GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IN HIS RESURRECTION
Part  2 of 2
By Jack Trumm


Thirdly, His resurrection guarantees our inclusion into a wonderful future event ("our gathering together unto Him" or the Rapture).

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles also tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep (or those that have died before us). For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

And so this is what the resurrection means to us as believers. But now comes our fourth question, "What does it mean to unbelievers?"

The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves who will be the judge for the unbeliever on judgment day, "but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)

With all of this being said, this brings up another question, and that is To whom then does this resurrection of life apply to? It applies only to those who have become members of the church, which is Christ's body. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular". (I Corinthians 12:27)

How do we become members of the church, the body of Christ? By believing (faith) the gospel that was revealed to Paul the apostle to the Gentiles, and that was "how that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day." (I Corinthians 15:3-4)

When did this wonderful act of God's righteousness take place? The most common answer to that question would be 2,000 years ago, which is true time wise. But let's go again to the word of God for the true answer.

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die." (Romans 5:6-8 )

Do you believe this? If you do, then you have a part in this resurrection of life. If you do not believe, there is another resurrection of the dead. John tells us in the book of Revelation "and I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away: and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)

There we have it, we as individuals have a choice, we can (accept), (trust), (believe) what Christ has done on the cross of calvary through his death, burial and resurrection was for me and have the assurance of eternal life, or we can (reject) or (believe not) this wonderful gospel of salvation and be cast into the lake of fire. The choice is ours.

Which do you choose?

So, in conclusion, what does the resurrection of Christ guarantee us?

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST GUARANTEES US OUR JUSTIFICATION.

- Jack Trumm-

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CONTINUOUS CROSS
By Miles Stanford



"For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake" (2 Cor. 4:11).

The indwelling Lord Jesus is the source of our life of liberation; the Cross is the means to it. As we abide in Him and He in us, we are to reckon upon the finished work of Calvary to deal progressively with self. It is on this basis alone that the life of Jesus will be manifested in our mortal flesh (2 Cor. 4:11) .

"God has taken the old creation and has condemned it in Christ, and is now working on the new creation. There is no place in the plan of God for the betterment of the old creation. He does not bring about some kind of transformation of the old man so as to produce some kind of resemblance to Christ in Christian character and conduct. There is only one place for the old creation, and that is the Cross.

"But it is not enough for us to say it is there crucified with Christ. Crucifixion was a lingering death, and while we stand once for all upon the fact of God, which is eternal and unchangeable, when our Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross He took more than our sins with Him; He took our old man and dealt with the source of all our sin, and dealt with it satisfactorily. While we stand on that fact, there has to be the daily working out of the victory which Christ has won for us; there has to be the daily dying to this old self. The Holy Spirit has to work into us the death of the Lord Jesus Christ in all its wonderful power and purpose." - G.W.

"Being made comfortable unto his death" (Phil. 3:10).

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Are You Secure?
Part 1 of 4
By PAUL SADLER


The postwar years from 1945 through 1960 were not only years of rebuilding in America, they also served as an era that provided a sense of security. Those who pursued the "American Dream" found that their employers supplied steady employment along with a comfortable retirement plan. Security seemed to be woven into the very fabric of our society.

But as a new day dawned in the 60's storm clouds began to gather, threatening the very existence of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Everything seemed to come unglued overnight. With the Cuban Missile Crisis, the tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was at an all time high. Most of us sat on the edge of our seats as a nuclear assault appeared to be eminent. The assassination of leaders stunned us, leaving everyone astonished as to how cruel our fellow-man can really be. As if that wasn't bad enough, our teenagers suddenly went berserk, rebelling against anything that even had the semblance of authority.

As the years wore on, unexpected mergers and acquisitions of numerous companies started taking place on a nation-wide scale, causing many Americans to be faced with uncertain futures. More recently a number of corporations have pulled up stakes, relocating overseas taking with them thousands of jobs. As a result many have found themselves out on the street, unemployed, laden with a feeling of betrayal. Gradually the great industrial nation of the world has found itself in a state of fading glory, destined now to become a service nation.

The "American Dream" has to many become the "American Nightmare" as jobs, marriages and our sense of security have been uprooted. Insecurity is a plague upon the land which will not soon pass. It has caused many a person, including believers, to pause and consider. "Is there anyone whom we can trust?" "Is anything certain in this world of uncertainty?"

HOPE FOR THOSE IN DESPAIR

"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2).

The fact that the believer is in the world, yet not of the world, does not diminish the reality that the world around us affects us. Sometimes being weary from life itself can even cause one's confidence in the Lord to be shaken. This is especially true of new believers who are still finding their way in the Scriptures. To heighten their sense of uncertainty, just about the time they are getting a handle on things spiritually, someone informs them that they are not eternally secure and could lose their salvation! Were it not for the grace of God, such times could result in a lethal injection of fear.

The Apostle Paul, when he writes to Titus calms these fears as he turns our doubts into hope--the hope of eternal life. He declares that there is someone we can implicitly trust in a world of instability, and that someone is the Lord God, Almighty.

God has promised the free gift of eternal life to all those who believe on His Son. If God has spoken it, then you can be absolutely certain that He will bring it to pass just as He has promised---He "cannot lie!" The Word of the Lord through the prophet Balaam lends further confirmation to the Apostle's teaching:

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

When God says that He parted the Red Sea and one and one-half million Israelites crossed on dry ground, I unequivocally take Him at His Word, based on two truths: One, "nothing is impossible with God" and secondly, He "cannot lie!" All believers can look forward with confident expectation for God to honor His Word and grant sincere believers the gift of eternal life. Be it known, however, He will also stand true to His Word by confining all of those who reject the gospel to the Lake of Fire.

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Are You Secure?
Part 2 of 4
By PAUL SADLER



SALVATION

When we consider the subject of salvation it is crucial to remember that "Salvation is of the Lord." It was God who devised the plan of salvation and implemented it at the Cross, where Christ died for our sins. God's justice, having been satisfied, paved the way for His acceptance of the finished work of Christ on our behalf. Now in love He turns to us, revealing that we must respond by faith to what He has accomplished.

There is not a believer reading these lines who would hold that we can save ourselves from our sins. Every true believer will acknowledge this conclusion to be unconditionally true, because it is based on the living Word of God. This being the case, we must also acknowledge that the Lord must, according to His Word, keep us saved or eternally secure. If we agree
that no one has the power to save himself, then it naturally follows that no one has the power to keep himself either. Our complete salvation (past, present and future) depends wholly on Him.

HOLDING FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE

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

Is it possible to help those who believe they can lose their salvation? By all means, but first we must be equipped with the proper Scripture passages, in order, to effectively minister to those who hold this view. Here are two suggestions: Select a passage, such as Romans 6:23, and politely ask your friend to read it carefully. Then inquire, "When you initially believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, did you receive the gift of eternal life as promised in this verse?" Brace yourself, because he is going to respond, "Definitely!" Gently reply, again I say gently, "In what sense was it eternal if you can ever lose it?" You see, if you can lose it, then it was never eternal to begin with. The Holy Spirit used the word "eternal" because that is exactly the thought He wanted to convey. If you believe God is eternal, then the life we inherit at the moment of regeneration must also be eternal, because Christ is our life (Col. 3:4).

The next inquiry that naturally follows is, "If you can lose your salvation (eternal life), which sin is it that will place you again in danger of the Hell fire judgment to come?" Understanding the Word rightly divided means that we must confine ourselves to Paul's revelation, seeing he is the Apostle to the Gentiles and received the commands of Christ for the Church today (Rom. 11:13; I Cor. 14:37).

After fifteen years of studying the epistles Paul, I know of no passage of Scripture that sets forth a sin or sins whereby one could lose his salvation. Where God is silent the believer is also bound to be silent.  But some will say, "It's the more serious sins named in the Bible, ones like murder or adultery that can finally condemn us." But, according to Prov. 6:16-20 the sins of pride and lying are a greater abomination in the sight of God.

Another dilemma you will find yourself in if you hold to the doctrine of "eternal insecurity" is trying to determine when you've sinned that "undefinable" sin too many times. If for example it was lying, is it lie or the tenth lie you may tell? A bewildered saint said to me one time, "I am not really sure, but know it in my heart when it happens." I needed only to remind him of the words of Jeremiah. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9).

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Are You Secure?
Part 3 of 4
By PAUL SADLER




OUR RELATIONSHIP

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the: of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6)

"In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1: 14).

A father and a son had worked together for several, years when one day the son became disgruntled angrily approached his father. "Dad, I've had it. I don't like how you operate this business and I feel you have treated me unfairly. I plan to move hundreds of miles away, change my name, tear up my birth certificate and I never want to see you again!"

While the fellowship between the father and the son had been disrupted, because of the lad's sinful behavior, the son could never change the fact that he was still the son of his father. He could not alter the blood relationship he had with his father. Such relationships are irreversible for all of the days of one's life.

If you count this to be an indisputable fact (and it is), then you must also acknowledge the Scriptures when they instruct us that we have the same type of relationship, spiritually, with our Heavenly Father. The Word of God declares that we are the sons of God, which clearly indicates we have a relationship with God which we are bound to by the blood of Christ for all time and eternity. Since this relationship can never be broken, it can only mean that every believer in Christ is eternally secure!

But will some object that this teaching provides a license to sin? Quite the contrary! Which is better, a father who rules with a rod of iron demanding the letter of the law, or a father who out of love and respect is willingly obeyed? The latter of course, which also is in accord with the dispensation of grace. Because God has achieved so much on our behalf, it is out of love and respect for Him that we would not want to do anything that would bring disgrace to His Holy Name.

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Are You Secure?
Part 4 of 4
By PAUL SADLER




ETERNAL SECURITY

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.

"Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory" (Eph. 1:13, 14).

From this passage we learn that the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the eternal security of every believer. The moment we have taken Christ as our personal Savior the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ, sealing us there for all eternity. We are not sealed with a mere circular impression as on a legal document, but rather the Scriptures disclose that the Holy Spirit Himself is the seal that secures us in the Body of Christ. As we have said before: when a woman seals jars of jelly with wax, the jellies are sealed by the woman, but with wax. The wax is the seal. Thus, according to Eph.1:13, believers are sealed ", .. with that Holy Spirit of promise, the Holy Spirit Himself keeping them safe forever.

During Biblical times when a ruler would fix a seal to a certain thing, whether it were a lion's den or a tomb, it was done to secure his decree, thus making it irrevocable. When the presidents persuaded King Darius to make a declaration against petitioning any God, the King was forced to place Daniel in the lion's den, sealing it with his own signet. The record informs us that the sealing with the King's signet was done, " ... that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel" (Dan, 6:16,17). If this is true in the affairs of men, how much more so in the affairs of God. Every believer has been sealed with the Holy Spirit, and this proclamation of God can never be reversed---we are safe and secure in the everlasting arms.

The Apostle Paul goes on in the Ephesian letter to show us that the earnest of the Spirit is the pledge or the down payment until the transaction is completed. To place earnest money down in Paul's day, as well as in our day, meant three things:

1)    It was a down payment which made the deal binding.
2)    It represented an obligation to purchase.
3)    It was a foretaste of what was to come.

When purchasing property it is a common practice to place a certain amount of earnest money down. This makes the deal binding and obligates the buyer to purchase the piece of land according to the terms of the contract. So it is with God. He has given us the earnest of the Spirit (the indwelling Spirit) as a down payment, which means He now has the obligation to honor His Word to complete the transaction. Thus, when the trump sounds God will claim His purchased possession ushering us home to be forever with Him (IThess. 4:17).

THE BENEFITS OF BEING SECURE

The world can fall apart around us, but "if God be for us who can be against us?" In a world of uncertainty and chaos, the believer can rest assured that he belongs to the Lord, who is able to keep him until the day of redemption.

One of the many benefits of understanding the doctrine of Eternal Security is that it removes the fear of ever losing our salvation. Instead of finding ourselves in an emotional frenzy, wondering if we have gone too far in sinful behavior, we can rest in the truth that, by His grace, we are still safe and secure. This will motivate us to serve the Lord because He loves us. We then can devote all of our time and energy to carrying out the commands of Christ to the praise of his glory!

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord"---Rom. 8:35,37-39.

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CALLED THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD
by Russel S. Miller


"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood" (Gal. 1:15,16).

From the moment of his birth, Paul, like Jeremiah (1:5) of old, was selected by the Lord to "preach among the heathen" (Gal. 1:16). But unlike Jeremiah, Paul was not called to be a prophet. In Romans 11:13 he states the reason for which God had called him:

"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office" (Rom. 11:13).

In Ephesians 3:8, we read these words concerning his ministry:

"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

The Lord was in Paul’s life from his birth, working behind the scenes in his early training, his schooling, being also "brought up in [Jerusalem] at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers" (Acts 22:3). In other words God had Paul, and this dispensation of grace, in mind all the while and "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:11).

It was at Damascus -— upon the conversion of this Saul of Tarsus -— that Christ began to reveal Himself unto him! Acts 9 marks the beginning of "the revelation of Jesus Christ" in Paul’s life (Gal. 1:11,12; Acts 26:16-18; I Tim. 1:15-16).

"And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 1:14).

Thus, we discover that both before and after Acts 28 the Apostle’s afflictions were on account of his God-given call to minister the gospel of the grace of God.

"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for His Body’s sake, which is the Church; WHEREOF I AM MADE A MINISTER, according to the dispensation of God WHICH IS GIVEN TO ME for you, to fulfil the Word of God; Even THE MYSTERY which has been HID FROM AGES AND FROM GENERATIONS, but has NOW been made manifest to His saints" (Col. 1:24-26).

It was concerning THIS call and ministry of grace that Paul wrote Timothy: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (II Tim. 4:7).

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TAKEN AWAY
By Rick Mazek

In Matthew 24:37-42 we are told that conditions on the earth prior to the Lord's coming will be similar to those in Noah's day. The record in Genesis 6:5-7 states that "the thoughts of mens' hearts were only evil continually" and "God repented that He had made man." An honest appraisal of present-day morals must conclude that we are fast heading in the same direction.

To the Lord's people, however, it is a comforting thought that when evil has reached its zenith, God always calls a halt. It was so in Noah's day. While the multitude of people were "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" completely indifferent to their eternal welfare, suddenly the flood came and "took them all away." Only Noah and his family were spared because they had entered the ark. Those who were "taken" died in the flood.

"So shall the coming of the Son of Man be" said the Lord Jesus Christ. "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken and the other left."

Taken where? Not to Heaven as is sometimes taught, but into judgment. The one who is left will go into the millennial kingdom which Christ will have come to establish.

To God's people in this evil age, the Apostle Paul by inspiration tells of a secret coming of Christ (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51,52). Then, instead of being "taken away" members of the Body of Christ will be "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air and "so shall we ever be with the Lord." How wonderful to have this hope of being "caught up" and not "taken away." It can be yours by believing the Gospel and trusting the Saviour. Read Romans 5:1.

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CONTENDING FOR THE MASTERY
By FLOYD BAKER, Pastor



Scripture Reading: II Timothy 2:5

"And if a man strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." The words "strive for masteries" are taken from the practice of "contending in the public games" of that day. Paul is drawing upon familiar events in the lives of the people, as we see in our context, but with a spiritual application.

As we look about us today we quickly notice that not all who are saved are, "contending in the games" and for many who are, they are not "striving lawfully," i.e. "contending by the rules." The first thing the athlete needs to determine in his life is whether or not the prize is worth the effort. Whereas the athlete could see the benefits of his efforts by "being crowned" we must view it by faith. While their "being crowned" may have a lifetime benefit ours has an eternal one as we note in I Corinthians 9:25, "Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible."

We see throughout this book that the apostle is impressing upon Timothy the need to be faithful to the message committed to him. To "strive lawfully" means not mixing the earthly kingdom program with God's heavenly program; not mixing law with grace. It is evident that many of God's people are either ignorant of the consequence or they are looking at the cost of "striving for the masteries" and have taken the road of least resistance. May we be among those who are "to be crowned."

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PAUL'S SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE
An Overview of Philippians 3
by Dr. E. R. Campbell



It is my desire that all of us believers might be identified with the message that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to and through the apostle Paul, and how it controlled his thinking and living, I begin this by quoting from my literal and conservative translation of Philippians.

vv.12-14 "Not that I have already obtained or already have been made perfect, but I pursue, if also I may lay hold upon that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not count myself to have laid hold, but one thing, on the one hand forgetting the things behind, and on the other hand reaching out unto the things before, I pursue the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

The apostle Paul never claimed that he had reached the spiritual status unto which end the Lord had laid hold of him. On the one hand, Paul and all those who believe that Jesus Christ died for their sin, are counted sinless and righteous in Christ Jesus for good works, which God previously prepared, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

In the context surrounding the preceding verses, we need to identify with Paul in that which is all-important: the pursuing of "the surpassing knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord" (Phil. 3:8 ). We need with Paul to be found having "the righteousness that is through the faithfulness of Christ" (Phil. 3:9). We need to also be reaching out "unto the end to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:10).

In the third paragraph above, I have explained how God changes a sinner into one fit to serve Him. Also, in the light of what is said in this portion of Philippians, I indicated that salvation by grace should result in our living according to the good works prepared by God. The Pauline Epistles certainly make it dear, while the Apostle was focusing on the future, he was preparing for the reward which would accrue to his account (2 Cor. 5:9-10; 1 Thess. 1 :9-10).

After bathing my mind in Philippians 3:5-21, I have concluded that the apostle Paul is sharing with us an overview of his spiritual pilgrimage, beginning with his deliverance from the Law, and ending with the acquisition of a body of the same form as Jesus Christ's glorious body (Phil. 3:21).

I want you to observe an important aspect of Paul's spiritual pilgrimage with which we all can identify. He says, "but one thing," then proceeds to mention the focus of his ministry, what he concentrated on. He says that, on the one hand, he was "forgetting the things behind." The Greek word translated forgetting is a present participial and means that Paul continually forgot and obliterated his past blasphemous conduct from his mind, for he had received mercy and forgiveness because he did it when he was an ignorant unbeliever (1 Tim. 1:13). We should identify with Paul in not doting on things we did in ignorant unbelief.

It is interesting that the Apostle links together the negative forgetting and the positive reaching out as one thing. Negative doting on the unalterable past has the potential to have a deleterious effect on our minds. Apparently, the apostle Paul is looking at it as that which stymies spiritual growth, maturity, and progress.

Summarizing we all need to be more closely identified with Paul in his intimate relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. He wanted to know experientially the power involved in His resurrection; he wanted, in a deeper sense, to feel His sufferings leading to the Cross; also, he wanted to be progressively molded and conformed to the death of Christ.

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ACCESS TO GOD BEFORE AND AFTER THE CROSS

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 9:1-8; Ephesians 2:13-18

Under the old covenant, God could not be directly approached, instead, a duly ordained priest acted always as an intermediary. Even the priest had to perform under rigid instructions. "And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron ... and the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not. .. thus shall Aaron come into the holy place ... " (Leviticus 16:1-3) The Lord then continued with specific orders as to the performance of the priest. "And this shall be a statute forever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month ... on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." (Leviticus 16:29,30)

The holy place was located (after the second veil) in the tabernacle; only the priest could pass through the veil and only as so meticulously instructed.

But as the Lord Jesus Christ hung dying on calvary's cross, "Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." (Mark 15:37.38 ) Because Christ thus broke the barrier, "Through Him we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Ephesians 2:18 )

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PRESENT GRACE


PRESENT GRACE IS ROOTED IN THE SOVEREIGN LOVE OF GOD THE FATHER.

The story is told about the man who lost his dog. He put an ad in the paper and offered a reward. The advertisement read "Lost dog mixed breed, limps due to an arthritic condition, blind in one eye, large patches of fur missing, doesn't hear well, and answers to the name LUCKY." That dog was lucky because somebody loved him.

We are more than lucky---we are blessed beyond words--and that because of GRACE. God knew we were helpless and hopeless. "BUT AFTER THAT, the kindness and LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR toward man appeared" (v. 4). God in kindness and love sent His Son into the world. He was born of a virgin. Thirty-three years later, He died on a cross. Romans 5:8 states "God commended His LOVE toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died FOR US." On the cross, He bore OUR sins in HIS OWN BODY (I Peter 2:24). God does not love us because we are valuable--we are sinful, helpless, and hopeless. We are valuable because God loves us. Through simple faith in His Finished Work, we become His children, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with CHRIST (Romans 8:17). "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" I John 1:4.

Ephesians 2:4 states "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith HE LOVED US--even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ (by GRACE ye are saved). The Word plainly states we were DEAD--dead towards God. A dead person is unable to do anything to please God. Praise God, His love is not based on IF we do something, WHEN we do something, or BECAUSE we do something. HE LOVES US ... because of His amazing GRACE.

PRESENT GRACE IS ROOTED IN THE SAVING DEATH AND LIFE OF GOD THE SON
Titus 3:5 states "NOT by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration .... " This passage clearly teaches we are not saved by our good works. In God's estimation, our "good works" (for salvation) are nothing more to Him than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). A filthy rag has absolutely no value! The grace of God is not "do", it is not "don't," but it is DONE! He has completed the work for our salvation (I Corinthians 15:3,4). Revelation 1:5 declares "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, According to the RICHES OF HIS GRACE" Eph. 1:7. When GOD saves us He makes us a new creation in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17). HE washes away our sins and buries them in the grave of God's forgetfulness (Hebrews 8:12)

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins
And Sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

Paul, writing to the Christians in Rome, said "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE (Romans 5:10). The "life" referred to in this passage is the PRESENT life of Jesus Christ at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. "But this man (Jesus) because He continueth ever .. .is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM" (Hebrews 7:24-25). Romans 8:33-34 states "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth (He has cleared us of every charge). Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, WHO MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US." When believers sin, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE RIGHTEOUS ONE, stands up for us before the throne of GOD. He pleads that His own death on the cross paid the penalty for that particular sin and therefore, we cannot be condemned! Jesus Christ is our advocate, and there is therefore no condemnation to them which are in CHRIST JESUS (Romans 8:1).

God's GRACE is truly amazing.

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NOW AND FOREVER FREE!
By Miles Stanford


"Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:7,8 ).


We can trust Him for our matriculation here, and we can trust Him for our examination and graduation in Glory!

"That word, 'blameless,' may be translated 'unimpeachable' or 'unaccusable.' In other words, when we stand at last at the judgment seat of Christ, God Himself is going to see to it that no charge can stand against any believer, because the Lord Jesus Christ has atoned for all our sins with His own precious Blood. Every failure in life will be dealt with there, and all the wood, hay, and stubble will be burned in the fire of that day and we shall stand before our Lord unimpeachable, unaccusable." -H.A.I.

"Instead of my sins being between myself and Him, as before, it is Himself who is now between me and my sins; and the One who has thus interposed has given me to know that in the doing it He has brought me to Himself, and tuned my heart to His own praise.

"He has borne the judgment due to my sins, and condemned sin in the flesh; in the Person of my Substitute I am clear from, and carried beyond, the judgment forever; the power of death is annulled, that of Satan finally broken."

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's. elect? Shall God that justifieth? Who is he that condemneth? Shall Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us?" (Rom. 8:33,34).

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REDEEMED BY THE SON
By Pastor John McKay


EPHESIANS 1:7



The Bible tells what the Lord Jesus accomplished for us. "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." We often fail to see the infinite significance of process through which the Lord would offer His own blood for our salvation. We think of what He did as something easy for Him. It was not "easy." We must never take His redemption lightly.

"Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." When He left Heaven, He "made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant...and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death." The Son of God said, "All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning Me." He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem in order to die exactly in the way that would please His Father. "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."

The Lord Jesus was always conscious of the specific will of His Father. On earth He was not always aware of the Master plan, but He could assert, "I do always those things that please Him." The Son of God knew that individuals had been chosen by the Father, He said, "I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which Thou gavest Me." Whether referring to the Twelve or to any of us, we may say, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Receive this gift of eternal life if you have never trusted Him as your personal Saviour.

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THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL
by C. R. Stam



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

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

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

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

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