GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE HEAVENLY GIFT
By Pastor Floyd Baker


Scripture  Hebrews 6:4 "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance:"

There are many questions that have been raised as to the understanding of this passage in Hebrews. Do these verses refer to some one who is saved or someone who was close and then drew back? Does it teach that you can lose your salvation? And, what is the "heavenly gift?" At the outset we need to realize that this is written to the Hebrews. We will find "truth for the Body of Christ," but we will not find "Body truth" in this letter.

The focus of the writer from the beginning has been the Lord Jesus Christ and His superiority to all that was associated with Israel's covenants and blessings. It would appear that the "heavenly gift" is the Lord Jesus Christ and His ministry to them. This brings with it all else that you might see the gift to be.

What does the author mean when he states, "For it is impossible if they shall fall away to renew them again unto repentance"? (verses 4 and 6) In verse 1 he has said, "leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God." He is saying that you cannot go back and be saved all over again. They need to "go on unto perfection." They need to come to a full understanding of who Christ is and all that He has done and not to go back to the former things. Having "tasted" they need to develop a hunger for the Lord.

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True Biblical Unity

Dear fellow member of the Church, the Body of Christ, of which all of us believers are members under the Headship of our Lord Jesus Christ! This is indeed a time when we need to thank God for leaders who acknowledge Him, and for whom we can confidently pray!!

As we reflect on what the Holy Spirit said to the believers at Philippi via the apostle Paul about disunity and consider how minimal it was in comparison to the sectarianism that exists today, how much more we need to apply what the apostle Paul says to confused Christendom today!

The apostle Paul says: "And this I pray: that your love may abound still more and more in perfect knowledge and all discernment, unto the end that you may prove the things differing, that you may be sincere and without offense unto the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness that is through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9-11).

Paul's answer to the disunity at Philippi was that the love of the Spirit might increasingly control their thinking and mutual relations. He uses the plural form of the Greek pronoun you to indicate that all were to love each other in the Spirit.

Spirit-produced love (Gal. 5:22) will be in accordance and alignment with perfect knowledge and all discernment. Paul is apparently describing the love of the Mystery aspect of the Gospel of Grace. Growing in the love of the Spirit is a prerequisite to acquiring a full knowledge and perceptive understanding, which is imperative for proving and testing the things that differ in the Bible!

As we believers distinguish between the different ways God has and does and will! relate to His people, then, we are no longer a part of confused Christendom. For example, we recognize that for some fourteen hundred years, God's relation to His people Israel was via the Mosaic Law. Following the Mosaic Law, the prophesied Messianic Kingdom was taught and offered to Israel, but rejected by Israel's leaders. Following the rejection of the Messianic Kingdom, God has related to His people via the Church.

The failure of most professed Christians to distinguish between the Mosaic Law economy, the Kingdom Law economy, and the Church Grace economy is one of the primary reasons for the multiplied sectarianism today!

Teaching the Gospel of Grace, Ernest R. Campbell

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The Wonders Of His Grace
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler



Scripture Reading:


“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” – II Corinthians 8:9



Whether the occasion is a holiday, a birthday celebration, or a graduation, it is customary to give a gift. While some gifts are given out of necessity, for the most part, a gift is an expression of our love. We normally bestow these tokens of our affection on those whom we feel deserve the honor. But God’s ways are not our ways. He gave the gift of His beloved Son to His enemies. That’s a true love story! Oh, the wonder of His grace that God sent His only begotten Son, the Son of His love, to save sinners like you and me while we were fleeing from the glory of His presence. Little wonder the Apostle Paul says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (II Cor. 9:15).

The word “unspeakable” here has the idea of“indescribable.” The gifts I’ve received through the years were all describable. Some may have been a little harder to describe than others, but describable nonetheless! But the gift of God’s dear Son is indescribable. Who can explain the incarnation, how the eternal Son of God left heaven’s glory and took upon Himself the form of human flesh, yet was not tainted with our sin. Who can explain how Christ was wholly God and wholly human in one person? These wonders can only be received through the eye of faith.

The manger and the Cross stand at the two extremes of our Lord’s life, but they are connected by the tapestry of redemption. Hence,“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” A love story that ends with a death is tragic; in contrast, the death of Christ is the greatest demonstration of love this world has ever seen. How much does God love you? He gave His only begotten Son to die on your behalf. You see,Christ wasn’t dying for His sin, He knew no sin; He was dying for your sins and my sins at Calvary. He was made sin for us that we might receive the righteousness of God in Him. Have you trusted Him?

Surely you would never think of paying for a gift; why, the giver would be highly offended — how much more so with God. The payment for your sins has already been furnished by the Giver; simply receive Him as a gift from God. If you have, then why not thank Him today for His unspeakable gift? After all, this is the Gift that includes all others!

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CHRIST - ITS LIVING HEAD
By  DAVlD HAVARD, Pastor



Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1: 19-23;
Colossians 1: 18

Paul often used the analogy of the physical body to illustrate the truth of our relationship to Christ spiritually (Romans 12:4-5; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 5:29-30). Just as the physical body must be linked to its head, so we must be linked to our Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. We realize how silly it would be to expect a physical body to function without its head, yet we often forget that the same truth applies spiritually as well. In Colossians 2:19 Paul warns of the results of becoming disconnected from our Head. In similar terms, John 15:5 records Jesus' words about the necessity of being linked to Him. "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." It is still true that without Him, we can do nothing! (No growth without being connected to Him, Ephesians 4:16.)

The titles King (over all the earth during the millennial kingdom) and Head of all things, Colossians 1:18.) are similar in that both speak of His authority and position. However, there is an added dimension when Christ is spoken of as the Head of His Body, the Church. A king conveys a certain formality; the king and his subjects are separated by both space and standing. But Jesus Christ as my Head is another matter altogether! Rather than speaking of distance and formality, headship speaks of intimacy and nearness! I am inseparably linked to my Living Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is mystery truth, revealed to us by God through the Apostle Paul. Because it is a mystery, I do not fully understand or comprehend all that the Headship of Christ implies - but I certainly do rejoice in it!

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CALVARY'S SECRET
By Miles Stanford




"Partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world" (2 Pet. 1:4).

We are to find out in Romans 6, through the gracious teaching of the Spirit of truth, all that happened to the Lord Jesus there on the Cross. Then we will know our own position and standing, since we were judicially in Him there.

"Have you ever thought about God's thought about you, that you are 'to be conformed to the image of His Son'? 'It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him' (Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:2).

"This cannot fail. The Lord Jesus presses on our hearts that He brings us into association with Himself. He 'hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus' (Eph. 1:3). He puts us in this position answering perfectly to His nature, and with a nature to enjoy it."

"He imparts to us of Himself in order to qualify us for Himself."

"Not only is my blessing in heaven, but I need the Lord Jesus' power to enable me to rise above the sense of my infirmity down here; for this world, instead of contributing to me, makes me feel my weakness and need, and that I must rise out of it to find and enjoy my blessing.

"The very infirmity which this evil age makes me conscious of makes me draw upon the power of Christ, as the One outside it, passing into the heavens, so that I take pleasure in the very infirmity which is exposed here, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."-J.B.S.

"God forbid that I should glory, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14).

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THE SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE

Scripture Reading: Psa. 135:6; 147:7-18; Heb. 1:1-3


A friend of the President of a large manufacturing plant was being conducted through the various departments, and he was quite bewildered at the enormity of it all. He inquired, "Where do you get your power to operate all of this equipment?" The President replied, "Follow me, and I will show you." After a short walk, they were both in a smaller building which housed the generators which made the power possible. "Here is the secret of our out-put!" he proudly declared.

What is the secret behind the operations of this vast universe and our little planet Earth? Is it mere "natural laws?" Is it merely matter in motion? Is it solar energy? All of these things may be true, but they are by no means the "power" behind this universe! The Word of Truth has the answer! It is "the Word of His power" (Heb. 1:3). What power there is in both the Living and Spoken Word of God. We read: "For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast" (Psa. 33:9)· "That by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water" (2 Peter 3:5).

The invisible atom is held together by a mysterious "force. " We know from Col. 1:17 that this "force" is none other than our Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ: "For by Him all things consist (hold together)." Someday, after the "Day of Jehovah" has run its course, this earth and our stellar heavens will be "dissolved." How? By His release of the atoms which compose all material things. This in turn will create a gigantic dissolution of the present sin-cursed heavens and earth. What a day that will be: (Read 2 Peter 3:10-12 and Revelation 20:11; 21:1).

In the face of the Sovereign God Who is very much in control of this universe, shall we continue to complain about the climate, the weather today, the bugs, and other often-disagreeable things? It's human to do so, but when we remember that God in Christ Jesus is behind the weather, the winds, the climates of the earth, and even the insects which pester us, we then can turn grumbling into glorying in the One who created all things for His own pleasure! Worship ye Him!

Author unknown

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RISEN IN CHRIST
By John Baker


Scripture I Thessalonians 4:16 "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"


One of the greatest hopes of the believer is the resurrection. It is the capstone of our salvation purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. His resurrection assures that redemption's price has been paid and accepted. For He was "delivered for our offences, and was raised again for (on account of) our justification" (Romans 4:25). The resurrection of Christ not only is the assurance of our justification but also assures our resurrection. "But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept" (I Corinthians 15:20). Therein is the believer's hope, for "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable (or to be pitied)" (I Corinthians 15:19).

An important part of the message revealed through the Apostle Paul was the catching away of believers to be with Christ in glory, which we call the Rapture. "Behold I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; "for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:51, 52).

At the time of the Rapture some believers will be alive and caught away without experiencing physical death. However those who have died in Christ will join them "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him" (I Thessalonians 4:14). This indeed is a "blessed hope" for which all believers expectantly wait with full assurance. This hope is available to all who will believe the gospel (how that Christ died for their sins, was buried and arose again) and put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

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PARDON vs. JUSTIFICATION
by C. R. Stam

Did you read, recently, about the man, named Zimmerman, who spent nearly twenty-five years in prison for a murder which, it is now clear, he never committed! The mistake was discovered two years ago, and he was released, of course, but only after spending almost a quarter of a century in prison for a crime he did not commit!

This was a grim mistake, but even at that, it must be wonderful in such a case, to be free -- and to have people actually sympathize with you! Yet, after two years of liberty, Zimmerman says he still feels a bit numb. Waking up mornings he still imagines he hears the harsh sound of the prison bell, and looking about he still thinks he sees bars on the windows.

Things could be worse, though: Suppose he were guilty of the crime, merely pardoned and released. Then everyone would be saying: "There goes that murderer. They pardoned him. Don't get too friendly with him." The stigma would always remain - -as long as he lived.

Let us thank God that believers in Christ are not merely pardoned.  Rom. 3:24 declares that we are "justified freely by [God's] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."  Christ died for our sins and satisfied the just claims of the Law, and more: through the Holy Spirit He revolutionizes our lives and makes new creations out of us, for "If any man be in Christ," says II Cor. 5:17, "he is a new creation."

"For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10).

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SUBTLE SELF
By Miles Stanford



"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 51:10).

A healthy spiritual birth results in the falling away of many of the more obvious works of the flesh, often causing the new believer to claim 2 Corinthians 5:17 or Galatians 2:20 as his testimony. However, for the Lord Jesus to be fully manifested, it is going to involve a lifetime of the Holy Spirit's deep dealing with the more subtle and deadly characteristics of the self-life-- "always delivered unto death" (2 Cor. 4:11).

"By the daily 'supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ' (Phil. 1:19), the believer united to his Risen Lord 'grows continually to a more perfect knowledge and likeness of his Creator,' and grows up 'after the image of Him that created him,' in the sphere where 'Christ is all, and in all.'

'The child naturally grows up in the likeness of his father, and the new life communicated to the redeemed grows up in the likeness of Him who is the Creator of the new creation, if so be that the death with Christ is unflinchingly recognized, and 'old things' are truly allowed to pass away to make room for the growth of the new man 'which is after God ... created in righteousness, and holiness of truth' (Eph. 4:24)."

"How many earnest and religious people belong to 'the Old Adam Improvement Society.'  It is the recognition of the Christ-life, it is union with the Risen Christ, that men need instead of the culture of the religious self-life." --- E.H.

"Unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).

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THE HOPE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
By ROBERT E. HANNA


Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:5


In rightly dividing the Word of Truth, we must be ever watchful to delineate between justification by obedience to the law and justification by faith alone. In his Student's Commentary, George Williams says of the textual verse under consideration: "Paul reveals the hoped-for glory, and faith builds on that hope. Righteousness is the foundation. Righteousness is not waited for--- it is already possessed, --- but faith waits for the hope connected with it."

The hope of the Body of Christ is the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 1:27; I Timothy 1:1; Titus 2:13}, He is our hope, and we are hoping (expecting) His glorious appearing. The world thinks of hope as a wish or desire. Our hope is a fact, a possession. We have the hope of eternal life, signed, sealed and soon to be consummated. We have the hope of righteousness --- His righteousness, imputed to us by His vicarious suffering. We have the hope of glory --- Christ in us. Every aspect of our hope is irrevocable.

In Isaiah 64:6 we read, descriptive of ourselves, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..." And in Romans 3:10, "There is none righteous, no, not one." This being true, Job's question recorded in Job 9:2 would certainly seem appropriate: "...How should man be just with God?" Righteousness cannot be earned, cannot be deserved by sinful man. "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5). This is the answer to Job's question! Our only righteousness is "The righteousness which is of God by faith" (Philippians 3:9).

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NOW
IS THE ACCEPTED TIME
Part 1 of 3
by Fred Bachand Phoenix,AZ


In the study of God's Word we find many periods of time in which certain conditions are outstanding. Among these there are three which are of primary importance to us. Each one designates a particular time in which God administers particular precepts to particular peoples. These three periods of time are: The Acceptable Year of the Lord, the Day of Vengeance of our God, and the Day of Salvation.

THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD

"And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 4:14-21).

Notice that the Lord Jesus read from the book of Isaiah (Esaias), and after reading as far as " ... to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, ... He closed the book. .. " (v.20). We find this portion of Scripture in Isaiah 61:1-2. But when we read verse 2, we find that Jesus closed the book in the middle of a sentence. For we read in Isaiah 61:2: "To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn." and the sentence continues through verse 3.

The fact that the Lord Jesus closed the book in the middle of a sentence shows how accurately He handled the Word of God. By stopping at this point in the prophecy of Isaiah He established a distinction between two periods of time; the Acceptable Year of the Lord, and the Day of Vengeance of our God. By closing the book at this point, in this prophecy, He was able to make the statement recorded in Luke 4:21; "And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." It was indeed that time of the Acceptable Year of the Lord, but it was not yet the Day of Vengeance of our God.

Isaiah's prophecy begins with the words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me." In Luke 4:14, we read that, " ... Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee." "And John (the Baptist) bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him" (John 1:32). Yes, Jesus was the one of whom Isaiah spoke; and His presence, among the people of Israel, constituted the fulfillment of that prophecy: but only, at that time, to the point at which Jesus closed the book.

This is the answer to what appears to be a problem with John the Baptist in Matthew 11:2,3. There we read, "Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto Him, Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?" This does seem to be inconsistent, for John bore record that he had seen the proof that Jesus was the one of whom Isaiah spoke. He said he saw the Spirit descend from Heaven and abide upon Him. Would he now be questioning that which he had previously confirmed? NO! John was not questioning whether Jesus was the one that the prophets said should come. Of this he was convinced. The question was concerning Christ's coming. Was this it? Or was there also to be another one; another coming of a different kind? (The Greek here is heteros). Jesus' answer indicated that there would indeed be another coming of a different kind. He told John's disciples; "Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matt. 11:4-5). All this constituted only a partial fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy; that which was connected with the Acceptable Year of the Lord. What yet remains to be fulfilled is that portion which is connected with the Day of Vengeance of our God; when Christ is " ... to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified." (Isa. 61:2-3).

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NOW
IS THE ACCEPTED TIME
Pat 2 of 3
by Fred Bachand Phoenix,AZ


All the signs associated with the Acceptable Year of the Lord were fulfilled by the Lord Jesus and by those appointed by Him beginning with His ministry and extending through the time recorded in the book of Acts. Therefore, the Acceptable Year of the Lord lasted through the Acts period. But what is of primary importance here is that the Acceptable Year of the Lord, prophesied by Isaiah, was not extended to the Gentiles; it concerned only Israel. At the very time Jesus was proclaiming the Acceptable year of the Lord to Israel, He instructed His Apostles to "Go not into the way of the Gentiles .... But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils ... " (Matt. 10:5-8.).

THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR LORD

"Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But i say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee " (Matt. 11:20-24).

Here we find that The Day of Vengeance is now being proclaimed to the cities of Israel. But that day, and the things associated with it, were not fulfilled at that time. The reason for this is that at that time it was still the Acceptable Year of the Lord. Jesus was still doing the works associated with the Acceptable Year of the Lord, and He was still extending the invitation to Israel to enter into His rest, for He said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:20-24).

The Day of Vengeance of Our God did not commence with its proclamation. Indeed it could not commence as long as it was still the Acceptable Year of the Lord. But, after almost two thousand years, the Day of Vengeance and the things associated with it have not yet been fulfilled. The fulfillment of the Day of Vengeance of our God awaits the other coming, the "second coming" of the Lord Jesus Christ as the righteous judge. Then would this indicate that it is still the Acceptable Year of the Lord for Israel?

THE DAY OF SALVATION

"And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isa. 49:6).

We have seen that both the Acceptable Year of the Lord and the Day of Vengeance of our God, and all that are associated with them, are peculiarly associated with Israel. But what about the Gentiles? In Isaiah 49:6, we find the wonderful truth that what Christ is going to accomplish with Israel, one nation, is only "a light thing" with God; for God has appointed Him also "for a light to the Gentiles," all the nations, "that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth." But we must know and understand that even this, as it was prophesied by Isaiah, awaits a future fulfillment; after the Day of Vengeance of our God, at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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NOW
IS THE ACCEPTED TIME
Part  3 of 3
by Fred Bachand


In II Corinthians 6:1-2, Paul writes to Gentiles; "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (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.)" In the first part of verse 2, Paul quotes from Isaiah 49:8, Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee." And in the last part of ll Corinthians 6:2, Paul states that NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME, and that NOW is the DAY OF SALVATION. At the time Paul wrote this epistle it was the Acceptable Year of the Lord, and it had become the day of Salvation for the Gentiles. Here we find an overlapping of two periods of time, which does not appear according to prophecy. God would not delay His day of Salvation to the Gentiles, in spite of Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ. Yet He graciously extended His Acceptable Year to Israel for at least through the time covered by the book of Acts. But it is no longer the Acceptable Year for Israel. They are now reckoned among the Gentiles, and God's Day of Salvation.

The Day of Salvation, as it is proclaimed by Paul to the Gentiles, though it is not in exact chronological accordance with prophecy, is by no means contrary to prophecy. But God could not have brought His Day of Salvation to the Gentiles at that time under the prevailing conditions according to prophecy. Therefore, the Day of Salvation, as it is proclaimed by Paul to the Gentiles, is in accordance with a Divine Secret, which was revealed to Paul when God appointed him as the Apostle of the Gentiles. This Divine Secret is now revealed as the Dispensation of the Grace of God, which was given to Paul to be administered to the Gentiles, and is described in Ephesians 3:1-11.

Yes, Christ was made a light unto the Gentiles in order that He should be God's Salvation unto the ends of the earth. But when Christ was on earth among the people of Israel, He was "not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 15:24). Therefore, at that time, the Gentiles "were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers form the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God ... " (Eph.2:12). Now if Christ is God's Salvation, then God's Salvation could not be sent to the Gentiles apart from Christ. The Day of Salvation began for the Gentiles when Christ, God's Salvation, was sent to the Gentiles, in spite of the prophesied conditions, though the instrument of Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles.

Therefore, NOW is the Accepted Time. Now is the Day of Salvation for the Gentiles. As long as Christ is among the Gentiles by means of the Church which is His Body (see Eph. 1:22,23, and Col. 1:24-27) it will be the Day of Salvation. This Day of Salvation will end when Christ is no longer among the Gentiles; when the Church, His Body, is complete and we who are His are caught up to meet the Lord in the air (I Thess. 4:16-17). Then it will be the Day of Vengeance.

Christ, God's Salvation, has been sent to you! Christ died for your sins! But Christ also arose from the dead, victorious over sin and death, in order that you might have life, through faith in Him. This gospel of Christ is the power of God unto Salvation to every one believing it. This power has been extended to you. NOW is your Accepted Time. NOW is your Day of Salvation. If you have never seriously considered this, consider it NOW. Do not put it off! Tomorrow may be too late!

[nChrist]

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HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE
By Pastor Burgener


"Wherefore He saith, 'When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.' (Now He that ascended, what is it but that He also descended first unto the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also That ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints..." (Ephesians 4:7-12).

Christ is clearly the Victor, but who are the captives? and who held them captive? The enemy is none other than Satan and his demonic hosts, the "wicked spirits in high (or heavenly) places" (Ephesians 6:12). Among these are the "principalities and powers" whom He "spoiled... and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in" His cross (Colossians 2:15). Christ became the Victor, not the Victim!

And we were the captives whose captivity has already been described "wherein in time past we walked...according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2-3). And the power that wrought in Christ raising Him from the dead and seating Him at God's right hand "far above all principality and power" is the same power that worked to set us free!

God being rich in mercy and His great love energized us together, raised us up together and seated us together with Christ! From this exalted place Christ from His fulness gives unto the church, which is His body, such gifts as are needed to fill all of them with all gifts. Such is the giving of our glorified Lord!

To accomplish all this He left His place of glory and descended first to our sphere, "the lower parts of the earth."  Notions of descending into the infernal regions for any purpose is without scriptural basis. Christ had no recorded ministry between His burial and resurrection. His humiliation was humbling Himself and being obedient unto death because of which God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name which shall command the respect of every tongue and bended knee. Neither is there any thought of release or a message to "spirits in prison," whose plight was recalled here as a warning to those who did not take Peter's message seriously. (I Peter 3:18-20.) We must guard against any distraction which might take our focus from our ascended glorified Lord!

[nChrist]

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THE WORD FOR LIFE
First JOHN 2:12-17
By the late Pastor L. Peterson



   Paul in writing to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:2) said that his ministry should cover three distinct areas. First, it should be a word for encouragement - 'Preach the word' the apostle declares. This always is encouraging as the believers see the promises of God come true. Secondly, it should be a word of warning. The apostle adds 'reprove - rebuke'. Thirdly, it is a word of exhortation. The text referred to above declares 'exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.

   This portion in our study of 1st John covers these three areas. Verses 12 through 14 covers the area of encouragement. Verses 15 through 16 covers the area of warning and the 17th verse covers the area of exhortation. In our lesson for this writing we shall consider verses 12 through 14 or the subject of encouragement. The aged apostle encouraged his readers by addressing them as a one family unit. All the Christians are called by the family name 'Teknia' or 'little children'. This is a term of endearment. Regardless of their spiritual maturity they all belong to one family and being born in the bloodstream that flows from Calvary they have a common Father, our Heavenly Father. After resurrection morning and the giving of His shed blood the Savior called the disciples 'brethren' (John 20:17). This declares them as all in one family. How helpful it would be in our Christian circles if we all realized this. It would help all of us who are truly Christians to better appreciate the entire family. Our denominational differences would fade into insignificance if we fully realized this wonderful relationship. How grateful we should be to God our Heavenly Father for addressing us with such an endearing term as 'children In the 13th and 14th verses the inspired writer gives credit and acknowledges their spiritual maturity.

   First, he addressed the 'fathers'. Who are these so addressed? These no doubt were those who had been with from the beginning as we read in Acts 1:21 'These men who have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us'. The emphasis should be upon 'ye have known Him, from the beginning'. Some interpret the text that these fathers knew 'Him that was from the beginning'. The context and a proper translation will show that they were called fathers because they had known the Lord for many years. John was an aged apostle when he wrote this letter and some of the fathers addressed were of his acquaintance and fellowship for many years. They were strong and stedfast in their faith and were looked upon as mature in the Lord.

   Next the Apostle John addresses the young men. They are addressed as such because they were young in years but strong and mature in the Lord. They are complimented because they were over-comers. John in another portion of this letter declares that the spirit of antichrist was already in the world but these young men had overcome the wicked one. This is certainly an encouraging word to these young men and to those that observed their living. It is encouraging for us even today to know that we may even today be 'more than conquerors through Him that loved us'. For, if in that early day with so little of the then known world being Christian, young men would step out against the course of the age to stand and be strong in the Lord, how much more we who find great numbers following Christ and the gospel of salvation so well propagated as it is today. The word 'over-come' is 'nikos' which means conquered and is from the noun 'nike' which means victor. These young men living in those days in the very heart of paganism were victors.

   In the 13th verse John addresses some again as 'little children'. These are a different group or a group in a different spiritual category as those called 'little children' in verse 12. Here they are 'paidia' little children. They were children of the Lord but not mature or spiritually strong. Nevertheless they have known the Father and were His children. How great, tenderhearted and good God is to His children. He does not cancel our relationship with Him because of immaturity. If this had been His way of dealing with us today, most of us would now be lost. However once born into His family we are His forever. This too is a word of encouragement to every sinner saved by grace.

   Verse fourteen seems to be a reemphasize of the preceding verses. In the next lesson we shall consider the word of warning and exhortation. This lesson which we have just considered prepares us to receive the following lesson. May we therefore daily rejoice in God's good word of encouragement and consider carefully other words or lessons to build us up in our faith.

Amen and love,
Pastor Peterson