GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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Our Union with Christ and the New Heart
Part 6 of 6
by Pastor Ken Lawson




Three Hinges for Better Understanding


Three key words will serve as hinges to help us open the door to Paul's teaching in the beginning of this chapter. They are Know - Romans 6:4,6, 9. Reckon - Romans 6:11. Yield - Romans 6:13. So far, the key word has been "know." But knowledge of the way of holiness is not enough to actually reach it. The following verses supply the remaining elements.

11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:11-13).

The next key word becomes "reckon." We understand that Christ died to put to death our sin nature and rose again. Now He says, consider it to be true of you personally. Since we are one with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection, reckon that He put the old heart to death and gave you a new resurrection heart that doesn't respond to sin. This is where we get to exercise our faith in what God has said. Notice how many times the phrases "unto sin" and "unto God" are used. Verse eleven describes the position of every believer as dead to sin but alive to God. Verses twelve and thirteen show potential movement toward either sin or God, depending on our choice. The command to "Let not sin reign in your mortal body" shows that it is possible to do so if we fail to reckon.

Let's face it. Sin is pleasurable to the flesh and is still a draw (1Tim. 5:6; Heb. 11:25). But God wants to draw us to His right hand where there are pleasures forever more. Nothing is more pleasurable and fulfilling than living close to God and honoring the lordship of Christ in our lives. He fills the heart with a peace, love, and joy that eclipses any pleasure that we could experience in sin. And it lasts forever.

The final word is "yield," and it is an act of the will. It is the same word that Paul uses later in Romans 12:1 and is translated "present." "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." God wants His children to choose God and His righteousness as a continuing lifestyle and yield their eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet, and entire being to Him as an act of acceptable worship for His name's sake. We do it not out of fear or guilt but because "the love of Christ constrains us to live for Him who died for us and rose again (2 Cor. 5:14-15). Paul says much more in the remainder of Romans to complement this short introduction to practical holiness but suffice it now to repeat Paul's instruction, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).

When temptation comes, we can speak to ourselves and say, "I am dead to this through Christ's death and alive to God through His resurrection. He has set me free from the task master of sin and I choose to conduct myself in newness of life because of who He has made me to be in Christ." A wise man once said, "When temptation knocks, send Christ to answer it."

In order to have the victory over sin, we must know (the fact of our co-crucifixion and resurrection with Christ), reckon (consider it to be true of us personally), and yield (an act of the will by which we choose to acknowledge the lordship of Christ in our lives). God's divine heart surgery has given us the power to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). As sons of God, we now have a choice of masters which by knowledge, faith, and commitment will lead to a change of masters in our conduct, faithfulness, and attitude.

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SUFFERING FOR CHRIST
By Pastor  Bob Hanna




Wishful thinkers contend that it is not in God's plan that the saints should suffer. Scripture teaches us otherwise. Part of our testimony for Christ is that we will suffer. It is difficult to understand this principle. In the scope of our human intellect it seems unjust, that God's most faithful servants should suffer in greater degree than those who show Him little or no respect.

This is where faith comes in. By faith we accept His own declaration that He is just. And by faith we accept our destiny as sufferers. "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only, to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Phil. I:29). "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:16,17). "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy  3:12).

In defending his firm stand against the teaching of circumcision, Paul writes to the Galatians, "And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution" (Galatians 5:11)? He is saying that the reason he is suffering is that he is faithfully preaching God's truth. Describing the rigors of his ministry Paul writes, "Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; and labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it" (1 Corinthians 4:11,12).

Paul takes suffering in stride, knowing that, as a servant of Christ it is His portion. "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake" (2 Corinthians 12:10). When Paul asked the Lord to relieve him of the thorn in the flesh that Satan had afflicted him with, the Lord refused. Paul's response was, "I will rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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THE EFFICACY OF GRACE
By R. Hanna, Pastor


EPHESIANS 2:8-9
"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 the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). "We see Jesus, Who was made (for a little time) lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man"(Hebrews 2:9). "(Christ), being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God but 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" (Philippians2:6-8 ).

The Lord God Almighty Himself suffered the ignominious experience of crucifixion; for Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God-- "Who hath saved us, and called us with a 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" (2 Tim 1:9).

Efficacious grace! The Person in who we are quickened and sustained, is very God! Note our final expectation: "(We are) looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity (Titus 2:13-14). We look to no one else, neither to ritual or ceremony for our salvation--nor to any future redemptive work. "For BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God!"

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THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD
By JOHN McKAY, Pastor


Scripture Reading: I Timothy 3:15

The Holy Scriptures are the truth. What is the pillar and ground of the truth? The majestic and neglected passage is open to much abuse from unsaved religionists and traditional church interpretation. The Bible Itself says that the house of God, the Church of the living God, is the pillar and ground of the truth.

The word "house" has reference to the arrangement of God's people according to the revelation He has given them. It is used in this way concerning a different age in Hebrews 3:2-6. The word "house" is also related to the word "dispensation" in Ephesians l:10 and 3:2, and "household" in Ephesians 2:19. This "house" is the Church of the living God, the Body of Christ.

What pattern of conduct or behavior does the Apostle Paul set by revelation from the Lord Jesus here? He is writing about standards for elders and deacons in the local assembly. The apostle himself would arrange elders and deacons in the local assembly, but he might be delayed. He gives instructions for qualified men and then expands his words into a song of praise for the doctrines of the secret which God had kept hidden from ages and generations until He revealed them through the Apostle Paul.

The Body of Christ, the great assembly of this present age, is the pillar and ground of the Truth. As such it has the obligation to recognize men qualified by the Lord for places of leadership in the local assembly. The necessity of this verse is that the Body of Christ ought to have leaders so that the foundation and support can present the Truth to saints and sinners in God's way.

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Running to Win
Part 1 of 4
By Pastor Ricky Kurth


"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (I Cor. 9:24).

Did you know that if you are a Christian, you are in a race? Imagine being in a race and not knowing it! When this writer turned 40, he realized he was in a race against time, and time was running out! It was time to get serious about life! As Christians, we too are in a race—not against each other, but against time, and time is running out! (Rom. 13:11-14). Its time to get serious about the things of the Lord!

While the ancient Olympic games were held in Olympia, the Isthmian games were held in Corinth, and so Paul was using an analogy, the details of which these Corinthians understood, but which must be explained to us. For instance, the "prize" they raced for was not Roman citizenship; you had to be a citizen in order to compete in these games. Likewise, Paul is not speaking about racing for heavenly citizenship, for you must be saved in order to compete in this race. Additionally, it is said that participants in the Isthmian games had to be free of all legal entanglements. If a man were guilty of a felony, or even up on charges, he could not compete. Thank God, grace has freed us from all legal entanglements! We are "free from the law," and cleared of all charges by the blood of Christ!

At the Olympic or Isthmian level, no runner would even think about taking a step backward during a race, for such a step would take you in a direction opposite of your goal! And so it is when you sin, you take a step backward from your goal, and you are losing ground spiritually! Then too, no runner would think of taking a step sideways, for every runner knows that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Sometimes Christians ask if it's acceptable for God's people to watch TV, gamble, or engage in other such marginal activities. While such things are not always wrong, they are often steps sideways, and won't help you win the race at the eternal level.

The writer of Hebrews seemed to understand this too. He challenges us to "run with patience the race that is set before us" (12:1), and his advice is to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us." Obviously the weights he has in mind are not sins, for he mentions them separately. Doubtless he was thinking of these marginal issues, things that are not steps backward, but things that will weigh you down and make it more difficult for you to run the race successfully.

This writer was once working as a house painter in an apartment building that had two sidewalks that led to the door. Since trips back and forth to the truck for equipment take time—and time is money—pacing had to be employed to determine which was the shorter route! But in the race in which we are engaged as Christians, time is much more important than money. Thus it behooves each of us to examine our Christian lives and cast aside any extra weight, straighten out the curves, and eliminate all steps backward and sideways.

When Peter walked on the water through the storm to our Lord, do you think he meandered hither and yon to admire the crashing waves and great ocean swells? Hardly! No doubt the raging sea caused him to set a straight course for the Lord. May the storms that rage in your life cause you to do the same!

Peter's experience teaches us another valuable lesson, "for when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid" (Matt. 14:30). In order to see the wind, he must have taken his eyes off the Lord, and the writer of Hebrews tells us that we should always be "looking unto Jesus" (12:2). Runners know they must focus on the goal. Sin and marginal issues are a distraction that cause us to take our eyes off the prize!

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Running to Win
Part 2 of 4
By Pastor Ricky Kurth

Our Lord is described here in Hebrews 12:2 as "the author and finisher of our faith." Many race courses are straight lines, and the starting line is different than the finishing line. Obviously, Hebrews 12:2 speaks of the more circular form of race course, where the starting line is the same as the finishing line, for our Lord is the beginning of the Christian life, but He is also the goal!

But while Christ is our goal, what specifically are we racing for? I'm glad you asked! God doesn't expect you to engage in a race for an unknown prize. Philippians 3:14 says:

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

So what is "the prize of the high calling of God"? Well, before we can determine what "the prize of the high calling" is, we must first define "the high calling of God." Paul speaks here of our high calling as opposed to Israel's low calling. While believers in Israel were promised an earthly hope, believers today are promised a heavenly hope. Thus Israel's hope is a low calling only in a geographical sense.

But what then is "the prize of the high calling"? Again, we find the answer when we compare what we have to what Israel has. The prize of Israel's low calling was greater opportunity to rule and reign with Christ on earth. The twelve apostles were promised thrones in Christ's earthly kingdom (Matt. 19:28 ), and faithful Jews in general will be rewarded with authority over the peoples of the Gentiles (Luke19:17,19). As the parable in Luke 19 indicates, the extent of their reign will be in direct proportion to the extent of their service. What then is "the prize of the high calling"? Surely it is the extent of our reign with Christ in the heavens, which will be in direct proportion to our faithful service for Him.

To win this prize, Paul says that he concentrated on "one thing" (Phil.3:13). Before 1871, D. L. Moody was interested in many things: the YMCA, social issues, Sunday School work, etc. But after the great Chicago fire devastated his city and took many lives, he determined to focus on one thing—evangelism! Similarly, there are many issues that Christians today can be distracted by: politics, protesting abortion and gay rights, etc. But let us, like God Himself, focus on one thing, and work with Him to "have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (I Tim. 2:4).

But after we extend a lifetime of effort in this race, can it be that only "one receiveth the prize" (I Cor. 9:24)? No, Paul offers this by way of contrast to the way participants in the Isthmian games were rewarded. How heartening to read Paul's words earlier in this epistle, where he speaks of how when "the Lord come...then shall every man have praise of God" (I Cor. 4:5). His words in Chapter 9 are given to encourage us to run as if only one were going to receive the prize, that is, with the same intensity as the Isthmian runners.

"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible" (I Cor. 9:25).

Here Paul turns our attention from the race track to the Isthmian wrestling arena. We know from Ephesians 6:12 that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," the demons that currently reign in the heavens, fallen angels who aren't looking forward to members of the Body of Christ taking their place. We must wrestle against the "doctrines of devils" (I Tim. 4:1) that these rulers of darkness teach. We must try to enlighten those whom they would keep in spiritual darkness.

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Running to Win
Part 3 of 4
By Pastor Ricky Kurth


As we strive, we must remember to be "temperate" or moderate in all things. Pastor Stam's father was a workaholic city missionary. He died a premature death, and Pastor Stam never forgot this lesson. He tempered his own ministry by occasionally taking time out for his diversions, which included photography, chess, and other interests.

The Isthmian wrestlers strove for "a corruptible crown," a leafy laurel that time would corrupt in just a day or two. But we strive for an "incorruptible" crown. Today we often use the word "corruption" to apply to government, when elected officials abuse the public trust. Thank God, when we receive our crowns and begin to rule and reign with Christ, there will never be any corruption in our heavenly government, as there was ages ago when a third of the angels abused God's trust and corrupted the government in the heavens.

"I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air" (I Cor. 9:26).

As we run this race with Paul, there are three things we are not uncertain about. First, we are not uncertain about our salvation, for as we said, we are not competing for heavenly citizenship. Second, we are not uncertain about our rewards. We trust God when He says that every man shall have praise of Him. Lastly, we are not uncertain as to the rules of the game. The rules in professional football have changed over the years, and one thing is certain: if you play by the rules of a previous era, you'll be penalized! Likewise in the dispensation of grace, if you play by the rules that God gave to Israel, you are certain to be penalized!

When Paul says "so fight I," he has switched arenas again, this time to the boxing ring. Boxing is a studied art, but it all boils down to two essentials: hit, and don't get hit! A hard-hitting boxer who can't avoid his opponent's blows will not succeed. But an artful dodger who can't strike a blow is just as ineffective! As Christian boxers, some chant: "We don't smoke and we don't chew, and we don't run with them that do!"—but they don't do anything else either! They can dodge Satan's darts, but can't land a punch for the Lord. But we also have the opposite type, heavy hitters who are preaching and teaching and have the devil on the ropes, but who never learned to duck, and soon are down for the count, having disgraced their ministry by falling into sin.

Paul was not "one that beateth the air," and neither are we! The only time a boxer engaged in beating the air, or "shadow boxing," was when he was training, and you and I are never without an opponent! Our Berean Bible Institute students may be in training, but as far as God is concerned, they are already engaged in the conflict!

"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (I Cor. 9:27).

The phrase "keep under" is a peculiar phrase used only one other time in the Bible, and in a way that tells us precisely what Paul means. In II Chronicles 28:10, we read:

"And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you...."

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Running to Win
Part 4 of 4
By Pastor Ricky Kurth



Obviously, when Paul says we should keep under our bodies, he means we should keep them "as bondmen and bondwomen" unto us. Our physical bodies make wonderful servants, but poor masters. We must keep under them lest we find ourselves "a castaway."

This doesn't mean we might lose our salvation. In Romans 11 we read that God "cast away" the people of Israel (v. 1-15), but that didn't mean that faithful Jews who died in faith lost their hope! It rather means that as a people they were side lined from competition, because they didn't follow the rules!

Paul knew from personal experience what this was like. After he had "preached to others" that we are not under law but under grace, he took a Jewish vow (Acts 21:18-26) that would have ended in an animal sacrifice (v. 26). Rather than let him cast such a dishonorable shadow on the Cross of Christ, God interrupted the vow (v. 27), had him arrested (v. 32) and subsequently imprisoned, cast away or side lined because he didn't follow the rules.

Indeed, it is this unfortunate event in Paul's life that prompted the passage we are now considering. In I Corinthians 9:20, Paul regretfully admits:

"And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law; that I might gain them that are under the law."

Paul says that he did this "that I might by all means save some" (v.22). But are we to use all means to reach the lost and teach the untaught? No, we must be careful "lest that by any means" we are too zealous and break the rules! Paul's words here are not given to encourage us to emulate his methods, but rather as a warning not to follow in his footsteps. He means for us to admire the zeal that motivated his actions, but to temper this zeal with an unwavering determination to play by the rules.

We know that Paul was willing to give up his rewards and be "accursed from Christ" for his brethren in Israel (Rom. 9:3). This sounds noble, and we are tempted to say, "Amen! You go, Paul!", and be willing to give up our own rewards for the sake of those about us. But Paul learned the hard way that God doesn't approve of it, and it doesn't work anyway! Compromising the rules never accomplishes the goal, it only brings loss of rewards. Thus Paul tells Timothy:

"And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully" (II Tim. 2:5).

This passage in II Timothy has yet another tie to our text in I Corinthians 9. The Greek word for "castaway" is the negative form of the word translated "approved" in II Timothy 2:15. Thus, if we don't rightly divide God's Rule Book, we will end up a disapproved castaway! Every Isthmian contestant knew he must do more than just follow the rules of his competition, he also knew he must not mix the rules with those of other events. For instance, while it is perfectly all right to punch an opponent in the boxing ring, a runner who slugs a man who is gaining on him will find himself disqualified! It is likewise within the rules for fencers to use a foil, but the boxer who tries to use one is disapproved! In the same way, Christians today must be careful not to mix the rules given to us through the Apostle Paul with the rules given to the people of Israel, or we will end up "ashamed" at the judgment seat of Christ.

Perhaps you are thinking that you aren't concerned with obtaining rewards, you would be embarrassed to reign with Christ, you are not the type who wants to rule and reign over anyone or anything. When you get to Heaven, you'll be content to be "a doorkeeper" in the house of God (Ps. 84:10). If this describes you, you should know that while rewards may not be important to you, they are important to God. God is tired of watching the Academy awards and all of men's other award shows, and seeing all the wrong people rewarded for all the wrong things! God is eager to see the right people rewarded for all the right things. May God help us to be as eager to be rewarded as He is to reward us! May God help us to get in the game, and live fervently for Him!

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THE DAY OF THE LORD
Richard Mazek,



1 THESSALONIANS 5:2,3
"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail up a woman with child; and they shall not escape."

There are four key days that are proclaimed in the Word of God .  These days do not refer to literal twenty-four hour days, but rather to varying periods of time. Let us take a look at these four days in their proper order.

First of all, THE DAY OF MAN (1 Cor. 4:3)-- This Day began (we believe) with the fall of man - continues to be in effect even to the present day. It is marked by the government of man as it progressively becomes more ripe for judgment. This Day will culminate with ....

THE DAY OF CHRIST (1 Cor. 15:51, 52)-- This Day refers to the Rapture or home-coming of the Body of Christ. The Judgment Seat of Christ is also included in this Day. The transpiring of this Day will usher in....

THE DAY OF THE LORD (1 THESS. 5:2,3)-- This Day speaks to us of God's Judgment and Justice being dispensed, first upon Israel, and then upon the Gentiles. This day begins immediately after the Rapture and continues on through the seventieth week of Daniel (the Tribulation). During this time we find Jehovah-God dealing basically with Israel (Jacob's Trouble) under Judgment until the Revelation (Second Coming) of her Messiah.

THE DAY OF THE LORD does not end here but rather continues on through the Millennium (2 Peter 3:10) as God deals with mankind as a whole, under the rod of justice and judgment. With this in mind it would seem that the Day of the Lord would also include the "Great White Throne Judgment. "

Finally we come to THE DAY OF GOD (2 Peter 3:12,13) -- This Blessed Day coincides with the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times (Eph 1:10) and has to do with the New Heavens and the New Earth, or the eternal state.

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"Captivity Led Captive"
Part 1 of 6
By Pastor Russell S. Miller



Our purpose in this lesson is to discover what, exactly, the Apostle Paul meant in the phrase, "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive..." (Eph. 4:8 ).

Whom did our Lord lead "captive"?

The reason this text has been chosen is that much confusion has been generated amongst God's people as to the events and details of this aspect of our Saviour's ascension. Was it those in "Paradise," or some "principalities and powers" that were "led captive"?

We believe that it was "Paradise" that our Lord "led captive." The word "paradise" is found but three times in our Bibles—Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7.

Genesis Two describes what was a Paradise existing in the days of Adam in what the Bible calls, the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:4-9). Did this paradise still exist during our Lord's earthly ministry? When He spoke to the thief on the cross, "Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43), what did He mean? Genesis Three reports that Adam and Eve were "driven" (Vers. 23,24) out of the garden, or paradise. Certainly Jerusalem was no paradise in our Lord's day, nor does the earth contain any paradise today, for the world is definitely not a paradise regardless of the efforts that man puts forth to make it so.

"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).

"VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE"

Obviously our Lord spoke these words to the dying thief from His cross that before the day was out he would be with Him in paradise.

"And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Paradise could not have been the Garden of Eden, for it had long since been protected from Adam by "a flaming sword, which turned every way" (Gen. 3:24) and later, evidently, by drought (Isa. 1:30). Where then was the paradise that Christ promised the dying thief?

We know that only our Lord's body was buried in Joseph's tomb—that tomb was surely not paradise. Matthew 12:40, however, may shed some light upon this subject:

"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Wouldn't three days and three nights in "the belly of a whale" be more or less "hell" on earth!?! Well, the people of Nineveh must have thought it was! Now Jonas was not actually in "Hades," but this does not mean that the whale's belly did not typify "the heart of the earth"!

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"Captivity Led Captive"
Part 2 of 6
By Pastor Russell S. Miller



ABRAHAM'S BOSOM


Let's discover, with God's help, where Abraham's Bosom was. Of Abraham it is written:

"Then [he] gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people" (Gen. 25:8 ).

Surely his grave was not paradise nor did it contain his people. Moses and Aaron were also both "gathered unto their people," but it is clear that neither of them were buried in the same cemetery. See Numbers 20:23-29; 27:12-14; Deuteronomy 32:48-52.

Thus we see that these Old Testament saints were "gathered" to a particular place that sheltered them, just as the blood of the sacrificial lamb "covered" their sins from God's wrath until such time as He could welcome them into His presence.

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: SO CHRIST WAS ONCE OFFERED TO BEAR THE SINS OF MANY..." (Heb. 9:27,28 ).

But where were those saints "gathered"? Luke 16:19-31 speaks of Abraham's bosom, and Abraham was there!

"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom" (Luke 16:22,23).

The word "bosom" is found six times in our New Testaments and is translated "creek" in Acts 27:39. (Twice it is used figuratively—Luke 16:22,23; thrice it is used literally—Luke 6:38; John 1:18; 13:23). Just as that "creek" into which they "thrust" Paul's ship was a shelter from a raging storm for the Apostle Paul, so Abraham's bosom sheltered those kingdom saints until the sacrificial blood of Christ was shed. Interesting! Is it not?


IS ABRAHAM'S BOSOM PARADISE?


Now the question must be asked, "Was the thief `gathered' to Abraham's bosom?" Abraham himself, like Moses and Aaron, was "gathered unto his people," not unto the Lord. Luke 16 confirms that the place to which their souls were gathered was called Abraham's bosom, the place to which all Old Testament saints were "gathered." The dying "thief" would also have been "gathered" unto that same place which our Lord called "PARADISE" in Luke 23:43.

Now if "TODAY" the thief was to be with Christ in "Paradise," Luke 23:43, then it was at the time of His death that he went to "Paradise." Since Christ had "not yet ascended to [His] Father" (John 20:17) and could therefore not be "touched," it is more than logical that "Paradise" was "IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH" where "the Son of man" spent "three days and three nights" (Matt. 12:40).

We know from I Peter 3:19 that after His crucifixion, our Lord, "...by the Spirit...went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water" (I Pet. 3:19,20).

The Greek word for "spirit," here, is used of the Holy Spirit of God in Matthew 3:16 and many other places as well. It is also used of demons in Matthew 8:16. Paul uses it of "the spirit of man" in I Corinthians 2:11, and of his own "spirit" in Acts 19:21 and 20:22. Furthermore, God is "the Father of spirits," the Justifier of "the spirits of just men made perfect" and His Word "divideth asunder soul and spirit" (Heb. 12:9,23; 4:12). It is also used of the angels of God, "Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire" (Heb. 1:7).

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Heb. 1:14).

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"Captivity Led Captive"
Part 3 of 6
By Pastor Russell S. Miller



There are three Greek words for our English word "hell"—Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus, none of which are rendered by the word prison. Hades had a section commonly known as "hell" and a compartment known as "paradise," separated by "a great gulf fixed" (Luke 16:26). Gehenna is used of our Lord in the warnings and "danger of hell fire" that the "whole body should [not] be cast into hell" (Matt. 5:22,29,30; etc.). While "tartarus" is found only one time, in II Peter 2:4, to describe the intended purpose for this "hell":

2Peter 2:4 "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, ( Gr. tartaroo the deepest abyss of Hades) and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;" 


"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [tartarus], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly" (II Pet. 2:4-6).

2Peter 2:4-6 "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly"

The context of I Peter 3:18-22, however, tells us that Christ preached to those "disobedient" in the days of Noah. Did our Lord only preach to those antediluvians and demons in the prison? Or did He, like Abraham, have some good news also, a message of deliverance for the captives in "paradise" on that Resurrection morn? No doubt His sermon incorporated glorious victory to the saints, "many" of whom "arose" and "appeared unto many" (Matt. 27:52,53). But what horrible agony and torment must have been the scene in "Hell" that morning! If those poor hopeless souls had no hope before our Lord descended, what hopelessness now existed at His ascension! Their deluded and despairing thoughts were completely shattered now!

"Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth [against the truth], shall descend into it" (Isa. 5:14).

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"Captivity Led Captive"
Part 4 of 6
By Pastor Russell S. Miller


WHAT A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE PLACE HELL MUST BE (Rev. 20:11-15).

God wants to save you from hell, my friend, if you will simply trust the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. Ask Him just now to save you from your sins.

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8 ).

"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 which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:25,26).


CHRIST'S GREAT VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL


The Lord Jesus Christ went down "into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9) or "Sheol," called "Hades" in the New Testament (Acts 2:27,31).

"Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9).

And on that Resurrection morning as He came out of "Hades" He led these Old Testament saints in "Abraham's bosom" triumphantly to heaven.

The Apostle Paul further states in Verse 8 that, "When [Christ] ascended up on high, He led captivity captive...." And who were "captive" if He came out of where He descended, but those in Abraham's bosom!

Indeed, "that Great Shepherd of the sheep" (Heb. 13:20) led a multitude of captives, a triumphal procession, in celebration of His victory over sin, death, the grave and hell, even "triumphing" over Satan himself "in the cross" (Col. 2:15).

"...THAT THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT DESTROY HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THAT IS, THE DEVIL: AND DELIVER THEM WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WERE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE" (Heb. 2:14,15).


"HOW THAT PAUL WAS CAUGHT UP INTO PARADISE"


"It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

"I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

"And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

"How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (II Cor. 12:1-4).

Of the three references to "paradise" in the New Testament, not one of them refers to the same location. Our Lord spoke to the dying thief of going "down" into paradise (Luke 23:43). Here, Paul speaks about being "caught UP into paradise" (II Cor. 12:4). But John reveals that paradise is coming "DOWN from God out of heaven" (Rev. 2:7; 21:1,2; 22:1-7).

A question seems to linger, Was Paul actually "caught up into paradise"? He, himself, informs us that he, in fact, was "caught up to the third heaven"2  and this event evidently occurred when Paul was stoned at Lystra in Acts 14:19:

"And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead."

Acts 14 informs us that "as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derby" (14:20). This is consistent with Paul's words in II Corinthians 12:1-4. Paul was caught up into paradise.

And furthermore it is consistent with what we have seen regarding Christ having "led captivity captive," a surprise of grace for those Old Testament saints, for the Kingdom of Heaven ON EARTH is promised them (Matt. 8:11), not Heaven above!3

Endnotes

1. One writer has decreed there to be not one shred of Scripture to substantiate these thoughts. But what is this that I read in Matthew 12:40; in Acts 2:27,31; in Romans 10:7; in I Peter 3:18-20. Dr. C. I. Scofield's center column reference on Acts 2:25-31 refers the reader to Luke 16:23 and his note on "Hades" before and after the ascension of Christ. But most importantly is the record of Scripture itself. Consequently the Apostle Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2:25-31, and after coming to see the grace message through Paul's influence (Gal. 2:7-9; Acts 15:7-11), declares in I Peter 3:19 that the Lord did, in fact, preach to those in Hades. And the Apostle Paul makes it very clear in his declarations that the Lord Jesus Christ not only "descended into the deep" (Rom. 10:7), but he also declares this "deep" to be "the lower parts of the earth" in Ephesians 4:9. Furthermore, brethren, "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men" (Eph. 4:8 ). So it would be systematic deception for a man "to think of himself more highly than he ought to think" (Rom. 12:3)! Or, as Paul's words to the Corinthians express it—"to think above that which is written" (I Cor. 4:6). This, of course, would therefore lead to wrongly dividing the Word of truth and handling God's Word deceitfully: "For we are not as many, which corrupt the Word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ" (II Cor. 2:17).

2. Did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hear those "unspeakable" and "unlawful" words that Paul heard in II Corinthians 12:4? Imagine being "caught up" into the now place of Old Testament saints to receive another installment of "this Mystery among the Gentiles!" Just a thought!

3. Now we see how Paul's words in Ephesians 4:8-10 do not contradict Psalm 68:18, but rather complement the Psalmist. So what is the conclusion of Ephesians 4:(not 7-16 but) 8-10? It is true that Paul quotes a Messianic Psalm (68:10), however he did not minister to the Messianic Church. Nevertheless he did confirm the events that occurred in the ascension of Christ. But the "gifts" that were given, in the context here, are very obviously not those of Mark 16:15-18, nor Acts 2:38, nor those chapters subsequent. Even the office of apostles and prophets were temporary, since only evangelists, pastors, and teachers remain!

4. See the writer's article, titled: "The Lamb's Book of Life."

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"Captivity Led Captive"
Part 5 of 6
By Pastor Russell S. Miller


THE PARADISE OF GOD


In Revelation 3:12, the Lord Jesus Christ inspired and revealed to the Apostle John these words concerning Himself and the New Jerusalem:

"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name" (Rev. 3:12).

We next read of this great "city of God" in Revelation 21:2 which, during all that time, from Revelation 3:12 to Revelation 21:2, has still not arrived upon planet earth:

"And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev. 21:2).

It is during this time of Great Tribulation that all the terrible plagues and judgments of the Book of Revelation shall be poured out upon this earth for its rejection of Jesus Christ. It was concerning this period of time that Jesus warned His disciples of "false Christs" and "false prophets" that "shall deceive many" (Matt. 24:4-14).

"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13).

Again, it is the Apostle John who writes by divine inspiration:

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life4 which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7).

THAT BLESSED HOPE

The Apostle Paul, unlike Joel and Peter and John, does not exhort believers to "endure unto the end," nor to "overcome," in order to be saved in this dispensation of the grace of God. His words are words of "love" and "grace" and "peace."

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thes. 5:9).

"...Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (I Thes. 4:13-18 ).

And this is why he exhorts believers to be: "LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE, AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE GREAT GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST" (Titus 2:13).

But if you're not saved, my friend, you have only "hell" and "the lake of fire" to look forward to without Jesus Christ. For now, however, God still has good news for you. Won't you ask Jesus to save you from your sins? Trust Jesus Christ today as your Saviour.

"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).

Don't delay another moment, because time IS running out. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:2). God wants you to enjoy Heaven with Jesus for all eternity but you must believe in Jesus.

"BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED, AND THY HOUSE" (Acts 16:31).

Endnotes

4. See the writer's article, titled: "The Lamb's Book of Life."

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How Much More
by Dr. Bill Gillham



Consider Paul's statement, "For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:10).

There was a time in my pilgrimage when I breezed by this verse, assuming that it referred to my future in heaven. You see, I concentrated solely on the death of Jesus as the payment for my sins, never realizing that He accomplished much more for me than that glorious act. The phrase I just used-"much more"-came right out of the verse. I was unintentionally minimizing a significant part of Jesus' finished work. I believed that the reference to His life related only to a future heaven instead of our life on earth as well. I put all my doctrinal weight on His death and none on His life, and I believe that many Christians are making that same mistake.

You'll agree that the first half of this verse-"reconciled to God through the death of His Son"-references Christ's death as the way God saved you from everlasting hell. Then Paul writes, "much more . . ." You've gotta love those two words. God is not given to superlatives. After all, if you've never told a lie and you're incapable of ever doing so (Titus 1:2), your yes means yes and your no means no. So when God uses words or phrases like "much more," we ought to get ready for an important announcement. Here it is: "Much more, having been reconciled [a guarantee of heaven], we shall be saved by His life." Saved by His life? Saved from what? We are already saved from hell by the death of Christ in the first part of the verse, so what is this "much more" we get saved from by the life of Christ?

His life through you saved you from bearing the circumstances of living on earth! That's right. Christ's death saved you from hell below the earth; Christ's life saves you from hell upon the earth.