GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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"And So Shall We Ever Be With The Lord"
CONCLUSION
By Keith Blades


We are not only "absent from the Lord" location-wise, but we also sense this issue of being "absent from" Him in our present relationship with Him. Even though by the Holy Spirit we are "one body in Christ" and we have been placed into living-union-relationship with Him as the head of His body, we do not fully sense this right now. For our present "earthly house of this tabernacle" does not allow for us to sense the Lord's full pervading presence as the head of His body. It does not have that capacity. Hence we do not sense that we are 'with the Lord' in our present bodies. Rather our sensed situation, and our real situation, is that "whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord."

But neither our sensed nor our real situation will be that of being "absent from the Lord" when our bodies are redeemed and we are clothed with our "building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." In that day our redeemed bodies will provide for the Lord's full pervading presence as the head of His body to be fully sensed and enjoyed by us. No more, and never more, will we think of ourselves as being "absent from the Lord." Instead we will fully and constantly know that we are "with the Lord" regardless of location.

The Ingenuity of The Body of Christ

So then it is the combination of our new and special living-union-relationship with the Lord as the head of His body, together with our redeemed/changed bodies, that will provide us with the capacity to "ever be with the Lord" from the time of the rapture on, even though we will be residing "in the heavens." From the rapture on the perfection and fullness of Christ's pervading presence will be fully known by us, fully sensed by us, fully experienced by us, and fully enjoyed by us in our glorified bodies. With the result that our location in the heavenly places will not be an obstacle or an hindrance whatsoever to the reality of us "ever being with the Lord." In fact we will be "with the Lord" to the exact same degree, and with the exact same sensing of His presence, as if we were residing on the earth with Him.

Wherefore God's genius in designing and creating "the body of Christ" is indeed marvelous, to say the least. For it not only provides for Him to have a "new creature" for the reconciliation of the heavenly places, but it also provides for Him to have it so that the members of His "new creature" possess a living-union-relationship with Him that is equivalent to the very nature of the relationship that exists between the members of the Godhead themselves. A relationship in which the physical location of the members relative to one another, or their distance one from another at any time, makes no difference whatsoever. Instead by nature they are always 'with one another. '

Therefore with us possessing this same nature of relationship with the Lord in "the body of Christ," and with us possessing its perfection and fullness at the time of the rapture, Paul logically concludes our edification on the details of the rapture by saying, "and so shall we ever be with the Lord." For indeed this will be true of us, even though we will be residing in the heavenly places. - K.R. Blades

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The Convicting Work of the Holy Spirit
by Steve Me Vey



The ministry of the Holy Spirit in bringing conviction into our lives is one of the most misunderstood truths of the New Testament. Many of us have lived for many years with a viewpoint that suggests that one of His main responsibilities is to point out our sins so that we will abandon them. Many are surprised to learn that, while the Holy Spirit does indeed convict us, it isn't about our sins. He convicts us about something altogether different.

Consider John 16:8-11:

8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

This passage says that the Holy Spirit convicts of three things: 1. Sin 2. Righteousness
3. Judgment. He convicts two groups of people: The world (not you) and you (the Christian).

    Who does the Holy Spirit convict of sin? Verse 9 says that the conviction of sin is connected to the world. Why are they convicted? "Because they do not believe in Me," says Jesus. It is the unbeliever who is convicted of sin. What is that sin? They are convicted of one sin in particular-unbelief in Christ. The Holy Spirit doesn't convict unbelievers of their sins (plural), but of the singularly greatest sin of all -- their failure to trust Christ as their Savior.

   Even if they stopped doing all the wrong things they do in life, the world would still have the fundamental problem of their unbelief. When your house is burning to the ground, you don't worry that it needs a paint job. There are more pressing matters. So it is with those who don't know Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts them of their great need to believe in Him. Everything else is incidental.

   But what of the Christian? Jesus said the Spirit would convict of righteousness because "I go to My Father and you no longer see Me." Conviction of sin is directed to a group Jesus called "they" - the world. Conviction of righteousness is associated with "you" - the follower of Jesus. The ministry of the Holy Spirit toward the Christian is to convince us of our righteousness. Jesus has put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself (see Hebrews 9:26). Now He seeks to convince (convict) us of that reality so that we will act consistently with who we are.

   The Spirit of Christ doesn't put you under guilt and condemnation about something Jesus Christ has already absorbed into Himself at the cross, defeated and put away. Remember that Jesus dealt with sin and then sat down by the right hand of God because there was nothing left to do regarding sin. Your sins have been defeated and put away. So at every moment, "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."

When the Christian sins, the Holy Spirit causes us to realize, "This isn't who I am. I don't want to live like this." That realization is a call to recognize our righteousness and act like who we are. If you sense feelings of worthlessness and shame; if you think you are a horrible person when you sin, that isn't the Holy Spirit speaking to you. It may be your church or family history rising up to condemn you, but it isn't God's Spirit. He doesn't do that. Ever.

You can be convinced (convicted) that the ruler of this world (Satan) has already been judged and has nothing on you anymore. Your sins have been defeated, so when you find that you have fallen, don't beat yourself up because God doesn't. Just get up and act like who you are!

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Our Purpose and Mission

The purpose of this ministry "Grace and the Truth" is to be a positive force in winning lost souls to Christ; and to enhance fellowship, to encourage, to strengthen, and to establish Christians who are committed to the truths in the Word of God. It is not the purpose of this ministry to rule over any local church or to establish a denomination, to be sectarian, or to be competitive with any organization. We promote personal Bible study for faith practice, and fellowship.

As we go forward with this purpose, We want to encourage you to study the Word, for help in this area subscribe to our in-depth daily devotions.   They are sure to "enhance fellowship," "encourage," "strengthen" and help "establish" us as Christians. We love you and our hope is in Christ.

(Col 1:27  ......... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.)

Should this Inspirational be a blessing and encouragement to you, why not send to a friend, coworker or, to your loved one who maybe defending the USA. The Word of God is so needed in our troubled world.  It is our heart at GRACE AND THE TRUTH and mission to reach as many people as we possibly can TO SHARE with them the Word of God and all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for members of the body of Christ.

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THE "RIGHTNESS" OF GOD
by C. R. Stam

    St. Paul's great Epistle to the Romans has much to say about "the righteousness of God"; in fact this is the theme of the Book of Romans. Sad to say, however, the Bible is so little read and studied of late that many people do not even know what the word "righteousness" means.

    Actually, every man, woman and child should know about the righteousness of God -- or, to simplify the word -- the rightness of God. It is most important to understand that God does always and only that which is right. He can do nothing and will do nothing that is not right.

    Thus God cannot and does not merely forgive sinners and smuggle them into heaven, for this would not be right. As Job 8:20 rightly says: "Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man; neither will He help evil doers", for neither would be right.

    It was Bildad who said this to Job, and Job replied, almost exasperated: "I know it is so of a truth, but how shall a man be just with God?" In other words, how can a holy God look upon a sinner and pronounce him righteous?

    With this background let's consider Paul's great declaration in Romans 1:16,17:

    *"I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth...for therein is the righteousness [i.e., the rightness] of God revealed...."*

    True the love of God is revealed in the gospel, but what made Paul so proud to proclaim the gospel is the fact that it tells how God dealt "righteously", or rightly with sin, paying its just penalty Himself at Calvary so that He might offer salvation to all by free grace.

    Thus the Apostle declares in Romans 6:23: "The wages of sin is death [this is its just penalty]; but the [free] gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord".

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~REJOICING IN HOPE~
By  FLOYD BAKER, Pastor,



Scripture Reading: Romans 5 :2-5


"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of
the glory of God." This hope that Paul was rejoicing in is ours because of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only because of our "position in Christ" that we have this confident expectation. And it is ours, not because we have been justified by works (Romans 4:1-8 ), or by ordinances (4:9-12), or by law obedience (13-25), but by faith.

In Romans 8:30 the apostle writes, "Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified." Our future glory with Christ is certain because we are "in Christ" and Christ is in us. In Colossians 3:4 we read, "When Christ, Who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory." Again we read in Paul's Philippian letter, "Christ 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" (3:21).

Is it any wonder that we are "rejoicing in that hope?" For the child of God the future is always bright. As the days and years pass by that hope becomes even brighter; but let us not forget that God is able to meet our present needs as well: because the "Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts!" (Romans 5:3-5).

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CHRIST AFTER THE FLESH
Part  1 of 4
by the late Pastor Don Elifson, Chicago, IL




"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more." - 2 Corinthians 5:16


Some theologians have interpreted the phrase "after the flesh" as a reference to the ministry of Christ on the earth and have used this text to prove that believers living in the present dispensation of grace have nothing to do with Jesus of Nazareth. Is this the right meaning of the text? Is this what the Apostle Paul meant by the expression, "What is the relationship of the Body of Christ to the earthly ministry of Christ?"

Some religious people claim that they only believe what Jesus did and taught when He was on earth. The so-called sophisticated theologians say that no one knows what Jesus did and taught on earth. According to their view, the Gospels are myths and these theologians are still searching for the historical Jesus. Paul Tillich uses II Corinthians 5:16 to prove that Christians are to forget about any historical Jesus and be occupied with "the Christ." He says that Schleiermacher's theology should again be tried. Schleiermacher insisted that one could be a Christian even if he did not believe that Jesus existed. Jesus may have been here on earth, but belief in Jesus' incarnation, death and resurrection are not essential to Christianity. Man is to believe in the Christ spirit according to this type of theology.

How, then, is the expression "after the flesh" to be understood? Does Paul refer to the earthly ministry of Jesus as the incarnate Son of God who died for our sins and was raised bodily from the dead and ascended bodily into heaven? Does the expression mean to know Christ in a carnal manner---that is, to not have a true spiritual comprehension of His person and work?

I believe the latter interpretation is correct. The text cannot refer to the incarnate Christ because Paul would be guilty of contradiction. Over and over again Paul refers to Jesus Christ as the incarnate Son of God. In Romans 1:3 Paul asserts that the gospel is, "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh." In his last epistle Paul says to Timothy, "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel" (II Tim. 2:8 ).

The context of the Corinthian epistles prove that most of the believers viewed the ministry of Paul, Apollos, and Peter in a carnal manner; they judged each other in a carnal way. They had a faulty conception of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul had to declare to them again the essentials of the Gospel (I Cor. 15:1-4). Some were saying in the Corinthian church that there is no resurrection of the dead (I Cor. 15:12). Paul argues that if this premise were true, then we must conclude that Christ was not raised from the dead.

Some of the Corinthian believers had a carnal view of what it meant to be a member of the Body of Christ. They did not realize that being a member of the Body of Christ meant a vital relationship not only to Christ, but to each other.

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CHRIST AFTER THE FLESH
Part  2 OF 4
by the late Pastor Don Elifson, Chicago, IL



Paul declares that the Corinthian congregation gathered together not for the better, but for the worse in the observance of the Lord's Supper. Paul's words are, "Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse" (I Cor. 11:17).

The Corinthians accused Paul of the spiritual crime of making plans and purposes in a fleshly manner, without depending upon the Lord, when he announced that he was going to visit them and take an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Paul defended his ministry in these words, "When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?" The Apostle asserts that his preaching and action was not yes and no but positively yes. Many more illustrations are found in the Corinthian epistles to show the Corinthians that a wrong view of many doctrines and practices included the person and work of Christ.

Paul, as Saul of Tarsus, had a carnal view of the person and work of Christ. It is absolutely essential to understand that Paul always believed that the Christ was coming. The coming of the Messiah was part of the creed of an orthodox Jew, but Israel was disappointed with Jesus' claims to be the Christ and this disappointment finally turned into deep hatred which caused them to crucify Him.

Paul once believed in the Messiah as a political ruler who would save Israel from her enemies. He did not understand that first Israel must be saved from her sins. He could not understand a rejected Christ.

After his conversion, he no longer viewed Christ in a carnal way, but understood that the Christ was to die. He declared, "We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness" (I Cor. 1:23).

Before his conversion, Paul believed in the Christ, but denied that Jesus was the Christ. His ministry to the Jews was not to prove that the Christ was coming, but that Jesus was the Christ and that the Jews should understand the true prophetic view of the Messiah as One who was to suffer and be raised again (Acts 17:2,3).

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CHRIST AFTER THE FLESH
Part  3 OF 4
by the late Pastor Don Elifson,



In what sense should believers in this dispensation follow Christ? We must "rightly divide the word of truth" in answering this question. Our Lord was made under the law and therefore believers are not to follow Him in Jewish rites and ceremonies such as circumcision, keeping of the Sabbath day, water baptism, meat restrictions, Jewish feasts, etc. The Apostle Paul does command believers in this dispensation to follow certain features of the earthly ministry of Christ. Believers are to follow Christ in humility according to Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Paul goes on to describe that though Christ was in the form of God, He came to this earth in the form of a servant and humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

This text definitely refers to the earthly ministry of Christ. Notice the verb "was." Christ is no longer in humiliation; God has highly exalted Him to the highest heavens. But believers are still on this earth and are to have the mind of humility which Christ had when He was on earth.

In the context of II Corinthians 5, Paul refers to the death of Christ. Are not believers to glory in the Cross of Christ as Paul did? Paul says in II Cor. 5:21 that Christ "knew no sin." When was this demonstrated? The earthly ministry of Christ is the vindication of this claim. It is one thing to make a theological assertion concerning the holiness of God and another thing to prove it. The incarnate Christ is unique in the history of the world. Since the fall of Adam, every human being has manifested sin in his life. Christ Jesus is the only exception. In these days of neurotic and frustrated individuals who do not know who they really are, it is a source of joy to me to preach a Christ who was the master of every situation. No one ever baffled Him or put Him in a frustrating position. He said at the time of His rejection, "Even so Father, for so it seemed good in they sight" (Matthew 11 :26).

Paul refers to the words of Christ in regard to giving in Acts 20:35, "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." The Apostle Paul certainly remembered these words of the Lord Jesus in a sacrificial ministry of giving himself to proclaim the Gospel.

In writing to Timothy, the Apostle Paul refers to Christ's conduct before Pilate as an example of being a good witness, "I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession" (I Tim. 6:13). This good confession of Christ before Pilate is found in the Gospel according to John which shows that Paul had a thorough knowledge of the earthly ministry of Christ.

As a dispensationalist, I carefully distinguish between that in the earthly ministry of Christ which was Jewish and not to be practiced by members of the Body of Christ, and that which the Apostle Paul commands members of the Body of Christ to observe in the earthly ministry of Christ.

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CHRIST AFTER THE FLESH
Part  4 OF 4
by the late Pastor Don Elifson,


The Pauline epistles are to be used as the key to the understanding of the Scriptures. Paul insists that all Scripture "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (II Tim. 3:16-17).

In regard to marriage, Paul says to the Corinthians that the Lord spoke about certain aspects when He was on earth, but problems had come up which our Lord did not mention when He was here on earth. Paul was giving instructions on the problems that arose in Corinth. Paul does not give any details concerning the marriage of near relatives, but in his dealing with the case of incest in the Corinthian church, he assumes that the principles of Leviticus on the marriage of near relatives are still in force. Paul did not condemn the sin of incest because of some man-made law, but because the sin was a violation of the law of God.

It is obvious that many commands of God in Leviticus are not for members of the Body of Christ. How do we know what is binding upon God's people today? Certainly the epistle to the Hebrews forbids the animal sacrifices commanded to be offered in the book of Leviticus.

If we use this principle of interpretation in the study of the Old Testament, certainly we are to employ the same methodology in the study of the life of Christ as presented in the Gospels.

The Apostle Paul in his epistles stresses the identity of Jesus of Nazareth with the glorified Head of the Church. There is a difference between Jesus Christ in humiliation and glorification, but this is not what Paul means in II Cor. 5:16. Therefore II Cor. 5:16 cannot refer to the earthly ministry of Christ, because this passage teaches that believers are to know Christ no longer after the flesh in an absolute sense.

This passage teaches that believers are to have the right view of Christ's person and work. The carnal Corinthians needed this text in their day; Paul needed to understand the person and work of Christ before his conversion. Millions of people today need to know who Jesus is and why He came. Do you know Christ in a fleshly way?

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THE NATURE OF GRACE
by C.R. Stam



To a young Christian who kept bemoaning his failures and lack of spiritual growth, and wondering how God could love him, a more mature believer responded substantially as follows:

"When I leave here and return to my home I will pick up my little baby girl and put her on my knee. Tired as I am, I will dandle her on my knee and, somehow, looking into that darling face and those pretty blue eyes, I will soon feel rested and refreshed.

"This is strange, in a way, for she does not love me. She doesn't even know what love is.

"She doesn't appreciate my problems and has no sympathy for me. My heart can be burdened with grief or filled with anxiety, and my mind vexed with difficult problems, but she doesn't even know or care. She just keeps gurgling and giggling at the attention I lavish upon her.

"She doesn't contribute one cent toward the needs of our family; indeed, she costs me a great deal of money and will for years to come. Yet I love that child more than I can say. There is no sacrifice I would not make for her; no good thing I would not gladly give her."

Such is the grace of God toward us, His children. It does not depend upon our faithfulness to Him or our appreciation of His love to us. He loves us with an unspeakable love and keeps lavishing upon us "the riches of His grace" simply because we are His children in Christ, the Beloved One. And strangely, is it not precisely this fact that proves to be our greatest incentive to give ourselves to Him in loving service and sacrifice as we grow in grace?

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ABIDE ABOVE
By Miles Stanford


"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).

The Cross has separated us from the power of sin (Rom. 6:11), the old man (Rom. 6:6), the world (Gal. 6:14), the law (Rom. 7:4), and the devil (Heb. 2:14). The Spirit has joined us to our risen Lord, and we are "hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3) . We are free --- to abide above; free --- to fellowship with our Father in glory.

"The lack I find in souls is, that while they know that their sins are forgiven, they do not know their new place. What place do you have? Is it earth or heaven? It could not possibly be earth, for the Lord Jesus was rejected from the earth. It has a great moral effect upon a person to be able to say, 'I have a place in heaven; I have no property on earth at all, it is all in heaven.'

" 'It is the Lord's property I have on earth, but in heaven I have my own.' In the garden of Eden, man lost his place; the question to him then is, First --- Where art thou? then, What hast thou done? Every believer seeks to be clear as to the latter, but very few are clear about the former." --- J.B.S.

"Many do not go beyond Christ's resurrection; they do not extend to His ascension. They do not know Him in glory. They are occupied with Him in relation to their own side. He was at my side and glorified God there both in His walk here and in His death; but He is now at His own side, and it is there I intelligently realize the vastness of my life, for He is my life."

"My mind must rise above what I am to what God is; then it is that one is formed by the revelation of what God is. To this we are called." -- J.N.D.

"Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it" (I Thess. 5:24).

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TRANSFERRED AND TRANSFORMED
By Miles Stanford




"If [since] ye, then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1).

The growth truths seem complicated and difficult to understand on first encounter. However, with progress in grace we find them to be as clear and logical as the truth of justification. For both time and eternity, all is summed up in John 17:3: "And this is life eternal. .. [to] know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ." Study on!

"The marvel of divine grace is that not only has everything according to the heart of God been secured for me through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, but that I, a child of Adam, should be, not only in peace with God where I was under His judgment, but that I am transferred from Adam to Christ, and I am to have Christ formed in me now.

"I am born of God - of new and divine origin - a new creation to be here on earth now where I was a child of Adam, in the grace and beauty of Christ, led by His own power to stand for Him; daily more and more 'transformed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord' (II Cor. 3:18 )."

"I used to study this passage and that passage to obtain guidance and light. I see now that if I were really near Him beholding His glory (II Cor. 3:18 ), I should be transformed, should come from Him so impressed with Himself that His interests would, as it were, naturally control me." - J.B.S.

"When the heart has found its rest and satisfaction in Him, it can turn to Him naturally and continually in every circumstance."

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2).

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SPIRIT- TAUGHT AND SPIRIT- WROUGHT


"Hath made us alive together with Christ" (Eph. 2:5).

If we fail to rely upon the Holy Spirit for the practical day-by-day realization of the identification truths, we will fall short of Romans 8, and find ourselves bound in the struggle of Romans 7.

"If some of you who have been the Lord's for a long time cast a glance over your past history, you will be able to recall occasions when He spoke and you obeyed instantly. But you can recall other occasions when He spoke and you failed to respond; yet strangely, after a time you just found yourself in the way of obedience.

"Such is the fruit of the Holy Spirit's government in our lives. Even if we are totally unable to obey and cannot even exercise faith, a day comes when the resistance has vanished and we are trusting the Lord Jesus in simplicity of heart. It is the tireless energy of the indwelling Spirit that has accomplished this.

"Our union with the Lord Jesus is a union of life. We were raised with Him, we are made alive in Him. True, our bodies are to be changed, and those who have died in Christ are to be raised as to their bodies, but now we are raised with and are made alive in Him.

"The trouble is that many are not aware of this wonderful fact and position; all of it seems so far away and unreal. If we will believe God's Word and begin to thank Him for the truths that He tells us, the Holy Spirit will ere long begin to make these truths living realities in our lives."-L.L.L.

"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).

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GOD, WHO CANNOT LIE, PROMISED
by C. R. Stam



"In hope of eternal life, which GOD, WHO CANNOT LIE, PROMISED..." (Tit. 1:2).

In the Mediterranean Sea there lies an island which in Paul’s day had a very bad reputation. It’s name is Crete. To Titus, a pastor sent to evangelize the inhabitants, the Apostle Paul wrote: "One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said. The Cretians are always liars..." (Tit. 1:12), and he added: "This witness is true" (Ver. 13). Paul knew this to be a fact, for he had labored among them. Indeed, even secular history bears witness to this trait of the Cretians, for we are told that in ancient times to call a man a Cretian was to call him a liar.

How wonderful that St. Paul had succeeded in establishing a few small Christian assemblies on this island and that Titus was now laboring there as his successor! And how reassuring that to Titus and these few believers, surrounded on every hand by people who could not be trusted, Paul could write about "eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised"!

"God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken and shall He not make it good?" (Num. 23:19).

Thank God, millions have trusted His Word, especially about salvation through the all-sufficient and finished work of redemption wrought by Christ at Calvary, and they have found it to be blessedly true.

In dozens of passages of Scripture God has promised eternal life to those who trust in Christ and His payment for sin. "Christ died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:3). "[He] was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4:25). "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Take Him at His Word; His promise is good. "GOD, WHO CANNOT LIE, PROMISED."

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~AN ENLARGED HEART~
By  John Baker, Bible Teacher

2 CORINTHIANS 6:11
"O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you,
our heart is enlarged."

The believer is admonished in the Scriptures over and over to be patient, longsuffering and loving. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), walk in love (Ephesians 5:2), love one another (Romans 13:8 ), and love our neighbors (Matthew 5:44). This love is a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and the result of an enlarged heart (2 Corinthians 6:11-13).

Enlarged as used in 2 Corinthians 6 has the idea of to make broad, to widen or to extend. A part of the gift of wisdom that God gave Solomon was largeness of heart in order that he might have compassion on the people over which he ruled (See 1 Kings 4:29). Paul's prayer for the Ephesians was, "That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19). It is so easy to simply rest in our salvation and become cold and indifferent to those around us. The supreme example of love from an enlarged heart was our Lord Jesus Christ. He showed His love for us while we were yet enemies and, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13)

As we yield to the indwelling Spirit, God will enlarge our hearts so that we can be patient, longsuffering and loving as we ought; "because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is give unto us" (Romans 5:5). Our prayer and goal should ever be that "the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men" ( 1 Thessalonians 3:12).