GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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WHY DID GOD CREATE?
By Dr. Wm. Hallman


Scripture Reading: Gen.1:1; Psalms 33:1-22

In Hebrew there are just seven words in this opening sentence. They are composed of 28 letters (4x7). The subject and predicate have 14 letters each (2x7). The objects, "the heavens and the earth," have 7 letters each. Such perfection is outstanding and noteworthy. This verse also contains the five factors which are considered a manifestation of the unknowable. They are: Time - "In the beginning," Force,- "God," Motion, - "created," Space, - "The Heavens," and Matter, - "the earth."

God created, first of all, To Declare His Pleasure. "For thy pleasure they are and were created" (Rev. 4:11). God, not only, has natural and moral attributes, but also social. There are such attributes as concord, unity, fraternity, design and beauty in His nature. So here, in creation, He displays the delights of Deity.

He also created, To Demonstrate His Power. "Great is our God, and of great power" (Ps. 147:4-5). How big is the universe? Astronomers measure distance by "Light Years." Light travels 186,000 miles a second. Multiply this by the number of seconds in a year, and one has a "Light Year." They say the nearest fixed star is some 11 light years away. "By Him all things consist" (Col. 1:17). He is the One Who upholdeth all things by His power.

Creation also Displays His Perfection. "The wondrous works of Him which is perfect in knowledge" (Job 37:16). Any part of God's universe will show forth exquisite beauty, symmetry of design, and absolute perfection. Whether it be the tiny snow flake or the unwanted dandelion flower, they are beyond man's ability to duplicate in perfection.

But, best of all, He created To Determine His Purpose. All things were created by Christ and for Him (Col. 1:16). Here creation is set in the context of redemption. Before each object of this verse (1:1) there is a particle composed of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. aleph and tau. Meditate on this in the light of Isa. 41:4; 44:6: Rev. 1:8,11. Yes, this verse determines His purpose in Redemption and Reconciliation.

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Come, Become, Overcome, Welcome
By John LaVier



Come

What a wonderful word of invitation, found many times over on the pages of Holy Writ. In the early chapters of the Bible we hear God's call to Noah: "Come thou and all thy house into the ark." In the middle of the Book is His invitation of old: "Come now, and let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Also through Isaiah He said: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." In the last chapter of the Bible an invitation is still extended: "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whomever will, let him take the water of life freely." All through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and in every age, God calls sinful man to Himself. The Saviour says, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," and the promise is made, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Of course, John 6:44 is true: "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." Salvation is all of God, from first to last, and thus we sing: "He drew me, and I followed on, charmed to confess the voice divine."

Become

First we come and then we become! We become saints, saved by the grace of God. We become sons; sons of God through faith in Christ, for "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." We become heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. We become the righteousness of God in Christ, and accepted and complete in Him. We become without condemnation in Christ, justified by His blood. We become new creatures, for "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." We become members of the Body of Christ, made one with Him who is the Head and joined to Him in a union that can never be broken. We become citizens of heaven, raised up with Christ and seated in the heavenlies in Him. We become partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, awaiting that day when we shall be manifested with Christ in glory. We become ambassadors for Christ, entrusted with the wonderful message of grace and reconciliation. We become the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, for having become saints, we are now to walk as becometh saints. We are to "speak the things which become sound doctrine," and our manner of life is to be "as it becometh the gospel of Christ."

Overcome

The Apostle John, in his epistles, and also in the Apocalypse, has much to say about overcomers and overcoming. However, this language is not to be found in the Pauline letters addressed to us. In them we are seen as being "in Christ," seated with Him "far above all" and with "all things under His feet." As members of the Body of Christ we are seen as having already overcome all "in Him." In ourselves there is nothing but failure, but in Him there is nothing but victory. We can do nothing in our own strength, but "we can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us." Of ourselves, we are weak, but we can be "strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." We need never know defeat, for "we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." To be "more than conqueror" means to be unconquerable. We can overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil; not in our own strength, but in Him. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is operative in us, and we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are to yield ourselves unto God, as those alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness unto God. We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then we have the victory that overcomes all, and can exult: "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ."

Welcome

The word welcome is not to be found in the Bible, but certainly the thought is many times expressed. In that which has been referred to as his swan song, Paul wrote: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand ... Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." When the old warrior penned these words he was doubtless anticipating the glad welcome by his Lord in glory, and not only His welcome but also His "well done." And surely it will be a royal welcome for each one of the Lord's own. He who loved us, and gave himself for us, must even now be eagerly waiting for that day when He shall return "with grace on His brow, like a halo of glory, to receive from the world "His own."

O Lord Jesus, how long,
How long, ere we shout the glad song,
Christ returneth! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Amen!

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Staying the Course
By Charles Wages

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor. 15:57-58.)

"The shortest distance between two points is a straight line."

This expression, though not Scripture, tells us something about a truth we all need to consider. On the highway of life, though, there are many detours and distractions. However, this should not turn us away from the appointed work the Lord has given us to do. Consider the apostle Paul when he was about to sail from Troas after God called him in a vision to go over to Macedonia. We are told,

"Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samo-thracia, and the next day to Neapolis." (Acts 16:11)

Note they came "with a straight course" to Samo-thracia, then to Neapolis, then to Philippi. His mission resulted in Lydia, a "certain" woman whose heart was opened, receiving the message Paul was called to preach and teach. Paul never "strayed from the course," but "stayed with the course." This same statement is recorded in Acts 21:1,

"And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara."

Again we find Paul sailing "with a straight course."

Now, what does this say to us who have been saved by God's grace and called to work for the Lord? We must stay with and not stray from the "Word of Truth." Remember what 2 Timothy 2:15 teaches,

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

One of the major tragedies of our present age is that men and women are detouring and even departing from the truth of God's Word. There is a tendency to substitute tradition for Truth, a tendency to read, study, and quote books instead of the Book. In 2 Timothy 2:13 we are told that men's words will eat as a cancer because they have "erred" from the truth. This is serious and dangerous and leads to all kinds of spurious and false teachings that lead astray.

In 2 Timothy 3:7-8, we read of those who were "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth." We wonder what these stupid people were learning! And then, sadly, they went so far as to "resist the truth." Often this is strong resistance and outright opposition to the truth. Finally in 2 Timothy 4:4, we read, "and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." What a downsizing! The results of not "staying the course" concerning the truth of God's Word were evident then and are surely evident today.

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive:" (Eph. 4:14)

"The truth often hurts, but it is the lie that leaves the scars."

We must "stay the course" concerning the "gospel of the grace of God," and the blessed hope it gives to those who have believed. A lot of false teaching goes under the heading of "the gospel." Most of it goes under the heading of "works."

Works to be saved, works to earn a place in heaven, works so your good ones outnumber your bad ones and maybe, just maybe, you will make it in the end. All of this nonsense leaves out the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; who was buried, and who rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4). That is the true gospel. Read Ephesians 2:8-10 and substantiate this great, grand, glorious, good news! Let's stay with God's grace when we speak of the gospel. The hope of the gospel is Christ Himself.

"To whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)

What wonderful, practical, personal directives result in "staying the course." Going back to 1 Corinthians 15:58, we are to be stedfast—this means to stand firm. We don't see much of this in "religion" today. "Go with the flow" is more than a saying; it is often the rule. Entertainment instead of worship draws the crowds. "How to" books on every conceivable subject are the best sellers and often the source of conversation. Role models are those of the music, athletic, and media fields. They are often spoken of as "icons." By standard dictionary definition, an icon is a religious image worshipped by most Eastern religions, an object of uninitiated devotion! Further, an "iconoclast" is one who attacks established beliefs! Yet, men and women are loosely called "icons." All of this causes human beings to forget the Lord and that He alone is the Saviour of all mankind. The only One we should worship.

We are told to be "unmovable" or "immovable." We shouldn't be "tossed to and fro" by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14) but stand our ground on the truth of the Word, even if the "wind" is a hurricane. The last word to consider in a practical directive is "abounding." It means "exceeding abundantly above" all the tribulation, tragedies, trials, and trepidations that beset us all. We are to "abound in hope" (Rom. 15:13); "abound in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58.); "abound in faith, utterance, knowledge, diligence, and in love" (2 Cor. 8:7); and "abounding in thanksgiving" (Col. 2:7).

To conclude, when we "stay the course" we shall know that our labor is not in vain! What a promise, what encouragement, what a hope! Let's "stay the course!"

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Our Union with Christ and the New Heart
Part 1 of 6
by Pastor Ken Lawson
Romans 6:1-4

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-4).

The Human Heart


December 3, 1967 marked a milestone in medical history. Dr. Christian Barnard of Cape Town, South Africa successfully performed the first human heart transplant. This was followed a short time later by a similar heart transplant by Dr. Michael Debakey of Houston, Texas. These early transplants were only moderately successful because the patients' natural defense systems began attacking the new hearts as foreign invaders. With the use of trial and error, advanced technology, and better anti-rejection drugs, the outlook for heart transplant patients improved. Meanwhile, the heart surgeons who were icons in the medical community now became media superstars and they used that publicity well to raise funds for their heart clinics.

While being interviewed on a nationally televised talk show, Dr. Debakey told of the intricacy of the human heart and then added, "Only God can create a human body." While these doctors were catapulted to almost god like status, they had to confess that there was much they did not know about the heart and could, at best, only promise their patients a limited number of quality years.

God and Man's Heart


As we read the pages of the Holy Bible, we soon learn that God Himself also specializes in heart surgery. While He created the physical heart which pumps the blood that keeps us healthy, as the Great Physician, He is much more interested in implanting a new heart in man which will be humble and submissive to His will and which will also bring an eternity of great fulfillment to his soul.

As we search the writings of the Apostle Paul for us Gentiles, there is one passage of Scripture that deals systematically with the mechanics of spiritual heart surgery. Romans chapter six is the "how-to" of the Christians life. Although Paul centers on Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, he does not deal with initial salvation from the punishment of sins which results from forgiveness. He dealt with that previously in Romans 3:21-5:11 with the great themes of sin, judgment, God's love, faith, grace, redemption, justification, and reconciliation. Here he begins to teach on the issue of the believer's sanctification (or separation) with the view to produce fruit unto holiness. It answers the question, "Now that I am saved from the penalty of sin and have eternal life, how can I live a life pleasing to God?"

The answer is nothing short of radical heart surgery. The heart (or "kardia") in Scripture is used to stand for man's entire inner personal life and includes his mental, moral, and spiritual activity. It covers his intellect, emotions, thoughts, desires, conscience, and will. It is the seat of man's sinfulness but also the sphere of divine influence. There is a pure heart and an evil heart of unbelief (2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 3:12).

Although Paul does not write in terms of the word "heart" in Romans 6, the teaching is surely there in force as he writes of indwelling sin (the old heart) as well as partaking of Christ's resurrection life (the new heart). He begins by raising a rhetorical question which is really an objection raised by his critics concerning what they thought was the "fatal flaw" of his teaching of grace. "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" People always raise this question when they begin to grasp the teaching of grace. But instead of rejoicing in it they jump to a wrong conclusion. They think grace teaching takes a soft stance on sin or even gives people a license to continue in it. Paul had written, "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20). The legalist reasoned something like this, "Paul, if it is true, as you say, that God's grace increases much more to deal with man's sin, why not continue to allow sin to run free in order for God's grace to shine through even more gloriously." Paul answers with the strongest "No!" in the Greek language. The King James version translates it as "God forbid!" Today we might say, "No, no way!" God protests sin as it is against His holy character. Then he asks his own challenging question, "How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" He is not expressing the impossibility of living in sin but rather how illogical and contrary to God's purpose it would be for believers to do so since we have died to it. The reason for the Cross was especially to separate man from his sinning.

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Our Union with Christ and the New Heart
Part 2 of 6
by Pastor Ken Lawson




The Baptism that Counts


"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" How this passage has suffered from the intrusion of a water baptism ritual, thus losing the full force of its teaching! Water is not mentioned in these verses but "read into" by the minds of many. Actually, the word "baptism" in verses four and five means "identification with" or "initiation into" something---in this case, Jesus Christ. To be identified with Christ means that we become one with Him. To be initiated into Christ means that we are united to Him as our Source. This must be a spiritual baptism since a water ceremony could not place us into Christ or be the source of holiness. It is not a baptism into water or a church denomination that makes the difference but a baptism into Christ Himself.

In Bible times, when the color faded from a piece of cloth, they would send it to a fuller and he would dip or immerse the cloth in a dye. After a time, it would be removed and hung up to dry. In the process, the cloth would take on itself the color of the dye and become one with it. Spiritually speaking, we can apply this in a similar way to our baptism into Christ. If one insists on immersion as the definition of baptism, then it is an immersion into Christ. by the Spirit, thus, making us one with Him (1 Cor. 12:12-13).

This "oneness" extends beyond His death to His burial. and resurrection for verse 4 goes on to say, "Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." When Christ died, there is a very real sense in which we died with Him. When He was buried, we were buried with Him. And when He rose from the dead we rose with Him. This actually happened almost 2000 years ago when Christ died and rose again, but it is not made a part of us personally until we believe the gospel of grace.

This is where it starts to get deep because we cannot appeal to human experience to prove this.  We do not feel it or perceive it with our senses. The only way that we know about it is by reading about it in the Word of God, and that takes faith. I do not know how God put me to death with Christ two- thousand years before I was born, but I believe it because He said it. The problem is our perspective. We live in the present; God inhabits eternity. We see a little sliver of human history; God sees the end from the beginning. There is nothing too hard for God. Our union to Christ is what Bible teachers refer to as "positional truth." All believers have a present position in Christ as being united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection.

Perhaps a better word for "buried" in verse four is "entombed" as Christ was not buried under ground but placed in a sepulcher from which you could walk on level ground. This positional truth is more than just theory because Paul takes it and teaches us how we can translate the position into everyday, practical living in righteousness.

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Our Union with Christ and the New Heart
Part 3 of 6
by Pastor Ken Lawson



The Root and the Fruit

In Romans chapter six, Paul does not address "sins" (plural) but "sin" (singular). "Sins" refer to acts of sin that people commit. (Paul dealt with this in chapters one through five). "Sin" deals with the root source within us that causes us to commit acts of sin. Many Bible students find it helpful to think of sin here as "the sin nature" or as verse six says, "our old man" (self). Sin is the root; sins are the fruit. It is truly wonderful to know that God saved us from the punishment of sins by forgiving our sins (plural) through the blood of the Cross. Now He wants to save us from the power and dominion of sin (singular) in our Christian lives. Christ not only died "for sins," but He also died "unto sin once," thus breaking the power of the sin nature over us.

You may say, "I must have missed something for I know I am saved, but I still struggle a lot with sin. It sure doesn't seem like I am dead to it." Be encouraged for Paul dealt with the same problem (Romans 7:15-24). God apparently allowed Paul to experience the failure of Romans chapter seven that he might be an excellent teacher of God's solution in Romans chapters six and eight.

You see, everyone seems to think that the answer to sin in a believer's life is to appeal to will power or to legislate against it. However, Paul wrote " ... to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Rom. 7:18b). If the holy apostle could not will the victory over sin, neither can we. Another way is to set up rules and regulations against it, but that only serves to inflame sin within us and provoke it to life. "But sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (evil desire). For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Rom. 7:8-9).

So much for legislating moral goodness. Many have found that when they put up a sign like, "Don't touch wet paint," people are prompted by something within to do that very thing. Then they wise up and print something like "Please don't touch wet paint." Now it is in the form of a polite request rather than an order. Even when the law is successful in restraining outward acts of sin, the sin nature simmers beneath the surface waiting for the opportunity to express itself.

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Our Union with Christ and the New Heart
Part 4 of 6
by Pastor Ken Lawson


The Grace Way


To overcome sin we must not rely on rules and regulations, the law, will power, or anything in ourselves. The grace way is the only thing effective because it is God's way and the method by which He works in His own children today. "For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace" (Rom. 6:14). What Paul teaches here about being dead to sin but alive to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the most valuable lesson he learned from God for complete victory over sin. You might think of it this way: if I were to die today, there would be one positive; I would not be able to sin against God anymore. The negative is that I would not be able to serve Him any more in this life. Similarly, when we receive Christ as Savior, God puts our old self to death (affected by Christ's death) and we become disconnected with our old nature. Thankfully, He doesn't leave us in death but now imparts new life (Christ's resurrection life) to us by which we have strength to serve Him.

Romans 6:5-10 is a further explanation of verses three and four. It does not deal with the future death and resurrection of the body but our current spiritual death and resurrection with Christ.

vs 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

vs 6 Knowing this, that our old man is (was) crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

vs 7 For he that is dead is free from sin.

vs 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

vs 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more: death hath no more dominion over him.

vs 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

To be "dead to sin" does not mean that sin cannot affect us nor does the fact that "our old man is crucified" with Christ indicate that he no longer bothers us. Dead men affect us every day. Our parents and grandparents affect who we are, how we think, and how we react. Even dead presidents affect us in ways we don't even realize. But we need not be enslaved by a dead man. And we need not be controlled by the old man within that God has put to death.

It may be helpful to think of death as separation. Physical death, for example, is a separation of the spirit from the body. Likewise, the Romans chapter six form of death is a separation of our sin nature from us. When we believed the Gospel, God affected this separation by a spiritual circumcision in which He cut off (or surgically removed) the old heart (self) and a new heart (Christ) was replaced as the life-giving Source. Lack of knowledge, unbelief, and selfishness wait in the shadows to derail our spirituality. The old heart can be reconnected and take control of our lives if we allow our spiritual life to flounder.

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Our Union with Christ and the New Heart
Part 5 of 6
by Pastor Ken Lawson



A Prophetic Voice and a Contemporary One

The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel spoke of a time in the coming kingdom when his restored people, Israel, will receive their heart transplant. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them" (Ezek. 36:26-27). Their hard heart will be replaced with a soft heart which will be ready to do His will. While Israel's stony heart will be removed, God, in His wisdom, allows ours to remain within, and while separated, we still have the freedom to yield to its destructive ways. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the, flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal. 5:17).

Years ago, I heard a message on Romans six from Pastor Win Johnson of Denver, Colorado. He spoke at the annual Bible conference of the Berean Bible Fellowship. When the venerable old saint ascended the platform, the first thing he said was, "I wonder if I could amend the title of the message tonight. The title as it appears on the program reads, 'A Change of Masters.' I would like to change it to be 'A Choice of Masters.'" He, was right and I never forgot it. While we do have a change of masters in standing and position before God, it is nevertheless true that in our state and condition in the world, we have a responsibility to reckon it to be true of us personally and to yield ourselves to God as alive from the dead. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

What Paul says in verse six about "the body of sin being destroyed" doesn't mean that our bodies cannot become the instruments of sin. That notion is dashed by what Paul says in verses twelve and thirteen as well as our own experience. All too often we open the coffin and consult with the old corpse of sin, The word "destroyed" does not mean annihilated but "rendered inoperative" or ineffective. It is potential.

Think of this illustration: Mark and Carol have been married for 15 years. Mark thought that it would be a wonderful wedding anniversary gift if he would surprise her with a new car. When the day came, Carol looked out the front picture window to see a bright, colorful, new car with all the accessories. She was delighted! But then Mark thought of a devious joke to play on her. During the night, he got out of bed, went to the garage, and disconnected the battery to the new car. The next morning, Carol got in the car to head off to work. Mark stood in the kitchen listening and laughing as she tried desperately to start the car. Carol finally walked in the house in tears and said, "Mark, I think we got a lemon!" Mark explained the prank and in a few months she thought it was funny too. The new car was in perfect running order. Mark had just separated it from its power source.

So Christ has positionally separated us from the sinful nature (or old heart) and connected us to Christ with His resurrection life. What God has joined let us not put asunder, and let us not join together what God has separated!

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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 (1 Tim. 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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TWO ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
by C. R. Stam


"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:32,36).

The true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ enjoys glorious liberty, and our Lord Himself said that there are no strings attached... "Ye shall be free indeed," free even from the most oppressive of all slave masters: sin. While the Law never saved one man from sin, the Lord Jesus, by His death on Calvary did, for we read that "Christ died for our sins."

Therefore the Apostle wrote by divine inspiration: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal. 5:1). His letters thunder severe rebukes against believers who "desire to be under the law." To the Colossian Christians he wrote:

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days; which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [substance] is of Christ" (Col. 2:16,17).

But true liberty is used for good, otherwise it only reverts to bondage again, for whatever overcomes a man becomes his master (II Pet. 2:19), and doing evil can only harm ourselves and others. Thus the Apostle says further:

"But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak" (I Cor. 8:9).

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Gal. 5:13).

"...Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth" (Rom. 14:22).

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ACCEPTED BY GOD
By J. C. O'Hair

There are many seeming contradictions in the Bible, which disappear when the Word of God is rightly divided and the Greek text is understood.

In this lesson we are to study several Scriptures. First II Corinthians 5:9: “Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be Accepted of Him.” Now Acts 10:35: “But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is ACCEPTED of Him.” Now Ephesians 1:6 and 7: “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us ACCEPTED in the Beloved, In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

In the light of Paul’s clear statements of grace how are we to understand II Corinthians 5:9, “labor to be ACCEPTED of God?”

How are we to reconcile Peter’s message to Cornelius in Acts 10:35,that men who work righteousness are ACCEPTED of God with Paul’s message of grace in Romans 4:5, that the man who does not work, but believes on Christ, is declared righteous?

Then compare II Corinthians 5:9 and Ephesians 1:6 and 7 (quoted above). The first verse tells us, that we labor to be accepted of God. The other verses say that believers have been made accepted in Christ,redeemed and forgiven. Now, first of all, the word, “accepted” in II Corinthians 5:9 is from the Greek words “love” and “honor” - “to love honor.” - In Philippians 4:18 it is translated “well-pleasing.”

Then again, the word “accepted” in II Corinthians 5:9 is altogether different from the word “accepted” in Acts 10:35. In order that we might understand this difference we quote these words from Philippians 4:18 “a sacrifice acceptable, WELL PLEASING to God.”Here the word “acceptable” is the same Greek word as “accepted” in Acts 10:35 whereas the word “well-pleasing” is the same Greek ward as“accepted” in II Corinthians 5:9.

But the word “accepted” in Ephesians 1:6 and 7, where we read that the believer has been made accepted, according to the riches of God’s  “grace,” is still a different word. This “accepted” is the verb form of the word “grace.” Believers have been “graced” in Christ according to the riches of God’s grace. What an inexcusable blunder by the Holy Spirit, if He wrote in Ephesians 2:8 and 9, that sinners are saved by grace through faith, not of the sinner, and not of works, and then wrote in II Corinthians 5:9, that sinners have to labor to be accepted by God, that is, saved by God. By grace are ye saved, not of works. Read this truth in II Timothy 1:9- Romans 4:4 and 5 - Romans 11:6 - Ephesians 2:8 and 9. The seeming contradictions are in our misunderstanding, or lack of understanding, of what the Holy Spirit dictated to holy men of God.

We do not labor to be accepted for salvation or righteousness and eternal life. These are all God’s free gifts or grace.

But we should labor to be well pleasing to God; we should endeavor to please Him with our good works done in the name of Christ. Thereby our labors are accepted by Him.

In Titus 3:5 to 7 God’s “grace” way of salvation, without any of man’s doings, religious or otherwise, is made very plain. But in Titus 3:8 the redeemed sinner is exhorted to excel in good works (maintain good works). This is in harmony with Ephesians 2:10, “God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works” that God expects the saint to do. Philippians 2:12 should be studied in the light of all the above Scriptures; “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

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The True Bible Church
by Pastor C R. Stam



Many people have truly come to know Christ as Savior after having been sincere, religious “church members” for years. Though faithful supporters of some earthly church organization they had never experienced the truth of II Cor. 5:17: “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation.”  It is possible to be a member in good standing of some church organization, yet be outside of the one true Church of which the Bible speaks.

This is because the true Bible Church is not an organization but a living organism, a spiritual body, with a living Head and living members.Again and again St. Paul, by divine inspiration, calls the Church, the Body of Christ. He says: “We being many, are one Body in Christ…” (Rom. 12:5). “Ye are the Body of Christ, and members in particular” (I Cor. 12:27). “We are members of His Body” (Eph. 5:30).

How do we become members of this true Bible Church, the Body of Christ?First, we must acknowledge ourselves to be sinners in God’s sight,for Ephesians 2 relates how Christ died for sinful men that He might“reconcile” them to God “in one Body” by the cross(Ver. 16). Thus, when believing sinners are reconciled to God by faith in Christ, they are regenerated, given a new life, by the Spirit, and by the Spirit are baptized into the Church, the Body of Christ.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” (I Cor. 12:13).

Every one of us should ask himself: “Have I been baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ?” If not, trust Christ as your Savior and become a member of the one true Bible Church. Then associate yourself with some local assembly where Christ is honored and the Bible taught,“rightly divided.”

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The Value Of Bible Study
by Pastor C. R. Stam



“From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, will will this is your sister and me a call which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 3:15).


Timothy was a fortunate young man. His father was not a believer in Christ, but his godly mother made up for this lack as, day after day, from his earliest childhood, she taught him the Word of God. As a result he came to know Christ at an early age and later became St. Paul’s faithful co-worker and close associate in making known the wonderful “good news of the grace of God.”

In his very last letter the great Apostle Paul recalls Timothy’s“unfeigned faith… which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice”(II Tim. 1:5).

If only we had more such mothers and grandmothers today, with husbands to help them! If only our American children were not set adrift on a restless sea of human speculation, but were taught the eternal truths of God’s Word, the Bible!

We all need to “know the Holy Scriptures,” not only because they teach reverence for God and build moral character, but most of all because they “are able to make [us] wise unto salvation through faith… in Christ Jesus.”

The theme of the Bible, the Old Testament as well as New, is the Lord Jesus Christ, the riches of whose saving grace are unfolded to us in the Epistles of Paul, the chief of sinners saved by grace. It was to Paul that God committed the preaching of the cross of Christ. He it is who tells us about the riches that flow from Calvary. He it is who tells us, by divine inspiration that:

“…WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH [CHRIST'S] BLOOD,THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE” (Eph. 1:7).
“THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS” (Eph. 2:7).

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The Spirit of Holiness
by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“… Jesus Christ… was… declared to be the Son of God… according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:3,4).

What does it mean that the Lord’s resurrection declared Him to be the Son of God according to the spirit of holiness? Well, have you ever heard it said that there is a difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law? When you drive 66 m.p.h. in a 65 m.p.h. zone, you are breaking the letter of the law, but you are not breaking the spirit of the law. The spirit of the law is for you to drive safely and responsibly. This is why most police officers will not ticket you for going one mile per hour over the speed limit.

The letter of the law of holiness is expressed well in Proverbs 17:15:

“He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.”

But isn’t that what God did at the Cross, when He condemned “that Just One” (Acts 22:14) and justified wicked sinners such as ourselves? In so doing, He surely broke the letter of the law of holiness.

Or did He? For those who would argue that God was not acting in accord with the law of holiness, we would reply that when God the Father took your sins and placed them on the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary, He justly condemned the One who was made wicked (II Cor. 5:21). Then when you believed the gospel, God took His righteousness and put it on you, enabling Him to justify the ones who were made the very righteousness of God in Christ (II Cor. 5:21). The resurrection of Christ then proved that this was also done in perfect accord with the spirit of holiness, for Christ’s sacrifice surely satisfied the just demands of God’s righteousness.

If you haven’t yet trusted Christ as your Savior, however, God has not yet given you the righteousness that is available only in Christ. Speaking of the Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul says,

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

The forgiveness of sins purchased by Christ’s blood is only available in Him. If you are not in Christ, you are still “in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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"NOT ASHAMED"
By Pastor L. Peterson,



There have been times in our Christian experience when we have been ashamed to make our true identity known. This could be the result of our conduct at the time or because of the presence of unbelievers. Perhaps like Peter in his experience we were completely out numbered and would have been put on the spot had we made known our identity. Really, like it or not, for the moment it amounts to having been ashamed of our Saviour. This is an awful thing, and as a result we like Peter after such denial, weep and seek the Master's forgiveness.

How often the Saviour has had occasion to be ashamed of us. But never so. The writer of Hebrews states, 'He is not ashamed to call us brethren.'  How is this possible and why is it so? One reason is found in 'this verse: 'He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one.'

The Scriptures teach us that there is a mystical union (wrought by the Holy Spirit) between Christ and the believer. 'For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.'  Eph. 5:30. The Saviour loves His body. Ephesians again testifies that He 'nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.' Eph. 5:29. It is because of this union 'He is not ashamed to call them brethren.'  Think of it, dear Christian, the creator and sustainer of the universe loves us so much that He is never ashamed of us. This includes all of us. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and said that even the members of the body that seem to be more feeble are necessary. See. I Cor. 12:22. This is no encouragement to give way to careless living. This is, a motivating force for a closer walk with the Lord.

Another reason also for his not being ashamed to call us brethren is that 'He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.'  Psalm 103:14. I shall never cease to thank God for this wonderful portion of His Word. May I tell you why? In my day I've seen a lot of dust around the country. I have yet to, find any that has had much of value as far as any intrinsic force is concerned. Verse 14 of this same chapter in Hebrews says, 'Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same.'  Again in verse 17, 'Wherefore, in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren.'  Therefore, it is written again, 'We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.' Heb. 4:15. This is the reason for His not being ashamed 'to call us brethren.'  Oh, how the Lord loves us. We should never lose sight of this fact. It is so easy to become discouraged these days and particularly, so if we give an honest appraisal of ourselves. Yet the Lord does not want us to be like that. We should look at ourselves as in union with Him.

Do you have troubles and are you often disappointed with yourself? Keep before you, dear child of God, that your Lord and Master does not sit in judgment to punish you. He rather is seated at the right hand of God the Father and is in sympathy with you.

As I bring this little message to a close I call to your attention two words in Hebrews. One is in chapter 4, verse 15 (previously quoted in this message). It is the word 'touched.' It really is 'sympathy.' Again in verse 2 of chapter 5 we have the English word 'compassion.' This too, is the word 'sympathy' in the Greek. The message is simple: He can and does have sympathy for us, and, 'like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust.' Don't expect too much of yourself, dear friend, and you won't be disappointed so much. In fact,don't expect anything of yourself, for in your flesh (dust) 'dwelleth no good thing.'

You may expect something from the Lord, however, as He works in and through you 'for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do.'( Phil 2:13 )

Thank you, dear Lord, for never being ashamed of us to call us brethren; help us never to be ashamed of you and to make our identity known.

Amen and love,