GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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KNOW YE NOT?
By Pastor Marvin Duncan

Part 1. - The Book Of Romans
Part 2 of 2



To Whom Ye Yield Yourself


In keeping with his theme of our being freed from Sin by our identification into Christ's death, Paul addresses our separation from Sin in detail in the last part of Romans chapter six.


Paul has already established the fact that we died with Christ (Romans 6:3), were buried with Him (Romans 6:4) and were then raised with Him unto newness of life (Romans 6:5 & 11). Because of this identification with Christ, we are encouraged not to serve Sin (Romans 6:6-7). The whole purpose of this lengthy discussion of Sin no longer having dominion over the Saints is to press home the point that all relationships that once existed between the Saints and Sin have been severed because of their death with Christ. Not only had the Saints at Rome miss this most important teaching of our identification with Christ, they were not aware of the fact that man is a perpetual servant. Paul addresses this truth in Romans 6:16 by saying:

"KNOW YE NOT, THAT TO WHOM YE YIELD YOURSELF SERVANTS TO OBEY, HIS SERVANTS YE ARE TO WHOM YE OBEY."

We who live in the United States are prone to believe man was created to be an independent creature who is free to do what ever he wanted to do and is not responsible to anyone. This was never the case. No Scripture can be found to suggest man was created to be anything but a servant. Romans 6:16 makes this clear.

Paul's point in this last part of Romans chapter six is to show that every man was a servant (a SLAVE) to Sin by virtue of physical birth. The natural man may insist he is doing what he wants to do, but the truth is that Sin is his Master. The natural man can do nothing except what Sin wants him to do. The natural man is like a beast with a ring in his nose by which Sin leads him into the activities of the flesh. We were ALL the slaves of Sin before we were saved and we all did the bidding of our Master. BUT, with salvation and our death with Christ on Calvary, Sin's power as our Master was severed. Now, as the Saints of God, we have become the servants (the SLAVES) of "RIGHTEOUSNESS" (that; is, of Christ). The great difference between these two Masters is that Sin demands full obedience from his slaves; whereas Christ sets His servants free to serve Him out of a heart of love.

Most Christians fail to recognize Christ's ownership over the Saints of God. Yet, this is the whole purpose of God's redemption. By the shed blood of Christ, God purchased the Christians out of the slave market of Sin. Once a Slave of Sin has been bought by the Blood of Christ, Sin relinquishes all rights and claims over that one and Christ takes title to these slaves of Sin. Christ owns every believer because He purchased them. This is what Paul is speaking of in First Corinthians 6:20.

Romans 6:23 shows us the difference between these two masters. Sin takes everything from his slaves and rewards them with DEATH. Christ GIVES His servants the GIFT of Eternal Life.

The  Law  And The Living

The truth Paul would have us know is that we DO NOT have to serve Sin as our Master any more since we have been redeemed. If Sin continues to have any control of our life, it is because we have permitted him to take control of that which belongs to God. This is why every Christian should put Romans 6:12-13 into practice in his daily walk.

In Romans 7:1, Paul again challenges these Saints by asking the question, "KNOW YE NOT?" This time Paul speaks of the power the husband has over his wife because of the Law of Marriage. The Law of Marriage continues in force as long as the husband and wife are alive, but when one of the marriage partners dies, the Law of Marriage is broken and the remaining partner is free to be married to another.

Paul uses this Law of Marriage to teach the same truth he had been talking about in chapter six, that the Christian is no longer bound to Sin. In Romans 6:16-23, Paul speaks of the Master/Slave relationship. In Romans 7:1-6, Paul uses the Husband/Wife relationship, showing Sin as the husband and mankind as the wife. As long as a man remains alive, he is bound to Sin as a wife is bound to her husband. But, if the "wife" were to die, Sin would have no more authority over her because the Law of Marriage only has power over the living. Paul's point is that the "wife" who is saved, DIED with Christ on Calvary. Therefore, Sin no longer has any power over her because the Husband/Wife relationship was broken by the death of the "wife."

Just as the living member of the marriage relationship is free from the Law of Marriage when one partner dies (Romans 7:2-3), the same is also true of the dead partner. This is what Paul has in mind in Romans 7:4. Since the Christian DIED WITH CHRIST; his marriage to Sin has been broken. The Christian who is free from his marriage to Sin is now free to be married to Christ. In any marriage, the wife should bring forth children for her husband. This is the picture Paul presents in Romans 7:4. Having chosen to be married to Christ, we should, as a faithful wife, bring forth "FRUIT" unto God. This "FRUIT" is Spiritual offspring produced by the Christian as he is empowered by Christ.

In all three of these passages where Paul uses the phrase, "KNOW YE NOT," he wants the members of the Body of Christ to know of the freedom from Sin that results from the death they experienced by their identification with Christ.

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Heroes Of Faith
by Pastor C. R. Stam


      In Rom. 4:12 the Apostle Paul declares that Abraham was the father, not of his physical offspring alone, but also of those who“walk in the steps of that faith” which Abraham had.

Have you ever noticed that God does not hold the great men of Scripture up to us because of their personal virtues? Almost invariably their records are marred by failure and sin. But God bids us observe their faith and what their faith gained for them (See Rom. 4:3,9,11,12).

There is a whole chapter on this subject in the Book of Hebrews. Hebrews11 is properly called “the great faith chapter,” and its heroes“heroes of faith,” for it tells how Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham,Isaac, Jacob and scores of others “obtained a good report”before God. They all faltered and failed again and again, but Heb. 11:39declares that “these all… obtained a good report Through FAITH.”

This is why Rom. 4:9-12 states that God’s blessing is bestowed upon those who “walk in the steps of that faith” which Abraham exhibited, just as it was bestowed upon Abraham himself.

This truth is driven home in Verses 3 to 5 of the same chapter:


“For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God,and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom.4:3-5).

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Paul's Three I Am's
by Pastor C. R. Stam

       Three times in Romans 1:14-16, the Apostle Paul uses the phrase “I am”, and each one carries an important message for every true believer in Christ.

First, he says in verse 14: “I am debtor” —debtor to all men, to tell them about the saving work of Christ. But why was he indebted to people he had never even seen? For several reasons:

First, he had in his hand what they needed to be saved from the penalty and power of sin. If I see a drunkard lying across the railroad track and I do nothing about it, am I not a murderer if he is killed by the train? If I see a man drowning and I have a life buoy in my hand but do not throw it to him, am I not a murderer if he goes down for the last time? If I see millions of lost souls about me and, knowing the message of salvation, do not tell them, am I not guilty if they die without Christ?

Further, Paul felt himself a debtor to others, because the Christ who had died for his sins had also died for the sins of others. As he says in Ii Corinthians 5:14,15: “Christ died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again.”

Finally, the Christ who had died for Paul’s sins, had commissioned him to tell others of His saving grace. Thus he says in I Corinthians 9:16,17:

“Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For…a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me”(I Cor. 9:16,17).

Paul could say further what every true believer should be able to say:Not “I am debtor, but“, but rather, “I am debtor…SO, as much as in me is, I AM READY…”(Rom.1:15). He was ready to discharge his debt because he had that with which to discharge it — the wonderful “gospel of the grace of God”. And he did indeed make this the message known to others with all that was in him.

And now the third “I am”: “I am debtor…So I am ready… For I AM NOT ASHAMED of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” (Ver. 16). Paul was always proud to own Christ as the mighty Saviour from sin. Do you know Christ as your Saviour? Do you tell others of His saving grace?

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SCRIPTURAL CONFUSION
By Pastor Bob Hanna

God has provided for our comfort and security, His plan, purpose, demands, blessings, requirements and final, eternal destiny. We have, as it were, a complete road map to guide us through the course of our entire life span in accordance with His will. We are in possession of His complete revelation in convenient form: the Holy Bible. The Book is to be found in nearly every place where human beings dwell. It is cherished by many as though it were a talisman or phylactery. Millions of church goers carry it in and out of their respective places of worship once a week. It is loosely quoted, carelessly studied and ignorantly disrespected for what it is: the Word of God.

The vast majority of believers rely on the utterances of preachers, evangelists and other platform speakers as the authority re God's communication with His people. The result is that there is needless frustration, fear, doubt and insecurity tormenting their lives. In the course of his missionary journeys the Apostle Paul preached in the Jewish synagogue in Berea, having just spoken to the church at Thessalonica. The writer of the Book of Acts writes, "These [Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). Good advice! The Bereans listened attentively to Paul's address, then they turned to the real authority (the Scriptures) for verification.

Paul instructed young Pastor Timothy, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). Two excellent guidelines: rely on the Scriptures as the one true authority for confirmation, and make a concentrated effort ("study to") to properly allocate ("rightly divide") the word of truth. To rightly divide the word of truth is to define what is spoken, to whom it is spoken, under what circumstances, with what intent and in what context and time frame. Unless one studies Scripture for himself, he will never gain the knowledge and confidence to mature into a testimony pleasing to God.

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NO WORD, NO TRUTH
By M. Stanford


"Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb. 11 :6).


Rationalism defies God; Ritualism degrades God.

"With Rationalism's intellectual audacity on the one hand, which dares to speak against the Word of God; and on the other hand, the outward piety of Ritualism - ---there is really the same root of infidelity at bottom. There is the supplanting of the plain truth of the inspired Word. Both get rid of it, depriving the soul of that which is the only means of a living link between God and man.

"It does not matter what the means or forms may be, whether the negative process of Rationalism, or the more positive claim of Ritualism: if man comes in -- whether it be his rites or his reasonings -- so as to exclude God's Word, or step between its authority and the soul of man, it becomes pretty much the same result in the end.

"Rationalism is the deification of human powers, in which man presumes by his own mind to judge the Word of God, and is therefore the infidelity of the intellect when either carried out to its results or judged in its principle.

"On the other hand Ritualism is the infidelity of the imagination, very often with piety underneath it, with a love for the Saviour that may preserve from the full consequences of the system, but in itself always savoring of and tending to idolatry.

"We cannot know the value of Christ the Truth unless we have the Spirit of Truth. Nevertheless, the test of having the Spirit of Truth, and of not being a prey to fanaticism, is that the soul is attracted and subject to the Lord Jesus Christ --- and this cannot be without faith produced and nourished by the Word of Truth." -W.K.

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10: 1 7).

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The Purpose Of The Law
by Pastor C. R. Stam


      How little most people know about the Law, the Ten Commandments!

First, most people have a hazy idea that the Law was given to Adam; that it existed as long as the history of man. This, of course, is wrong, for in John 1:17 we read: “The law was given by Moses.” Moses lived some 2,500 years after Adam, about 1,500 years before Christ. So for about 2,500 years mankind lived without the Ten Commandments.

Second, most people suppose that the Law was given to mankind in general, while the fact is that it was given to Israel alone. It was a covenant made between God and Israel. Before giving it God said: “Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people” (Ex. 19:5).This is not to say that the Law does not affect all men, for, as the divine standard of righteousness it affects us all.

Third, most people think that the Law was given to help us to be good.Even some clergymen teach this, though the Bible itself states again and again that the Law was given to show us that we are guilty sinners and need a Savior. Note the following Scripture passages.


Rom. 3:19: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may be brought in guilty before God.”

Rom. 3:20: “By the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Gal. 3:19: “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions….”

Thus the Law can only condemn the sinner. But thank God, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal.3:13).

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YESTERDAY , TODAY and TOMORROW
GOD'S TIMETABLE  Part 1 of 4
By Jack Trumm



It's been said that you can buy a newspaper and find out what happened yesterday. You can turn on the radio, television, or computer and find out what's happening today, but thank God, you can open your Bible and find out what's going to happen tomorrow. Actually, the Bible can tell us about and explain all three (yesterday, today and tomorrow).

GOD'S TIMETABLE

First of all, to learn where we are on God's timetable, remember this: the status of the nation Israel tells us where we are on God's timetable. Like the hands on a clock, this points to where we are in God's dealing with mankind.

Let's take today for example. What is the status of the nation Israel today, as far as God's word is concerned?

1. They have been set aside in unbelief.
2. Currently, they have no covenant relationship with God. (In fact no nation has.)
3. They are in partial (or temporary) blindness, and are being avoided (even considered enemies) by God as He blesses the Gentiles and focuses on them for the time being. Paul writes, "as concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes." (Romans 11:28.)

We can see from a brief study of the Bible, from Genesis 12, all the way through the rest of the Old Testament, and continuing through the four gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and through the first seven chapters of the Book of Acts, God's focus of attention is His nation, Israel. The Book of Acts records the failure of the nation Israel to believe the claims of Christ, and their failure to accept the offer of their King and Kingdom nationally for the time being. Then with Paul's conversion, calling and message, we learn of Israel's temporary casting away or being set aside and avoided.

We can look around us, study current events and see that Israel still remains in unbelief, and still wails at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, crying out for God to speak to her. She wishes God would focus on her as in the days of old, and speak to her as in days of old. She remains in unbelief and blinded to this very day. So then, from examining Israel's current status and looking at the Bible, we can see where we are on God's timetable.

OUR YESTERDAY

The Bible explains our yesterday. It tells how God chose Israel to be his favored nation, and how He gave the Gentile nations over to their own lusts. Paul writes, "when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." (Romans 1:21-25)

From then on the Gentiles are avoided, and often times ordered to get out of the way as God placed Israel into the promised land. And so from Genesis 12 unto Paul's conversion in Acts 9, the Gentiles are avoided by God and ignored. Paul wrote,"Wherefore remember, that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:11-12)

In our yesterday, God's focus, His attention was on His favored nation, Israel. Even in our Lord's earthly ministry He made it very clear saying, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" adding, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to the dogs. " (Matthew 15:24,26) He commanded His disciples, saying, "Go NOT into the way of the Gentiles, and into ANY city of the Samaritans enter ye NOT: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 10:5-6) And in further clarification, to the Samaritan woman our Lord Jesus said, "Ye worship ye know not what, we (Jews) know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:22)

Continued

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GOD'S TIMETABLE
Part 2 of 4
By Jack Trumm


ISRAEL'S YESTERDAY

So with an outstretched hand and tender nurturing, God led the children of Israel and cared for them. He sent His Son to them confirming the promises made unto the fathers. Some of the promises made unto the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, etc.) were conditional. If they would be obedient, God would bless them, or if they disobeyed, He would punish them. However, God also made UNCONDITIONAL promises unto them, promises in which He would not take back. Among these was the promise that national Israel would be the instrument of blessing to the Gentile nations under the reign of Christ. Isaiah 60 and 61 describe this in detail, predicting a redeemed Israel, shining forth the glory of God, reigning over the rest of the nations as head.

Paul explains that God will fulfill this promise to them when He takes away her blindness, and takes away her sins in accordance to prophecy. Paul explains, "and so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:26-27)

The cleansing and deliverance of Israel was the subject of every prophet which spoke, beginning with "Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken" (Acts 3:24), also John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus Christ, and all of the apostles. This period of her cleansing can be summed up in the phase: "the great tribulation period". In the Old Testament it is referred to as: "the time of Jacob 's trouble ", and her "day of trouble ". (Jeremiah 30:7, Daniel 12:1, Zephaniah 1:15, Ezekiel 7:7) Paul the apostle called it "the day of the Lord", (I Thessalonians 5:12) John the apostle called it "the revelation of Jesus Christ". (Revelation 1:1)

But this terrible time of trouble has been put on 'hold' so-to-speak, "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ". (Romans 11:25) God has chosen to reveal and dispense a Gentile dispensation first. He chose to set Israel aside temporarily, avoiding her, considering her an enemy for the sake of the Gentiles. He chose to bless the world thru her fall, taking out of the Gentiles a people without Israel's instrumentality. And so God has ushered in a Gentile dispensation in which He shows mercy and grace to all who come to Christ by faith. In fact, even an individual from the rebel nation Israel may receive the spiritual blessings of grace, but he must come to God in the avenue which the Gentiles now receive it, by grace through faith alone. For the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile is now broken down, the Israelites have lost their favored nation status, that covenant relationship. They must come to God with no merit of their own. Paul writes "even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy (the Gentiles) they also may obtain mercy (the Jews)." (Romans 11:31) Today, in the day of grace, they must come to God through the mercy and grace presently being shown to the Gentiles. Paul makes this declaration against national Israel as the Book of Acts closes, "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." (Acts 28:28.) We are in a Gentile dispensation. Israel nationally is still being ignored (actually considered as an enemy of God) for our sakes. "as concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes." (Romans 11:28.)

God today is not answering Israel, for if He were to answer her, He would have to answer in His wrath for He still holds her responsible (nationally) for the rejection of His Son. It is spelled out by Paul in Romans 11:27 where it says, "when I shall take away their sins."

How long will the Gentiles continue to receive this blessed opportunity to approach God in this way, and enjoy this goodness? Paul answers this in Romans 11:25 by saying, "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in ". This tells us that God has a number in mind, a number which will bring Him to what He considers "fulness". Maybe there is only one more to be added to "the church which is His body" (Ephesians 1:22-23) before He comes to gather us to Himself. "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." (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)

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GOD'S TIMETABLE
Part 3 OF 4
By Jack Trumm



TOMORROW

Paul warned the Gentiles concerning the end of this blessed standing, saying "boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee" "well because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee goodness, IF THOU CONTINUE IN HIS GOODNESS, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they (Israel nationally) abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again." (Romans 11:18,20-23)

Paul predicted that after "the fullness " of the Gentiles are come in, God will do just that-graft Israel in again. "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, "when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:26-27) And then they will be that channel of blessing to the world, for Paul wrote that if setting Israel aside proved to be a blessing for the world, "how much more their fulness?" "now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, HOW MUCH MORE THEIR FULNESS?" "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but LIFE FROM THE DEAD?" (Romans 11:12,15)

You may be thinking, well we Gentiles are blessed either way! In the end, yes, but in between time, NO! Because at this present time many restraints are in place in this world, restraints in which God Himself has in place. These seals of restraints will be removed during the great tribulation period which is to come after the last trump of grace. Some people look at wars, natural disasters, various pestilences, earthquakes, and Tsunamis as acts of God's wrath, but the Bible makes it clear that when God pours out His wrath, there will be no mistaking it for natural disasters, or the folly of men. God at that point will speak as He answers in His wrath, as it is written, ''Then shall he speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure." (Psalm 2:5)

It will be during "the great tribulation ", that time referred to as "Jacob's trouble", and her "day of trouble", that Israel is delivered, cleansed, redeemed, and grafted back in as God's favored nation. During the great tribulation the Book of Hebrews, the epistles to the circumcision, and the Book of Revelation will be much more than books "for our learning." For those writings will find direct obedience and application necessary for the believers in those coming days, as God will have moved on in His dealings with man from the grace He shows today, to His righteous judgment. Once the fulness of the Gentiles have come in, through obeying the gospel of the grace of God, and we are caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, the remaining Gentiles will find themselves in the "day of the Lord." The remaining Gentiles will find themselves in "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev.  3: 10) As God removes the seals of restraints upon the "mystery of iniquity ", they will be deceived, tested, and judged "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (II Thessalonians 2:7, 1:7-9)

With the restraints removed allowing the "mystery of iniquity" to do what he wants, those remaining Gentiles will be easily deceived. "And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be darned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thessalonians 2:8-12)

So do you see it? God's dealings with mankind after the present Gentile dispensation will not be so gracious as they are now. God will have moved on from showing the attributes of the grace, mercy, and love which are in Christ Jesus to His other important attributes. He will have moved on to show "who is the ONLY Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who ONLY hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." (I Timothy 6:15-16) Those who remain on earth after "our gathering together unto him" (II Thessalonians 2:1), if they are able to endure long enough, will experience the revelation of Jesus Christ as He shows "his wrath" and makes "His power known" upon "the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." (Romans 9:22) The time will have come when God the Father fulfills His promise to His Son in which He said, "sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool". (Matthew 22:44)

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GOD'S TIMETABLE
Part 4  Conclusion
By Jack Trumm


They will wish for the days of grace which we now have much like those Jews wail now at the Wailing Wall, wishing they could go back in time, but they cannot "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matthew 24:21-22) "then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (I Thessalonians 5:3)

So, the Bible tells us what happened yesterday, what is happening today, and what will happen tomorrow. But what about you, friend? Have you obeyed the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? Will you be among those of us who "shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump" of grace? (see I Corinthians 15:51-58.) OR will you be among those who remain here to endure the most horrible time of testing man has seen or ever will see because you failed to accept God's gracious offer of salvation in the day of salvation? Evidently the fullness of the Gentiles is not "be come in" yet. You can be the next, and who knows, maybe the last Gentile to receive this blessing before the Gentiles are "cut off" again and God turns His attention back to the "natural branches" (the nation Israel) to graft them back in through the time called "Jacob's trouble." Receive the good news of God's grace. Take it to heart, and apply it to your soul. Jesus Christ died the death you and I deserve. He made complete satisfaction to God for your sins and mine. God is satisfied completely by His shed blood on the cross and through His death. We know this because He raised Jesus Christ from the dead to assure us of His satisfaction. But you must believe that this is the only way of salvation, and that it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but rather it is by His grace and mercy He saves us today as a free gift through faith. Trust Him with your soul now. "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." (Ephesians 2:8-9) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. " (Galatians 3:13) "For he (God) hath made him (Jesus Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 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" (II Corinthians5:21-6:2)

Trust Him now while this gracious offer is still being made.

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Philippians 4:19
"But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."


OUR ASSURANCES UNDER GRACE


"From infancy, the mortal soul cries out for assurance The yearning is often satisfied by parent, pastor, patron or peer. But these are frequently misguided and temporary consolations. But any assurance received from God may be relied upon without reservation. Knowing that we are impotent to generate our own motivations to the uttermost, we find confidence in the assurance that "The love of Christ constraineth us..." (2 Corinthians 5:14).

To the faithful, there is no restriction of encouragement and fortification from on high. The apostle attests that to those saints who prayerfully submit themselves to His watch care and preservation, "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7), "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you" (2 Corinthians 9:8.).

But the most stimulating of all assurances is the affirmation of our condition as members of the Body of Christ. "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. AND YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the Head of all principality and power" (Colossians 9:10). In the light of our heavenly position, the apostle exclaims, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). Close fellowship with God is the secret to our enjoyment of maximum assurance. How true the words of the prophet, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee" (Isaiah 26:3). "My God shall supply all you need according to His riches in glory."

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The Hope of Our Calling
By Jim Roberts

The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus whom God had called as a pastor over the Church which is the Body of Christ. In Chapter 2 Paul said:

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you." (Titus 2:11-15)

Paul was reminding Titus that the hope of Abraham had passed away. No longer were believers to look for the heavenly city of God to come down to the earth (Hebrews 11:16), but believers were to rejoice in the hope of their calling, namely, the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. Paul taught the believers at Colosse that:

"When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)

Paul explained to Titus that all believers today share this same hope for the grace of God has now appeared to all men. However, Paul knew that this message had to be taught with zeal for it was a new message. The program for the Church had been kept as a secret in the heart and mind of God since before the creation itself. Therefore, Paul told Titus to "speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority." Paul told the Ephesians about this great hope and was very concerned that they understand the importance of the message. He prayed:

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." (Ephesians 1:17-18.)

In Ephesians 1:14, Paul referred to the catching up of the Church, the Body of Christ, as the redemption of Christ's purchased possession.

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

According to Ephesians 1:7, we already have spiritual redemption through His blood, but we are waiting for the redemption of our bodies which will occur at the appearing of the Lord and the rapture of the Church.

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." (Philippians 3:20-21)

The Church which is the Body of Christ is the purchased possession which is now waiting for its final redemption. In the mean time, we live on this earth learning how to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, all to the praise of the glory of His grace.

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Delay In Judgment
by Pastor C. R. Stam



The Scriptures leave no doubt that the Lord Jesus Christ will come to this earth again, “in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God” and who “receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (II Thes. 1:8; 2:10). Nor will He forget His promise to give the twelve apostles thrones in His kingdom (Matt. 19:28.). There can be no successors to Peter and the eleven, for they themselves are to reign with Christ in glory. What is happening now is a parenthesis in God’s prophesied program. Delaying Christ’s return to judge and reign. God chose another apostle, separate from the twelve, to bring a message of grace to this Christ-rejecting world. How great is His mercy and love!

And how are men saved today? How are their sins remitted? Must they come to some recognized authority and be “baptized for the remission of sins”? Some, still following Peter rather than Paul, say,“Yes.” But let us see what St. Paul, by divine inspiration, has to say about this.


“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” (Eph. 2:8,9).

“NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH WE HAVE DONE, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US, BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION, AND THE RENEWING OF THE HOLY GHOST” (Tit. 3:5).

This stands in striking contrast to Peter’s “Repent and be baptized… for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38.). It stands in contrast, also, to the words of the so-called “Great Commission”: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Does not this indicate that a change in dispensation took place with the raising up of Paul, that other apostle?

But what about the kingdom? Does some man on earth hold the keys? No,for both the King and His kingdom are in exile. When a sinner obeys God and receives Christ as His Savior he is “translated into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:13), and “made accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6).

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Friendship With the World
Part 1
By Gregg Bing

Abraham is called in Scripture "the friend of God." This special relationship developed because of Abraham's life of faith. Abraham believed God's promises and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Abraham also walked by faith, being careful to obey God's commands. Abraham's nephew, Lot, though a righteous man, chose to walk a different path and experienced the pain and sorrow that results from "friendship with the world."

Lot lived with Abraham when he dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia, a land given over to idol worship and worldly pleasures. This is why, when God called Abraham, He told him to "Get out of your country from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you" (Gen. 12:1). While Abraham left behind the country of Mesopotamia, along with its idolatrous lifestyle, he did not immediately leave his family or his father's house. He journeyed with his father, Terah, and his nephew, Lot, to Haran and dwelt there until his father died. After Terah's death, Abraham resumed his journey and the Lord led him to the land of Canaan; however, Abraham still kept Lot with him.

When Abraham arrived in Canaan, the Lord appeared to him and promised to give the land to his descendants as an inheritance. There in the promised land, Abraham faithfully kept himself separate from the people of Canaan, for they, too, were idolaters. He dwelt in tents and built altars, ensuring his walk and his worship were separate from the ungodly cities of Canaan. When a famine arose in the land, Abraham's faith faltered, and he fled south to the land of Egypt. As long as Abraham remained in Egypt he was out of fellowship with God. Abraham's sinful deception of the people of Egypt led the Pharaoh to order him to leave. However, both Abraham and Lot acquired great possessions in Egypt, specifically livestock, herds, and servants.

Upon their return to the land of Canaan, strife broke out between the herdsmen of Abraham and those of Lot. The land was not able to contain all their possessions if they continued to dwell together. The time had come for Abraham to make a complete break from his family and his father's house. Abraham instructed Lot to separate from him, but he offered to let Lot choose the land he wished to dwell in.

As we turn our attention to Lot, we find three stages in his life of "friendship with the world" and the lessons we learn from each.

Lot's Choice

Lot should have deferred to Abraham and let him make the choice. He knew that God had called Abraham and promised the land to Abraham's descendants; the choice should have been his. But, we read in Scripture that:

"Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other." (Gen. 13:10-11)

Lot "chose for himself." His was a selfish choice, a choice based on the desires of the flesh. Knowing that his flocks and herds would need water, he chose the plain of Jordan because it was "well watered everywhere." This seems to have been the only criteria for choosing this area. The Scriptures compare this plain to "the garden of the Lord," which Lot had never seen, but had likely heard of. The other comparison is that the plain of Jordan was "like the land of Egypt." This was true, not only in that it was well watered, but because it was a wicked and ungodly land. So we read that:

"Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD." (Gen. 13:12-13)

Abraham dwelt in the land that God promised his descendants for a possession. Though the Canaanites were idol worshippers, Abraham was careful to keep himself separate from their wicked ways. Lot chose a land that was outwardly beautiful, but was associated with two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, cities filled with men who were "exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord." Unfortunately, this didn't seem to be a factor in Lot's choice. No doubt he did what many of us do at times: he rationalized. Lot pitched his tent in the land, "even as far as Sodom," reasoning that just because he lived near this wicked city, didn't mean he had to become a part of it. This is a dangerous line of thinking, one based not on the wisdom of God but on the wisdom of men.

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Friendship With the World
Part 2
By Gregg Bing



Lot's Compromise

Lot soon found himself subject to the dangers of being associated with Sodom and Gomorrah. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah (and their allies) fought against a group of neighboring kings, Lot and his family were taken into captivity (Gen. 14:11-12). Abraham, out of concern for his nephew, raised an army of his servants and was used of God to rescue Lot and his family.

The king of Sodom sought to reward Abraham for delivering them from their captivity. He offered Abraham the spoils of the victory to take for himself. But Abraham, while returning from the slaughter of these enemy kings, had been met by Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God. Melchizedek reminded Abraham that God, who was the possessor of both heaven and earth, had delivered Abraham's enemies into his hand, and this same God would provide for all his needs. Not wanting to be indebted to this wicked king, Abraham refused to take a single thing from his hand (Gen. 14:17-24). Abraham's refusal of the spoils of Sodom provided a wonderful illustration to Lot of the importance of keeping one's self separate from the wickedness of this world, but Lot failed to learn anything from this experience.

Many years later, we find two angels sent from God to visit Sodom and Gomorrah and confirm the terrible wickedness of these cities before destroying them. As the angels entered the city, they found Lot "sitting in the gate of Sodom." Lot rose to his feet, bowed himself to the ground before them, and invited them to "turn in to your servant's house and spend the night" (Gen. 19:1-2). Lot was no longer dwelling in a tent near Sodom; he now had a house in the city. Not only that, we find him seated at the city gate, the place where the city's legal business was carried out. Lot's rationalization that he could simply dwell near the city without becoming involved in its activities was wrong. He had not only moved inside the city, he had become a part of its leadership as well.

Maybe Lot was continuing to rationalize, thinking that by getting more involved in the city's affairs, he could have a positive influence on the men of Sodom. The reality was that Lot had little, if any, effect on the spiritual condition of the people of Sodom. Abraham had asked God to spare the city if enough righteous people could be found there, but not even ten righteous were there. What happened that night proved that the wickedness in Sodom had only grown worse.

The two angels, in the form of men, dined with Lot that night, but before they could lay down to sleep, "the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house" (Gen. 19:4). They demanded that Lot bring the two men out so they could "know them" sexually. When Lot pleaded with them not to do this wicked thing, they belittled him, "Stand back! This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them" (Gen. 19:9).

The two angels pulled Lot back inside to safety and then struck the men outside with blindness to deter them. The angels told Lot that God was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and instructed him to take his family and get out. But Lot's sons-in-law treated his warning as a joke. As the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry and take his wife and his two unmarried daughters with him. When Lot continued to linger in the city, the angels took him, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and set them outside the city (Gen. 19:16).

Why would Lot cling to such a wicked place, especially after hearing God was about to destroy it? The world has that type of pull on men, even righteous men when they are walking "after the flesh." The angels told Lot to take his family and flee into the mountains, but Lot had become so used to the pleasures of the city of Sodom that he pleaded, "Please, no, my lords! Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live" (Gen. 19:18-20). What a pitiful man Lot had become, still rationalizing: "This city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one!"

After Lot and his family escaped to safety, God rained fire and brimstone on the wicked cities of the plain of Jordan. This area which had once been lush, green, and beautiful, became a wasteland and remains so, even today. The angels warned Lot that he and his family were to flee and not turn back, but Lot's wife looked back longingly (for she loved this world she had lived in all these years), and, when she did, she became a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:24-26). 1 John 2:15-17 warns about loving the things of this world.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

Lot's life warns us of the dangers of compromise. Lot compromised his values. He was a righteous man (because he believed in God), but he chose to live in association with the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. The result:

"He was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)." (2 Pet. 2:7-8.)

Not only did Lot suffer this torment, he compromised his family by exposing them to the same "filthy conduct." As a result, his sons and their families, along with his married daughters and their families (Gen. 19:12), perished in the destruction sent from God. His wife was turned to a pillar of salt because she simply could not let go of the life she had enjoyed there. Only his two unmarried daughters escaped, and, as we shall see, they too were corrupted by the evils of the world in which they were raised.

Finally, Lot compromised his testimony. As we saw earlier, the people of the city had no respect for Lot. His attempts to sit in judgment upon them were viewed with contempt. Any spiritual influence he might have had upon them was lost because he chose to become a part of their world. The spiritual leadership he should have exercised toward his wife and children was empty because of the poor decisions he himself had made. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul instructed believers in how to maintain an effective testimony in the world.

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." (Phil. 2:12-16)

If we are to "shine as lights in the world, holding fast (forth) the word of life," then we must live, in the midst of this "crooked and perverse generation," lives that are "blameless and harmless." If we profess to be "children of God" we must behave like children of God. While we cannot live sinless lives, we can maintain a lifestyle people cannot easily find fault with. Our walk should demonstrate that knowing Christ as Savior has made a difference in our lives. Lot's friendship with the world ruined any testimony he might have had among the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.