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The Indescribable Honour of Being "Ambassadors for Christ"
By K. R. Blade
Part 2 of 6


A Common Problem

Many of the Corinthian saints had this kind of problem as well. Though they had been taught and had learned about their sonship status, and they knew full well that by being "sons" they were privileged with the opportunity to labour together with God their Father in a number of His operations, they did not always have the appropriate and corresponding zeal for doing so.

Now pointing this out is not designed to be a consolation to us. Rather it simply underscores the fact that the problem is not an uncommon one for saints. Moreover it also points out that often times when Christians are in the beginning stages of their sonship edification, (as with the Corinthians), they fail to perceive, (or may even fail to be taught), some fundamental issues belonging to their privilege of labouring together with God in His operations. In connection with this what they often fail to perceive are the very issues that ought to generate within them an appropriate and corresponding zeal for engaging in the operation of God that they are given the privilege of participating in. And unfortunately when this happens it makes it so that they are easily subject to becoming either apathetic or neglectful of participating in God's operations. Or they may even abuse or misuse them.

Once again as Paul's epistles to the Corinthians testify, this frequently occurred with many of them in connection with a number of God's operations, including being "ambassadors for Christ."

The Root of Our Problem

With respect to our ambassadorship a common root to our problem is that many of us have not learned, (and so do not fully realize), just how great an honour and a privilege it is for us to labour together with God as "ambassadors for Christ." Yes, we acknowledge the privilege per se, but this is about as far as we usually go. However we should acknowledge much more than this. For not only is there more for us to understand about each and every privileged opportunity that we have to labour together with God in one of His operations, but as God's "sons" we are expected to investigate each of our Father's operations in order to learn more about them. This is a natural part of our sonship responsibility, as well as an important part of our sonship education; though we often neglect it, or overlook it.

Yet when we as 'wise sons' do investigate an operation, we come to realize much more about it. In particular we learn that there are matters of grandeur and glory belonging to each of God's operations. What's more as we learn about an operation's grandeur and its glory, and as we come to deeply appreciate them, this in turn works to produce within us a strong and compelling zeal and delight for participating in the operation. For this knowledge deeply impresses us with just how great an honour and a privilege it is for us to labour together with God in the operation.

Now when it comes to our ambassadorship we usually have no trouble seeing things like the reason for it, or appreciating its worthwhile nature. However its grandeur and glory, (especially the grandeur of what it means to be an ambassador and the glory that is behind this privilege), often either escape our attention completely, or our understanding and our appreciation of them are weak.

So this, once again, is often the root of our problem. And since we have failed to perceive the grandeur and glory of our ambassadorship, our hearts have come short of being fully penetrated by, and overcome by, what in truth can only be spoken of as the indescribable honour that it is for us to be "ambassadors for Christ." Consequently we often lack the full measure of godly zeal and enthusiasm, with its constraining and compelling force, that participating in this indescribable honour is designed to produce within us.

The Solution to Our Problem

A direct-fIx-solution to our problem resides in what Paul says to the Corinthians in II Corinthians 5:12-6:2. For in this passage Paul has reason to describe both the grandeur and the glory belonging to our ambassadorship, as he deals with a particular tactic of the policy of evil that is designed to dampen our enthusiasm when it comes to telling others about "the gospel of Christ."

This then is a passage that addresses our problem of lacking zeal. And regardless of whether our lack of zeal has always existed, or whether we have acquired it as the result of discouragement, or dejection, or disappointment, or intimidation, the doctrine that Paul sets forth is able to remedy it.

Wherefore let us briefly look at this passage in order to understand and appreciate the basics of the grandeur and glory of our ambassadorship. This will at least allow them to begin to impact our hearts, as well as begin to generate within us their compelling motivation and irrepressible zeal.

II Corinthians 5: 12-6:2

12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance and not in heart.
13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. (II Corinthians 5:12-13)

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The Indescribable Honour of Being "Ambassadors for Christ"
By K. R. Blade,
Part 3 of 6


As the opening verses to this passage (II Cor. 5) relate, Paul was being criticized, even slandered, by ones who not only disagreed with what he preached, but who also found fault with his enthusiasm for preaching it. They were saying that he must be "beside" himself, both mentally and emotionally, in view of the message that he preaches, and especially in view of the zeal and passion with which he preaches it.

Now Paul himself was not upset or unduly bothered by this criticism. He did not find it to be a cause for shame or disgrace. Nor did he respond to it as if it was a discrediting stigma. He, therefore, was not intimidated by it, as his detractors (and the policy of evil) hoped would be the case.

Yet it was a different story with many of the Corinthians, particularly when they found themselves being criticized as well. They felt ashamed to know that others thought that they were "beside" themselves. Because of this many of them 'pulled back,' so to speak, and were no longer preaching "the gospel of Christ." They were bullied by this kind of criticism, being intimidated by its innuendo. What enthusiasm they used to have was now dampened, being overpowered and displaced by the discomfort they felt in their minds from being criticized. Their minds were now gripped by the uneasiness of their own self-consciousness. And with this being so, their own preaching of the gospel had more or less ground to a halt.

Once again, however, this was not the case with Paul. Though he experienced the same intimidating criticism, (and actually did so far more frequently than the Corinthians), it did not dampen his enthusiasm and zeal at all. For Paul had something powerful and effectual working within him, which successfully withstood the zeal-robbing intimidation. Moreover it was something that God has specifically designed to enable every saint to 'despise the shame' that such criticisms are designed to produce, and thereby to be able to enthusiastically continue on in spite of it.

Now because of this, neither the Corinthians nor we ourselves need to lack enthusiasm, or be robbed of it, when it comes to telling others about "the gospel of Christ." All we need is to have the same thing operating within us as operated within Paul.

And what powerfully operated within Paul was the thrill of what it meant for him to be an ambassador for Christ. Compared to this, the 'slings and arrows' of criticisms, slander, reproach, ridicule, and the like, meant nothing to him. And this is the way it should be with us as well.

Sober, Not Beside Himself

As Paul begins dealing with this intimidating criticism, he opens with a declaration which makes it evident that he is by no means "beside" himself at all, neither mentally or emotionally. Instead he is perfectly "sober" on both counts. For both his mental judgment and his emotional judgment are sound, being logically based, just as he shows.

14 For the love of Christ
constraineth us; because
 we thus judge, that if one
 died for all, then were all
 dead:  15 And that he died
 for all, that they which live
 should not  henceforth live
 unto themselves, but unto
 him which died for them,
 and rose again.
 (II Corinthians 5:14-15)

Then after making this opening statement, Paul takes up these two components to the criticism and deals with them in detail. Whereupon in verses 14-17 he first pointedly shows and proves the perfect soberness and sound logic that there is to what he preaches. Even though his message says things that are radically different from what has been preached before, nevertheless it is sound and truthful in view of what God has now revealed that He has done through Christ.

16 Wherefore henceforth know
we no man after the flesh: yea,
though we have known Christ
after the flesh, yet now hence­
forth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become
new. (II Corinthians 5:16-17)

Indeed what Paul, (and we), are given to preach is perfectly logical and sound. In fact in view of what God has done through, with, and in Christ, it is the only message that is perfectly logical and sound. Wherefore we need not be intimidated by any criticisms, reproaches, and/or slander to the contrary.

But then in verses 18-21 Paul goes on to show the perfect soberness and sound logic that there is in his irrepressible zeal to preach his gospel. And this now is where we need to focus our attention. For once again we too ought to have the same irrepressible zeal as Paul did.

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The Indescribable Honour of Being "Ambassadors for Christ"
By K. R. Blade
Part 4 of 6




Our Reason For Irrepressible Zeal


18 And all things are of God,
 who hath reconciled us to
 himself by Jesus Christ, and
 hath given to us the ministry
 of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world
 unto himself, not imputing
 their trespasses unto them;
 and hath committed unto us
 the word of reconciliation.
 (II Corinthians 5:18-19)

The particular aspect of "the love of Christ" that constrained Paul to the point of producing an irrepressible zeal for preaching "the gospel of Christ," was his realization of what God did when He gave "to us the ministry of reconciliation"; when He "committed unto us the word of reconciliation." And what Paul realized is that God has given unto us the most phenomenal ministry that He has given unto any of His people. Likewise He has committed unto us the most phenomenal message that He has committed to anyone. And indeed this is just what God has done.

Think of this! And think of the privilege! God, (who brought in this astounding dispensational change with its gospel that Christ "died for all," and with its "new creature," and with its glorious 'new things'; and  who  has "reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ" making us a part of His "new creature"), has actually given to us "the ministry of reconciliation."In other words He has given to us the amazing privilege of being the very ones who actually inform men of the magnificence of what He has done and what He is doing. What a phenomenal honour! For God did not want to give this "ministry" unto angels, or even unto a select group of specially chosen men. But He gave it unto each of us whom He has 'reconciled unto Himself by Jesus Christ.'

Moreover not only do we have the privilege of this "ministry," but in connection with it God has committed unto us "the word of reconciliation"- i.e. the very "word," or message, that has the power to personally reconcile a man to God before it is too late. Wherefore we have the further amazing honour of being entrusted with, and being preachers of, the very message which is God's 'power unto salvation,' and by which a man passes from death unto life upon believing it. What a thrilling ministry!

Even More Phenomenal

This, however, is not all. There is something that makes this privilege all the more honourable and phenomenal; all the more thrilling. And it is the fact that we were granted this privilege by God our Father at the specific request of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. For the truth of the matter is that our Lord, out of His great love for us, asked His Father that we be given the privilege of being His spokesmen and representatives. The Lord, therefore, actually wants us to personally represent Him and help Him.

For this reason we are called "ambassadors for Christ." Not simply because we represent Him; and certainly not because of any inability on Christ's part. But especially because the Lord specifically requested that we be honoured with the privilege of helping Him.

Now it exceeds the limits of this article to deal with the glory of this matter in any amount of detail. Yet suffice it to say that the Lord requested of His Father that we be able to represent Him in this present dispensation of grace, in much the same manner as He had previously requested that the saints of the remnant of Israel represent Him in the final stage of God's program with Israel.

Simply put, in accordance with the Lord's accomplishment of His redemptive work, and in accordance with the need to offer the benefits of His redemption to the ones needing it, the Lord exercised His right to enlist help in heralding the good news of His redemption and in bestowing its benefits. And in both the climactic stage in Israel's program, and in this present dispensation of God's grace, the Lord requested that the help not come from the angels, or any other creature. Instead He requested that it come from the very ones who become beneficiaries of His redemption.

Wherefore in the climactic stage in Israel's program the Lord speaks of His disciples as ones who have been given to Him of His Father, especially in connection with their role of ministering to Israel for Him once He returned to the Father. For this cause the Lord's disciples functioned in accordance with what He had declared back in the prophets when He said ...

18 Behold, I and the children
whom the LORD hath given
 me are for signs and wonders
 in Israel from the LORD of
hosts, which dwelleth in
 mount Zion. (Isaiah 8:18 )

As Christ said, the "children" of the remnant were "given" to Him. And indeed they were, especially when it came to labouring with Him in His Father's business. For the Lord requested of His Father that they be given to Him for this very purpose.

So it was, then, that the "children" of the remnant had the privilege of representing the Lord, and of speaking for Him, during Israel's prophesied 'accepted time' and during their 'day of salvation,' just as the opening chapters of the book of Acts relate. And this truly was a phenomenal honour and privilege for them.

Now think of this. If it was a phenomenal honour and privilege for the remnant of Israel to have the Lord Jesus Christ request their help in bringing to pass the operations of God during Israel's "accepted time" and "day of salvation," how much more of a thrilling thing would it be for a similar kind of privilege to be granted to ones who are not even of God's nation? Obviously much more. For if such an honour and privilege is phenomenal to the ones to whom it naturally belonged, much more would such an honour be phenomenal and thrilling to ones to whom no such right belonged. In fact it would not only be phenomenal and thrilling, it would be astoundingly so. For the honour would be given to ones who had no sort of expectation whatsoever of being so honoured, or even of ever being able to be so honoured.

Yet as astounding as this would be, this is exactly what has occurred with us. For we, (who in "time past" were twice-dead Gentiles in the flesh), have now been graciously honoured with the opportunity to be labourers together with God in His operations in this present dispensation. In another, yet unprophesied, "accepted time" and "day of salvation."

Wherefore we, who had absolutely no hope of such an opportunity ever occurring, ought to be awe­struck by the glory of the privilege, to say the least. Our hearts should 'skip a beat,' so to speak, as we come to grips with the glory of what this means to us.

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The Indescribable Honour of Being "Ambassadors for Christ"
By K. R. Blade
Part 5 of 6



Irrepressible Zeal Indeed

Such, then, is the gist of the grandeur that belongs to the privilege of the "ministry" that we have of preaching "the word of reconciliation"unto others; as well as the basic appreciation we should have for the glory of "the love of Christ" behind the privilege.

No wonder it captivated and thrilled Paul's heart! No wonder "the love of Christ" behind it constrained him as it did, filling him with irrepressible zeal and enthusiasm for telling others about "the gospel of Christ." For as this thrill penetrated and filled Paul's heart, it took over and it could not be budged or displaced from its position of 'being in the driver's seat,' so to speak, within him.

Wherefore the criticism that he was "beside" himself, either mentally or emotionally, or both, could not dampen Paul's zeal or trodden down his enthusiasm. Such criticisms and reproaches were no match for the thrill generated by the honour and the privilege that it was for him to be the Lord Jesus Christ's personal representative and spokesman. Hence his
zeal to witness was irrepressible indeed.

Unabashed Ambassadors

Therefore, instead of withering or wilting in the face of such criticism; instead of being ashamed one whit of being as zealous as he was to preach "the word of reconciliation"; Paul both gloried in the privilege and he passionately went about fulfilling it, just as he proclaims.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (II Corinthians 5:20-21)

"Ambassadors for Christ" is what we are, just as Paul joyfully and unabashedly declares. And in view of just how great the honour and the privilege of our ministry is, the title 'ambassador' truly describes exactly what we are, as well as the passion with which we should carry out our ministry.

For in meaning the title first of all denotes the official and serious nature of our ministry, and the glory of the fact that we represent a sovereign. And in being Christ's "ambassadors" we truly do officially represent Him, being sanctioned and commissioned by God the Father in connection with the glory of the Lord's request.

Also in accordance with an ambassadorial ministry, we have serious and urgent business to conduct on our Sovereign's behalf. We have the serious and urgent ministry of bearing God's glorious good news - "the word of reconciliation"--- to ones who are at odds with Him; who are in a hostile position to Him; and who are subject at any time to being judged by Him for being His enemies.

In addition to this, the title also denotes the fact that the ambassador has the honour of personally representing his sovereign to others; i.e. of authentically standing in his stead. He, therefore, presents himself to others as one who possesses the very same mind and attitude that his lord has to them, and he acts with the very same fervent zeal, passion, and/or emotion towards them with which his lord would act. This is something that an ambassador is able to do because he has been directly schooled by his sovereign so that he has his lord's frame of mind and attitude; so that he possesses his very desires and passions; so that he speaks and acts in the very same way that his sovereign does; thereby making it so that as an ambassador he can authentically, faithfully, and effectually represent his sovereign, even to the point of elicting the same kind of response from his hearers as his sovereign would receive.

Wherefore  being Christ's "ambassadors" we too have received such an education and training from Him.  Whereby we are enabled by Him to speak for Him accurately, and to act for Him appropriately, as we authentically and personally represent Him to His enemies.

Now when we understand and appreciate all of this, and more, our hearts should be filled with the thrill of the great honour that it is for us to be "ambassadors for Christ."

So then in accordance with this thrill, and particularly in accordance with being taught by God our Father to have His and our Lord's desire and passion, we (as Paul) should zealously and passionately preach to men "as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." For by no means is such passionate 'beseeching' and 'praying' the product of abnormal emotional fanaticism. Rather it is perfectly logical in view of the great honour of our ambassadorship, and it is the very kind of passion that should be expected from ones who are soberly constrained by "the love of Christ."

FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT
http://www.openmyeyeslord.net/UltimateFreedom.htm

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The Indescribable Honour of Being "Ambassadors for Christ"
By K. R. Blade
Part 6 of 6




Silent Ambassadors No More

As was pointed out earlier, many of the Corinthians, (like many of us), either lacked real zeal for their ambassadorship all along, or the criticism of being "beside" themselves robbed them of what zeal they had. But from what Paul has set forth, clearly this does not need to be the case with them, or with us, anymore. Instead we should be enthusiastic ambassadors, being overwhelmed in our hearts by the lofty honour of our privileged ministry and filled with an irrepressible zeal to carry it out.

So then with Paul now having given us the godly remedy to our lack of zeal; and in view of the power of its effectual working within us to overcome our inertia; Paul now exhorts us - no, he 'beseeches' us - to be silent ambassadors no more.

1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech
 you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted,
 and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:
 behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is
 the day of salvation.) (II Corinthians 6:1-2)

Being the properly thrilled and fervent worker with God that Paul was, he now earnestly beseeches us not to receive this "grace of God in vain." Not to remain silent anymore. Not to continue to have little, or no, participation in the grace of our ambassadorship.

And without a doubt, for us to receive this "grace of God in vain" any longer would not only be completely inconsistent with the great honour that it is for us to be "ambassadors for Christ," it would also be a direct repudiation of our Father's personal appeal to us to stop being a silent ambassador. For as Paul goes on to relate in verse 2, our Father Himself now concludes this beseeching by personally and individually appealing to us by saying, ...

2 ( .... I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in
 the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold,
 now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of
 salvation.) (II Corinthians 6:2)

Indeed God the Father did hear both you and I "in a time accepted." And "in the day of salvation" He "succoured" us, just as He says. In doing so He not only reconciled us unto Himself when we responded positively to His "word of reconciliation," but He also granted His Son's request regarding us that we be honoured with the privilege of helping Him spread the "word of reconciliation"to others as His ambassadors.

Wherefore our Father says to us, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." And indeed it still is. Therefore we need to act like the "ambassadors for Christ" that we are, and enthusiastically labour together with God in His operation of evangelism, before it is no longer "the accepted time"; before it is no longer "the day of salvation."

Two Questions Remain

Now this has only been a brief and simple look at the grandeur and the glory of our ambassadorship for Christ, and at the lack of zeal for it that many of us possess. Nevertheless it has directed our attention to God's remedy to our problem, and it has described in gist-form the effectual working of that remedy. And though only briefly described, (with many details not even touched upon), clearly the honour we have of being "ambassadors for Christ" is a lofty one, being of the highest order. Without a doubt the full grandeur of the privilege is indescribable; the glory behind it is purely amazing; and its grace is ineffable.

Wherefore two questions remain: Have you been one who has been receiving this "grace of God in vain?" And if so, For how much longer are you going to do so?

- K. R. Blades

Dear Lord Jesus, we praise and thank You for the many opportunities to be an ambassador for Christ, and to share the good news with others.  You give us the zeal for sharing "the gospel of Christ' with others, and truly it any Indescribable honor that you have given to us in this age of Grace.  Amen

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TRUE SANCTIFICATION
By Miles Stanford



"Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us ... sanctification" (1 Cor. 1:30).

If we keep in mind that the Lord Jesus is our Sanctification, the seemingly difficult subject will clearly unfold for us day by day.

"Many fall into the Methodistic, or Quaker, or Pearsall-Smith scheme of sanctification --- all of which is substantially the same. The true scriptural means of sanctification is that you are set apart to God. It is not at all a question of whether there is evil in your flesh, for there is a great deal. Why, that is all the old man is made of!

"But yet you are sanctified. Sanctification has nothing whatever to do with the extinction of evil in the flesh. That idea, begun with Pelagius, revived by Thomas a'Kempis, handed down through Jeremy Taylor, the French and Dutch mystics, Wm. Law and John Wesley, has passed into other communions where they have no notion whatever whence it came." ---W.K.

"The Christian life is nothing short of the life of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:4). It is His life reproduced in us. 'That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh' (2 Cor. 4:11). The common conception of sanctification is that every area of the life should be holy; but that is not holiness, it is the fruit of holiness: holiness is the Lord Jesus Christ.

"When we are conscious of pride we fancy that humility will meet our need, but the answer to pride is not humility, it is the Lord Jesus, and He is the answer to every need. The Father will not give you humility or patience or love as separate gifts of grace; He has given you the Lord Jesus, and if you simply trust Him to live out His life in you, He will be humble, patient, loving and everything else you need."

"God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13).

O Glorious Lord, what a good reminder this is of the desperate condition I was in when You justified me. I was not merely needy; I was spiritually dead. I thank You for burying that old life with Jesus in His tomb. I praise You for raising me with Christ to a new life. I rejoice in the radical nature of Your saving grace. Lord, by the power of the resurrection, lead me in the reality of newness of life, in Jesus name, Amen.

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THE NAMES in the Book of Life
Part 1 of 4
by Dee L. McCroskey


When Were They Written? Can They Be Blotted Out?

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Rev. 21:27.)

THERE are two indisputable facts about the Lamb's Book of Life, which all believers know and understand: (1) that every saved person has his name written in the Book, and (2) that whosoever is not found written in the Book is to be cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:15.) But beyond these two cardinal facts we find ourselves confronted with questions which often affect our joy, and sometimes even threaten to undermine our assurance of everlasting security in Christ.

The traditional teaching among informed believers has been that our names were written in the Book when we got saved, and that they can never be blotted out again. But there are at least two scriptures which plainly show that some names can be blotted out of the Book, and several others which show it by implication. We have often failed to find a satisfying explanation of such scriptures, until a few years ago when we began to see that there is a great deal more to this wonderful Book of Life than we ever suspected.

Names Blotted Out

The two scriptures referred to are Exodus 32:32-33 and Psalm 69:28. In the first one, Moses asked the Lord to either forgive Israel or blot him out of the Book. Moses and the Apostle Paul are two men who so loved the people of Israel that they were both willing to be eternally cursed if it would save Israel. (Rom. 9:3.) But no mere human, no matter how godly he might be, is able to make his soul an offering for the sins of another. And so the Lord replied to Moses: "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my Book." In the other scripture, the 69th Psalm, the inspired writer is describing the sufferings to be inflicted upon the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Referring to His persecutors, the 28th verse says: "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous."

In Rev. 3:5, the Lord says about the overcoming believer: "I will not blot out his name out of the book of life." The implication here is that some names can be blotted out.

Already we are beginning to see the possibility of names being blotted out. This information is further augmented when we come to some scriptures where the same truth is meant, although the exact words "blotted out of the book" are not given, For instance, in Deut. 9:14, the Lord is angry with Israel and says: "Let me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven." This same blotting out is suggested in Ex. 17:14, where God says: "I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." Also see Deut. 25:19. Concerning the breaker of God's covenant in Deut. 29:20, "the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven." Also we find the wicked spoken of in Psalm 9:5, and it says, "thou hast put out their name for ever and ever."

Now let us notice the kind of people who get their names blotted out of the Book, or "out from under heaven." The list takes in those who have sinned against the Lord, those who persecuted Him and crucified Him, wicked Amalek and others called "the wicked," and if we turn to the last few verses in the last book of the Bible, we could add to the list the mutilators of the Word of God. Also there are the worshipers of the Beast in Rev. 13:8 and 17:8, whose names are not found in the Book. It becomes plain that these are all unsaved folks, whose names are either stricken out or at least not to be found in the Book when their final day comes.

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THE NAMES in the Book of Life
Part 2 of 4
by Dee L. McCroskey


Names Not Blotted Out

God refused to blot out Moses from the Book. The Tribulation saints shall be delivered, "everyone that shall be found written in the book." (Dan. 12:1.) The disciples were written in heaven. (Luke 10 :20.) Present-age saints, members of His body, all have their names in the Book. (Phil. 4:3 and Heb. 12: 23.) And in Rev. 3:5 God says He will not blot out their names.

These scriptures, together with the statement in Rev. 20:15, that "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire," show that the saved of all ages have their names written permanently in the Book of Life. There is not the slightest intimation anywhere that any truly saved person ever had his name blotted out.

When Are The Names Written?

All this raises a perplexing question, if we cling to the traditional teaching that our names were added the moment we were saved. In that case, how did wicked Amalek get his name in the Book? And how did the crucifyers of the Lord, "the wicked," and other unsaved men get their names written in? Their names were blotted out, and the fact is inescapable that they must first have been in the Book in order to be blotted out.

There appears to be only one reasonable answer, and we are of the earnest belief that it is the right one: that every human being has his name written in the Book of Life when he comes into the world! This is so completely revolutionary to our traditional thinking that it startles us at first. But as we examine the matter farther, we will see that this only magnifies the great work done by our Lord on the cross of Calvary. It involves two essential laws with both God and man, the law of legal right and the law of appropriation. To have his name in the Book of Life is the legal right of every human, a right that was purchased for him by the precious blood of Christ, and a right which is in no way dependent upon the human himself. But as to the appropriation of that blood-bought right---that is
another thing. It is this appropriation that spells heaven or hell to the sinner.

It is right here that the Universalists make their most terrible error, in not recognizing the difference between the scope, or legal right, of Christ's redemptive work, and its application    Strangely enough, "scope" is a favorite word in their literature, but they seem to miss the scriptures dealing with its conditional application. In its scope, the redemptive work of Christ does take in the whole fallen creation. This is seen in such scriptures as First John 2:2, "for the sins of the whole world," and John 3:17, "that the world through Him might be saved." Yes, He died for ALL. And so the Universalist jumps to the conclusion that ALL will be saved in the end, even the devil himself. Such a heaven, with saint and sinner, murderer and his victim, Hitler and Luther, Satan and Christ, all there together, is repulsive and unthinkable to both justice and reason.

It takes only one scripture to put all Universalism, Reconciliationism, Annihilationism etc., to flight. That is John 3:36, about the rejector of Christ. "The wrath of God abideth on him!" We know from other scriptures that although Christ died for the sins of the whole world, most of the world is not saved, and will not be. It is because they refuse to appropriate the privilege that is legally open to them before God, and their names must be stricken from His Book.

For a simple illustration of the law of legal right, we have only to glance at the first paragraph of the American Declaration of Independence. Here we find three wonderful things: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. They are legal rights, guaranteed to every citizen of the United States. But has every American possessed these wonderful things? No, thousands have had to forfeit their lives because of violence. Other thousands have had their liberty taken away, and millions have failed to pursue happiness. They failed to appropriate the legal right to life, liberty, and happiness. So it is with the redemption work of Christ. Those who appropriate their legal right to eternal life through Him are saved, and those who despise this legal right are eternally lost.

We realize in writing this, that the legal right to salvation, all purchased and paid for as it is by the blood of our blessed Saviour, and just waiting for applicants to come up and claim it, is a hard blow to professional emotionalists. It is a blow to those who teach that you must "pray through" to get saved, must agonize, tarry and all the other forms of pleading to God to get Him to relinquish His gift of eternal life to the sinner. An applicant for naturalization gets a notice that he has qualified to become a citizen of the United States. He goes to the proper office, takes the oath and signs the papers--and he is a citizen. There is no reason for pleading with Uncle Sam, for sentiment is ruled out. Either the applicant qualifies or he doesn't, and no amount of tears or pleading will change things. And a holy and just God could not base His dealings on so discriminating a thing as sentiment.

This is the kind of relationship God wants with you!
The notion that God recreated you in Christ to get
 more work out of you is such a low view of our Father.
 God wants you to adopt Paul's life verse:
 "that I may know Him [Christ]" (Philippians 3:10).
 As you pursue that goal, spiritual fruit will begin
 to drop off of you to the glory of Christ.
 Men asked Jesus,
 "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
Jesus answered,
"This is the work of God,
 that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:28,29).

[nChrist]

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THE NAMES in the Book of Life
Part 3 of 4
by Dee L. McCroskey



When Are Names Blotted Out?

From the many blood offerings in the Old Testament we learn that God dealt with humans on the basis of the price He was going to pay for their redemption. The blood of His Son was sufficient to put the name of every son of Adam in His Book of Life. He is said to be the Saviour of ALL men, but "especially of those that believe." (I Tim. 4:10.) That is, those who appropriate His redemption. That everyone has his name written in the Book to begin with, is the real reason that children who die in infancy, and imbeciles from birth, all go to heaven. But all normal, rational humans come to an age known as the age of accountability. They must then declare themselves, whether they will be a citizen of heaven or of the world, a subject of Christ by receiving Him, or a subject of fallen Adam, in whom all perish.

When does the unsaved man get his name blotted out? The answer to this question lies in what we might term "the final answer." Some men harden their hearts and give God a positive "No" early in life. Others linger in a state of indecision, keeping the door of negotiations open, until either they accept Him or they put it off and death finally closes the door and blots out their names. Most of us have seen people who were under conviction for a while, and then a cloud seemed to pass over their souls, and they became hard and unreachable. God had heard their final answer and blotted out their names, we believe. (John 12:39.) God had heard Amalek's final answer, also that of Esau and Pharaoh. They were blotted out of the Book of Life.

There are two scriptures which at first glance would appear to say that some have never had their names in the Book of Life since the foundation of the world. They are Rev. 13:8 and 17:8. The first one speaks of the worshipers of the beast in the Tribulation time, "whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb slain." (Margin.) The other one speaks of these same beast worshipers, "whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world." There is a strong suggestion here that the Holy Spirit is trying to show us the origin of the Book of Life, that it was begun with the foundation of the world, or when the present creation was introduced upon this earth. In 13:8 it is the foundation of the kosmos, or present world-system, and not the earth proper. It was then that men's names began to be recorded, and it was then that man fell and God began to look upon His Son as if He were already slain for man's sins. This was the only basis upon which He could offer pardon, through the symbolic blood offerings.

But no matter how we take the term "foundation of the world," it does not actually say that these worshipers of the beast never at any time had their names in the Book of life. These scriptures do tell us, however, that their names are not to be found in the Book at the time they worship and wonder after the beast. These people will all have made their final choice by then. They will have rejected God's way and will have received the mark of the beast. Nowhere in the Book of Life, from the foundation of the world system on down, can their names be found.

[nChrist]

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CHRIST - THE BEGINNING
By FLOYD BAKER, Pastor


Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:18

"And He is the Head of the Body, the Church; WHO IS THE BEGINNING, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence." In verses 15 - 17 the apostle has declared that Christ is the means by which all things that are in heaven and that are in the earth were created and as such He is "the firstborn of every creature." Along with this we read at the close of verse 16, that "all things were created by Him, and for Him." Paul then goes on to declare that "by Him all things consist," i.e. are "held together." With this truth he is answering the false teaching of those who made the Lord Jesus Christ no more than one of many angels in a long line of angels from heaven to earth.

In the verse before us the apostle adds another dimension by declaring that Christ is "the Head of the Body, the Church: who is the Beginning, the firstborn from the dead." As far as Paul was concerned he left no area untouched concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter how far back you go in creation He was there: He had no beginning, but all things had their beginning in Him. As to the present and the future Christ is the beginning as well. He sums it all up with the statement, "that in all things He might have the preeminence."

As Ernest R. Campbell writes in his commentary, "The obvious implication is that before the Colossians could or would give Jesus Christ first place in their lives, they had to know who He was and what He had done," It might be that this is true in your life as well, and we would urge you to believe the testimony of God's Word in this matter. We must say though, before you can know Him as the Head of the Church, you need to know Him as your Saviour. (See verses 20-22-).

Your sense of failure  may be the catalyst
 God wants to use to bring you to a new
understanding of the meaning of the Christian life.

Since Jesus is at the core of
our existence, that gives us an
identity much greater than
most Christians acknowledge!

[nChrist]

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UNSOUND TEACHING REBUKED
JON D. BEKEMEYER, Pastor


Scripture Reading: I Timothy 1:3

Our text for today makes it quite clear why Timothy was left in Ephesus: "That thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine." There was in Ephesus, as there will be in any Christ-honoring church, efforts to promote false doctrine; to entice believers away from the truth. With such there is to be no tolerance, but rather bold, outright confrontation. Timothy was not to reason with the false teachers, nor was he to seek to establish a "dialogue." He was to charge them, that is, he was to give an authoritative commandment that the promotion of false doctrine must stop.

Many complain that such an approach to the ministry is narrow-minded, and to that charge, faithful ministers of the Gospel must plead guilty. There is only "one faith" (Ephesians 4:5). If it is narrow-minded to believe that God has spoken; if it is narrow-minded to believe that God has given a distinctive message for the Dispensation of Grace; if it is narrow-minded to emphasize that we are expected to know what that message is; then let us all be narrow-minded.

The reason many are unsettled regarding doctrine, is that they do not understand where, in the Bible, doctrine is to be found. Efforts to amalgamate the Kingdom to the Body and Law to Grace are futile. Out of desperation, many determine that there are no absolutes---anything goes.

When such an attitude is prevalent, the ministers of Satan thrive. Paul warned the Corinthians of those who "corrupt"; the Galatians of those who "bewitch"; and the Colossians of those who "spoil." Let us also heed these warnings.

[nChrist]

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FROM SUCH WITHDRAW THYSELF
DICK WARE, Pastor

Scripture Reading: I Timothy 6:3-5

The Apostle Paul told the overseers of Ephesus in Acts 20:28-30, that savage wolves would come in among them not sparing the flock. He said they would speak perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves. Paul warned Timothy in this letter about those who would teach any other doctrine, or fables (1:3). He also told him there would be those who would give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy (4:1, 2).

Who are the "such" Paul tells Timothy to withdraw from in 6:3-5? No doubt, they are some of the same ones Paul has had in mind all along. In 6:1, 2, they aren't teaching the saints submission and humility, but to rise and rebel; to assert their rights. These teachers aren't acknowledging that God committed to Paul: "wholesome words"; "the words of our Lord Jesus Christ"; and "the doctrine which is according to godliness" (vr. 3). They are ignorant and proud at the same time, and are obsessed with arguing and debating over words (vr.4). These are "destitute of the truth", and teach that Godliness is a means of gaining this world's goods (vr. 5). "From such withdraw thyself!"

Timothy was supposed to save (deliver) himself and his hearers (4:16). He was supposed to establish the saints in "the faith" (the body of truth for the Body of Christ.) To do this, it was, and still is necessary to "withdraw" from those who cause the saints to "depart from the faith" (4:1); who cause God's Name and doctrine to be blasphemed (6:I); and those who bring about envy, strife, evil suspicions, constant friction, and confusion (6:4,5) among the Body of Christ. From such withdraw thyself, because we're talking about eternal truths and eternal souls!

***********

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

THIS MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY!

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.  We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.  We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.  We have neglected to discipline our children and called it  building self esteem.  We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it  ambition.  We have polluted the air with profanity and  pornography and called it freedom of expression.  We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it       enlightenment.  Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,'  and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and  wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God..'

[nChrist]

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LAW - GRACE - KINGDOM
By Miles Stanford




"Study to show thyself approved unto God. a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" (2 Tim. 2:I5a).

Divide rightly, or be conquered!

"There is an entirely baseless sentiment abroad which assumes that every teaching of the Lord Jesus must be binding upon the believer during this age simply because He said it. The fact is forgotten that He, while living under, keeping, and applying the Law of Moses, also taught the principles of His future earthly kingdom, and, at the end of His ministry and in relation to His Cross, He also anticipated the teachings of grace. If this three-fold division of His teachings is not recognized and maintained, there can be nothing but confusion of mind and consequent contradiction of truth." -L.S.C.

"Because the thing is in the Bible does not warrant the conclusion that it is God's will for the Christian. We must seek rightly to divide the Word of truth. What was formerly right for the Jews is for us nothing but the elements of the world. These forms pointed to a reality that is now come; the Body is of Christ. The blessed position of a Christian is, that he has died even to the best things of the world, religious and otherwise, and he is alive to the highest things in the presence of the Father; for the Lord Jesus Christ is his life, in whom he is hidden (Col. 3:3)." -W.K.

"The Gospels are complex almost beyond any other portion of Scripture, since they are a composite of the teachings of the law, of grace, and of the coming kingdom." -L.S.C.

"We realize our privileges and possessions in the Lord Jesus by faith; we enjoy them by the Spirit." "Rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:I5b)

"Thou. therefore. endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3).

What if there were conscientious objectors in the Lord's army? Actually, our Lord does not have any non-combatant soldiers whatsoever in His service, since the battle line extends from the front all the way to the rear; to say nothing of the fact that we are all camped in enemy territory.

"Luther, speaking to the young preachers of his day, said: 'I did not learn to preach Christ all at once. The devil has been my best professor of exegetical and experiential theology. Before that great schoolmaster took me in hand, I was an unweaned child, not a grown man. It was my combats with sin and with Satan that made me a true minister of the New Testament. It is always a great grace to me, and to my people, for me to be able to say to them: "I know this text is true! I know it for certain to be true!" Without incessant combat, and pain, and sweat, and blood, no ignorant stripling of a student ever yet became an effective preacher.'"

"Every bit of truth we receive, if we receive it in faith, will take us into conflict and will be established through conflict. It will be worthless until there has been this process. Take any position the Lord calls you to take, and, if you are taking it with Him, you are going through things in it, and there will be an element added by reason of the pressure. You have taken a position, yes; but you have not really received as yet, the true value of it has not yet been established. You have not come into the real significance of the truth until there has been some sore conflict in relation to it." - T.A-S.

"I bear willing witness that I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than to anything else in my Lord's workshop. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see most."---C.H.S.

"We also exult in our sufferings, knowing as we do, that suffering produces fortitude; fortitude, ripeness of character" (Rom. 5:3, Wey.).

[nChrist]

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Overcoming an Identity Crisis
by Dr. Bill Gillham

Alumnae of Oklahoma State University and Texas A & M are known as Aggies, and we Aggies wear the label proudly. But someone in the course of time began making up "Aggie jokes." Take this one for example:


An Aggie alum was driving through rural Texas when he spotted a strapping young 18-year old boy trying to row a boat through a plowed field. He was bent to the oars, sweat pouring from his face. The Aggie stopped his car and strode over to the fence where he hollered, "Hey! What are you doing out there?" To which the kid replied with a grin as big as Dallas, "I'm on my way down to Texas A & M to enroll." "You idiot!" the Aggie screamed, arms windmilling. "here some of us are trying our best to create a better image for A & M, and it's idiots like you who give us a bad name! If I could swim, I'd come over there and give you a whuppin'!"

I believe Satan has millions of Christians chained to the oars of such a boat. It's bow is headed in the right direction and, although, the people are struggling to row it, the boat never moves. The name of the boat is the "Who-Am-I?" Of all people, Christians should not be the ones living in an identity crisis, overwhelmed with guilt, thinking their Heavenly Father is ashamed of them, and believing that God's acceptance is based on how they act.

Let me illustrate your identity this way: A squirrel buries a pecan, and in time a pecan sprout appears. As this sprout becomes two inches thick, four inches thick, ten inches thick, does it get pecanier and pecanier? Of course not; once a pecan, always a pecan. It doesn't undergo a change in its identity -- birth determined that. It simply becomes an increasingly more mature pecan tree until the Lord calls it home to pecan-tree heaven.

The metaphor holds a truth for you. As you set your mind on your true identity in Christ and as you act like Christ expressing His life through to accomplish His will on earth, can you become more righteous than righteous? More forgiven than forgiven? Holier than holy? Absurd, You can't get more of any of those awesome characteristics.

1 John 4:17 says, "...as [Christ] is, so also are we in this world."
1 Corinthians 3:17 says, "...for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are."
Colossians 2:9-10 says, "...for in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete."

Your spiritual nature is Christlike. You are holy! You are complete! How can you improve on perfect? That is not to say that you are a perfectly finished product in Christ, but that you are a perfectly made product. That's who you are. That's your true identity as a Christian. So quit trying to row your way out of your identity crisis field, and believe what God says about you.

[nChrist]

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LIFE GIVEN AND MAINTAINED
By Miles Stanford

'"He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).

When one begins to realize the complexity of simple spiritual growth, he learns to keep his hands off. and his faith on.

"Regeneration is a birth: the center and root of the personality, the spirit, has been re-created and taken possession of by the Holy Spirit. But time is required for that center to extend through all the circumference of our being. It is akin to a seed: the life of the Lord Jesus within must grow; and it would be against the laws of nature and grace alike if we expected from the babe in Christ the strength that can only be found in the young man, or the rich experience and stability of the fathers. Even where in the new convert there is great singleness of heart and faith, with true love and devotion to the Saviour, time is needed for a deeper knowledge of the old man and sin, for a spiritual insight into what the Father's will and grace are." -A.M.

"The process of conformity to the Lord Jesus' image is going on day by day in the growing believer's life. It is a progression from obedience to obedience, from dependence to dependence, from righteousness to righteousness, and from love to love. As the maturing one gets a larger vision of his perfect Pattern through the daily study of God's Word, he takes higher ground along the line of that blessed revelation, so that his life is a progressive growing up into the Lord Jesus in all things." -R.P.

"The more the believer abounds in the riches of the Father's grace, the more unsearchable and inexhaustible he finds them to be. The spiritual man never stops growing, because he is always reaching upward to that still higher height that is just beyond." -R.P.

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14).

"To know the Word of God, to live the Word of God, to preach the Word, to teach the Word, is the sum of all wisdom, the heart of all Christian service."