GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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Conduct Worthy of the Gospel
(Part 4 of 4)
By Gregg Bing


Striving Together with One Mind

Paul wanted to hear that they were "with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel." The expression "striving together" is from the Greek word "sunathleo." The last part of this word, "athleo," is where we get our word "athletics." It means to engage in an athletic contest or to compete in public games, to contend for the prize. This competition requires endurance, sometimes even pain and suffering. The Christian life is not an easy life. Paul often uses the concept of athletic competition to describe the Christian life. He speaks of it as "running in a race" (1 Cor. 9:24-27), of engaging in a wrestling match (Eph. 6:12), of "fighting the good fight" (1 Tim. 6:12).

The first part of the word "sunathleo" is the preposition "sun" which means together with. Paul is stressing that, as believers, we are not in this alone; we are to contend and compete together, as a team. To do so effectively, we must have one mind. The word "mind" is actually the Greek word for "soul." The soul speaks of our natural life (Gen. 2:7). It is the seat of our emotions, our feelings, our passions. To effectively strive together we need to have a real, shared passion for the work.

What are we to be passionate about? What are we to strive and contend together for? The faith of the gospel. As we have already seen, "the faith" refers to the truth of God's Word that we put our faith in. We live in a time when the Word of God in general, and the gospel of Jesus Christ in particular, is constantly under attack. Satan opposes and seeks to keep people away from God's Word (1 Tim. 1:18-20, Titus 1:9-11) because he knows "it is the power of God unto salvation" to those who hear and believe it (Rom. 1:16). This is why, as heavenly citizens, we need to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

We need individuals, and local churches who will stand firm and strive together for this precious message with one soul, with a real passion for the Lord, for His Word, and for reaching people with the gospel of God's grace.

Suffering in the Same Conflict

As we take a stand and strive together for the faith, we will most certainly find opposition. Satan and his ministers will take a stand against us, speak out against us, persecute us, and seek to hinder us in every way possible. Paul told the Philippians not to be "terrified" by this prospect. The word "terrified" means to be frightened or scared; it is also used to describe a horse being "startled." Paul is basically saying, "Don't be surprised" and "Don't be scared" when you are faced with persecution and suffering from your adversaries. "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Phil. 1:29). The word "granted" is the Greek word "charizomai" which is from the Greek word for "grace." It is been "freely given" to us, by God's grace, not only to believe in Him (as Savior and Lord), but also to "suffer for His sake." We don't often look at suffering as a gift, particularly a gift from God, but this is exactly what this verse teaches. It is a privilege to suffer for the name of Christ, to experience sufferings on His behalf (John 15:18-25). In Acts 5 we read of the twelve apostles being held by the Jewish Sanhedrin for teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. After the apostles were beaten, commanded not to speak any more in the name of Jesus, and let go, "they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41).

As heavenly citizens, the way we respond to sufferings and opposition, is an important part of our conduct. We must realize that "all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). The Philippians were facing the "same conflict" which they had seen in Paul (when he was in Philippi, Acts 16), and now heard was in Paul (as he was in prison in Rome). This same conflict rages on today as Satan continues to oppose the truth of God's Word and the people of God who proclaim it. As we face these sufferings that will come, let us not be surprised, let us not be scared, but let us "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Eph. 6:10) and "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2:1).

May each of us take heed to this important directive from the Apostle Paul: "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ." May we stand fast in one spirit, striving together with one mind, one soul, for the faith of the gospel, joyfully enduring the sufferings that we will all face, knowing that, as we do, it all will redound to the glory of God.

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BUYING UP THE TIME
by C. R. Stam


    Nineteen hundred years ago Paul wrote to his fellow- believers in the vicinity of Ephesus: "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming [Lit., buying up] the time, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5:15,16). Those were indeed evil days, when a wicked tyrant ruled the Roman Empire, when Messiah had been rejected, not only in incarnation, but in resurrection, and Christianity was fighting a life-and-death battle to penetrate the prevailing pagan darkness with the light of God's grace. Surely Paul never dreamed that the dispensation of grace would continue for more than nineteen hundred years. He expected the Lord to come at any time to recall His ambassadors and bring the day of grace to a close. Hence the urgency of his appeal to be "buying up the time, because the days are evil."

    But if Paul had reason to suspect that the day of grace would soon be brought to a close, we today have greater reason to think so. Now that the light of the gospel has been brought to Europe, America and many other parts of the world, men are turning their backs on it. Only a small minority of even Christendom truly believe the Bible and know the Christ it presents -- and how very few know the riches of His grace!

    Meanwhile our governments, our educational institutions and our social systems are becoming ever more godless. The result? The newspapers, radio and TV -- even a trip downtown to any fair-sized city, will tell us all we need to know. Once again "the days are evil" and the Lord's coming for His own seems imminent. There is still much talk about lasting peace and prosperity, but no thoughtful person believes that we are headed in that direction. Rather the world appears to be heading straight toward the prophesied "day of wrath."

    What a comfort it is to the believer, then, to know that "God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us..." (I Thes. 5:9,10). "For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed" and "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:11,13).

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OUR WEAKNESS AND GOD'S POWER
by C. R. Stam



When our Lord was on earth He healed great numbers of sick and diseased people. The believers at Pentecost also healed many in the name of Jesus, offering to Israel His return from heaven upon condition of their repentance (Acts 3:19-21).

All those who were healed, however, finally succumbed to physical infirmity or disease again and died after all. This was because the Lord Jesus was rejected as King, not only in His incarnation but also in His resurrection. Rom. 8:22,23 declares the result as we see it in our own day:

"...we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit [that is], the redemption of our body."

But Christians in "this present evil age" often need physical infirmity to draw them closer to God in prayer and faith. Paul himself said:

"...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh... lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12:7-9).

The Apostle's response to this shows how well he understood that suffering and weakness are an important part of Christian discipline.

"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me... I take pleasure in infirmities...for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:9,10).

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a for more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Cor. 4:16,17).

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THE GLORY OF THAT LIGHT
by Russell S. Miller

The resurrected Christ appeared unto Paul very differently than His appearances had been unto all those other saints. Peter and the Eleven had only seen the risen Christ as He will reign upon this earth in His kingdom glory (Matt. 17:1-9). But Paul saw the risen, glorified, Lord Jesus Christ in "the glory of His grace" (Eph. 1:6,14). The glorified Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto Paul as He had never appeared to any man before upon this earth. He appeared unto Paul from heaven:

"And when I could NOT see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one Ananias..., Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul... The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will, AND SEE THAT JUST ONE, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth. For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard" (Acts 22:11-14).

Christ could have judged the world, and He will, but instead He revealed Himself to Paul in the glory of His grace. To the Apostle Paul, then, Jesus Christ revealed "the riches of His grace" in salvation (Eph. 1:7), "the exceeding riches of His grace" in glory (2:7), and "the unsearchable riches of Christ" in heavenly places (3:8.). And this message Paul calls" the Mystery" in Colossians 1:26. Furthermore, the Lord Jesus commissioned Paul, and us, "to make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ" (Eph. 3:9). And all this, Paul says, is "according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust" (I Tim. 1:11).

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (II Cor. 4:3,4).

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus, therefore, marks the beginning of an entirely new administration of God in the affairs of men:

"...Have [you] heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the Mystery..." (Eph. 3:2,3)?

God now sees us "accepted in the Beloved One" (Eph. 1:6), and clothed with the very "righteousness" of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Cor. 5:21). And we stand before God today "complete in Christ" because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf at Calvary (Col. 2:10-15). Through "no works" of our own, then, we are forever "seated" with Christ "in the heavenlies" (Eph.2:6,8,9).

"That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

So in Paul's gospel when he focuses in upon the "crucified" One (I Cor. 1:23), he proclaims "Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery" (Rom.16:25). Not only has "CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES" (I Cor. 15:3), but our glorified Saviour is coming again to catch us away to be with Himself for all eternity. In our endeavors, then, to keep our congregations informed of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, may we never forget that God revealed to Paul "the light of the glorious gospel of Christ."

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II Cor. 4:4,6).

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THE CAUSE OF RETARDED GROWTH
by C. R. Stam


In the physical realm retarded growth may be due to some mishap or may be simply one of the results of the curse, having no direct bearing on the behavior of the parents, and certainly not of the child itself.  In the spiritual realm this is not so.  God has made abundant provision for every child of God to grow to spiritual manhood, and Paul rebukes the Corinthian believers for not having grown.

The trouble with the Corinthians was that they did not have much appetite for the Word; they did not have a passion to know and obey the truth, for the babe in Christ who "desires" the pure milk of the Word will surely "grow thereby."  This was the trouble with the Hebrew believers too, for when the Apostle would have gone further into the great subject of Christ as "an High Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec," he was forced to write:

"Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull [Gr., nothros, slothful] of hearing"  (Heb. 5:11).

This is precisely the cause of the carnality among believers today.  During World War II there were several occasions when parents came to the writer with letters from their sons in the armed forces, explaining that a code had been arranged by which "Johnny" could let them know to which theatre of war he had been sent, but that now it was difficult to understand his letter.  Together we would sit down and study the letter in detail in an effort to make out exactly what it was that "Johnny" was trying to make his parents understand.

Such interest and concern over a letter from "Johnny"! And appropriately so, but do the majority of believers show such interest in the Word of God to them?  They do not. They are satisfied with "the simple things," with knowing only a few passages which "warm their hearts."  This is the root cause of the spiritual immaturity in the Church today.

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LAW VS. GRACE - PART 1 OF 3
By John Steiner


Romans 4:15, clearly states that "the law worketh wrath." But so many people do not wish to see this. Even some clergymen tell us that God gave the law to help us be good, when God speaking through Paul the apostle says the very opposite: that it was given to show us how bad we are and need a Savior. Could it be that some do not wish to  see themselves as law breakers? Or, as a person who stands guilty and condemned by the law of God?

"The law worketh wrath." You know every criminal knows this, and every sinner should too because the Bible has so much to say on the subject. A criminal understands that breaking the law has a consequence (especially if he's doing jail time for it). And in the Bible, breaking God's law always carried with it a consequence.

After the penalty for our sin was paid by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, He chose to reveal insight to man regarding the purpose and intent of the law. Through Paul, God now shows us what the purpose was and is to bring about "the ministration of condemnation" and "the ministration of death." (II Corinthians 3:7, 9) It was to stop every bragging mouth, and bring us before God as we really are: guilty. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: FOR BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN." (Romans 3:19-20)

Paul said, "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, 'Thou shalt not covet .' But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. 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. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I FOUND TO BE UNTO DEATH." (Romans 7:7-10)

By the way, who would be considered under the law today? Would it not be anyone who seeks to make himself acceptable to God by keeping the law? In Galatians 3:10-14, Paul tells us that these people are under a curse. The law only condemns them. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that NO MAN is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, 'The just shall live by faith. "

Here Paul quotes the law and the prophets, but is giving added revelation now with it saying: "AND THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. 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.' That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

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LAW VS. GRACE Part 2 of 3
By John Steiner


   Those who approach God expecting eternal life in return for good works are offering God THEIR terms which He will never accept. God will not sell justification or righteousness to those ALREADY UNDER CONDEMNATION FOR SIN! But now He does offer sinners complete justification by grace because, again, "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! 'Under the law, God through Moses, commanded:

   "And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he is to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree. His body shall not remain all night upon a tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day, (for he that is hanged is accursed of God) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. " (Deut. 21:22-23) Could it be that being hanged pictures being cursed because he is being suspended between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of earth so-to-speak? And that this depicts being a citizen of neither? And consequently the "cursed man" should be avoided since he is cursed? THANK GOD He sent Jesus Christ to become that curse in our place! Thank God, those who trust this good news are given God's righteousness for it is bestowed upon them as we read in Romans 3:21-22 "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference." Do believe that? This is difficult for many people to accept, especially the religious, but here it is written in the Word of God, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested .. "

   But how shall we interpret the words "But now" in this passage? When was this "Bestowed righteousness" due to trusting in Jesus vicarious death first shown, or revealed? Was it revealed at Calvary? No, nothing is explained of the accomplishment there yet. Was it revealed at the so-called "great commission"? No, not one record of the commission contains one word about justification given through the merits of Christ's death. (Only that remission of sins could be issued to those repentant of the murder of Christ and water baptized demonstrating faith that He is the Son of God.) Was it at Pentecost then? No, not even at Pentecost. There the convicted murderers were still told to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.

It was not until Paul that this blessed message went forth. It was Paul and no one until Paul who declared "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested." The reason for this is that up to the point of Paul's conversion, God was still honoring and answering the prayer of our Lord Jesus on the cross. There our Lord prayed, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do," (Luke 23:34) And the Father answered that prayer giving Israel (nationally) the opportunity to demonstrate repentance and faith in Jesus as the Son of God after the coming and testimony of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Remission of sins and the Holy Spirit was given to those who obeyed the Apostles command to be water baptized in Jesus' name. (See Acts 2:36-39, Acts 3:19-20, Acts 5:30-32, and Acts 8:35-38.) But with the stoning of Stephen, and the great wave of persecution that resulted from it, it was evident that Israel did not wish to be the instrument of blessing to the world for they were sticking with their rejection of Jesus Christ from a national standpoint.

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LAW VS. GRACE Part 3 of 3 Conclusion
By John Steiner




So, no, this righteousness bestowed "upon them that believe" was not possible until it was revealed, and announced. At Calvary our salvation was purchased but not proclaimed that way until through Paul. And who better to be the herald of the grace of Christ than Saul, also called Paul. After all, by the inspiration of God, he called himself  the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints, because he persecuted the Jewish church and wasted it. He hadn't repented or shown any signs of faith for he was "yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter" when he was stopped by the Lord in "exceeding abundant" grace and love.

Paul received the message of grace directly from the Lord himself by direct revelation. In a similar way as John the apostle received the Revelation concerning the tribulation period and the Day of our Lord's judgment, Paul by direct revelation received the message which is in affect "now" or during "this present time", or the "Day" of grace and the "Day of salvation".

Paul tells us "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:11-12) He says "If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward. How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when you read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." (Ephesians 3:2-5)

So when Paul says "but now ... "rest assured that these are the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ and that he is only speaking in behalf of the Lord in this day of grace. And so as a scripture writer he says, "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, (this message) we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,  that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:22-26)

So what about you my dear friend? Do you know what it means to experience bestowed righteousness? Or are you still under the curse of the law, still trying to do the impossible feat of keeping the law perfectly? Jesus Christ was "made a curse for us" by enduring the cross, and bearing our penalty. Put your trust completely in His finished work there in shedding His blood and YOU WILL experience His bestowed righteousness. Take advantage of God's gracious offer while it's still being made. We have no promise of tomorrow, so this may be your last day, hour, or minute for that matter. And besides that, God may decide to move on with his dealings with man, and begin to show His other attributes such as His righteous judgment. For under His righteous judgment, the great tribulation period, His dealings with man will not be so gracious as they are today in the Day of Grace. Under the dispensation to come you will need to endure to the end in order to be saved. But for now, God is offering you the same kind of grace He showed Paul on the road to Damascus. So don't pass it up, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31)

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LEGITIMATE PRAYER
by C. R. Stam




Prayer, in Old Testament times, was based upon a covenant relationship with God, or it was an appeal to His revealed nature as merciful, gracious, etc. Today it is based upon the redemptive work of Christ, whose death opened the way for us into the Father's presence. This is why acceptable prayer today is offered “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”. With our Lord's departure from this world in view, He said to His disciples:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name…At that day ye shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me…” (John 16:24-27).

Thus today we pray directly to the Father in the name of the Son.

Our prayers, however, are often faltering and sometimes the way is so dark before us that we do not even know what to ask for. Thus Paul declared: “We know not what we should pray for as we ought” (Rom. 8:26). But he was quick to follow this with the declaration:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28.).

This is why the Apostle Paul encourages God's people:

“Be careful [merimnao--anxious-- take thought] for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God:

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (phroureo--to mount guard as a sentinel) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6,7).

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

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Know ye not that we shall judge Angels
By Mike  Szafranski


Something had changed for the Apostle Paul to be able to make this statement. Normally, when we see angels interact with mankind in the Scriptures prior to Paul, angels not only outrank men, but also instructed them as to the Scripture and indeed gave them Scripture. So what happened?

The Greek word for angel is aggelos (ang'-el-os). It is translated in the AV-"angel" 179 times, "messenger" 7 times; 186 in all. Strongs' rightly defines it as "a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God." Some commentators think Paul is here referring to fallen angels, but this is not the case since elect or non-elect angels are not specified in the context like they are in other places. For example I Timothy 5:2I, " I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. "

The Body of Christ now has a position above the elect angels. Colossians 3:1: " If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" Also, Ephesians I:20-22 says: "Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under His feet."

No other economy has been so lifted up as the Body of Christ when it comes to eternal destiny. This will be one of our main occupations in eternity, to co-judge the angels with Christ from His throne. Praise God!

The English word "angel" is used 175 times in the entire New Testament but only 13 times in the Pauline Epistles. This is huge and not merely an argument from silence. Angels in the Kingdom Dispensation normally deliver saints and instruct them in Bible studies, like Daniel, for example, or the Apostle John with the Revelation. But Paul's Epistles do not mention anything about these types of angelic activities as in the Old Testament or even the times after Matthew to the present Age of Grace. Indeed, Paul's only mention of the assistance of an elect angel is Acts 27:23 and there is no deliverance here or sense of hierarchy, but of encouragement and what God will do in His time of need.

All of Paul's revelations, regarding Scripture and the Body of Christ, were received without angelic assistance, directly from the Lord Himself. Galatians I:11-12: "But 1 certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. " This is quite different from the norm in the past, as angels were instrumental in the dispensing of Scripture, as well as the understanding of them. Angels were also used of God to protect Israel in many physical battles of even sustenance by eating angel's food. Psalm 28:25: "Man did eat angel's food" This verse does not mean that manna was what the angels were used to eating, but those angels delivered this food to the nation Israel. This kind of intervention is not even mentioned in Paul's instruction for the Body saints for today. This information would surely have been mentioned in Paul's Epistles for us today.

It may even be pointed out that part of the angelic ministry to Israel was to assist the Jews in their worship of God (1 Kgs. 19:5; Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Dan. 6:22; Mt. 2:13,19; 4:11; 18:10; Lk. 22:43; Acts 5:19; 12:7-10; Heb. 1:14).

The angels observe us (Ecc. 5:6; 1 Cor. 4:9; Eph. 3:1), a fact which should influence conduct. They receive departing saints (Lk. 16:22). Man is made "a little lower than the angels." Ecclesiastes 5:6 says: "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?"

In the Kingdom program, the angels instructed Old Testament saints; today we are instructing them, a direct reversal of ministry.

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UNION WITH CHRIST
PART  1 of  3




Our problem always was a spiritual problem: sin. Jesus didn't just identify with our problem; He became the problem. "He [God] made Him Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The cure was radical. Jesus became sin and joined our old man to Himself. Thus, our old man died with Him. And when our old man died, sin was eradicated from our inmost being. We died to sin.

Jesus didn't just die for us to forgive us. Through our spirit union with Him, He did something in us. He completely solved the sin problem. He took the sin nature out. As Paul said in Romans 6, he who has died is freed from --- cut off, separated from ---- sin. Says who? "I do," God says. "And if you ever catch up with Me, you'll see it."

But if I have died to sin, why am I still tempted to sin? Why do I have this pull within me toward sin? Paul explained that in Romans 7. Though sin has been removed from our deepest inner being, it has not been eradicated from our body, our "members," as Paul put it. So we can still be pulled by the power of sin that dwells in our body, but not in our spirit.

That's why it's so crucial to understand that our old man was crucified with Christ and that we died to sin. We are free from sin. That is a spirit level truth. Because if we live by our soul's thoughts and feelings, we feel sin's temptation and think that's the real us. It feels as if the real us wants to sin, so we conclude there must still be something wrong with the real us.

To put it in theological terms, it feels like we have both an old nature (our old man) and a new nature (our new creation in Christ). Every outward appearance seems to verify that. The only thing that doesn't is what God says is true: "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him ... that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin."

The blood side of the cross labels us FORGIVEN. The body side of the cross labels us THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD (2 Corinthians 1:21). You're the righteousness of God. You're not just forgiven, but perfect and complete. In the unseen and eternal, you are a finished product.

We are: Forgiven  by His Blood

We are: Righteous, Holy, Perfect, Complete By His Body

The old man manifested his nature through us: sins. The new creation in Christ -- the new spirit man, born by God's Spirit in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24) - manifests Christ's nature through us: righteousness. As we learn to live from the truth of what has happened in our  spirit, we will witness externally what God has already made an internal reality. We have been separated through death from the power of sin. We have become the righteousness of God. We have a total victory over sin.

So the first thing we died to when we were crucified with Christ is sin. The second thing we died to is the law. The church drowns in confusion over the issue of the law. It has misunderstood it since the first century. Paul's epistle to the Galatians was written to set the record straight on this issue. But most of the church remains confused.

The Scriptures could not be clearer about this. In exactly the same way that Paul said in Romans 6 that we died to sin, in Romans 7 he said that we died to the law.

[nChrist]

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UNION WITH CHRIST
PART  2 of  3


Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God ... But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the  Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. ( Rom. 7:4,6))

It's not just the ceremonial or civil aspects of the Old Testament law that we have died to.  Many teach that. But after Paul stated that we have died to the law, he immediately provided an example--- straight from the Ten  Commandments: "You shall not covet" (Romans 7:7).

Just as we no longer have any relationship to sin, we no longer have any relationship to the law, including the moral law. Just as sin no longer has any power over us, the law no longer has any power over us. We have died to sin. We have died to the law.

Why did God crucify us to the law? Because although the law is holy and righteous and good (Romans 7:12), it has fulfilled its function in our lives. The law was given that it might reveal sin (Romans 3:20) and lead us to Christ:

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galatians 3:24-25)

Once a person becomes a believer, the law actually hinders the fulfillment of God's purpose for our lives: that He might express His life in and through us. That is because the law by its nature sets a standard which we automatically try in our own effort to live up to. And the moment we do, we are living according to the flesh, from our own self-effort, rather than by faith, trusting Christ's life in us. That is exactly what Paul chastised the Galatians about:

You foolish Galatians! ... Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3)

God had to crucify us to the law, because as long as we were married to it (Romans 7:1-3) we were obligated to try (and fail) to keep it on our own. Having been crucified to it, we are free to allow Christ in us to naturally express His life through us. It is not us trying. It is us resting in Him as He produces His righteous fruit.

The third thing we died to on the cross is ourselves as our point of reference. Paul testified in Galatians 2:20:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

It's impossible for a person to know their union with Christ, and live out of that union, if they don't know that they have died with Christ. If I think that the old me is still alive, I am still my point of reference. If I am still my point of reference, I am still trying to correct me, straighten me up, make something out of me, or do something to change me. As long as my emphasis is upon me, it can't be upon Christ in me. So I'm a divided person.

Oh, I can still live in the Romans 7 trap --- what I want to do I don't do; what I don't want to do I do --- but I've had enough of that, haven't you? I Want to be out of that. What Paul tells us in Romans 6 and 2 Corinthians 5 is that we really are out of that.

[nChrist]

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UNION WITH CHRIST
PART  3 of  3



When Paul poses the question, "Shall we continue in sin just to prove the reality of grace?" he concludes, "People who go on living like that don't really know they died in Christ." In other words, their point of reference hasn't been changed. Their point of reference is still themselves, and they think they are no good and want to sin. Consequently, they are excited about all of this grace of God that they can keep drawing on. Paul would say, "Yes, you can keep on drawing on the grace of God for everything you ever do, for every sin you ever commit. But WHY? Why not instead draw on the LIFE of God?"

A friend of mine once said to me, "You know, until I really knew that I had been crucified with Christ, there was no way for me to get rid of me. Because I was still alive to me." It's so true. Until we know we've died, we're never going to be free of ourselves, and we will never experience union. We will still be a problem to ourselves. The spotlight will still be on us. That's where most Christians are living their life: "I've got to produce for God."

Until the full work of the cross --- our death and resurrection with Christ --- becomes a reality to us, we will try to produce something that's not required of us. Our focus will still be on us, instead of Christ in us. And we will neglect to be involved in the glorious activity of God as He lives out through us for others. We participate in God's life when we see that we died to ourselves as our point of reference. Christ in us is now our point of reference in all things.

Everything necessary for living the Christian life is provided in the cross, completely and properly understood. It's all in the cross. God hasn't omitted one thing from the cross that is necessary for us to allow Him to live His life through us.

We must experientially know both sides of the cross: Christ died for us (the blood) and we died and were raised with Him (the body). In the next chapter, we will look at the "raised with Him" part. For now, it's absolutely fundamental to know that you died with Christ. You cannot know your union until God has shown you that the old you died. When you died, you died to sin. You died to the law. You died to yourself as your point of reference. As far as being an impediment to God, you are out of the way. The old you is not a factor anymore.

It's a great victory to move into the reality of who you are in Christ. You have the privilege of seeing yourself the way He sees you. Your entire point of reference is now Christ who lives in you. You and He are one. He lives His life through you.

We can continue to say, "That can't really mean me, because here I am and I know me. I know I'm not dead." Then we'll never know union. We'll never know Christ as our life. We may understand the concept of our death, but not truly know the truth of it in our inner being.

If your death with Christ hasn't become an experiential reality to you yet, I encourage you to ask the Father to make it a reality: "Lord, I want to know. I want to know and experience the truth that I died with Christ. Reveal that to me and make it real in my life." He will.

[nChrist]

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An Easter Exhortation

The Word of God for today says that we believers have been bought out of the sphere of satanic darkness and transferred into the sphere of light and eternal life in the Lord.

The universal truth in the Bible is that the wages of sin is death. The purpose of the sinless Person of Jesus Christ's death on the Cross was to pay the penalty for the sin that separated the human race from God the Father.

We Christians, to whom God has given faith, should never forget that Jesus Christ paid the death penalty that was against us--He died for our sin, and as a consequence, we have been forgiven and have eternal life!

Indeed, Jesus Christ has purchased us out of the satanic sphere of sin and death. Apart from this death on Calvary's Cross, we would still be spiritually on death row!

All that we are and all that we have, we have because of Him! The least we can do is make ourselves and all that He has given to us available to Him. Please join with us in teaching His Word for today-the Gospel of Grace!
E.R.Campbell


GRACE AS A DOCTRINE

Sometimes as I've traveled, people have said to me, "Our church is focusing on grace this year." When I'm told that, I can't help but find myself thinking, "What did you focus on last year? What will you focus on next year?" I've even heard some say that grace is a very important doctrine and how important it is that we understand it.

These kinds of statements sound good on the surface, but they completely miss the point of grace. Grace is not an important doctrine. In fact, grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ, He is Grace personified. When we talk about grace, we're talking about Him.

Grace is the essence of our very lives in Christ. Grace is the foundation of who God the Father is to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. To say that grace is an important doctrine puts it in a categorical list of other doctrines, which undermines its value and meaning. Grace is not to be put in a list of doctrinal teachings. It is the fountainhead from which every doctrine of the Bible flows.

To suggest that grace is an important doctrine is like saying that breathing is an important part of my life. That would be an understatement of ridiculous proportions. Breathing is not an important part of my life. When Paul said, "For me to live is Christ," he might as well have said, "For me to live is grace." They are the same. John said that Jesus came "full of grace." (See John 1:14) It's who He is.

Yes, grace is as much a part of our lives as is breathing. It is the core and essence of the gospel. In Acts 20:24, Paul showed that grace is the gospel. "I do not consider my life of any account, as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." Note how the gospel is inseparably joined to grace here.

The word gospel means "hilariously good news." What is this good news that Paul said he had been entrusted to share with those around him? It was the good news of the grace of God. Once we wander away from grace in what we proclaim, we've left the gospel. We might be telling the truth, but we've left the gospel. We might be helping people to some degree, but we've left the gospel. The gospel is the message of grace. It's the only thing that has the power to transform lives. Paul described it as "the power of God unto salvation."

Let's not think we flatter grace when we call it an important doctrine. It's more than that. It's everything.
Steve McVey

[nChrist]

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"Blessed Assurances"
Part 1 of  2

The Blessings of Romans 5 -
by Dennis Kiszonas


A famous old pastor in Chicago came to the end of his life. He had preached the grace of God for decades to a large congregation and an even larger radio audience. On his death bed, in the last moments of his life, he recited from memory a passage of scripture which spoke of the assurances that he enjoyed as he faced the near end of his earthly life. The passage? Romans 5: 1-11.

In Romans 5 God tells us of a set of blessings that are basic to the Christian life. Here is a great chapter to study, and blessings that we need to understand and apply in our lives, and a great chapter to memorize so that we can recall these vital truths whenever we need them, whether in the midst of life or at the time of death.

Rom 5:1-11

   1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2. through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God

3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Let's study this passage thought by thought.

Romans 5: 1 - "Therefore, having been justified by faith, ... " The chapter begins with Paul looking back over his shoulder to the things which he explained in Romans 3 and 4. If we're reading thru Romans as we get to chapter five, we've already read, "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," Romans 3:24.

To be 'justified' means to be declared 'righteous' in the sight of God the Judge. Not only are we forgiven for all of our sins (Col. 2:13), but we are actually declared by God to be righteous in Christ--all that God expected and demanded and required of us is now credited to us, so now He can bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3). How could God do this for sinful people?

Remember again Romans 3:24, "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." 'Justified freely,' that means 'without a cause in ourselves.' Its not because we're so good or righteous, in fact God says "there is none righteous no not one" Romans 3:10, but now, without a cause or reason in ourselves, God has declared us righteous in his sight "by His grace thru the redemption that is in Christ Jesus! "

Because of what the Lord Jesus did for us at the cross when He took the blame and accepted the guilt of our sins and made the full payment for them all by dying for us, now God says, "Don't look for a cause in yourself, but by My overflowing grace I consider you to be righteous in my sight and will treat you as a righteous person forever."

What did we have to do to receive this amazing righteousness? "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. " Romans 4:5.

We have to do nothing -- it's to him who does not work! --stop even trying to save ourselves and let Him save us by His grace thru the redemption/payment that is in Christ. On the cross the Lord did all the work that was required by God for Him to be able to save any person who puts his faith, trust, reliance in the Lord as his Savior.

So our passage in Romans 5 begins with this backward glance to the previous chapters in the letter and sums them up with this opening phrase: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, ... " Paul is saying, now that we have settled this matter of salvation by the grace of God thru faith, now let's go on to see what the results of that salvation are.