by the
cross (Eph. 2:16).

Dec 13

DAVID’S BLESSEDNESS

"Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom
God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the
man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Rom. 4:6-8).

Obviously David knew no more about the present "dis-
pensation of the grace of God" than did Abraham, and he
certainly did not live under the dispensation of grace. He
lived under the dispensation of the Law, when sacrifices
were required for acceptance with God. Had David said
that the offering of sacrifices was unnecessary, he would
have been stoned according to the Law.

But David, unlike many today, understood the purpose of
the Mosaic Law: to bring man in guilty before God. In
Psalm 130 he said: "If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniqui-
ties, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with
Thee." He did not know how God could righteously acquit a
guilty sinner, but he believed it to be a fact and rejoiced in
Psa. 32: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered... unto whom the Lord imputeth not
iniquity...."

Thank God, we now know the reason! God has revealed
through Paul, the chief of sinners saved by grace, how He
can be "just, and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus"
(Rom. 3:26). It is because "God hath made Him [Christ] to
be sin for us, [Him] who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5:21).

David’s blessedness may be ours too, if we will but do
what David did: trust in Him who graciously forgives sin
and (as we now know) justifies believers on the basis of the
redemptive work of Christ.

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Dec 14

SEVEN TIMES A FAILURE

Despite man’s natural tendency to boast, history has
proved again and again that he is a failure, in deep need of
God and His grace.

The Age of Innocence closed with man rebelling against
his Creator and becoming a fallen, sinful creature (Rom.
5:12).

The Age of Conscience opened with one murder (Gen. 4:8)
and before another age was ushered in "the earth was filled
with violence" (Gen. 6:11).

Then came Human Government, but the world’s first
ruler made a spectacle of himself through drunkenness
(Gen. 9:20,21). Little wonder we soon find the race intox-
icated with its own importance so that God had to confuse
their language at Babel (Gen. 11:4,7,8).

The Age of Promise came next, with Abraham failing to
enter the promised land through unbelief (Gen. 11:31-
12:3). It closed with Israel, his seed, failing to enter the
promised land through unbelief (Heb. 3:19).

The Age of Law began with Israel worshipping a golden
calf before Moses had even gotten down from Sinai. Little
wonder it ended with the rejection of Christ.

The Age of Grace commenced with the Apostle Paul,
God’s ambassador of love and grace, persecuted and im-
prisoned (Eph. 6:20). This showed man’s attitude toward
God and His grace. It will be brought to a close as man
continues persistently to go on in his sin rather than accept
redeeming grace through Christ (II Cor. 4:4; II Tim. 3:1-5).

The Kingdom of Christ, which is to follow the present
age, will begin with our Lord rebuking strong nations
(Micah 4:3) and will close with multitudes, who for a time
had rendered enforced obedience, following Satan (Rev.
20:7-9).

How all this demonstrates man’s need of God and sal-
vation through our Lord Jesus Christ! "All have sinned"
(Rom. 3:23) but, thank God: "Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). Though sur-
rounded by sin and rebellion, multitudes down through
history have called and have been saved.

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Dec 15

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE

We couldn’t help hearing it! This woman had a voice that
could be heard at considerable distance and we distinctly
heard her say: "I doped it all out from the Bible."

"Well, at least somebody’s interested in the Bible," we
said to each other.

But as she prattled on it turned out that she had used the
records in an old family Bible to establish her claim to part
of an estate. These records, introduced in court, had won
the case for her.

There was, after all, no indication that she was interested
in the Bible -- only in those pages between the Old and New
Testaments which, in some editions of the Bible, are kept
for family records.

Actually she was no different from the masses about us
who go about from day to day interested only in the things
of this life and ignoring almost completely the things that
really matter: God, heaven, hell and their own eternal des-
tiny.

If these people only knew what treasures are to be found
in the Bible! Among these are "riches of mercy" (Eph. 2:4),
"riches of grace" (Eph. 1:7), "riches of glory" (Phil. 4:19),
"riches of wisdom and knowledge" (Rom. 11:33), "the riches
of the full assurance of understanding" (Col. 2:2), "the un-
searchable riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:8). And the best part of
it is that anyone may have these riches simply for the ask-
ing:

"For there is no difference... for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him,

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:12,13).

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Dec 16

TAKING GOD AT HIS WORD

Because of a failure to understand God’s purposes as out-
lined in the Scriptures some have felt it necessary to alter
many of the plainest statements of Holy Writ. Supposing
that God could not have meant exactly what He said, they
have concluded that these things must be interpreted in a
"spiritual" sense.

Actually there is nothing spiritual about failing to take
God at His Word, and seeking to explain away difficulties
by arbitrarily altering what He has plainly said.

First, this would leave us at the mercy of theologians. If
the Scriptures do not mean what they say, who has the
authority to decide what they do mean? And how can we
turn to the Word of God for light if it does not mean what it
says, and only trained theologians can tell us what it does
mean?

Second, this altering of the Scriptures affects the veracity
of God. It is a thrust at His very honor. If the obvious,
natural meaning of the Old Testament promises are not to
be depended upon, how can we depend upon any promise of
God? Then, when He says: "Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13), He may also
mean something else instead of what He actually says.

Third, this "spiritualizing" of Scriptures endorses apos-
tasy, for it allows men to alter the meaning of God’s Word
according to their will.

The path to a true understanding and enjoyment of the
Bible is not in altering but in "rightly dividing" it (II Tim.
2:15).

Those who have resorted to the "spiritualization" of the
prophetic Scriptures because they cannot account for the
seeming cessation in their fulfillment, will find the solution
to their problem in a recognition of the unique character of
Paul’s apostleship and message. Recognize "the mystery"
revealed through Paul and there will be no need to alter
prophecy.

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Dec 17

BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT

Every true Christian should understand that the truth
costs. If you don’t think so, make it your own, value it, de-
fend it, stand for it, and see if it doesn’t cost. Before you are
through it may cost you far more than you had thought --
hours of ease and pleasure, friends and money. Yes, the
truth costs. Salvation is gloriously free but the truth costs
-- that is, if you want it for yourself. Many who know the
truth won’t buy it. They won’t pay what it costs to say:
"This is what I believe. This is my conviction." The truth
isn’t worth that much to them.

But in Prov. 23:23 God’s Word urges us: "Buy the truth"!
Not, "Buy it if you can get it at a bargain; if the price is not
too great." No, "Buy the truth"! Buy it at any price. It is
worth far more than anything you can give in exchange for
it.

And when you have bought it: "sell it not." How many,
alas, have bought the truth only to sell out again! For a
while they valued and defended some God-given light from
His Word, but presently they sold it again for something
that seemed more valuable. Perhaps it was peace with oth-
ers, or position, or popularity or some other temporal gain.
They still gave mental assent to it but it formed no part of
them. It was no longer a conviction.

Such should read again the Spirit’s counsel: "Buy the
truth, and sell it not." He does not say: "Don’t sell it unless
you can get a very good price for it." He says: "Sell it not."
Sell it not at any price. Buy it, no matter what it costs and
when it is yours do not sell it for any price or under any
consideration.

It is because the truth is so little valued in this indif-
ferent age, that many of God’s people have become so spir-
itually powerless. They hold opinions instead of convic-
tions, because they have given the infallible, unchangeable
Word of God little place in their lives. God blesses and uses
those who "buy the truth and sell it not."

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Dec 18

TRUE UNITY

There are many unions all over the world, but in only one
place is true unity to be found: in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The children of fallen Adam have always been divided.
Adam’s first two children could not get along together. One
killed the other. And now that the race has multiplied
there are about three billion separate, individual wills in
the world. Some of Adam’s children try to get along to-
gether amicably and enjoy some measure of success, but
this always takes effort. It does not come naturally. Even
the dearest lovers must be prepared to yield to each other’s
wishes frequently to get along well together. There is no
true unity in this world.

But where Adam’s children have been divided by sin,
they may be saved and truly united in Christ. As Christ
became one with us when He died our death (the wages of
sin) at Calvary, so we may become one with Him as in faith
we acknowledge that that death was not His but ours. This
is what the Apostle referred to when he asked: "Know ye
not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into His death?" (Rom. 6:3).

This verse does not refer to water baptism, for no one can
be baptized into Christ -- become one with Him -- by a phys-
ical ceremony. The only way to become one with Him is to
accept by faith the fact that He died our death on the cross.
The meeting place must always be Calvary. And as we ac-
knowledge His death as ours and become one with Him, we
automatically become one with each other. "For by one
Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13).

Unity in Christ is not something for which Christians are
to strive. It is a fact of grace to be recognized and enjoyed
by faith. True believers in and out of all denominations
have been baptized into one body, whether or not they rec-
ognize this. Now it is for us to appropriate and enjoy this
unity in Christ, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3) i.e., seeking to experience
the unity which the Spirit has made. Only those who have
been baptized into Christ by faith can appreciate the bless-
ed oneness which believers may enjoy.

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THE FLOOD OF NOAH’S DAY

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

During Noah’s flood the canopy of Genesis 1:6 that "divided the waters from the waters" converged with "the fountains of the great deep" to become one gigantic ocean (Gen.7:11-16). And God’s judgment upon the wickedness of man "flooded" this globe.

"And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground...and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark" (Gen.7:23).

Genesis 9:9-17 speaks about a covenant that God made with Noah. In short, the "rainbow" is God’s "token of [that] covenant" (9:13) with mankind, that He will never again destroy the earth by a flood. God’s faithfulness to His Word, here, has been wondrously demonstrated for over 4,000 years.

"I DO SET MY BOW IN THE CLOUD, AND IT SHALL BE FOR A TOKEN OF A COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND THE EARTH. ...AND THE WATERS SHALL NO MORE BECOME A FLOOD TO DESTROY ALL FLESH" (Gen.9:13,15).

Indeed God has also been faithful to His covenant of "day" and "night" (Jer. 33:20,21) since the beginning of time, that’s 6,000 years!

Though God shall never again destroy the earth with "water", the Apostle Peter declares that after the 1,000 year reign of Christ, earth and space shall be purified with "fire" from all that with which man has polluted it (IIPet.3:10-12).

Nevertheless before Prophecy is resumed and "that great and terrible Day of the Lord comes" (Joel 2:11,31; Acts 2:20; Rev.19:11-16) the armies of Heaven shall invade the earth.

"HE THAT SITTETH IN THE HEAVENS SHALL LAUGH: THE LORD SHALL HAVE THEM IN DERISION. THEN SHALL HE SPEAK UNTO THEM IN HIS WRATH, AND VEX THEM IN HIS SORE DISPLEASURE" (Psa.2:4,5).

Much as He did in the land of Egypt when Pharaoh would not let His people go (Ex.5:1—14:31). Are you ready for this "Coming" of the Lord Jesus Christ? Probably not, who would be!

But God has some "good news" for you; before His wrath is poured out upon this Christ rejecting world, He shall "catch" us away to Heaven (IThes.4:13-18).

First, my friend, God wants to save you from your sins, if you will only believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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THE WORKS OF THE FLESH vs. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

Adultery heads the list of the works of the flesh in Galatians
5:19-21, with fornication and uncleanness following second and third in succession. There is a world of sinners out there, unrestrained with unbridled lusts, to which the Lord sends His ambassadors with "the message of reconciliation" (IICor.5:14-21).

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revel-lings, and such like..."

It was adultery that ruined King David, for when it came time for the king to go to war, he was on his rooftop:

"And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon" (IISam.11:2).

Did the Lord have this in mind when He said: "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt.5:28)? It is truly "from within, out of the heart of man, [that] proceed evil thoughts"; and "adulteries" are at the top of this list in Mark 7:21-23 also.

Again, in Romans Six, the Apostle Paul speaks of the works of the flesh as unfruitful and leading to death: "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death" (Rom.6:21). In Colossians, we read that these works of the flesh originate from within, and pointing to the Christ of Calvary’s cross, Paul says: "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, YET NOW HATH HE RECONCILED IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH THROUGH DEATH, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight" (Col.1:21,22).

Consequently, there is real "joy and peace in believing" (Rom.15:13) as God’s grace saves and transforms lives so that Christ may be seen, and not the works of the flesh.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law" (Gal. 5:22,23).

It is only right that there are laws against the works of the flesh, but how could there be laws against the fruit of the Spirit? A striking contrast indeed!
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ETERNAL LIFE, THE GIFT OF GOD

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

Suppose I knew of a financial benefactor who was giving away one million dollars to every one that personally contacted him. I told my parents about this, and they collected their million; my sisters collected theirs, after I told them of course; and my brothers-in-law all received their generous portions. Of course I told my wife, and every one in her family, about it. All our relatives, friends, and many, many strangers contacted this gracious benefactor as per instructions, and received their million dollars.

But I never told you!

What would you think about my actions in this matter, if I had not told you about this wonderful gift? Would you not have a right to be very angry with me and wonder why you were left out?

Now please do not think that I am angry with any one, for such thinking could not be farther from the truth. No, not at all.

This is an illustration of what God seeks to convey to a lost and dying world. Only it’s not a mere million dollars, nor is it billions of dollars, that we are discussing here. It is a portrait of the love of Christ:

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom.5:8).

The Lord does not promise earthly wealth, but He has promised "eternal life" to all who will believe on His Son, worth more than all the money in all the world:

"FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD" (Rom.6:23).

Yes, my dear friend, I trust that you also can now see how important, how really important, this gift is that God wants to give you!

The Apostle Peter describes the gift of God as more valuable than the precious metals that men covet after.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, AS SILVER AND GOLD, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

"But with THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (IPet.1:18,19).

The Bible clearly teaches that we are all "sinners" (Rom.3:23), lost and dying, and in desperate need of the "Saviour" (Tit.1:4). Jesus Christ, of course, is our only Saviour. There is no other Saviour for mankind. If you miss Him, you will have missed everything! This is why the Apostle Paul declared that salvation can only be obtained by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
"Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph.2:8,9).

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but BY HIS OWN BLOOD He entered in once into the Holy Place, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION FOR US" (Heb.9:12).

This is also why the Apostle Paul exhorts us to trust Christ as our Saviour:

"BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED..." (Acts 16:31).
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"ENTERING INTO HIS REST"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"GOD rested the seventh day from all His works" (Heb.4:4), a reference to the six days of creation as recorded in Genesis 1:1-2:2, and an exhortation that you cease your works and REST in the power of Almighty God.

But Moses himself, through unbelief, failed to enter, and rest, in the land of promise (Heb.4:6; Nu.20:7-13; Deut.34:1-8).

Since he had already "smitten" the rock once (Ex.17:1-7), the Lord now instructed him to "speak" (Nu.20:8) to the rock, for the "Rock" smitten once typifies Christ’s death on Calvary (ICor.10:4; Heb.10:10-14). A "word" humbly "spoken" in the wilderness (Ex.17:1-7) would bring forth the water of life freely, but Moses "smote the rock", not once, but "twice" (Nu.20:11). His anger with Israel, "ye rebels", revealed his unbelief also, for Christ was not to be "smitten twice" (Nu.20:8). Nevertheless in John 4:14 we see the "water" that Christ gives is a "well of water springing up into everlasting life".

Under the leadership of Moses and Joshua, it is apparent that though Israel entered Canaan, they failed to enter His rest.

"And they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief" (Heb.4:6).

Even David and his valiant men could not bring Israel into His rest because of unbelief (Heb.4:7).

"For if [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day" (4:8).

From David unto Christ, Israel would not enter into His rest,
"although the works were finished from the foundation of the world" (Heb.4:3; Rev.13:8), a reference to the "forbearance" of God as Paul declares in Romans 3:25,26.

"Jesus", Hebrews 4:8 in our KJV, refers not only to Joshua, but He whom Joshua typified, our Lord Jesus Christ. Under His Divine Leadership Israel rejected the Millennial Rest of His glorious reign (Luke 19:14). See also Romans 10:3,4.

But there remains "a rest" to all those who will place their faith and trust in our "Great High Priest...JESUS the Son of God" (Heb.4:14-16).

"FOR HE THAT IS ENTERED INTO HIS REST, HE ALSO HATH CEASED FROM HIS OWN WORKS, AS GOD DID FROM HIS" (Heb.4:10).

Again in Romans, Abraham is God’s great example of faith:

"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; BUT NOT BEFORE GOD.
"For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and...HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Rom.4:2-8).

Isn’t it about time that you also ceased from your so-called "good works". Trust the Lord Jesus Christ alone as your Saviour for salvation, and His finished work on Calvary’s cross, and enter into His rest, by grace through faith?

"IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph.1:7).
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"DOUBTING THOMAS"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25).

A lot of people today are like "doubting Thomas", they just won’t believe. You hand them a gospel tract, with a pleasant word of testimony, and they turn a deaf ear, rejecting the only blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ:

"IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph.1:7).

But Thomas gave himself an "out". He wanted to see the evidence of Christ’s resurrection. Melancholy, yes, Thomas was melancholy, but death is very permanent, and except for the miracle working Christ some 2000 years ago NO ONE comes back from the dead. Even though Thomas witnessed his Lord raise Lazarus from the dead he was skeptical about Christ’s resurrection. That the Invincible One had been overcome and conquered by death was the thought upon the minds of them all. Thomas, and all the apostles, those disciples too, together with the Jews, and the Gentiles, SAW that Christ was dead. And Thomas was not with the other disciples when, on the third day, our Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead.

Now "after eight days" had passed the Lord appeared again to His disciples, and fortunately Thomas was with them this time or he may never have seen the Lord, and Christ said unto them:

"Peace be unto you" (John 20:26).

The Record of Scripture indicates that Thomas had spoken the words of John 20:25 in unbelief. Our Lord’s sudden presence with them was the surprise of his life. It was Thomas’ time to see the Lord, and to his utter delight, he heard Him say:

"Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing" (Ver.27).

"And Thomas answered and said unto Him, MY LORD AND MY GOD" (Ver.28).

There was no doubt in his mind now that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, nor were any of the others doubtful about the mighty power of God to save.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:24-29).

Those who find the most for which to criticize "Thomas", when presented with the evidence, and the truth of God’s Word "rightly divided", often find it convenient to reject "The Light" (IICor.4:6), and cling to old errors.

My friend, this is where you and I come in, and the Apostle of the Gentiles, for in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, he writes of our resurrected Christ:

"WHO WAS DELIVERED FOR OUR OFFENCES, AND WAS RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION" (Rom.4:25).

"THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST" (Rom.5:1).
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DOES GOD INTERVENE IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN TODAY?

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

There is a teaching these days, that the Lord does not answer the prayers of His saints; that He is not interested, nor does He care about His people today, nor what they do. Since this age of grace is a timeless, signless age, it is argued that God does not intervene in the affairs of men today.

It is, of course, quite true that as far as tongues, signs, and
miracles are concerned God has laid aside the Faith Healer in favor of dispensing "grace" through "faith" in this dispensation. But to say that God does not intervene today is in grave error.

The Apostle Paul, and those who have followed his ministry down through the centuries, would tell you that God is very much alive today, and that He is still on His throne.

God is looking for "faithful" men and women to equip for the ministry (ICor.4:1,2). Men whose one desire is to know the truth, and to make it known. Men who will not be drawn away by false doctrine, but who will point the saved, and unsaved alike, to the Scriptures, and the heavenly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in the Pauline epistles.

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph.3:9).

But this error, that the Lord has set the age of grace in motion, only to take His hand away, allowing us to drift without any moorings (Heb.6:19), is unthinkable of God.

THAT THE CONVERSION OF SAUL OF TARSUS was an unexpected event in history as far as prophecy was concerned is obvious (Acts 9:1-6). It certainly took Paul by surprise. And the devil has not yet gotten over the shock of it. But what is most important about Paul’s encounter with Christ is the fact that for 2000 years now, the Gospel of Grace has shined brightly in this dark world. In short, this is the greatest intervention of God into the affairs of men to date, when He physically appeared to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:6-11). A surprise of grace that even the Prophets had not predicted (Col.1:26).

Beloved, God intervenes in the affairs of men every time a sinner trusts Christ as his Saviour. Every time the Gospel is preached God intervenes to "edify" His saints; to save men and women, boys and girls, from sin’s degradation—from a Christless eternity, and conform lives to the image of His Son (Rom.8:29; 12:1,2; Eph.1:18; Phil.3:10). And, by faith alone, to delivers us from this present evil world-system (Gal.1:4). Question: Are you ready for the next event in God’s "mysterious" program, the "catching away" of His Church?

"And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, [who] delivers us from the wrath to come" (IThes.1:10).

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Quote from: Ambassador4Christ on January 17, 2004, 09:44:47 PM

Wonderful, Amen

The Crusader

DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (IICor.4:4).

People sin under the cover of darkness—"they that be drunken are drunken in the night" (IThes.5:7). They suppose darkness hides the things they do. This is why unsaved man prefers evolution to creation. It destroys the thought, so he thinks, of having to "give [an] account of himself to God" (Rom.14:12).

How sad! You cannot hide from God. Because there is coming a day "in the which He will judge the world IN RIGHTEOUSNESS by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).

In "that day" these poor souls will only wish they could hide from God, but they will not be able to do so. See Revelation 6:15-17; 20:11-15. These same, now suppose that "that day" is so far away that they need not be concerned. To this the Apostle retorts:

"Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight. But all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Heb.4:13).

The difference between the unsaved and those of us who are saved is that we not only have a Saviour, but we also have "a great high priest", who intercedes for us when we fail. The Lord Jesus loves you, my unsaved friend, and wants to be your Saviour, too.

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Rom.8:31-34).

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb.4:14-16).

Don’t hide like Adam who sinned, but "seek the Lord, if haply [you] might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27).

Even in the darkness of this world’s sin and wickedness God is there, and He will hear you, and save you, if you will simply ask Him (Rom.10:13).
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IS "FAITH" THE "GIFT" OF GOD?

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

Is "faith" in Ephesians 2:8,9 the "gift" of God?

Some have taught that the Greek word here, for "gift", suggests that faith is the gift of God. Can this thinking really be justified in the light of what the Apostle Paul says of salvation in Romans 6:23? The answer is an emphatic "NO".

Meditate upon this for a moment: Who created us? The Scriptures reply with a resounding: "GOD". God, "who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph.3:9), created us in His own "image" and "likeness" (Gen.1:26). And this great and mighty Creator, who "formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Gen.2:7), put within this man, whom He
had created, the ability to "seek the Lord" (Acts 17:23-27). This quotation from Acts is no less than the words of "the Apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom.11:13). Is there not within every one of us that vacuum that can only be filled with Christ? Yet the Apostle to the Nations declares:

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one" (Rom.3:10-12).

The Bible does not contradict itself here. God has built within every man, woman and child—upon creation—that ability within him to believe. He can discern the sky; he can choose whatever he pleases; he can believe a lie. If man is responsible before God, and he most assuredly is, then he may choose to "receive" the gift of God:

"For the wages of sin is death; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD" (Rom.6:23).

It is not that he is unable to believe the gospel, as we have
demonstrated, rather it is a matter of his will. Consequently, man will stand to give an account to his Creator, for his faith—his ability to believe—is indirectly given of God in creation. Man, however, is a rebel from his birth, and intentionally disobedient. In the words of John 3:18, "...he that BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God". This is why his sinfulness is defined in terms of "total depravity".
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INSPIRATION, WHAT IS IT?

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

When "Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary" as recorded in Luke 1:39-45, and "the babe [John] leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice..." (Vers.41,42), uttering the words of verses 42-45, was she inspired?

She was, in fact, inspired. And what she "spake" was inspired because Elisabeth "was filled with the Holy Ghost". Consequently the very words which she "spake out" are the inspiration of God. And if this is not enough to prove that the "holy men of God" were, themselves, inspired, we have the very words that Elisabeth "spake out" recorded
for us in the inspired Word of God. Even as Luke was, himself,
inspired to write The Gospel According To St. Luke. So, Scripture confirms that Elisabeth, herself, was inspired.

And not only was Elisabeth inspired of God to speak, but her husband, Zacharias, was also "filled with the Holy Ghost" and what he "prophesied" was the inspiration of God, recorded for our reading in Luke 1:68-79.

Just as God "breathed into [man] the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Gen.2:7) so the Lord inspires "holy men of God" to speak and write as they are moved by the Holy Spirit. Would you not agree that to be "filled with the Holy Ghost" is to be, as Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words puts it, "inspired by God".

"ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS" (IITim. 3:16).

Thus the Apostle Paul was not only, himself, inspired in the writings of his epistles but he also wrote by the revelation of Jesus Christ. And those who insist that only the words on the page are inspired, do greatly err "not [rightly dividing] the Scriptures"!

Therefore, "the holy men [and women] of God [who] spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (IIPet.1:21) were themselves inspired, and not merely their words on the page. When the prophets uttered, "Thus saith the Lord," some 300 times, they themselves were inspired of Almighty God. Since the days of the Apostles and Prophets, however, there has been no such inspiration for with the Pauline revelation
came the completion of the Word of God (Col.1:25,26). Once again we see that Scripture is a commentary upon itself.
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GRACE REIGNS THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

In addition to those other passages in Paul’s epistles, where "Grace", "Faith", and "Righteousness" are found, The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews contains the following references to "Grace and Faith" as well as "Grace and Peace":

"The THRONE of grace..." (Heb.4:16), so grace reigns.

"The KING of righteousness..." (Heb.7:2). But you argue Christ is the Head of the Church, not King. However the reference is to the mysterious Melchisedec priesthood. Yet I Timothy 1:17 states that our Lord is "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God...". While I Timothy 6:15 calls our Lord, "...the blessed and only Potentate...". Nevertheless, "grace reigns through righteousness unto
eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.5:21).

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, BUT BY HIS OWN BLOOD He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb.9:12).

"WHOM GOD HATH SET FORTH TO BE A PROPITIATION THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, TO DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE
PAST, THROUGH THE FORBEARANCE OF GOD" (Rom.3:25).

"...The SPIRIT of grace..." (Heb.10:29), in conjunction with "the Word of grace" (Acts 20:32), teaches us to "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col.1:10).

"Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb.11:1).

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom.10:17).

"...The GOD of peace..." (Heb.13:20). It is so comforting to know that our God is dispensing "grace" and "peace" today. This blessed theme is prevalent in all of Paul’s epistles, the theme that he and Timothy "preached every where in every church" (ICor.4:17).

"GRACE be with you all..." (Heb.13:25).

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal.1:3).

Indeed, while many find it difficult to believe the Epistles of Saint Paul, may you find comfort in knowing the wonderful and marvelous truth that "Grace and Peace" reign through His "Righteousness" today.
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THE GOSPEL PRODUCES ASSURANCE

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake" (IThes.1:5).

Many people do not have assurance in these days in which we live. They base their salvation upon what some man has said, or upon some church doctrine, rather than God’s Word. Even their so-called "good works" cannot please God because they have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and refused to believe Paul’s God-given "gospel" of the saving grace of
Jesus Christ.

"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph.1:7).

The Lord has told us that "the gift of God IS ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.6:23). If God’s "gift" is eternal life, and we are "justified by [Christ’s] blood" (Rom.5:9), should we not believe what God has said? He is well able to perform that which He has said He will do.

"BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHICH HATH BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST" (Phil.1:6).

The "performance", here, also goes beyond our salvation to include our daily walk with Him. It is true that "we are HIS workmanship" (Eph.2:10), but it is equally true that we are to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil.2,12). "Shall we continue in sin [then], that grace may abound?" (Rom.6:1). Paul answers this with an emphatic: "GOD FORBID. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom.6:2). This lifestyle does not produce assurance; it rather produces guilt as we can readily see from the world about us! It therefore behooves every child of God to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD (Rom. 12:1,2).

There is more. To the yielded believer, "God works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil.2:13). Indeed our wonderful Saviour desires greater things yet -— "That our hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the FULL ASSURANCE of understanding, to the acknowledgment [full knowledge] of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ" (Col.2:2).

This is the "gospel" that "established" the believers at Thessalonica and also produces assurance in us today. Listen to what the Apostle wrote in his first letter to them:

"For OUR gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance...." When we believe Paul’s gospel, we have that assurance of being true "FOLLOWERS OF THE LORD"
(IThess.1:5,6).
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THE GOSPEL OF GRACE OF GOD

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph.1:2).

The above verse is the theme of all the Epistles of St. Paul where we
find how to obtain both "grace" and "peace". The words of this verse are found at the beginning of every one of his letters.

So, which would you rather have, the "grace" and "peace" of God, or would you prefer to see the Lord Jesus Christ on that "white horse" of the Book of the Revelation?

"AND I SAW HEAVEN OPENED, AND BEHOLD A WHITE HORSE; AND HE THAT SAT UPON HIM WAS CALLED FAITHFUL AND TRUE, AND IN RIGHTEOUSNESS HE DOTH JUDGE AND MAKE WAR" (Rev.19:11-16).

It is on account of the wickedness of men in seeking to run the world without Him that He judges the earth and makes war.

However, "...now is the Day of salvation" (IICor. 6:2). It is in this Day and Age of Grace that God is saving men and women, boys and girls, by grace through faith without works (Eph.2:8,9). We cannot earn heaven, of course, for our salvation is "the gift of God", purchased for us by Christ on Calvary's cross. Paul therefore declares in his Epistle to the Corinthians with regards to "the gospel of your salvation" (Eph.1:13):

"...How that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the Scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (ICor.15:3,4).

This redemption that is in Christ Jesus is ours by simple faith in Him.

"We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace" (Eph.1:7).

Nevertheless, we can, and should, draw nigh unto Him, through faith in His blessed Word, the Bible. Read especially the epistles of St. Paul, over and over again, until they become part and parcel of yourself, for therein is our only salvation:

"WHEREFORE HE IS ABLE TO SAVE THEM TO THE UTTERMOST THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM, SEEING HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM" (Heb.7:25).

There is no peace in this world, so worth having, as "peace with God".
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GODLINESS IN AN UNGODLY WORLD

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

Of the first two children born into this world, Cain bludgeoned his brother, Abel, to death (Gen.4:4-8). And before two more chapters in the history of the human race, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, are passed, we read these words:

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
"And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart" (Gen.6:5,6).

The seeds of wickedness and sin, millennia ago and through the years, continue to produce such ungodliness in our world today. But how are we to live "godly" in such an ungodly world? The answers to this, and many other questions, are found in Paul’s epistles.

"FOR I SPEAK TO YOU GENTILES, INASMUCH AS I AM THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES, I MAGNIFY MINE OFFICE" (Rom.11:13).

And the Apostle Paul, God’s man for today, continues in Romans to declare:

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom.12:17-19).

In I Thessalonians 4:1-12, Paul instructs believers how they ought to walk and to please God, and furthermore, in Galatians, he declares:

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal.5:16).

In the midst of all this ungodliness, believers are to manifest God in their lives:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, "Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
"And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts.
"If we live in the Spirit, LET US ALSO WALK IN THE SPIRIT"
(Gal.5:22-25).

We’re speaking about "godliness". Remember "the Judgement Seat of Christ", is much closer today than it has ever been before! Are you ready to meet the Lord (IICor.5:10)?
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"GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Gal.4:4,5).

"When the fulness of the time was come" —
Vine’s dictionary defines fulness as "the end of an appointed period". It might easily be answered, "It was the time appointed of the Father".

"God sent forth His Son"—
Isaiah foretold how God would "send forth" His Son. "...A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel [God with us]" (Isa.7:14). So it was that Joseph was told, "...Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

"And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins" (Matt.1:20,21).

His death on Calvary’s cross is sufficient and efficacious, not for His people only, for the Apostle Paul declares that He "tasted death for every man" (Heb.2:9).

"Made of a woman" —
Note: He was NOT made of a man and woman. Our text very distinctly states that He was "made of a woman". When was the last time that you saw a child born of a virgin? Such a thought as a virgin birth is scientifically impossible. But, then, so is "resurrection", but nothing is "too hard for the Lord" (Gen.18:14). There is a very specific reason that Christ was born of a virgin. You see, though Mary had tainted blood coursing through her veins, Christ was miraculously onceived, and entered the stream of humanity as a babe in a manger with NONE of Adam’s tainted blood being transferred to Him. So the sacrifice He offered to God on our behalf was accepted.

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Rom. 3:26).

"Made under the law" —
Consequently, not only did He fulfil the righteousness of the Law, but He can impute His very "righteousness" to every believer (Rom.4:3-5; IICor.5: 21).

"To redeem them that were under the law" —
There was no other way to redeem mankind.

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us..." (Gal.3:13).

"For [God] hath made Him to be sin for us, [Christ] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (IICor.5:21).

Make this Christmas the year that you trust Christ as your Saviour, and a Blessed Christmas will be yours indeed:

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).
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"FROM FAITH TO FAITH"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17).

What does Paul mean by the phrase, "from faith to faith", in this passage? His words in Galatians 3:23-25 may give us food for thought and substance to our faith:

"BUT BEFORE FAITH CAME, WE WERE KEPT UNDER THE LAW, SHUT UP UNTO THE FAITH WHICH SHOULD AFTERWARDS BE REVEALED.
"Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
"BUT AFTER THAT FAITH IS COME, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER A SCHOOLMASTER" (Gal.3:23-25).

Hence, the Apostle’s use of the phrase, "on whom the ENDS of the ages are arrived", and the Greek word, telos, in I Corinthians 10:11, is pertinent here, for Paul’s gospel is the unveiling of God’s "eternal purpose" in Christ. In his epistles alone we learn that "the time of reformation" had come as "works" gave place to the Age of Grace (Heb.9:10-14). This, then, and the passage in Galatians, gives us additional light and under-standing upon our text, "from faith to faith", in Romans 1:17. When God does something, it affects the whole Universe as is evidenced in the Epistles of Saint Paul concerning the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary’s cross.

"FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, [CHRIST] WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM" (IICor.5:21).

Therefore in Paul’s gospel, both Jews and Gentiles can "now" live "without the law":

"Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
"WHOM GOD HATH SET FORTH TO BE A PROPITIATION THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, TO DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST, THROUGH THE FORBEARANCE OF GOD:"TO DECLARE, I SAY, AT THIS TIME HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: THAT HE MIGHT BE JUST, AND THE JUSTIFIER OF HIM THAT BELIEVETH IN JESUS" (Rom.3:24-26).

Thus in Hebrews 9:26 Paul’s words about our Saviour, and His finished work of redemption, are most significant:

"For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: BUT NOW once in the end of the world hath He appeared to PUT AWAY sin by the SACRIFICE of Himself."

In the book of Romans we see that God’s righteous standards are maintained, "from faith to faith". Whereas God once required obedience to the Law of Moses for acceptance with Him, now, in this Age of Grace, you must accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior today, for His righteousness is "witnessed" by the Law and the prophets:

"EVEN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WHICH IS BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST UNTO ALL AND UPON ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE..." (Rom.3: 21,22).

How important Paul’s words are then, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31), and do it today.
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"THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Rom.1:17).

Nearly 500 years ago Martin Luther shook the world on the eve of October 31, 1517 when he stood against all the ecclesiastical powers of Europe on the truth of this passage.

"The just shall live by faith." This revelation Christ gave to the
Apostle Paul. Thus in his three quotations of that mysterious phrase of Habakkuk 2:3,4 we can glean some wonderful truths concerning the "revelation" of God’s Son (Gal.1:16).

"THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH" (Rom.1:17).
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom.5:1).

"THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH" (Gal.3:11).
"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the Law; ye are fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:2-4).

"THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH" (Heb.10:38).
"Now the just shall live by faith: But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (Heb.10:38,39).

It has become very clear, then, that in Paul’s gospel, salvation for Jews and Gentiles is on the basis of faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. And Martin Luther was right!

"But now the righteousness of God WITHOUT THE LAW is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith [faithfulness] of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
"WHOM GOD HATH SET FORTH TO BE A PROPITIATION THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, TO DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST, THROUGH THE FORBEARANCE OF GOD:
"TO DECLARE, I SAY, AT THIS TIME HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS: THAT HE MIGHT BE JUST, AND THE JUSTIFIER OF HIM THAT BELIEVETH IN JESUS" (Rom.3:21-26).
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"THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

The men that the Lord has raised up, and divinely inspired to write the books of the Bible, have spoken about the many judgments of God.

Some of the more prominent judgments are: 1) When the Lord returns "with power and great glory" to resume His royal rights to this earth (Matt.24:27-31); 2) The Judgment of the Nations, often called "the sheep and goat judgment" where those nations who have blessed His people will be rewarded, but the wicked shall be cast into "everlasting fire" (Matt.25:31-46); 3) The Great Tribulation when the seven seals, and the seven trumpets, and the seven vials, shall mark the end of Satan’s global power in this world-system (Matt.24:15-26; Rev.4:1—16:21; 20:1-10); and 4) The Great White Throne Judgment of the unsaved dead of all the ages (Rev.20:11-15).

But none of these passages speak about "the Judgment Seat of Christ" (IICor.5:10) because this is distinctly Pauline. This judgment deals with the service that each believer has rendered to God, in this dispensation of grace, since the day of his conversion to Christ. In several of Paul’s epistles he declares that "we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ" (Rom.14:10). This will be an awesome day, though a great day of rejoicing, for some, more so, than for others.

In I Corinthians 3:9-15 Paul speaks about those who build upon the foundation that he laid, and warns, "Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

"FOR OTHER FOUNDATION CAN NO MAN LAY THAN THAT IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST" (ICor.3:10,11).

Many have built upon Christ with "wood, hay, and stubble", when they should have "built upon this foundation [with] gold, silver, [and] precious stones".

"Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is..." (ICor.3:13-15).

In regards to "the Revelation of the Mystery" of Romans 16:25, Paul points out the paramount importance that "stewards" are to be "found faithful" in the Lord’s service:

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God" (ICor. 4:5).

So this Judgment Seat occurs when "THE LORD COMES" for His Church, for us, the members of the Body of Christ. It will be seen then, how vital it was, to have "walked worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of Christ" (Col.1:10). Paul’s words in Galatians 5:16 have not been spoken for naught. Yes, you’re eternally secure in Christ and, no, God does not change His mind when you "sin against Christ", but walking in the "flesh" affects your service for Christ, "so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal.5:17).

"SO THEN EVERY ONE OF US SHALL GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD" (Rom. 14:12).
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JUDGMENT IN THE KINGDOM

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again...." (See Matthew 7:1-6).

Many precious souls have "wrongly divided" this passage of God’s Word, and consequently feel quite ill at ease when a brother corrects their doctrinal and practical errors with the revelation given to Paul in his epistles.

It was Paul’s earnest prayer that believers would judge the things that are more "excellent" regarding the truth of God’s Word, "rightly divided":

"AND THIS I PRAY, THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND YET MORE AND MORE IN KNOWLEDGE AND IN ALL JUDGMENT;
"That ye may APPROVE things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the Day of Christ" (Phil.1:9-10).

So now we have a contradiction! In one place it says, "Don’t judge", but here in Paul’s Philippians epistle, it clearly says that we are to "judge". What are we to do? What are we to believe? Who is right, our Lord, or His Apostle, Paul?

Since our Lord Himself first revealed to Paul "that blindness in part [has] happened to Israel" (Rom.11:25), which has resulted in the setting aside of the favored nation, it would be wise to FOLLOW PAUL AS HE FOLLOWS CHRIST (ICor.4:16; 11:1; Rom.11:13; 16:25,26).

Remember, the constitution of "the Kingdom of Heaven" is found in "the Sermon on the Mount" of Matthew 5,6,7. It deals with God’s earthly people Israel (Matt.5:3,5,10,19,20), not with us, the members of the Body of Christ. This is the same Kingdom that was given to David (II Sam. 7), spoken of by Daniel (2:36-45), promised in all the prophets (Isa.11:1-10; 35; Jer.23:5; Eze. 37:24,25), and proclaimed "at hand" by John the Baptist, Christ, and the Twelve (Matt.3:2; 4:17; 10:7). And, during the days of Pentecost this very Kingdom was actually offered to Israel and her leaders (Acts 2:14,22,36; 4:5-12) by the Apostle Peter:

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; "And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:"Whom the heaven must receive until the times of [restoration] of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:19-21).

But Israel continued to reject Messiah, stood by that murderous, awful deed of Christ’s crucifixion, and refused the Lord’s gracious calls to repentance through water baptism (Acts 2:38), committing yet another wickedness, the unpardonable sin of Matthew 12:31,32 in the stoning death of Stephen in Acts 7:54-60.

In this Kingdom, Christ "shall sit in the throne of His glory" and the Twelve Apostles "shall sit upon twelve thrones JUDGING the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt.19:28). There will be no room for the "hypocrite" with "the beam in his eye".
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"THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

Two Thousand Years ago a certain Man, innocent of all wrongdoing, was taken into custody by the authorities, given a trial in which He was charged of crimes He had not committed, and even when "no fault" could be found in Him, He was condemned to the cruelest death that man could
invent.

Now it should not be supposed that simply because these Two Thousand Years have passed that this terrible miscarriage of justice will not be avenged in the Highest Court! Nor should it be supposed that everyone who has had a part in this travesty will escape the judgment of this Court!

You may think you know nothing, at all, about this event. But you are still guilty of His blood, and it behooves you, now, to cry unto Him, "the Judge of all the earth", for mercy and grace, in, what cannot be otherwise, your impending and eternal doom!

His name is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who, in the greatest of love and grace, paid our debt of sin, Himself, on the Cross of Calvary.

Though He was crucified at the hands of wicked men, Jews and Gentiles are guilty of His death. But more, it was your sins, your lifestyle, that nailed Him to the Cross, so you are not innocent in this matter, but guilty as charged. Yet because He not only was innocent of all wrongdoing, but righteous in all that He did, the grave could not hold
Him. Death had no claim upon Him. Consequently, by His own Almighty power He arose from the dead; and alive forever more, He is seeking for all those who had a part in His crucifixion.

Now it seems to me that the wisest thing that any man could do under such circumstances is to plead for mercy from this Court of Justice. Because this Man, whom you have crucified (your sins also nailed Him to the cross), is alive, and He is coming again to take vengeance upon all mankind.

Jesus Christ is The Judge of All the Earth!
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"JOINT-HEIRS, JOINT-BODY, JOINT-PARTAKERS"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel" (Eph.3:6).

Bible prophecy has great things in store for those Gentiles of the future "kingdom of Heaven" on earth, but such a position as "joint-heirs, and of a joint-body, and joint-partakers" is foreign to the prophetic Word of God. Nevertheless such is the rendering of Darby’s New Translation; Bullinger’s foot-notes; and Englishman’s Greek New Testament.

This is why Paul declares that "the Mystery" committed to his trust was "hid in God", "not made known", and "hid from ages and from generations" until it was first revealed to him by the glorified Lord Jesus Christ (Eph.3:1-9; Col.1:26; ICor. 9:17; Gal.1:11,12).

"Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph.3:5).

In all that which the Lord Jesus Christ inherits of His Father, we have been made "JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST" (Rom.8:17), and of His promise to Abraham we are "JOINT-PARTAKERS IN CHRIST" (Eph.3:6). But there is more, in that "one new man" of Ephesians 2:15, believing Jews and Gentiles are a "JOINT-BODY" in Christ today. And all this is a result of the gospel of the grace of God given to Paul.

Thus, the Apostle produces his credentials "WHEREOF I AM MADE A MINISTER, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
"EVEN THE MYSTERY WHICH HATH BEEN HID FROM AGES AND FROM GENERATIONS, BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST TO HIS SAINTS" (Col.1:25,26).

That’s right, Paul, that great architect of grace, is the minister of the Church, which is the Body of Christ. "AS A WISE MASTERBUILDER", he says, "I HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon" (ICor. 3:10).

"...That in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, FOR A PATTERN TO THEM WHICH SHOULD HEREAFTER BELIEVE ON HIM TO LIFE EVERLASTING" (ITim.1:16).

"And to make ALL MEN see what is THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY, which from THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD hath been HID IN GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph.3:9).
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JEHOVAH IS HIS NAME

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

In Genesis 15:5,6, God told Abraham to look up and count the stars, for "So shall thy seed be", and Abraham "believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness". But who is the "God" in whom Abraham believed, what is His name?

When the Israelites were in the bondage of Egyptian slavery and Moses was commanded to deliver them out of Egypt, he also inquired about God’s name:

"...Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name?, what shall I say unto them?
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Ex.3:13,14).

Now in Exodus 6:3, the Lord again spoke to Moses: "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by My name JEHOVAH was I not known to them".

So it was Jehovah, the Lord God Almighty, in whom Abraham believed, the same Lord who "made Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Gen.1:1; Ex.20:11; Eph.3:9).

In John 8:56 Christ spoke to the Jews of His day about Abraham’s God: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad". How often in John’s gospel the Lord speaks this truth, that "...Before Abraham was, I AM" (8:56; 6:35; 8:12; 10:7-11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1-5). This is most interesting, because, in the darkness of that night of Christ’s betrayal and arrest, they fell over "backward" upon
hearing those two little words, "I AM" (John 18:5,6). The Eternal God was in their presence! And they could only arrest Him, as He voluntarily surrendered to God’s purpose.

So, Jehovah, of the Old Testament, is the Lord Jesus Christ, of the New Testament.

In his epistles, the Apostle Paul relates that this same JESUS "took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
"And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil.2:7,8).

Thus, the Apostle points peoples of all nationalities to the Christ of Calvary’s cross as the only means of salvation today:

"For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom.4:3-5).

Jehovah means Saviour, Jesus Christ is our only Saviour, consequently, God will also "count" your "faith" for "righteousness", if you will simply believe what the Bible says about Jesus Christ:

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins ... that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in JESUS"
(Rom.3:24-26).
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IS IT EVER RIGHT TO LIE?

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace" (Heb. 11:31).

We surely had a good discussion at the Bible study on "Rahab, the harlot". No doubt she was guilty of more sins than "harlotry" as a simple reading of the text of Joshua 2:1-24 would indicate. That she also lied is an obvious conclusion. And "yes", she could simply have said, "If you wish to search the house, please do so", and left the outcome to God. But in her "little" faith she sought to help God out instead, perhaps in fear of her life, as Abraham and Sarah before her had done (Gen.16:1-16). But lest you should judge this new believer
too harshly—what might your reaction have been, had you been in her given circumstances (Gal. 6:1)? Remember, please, that our God is not only a God of justice, as at Jericho, but He is also merciful, kind, and gracious. He is more willing to bless us than we are to be blessed.

Is it wrong to lie? Of course it is wrong to lie, under any
circumstances.

But like Jacob, that old "supplanter" or "deceiver" (Gen.27:36), this dear soul wanted the blessing of God more than any thing else in her whole life. That God honored her faith, not her lie, is clearly seen in the words of the Apostle Paul:

"BY FAITH THE HARLOT RAHAB PERISHED NOT WITH THEM THAT BELIEVED NOT, WHEN SHE HAD RECEIVED THE SPIES WITH PEACE" (Heb. 11:31).

A question: How is it possible that God’s Son, who "cannot lie"
(Tit.1:2), our blessed Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, should have come through the line of these renowned sinners, if not to die for sinners on Calvary’s cross?

"IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph.1:7).

Yes, it cost our blessed Saviour His life’s blood to save us from our sins, so terrible is sin in the sight of God—even a little white lie!

As God could save Rahab, by grace, so He can save you too, if you will only believe Him.
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LIGHT AND DARKNESS, AND THE LOVE OF GOD

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"Giving thanks unto the Father, Which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son..." (Col.1:12-14).

When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of "the tree of [the] knowledge of good and evil" (Gen.2:9) they fell into sin themselves, and plunged the whole human race into sin (Rom.5:12). Having been warned, "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen.2:17) they were disobedient, and so, we are no longer perfect, but sinful, and in need of the Saviour. While it may take 70 or 80 years, from the moment we are born, we begin to die, and "dying thou shalt die". Consequently mankind, that’s all of us, was blinded by the devil’s lie, and as such, walks in darkness.

"In whom the god of this world [Satan] HATH BLINDED THE MINDS OF THEM WHICH BELIEVE NOT, lest the LIGHT of the GLORIOUS gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should SHINE unto them" (IICor.4:4).

If a man is dying, and you have the means to help him, would you let him die? So God, Himself, places a "very high value" upon us all. We are of "eternal worth" to Him. He sent His "Eternal Son" to pay for our sins, Himself, at the extreme cost of His own life’s blood (Rom.8:31-34; Eph.1:7) that we may now, by faith in Christ, walk in the Light of His Word. Why else would God have sent His "only begotten Son" into this sin cursed world to die on a cruel cross for our sins?
Therefore God will not, and cannot, accept your "good" works in substitute of Christ’s "finished work of redemption" on Calvary’s cross.

It’s not "good works", then, but rather a matter of whether or not we believe God’s Word. It is what Christ did on the cross that God accepts (Rom.3:25), and as we accept Christ's redemptive work on our behalf (Eph. 2:8,9), God "accepts" us (Eph.1:6). Do we believe the truth of the Word of God or the devil’s lie? God loves us, each and every one of us, with an everlasting, an eternal, love. How MUCH He loves us:

"BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Rom.5:8).

"BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED..." (Acts 16:31).

"THE WRATH OF GOD REVEALED"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

How and why is God’s wrath "revealed from Heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (Rom.1:18)?

It is revealed "BECAUSE that which may be known of God is manifest in them...". Even the "invisible things of...creation...are clearly seen..." (1:19,20). They did not want a Creator!

It is revealed "BECAUSE ...[they] became vain in their imaginations...and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image..." (1:21-23). If you insist upon believing "a lie...and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever" (ver.25), God will send you "a strong delusion"--the devil’s "lie" (IIThes.2:9-12).

We have seen why God’s wrath is revealed, but how is it revealed?

"...GOD ALSO GAVE THEM UP TO UN-CLEANNESS through [their] lusts..." (Rom.1:24).

And because man has "changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator" (ver.25):

"...GOD GAVE THEM UP UNTO VILE AFFECTIONS..."(Rom.1:26).

"For even their women did change the natural use [of sex] into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet [fitting]. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge..." (1:26-28),

"...GOD GAVE THEM OVER UNTO A REPROBATE MIND, to do those things which are not convenient" (Rom.1:28).

And because they had "filled" themselves with "all ungodliness and unrighteousness" (1:29-31) the judgment of God is revealed in such things as venereal disease and AIDS.

"Who knowing the judgment of God, THAT THEY WHICH COMMIT SUCH THINGS ARE WORTHY OF DEATH, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Rom.1:32).

"THEREFORE thou art inexcusable, O man..." (Rom.2:1).

But no matter what your sin, big or little, as we described or
otherwise, God "LOVES" YOU and wants to save you, AND HE WILL SAVE YOU FROM YOUR SINS, if you will simply believe in His Son, who died for our sins on Calvary’s cross, and arose from the dead.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom.5:1).
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Quote from: Ambassador4Christ on January 31, 2004, 09:40:47 AM

Good one Ambassador, thanks for posting it.

Your friend and brother

The Crusader

<:)))><

MORTIFY THOSE EARTHLY MEMBERS

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"MORTIFY THEREFORE YOUR MEMBERS WHICH ARE UPON THE EARTH...." Paul lists such sins as "...fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetous-ness, which is idolatry" (Col.3:5), and he says concerning these sins:

"For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (Ver.6).

How beautiful is the grace of God! The wrath of God does not come upon us, but His GRACE is showered upon us. Therefore DO NOT repay such love with ingratitude.

Rather, as he says in Romans 6:11-13, "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin" and "alive unto God...", or as here in Colossians:

"PUT TO DEATH" those very sins for which God’s wrath does come upon the children of disobedience.

And he adds, "PUT OFF" these sins also: "...anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication..." Col.3:8,9). "...PUT OFF the old man with his deeds", and...

"AND PUT ON THE NEW MAN, WHICH IS RENEWED IN KNOWLEDGE AFTER THE IMAGE OF HIM THAT CREATED HIM" (Col.3:10).

"PUT ON therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, [inner feelings] of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."AND ABOVE ALL THESE THINGS PUT ON CHARITY, WHICH IS THE BOND OF PERFECTION" (Col.3:12-14).

"AND LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful" (Col.3:15).

"LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Col.3:16).

There is no other avenue of wisdom today whereby the Spirit of God works in the hearts and lives of men and women, boys and girls, than THE WORD OF GOD. And especially the Word of God, "rightly divided", as we find it today in the Epistles of St. Paul. No other source can "renew our minds" today except "the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery" (Rom.16:25). So "LET THIS WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY IN ALL WISDOM..." (Col.3:16).

"AND WHATSOEVER YE DO in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him" (Col.3:17).
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"THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [hindereth] will [hinder], until he be taken out of the way.
"And then shall that wicked [one] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:
"Even him [anti-Christ], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders" (IIThes.2:7-9).

In this world-system "the mystery of iniquity" is connected with foreign intrigue, espionage, politics, and liberalism, but this short study shall focus upon the professing church with its modernism, ecumenicalism, and neo-evangelicalism. There is no principle, or cause, that these men will not sacrifice upon the altar of their global economy and one world religion. And this wickedness was already at work in Paul’s day under the guise of different names, but nevertheless just as subtle:
"For if he that cometh preacheth ANOTHER Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him" (IICor.11:4; see also verses 13-15).

Satan, of course, is responsible for all the confusion, wickedness, and lawlessness that is in this world. It is Satan who "hates" our "Liberty" in the Lord Jesus Christ and seeks only to "steal" and to "kill" and to "destroy" (John 8:44; IICor. 3:17; John 10:10). But the
"love" of God was manifested in the cross of Calvary where "CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS" (ICor.15:3,4).

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (IICor.4:3,4).

Nevertheless God has not given us "the spirit of fear" but rather He has commissioned us with "the mystery of godliness" today, and equipped us with the ability "to make all men see WHAT IS THE FELLOWSHIP OF THIS MYSTERY, which from the beginning of the world hath been HID IN GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph.3:9) until He takes us, His blood-bought Church, out of this sinful world.

Such preaching, in the power of the Holy Spirit, will suppress "the mystery of iniquity" (Rom.1:16-18; IITim. 3:5) and further the cause of Christ in this world.

The commission, which God has given members of the Body of Christ -- Romans 16:25,26 -- has been ridiculed and slighted even by Christians for many long years now. It is about time they woke up to the stark and stern reality, that Paul’s Gospel hinders the ministers of iniquity!
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"THE WORD OF HIS POWER"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

God is so powerful that by simply speaking, He created "Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Ex.20:11). Yes, the Universe was brought immediately into being: "by the Word of His power"
(Heb.1:3; IIPet.3:5)! And neither was His power confined to the animal creation, for He "breathed into the nostrils" of Adam, "the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Gen.2:7). He is so powerful that He can "inspire" mere men to write exactly what He wants them to write, in a Book that we call the Bible (IITim.3:16). So powerful that to enter the stream of humanity and become a man, He was "born of a
virgin" (Matt.1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35), which, with men is a total impossibility. And again, to show His mighty power, after "He [had] by the grace of God, tasted death for every man" (Heb.2:9) HE AROSE FROM THE DEAD (Rom.4:25).

God is so powerful that when we believe on Christ, He makes us one with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection; saves us for time and eternity, and nothing can separate us from His love. This is why the Apostle Paul defends the doctrine of eternal security in his Epistle to the Romans:

"FOR I AM PERSUADED, THAT NEITHER DEATH, NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS, NOR PRINCIPALITIES, NOR POWERS, NOR THINGS PRESENT, NOR THINGS TO COME, NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" (Rom.8:38,39).

Some people don’t believe in the Bible and all it says about Creation, the Inspiration of the Scriptures, the Virgin Birth of Christ, His resurrection from the dead, and the Lord’s Return to catch us away to be with Him for all eternity, but those who do, can say with the Apostle Paul:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).

By the "word" of His power He shall catch us away to be with Him eternally.

"LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE, AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST" (Tit.2:13; IThes.4:13-18).

"In whom WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph.1:7).
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WITHOUT FORM AND VOID"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light" (Jeremiah 4:23).

The reason that "the earth" was "without form, and void" in this passage is not because God had created it that way. Rather the "fury" of His wrath had "come forth like fire" upon Palestine (Jer.4:1-31).

But some supposed the "without form, and void" in Genesis 1:2 is the result of His judgment! But how can this be! Sin had not entered until Adam’s fall (Gen.3:1-24). Satan was still "Lucifer, son of the morning", and had not yet "fallen from heaven" (Isa.14:12-17; Ezek.28:13-19). Rather we believe that it is exactly as God’s Word records creation:

"...AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVED UPON THE FACE OF THE WATERS" (Gen.1:2).

Thus, "In the beginning", upon the first day, when "God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen.1:1) "without form, and void" (1:2), it was empty and desolate because He was not finished with His creation. And upon this "ocean" of His creative genius, He but spoke the words and His almighty power brought forth this beautiful earth in six successive days, as recorded in Genesis 1:1-31.

"THUS THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WERE FINISHED, AND ALL THE HOST OF THEM. And on the Seventh Day God ended His work which He had...created and made" (Gen.2:1-3).

Genesis One records the day by day account of the creation of heaven and earth. Otherwise "sin" would have "entered" the world before Adam which, of course, is not only unscriptural, but it is not even Pauline (Rom.5:12).

However, as God commanded Nebuchadnezzar to march against Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, in Jeremiah’s day (Jer.4:6,7), so the Great Commander of all the Hosts of Heaven shall issue a counter declaration of war upon all mankind for its rejection of Christ. Revelation 19:11-16 describes "the King of kings, and Lord of lords" riding upon
"a white horse...and in righteousness He doth judge and make war".

But for now God has "good news" for you. He loves you with an everlasting love. This is why He sent Christ to die for our sins on Calvary.

The Apostle Paul preached that "the forgiveness of sins" (Eph.1:7) is based upon the shed blood of our Redeemer, Saviour, Creator, and Friend; the Lord Jesus Christ.

"GOD IS FAITHFUL" and you can trust Him. He wants to save you from your sins. And, my friend, He will save you from "the wrath to come" also, if you will only believe Him (IThes.4:13-18).
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THE "WILFUL SIN" OF HEBREWS 10:26

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

It is asserted that the "wilful sin", here, does not apply to this
dispensation because, as members of the Body of Christ, God has already given us eternal security in Christ as Paul declares in his epistle to the Romans:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ..NAY, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that [nothing] shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom.8:35-39).

Please note that the Hebrews also have "eternal salvation" (5:9), "eternal redemption" (9:12), and "eternal inheritance" (9:15).

So today, those who trust in His finished work of redemption, whether Hebrews or Gentiles, have "eternal alvation", "eternal redemption", and "eternal inheritance":

"FOR EVEN CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US" (ICor.5:7).

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, BUT BY HIS OWN BLOOD HE ENTERED IN ONCE INTO THE HOLY PLACE, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb.9:12).

Now, on the other hand, there is "no more sacrifice for sins". Those who reject His all-sufficient sacrifice for sins, whether Hebrews or Gentiles, reject "eternal salvation", "eternal redemption", and "eternal inheritance", and do so, "wilfully", as those who rejected Christ on the day of Pentecost. There is no other sacrifice in the sight of God. If you miss Christ, the only thing left is "eternal judgment" (Heb.6:2), because God has made no other provision for sin:

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Heb.10:26,27).

Therefore I implore you, do not tread "under foot the Son of God", nor count "the blood of the covenant" an unholy thing, and do not despise "the Spirit of grace" (Ver.29).

"VENGEANCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY, SAITH THE LORD" (Romans 12:19).
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WHICH APPEARING?

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb.9:28).

When our Lord first came to earth, He came "TO PUT AWAY SIN by the sacrifice of Himself". This one infinite sacrifice was the great anti-type of all the Old Testament sacrifices. They were offered "year by year continually" (10:1); indeed, "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats" could ever "take away sins" (10:4). But Christ, by His one sacrifice, "the sacrifice of Himself", put away sin, settling
the sin question forever for believers.

But what about the latter part of our text, concerning His appearing "the second time"? Does this refer to His Second Coming to earth? Hardly.

The second time our Lord comes to earth He will not come apart from the sin question. Rather He will come in wrath TO JUDGE SIN.

"Because He [God] hath appointed a day in the which HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS by that Man whom He hath ordained, whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).

It is concerning this return of Christ to earth that we read:

"AND IN RIGHTEOUSNESS DOTH HE JUDGE AND MAKE WAR" (Rev.19:11).

Clearly, our Lord’s appearing "apart from sin" cannot refer to His return to earth to judge the world for sin. And notice carefully: If our Lord were to catch up His Church after the Great Tribulation on His way to judge the world, as some teach, this would still be His return to judge the world for sin. Moreover, Hebrews 9:28 refers to our Lord’s appearing, not to those who reject Him, but to those who "look for Him".

To these--and we are among them!--He will appear, not in wrath to judge sin, but in love, "APART FROM SIN unto salvation".

In other words, we have here another reference to the rapture of "the Church, which is His Body". True, we will receive rewards or suffer loss for our service and conduct as believers, but our sins were fully paid for by that "one sacrifice" in which "Christ was offered to bear the sins of many". This appearing, "apart from sin", then, is the
"appearing" to which Paul so often refers, and in Titus 2:13 he refer to it as a "blessed hope".

"LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST" (Tit.2:13).
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Quote from: Ambassador4Christ on February 09, 2004, 02:37:13 PM

Good Teaching, thanks for posting it Ambassador

Your friend and brother

The Crusader
<:)))><

"WHAT’S IN A NAME?"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

The Bible has much to say about one particular name--the NAME of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. First, the Apostle John states that man is "condemned already, because he hath not believed in the NAME of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).

God pronounced a curse upon the earth on account of man’s sin in the Garden of Eden (Rom.5:12). This is what the Psalmist meant when he said: "For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told" (Psa.90:9).

In the virgin birth of Christ, however, the Lord Jesus became the God-man. "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil.2:8).

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a NAME which is above every name:
"That at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
"And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil.2:9-11).

Even Peter’s words in Acts 4:12 are applicable here, when he
challenged national Israel to turn in repentance and true faith in their Messiah, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and be regenerated:

"Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10-12; Matt.19:28).

The Apostle Paul, confirmed this principle, declaring:

"For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom.10:13).

Paul declares that the only remedy for sin today is the Lord Jesus Christ, and His death on Calvary’s cross:

"For [God] hath made Him to be sin for us, [Christ] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (IICor.5:21).

In writing the Corinthians concerning carnality, their once lost
condition, and the great victories that could be won by simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ--cleansing, sanctification, justification, and salvation--Paul declared:

"And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the NAME of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (ICor.6:11).

Paul also says of those who trust Christ as Saviour that they should depart from doing wrong:

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let everyone that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity" (IITim.2:19).

But what about you, my dear friend, have you trusted Christ as your Saviour? Don’t wait until the Judgment Day when it will be too late to call upon the Name of the Lord.

This wonderful Name, this glorious Name, this matchless Name, has changed millions of lives. Christ has changed my life, and Jesus Christ can change yours, too! Will you call upon this precious Name, and ask Him to save you from your sins, and give you a new life? Do it today.
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The Apostle Paul, confirmed this principle, declaring:

"For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom.10:13).

Paul declares that the only remedy for sin today is the Lord Jesus Christ, and His death on Calvary’s cross:

"For [God] hath made Him to be sin for us, [Christ] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (IICor.5:21).

In writing the Corinthians concerning carnality, their once lost
condition, and the great victories that could be won by simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ--cleansing, sanctification, justification, and salvation--Paul declared:

"And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the NAME of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (ICor.6:11).

Paul also says of those who trust Christ as Saviour that they should depart from doing wrong:

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let everyone that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity" (IITim.2:19).

But what about you, my dear friend, have you trusted Christ as your Saviour? Don’t wait until the Judgment Day when it will be too late to call upon the Name of the Lord.

This wonderful Name, this glorious Name, this matchless Name, has changed millions of lives. Christ has changed my life, and Jesus Christ can change yours, too! Will you call upon this precious Name, and ask Him to save you from your sins, and give you a new life? Do it today.

Thank You Jesus, Amen

Your friend and brother

The Crusader
<:)))><

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

Thank you for that "good" question.

God’s plan of salvation today is not difficult to understand.

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There is no one exempt from sin. We are ALL guilty of breaking the Laws of God. We are sinners by nature and by choice, because we also choose to sin.

"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23). There is a penalty for sin. You go to work every day and at the end of the week you receive your wages. "The wages of sin is death..."

"...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is a gift. You cannot buy it, or earn it, or deserve it. It can only be received as a free gift because Christ paid the penalty of sin with His own blood. The love of God, therefore, has provided a way back to God in the person of Jesus Christ our Lord.

"...CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS...was buried, and rose again the third day..." (I Corinthians 15:3,4).

He died for our sins because there is no other way in which man could be redeemed.

He was buried that our old Adamic nature "might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6).

He arose from the dead to prove that our debt of sin, and its penalty, has been FULLY paid (Romans 4:25).

"Therefore being justified BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

Does it get any better than this? Yes, indeed it does, for we read in Ephesians 2:7:

"THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHEW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS".

God is very patient, kind, and loving, and longsuffering, but He will not be mocked of men. Consequently there is a "Hell" and "the Lake of Fire" awaiting all who reject this gift of salvation in the person of His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This is clearly taught in Revelation 20:11-15.

When the Philippian jailor asked, "What must I do to be saved?", the Apostle Paul answered: "BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED..." (Acts 16:30,31).

This is the one really important issue of life, and there is no time like the present, to make that decision to trust Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour and Lord.

If you cannot say, "I know I am saved and I'm going to Heaven", then I exhort you to trust Christ as your Saviour, right now, and God will bless you with all the bounty of Heaven, and more.

"BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Romans 5:8).
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Quote from: Ambassador4Christ on February 12, 2004, 05:37:05 PM

Keeper

The Crusader
<:)))><

WHAT GOD IS DOING TODAY

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"...For to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace" (Eph.2:15).

It is a shame that so many in the Body of Christ do not see what it is that God is doing today, in this dispensation of His grace committed to Paul. The error of some is a failure to come unto perfection in the Pauline revelation, for they labor under the so-called Great Commission. Others go to extremes with agendas that are used of the devil to cause "divisions" in the Church and "blind [even] the minds" (IICor.4:4) of believers from knowing the truth. Consequently such teachings are used by Satan to deceive both saint and sinner alike.
Thus men walk in darkness. When lies are substituted for truth, the devil gets a foothold in the Church to wreak "havoc".

God, however, will not be mocked of men, for "the Judgment Seat of Christ" (IICor.5:10) awaits those who make merchandise of "the Word of God" (IICor.2:14-17; Tit.3:10) and there shall be a great loss of rewards (ICor.3:15). And when the devil "blinds the minds of them that believe not", souls that could have been saved will be cast into hell
and the Lake of Fire at the "great white throne" judgment
(Rev.20:11-15).

In this endeavor to discover what it is that God is doing today, several passages of Scripture come to mind. Along with Romans 16:25 and I Corinthians 12:13 are two very similar verses in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians:

"Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace" (Eph.2:15).

"And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph.3:9).

God is in the business of building the Body of Christ today, and He is looking for "faithful" men and women in the ministry of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (ICor.4:1,2). He appointed Paul, "the Apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom.11:13), giving him the blueprints (ICor.3:9-15) for the Church today. Paul and Timothy were faithful in proclaiming "this Mystery among the Gentiles" (ICor.4:15-17). Will you "follow" in their footsteps or be drawn into an extreme teaching?
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THE WALK OF THE BELIEVER

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

How is it possible to live "under grace" and not be governed and controlled by rules and laws and regulations of a by-gone
dispensation?

The "life in the Spirit," of Galatians 5:25, is obtained by faith in Christ. This is where we must begin. Calvary is ever the meeting place between God and man.

And as we come to Christ at Calvary we are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Eph.2:10). No, we’re not perfect yet, and most of us have a long ways to go, but now we have someone with which we can go the distance--"the Spirit". So the number one question is, "Are you saved?"

Then God wants us to know that the Holy Spirit "BAPTIZES" us into Christ and into the Body of Christ (Rom.6:3,4,). Entirely apart from the Law, we are made one with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and one with one another also by "the operation of God" (Col.2:12).

Romans 6:11-13 states that we are now to "reckon" ourselves "alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord".

When believers "walk in the Spirit" (Gal.5:16) their lives produce that which the Law could never do: "...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..."; against which the Apostle Paul says, "THERE IS NO LAW".

The Law cannot save you, nor can it keep you, and it certainly cannot bless you (Gal.3:13; 2:20,21; 4:15).

"Knowing this, that the Law is NOT made for a righteous man..." (ITim.1:9).

However...GRACE does save us, GRACE does keep us, and GRACE continues to bless us (Rom.8:3,4; 5:10; 8:34) with "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph.1:3) because GRACE has imputed the very "righteousness" of the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, to our account (IICor.5:21).

"That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph.2:7).

As we "look" for our wonderful Saviour, Titus 2:11-13 teaches that GRACE is not a license to sin. Therefore do not repay such "love" with such ingratitude to Him who shed His blood to save you from an eternity in "Hell" and "the Lake of Fire" (Rev.20:11-15).
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THE UNCERTAINTIES OF LIFE

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

Are you prepared to meet the Lord? Have you trusted Christ as your Saviour? Or will you meet Him as your Judge?

September 11, 2001: The news reports that terrorists had attacked the World Trade Center, and demolished it, in New York City, and attacks on other government buildings in Washington, and elsewhere, shocked the nation and the world.

Such unbelievably horrifying news should certainly awaken America! It is our prayer that the entire world will be awakened spiritually to real faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (This could have happened to your city, your place of business, and your office!) Have you been troubled by the uncertainties of life? Death comes to all, whether in the city or quaint little towns. Death is but a breath away, a heartbeat, and we have all broken God’s Laws, ignored His righteous standards, and have gone our own way. In short, as we read in Paul’s letter to the Romans:

"FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD" (Rom.3:23).

And...,

"THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD" (Rom.6:23).

In the midst of all of life’s uncertainties there is one constant, The Love of God.

"BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US" (Rom.5:8).

God’s great love continues to delay His judgment upon the wickedness of man’s sin (Acts 17:31). And for now, He extends, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom.1:2). Individually, by faith in Christ, "WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph.1:7). If you will simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God will save you, and then, when this life ends, you will be forever in Heaven with the Christ of glory.

God has made the plan of salvation very simple. When the jailor at Philippi asked Paul and Silas, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30), the Apostle Paul replied:

"BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED..." (Acts 16:31).
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TRUTH ON THE SCAFFOLD

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

"Truth is on the scaffold, and wrong is on the throne."

Though this may be expected in an ungodly world, such a mentality ought not to exist in the Church. Honesty, integrity, and uprightness should rather be the watchwords amongst the people of God, especially with regards to the evidence in the Word of God.

The evidence of Creation could not be clearer (Gen.1:1; Ex.20:11; Eph. 3:9; Heb.1:2), yet some people won’t believe.

The evidence of the Inspiration of the Scriptures couldn’t be greater (II Tim.3:16; IIPet.1:20,21; Heb. 4:12,13), yet some people won’t believe.

The evidence of the Virgin Birth of Christ couldn’t be stronger (Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:35), yet some people won’t believe.

The evidence of the Pauline Revelation could not be plainer (Rom. 16:25,26; Gal.1:11,12; Eph.3:9), yet some people won’t believe.

The evidence of salvation by grace through faith today couldn’t be more gracious (Rom.5:8-11; Heb.9:12), yet some people won’t believe, preferring their "good works" to the finished work of Christ.

The evidence of the eternal security of the believer in Christ could not be more obvious (Rom.8:35-39; Heb. 7:25), yet some people won’t believe.

The evidence of a pre-millennial, pre-tribulational rapture of the Body of Christ could not be more imminent (IThes.4:13-18; 5:9), yet some people won’t believe.

The reason that many people don’t believe these wonderful truths in God’s Word is because "the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, LEST THE LIGHT OF THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST, who is the image of God, SHOULD SHINE UNTO THEM" (IICor. 4:4).

Remember: God holds us accountable to "rightly divide the Word of truth" (IITim. 2:15).

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will BRING TO LIGHT THE HIDDEN THINGS OF DARKNESS, and will make MANIFEST THE COUNSELS OF THE HEARTS: and then shall every man have praise of God" (ICor.4:5).
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"SEPARATED UNTO THE GOSPEL OF GOD"

BY RUSSELL S. MILLER

What is meant by the phrase, "separated unto the gospel of God"? The Word "separated" means simply "set apart" of course. God’s children have always been "set apart" as sacred unto Himself. However, we must not confuse Paul (as many do) with the other apostles. Though he considered himself "less than the least of all saints" (Eph. 3:8) he was, nevertheless, "THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES" (Rom.11:13) and "a chosen vessel unto Christ" (Acts 9:15). But "chosen" for what? Ah, this is where our text comes in:

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God" (Rom.1:1).

Since our subject is Paul’s "separation unto the gospel of God", we would ask, what is this good news for which Paul is "separated"? And, as always, the Bible is the greatest commentary upon the Bible, because Galatians 1:15,16 answers that question clearly, increasing our light and understanding upon the subject:

"But when it pleased God, WHO SEPARATED ME FROM MY MOTHER’S WOMB, and
called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me,
that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood."

God chose this man from before his birth, just as "He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world" (Eph.1:4). But wait there’s something else--"He called him by His grace." I Timothy 1:15,16 confirms that there, in Acts 9, Saul of Tarsus, the great persecutor, was SAVED and called by the "grace of God" alone (Acts 26:13-19). But more, he is saved that God may "reveal His Son in him." It is his "revelation"--ROMANS 16:25,26--that he was "SEPARATED" unto!

A revelation that was not made known to the prophets! A dilemma that baffled the Pharisees! And frustrated Pilate in his own court room! The disciples did not comprehend it! And neither could the devil figure it out! A Mystery that even "the angels desire to look into"!

This "gospel of God" concerned "His Son" and the types and shadows in prophecy regarding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom.1:1; ICor. 15:3,4; Gal.1:11,12,16; IPet. 1:12).
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CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US

By Russell S. Miller

When Israel came out of the land of Egypt and the Lord's gracious forbearance with Pharaoh required that he release the people of God from slavery, that Egyptian did not revere the Lord and would not let God's people go. On the fateful night of "the Lord's Passover", Pharaoh arrogantly hardened his heart against the Lord (Ex.5:1; 14:15-18,27).

God told the Israelites to take a lamb, roast it with fire, and bitter herbs, and eat it in haste, for "it is the Lord's Passover", and "strike [the blood] on the two side posts and on the upper door post" of each house (Ex.12:1-11).

"For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord."

It is not Pharaoh and his Egyptian "gods", but Jehovah who rules the world!

"And... when I see the blood, I will pass over you... " (Ex.12:12,13,29,30).

Now we come to the New Testament, and as our Lord celebrated "Passover" with His disciples, He instituted "the Lord's Supper", a memorial of His shed blood, the revelation of which Christ first delivered to Paul. It was later revealed to "His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (ICor.1:18; 15:1-4; Rom. 3:25,26; 5:9,10; Eph.3:5; IPet.1:11,12).

That Christ was born of "a virgin" makes His blood efficacious to save us from our sins (Matt.1:18-25; John 1:47; Rom.5:12; 8:3; Heb. 7:26).

This is why the Apostle Paul could say of the Lamb of God on Calvary's cross:

"FOR EVEN CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US" (ICor.5:7).

Now we see that not only were Israelites redeemed by blood in the Exodus of Egypt some 1500 years Before Christ (Ex.12:11-14), the typification of which is revealed to Paul, but we also learn that Christ's "Passover" blood now saves believing Jews and Gentiles (ICor.11:25).

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, BUT BY HIS OWN BLOOD HE ENTERED IN ONCE INTO THE HOLY PLACE, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb.9:12).
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What We Believe

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."
-- II Corinthians 3:6

We have been hearing from a good number of our readers who are confused, perplexed and even concerned over the doctrine of the New Covenant. Apparently there are a number of strange teachings floating around the Grace Movement on this subject, which has given rise for alarm among some of the brethren.

It is our firm conviction that the Body of Christ falls under the umbrella of the New Covenant. Paul clearly teaches in Romans that we are partakers of Israel's spiritual blessings (Rom. 15:27 cf. Eph. 1:3-14). There is absolutely no possibility that this could refer to anything other than the New Covenant. One thing that should never be overlooked, however, is the fact that Israel received it by promise whereas we are the glad recipients of it by grace (Jer. 31:31 cf. Titus 2:11).

As we know, one of the principal blessings of the New Covenant is the blood of Christ. This particular element can never be divorced from the covenant nor should it be. We have often said that if the Body of Christ has no connection to this covenant whatsoever, then our Savior must return a second time to die for the Gentiles. To us this is unthinkable. Christ died "once for all" (Heb. 10:9-12). Furthermore, the New Covenant shows that there is a connection between the two programs of God which highlights His eternal purpose. Surely, He is Lord of all.

Who could fail to see that Paul charges us to remember the blood of this covenant until the Lord comes: "This cup is the New Testament [Covenant] in my blood: this do ye…in remembrance of me. For as often as ye [Members of His Body] eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come" (I Cor. 11:23-26).
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A Challenge for Our Parents

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
-- I Corinthians 15:58

Probably the most commonly asked question of a seven year old is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Usually the little one is so frozen with fear that the one inquiring must resort to a form of interrogation: "a doctor, lawyer, policeman; I know, a fireman!" These are noble professions indeed, but why are children almost never encouraged to pursue the ministry? Is the Lord's work any less meaningful? Are the callings of pastor, evangelist, missionary and Christian counselor unworthy of our childrens' consideration? Parents do well to remember that there is no higher calling in life than the Lord's service.

Sadly, our young people are so preconditioned to aspire to worldly professions that the ministry is not even a viable option. Timothy's mother had no way of knowing whether or not God would call her son into full-time service. But to her credit, she trained Timothy from a small child in the Scriptures to prepare him for the things of the Lord. Shortly after his conversion to Christ, he was called into the ministry where he delivered many from a Christless eternity (II Tim. 1:6).

During those formative years we need to encourage our young to seek the face of the Lord as to what area of Christian service the Lord might use them. Perhaps you have a quiver full of teenagers who don't know what vocation to pursue. What better place to search for an answer than to have them attend the Berean Bible Institute here in Milwaukee.
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God's Gifts to His Church

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"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."
-- Ephesians 4:11-13

Paul warns us about those who, whether wittingly or unwittingly, would spread unsound doctrine among us. We are living in a time when some of the brethren seem to deem it important to find something new. Of course, it is not our intent to discourage anyone in regard to exercising the "Berean spirit." However, care should be taken not to undermine the foundation upon which our faith rests. We do well to remember that the "Doctrinal Statement" our forefathers forged for us was a product of intense debate with the denominational leaders of their day. Each plank of the statement was carefully crafted as a defense and confirmation of the Fundamentals of the faith and Pauls gospel. Therefore, let us not be too quick to challenge those things which are "tried and true."

At this late hour, there are those who tell us that the "gifts" of evangelists, pastors and teachers or pastor-teachers are no longer in operation today. Some have even gone as far to say that the enabling "gifts" have also passed. This flies in the face of our "Doctrinal Statement," which has served us well for over fifty years. It states:

"The gifts necessary for the ministry of the Body of Christ are those enumerated in Eph. 4:7-16. Of these, only the gifts of evangelists and pastor-teachers are in operation today. All the sign gifts of the Acts period, such as tongues, prophecy and healing (I Cor. 12:1-31), being temporary in character, have ceased (I Cor. 13:8-11)."

Here in Ephesians, one of Pauls later epistles, the apostle sets the tone for the course of this dispensation. Clearly, the context of this portion concerns itself with the gifts God has given to His Church. It is true that the gifts of "apostles" and "prophets" passed with the completion of the Word of God (I Cor. 13:8-13 cf. Col. 1:25). Once the Word of God was dispensed, these two offices and the gifted men who held them were nonessential. We now have something far better, the written revelation that they handed down to us, which is to be obeyed in matters of faith and practice.

There is no indication, whatsoever, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors and teachers have ever been withdrawn. In fact, Paul plainly states their purpose: "For the perfecting [maturing] of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying [building up] of the Body of Christ." And how long shall this continue? "Till we ALL come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge [Gr. epignosis -- full knowledge] of the Son of God" (Eph. 4:13).

Surely, it could not be said there has ever been a period in Church history, past or present, that the "unity of the faith" has been attained, much less a "full knowledge" of the Son of God. But this is exactly what we are being asked to believe; that is, the unity of the faith has been attained. Perhaps, we should put this to the Berean test.

Creation: Some believe God created all things in six literal twenty-four hour days. Others teach the "ruin and reconstruction theory" that God created, destroyed and re-created. This is commonly called the "gap theory" which places millions or billions of years between the original creation and the re-creation.

Redemption: The battle has raged for centuries over whether Christ died for the sins of all mankind or merely for the sins of the elect. Which do you believe?

Things to Come: It is well known there are those who believe the events covered in the Book of Revelation are entirely futuristic. Many would challenge this assertion as absurd. They teach that the early chapters of the Apocalypse describe the various stages of Church history up to the present "Laodicean" age. If we agree that there are two camps of interpretation on any Biblical subject, then we have yet to come into the unity of the faith.

There is not one scintilla of evidence that the "unity of the faith" has ever been attained by all. Even in Pauls day, the saints were wielding the sword of the Spirit against one another (II Tim. 1:15 cf. 2:17-19). In addition, we must inquire: Has the Church come to a full knowledge of the Son of God? That is, of His person, work and present heavenly ministry. We shall answer this question with a question: Has the Church, which is His Body, acknowledged the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery?

The "unity of the faith" and a "full knowledge" of Christ is a goal set before us that will never be fully attained until the Rapture. Thus, the responsibility of Gods gifts to His Church is to proclaim the whole counsel of God in light of the Pauline epistles. Why? that the saints might be established in the faith!

There is also an experiential side to this truth as well. When God called me into the ministry nearly thirty years ago, it was definitive. Other pastors have testified of similar experiences, which confirms that the "gifts and callings of God are without repentance" (Rom. 11:29). Beware of those who would rob you of this precious truth!
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Anger Management

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Neither give place to the devil."
-- Ephesians 4:26,27

Around the turn of the century, the Church was graced with an array of great preachers, but none were more tenacious and outspoken than Billy Sunday. He seemed to have a way of driving home a point. It is said that a woman once approached him after one of his meetings who was well known for her bad temper. She sought to defend her actions by saying: "But Mr. Sunday, although I blow up over the least little thing, it's all over in a minute." The evangelist looked her straight in the eye and said, "So is a shotgun blast!! It's over in seconds, too, but look at the terrible damage it can do."

God created us with a wide range of emotions, each of which serves a purpose. Yes, even anger can be good. Contrary to popular opinion, anger itself is not sinful. Notice how the apostle words his above statement, "Be ye angry, and sin not." In essence, Paul is saying that we are well within our rights to be angry over an injustice or unrighteous circumstances.

The recent debate over "partial birth abortion" is a good example. We should be incensed by "abortion" in general and horrified by "partial birth abortions" in particular. Any procedure (usually performed at 7 or 8 months gestation) that allows the infant's head to remain in the birth canal while the abortionist forces a surgical instrument into the base of the skull to suction out the little one's brains is nothing short of first degree murder. Here a righteous anger is perfectly justified. In fact, there are scores of times in the Old Testament where the anger of the Lord is said to be kindled against His enemies (Num. 25:1-9; Jer. 12:13).

Surely our Lord is a prime example that anger itself is not
necessarily sinful, for He knew no sin. Thus the Lord was well within the boundaries of godly behavior when He exhibited a righteous anger toward those who had made His Father's house a den of thieves (John 2:13-17). In the future Tribulation Period those who reject God's anointed and worship the beast and his image, "the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 14:10).

Carefully note, Paul adds to the phrase "be ye angry" a warning, "and sin not." Unbridled anger can easily turn into a fit of uncontrollable rage which normally leaves a path of destruction in its wake. Unchecked, anger that overflows into resentment almost always results in some form of retaliation. This may take the form of verbal attacks, threats, or even physical abuse.

In a worst case scenario, it is much like a volcano that builds
pressure over a period of time and finally erupts. Whenever you watch a news report of a lone gunman who enters his former place of employment with a semi-automatic weapon and kills his supervisor and three other fellow workers, you are witnessing the eruption of pent-up anger. Another example is the believer who allowed his anger to get the better of him and shot an abortion doctor outside a clinic down south. With one pull of the trigger, this young man disgraced the name of Christ, labeled all Christians as radicals in the eyes of the world, destroyed his personal testimony, and ended up with life in prison. These are both cases where anger spun out of control with tragic results.

How to Deal with Anger

We are living in a day when philosophy says, "express yourself
openly," "tell it like it is," "open up," "let it all hang out."
However, the Scriptures counsel us to exercise restraint.

The fruit of the spirit is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Gal. 5:22,23). As we walk by grace through faith, temperance will enable us to keep our anger under control. But how does this work out in a practical sense? Those who fly off in a fit of rage permit their anger to take control of them. Consequently, the energy emitted from this emotion is usually misdirected at someone or something. Sinful anger tears down. Thus, in the heat of the moment things are often said and done which cause irreparable damage to relationships.

Paul adds here in Ephesians, "let not the sun go down upon your wrath." We should never allow our anger to simmer overnight. This will only cause it to become more deeply seated. "Neither give place to the devil" (Eph. 4:27). You see, if you fail to handle things in the proper manner, you may well be giving Satan an opportunity to drive a deeper wedge in your relationships with others. Surely, we are not ignorant of his devices. Always remember, Satan is an opportunist.

Sad, But True

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."-- I Corinthians 10:12

Heard a story told by a Grace Believer who met another Grace Believer in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge.

"I was standing in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge admiring the view when another tourist walked up alongside of me to do the same. I heard him say quietly, as he took in the beauty of the view, 'What an awesome God.'

"I turned to him and said, 'You a Christian?' He said, 'Yes, I am a Christian.' I said, 'So am I,' and we shook hands.

"I said, 'Are you a liberal or a fundamental Christian?' He said, 'I am a fundamental Christian.' I said, 'So am I,' and we smiled and nodded to each other.

"I said, 'Are you a Covenant or dispensational, fundamental
Christian?' He said, 'I am a dispensational, fundamental Christian.' I said, 'So am I,' and we slapped one another on the back.

"I said, 'Are you an early Acts, mid-Acts or late Acts,
dispensational, fundamental Christian?' He said 'I am a mid-Acts, dispensational, fundamental Christian.' I said, 'So am I' and we agreed to exchange Christmas cards each year.

"I said, 'Are you an Acts 9 or 13, mid-Acts, dispensational,
fundamental Christian?' He said, 'I am an Acts 9, mid-Acts,
dispensational, fundamental Christian.' I said, 'So am I' and we hugged one another right there on the bridge.

"I said, 'Are you a pre-trib, or post-trib, Acts 9, mid-Acts,
dispensational, fundamental Christian?' He said, 'I am a pre-trib, Acts 9, mid-Acts, dispensational, fundamental Christian.' I said, 'So am I,' and we decided to exchange kids for the summer.

"I said, 'Are you a 12 in or 12 out, pre-trib, Acts 9, mid-Acts,
dispensational, fundamental Christian?' He said, 'I am a 12 in, pre-trib, Acts 9, mid-Acts, dispensational, fundamental Christian.'

"I said, 'You heretic, and I pushed him off the bridge!'"
-- Author Unknown

The above is sad but all too true, with the exception of being pushed off a bridge, although some may have even considered that! Of course, the shoe could have been on the other foot; that is, the weary traveler might have held the 12 out position -- heaven forbid! The point is, no matter how deeply our convictions may run on secondary issues, they should never disrupt our fellowship together. Issues such as: Are the 12 in or out of the Body of Christ? Was Paul the author of Hebrews? Should we observe holidays? Was Paul in or out of the will of God in Acts 21? Where did the Church begin -- Acts 9, 11, or 13? And on and on we could go.

Our Fellowship in Christ must rest solely on the Fundamentals of the Faith and the Doctrines of Grace found in Ephesians 4:4-6. There is no room for further discussion on these matters. On other areas of the Word of God where we may find ourselves in disagreement, let us "agree to disagree" in a Christ-like manner. This will help maintain the unity of the Spirit among us and glorify God in the process.
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The Wonders of His Grace

By Paul M. Sadler

Scripture Reading:
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."
-- II Corinthians 8:9

Whether the occasion is a holiday, a birthday celebration, or a graduation, it is customary to give a gift. While some gifts are given out of necessity, for the most part, a gift is an expression of our love. We normally bestow these tokens of our affection on those whom we feel deserve the honor. But God's ways are not our ways. He gave the gift of His beloved Son to His enemies. That's a true love story! Oh, the wonder of His grace that God sent His only begotten Son, the Son of His love, to save sinners like you and me while we were fleeing from the glory of His presence. Little wonder the Apostle Paul says, "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (II Cor. 9:15).

The word "unspeakable" here has the idea of "indescribable." The gifts I've received through the years were all describable. Some may have been a little harder to describe than others, but describable nonetheless! But the gift of God's dear Son is indescribable. Who can explain the incarnation, how the eternal Son of God left heaven's glory and took upon Himself the form of human flesh, yet was not tainted with our sin. Who can explain how Christ was wholly God and wholly human in one person? These wonders can only be received through the eye of faith.

The manger and the Cross stand at the two extremes of our Lord's life, but they are connected by the tapestry of redemption. Hence, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." A love story that ends with a death is tragic; in contrast, the death of Christ is the greatest demonstration of love this world has ever seen. How much does God love you? He gave His only begotten Son to die on your behalf. You see, Christ wasn't dying for His sin, He knew no sin; He was dying for your sins and my sins at Calvary. He was made sin for us that we might receive the righteousness of God in Him. Have you trusted Him?

Surely you would never think of paying for a gift; why, the giver would be highly offended -- how much more so with God. The payment for your sins has already been furnished by the Giver; simply receive Him as a gift from God. If you have, then why not thank Him today for His unspeakable gift? After all, this is the Gift that includes all others!
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Applause

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."
-- Colossians 3:17

There seems to be a growing trend in Christendom for congregations to physically applaud those who are ministering in the things of the Lord. Pastors are applauded when they wax eloquent or say something humorous. Also, after soloists lift the hearts of the saints into the heavenlies they are often met with a round of applause as they step down from the platform. Having pastored a number of local assemblies, I've risen from my chair, on more than one occasion to interrupt the hand clapping of the saints. While I am sure their applause was well-intentioned, it is nonetheless very irreverent and disrespectful to the Lord.

When the world gives a standing ovation after a performance of an actor or comedian they are expressing their appreciation for having been acceptably entertained. They are also praising the performer for his excellence in an art which has been cultivated through years of hard work.

When the servant of the Lord comes to the platform, to minister on our behalf, the purpose of his labor of love is not to entertain the congregation. It is to be viewed rather as a ministry, which is an integral part of our worship of the Holy One of Heaven. Anyone who serves the Lord, sincerely, would never want the applause of men, but would insist that all the honor and glory be given to God. May all our adoration go to the One Who is worthy to be worshipped, for He has given us his Word and the opportunity along with the gifts to minister on His behalf. Amen!

CHRYSOSTOM ON APPLAUSE
345-407 A.D.

"... some clapped their hands in applause, according to the custom of the times. Then Chrysostom raised his voice: 'How does your applause help me?' It will be the right approval if you practice in life what I say to you. The church is no theater, where men listen for their own pleasure." (From the Life of Chrysostom, by Frederic Perthes, P. 18).

Paul's Two Roman Imprisonments

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing."-- II Timothy 4:6-8

Approximately two years after being delivered into the hands of Roman authorities things had apparently gone well for the apostle, therefore he anticipated his soon release from prison. Thus he writes to the church at Philippi: "For I KNOW that this [their prayer for his release] shall turn to my salvation [deliverance from prison]" (Phil. 1:9).

We believe that Paul did in fact enjoy a short period of freedom which enabled him to continue his apostolic journeys. We know, for example, that according to the Acts record the apostle never visited Crete on any of his previous apostolic journeys. Paul did sail around the island on his way to Rome as a prisoner, but it was not until his release from his first Roman imprisonment that he actually visited Crete. The apostle's brief stay on the island was long enough to see that the churches there were in a state of chaos (Titus 1:10-16). Consequently, Paul leaves Titus behind, his companion in travel, "to set in order the things that were wanting" (Titus 1:5).

Probably from Crete Paul made his way to Corinth where he writes to Titus to inform him that he planned to winter in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). It could well be that the apostle was apprehended at Nicopolis and taken again to Rome for preaching Christ. This time however, the sentence would go against him. So without hesitation he writes to Timothy, since it was nearing winter, to bring his cloak and also the Parchments (II Tim. 4:13).
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The Teaching of Self-Esteem

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince [refute] the gainsayers."
-- Titus 1:9

Satan never rests in his insatiable desire to corrupt the Word of God. A case in point is the present-day teaching of self-love, self-esteem and self-worth. The influence of this unsound doctrine has nearly permeated every strata of Christendom, including the Grace Movement. Like the beat of a drum, this theme is heard almost constantly from the pulpits of America and frequently appears on the pages of Christian literature. Beware when you hear or read: "It is important to feel good about yourself," "Learn to love yourself," "Probe your innermost self to understand why you think and feel as you do," "God sent His son to die for you because you are of great value."

On the surface these phrases may seem commendable, but in reality they are diametrically opposed to the Scriptures. The above has been weighed in the balance and found to be wanting. For example: "The heart [innermost self] is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). Paul concurred when he said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh, [old nature or self]) dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18). The old man (self) is at enmity against God. He hates God and the things of God and left to himself he will not seek God. The Scriptures, from beginning to end, speak with a unified voice that the old nature is rotten to the core (See Rom. 3:9-18).

Consequently, our old man (self) has been crucified with Christ. Paul made reference to this when he wrote to the Galatians, "I am crucified with Christ [i.e. his old man]: nevertheless I live [Paul's new nature]; yet NOT I [self], but Christ liveth in me." We are to put off the old nature and put on the new, which is created in holiness and righteousness (Eph. 4:22-24). It is futile to improve one's self-image, especially since God abhors any attempt to do so. Rather, we are to conform ourselves to the image of His dear Son. Thus, those of the household of faith are to live accordingly:

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let us esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:3-5).

Self takes great pleasure in acclaim, indulgence, approval and praise. It glories in all these things. But are we not robbing God when self is esteemed more highly than His glory? "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, AND YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Cor. 6:19,20).

Shall we permit the "love of one's self" doctrine to overshadow the love of God in Christ Jesus? God forbid! May God help us to stand against this insidious teaching that essentially robs God of the glory that is rightfully due Him.
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Avoiding Strong Drink

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken."
-- Habakkuk 2:15

There are many passages in the Word of God, such as the above, that are timeless and transcend all the dispensations of God. While the liquor industry goes to great lengths to get people to believe that drinking is a harmless way to have a good time, the facts are otherwise. They are very careful never to advertise the drunk driver who kills innocent people or the homes that have been destroyed by strong drink. But a voice in the crowd says that a few social drinks will never hurt anyone. Most recovering alcoholics, however, tell a much different story of how their slide into a life of drunkenness all started with a social drink. "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise" (Prov. 20:1).

A couple of years ago, I was driving through Apollo, Pennsylvania where I saw a piece of twisted wreckage along side of the road. Upon slowing down, I discovered that it was an automobile, or at least what was left of it. Apparently someone survived the crash because there were beer cans strategically placed beside the car along with a sign at the rear bumper which read, "And they told us we were going to have fun." Someone lied!

While the world refers to alcoholism as a disease, the Word of God calls drunkenness a sin. It is not a disease, it is a matter of choice. Oh, the sorrow and heartache that has been caused by careless men and women who have given themselves over to the treachery of this sin. The answer is not found in the bottom of a bottle -- the answer is Christ. Only He can deliver the drunkard from his drunkenness. Therefore, a life yielded to God is the solution to the bondage of this terrible sin. Throughout the year social gatherings often bring with them a strong temptation to join the crowd. For those who struggle with this temptation, it is important to remember that the victory is already yours though Christ Jesus our Lord. Simply claim it! Then live one day at a time, by God's grace, for His grace is more than sufficient (II Cor. 12:9). Amen!
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That Precious Deposit

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
-- II Corinthians 4:7

The story is told of how a wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he as carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't very much, I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The
father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with
tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift." The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the great works of art he had collected.

The man died a few months later. Shortly thereafter, there was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having the opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters." The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, going twice, SOLD for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection."

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over." "What about the paintings?" "I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every thing!"

God gave His Son 2000 years ago to die on a cruel Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son inherits everything!

EARTHEN VESSELS

In biblical times earthen vessels were clay pots that had been
thoroughly baked in an oven. They were fraught with imperfections, which meant that no two were exactly alike. Archeologists have discovered that those who lived during that period secretly buried their treasures in clay pots for safekeeping. As we shall see, the master illustrator uses this facet of everyday life to illustrate a grand spiritual truth.

Those who have taken the Son are heirs, joint-heirs with Him. As members of the Body of Christ, we are partakers of His glory, His power, and His reign. In short, we are the recipients of the wealth of heaven! While the believing Gentiles will partake of the blessings of the kingdom, they were never promised to be heirs. In the kingdom, heirship is a question of nationality. In the present dispensation of Grace, heirship is based upon relationship. We are one in Him. Therefore, we have come into possession of what rightfully belongs to Him, and will share it mutually with Him for eternity (Rom. 8:17 cf. Eph. 3:6).

Today when men want to safeguard their riches they place them in vaults made of steel and concrete. But God's ways are not man's ways. God has deposited the riches of His grace in earthen vessels. We need not wait until we arrive in heaven to learn what we presently possess in Christ. We have this treasure, that is, the gospel of the grace of God in earthen vessels. Those who have been saved by grace are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. But what we positionally enjoy in Christ must become a practical reality in the Christian experience if we ever hope to maintain a godly testimony among men. For example, we are forgiven in Christ, but grace teaches us that we are to forgive others even as Christ has forgiven us.

But why would God place these unspeakable riches in such an unsecure place? We are unworthy sinners, weak and frail, who have the sentence of death within us. Perhaps the hymn-writer, Robert Robinson, has expressed it best, "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." The answer to the question is found in the latter part of our passage. "That the excellency [exceeding greatness] of the power may be of God, and not of us." While others usually think more highly of us than they should, essentially it is the power of God working through us that produces results in the Lord's work.

Many years ago I was invited to minister the gospel at a Bible camp in the Rocky Mountains. On the last evening, I spoke on "The Danger of Falling Into the Hands of An Angry God." Earlier that day I hadn't been feeling well, due to altitude sickness. In addition to being exhausted that night, I was short of breath. At ten thousand feet it doesn't take much to get winded. I now understand why it took Moses so long to return from Mount Sinai with the tablets of stone. He undoubtedly had to keep stopping on his way down to catch his breath! As I arose to speak that evening I thought to myself, this is going to be an absolute disaster. It was, or at least I thought it was, until I learned two months later that an entire family was saved that night. Brethren, the gospel is the "power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom 1:16).
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The Seventh from Adam

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints."
-- Jude 14

About two weeks prior to teaching the Dispensation of Conscience in my Dispensational Survey class at the Berean Bible Institute, I raised the following question to the student body. What is the significance of Enoch being addressed as "the seventh from Adam"? The entire class drew a blank -- they were stumped!! Although it may seem rather insignificant at first glance, the Holy Spirit has added this phrase for good reason. In fact, this phraseology is only used in reference to Enoch.

A number of the students gave some thought to the matter and even ventured a couple of explanations, which were true, but not the answer I was looking for. Finally, one student eventually got two or three hints out of me and came up with the answer. Upon arriving at the fourth and fifth chapters of the Book of Genesis, I explained to the class that there were two Enoch's before the days of the great flood.
Therefore, we must carefully distinguish between the Enoch who descended from Cain, and the Enoch who was the "seventh from Adam" (Gen. 4:16-18 cf. 5:22-24). The first Enoch walked in the way of Cain
-- his descendants were morally bankrupt.

God would have us follow the example of Enoch, the seventh from Adam, who walked in the way of faith. Thus "Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found [implying everyone searched for him], because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he PLEASED GOD" (Heb. 11:5). In addition, the path of the coming Redeemer would pass through Enoch, the seventh from Adam, not Cain's Enoch (Gen. 3:15). So then, a seemingly insignificant phrase suddenly helps us better appreciate that: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (II Tim. 3:16).
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Creation

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."
-- Genesis 1:3-5

I am a creationist. I personally believe that God created all things in heaven and earth in six literal 24-hour days. A proper understanding of creation is essential, since it is the foundation upon which all the doctrines of God rest. Sadly, some in Christendom have sought to erect an elaborate system known as the day-age theory to accommodate the geologic timetable of billions of years. But does this position pass the Berean test?

Those who subscribe to the day-age theory believe that the Hebrew word "day" (yom) can refer to a 24-hour day or a long period of time. This is true! For example, the day of the Lord is an extended period of time which covers well over one thousand years. Consequently, the context must always be consulted to ascertain the duration of time under consideration. Of course, those who defend this position teach that the days of the Genesis record quite literally cover millions and millions of years, which conveniently accommodates evolution.

Interestingly, when the Hebrew word yom is used with a number, it always refers to a 24-hour day, without exception. In regard to the Passover God instructed Moses, "Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel" (Ex. 12:15). Would we conclude otherwise that the "first day" here is anything other than a normal day? Furthermore, when perimeters are set on the term yom, such as "the evening and the morning," as found in Genesis 1:4, this limits the day to 24 hours.

But perhaps the most conclusive evidence that each day was 24 hours is found in Exodus 20:11: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Here Moses uses the term yamin, the Hebrew plural for "days," which exclusively speaks of 24-hour cycles.

If the Holy Spirit had intended to convey that the days of creation were "eras," He would have used the used the Hebrew olam, which is defined as "indefinite time." We accept by faith that God is sovereign and all-powerful; therefore, it was a small matter for Him to speak all things into existence in six days (Psa. 33:6-9).
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Practical Instructions for Our Teens

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."
-- Ephesians 6:1,2

In all likelihood mom and dad have been impressing upon you the importance of only dating and marrying those who are saved. You may think that they are being narrow-minded, but the truth is, your parents are looking out for your spiritual well-being. The Word of God is quite clear when it comes to the matter of separation: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (II Cor. 6:14).

Some Christian young people feel strongly that there is no harm in just dating the unsaved. But why become emotionally involved in a relationship that has no future? Furthermore, it is unfair to the unbelieving party who will never understand your reasoning for breaking off the relationship. We have seen too many tragic cases where these types of associations end up in unequally yoked marriages that fail. So, may we encourage our young people to heed the godly counsel of their parents, for in so doing, you will spare yourself a lifetime of heartache.

But where can a Christian young person find Mr. or Mrs. Right? Since faithful believers do not frequent worldly establishments your search must begin where the Lord's people gather. You must take the initiative to regularly attend church services, conferences, youth groups and camp meetings. In the meantime, a young man should be working toward financial stability while the young ladies learn to cook. After all, there is a limitation to McDonald's!
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The Other Sheep

By Paul M. Sadler

Scripture Reading:
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
-- John 10:16

A short time ago I made a passing reference to the "other sheep" which generated a lot of interest among our readers. Some were under the impression that this phrase had to do with the reunification of the divided kingdom. Others had been taught that the "other sheep" is the Church, the Body of Christ. Having been in the ministry for many years, it has been my experience that when someone has a question such as this, there are normally twenty standing in the wings wondering the same thing. So, with God's help I shall do my best to shed additional light on the matter.

Those who are Acts 2 dispensationalists normally hold the position that the ones who "are not of this fold" are the members of the Body of Christ. This is an inexcusable dispensational blunder, but it is understandable since they do not consistently rightly divide the Word of truth. Once again, we must ask ourselves the question: To whom was our Lord speaking, and at what time? The discourse on the Good Shepherd was delivered by Christ when He was on the earth at least two years before the Apostle Paul was given his special revelation. Inasmuch as Paul was the first to receive the truth of the One Body, the "other sheep" in the above context could in no way be the Body of Christ.

But there's more. None of the Apostle Paul's Gentile epistles contain a reference to the members of Christ's Body being sheep, much less a sheepfold. However, these metaphors are found throughout the pages of prophecy, which serves as another distinguishing factor between the two programs of God.

THE HOUSES OF ISRAEL

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah" (Jer. 31:31).

Under the reign of Rehoboam the kingdom was divided in Israel. The division proved to be devastating as the ten northern tribes, which came to be called the house of Israel, appointed Jeroboam as their King. He, of course, destroyed the religious unity of the nation when he erected altars at Dan and Bethel and caused the children of Israel to offer sacrifices unto the gods of Egypt (I Kings 12:16-31).

On the other hand, the house of Judah (tribes of Judah and Benjamin) followed in the ways of the Lord and continued to offer their
sacrifices in Jerusalem, thus obeying the Law and the prophets. They remained in the Lord's favor in spite of the fact that He allowed them to be carried off into the Babylonian captivity for their lapse of faith. These two tribes were by far the more spiritual tribes in Israel, not to mention that it was in Bethlehem of Judaea where the Prince of Peace chose to be born.

Consequently, some believe that the "other sheep" are the ten northern tribes who will be brought back into the fold at the Second Coming of Christ. Hence, there will be one fold and one Shepherd. We surely concur that there will be a reunification of the tribes of Israel as represented by the binding of the two sticks in Ezekiel 37:15-28. This, however, must not be confused with the sheepfold. Israel is the sheep of God, whether they were of the northern or southern tribes. The Lord would have never called His chosen people the "other sheep." They are the sheep and therefore the primary fold.

If we say that the ten northern tribes are the "other sheep," then what about the kingdom Gentiles -- where do they fit into the picture? It is often overlooked, but God had made a provision in prophecy for the Gentiles to be saved through Israel. Thus, they are also said to be joined to the Lord. And Isaiah goes on to add, "Even them [the Gentiles] will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer..." (Isa. 56:6,7). Insofar as the Gentiles are the last non-Jewish converts to be reached under the Great Commission, the classification "other sheep" fits them perfectly. But some are sure to inquire: "Are the Gentiles ever called sheep in prophecy?" Indeed they are, please read prayerfully Matthew 25:31-46.
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Cremation

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
-- Psalm 90:10

With the rising cost of funerals these days many families are faced with the decision as to whether or not cremation should be considered as a viable option to burial. Many have concluded that this is an acceptable alternative since the matter is not addressed in Paul's epistles, and we are living under grace. While there does seem to be liberty here, perhaps it is the better part of wisdom to consult the whole counsel of God.

In Biblical times cremation of the body was primarily identified with the pagan nations of the world. According to the Old Testament there were a few isolated occurrences of this practice, although they always seem to be associated with judgment or cases of emergency rather than merely disposing of the body (Josh. 7:25,26; I Sam. 31:6-13). Consequently, cremation was more the exception than the rule. Throughout the Scriptures it is said that they buried their dead. "Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah..." "Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." "And the young men arose, wound him [Ananias] up, and carried him out, and buried him."

In keeping with the Word of God, we believe it is preferable to bury our loved ones even though we may have liberty to do otherwise. Of course, the additional financial burden can be eased by planning ahead for our inevitable departure. The services that normally accompany a funeral bring the unsaved face to face with their own mortality. Thus, the occasion, heartbreaking as it may be, has often been used of the Lord to bring many sons to glory. Whatever your conviction may be on the matter, it is important to heed the words of the Apostle Paul: "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom. 14:5).
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In His Service

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
-- Romans 12:1,2

As we stand on the threshold of another new year, we should stand ready to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He has called us. Time is precious! Isaac Watts once said: "Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away." Unlike eternity, everything in this life has a beginning and an end, as Solomon reminds us:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die" (Eccl. 3:1,2).

In the natural course of things, life and death are in God's control. But what takes place between these two monumental events will have a bearing upon us throughout eternity. Life is the dash that appears between the dates on every tombstone. And that little dash speaks volumes. For some it marks a conversion to Christ and all the spiritual benefits that come with it. But for others it is a chronicle of rejection and rebellion against God, with no hope of reprieve. Which is true of you? If the latter, there's still time to trust Christ and flee the wrath to come.

The question is, what will we do with the remaining time that's left before our dash is etched in stone? Paul says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13,14).

This passage has always amazed me. After 30 plus years of serving the Lord, Paul was still pressing toward the goal. He refused to allow the past to influence his life -- whether it was past failures or accomplishments. God has done a wonderful work here at BBS through the years, but we must not dwell upon past accomplishments or failures. Like Paul, we must press forward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.

In the new year, may it be our desire that we might "know Christ," that is, more fully, and experience the power of His resurrection.

There is still much to be done, but with your help, we can leave a legacy of grace that will be long remembered after we lie in the dust of the earth.
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The Ministry of Comfort

By Paul M. Sadler, President

Scripture Reading:
"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort."
-- II Corinthians 1:3

Since the entrance of sin into the world, the way of man has been anything but easy. Job seemed to have his finger on the pulse of the matter when he wrote, "... man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." It is interesting though, that when calamity strikes, men are quick to blame God, or to ask why He allows such occurrences in their lives. But shall we blame God for what man has brought upon himself? God forbid! Man is a product of his own folly. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12).

Some claim that if they had been back in the garden everything would have been different. I certainly have no reason to doubt them. In all probability, they would have pushed Adam aside to reach the forbidden fruit before he did! You see, God saw the entire human race in Adam, as only He could do. So when Adam stretched forth his hand to partake of the forbidden fruit, each of us were reaching for it as well -- we are his posterity, thus we share in his guilt. God could have condemned the whole human race to the Lake of Fire and have been perfectly justified in so doing. Thankfully, we did not receive what we justly deserved, for "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" (Psa. 103:8).

HOW GOD COMFORTS US

"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (II Cor. 1:4).

Here, of course, the Apostle refers to believers. Our heavenly Father knows that we are frail creatures of dust, overwhelmed with sorrow, sickness and even death; not to mention the spiritual upheavals that come our way. Always sympathetic to our plight, He walks with us every step of life's journey comforting us in all our tribulations. The tribulation cited here by the Apostle Paul is not a reference to the Tribulation Period known as The Time of Jacob's Trouble. Paul is speaking of the personal tribulations he had encountered due to spiritual conflicts and poor health. Personal trials come in all forms: criticism, rejection, financial setbacks, sickness,
bereavement, etc.

When sorrow overwhelms us like an ocean tide the Lord in His goodness is always present to comfort us in our time of need. But exactly how does God comfort us in the dispensation of Grace? We know for instance that the heavens are silent and that neither the Lord nor any of His angelic host visibly appear to minister to the saints today. During the administration of Grace the Lord, first of all, comforts us through His Word.

For example, some years ago death took my great-grandmother. She always held a very special place in my heart and even to this day I get choked up sometimes when I think of her. My sense of loss would be difficult to bear except for the consolation I have received from the Word of God. The Lord has shown me that I need not sorrow as others who have no hope. Some day soon the trump will sound and the dead in Christ will be raised. Then we will be caught up together with all those departed loved ones who were saved, and so shall we ever be with the Lord! Little wonder Paul says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Another way the Lord comforts us is by bringing someone into our lives at just the right moment to encourage us in those times of despair. Surely we have a precedent for this in the life of Paul himself. The intensity of the spiritual warfare at Ephesus and Macedonia had taken its toll on the Apostle, both physically and spiritually. "Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus" (II Cor. 7:5-7). The arrival of Titus was a direct result of Divine intervention to not only encourage Paul, but also that he might lend assistance in the work.

Finally, God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but rather that we might comfort others. It has been given to us to carry on a ministry of encouragement to those who are in any trouble. Think of it, having already been the recipients of God's consolation, He uses us to put our arm around that dear Christian friend who is perhaps facing his first surgery and tell him, "we too had this same surgery a few years ago and the Lord saw us through it." With hope we can face any thing. That's why God has revealed to us the Blessed Hope that one day soon we shall be with Him. Truly He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. AMEN!
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THE NEW NATURE IN THE BELIEVER

By Cornelius R. Stam

It has been well said that if there is anything good in any
man it is because it was put there by God. And something
good -- a new, sinless nature -- has been imparted by God to
every believer.

While there is still within us "that which is begotten of
the flesh," there is also "that which is begotten of the Spir-
it," and just as the one is totally depraved and "cannot
please God," so the other is absolutely perfect and always
pleases Him.

Adam was originally created in the image and likeness of
God, but he fell into sin and later "begat a son IN HIS OWN
LIKENESS, AFTER HIS IMAGE" (Gen. 5:3). It could not
be otherwise. Fallen Adam could generate and beget only
fallen, sinful offspring, whom even the Law could not
change. But "what the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God, sending His own Son IN THE LIKE-
NESS OF SINFUL FLESH, and for sin," accomplished,
"that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom.
8:3,4),

As Adam was made in the likeness of God, but fell, so
Christ was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, to redeem
us from the fall, that by grace, through the operation of the
Spirit, a new creation might be brought into being, a "new
man... renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that
created him" (Col. 3:10) a "new man, which, after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24).

Referring to this "new man," John says:

"Whosoever is born [begotten] of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him: and HE CANNOT SIN, BECAUSE HE IS BORN [BEGOTTEN] OF GOD" (I John 3:9).

"WE KNOW THAT WHOSOEVER IS BORN [BEGOTTEN] OF GOD
SINNETH NOT..." (I John 5:18).
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THE RACE SET BEFORE US

By Russell S. Miller

As another New Year dawns its always wise to give the Scriptures our careful attention so as to please the One who paid the ultimate sacrifice on account of our sins at Calvary, our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It is not that we merely wish to please Him, but our gratitude should manifest itself in the lives we live for Him. It was indeed for this reason that the Apostle Paul has so much to say about "the race set before us".

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb.12:1).

As I opened my Bible in the study of this subject I discovered that the word "race" [agon], here, is only found in the following verses, having to do with the athlete in the race, rather than the course itself:

Philippians 1:30: "Having the same conflict which ye saw in me...."

Colossians 2:1: "...what great conflict I have for you...."

I Thessalonians 2:2: "...we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much contention".

I Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of faith...."

II Timothy 4:7: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith".

Hebrews 12:1: "...the race that is set before us".

On the other hand, the Greek word stadion, "they which run in a race", is translated "furlongs" (the 220 yard dash), five times in our Bibles (Luke 24:13; John 6:19; 11:18; Rev. 14:20; 21:16) and, surprisingly only once in Paul's epistles where it is rendered "race" (ICor. 9:24).

The Apostle does not refer to the course, here, which the contestants ran in their Greeks games, but to the Christian life.

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (ICor.9:24).
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THE APOSTLE OF GRACE

By Cornelius R. Stam

Did you know that St. Paul was chosen by God as the
apostle of grace? He was God’s great example of grace, the
"chief of sinners" saved by grace (1 Tim. 1:12-16). To him
was committed "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph.
3:2). He was sent forth to proclaim "the gospel of the grace
of God" (Acts 20:24).

Paul wrote far more about grace than any other Bible
writer. All his epistles open or close (or both) with the sal-
utation "Grace be to you." He declares: "We have redemp-
tion through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of sins accord-
ing to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). He shows how this
grace was planned for believers in ages past:

"Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and [His own] grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9).

He shows how this grace will be ours in ages to come:
"That in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding
riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

He shows how this grace is greater than all our sins:
"Where sin abounded grace did much more abound" (Rom.
5:20).

He shows how grace gives us a righteous standing before
God: "Being justified freely by His grace, through the re-
demption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

He shows how God’s grace has given believers a position
in heaven: "[He] hath... made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus... for by grace are ye saved, through
faith...." (Eph. 2:6,8).

He shows how God’s grace is sufficient for our difficulties
and can help us to live consistent Christian lives: "My grace
is sufficient for thee" (II Cor. 12:9). "And God is able to
make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having
all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work"
(II Cor. 9:8).

Accept salvation "by grace, through faith" as "the gift of
God" (Eph. 2:8,9), and eternal life is yours.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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THE TWELVE APOSTLES AND PAUL

By Cornelius R. Stam

In comparing the ministry of the twelve apostles with that
of the Apostle Paul, we must observe carefully:

1. The twelve were chosen by Christ on earth (Luke 6:13)
while Paul was later chosen by Christ in heaven (Acts 9:3-6;
26:16).

2. Prior to Paul’s conversion the twelve had known
Christ only in the flesh on earth (I John 1:1). Even at His
ascension to heaven "a cloud received Him out of their
sight" (Acts 1:9). But Paul knew only the glorified Christ
in heaven, having never seen Him on earth (Acts 26:16;
I Cor. 15:8).

3. The twelve represented their own nation. The number
twelve has no connection with the "one body" of Christ.
As we know, Jacob of old "begat the twelve patriarchs" (Acts
7:8). From these sprang the twelve tribes of Israel. These
twelve tribes had twelve princes over them (Num. 1:16).
Even when Israel was ruled by kings there were still to be
twelve princes -- one over each tribe (I Chron. 27:22). Thus,
as He went forth proclaiming "the gospel of the kingdom"
our Lord chose twelve princes for the twelve thrones in the
kingdom to come (Matt. 19:28).

On the other hand, Paul, as one apostle, represents the
"one body," the Church of today (Rom. 12:5; I Cor. 12:13;
Eph. 4:4). However, he was both a born Hebrew and a born
Roman, so represented believing Jews and Gentiles "recon-
ciled... unto God in one body by the cross" (Eph. 2:16).

4. The twelve were sent to proclaim Christ’s kingdom
"at hand" (Matt. 10:7) and later to offer its establishment
on earth (Acts 3:19-26). But Paul was sent to proclaim "the
gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) while the kingdom
is held in abeyance.

5. The ministry of the twelve was based on covenant
promises (Isa. 60:1-3; Luke 1:70-75; Acts 3:22-26). Paul’s
ministry was not based on covenant promises, but wholly
on the grace of God through Christ (Rom. 3:21-28; 5:20,21;
Eph. 1:6,7; 2:7; etc.).
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PARDON vs. JUSTIFICATION

By Cornelius R. Stam

PARDON vs. JUSTIFICATION

Did you read, recently, about the man, named Zimmer-
man, who spent nearly twenty-five years in prison for a
murder which, it is now clear, he never committed! The
mistake was discovered two years ago, and he was released,
of course, but only after spending almost a quarter of a
century in prison for a crime he did not commit!

This was a grim mistake, but even at that, it must be
wonderful in such a case, to be free -- and to have people
actually sympathize with you! Yet, after two years of lib-
erty, Zimmerman says he still feels a bit numb. Waking
up mornings he still imagines he hears the harsh sound of
the prison bell, and looking about he still thinks he sees
bars on the windows.

Things could be worse, though: Suppose he were guilty
of the crime, merely pardoned and released. Then everyone
would be saying: "There goes that murderer. They par-
doned him. Don’t get too friendly with him." The stigma
would always remain - -as long as he lived.

Let us thank God that believers in Christ are not merely
pardoned. Rom. 3:24 declares that we are "justified freely
by [God’s] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus."

Christ died for our sins and satisfied the just claims of the
Law, and more: through the Holy Spirit He revolutionizes
our lives and makes new creations out of us, for "If any man
be in Christ," says II Cor. 5:17, "he is a new creation."

"For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10).
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WHAT SHALL WE DO?

By Cornelius R. Stam

When John the Baptist appeared as Christ’s forerunner,
God’s chosen people had lived under the law of Moses for
fifteen hundred years but had not kept it. Hence John’s call
to repentance and baptism for the remission of sins (Mark
1:4).

John was in earnest, too, for when the thoughtless mul-
titude came to him to be baptized, he sent them back, say-
ing: "Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:7,8).
Their lives were to be changed and they were to show it.

When the people asked: "What shall we do, then?" he told
them to live for others rather than for self (Luke 3:10,11).
When the tax collectors asked: "What shall we do?" he de-
manded that they stop cheating the tax payers and live
honestly (Vers. 12,13). When the soldiers asked: "What
shall we do?" he told them to forbear violence, false accusa-
tion and bribery (Ver. 14). Clearly, righteousness was de-
manded under John’s message. His hearers were to repent,
be baptized, and bring forth the fruits of true repentance.

When our Lord appeared, He proclaimed the same mes-
sage as John (Matt. 3:1,2; 4:17). A lawyer asked: "What
shall I do to inherit eternal life?" and He replied: "What is
written in the law?" When the lawyer recited the basic com-
mands of the Law, our Lord answered: "This do and thou
shalt live" (Luke 10:25-28). God was still demanding right-
eousness. They were all under the Law (Gal. 4:4,5; Matt.
23:1,2; etc.).

Some suppose this was all changed after Calvary by the
so-called "great commission." This is not so. When, at Pen-
tecost, Peter’s hearers were convicted of their sins and
asked "What shall we do?" Peter commanded them to "re-
pent and be baptized... for the remission of sins" just as
John had done (Mark 1:4; cf. Acts 2:38). He did not tell
them that Christ had died for their sins.

Paul was the first to say: "But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested... [We] declare His
righteousness for the remission of sins" (Rom. 3:21-26).

When the Gentile jailor fell on his knees and asked: "What
must I do to be saved?" Paul replied: "Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30,31). This
is God’s message for sinners today, for "we have redemption
through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of sins according to
the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS

By Cornelius R. Stam

Some three thousand years ago, and about one thousand
years before Christ, the Psalmist said:

"If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee..." (Psa. 130:3,4).

The Psalmist did not explain, however, upon what basis
a just and holy God could forgive a guilty sinner. This was
to be proclaimed one thousand years later by the Apostle
Paul, himself once "a blasphemer, and a persecutor and
injurious"; the "chief" of sinners, but forgiven and saved by
the infinite grace of God (Tim. 1:13-15).

Preaching Christ at Antioch, in the province of Pisidia,
Paul declared:

"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that THROUGH THIS MAN IS PREACHED UNTO YOU THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, AND BY HIM ALL THAT BELIEVE ARE JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS, FROM WHICH YE COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES" (Acts 13:38,39).

But even this does not fully answer our question, for we
must still ask: On what basis does God forgive sins through
"this Man"? The answer is: on the basis of His payment for
our sins on Calvary’s cross. Thus the Apostle wrote to the
Romans, explaining how we may be...

"...justified freely by His [God’s] grace, THROUGH THE
REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS" (Rom. 3:24).

Now, thank God, through Christ’s finished work, there is
not a sinner who needs to remain unforgiven, for:

"In [Christ] we have redemption, through His blood, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE" (Eph. 1:7).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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WHAT IS GRACE?

By Cornelius R. Stam

"The father of lies" always hates the truth, but he does
not always oppose it by the same methods. If he fails to
succeed as a roaring lion he may appear as an angel of
light, suggesting that surely a God of love will not condemn
Christ-rejectors forever. Sinners, he will contend, are not
responsible for their sins anyway, for does not Eph. 1:11
teach that "[God] worketh all things after the counsel of His
own will"? And thus God Himself is supposed to have con-
ceived the idea of sin as "a gracious means to a glorious
end," and to have caused man to fall into sin so that He
might finally save him from it!

Why an almighty, all-wise, all-loving God permitted sin
to enter the universe must, for the time being, remain an
impenetrable mystery to us, but one thing is certain: He is
not the author of sin, and never accepts the responsibility
for it -- except that in grace and love He bore its penalty for
man.

God calls sinners "children of disobedience" and "children
of wrath" (Eph. 2:2,3), explaining in the clearest language
that He hates sin and that His anger is kindled against it
(Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; John 3:36). But if God meant man to
sin and caused him to sin, how was man disobedient and
what cause could God have to be angry? Those who would
shift the responsibility for sin from themselves to God
should remember that He proclaimed His standards of
righteousness in the Law "that every mouth may be stopped
and that all the world may be brought in guilty before God"
(Rom. 3:19).

The contention that all will finally be saved may at first
sound like wonderful grace, but actually there is not one
particle of grace in it, for it is based on the theory that since
God got us into sin it is only just that He save us from its
penalty. But grace is God’s mercy and kindness to the un-
deserving. In Eph. 2, after calling sinners "children of dis-
obedience" and therefore "children of wrath," the Apostle
Paul goes on to say:

"BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us... hath quickened us... raised us up... and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:4-7).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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TWO THINGS WE KNOW

By Cornelius R. Stam

In Romans 8 St. Paul points to two great truths which
every true believer knows. The first (Verses 22,23) he
knows by experience; the second (Verse 28) he knows by
faith.

Rom. 8:22,23: "For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And
not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits
of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our
body."

The words "until now," in this passage, are significant,
for our Lord came to earth healing the sick, cleansing the
lepers, making the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the
lame to leap for joy. But He was rejected by sinful men and
nailed to a cross.

After His resurrection and ascension His persecutors
were given another chance, however, as Peter called upon
them to repent so that "the times of refreshing" might still
"come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19,20). But
again the King and His blessed kingdom were rejected so
that, in the words of Paul, the whole creation continues to
groan and travail in pain "together until now."

But in this passage the Apostle points out that even God’s
children are not exempt from this suffering, for the most
sincere believer, the most consecrated saint, must still par-
take of the sufferings and sorrows of the world while he
waits for "the redemption of our body," when "we shall all
be changed" (I Cor. 15:51).

But while every believer knows about suffering and sor-
row by experience, there is something else he knows by
faith. Verse 28 speaks of this:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

The true Christian is not a mere optimist; he is a believer
in God’s Word, and God has much to say about how He is
working all out for the good of His own. We have room here
to quote but two passages:

II Cor. 4:17: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, orketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Rom. 8:18: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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THE ONE TRUE CHURCH

By Cornelius R. Stam

Religious people -- even sincere Christian people -- may
divide themselves into various denominations or churches,
but there is no indication in the Bible that God recognizes
these divisions. Indeed, God makes it abundantly clear that
in His sight there is but one Church, composed of all who
truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. In
I Cor. 12:12,13 the Apostle Paul declares by divine inspira-
tion:

"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the mem-
bers of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ:

"FOR BY ONE SPIRIT ARE WE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE
BODY...."

Again, in Rom. 12:5, he says:

"SO WE, BEING MANY, ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND EVERY
ONE MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER."

Indeed, it is on the basis of the fact that there is but "one
body" in God’s sight that He exhorts us to seek to "keep the
unity of the Spirit":

"ENDEAVORING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE
BOND OF PEACE.

"THERE IS ONE BODY...." (Eph. 4:3,4).

How can we become members of that "one Body ," the true
Church? Ephesians 2 explains how Christ died for all, Jew
and Gentile alike, "that He might reconcile both unto God in
one body by the cross..." (Ver. 16). Indeed the Epistles of
St. Paul show how God "hath concluded... all in unbelief
that He might have mercy upon all" (Rom. 11:32), and offer
to them reconciliation and salvation by grace through faith
in Christ who died for our sins.

The question, then, is not: What church do you belong to?
but, Do you belong to the Church, the Body of Christ, com-
posed of all who have acknowledged themselves to be sin-
ners in the sight of God and have trusted in Christ and
His finished work for salvation?
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THE SPIRIT OF FAITH

By Cornelius R. Stam

It is thrilling to hear the Psalmist, though "greatly af-
flicted," say: "I believed, therefore have I spoken" (Psa.
116:10).

It is thrilling too, to see the Apostle Paul, though "trou-
bled... perplexed... persecuted... cast down... always de-
livered unto death for Jesus’ sake," -- it is thrilling to see
him take his stand with David and to hear him speak of
having "the same spirit of faith," adding: "we also believe
and therefore speak" (II Cor. 4:8-13).

If only all who believe the glorious message of God’s
grace: that believers in Christ are accepted in Him, pro-
nounced "complete" and baptized into one body by one di-
vine baptism -- if all who believed these truths would speak
out today, there would be a sweeping revival tomorrow in
the Church, the Body of Christ. If, putting all other con-
siderations aside they would openly and honestly say: "We
also believe and therefore speak," the results would be as
refreshing as far reaching. And they should speak, for this
is "the spirit of faith."

But, alas, there are few who possess "the spirit of faith";
few who will stand, regardless of consequences, for the light
God has given to them. Some maintain a discreet silence
for the "fear of man"; others because they love "the praise of
men." Both say: "One must be careful what one says, for
these truths are not popular," but both alike are guilty of
unfaithfulness to God and the truth.

With God’s help, let us not be among them. Let us, where
the truth is concerned, stand with David and Paul and say:
"We also believe and therefore speak!" Let us be among
those who truly possess "the spirit of faith," who are deter-
mined to "stand fast in the faith" and ready to "fight the
good fight of [the] faith" (1 Cor. 16:13; I Tim. 6:12).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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OUR ONLY BOAST

By Cornelius R. Stam

"God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Gal. 6:14).

St. Paul was once a proud Pharisee, smug in his self-
righteousness. In Phil. 3:5,6 he lists some of the things in
which he took great pride:

"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."

But everything was changed since that day when the
Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Suddenly
he had seen himself a lost, condemned sinner in the sight of
a holy God and had tasted the matchless grace that could
reach down from heaven and save even him. He knew now
that he could not stand before God in himself, or "on his
own two feet," as we say. His only safety, before the bar of
God, was to take refuge in Christ, as he says in Verse 9:

"And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. "

Now he knew, as we all should know, that he really had
nothing to boast of as far as his own standing before God
was concerned. For the rest of his life, however, he did con-
stantly boast of one thing: the cross, where the Christ
whom he had so bitterly persecuted had died for his sins
that he (Paul) might be justified before God. All else of
which Paul boasted was embraced in the cross of Christ.
This too, is really the only thing we have to boast of and
the most godly saint will enthusiastically join Paul in say-
ing:

"But God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE

By Cornelius R. Stam

Have you ever considered carefully the opening words of
the Bible? "In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth." Why doesn’t it simply say that God created the uni-
verse? Why the heaven and the earth?

As we go on reading we find the answer to this question,
for the Bible clearly teaches that God has a twofold pur-
pose; one having to do with the earth and the other with
heaven. The former is the subject of prophecy, while the
latter is the subject of "the mystery," or secret, revealed to
and through St. Paul. (See Acts 3:21; and cf. Rom. 16:25).
The former concerns Israel and the nations, the latter "the
Body of Christ," the Church of the heavenly calling.

Some people are surprised to learn that there is not one
promise in the whole Old Testament about going to heaven.
There the whole outlook is earthly, with Messiah reigning
as King (Jer. 23:5, et al). When our Lord appeared in the
flesh the angels proclaimed "peace on earth" (Luke 2:14).
He Himself said that "the meek" should "inherit the earth"
(Matt. 5:5). He taught His disciples to pray: "Thy will be
done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10). Even at Pen-
tecost Peter declared that after "the restitution of all
things" God would send Jesus back to earth and the times
of refreshing would "come from the presence of the Lord"
(Acts 3:19-21).

Not until the raising up of Paul do we learn that now all
believers in Christ are "baptized into one body" (1 Cor.
12:13), and Col. 1:5 and many other Pauline passages speak
of "the hope which is laid up for you in heaven." Indeed,
before God believers are already given a position "in heav-
enly places" and are "blessed with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3; 2:4-7).

The prophecies regarding the kingdom, however, will still
be fulfilled and Christ will reign on earth and bring the
promised "times of refreshing." Thank God, this world will
not forever be a place of war and bloodshed, sickness and
death, misery and woe. Indeed, at that time, heaven and
earth will be opened to each other, and thus will be fulfilled
God’s twofold purpose: "That in the dispensation of the ful-
ness of times He might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth;
even in Him" (Eph. 1:10).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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WHEN THE LORD WOULDN’T ANSWER

By Cornelius R. Stam

In the various accounts of our Lord’s earthly ministry we
find three occasions when He declined to answer those who
appealed to Him or questioned Him.

First there is the Gentile woman of Matt. 15:21-28. Her
daughter was possessed of a demon and in her trouble she
appealed to the Lord to help her, "but He answered her not a
word." Finally, in His grace He did help her, but not until
He had taught her the lesson that as a Gentile she had no
claim on Him. As Romans 1:28 tells us, the Gentiles had
been "given up" because "they did not wish to retain God in
their knowledge." In this connection we Gentiles should
read carefully Eph. 2:11,12 and see how utterly without
hope we are apart from the grace of God.

Next there was a Jewess, in trouble of a different kind.
She had been caught in adultery and was brought to Him
for judgment (John 8:1-11). Unlike the Gentile woman, she
belonged to the chosen race and possessed God’s holy Law, a
distinct advantage -- unless you are a lawbreaker. Our Lord,
in grace, also helped her, but not until He had demon-
strated that the Law is the great leveler of mankind, bring-
ing all in guilty before God (Rom. 3:19).

But finally we find how it was that our Lord could show
grace -- and do it justly -- to sinners, both Jewish and Gen-
tile, for in the third instance we find the Lord Himself in
trouble. On trial for His life before the representatives of
Hebrew and Roman law, He is accused of all sorts of wicked
crimes. But on this occasion too, He declines to answer.

First Caiaphas, the High Priest, asked Him: "Answerest
Thou nothing? What is it which these witness against Thee?
But Jesus held His peace..." (Matt. 26:62,63).

Next Pilate, the Gentile judge, said: "Hearest Thou not
how many things they witness against Thee? And He an-
swered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor
marvelled greatly" (Matt. 27:12-14).

Why did our Lord decline to answer and defend Himself?
Because He had come into the world especially to die for
man’s sins. Had the sinners of all ages been there to accuse
Him of their sins, He would still have remained speechless,
for He stood there as man’s representative, so that we sin-
ners might be "justified freely by God’s grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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NOT ALWAYS SO BAD!

By Cornelius R. Stam

Have you heard the story of Honus? Honus was a wicked
old renegade who lived in a small country town. When he
died his body lay in the funeral parlor for three days with-
out anyone even taking notice. Finally, on the day of the
burial, a few of his old cronies did stop by to at least pay
their respects.

As they gathered, the funeral director said: "Now fellows,
we can’t bury Honus like a dog. We’ve got to have some
kind of service for him. Won’t somebody here take charge?"
But the silence was profound, so finally the funeral director
himself agreed to take charge.

He began by asking whether there wasn’t someone who
had some good word to say for Honus before they buried
him. Again there was a deep silence, until finally one old
man stood up and said: "Well, I can say this much for
Honus; he wasn’t always as bad as he sometimes was."

To be honest, isn’t this true of all of us? Some people take
offense at Rom. 3:22,23, which says: "For there is no dif-
ference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God." They think there is a difference, and that they have
not been as sinful as others. Ah, but while there may be a
difference in the nature or the degree of our sins, Romans 3
is right when it says that there is no difference in this: that
"all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." A
person may put up a good front, feeling that he is not
nearly so great a sinner as others, but whether a bridge is
ten feet or a hundred feet short of spanning the chasm, it is
still useless, so don’t try crossing it.

This is why we all need "the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of [God’s] grace" (Eph. 1:7). And we may have
this by trusting in the Christ who died for our sins (1 Cor.
15:3). "For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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WHICH GOSPEL?

By Cornelius R. Stam

A friend asks: "Have you heard the good news?" and you
reply: "What good news?" Naturally! All good news is not
the same. Yet few people follow this procedure when they
read in the Bible the phrase "the gospel" -- which simply
means "the good news." They have been taught that "the
gospel is the gospel" and "there is only one gospel," but this
is simply not so in the light of the Bible itself.

God has not proclaimed only one gospel, one item of good
news, down through the ages, but many. He has qualified
the word "gospel" by distinctive titles, just as a woman
labels her preserves to distinguish the different goodies she
has put up for the winter.

The "gospel of the kingdom" and the "gospel of the grace
of God" are not the same, and certainly the "gospel of the
circumcision" and the "gospel of the uncircumcision" are
not the same.

When we come upon the phrase "the gospel" without any
qualifying title, we should immediately ask: "Which gos-
pel?" and invariably the context will provide the answer.
Luke 9:6, for example, simply states that the twelve dis-
ciples went about "preaching the gospel," but Verse 2 of the
same chapter explains how the Lord had sent them "to
preach the kingdom of God" -- not the cross, but the king-
dom, since He, the King, was in their midst. These disciples
could not have engaged in "the preaching of the cross," as
Paul later did, for it was not until at least two years later
that the Lord "began" to tell them how He must suffer and
die (Matt. 16:21) and Peter "began to rebuke Him" (Ver. 22)
and none of the twelve even understood what He was
talking about (Luke 18:34).

But whereas "the gospel of the kingdom" had been com-
mitted to the twelve while Christ was on earth, "the preach-
ing of the cross" (as good news) and "the gospel of the grace
of God" was later committed to the Apostle Paul and to us
(1 Cor. 1:18; Acts 20:24).

Today we do not proclaim the kingdom rights of Christ.
Rather we proclaim "redemption through His blood, the for-
giveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph.
1:7).
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CONFESSING CHRIST

By Cornelius R. Stam

"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9, 10).

In these sublime words the Apostle Paul sets forth God’s
simple plan of salvation. He calls it, in the preceding verse,
"The word of faith, which we preach."

But often babes in Christ are urged to get to their feet in
public testimony on the basis of the words: "If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth... thou shalt be saved." Thus new
Christians are given to feel that a heart faith is not enough
to make them secure; that not until they have risen in pub-
lic testimony are they saved and safe.

But what, then, does the Apostle mean by these words?
Does he not plainly say, "If thou shalt confess... thou shalt
be saved?" Yes, but here again, as with so many other pas-
sages, a traditional meaning has been superimposed upon
the actual words of Scripture. What does the English word
"confess" mean? Why, nothing more than to "acknowledge,"
to "admit." And this is exactly what the original Greek
word means too, nor does Rom. 10:9,10 say anything about
confessing before men.

The trouble is that the idea of confession has been
changed to profession -- even public profession -- and multi-
tudes have followed the tradition of the fathers instead of
examining the Word to see what it actually says. And so
"the word of faith" has been corrupted.

But does not the Apostle clearly say "If thou shalt con-
fess with thy mouth... thou shalt be saved?" Indeed! And
he adds, "and shalt believe in thine heart!" Now let us ask:
Is it with that physical organ which pumps blood into our
veins that we believe on Christ as our Savior? Oh, no! You
say that is merely a figure of speech; somehow the heart is
associated with believing. Exactly! Then you would insist
that it is with the physical mouth we must confess! Can
mutes not be saved then?

As if anticipating the misinterpretation of his words, the
Spirit-inspired Apostle adds:

"For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Vers. 11, 13).

This is "the word of faith, which we preach."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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UNTIL WHEN?

By Cornelius R. Stam

One of the greatest prophecies of Scripture is found in
Psalm 110:1 where David wrote: "The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thine enemies
Thy footstool."

In Matt. 22:41-46 our Lord explained that this was a
prophecy about Himself, David’s Son and Lord. Men might
hate Him and cry "Away with Him!" They might nail Him
to a tree and laugh and sneer at Him, but God the Father
responds by saying: "Here, come sit at My right hand until I
make your enemies your footstool."

We should never forget that according to Bible prophecy
God’s response to man’s rejection of Christ was to be judg-
ment and wrath. In Psalm 2 the question is asked why
the nations rage and the people of Israel imagine a vain
thing: that they can get along without the One whom God
has anointed to be King. The Psalm depicts God laughing
at their attempts to thwart His purposes and predicts that
"the Lord shall have them in derision" and "speak unto them
in His wrath."

At Pentecost all was ready for the judgment to fall.
Christ had been crucified and "the last days" had begun, as
Peter declared in Acts 2:16,17, quoting from the prophet
Joel. But strangely, while some of Joel’s prophecy was ful-
filled, or began to be fulfilled, at that time, the rest of it
was not, for God did not -- and has not yet -- sent the prophesied judgment.

Thank God, in infinite grace He interrupted the prophetic
program, delayed the remainder of its fulfillment and re-
vealed to the Apostle Paul His secret purpose to offer to His
enemies everywhere salvation and reconciliation by free
grace, through faith in the crucified, risen Savior.

In His Ephesian letter the Apostle asks whether they
have heard of "the dispensation of the grace of God, which is
given me to you-ward; how that by revelation He made
known unto me the mystery" (Eph. 3:1-3). Now, thank God,
His eternal purpose in Christ is no longer a secret. While
the day of grace lasts we may be "justified freely by His
grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom.
3:24).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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JUSTIFIED FREELY

By Cornelius R. Stam

"Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).

It is wonderful to know that we sinners are not justified
by praying, or paying, or saying, or sighing, or crying, or
doing anything. We are justified freely, by the grace of God.

But this passage from Romans will mean more to us
when we learn how the word rendered "freely" here is
translated elsewhere in the Bible. The same expression is
found in John 15:25, where our Lord, quoting from the
Psalms, said: "They hated me without a cause."

Why did men hate Him? He went about doing nothing
but good: healing the sick, giving the blind their sight,
causing the lame to leap for joy, preaching good news to the
poor and deliverance to those who were bound. There was
no good reason for crying, "Away with Him!" and "Crucify
Him!" They hated Him "without a cause."

But in the same way we might ask: "Why should He die
for sinners? Why should He pay for their sins? He had done
nothing wrong." Ah, it was in love that He deliberately gave
Himself into the hands of sinful men, that He, the sinless
One, might pay for their sins. He did not die His own
death, for death is "the wages of sin." He died our death,
paying for our sins. So, as men hated Him "without a
cause" (except their own sinful condition), so Christ has
"Justified" believers "without a cause" (except His own
divine love).

And so it is that we can now proclaim the glorious news
that God has sent us to tell all mankind, that His right-
eousness is conferred "upon all those who believe," and that
believers are "justified freely by His grace, through the re-
demption that is in Christ Jesus."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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THE VALUE OF ONE INDIVIDUAL PERSON

By Cornelius R. Stam

Just imagine! It had been three weeks since a big Air
Force plane had disappeared over the Pacific with a crew of
eight and a Navy enlisted man.

Now, in that general vicinity, the pilot of an Air Force
cargo plane reported sighting a raft with one man standing
up in it, waving for help.

Almost immediately the Air Force dispatched sixteen
planes to the area and called upon all ships nearby to help,
in the hope of finding this one man.

Again and again we have witnessed the almost unlimited
effort and expense that men will go to to rescue even one of
their fellowmen from death. This is as it should be, for it is
only in this life that we can prepare for eternity and it is
important that each of us should have the greatest possible
opportunity to prepare, in case through carelessness we
may have put this important matter off.

It was with eternity in mind that the Lord Jesus Christ
paid the greatest possible price to save men from judgment
to come, and what the Bible calls "the second death."

"Christ also hath once suffered for sins," says I Pet. 3:18,
"the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."
Tit. 2:14 says that "He gave Himself for us that He might
redeem us from all iniquity." I Pet. 2:24 declares that He
"bore our sins in His own body on the tree," and in Gal. 2:20
St. Paul exclaims: "He loved me and gave Himself for me."

After three weeks alone on the ocean, the man referred
to above was keenly conscious of his need. He stood up and
waved frantically, in the hope that someone on the plane
might see him and bring help. Some people, adrift in this
world of sin and trouble, go on for many years before they
become aware of their need-or at least, before they will
acknowledge it. But not until we do acknowledge our sin
and our need, can we expect help or salvation. "Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15).
Good people do not need a Savior, but who is really good?
Rom. 3:23 says that "all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God," and our consciences bear witness. But let us
rejoice that "Christ died for our sins," and trust Him for
salvation. "He that believeth on the Son [of God] hath ever-
lasting life" (John 3:36).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH

By Cornelius R. Stam

St. Paul wrote to Timothy, many centuries ago: "All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in right-
eousness" (II Tim. 3: 16).

The Apostle referred, of course, to the sacred Scriptures,
also called The Bible and The Word of God. All of it, he
says, is "God-breathed and profitable," to "teach," to "re-
prove," to "correct" and to "instruct."

But why, then, have so many heresies and false teachings
sprung up through the years - all based upon the Bible?
And why have so many thousands of sincere people been led
astray by these false teachings?

The reason is that teachers and followers alike have
failed to heed another important statement which Paul
made in this same letter prior to his declaration that all
Scripture is inspired of God and profitable. This statement
is found in Chapter 2, Verse 15:

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth."

The Bible can prove "profitable" to us only as we "rightly
divide" it. We must rightly divide the Word of truth for the
simple reason that if we do not do this we can pervert the
truth and change it into error. Through the centuries God
has periodically altered His dealings with mankind. Many
religious rites which were commanded in Old Testament
times are positively forbidden in this present dispensation
of grace.

In Old Testament times, for example, animal sacrifices
were required for acceptance with God, and from John the
Baptist through Pentecost water baptism was required
(Lev. 17:11; Mk. 1:4; Acts 2:38), but some years after the
death of Christ Paul was sent forth with "the preaching of
the cross," and he declared that: "We have redemption
through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of sins according to
the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). "Being justified freely by
[God’s] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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THE WATER OF LIFE

By Cornelius R. Stam

For almost twenty-four hours, recently, Chicagoans had
to boil their drinking water! Millions of small fish had
jammed the water intakes far out in Lake Michigan, and
had died there. It was, of course, a major operation to clear
them all away and to make sure that Chicago’s drinking
water was uncontaminated.

It is of the utmost importance, always, that the water we
drink is pure and fresh, and this is no less so where spir-
itual matters are concerned. The Bible has much to say
about stagnant water, and foul water, and poisoned water,
but the water which God would give to us is called in Scrip-
ture, "the pure water of life," doubtless because it is so
wholesome and refreshing.

Perhaps the reader will recall the picture our Lord drew
for that fallen Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar.
John 4:10-14 tells how he and this woman had discussed
Jacob’s well. Somehow she seemed to sense that He was
contrasting her vain pursuit of pleasure with eternal life,
when He said:

"Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the
water that I shall give him shall be in him, a [fountain] of water, spring-
ing up into everlasting life" (Vers. 13,14).

How true this is! The pleasures of this world do not sat-
isfy. Men go on "pursuing pleasure" to keep from being
bored, but the everlasting life that God gives to those who
trust in Christ is a never-ending source of refreshment and
joy. Also, it provides the greatest incentive to serve Him.

Those who possess the joy of sins forgiven and of peace
with God naturally long to serve and please Him, and God
desires no service except that which springs from genuine
gratitude and love. "We love Him because He first loved us"
(I John 4:19).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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HAVE YOU HEARD?

By Cornelius R. Stam

"If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward" (Eph. 3:2).

Could it be that those to whom Paul addressed his
Ephesian letter had not yet heard that God had committed
to him "the dispensation of grace"?

Next to the death and resurrection of Christ, the conver-
sion of Paul and his commission to proclaim "the gospel of
the grace of God" was the greatest event in history .

The apostles at Jerusalem had recognized the importance
of Paul’s part in the divine program. They themselves had
at first been sent by Christ into "all the world," yet in Gal.
2:9 we find James, Peter and John publicly shaking hands
with Paul in a solemn agreement that he should henceforth
be the apostle to the nations.

Could it be that some twelve years later, when he wrote
the Ephesian letter, there were any who professed the
name of Christ who had not heard of Paul’s special place in
the program of God as the apostle of grace? Little wonder
his words "if ye have heard" carry with them a touch of
reproach.

It is possible, of course, that there were some among
them, but recently brought into the Church, who had not
heard, but what seems utterly incredible is that there
should be even one believer at this late date who has not
heard that after Christ and His kingdom had been rejected
and the world was ripe for prophesied judgment to fall, God
intervened, saving Saul, His chief enemy on earth, and
sending him forth with "the good news of the grace of God."

This good news is based, of course, upon the fact that
since Christ was the spotless Lamb of God, His death is
accepted by God as full satisfaction for the sinner. Thus
Paul, by divine inspiration, declares that believers are
"justified freely by His [God’s] grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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THE ACCEPTED TIME

By Cornelius R. Stam

The city of Chicago recently witnessed one of the most
daring robberies in its history.

Right in the heart of the Loop, on busy State Street,
while all the stores were open for business, two masked
robbers entered Lebolt’s Jewelry Store. One of them did not
even carry a weapon, but the other had a revolver in each
hand, so while he kept the two customers and eight em-
ployees under control, the other went to the window and
scooped up more than $250,000.00 worth of diamonds and
jewelry. And all this with an audience looking in at the
window. Nobody wanted to get involved.

Roy Lloyd, Lebolt’s "diamond man," said: "It was like a
weird dream. Here I was watching the man shovel dia-
monds into his bag, and at the same time I could see people
out on State Street, watching him do it."

This sort of thing seems almost unbelievable, but ac-
tually it is not, in the light of our times, for this is no iso-
lated incident. Never has morality been at so low an ebb
among nations and individuals -- and never has the crime
rate been so high. This should cause thinking people to
recall what the Bible says about the closing days of the age
of grace in which we live.

II Tim. 3:1-5: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

"For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

"Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

"Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..."

Doesn’t this sound very much like the times in which we
live? And should it not cause us to consider whether "the
dispensation of the grace of God" might not be drawing to a
close? At this moment God is still sending forth His ambas-
sadors to proclaim salvation by grace, through faith in
Christ who died for our sins, but more than ever we should
heed the exhortation of St. Paul: "Receive not the grace of
God in vain.... Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold,
NOW is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:1,2).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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SOBER CHRISTIANS

By Cornelius R. Stam

"Let us, who are of the day, be sober..." (I Thes. 5:8).

Many people entertain the erroneous idea that truly spir-
itual Christians must always be solemn and long-faced. In
fact, they suppose that such Scripture passages as the above
teach this.

Nothing could be farther from the truth, for the word
"sober," in our English New Testament does not mean
solemn, but completely under control. This is also true of
the original Greek word from which the English word
"sober" is translated.

Sobriety in Scripture, as in modern English, is the op-
posite of drunkenness. This is brought out in the rest of the
passage cited above. Along with its context, the above ex-
hortation reads as follows:

"For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken be drunken in the night.

"But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation.

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

"Who died for us that... we should live together with Him" (I Thes.5:7-10).

Thus those who are "of the day," and know Christ as
their Savior, should not "sleep" on the one hand, or "be
drunken" on the other, but should be awake and alert, their
faculties completely under control, so that they might wit-
ness the more effectively to the saving grace of Christ.

If ever there was a time when true Christians should
"watch and be sober," it is now.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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THE END OF THE WORLD

By Cornelius R. Stam

There has been a great deal of discussion lately about
some Hindu astrologers who have predicted that this world
will come to an end this February. The fact is that some
sincere Christians fear that these prophets might be right,
since our Lord did speak several times about the coming
"end of the world."

These Hindu astrologers, however, are wrong. This Feb-
ruary will not see the end of the world, for according to the
Bible the world, or earth, will never come to an end. The
word "world," which our Lord uses in this connection, does
not refer to the earth, or even the people on it. It is the old
Greek word aion, or age. Several ages in God’s program
have already come to an end, and others will, but no matter
what destructive weapons man may devise, the earth will
never be destroyed. In Isaiah 45:18 we read:

"For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens: God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it; He created it not in vain; He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none else."

But doesn’t Rev. 21:1 predict "a new heaven and a new
earth"? Yes, but the context clearly indicates that this re-
fers to the future renewing of the present heaven and earth,
not the creating of different ones. Verse 5 says: "He that
sat upon the throne: said, Behold I make all things new."
Note: He didn’t say "I make all new things," but "I make all
things new." There is a difference.

We should not be concerned about the end of the world,
but rather about the end of this present age in which we
live under "the dispensation of the grace of God," for God
has never promised how long this will last. Every hour He
delays the return of Christ to recall His ambassadors, is an
hour of wonderful grace, in which men may be saved by
grace, through faith in Christ who died for our sins. This is
why Paul urges us:

"We then, as workers together with [Christ], beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.... Behold, NOW is the accepted time; Behold, NOW is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:1,2).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
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GRACE AND PEACE

By Cornelius R. Stam

For many years this writer, along with the mass of reli-
gious people, supposed that the Bible phrase "grace and
peace be unto you" was simply a beautiful, spiritual sal-
utation. Thank God we have come to learn that it is much
more than a salutation. It is an official proclamation.

Every single one of the epistles signed by St. Paul opens
with the declaration: "Grace be unto you and peace, from
God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." This was
the theme of the message which he, as a duly appointed
ambassador, had been sent to proclaim.

To appreciate this fully we must remember that God had
declared in prophecy that He would reply to the world’s
rejection of Christ with judgment. Psa. 110:1 pictures the
Father saying to the Son: "Sit Thou at My right hand, until
I make Thine enemies Thy footstool." Psa. 2:5 declares:
"Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them
in His sore displeasure."

After the crucifixion and ascension of Christ it seemed
that all was ready for the judgment to fall. As the signs of
Pentecost appeared Peter declared: "This is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16) and it did indeed
look as if the rejected Lord was about to return to "judge
and make war," as Rev. 19:11 puts it. But now, instead of
judgment and war, St. Paul proclaims grace and peace. Does
this not indicate that in grace God interrupted the prophetic
program to bring in the present dispensation under which
God’s ambassadors proclaim with Paul:

"But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned... so might grace reign" (Rom. 5:20,21).

Indeed, Paul the former persecutor was himself the living
demonstration of God’s grace to a Christ-rejecting world. In
I Tim. 1:15,16 he declares:

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

"Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting."
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Subscribe at:
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Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email: berean@execpc.com

NOTE: This my last day on ChristianUnite

Grace & Peace

GOOD WORKS

By Cornelius R. Stam

Millions of people are striving to make themselves ac-
ceptable to God by good works. Such people can never be
sure of salvation, for the simple reason that they can never
be sure whether they have done enough good works or
whether they have done them in the right way. Some sup-
pose that heaven can be won if our good works outweigh
our evil works, but this does not make sense either, for good
works are what all of us ought to do and even one evil deed
would prevent a just and holy God from justifying us or
admitting us into His presence.

Let’s not put the cart before the horse. God does expect
good works from His children but not as payment for sal-
vation, for eternal life and glory could not possibly be
bought at any price. "Christ Jesus came into the world,"
says the Apostle Paul, "to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15). Then,
having saved them by grace, He expects them to do good
works out of gratitude.

It is interesting to compare Tit. 3:5 with Tit. 3:8:

Tit. 3:5: "NOT BY WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US."

Tit. 3:8: " ...these things I will that thou affirm constantly, THAT THEY WHICH HAVE BELIEVED IN GOD MIGHT BE CAREFUL TO
MAINTAIN GOOD WORKS. ..."

Faith is the root; good works the fruit. Thus we read in
Eph. 2:8-10:

"For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
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Subscribe at:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/twominut.html
Two Minutes With The Bible By Pastor Stam

Mailing Address:
Berean Bible Society
N112 W17761 Mequon Road
P.O. Box 756
Germantown, WI 53022

Web Site:
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/
Gospel Books, Materials, & Free Mailings

Email: berean@execpc.com

One of my many favorites:

Two Minutes With The Bible

THE CAUSE OF RETARDED GROWTH

In the physical realm retarded growth may be due to
some mishap or may be simply one of the results of the
curse, having no direct bearing on the behavior of the par-
ents, and certainly not of the child itself. In the spiritual
realm this is not so. God has made abundant provision for
every child of God to grow to spiritual manhood, and Paul
rebukes the Corinthian believers for not having grown.

The trouble with the Corinthians was that they did not
have much appetite for the Word; they did not have a pas-
sion to know and obey the truth, for the babe in Christ who
"desires" the pure milk of the Word will surely "grow there-
by." This was the trouble with the Hebrew believers too,
for when the Apostle would have gone further into the
great subject of Christ as "an High Priest forever after the
order of Melchisedec," he was forced to write:

"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull [Gr., nothros, slothful] of hearing" (Heb. 5:11).

This is precisely the cause of the carnality among be-
lievers today. During World War II there were several
occasions when parents came to the writer with letters from
their sons in the armed forces, explaining that a code had
been arranged by which "Johnny" could let them know to
which theatre of war he had been sent, but that now it was
difficult to understand his letter. Together we would sit
down and study the letter in detail in an effort to make out
exactly what it was that "Johnny" was trying to make his
parents understand.

Such interest and concern over a letter from "Johnny"!
And appropriately so, but do the majority of believers show
such interest in the Word of God to them? They do not.
They are satisfied with "the simple things," with knowing
only a few passages which "warm their hearts." This is the
root cause of the spiritual immaturity in the Church today.

Brother Love :)

<:)))><

Quote

But doesn’t Rev. 21:1 predict "a new heaven and a new
earth"? Yes, but the context clearly indicates that this re-
fers to the future renewing of the present heaven and earth,
not the creating of different ones. Verse 5 says: "He that
sat upon the throne: said, Behold I make all things new."
Note: He didn’t say "I make all new things," but "I make all
things new." There is a difference

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Not to be too picky, because Bro. Stam does have some wonderful points and insights, but:
Context definitely says a "new heaven and a new earth", which is in stark juxtaposition to a "renewed heaven, and a renewed earth". Additionally, it says clearly that the first (original) heaven and earth were passed away.

Specifically, the word "new", kainos, means:
1) new
a) as respects form
1) recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn
b) as respects substance
1) of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of

and "passed away", parerchomai, is
c) metaph.
1) to pass away, perish

It appears, by context, word usage, and consideration of other scriptures, that the clear indication is that the heavens and the earth are going to be destroyed, and brand new ones will be re-created.....in other words, all NEW things, instead of all things renewed (or refreshed).

No recycling here.

ChristiansUnite Forums

Theology => Bible Study => Topic started by: Ambassador4Christ on July 30, 2003, 03:37:04 PM