GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
PART 1 of  4
By Gregg Bing


How would you feel if you knew when you would die? And you knew for your whole life. You even knew how you would die a slow painful death at the hands of cruel men. And you knew that you would have to face it all alone forsaken by all those you held dear in life. How would you feel? This is what Jesus Christ experienced in His life on this earth. This was the passion of the Christ.

The word passion is used in the King James version of Acts 1:3: To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs.” It comes from the Greek word pascho which means to be affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo (Strong's Enhanced Lexicon). In the Greek, the word can be used in a good sense, but in the New Testament it is almost always used in a bad sense, of one's sufferings, in particular the sufferings of Christ (cf. Matt. 16:21, Acts 3:18, 1 Pet. 3:18.). The passion of the Christ speaks of the sufferings that Jesus experienced in His life on earth, especially the sufferings connected with His death on Calvary. How did these sufferings affect Jesus' life? How did He feel?

The recent movie by Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ,” seeks to allow viewers a more vivid look at what Jesus' sufferings were like. There are several problems with a movie such as this. For instance, there are several scenes in the movie that have no Scriptural basis. They are, instead, based on extra-Biblical material or are inserted under the guise of artistic license.” Another problem is that the filmmaker's own religious slant is often evident. In Gibson's case, there are many things in the movie that reflect his Catholic beliefs, especially the great emphasis put upon Jesus' mother, Mary. Finally, in the case of this movie, there is a great deal of graphic violence included. While it may have been an accurate portrayal of the physical sufferings Jesus went through, it tends to downplay the fact that not all of Jesus' sufferings were physical in nature.

Physical Sufferings

There is no question that Jesus suffered extreme levels of pain and physical suffering. The Romans were very cruel in their treatment of others. Crucifixion, the form of capital punishment used by the Romans, was a most horrible way to die. It was a slow, excruciating death that lasted as long as nine days in some cases (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, page 265). It was considered a curse by the Jews (Deut. 21:23).

Jesus suffered in many different ways physically. He was exhausted from lack of sleep, being awake all night prior to His crucifixion. He was scourged with a whip which left many stripes on His back (Matt. 27:25 with 1 Pet. 2:24). He had a crown of thorns pushed down upon His head (Matt. 27:29). He was beaten on the head with a reed (rod) (Matt. 27:30). He was forced to carry His own cross through the streets of Jerusalem (John 19:17) until He was unable to continue and had to be relieved by Simon of Cyrene (Matt. 27:32). His hands and feet were pierced as He was nailed to the cross (Psalm 22:16, John 20:25). He hung on the cross for over six hours (Mark 15:25 with Luke 23:44).

As terrible as all this was, the passion of the Christ involved more.

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THANKSGIVING
by C. R. Stam



God's verdict upon the pagan world is that "they are without excuse, because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful..." (Rom. 1:20,21).

The Psalmist, on the other hand, declares:

         "IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH:

         "TO SHOW FORTH THY LOVING KINDNESS IN THE MORNING.AND THY FAITHFULNESS EVERY NIGHT" (Psa. 92:1,2).

         Believers today have even more to be thankful for than did the Psalmist, for we can rejoice in what God has done for us through Christ and His redeeming work. Thus Paul, by divine inspiration, speaks of...

         "GIVING THANKS UNTO THE FATHER, WHO HATH MADE US MEET [FIT] TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS IN LIGHT:

         "WHO HATH DELIVERED US FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS,AND HATH TRANSLATED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON" (Col. 1:12,13).

It is because of this "deliverance" that the humblest believer can cry with Paul: "Thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ!" (II Cor. 2:14) and "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (I Cor. 15:57). How appropriate, then, are the following exhortations:

         "In everything give thanks" (I Thes. 5:18.) and "By [Christ], therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise... giving thanks to His name" (Heb. 13:15).

         "For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God" (II Cor. 4:15).

Most of all, "THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT," our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! (II Cor. 9:15).

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FOCUS ON YOUR NEW IDENTITY
By  Bob Bobber




Romans 6:11 - We need to be focusing on our new identity. Where do you reckon? In your mind. Take an inventory of the facts, to count it up and consider all of the facts and then to come to an appropriate conclusion based upon those facts. Paul is going to great lengths here in Romans Chapter 6 to make his case, that people who fail to conduct themselves properly, fail to understand properly.

That is Paul’s point here in Verse 11, he places the emphasis when it comes to grace behavior on helping us to perceive ourselves in the new identity that is our right now, being IN Jesus Christ. Paul wants us to see ourselves as God already sees us. We need to be focusing on our new identity.

You have to know something, to count up the facts before you can come to an appropriate conclusion based upon what you know to be true. That is why knowledge is absolutely essential. If you have drawn an improper conclusion, Paul would say it is because you have failed to properly consider all of the facts.

Anyone who teaches that God accepts you or blesses you on the basis of how well you dress up the old man up in Christian clothing, or on how well you make the old man perform, that person fails to properly understand that the old man no longer exists in the eyes of God. They spend all of their time trying to perfect the old man.

Reckon ourselves to be now and forevermore alive unto God, we cannot lose it. Behavior did not put us there, behavior cannot take us out of there. Christ will never again have to die for our sins and likewise, we can count on the fact that we will never die for our sins. When Paul tells us to put on the new man, he is not asking us to dress up the old man, he is simply asking us to recognize that the old man no longer exists in the eyes of God. See yourselves as God sees you.

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JUDGMENT IN THE KINGDOM CHURCH
By the late Pastor Bob Hanna



Scripture Reading: Acts 5: I-II

We who are saved and are living in the age of the dispensation of the grace of God---we who are sons and heirs of God, secure and heaven-bound---can hardly conceive the magnitude of our liberty and blessings. As members of the Church which is the Body of Christ we will never experience those things identified with the kingdom church. But we are shown a foretaste of the form of judgment to be rendered in the Messianic kingdom---swift and sure, irreversible and final.

Ananias and Sapphira desired the best of two worlds, to "have their cake and eat it." Peter's declaration that, "Thou conceived this thing in thine heart" leaves no doubt that the offense was a deliberately planned plot to become respected and admired for their philanthropy while partaking of the apparently idyllic way of life enjoyed by the communal church.

The temptation of material gain is the undoing of many a mortal soul. But in the case of these two deceivers it brought on a dramatic demonstration of kingdom judgment, which deals neither with hesitation or indecision. Ananias and Sapphira were guilty of sin and were therefore immediately punished for commission of that sin.

You and I, as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, are not under this economy of kingdom judgment but under grace. Kingdom judgment is according to prophecy: "And He shall rule them with a rod of iron ..." (Revelation 19:15.) But our church "was kept secret since the world began" (Rom. 16:25).

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THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
By the late Pastor Bob Hanna


The Holy Spirit of God has influenced lives in every dispensation, but not always in the same way. A great number of students of Scripture consider the Holy Spirit's appearance at Pentecost and His effect on those present on that occasion to be the beginning of a continuous influence, even to this present day. Such, however, is not the case.

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared in fulfillment of prophecy - a promise made by Jesus Christ to His apostles. When He was preparing to ascend to heaven, He told them, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8.). He had already said to them, Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts 1:5). Thus there was to be a twofold action: empowerment, and baptism. The promise of His coming as made by the Lord when the apostles were assembled at passover: "I will pray to the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever" (John 14:16).

These conditions were exclusively related to Israel. "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind ... and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them" (Acts 2:1-3). They were filled with the Holy Ghost, they spoke in other (unknown) tongues.

In this present dispensation our relationship to the Holy Spirit is entirely different. The apostle Paul explains, "That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed (or, upon believing), ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1: 12,13). "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you" (I Corinthians 6:19)? "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free" (I Corinthians 12:13).

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STAND WHERE YOU ARE!
By Miles Stanford


"God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us ... hath made us alive together with Christ ... and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:4-6).

Believers are not occupying their position! At best, most are trying to attain a victorious position by means of prayer, Bible study, commitment, reconsecration, surrender, and so forth. But the answer is simply to abide where we have already been placed --- in our risen Lord Jesus Christ. Abide above, and keep looking down!

"Our Father has taken us over Jordan and placed us in Canaan, but the reality of it is never known until by faith we accept the fact on the basis of having died with Christ, and that therefore heaven is our place, and we know it to be our place now; and that this side is not our place, and we know that it is not.

"The more we abide in the Lord on the other side, the less disappointed we will be here, for when we are there we import new joys and new hopes into this old world, from an entirely new one, and we therefore in every way surpass the inhabitants of this lost world." --- J.B.S.

"You must abide in Christ in heaven before you can descend with heavenly ability to act for Him down here. The great secret of all blessing is to come from the Lord. Most Christians go to Him."

"Christian experience is our measure of apprehension of that which is already true of us in the Lord Jesus Christ." - A.J.

"Stand fast in the Lord" (Phil. 4:1).

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Our Only Boast
by Pastor C.R. Stam




 “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Gal. 6:14).



St. Paul was once a proud Pharisee, smug in his self-righteousness. In Philippians 3:5,6, he lists some of the things in which he took great pride:

“Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel,of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

But everything was changed since that day when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Suddenly he had seen himself a lost, condemned sinner in the sight of a holy God and had tasted the matchless grace that could reach down from heaven and save even him. He knew now that he could not stand before God in himself, or “on his own two feet,” as we say. His only safety before the bar of God was to take refuge in Christ,as he says in Verse 9:

“And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

Now he knew, as we all should know, that he really had nothing to boast of as far as his own standing before God was concerned. For the rest of his life, however, he did constantly boast of one thing: the cross,where the Christ he had so bitterly persecuted had died for his sins that he (Paul) might be justified before God. All else of which Paul boasted was embraced in the cross of Christ. This too is really the only thing we have to boast of and the most godly saint will enthusiastically join Paul in saying:

“BUT GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD GLORY, SAVE IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM THE WORLD IS CRUCIFIED UNTO ME, AND UNTO THE WORLD.”

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SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY
By Miles Stanford





"That you may be filled with a clear knowledge of His will accompanied by thorough wisdom and discernment in spiritual things" (Col. 1:9, Wey.).

Service does not come first; neither does life! The proper sequence for the believer is death to the old, from which emerges newness of life and fruitful service.

"It is a sad thing when service interferes with soul-prosperity. It is possible to be so engrossed with service that one's meditations are colored by it, one's prayers are full of it, and the Word of God becomes simply a quarry out of which material for sermons can be dug up. This is a serious loss to the soul and many are thereby hindered from making spiritual progress.

"Very often new believers who have not even peace with God are encouraged to take up service, and they become so occupied with what they are doing that they are not at leisure to learn or to take their place in the favor of the Father. Hence, so long as the service prospers, and they get on pretty well with it, they are happy. The service is their life! But when there is no success, and the whole thing seems to be a failure, their joy collapses. They have to discover how little they have really got, and in many cases to find that they are perfect strangers to the liberty and joy of acceptance." -CA.C.

"There must be a profound and genuine experience of Divine things; a cultivation of the highest possibilities of godliness if the witness is to be really effective and fruitful. There must be a man behind the message - a saint behind the service. There must be the nameless effectiveness that comes from true fellowship with the Father." -A.T.P.

"So that your lives may be worthy of the Lord and perfectly pleasing to Him while you manifest the results of right action of every sort and grow into a fuller knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10, Wey.).

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INDWELT TO BE FILLED
By Miles Stanford

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Rom. 8:9).



The believer knows that he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit on the testimony of the written Word; others know when the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit by the growing manifestation of the Living Word.

"There are believers who need the reminder that deeper than mind and feeling and will, deeper than the soul, where these have their seat, in the depths of the renewed spirit, there comes, at re-birth, the Holy Spirit to dwell forever. His indwelling is there, first of all, and all through, to be recognized by faith. Even when I cannot see the least evidence of His working, I am quietly and reverently to believe that He dwells in me. In that faith I am restfully and trustfully to count upon His working, and to wait for it. In that faith I must very distinctly deny my own wisdom and strength, and in childlike self-abnegation depend upon Him to work.

"His first workings may be so feeble and hidden that I can hardly recognize them as coming from Him; they may appear to be nothing more than the voice of conscience, or the familiar sound of some Bible truth. Here is the time for faith to hold fast the Master's promise and the Father's gift, and to trust that the Holy Spirit is within and will guide. Out of the hidden depths His power will move and take possession of mind and will, and the indwelling in the hidden recesses of the spirit will grow into a being filled with His fullness." - A.M.

"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. 8:9).

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A BOND SLAVE OF JESUS CHRIST
by Russell S. Miller

          In Paul's epistles he always opens with his name and, in most instances the phrase, "an apostle of Jesus Christ." But in his epistle to Titus, he opens with the declaration:

 "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness" (Titus 1:1).

Saul, as he was also known, commissioned with authority from the chief priests, was anything but godly in his persecution of Messiah's followers. But suddenly, on the road to Damascus, in Acts 9, the Lord stopped him in his tracks:

 "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? ..." (Acts 9:4-6).

 When the Lord appeared to Paul, at Damascus, he was most acutely aware of how wrong he had been, and of how ungodly his life had been without Christ, and it greatly humbled him. Years later this once proud Pharisee wrote that it was only God's grace that had made him the man of God he had become--"an apostle" and the devoted "servant of Jesus Christ" in ministering "the gospel of God" to the Gentiles (Rom.1:1-5). In Ephesians 3:7 he further tells us that he was "made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, given unto me by the effectual working of His power.


 "Unto me, who am LESS than the LEAST of all saints, is this GRACE given, that I should PREACH among the Gentiles THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST" (Eph. 3:7,8.).

 In our text the word "servant," doulos in the Greek and rendered "bondman" in Textus Receptus, refers to one who serves. Paul was now the willing "servant" of Jesus Christ. Thus he exhorts believers not to be blinded by the devil's lies, "For we preach not ourselves, but CHRIST JESUS THE LORD; and ourselves your SERVANTS for Jesus' sake" (II Cor. 4:5). And because Paul was a faithful "bond slave" of Jesus Christ, he wrote Timothy:

"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (II Tim. 4:17,18.).

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Seated In Heaven
by Pastor C. R. Stam




God sees every believer in Christ as already in heaven. See what the Bible says about this:


“BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US,

“EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, HATH QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED),

“AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS:

“THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS” (Eph. 2:4-7).

Most sincere believers, poorly taught in the Word, are concerned about getting to heaven, but as far as God is concerned they are already there.They have been “made accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). God has given them a position “in Christ.”


We are well aware that most of God’s people know little about this experientially, but God says that as far as He is concerned, they are already in heaven, and this is what matters. As Christ took our place on Calvary’s cross, God now sees us in Christ, at His own right hand,the place of favor and honor. This is why the Apostle Paul says to believers in Christ:

“IF YE THEN BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

“SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH.

“FOR YE ARE DEAD, AND YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD” (Col. 3:1-3).

And all this by the free grace of God:

“WHO HATH SAVED US, AND CALLED US WITH AN HOLY CALLING, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE, WHICH WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN” (II Tim. 1:9).

Our hearts go out to those of our readers who have not yet received this“gift of the grace of God.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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THE JOY OF FAITH
By Miles Stanford




"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Pet. 1:8.).

Although both faith and joy are included in 'the fruit of the Spirit,' joy can only flourish upon the foundation of faith. When faith is present and active, favorable circumstances are not necessary for joy; trials and tribulations cannot daunt it.

"There are some Christians who seem to be afraid of enjoying all the rays of the Son of Righteousness. They are afraid of being too happy. Perhaps some of us have not really considered that 'joy' is itself a part of that fruit by which the Father is glorified. There is nothing to be gained by despondency. Doubts are not marks of humility; unbelief is really evidence of pride. And there is no cloud that so effectively shuts out the glad sunshine of our gracious Father's face as the thick cloud of unbelief."---E.H.

"Although as to His circumstances the Lord Jesus was the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, yet He had a joy always before His eyes. But we never find Him rejoicing in anything but the will of His Father. 'I delight to do Thy will' was His true testimony. So may we 'rejoice in the Lord' though all is dark around, with the joy of faith that sees the unseen and looks beyond the present and temporal to the eternal." ---G.G.

"The Old Testament believer had joy for God's gifts to him. God's power made things here contribute to him. But the Christian's joy is in heaven and springs from what the Father is to him there. He demands nothing from this world, but in the life of the Lord Jesus he contributes to it, of the grace that nourishes and comforts him outside it." -J.B.S.

"Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, 0 Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. In thy Name shall they rejoice all the day" (Ps. 89:15,16).

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POINTS TO PONDER

The Prophetic Questions

Pastor Finley Hunter

When the Lord Jesus, on the Mount of Olives, answered the threefold prophetic question by His disciples in Matthew 24:3, some of the answers will involve the future 144,000.

Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?


The questions were:
1. "When shall these things be?"
2. "What shall be the sign of Thy coming?"
3. "And of the end of the age"

Certain phrases both in the narrative and in the prophecy itself pinpoint the time of fulfillment, e.g.:

"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (24:21).

and,

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken" (24:29).

This passage or its salient features appear in no less than seven Old Testament prophecies and identifys it with the Day of the LORD, i.e., the actual Second Coming of Christ (Joel 2:10,30,31).

Since the Twelve Apostles have passed away, and Christ has not yet returned, it is the future 144,000 (i.e., 12,000 X 12) apostles or evangelists that will complete the great commission, preaching the "Gospel of the Kingdom" (24:14).

Using Matthew 24:14 as a cross reference, the reader will be rewarded to notice Matthew 10:22:

"And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. "

Then, observe well verse 23:

"But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye to another: for verily, I say unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come. "

There is no doubt about this verse referring to the actual Second Coming of Christ. Therefore, it is the 144,000 Jewish Apostles about whom these verses are speaking (Revelation chapters 7 and 14).

The Scofield Bible notes on this passage, "The scope of verses 16-23 reaches beyond the personal ministry of the twelve .....verse 23 has in view the preaching of the remnant ... in the tribulation.....    and immediately preceding the return of Christ in glory.

The student must rightly divide the dispensations, the messages and the messengers to understand the passages cited.

So ... in the Dispensation of the Tribulation (not the Apostolic Age), the 144,000 (not the 12 disciples) preach the Gospel of the Kingdom (not the Gospel of the Grace of God), just before the Second Coming of Christ (not the Rapture of the Church).

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Are You Secure?
Part 1 of 4
By PAUL SADLER


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

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

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

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

HOPE FOR THOSE IN DESPAIR

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

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

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

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

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

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

[nChrist]

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Are You Secure?
Part 2 of 4
By PAUL SADLER



SALVATION

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

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

HOLDING FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE

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

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

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

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

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