GRACE AND THE TRUTH - DAILY INSPIRATION

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THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD
By H. Steinbron


Scripture Reading: II Timothy 3: 16·17

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God".... It is so good to have this clear and absolute statement of what every redeemed one knows, namely, that we have all the Scripture, and all of the Scripture is breathed out to us from the creative breath of God. We must never come under the influence of any unbeliever who casts doubt upon the extent, content, or origin of the Holy Scriptures.

True believers do not corrupt the Word of God because they know God has given His Word by inspiration.  This word "inspiration" means that God controlled the human writer of Scripture in such a way that the WORDS were put down exactly as God wanted man to have them. These inspired words are therefore infallible and inerrant, which is another way of saying that they are perfect and have no errors connected with them whatsoever. The Bible may deal with numbers, history, science, chronology, the knowledge of God, or man's salvation; and we should be sure that there is no mistake in the words.

True believers reverence the Word of God for many reasons. (1) "...man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). (2) The Bible is the RECORD that God gave concerning His Son (I John 5:9-11). (3) God has magnified His Word above all His name (Psalm 138:2).

True believers should be taught that the Word cannot be lost or changed. Listen to the testimony of I Peter 1:25. " ... the Word of the Lord endureth for ever." Is this Word in heaven or some far away place where man cannot get all of the Scripture? No, it is "the Word" which is preached unto you! The inspired Word of God!

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"WHEREIN IS EXCESS"
By Pastor Bob Hanna




Many denominational churches teach that to let so much as a drop of alcoholic beverage pass one's lips constitutes a mortal sin. This is not found in Scripture. Christ's first recorded miracle refutes this teaching. Jesus and his disciples were invited to attend a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Those in the wedding party desired wine, and Jesus obliged. "And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And He saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine ... " (John 2:6-9).

The apostle Paul advised, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess" (Ephesians 5:18.). He didn't say, "Don't drink wine". He simply warned against over indulgence. When enumerating the qualifications of church officials, Paul said that they should be "not given to much wine" (l Timothy 3:8.). "Of the elder women as wives and mothers, he wrote the same advice - that they be "not given to much wine" (Titus 2:3). Crediting wine with medicinal properties, Paul recommended to Timothy, "Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities" (l Timothy 5:23).

Throughout Biblical history, wine was a customary beverage. Wine and strong drink were not disapproved as such; It was their abusive use that was unacceptable. Wine was used in celebrations, taken as medicinal potion, made part of ceremonial occasions and imbibed socially. We are cautioned to "abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thessalonians 5:22). Because so many believers are sincerely convinced that any consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden, we may be well advised not to partake, observing the principle set forth by the apostle: 'Wherefore, if meat (or wine) make my brother to offend, I will eat (drink) no flesh (wine) while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend" (I Corinthians 8:13).

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APPRECIATION, NOT DEPRECIATION
By Miles Stanford


"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly"


As believers we rejoice in the fact that the Lord Jesus died for us, but few are affected by the fact that He arose for us. Fewer still realize that we died and arose with Him. Learn the facts! There will be continual struggle and failure until we gain adequate understanding of the liberating truth.

"The Lord Jesus on the Cross removed the barriers which separated me from God - my guilt, my sin, the law; and He dealt with my enemies - the world, the flesh, the devil. These six things were dealt with, so that we need no longer be in bondage through fear and that we may come boldly to the throne of grace.

"Have we given a hearty assent to these things which the Lord Jesus did for us? Or have we, as we read the Word, drifted by them, taking it all for granted? Let us lay hold of that for which God has laid hold of us. Let us gird up the loins of our mind and consent to that which He did for us. Let us enter into all that which being united to Christ as our Life means. Let us rejoice in all that was accomplished for us on Calvary." - L.L.L.

"It is necessary that the truth conferred by grace should be known as a possession and the virtue of it apprehended, before there can be any walk in keeping with it. For if there be ignorance or misapprehension, the truer the conscience, the more defective is the practice." - J.B.S.

"Set your affection on things above" (Col. 3:2)

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THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD AND DEATH
By Paul Hume



Scripture Reading: James 4:13-17; Psa.31:15; Job 14:5

"The clock of life is wound but once,
And no one has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour."

When will I die? When will you die? No one has answer to these questions because our blessed, all-wise, sovereign Lord, who is "the God of the spirits of all flesh" (Num. 16:.22; Heb. 12:9), holds the number of our very months and days, as well as years, in His power. We are not born of mere natural accident--even though many are born out of wedlock and the like. We are born to fit into the purposes of God. Our time of birth as well as I time of our death is in His counsels. Little wonder the devout Psalmist could state, "My times are in thy hand" (Psa. 31:15).

Therefore, how pointed is the inspired advice James: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we  are going to such and such a city and stay a year, go into, business and make money,' although you do not have the slightest knowledge of tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? It is really nothing but a mist which appears for a little while and then disappears. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord is willing, we shall live and do this or that.'  But, as it is, you boast of your proud pretensions. All such boasting is wicked" (William Trans.).

"Unto God the Lord," declared the Psalmist, "belong the issues from death" (68:20). Since HE "giveth and taketh away" (Job 1:21), what can we do but live in holy, submission to His will, and live a day at a time, seeking to be wise, "redeeming the time" for "the time is short" (Eph. 5:15,16, 1 Cor. 7:29)? Are YOU ready should the Lord be pleased to remove YOU by way of death TODAY?

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THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT ... IS JOY
By IVAN L. BURGENER, Pastor

Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:22

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

"Joy" is the second of these nine manifestations of the "fruit of the spirit." These are to be virtues characteristic of the believer's life. These are "fruit" of the spirit, but of what "spirit"? Perhaps your translation seems to indicate God's "Holy Spirit" is meant because of the capitalized "S." But many translations, including the 1611 Edition of the King James Version, had no such capital here. And since the Greek language offers no help by any such rules of capitalization, we are left to the internal evidence of the text and the context to determine just what "spirit" is meant.

Help is not far to seek if we notice that the "fruit of the spirit" is in sharp contrast with the "works of the flesh" mentioned in verse 19 above. These sixteen listed works are just the start of a seemingly endless list of manifestations of the flesh, that is the "old Adamic nature." Paul cannot say of these, "against such there is no law"! The Law of Moses clearly condemned them all in its ministry of pointing out sin for what it really was. No wonder "the law was not made for a righteous man .. ,"

Our text clearly contrasts the old and new natures and calls them by the names "flesh" and "spirit" respectively. And while the law clearly condemned the "works of the flesh, that same law had nothing to say about the "fruit of the spirit" or the new nature in which the Galatian believers were to "walk." Thus will joy be one of the spiritual virtues filling our lives as we walk manifesting our new natures, being subject to God and His Word!

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DEATH AND RESURRECTION
PART 1 OF 2
By Ike T. Sidebottom



Genesis, the book of beginnings, introduces us to God’s revealed truth concerning this timely subject. The book opens with the divine record of the living man, Adam, in “the garden of Eden,” and it closes with a dead man, Joseph, in “a coffin in Egypt.”

Adam was placed in “the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:15-17).

“He did eat” (Genesis 3:6). But death did not claim fallen Adam immediately. He “lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: and the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: and all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died” (Genesis 5:3-5).

This same short clause, “and he died,” can be written after the names of all the sons of Adam who have made their departure from this life, except two. Enoch, “the seventh from Adam” (Jude 14), “walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). And “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11).

Across the ages, death has claimed it’s toll from all peoples. Regardless of race, color, or nationality, whether they are men of high estate or of low estate; learned or unlearned, rich or poor, all are subject to the call of death at any moment. The reason for this is, that by one man, Adam, “sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). This explains why the book of beginnings closes with a man in a coffin. However, we must remember that Joseph, the man in the coffin did not go down into death without hope of living again in his resurrection body.

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DEATH AND RESURRECTION
PART 2 OF 2
By Ike T. Sidebottom



When death overtook Joseph in the land of Egypt, his thoughts and his hopes were set upon another land. It was the land which God had sworn to his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is why his parting words unto his brethren are so significant. He said unto them: “I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my bones from hence” (Genesis 50:24-25). He did not say ye shall carry up me, that is, the person that I am, from hence. Joseph, himself, had been gathered with his people at death, the same as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been gathered unto their people (Genesis 25:8; 35:29; and 49:33). Therefore his request pertained only to his “bones,” the remains of the earthly house in which he had lived, and which was to be resurrected and live again in “the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” We also have positive truth that all of God’s children who have preceded us in death shall be raised to life again.

It was the psalmist who said, “I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness” (Psalms 17:15).

The prophet said, “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise” (Isaiah 26:19).

Daniel was used of the Holy Spirit to enlighten us concerning the time, as well as the fact, of the resurrection of the righteous. He said: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standest for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:1-3).

Jesus, in His conversation with Mary concerning the death of her brother Lazarus, said, “Thy brother shall rise again ... he that believeth on Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:23, 25).

The apostle Paul stood before the Roman authorities and testified concerning his belief in resurrection life. He said, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:14-16).

Later the apostle was moved upon to write again, as an able minister of the New Testament, saying, “Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection Of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: Whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

Even these few scriptures, quoted above, are sufficient to prove the reality of death; and that we are, indeed, in the land of the dying. These references also confirm our hope in the resurrection of dead bodies of the saints of all ages.

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PAUL'S SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE
An Overview of Philippians 3
by Dr. E. R. Campbell



It is my desire that all of us believers might be identified with the message that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to and through the apostle Paul, and how it controlled his thinking and living, I begin this by quoting from my literal and conservative translation of Philippians.

vv.12-14 "Not that I have already obtained or already have been made perfect, but I pursue, if also I may lay hold upon that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not count myself to have laid hold, but one thing, on the one hand forgetting the things behind, and on the other hand reaching out unto the things before, I pursue the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

The apostle Paul never claimed that he had reached the spiritual status unto which end the Lord had laid hold of him. On the one hand, Paul and all those who believe that Jesus Christ died for their sin, are counted sinless and righteous in Christ Jesus for good works, which God previously prepared, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

In the context surrounding the preceding verses, we need to identify with Paul in that which is all-important: the pursuing of "the surpassing knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord" (Phil. 3:8.). We need with Paul to be found having "the righteousness that is through the faithfulness of Christ" (Phil 3:9). We need to also be reaching out "unto the end to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:10).

In the third paragraph above, I have explained how God changes a sinner into one fit to serve Him. Also, in the light of what is said in this portion of Philippians, I indicated that salvation by grace should result in our living according to the good works prepared by God. The Pauline Epistles certainly make it dear, while the Apostle was focusing on the future, he was preparing for the reward which would accrue to his account (2 Cor. 5:9-10; 1 Thess.1 :9-10).

After bathing my mind in Philippians 3:5-21, I have concluded that the apostle Paul is sharing with us an overview of his spiritual pilgrimage, beginning with his deliverance from the Law, and ending with the acquisition of a body of the same form as Jesus Christ's glorious body (Phil. 3:21).

I want you to observe an important aspect of Paul's spiritual pilgrimage with which we all can identify. He says, "but one thing," then proceeds to mention the focus of his ministry, what he concentrated on. He says that, on the one hand, he was "forgetting the things behind." The Greek word translated forgetting is a present participial and means that Paul continually forgot and obliterated his past blasphemous conduct from his mind, for he had received mercy and forgiveness because he did it when he was an ignorant unbeliever (1 Tim. 1:13). We should identify with Paul in not doting on things we did in ignorant unbelief.

It is interesting that the Apostle links together the negative forgetting and the positive reaching out as one thing. Negative doting on the unalterable past has the potential to have a deleterious effect on our minds. Apparently, the apostle Paul is looking at it as that which stymies spiritual growth, maturity, and progress.

Summarizing we all need to be more closely identified with Paul in his intimate relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. He wanted to know experientially the power involved in His resurrection; he wanted, in a deeper sense, to feel His sufferings leading to the Cross; also, he wanted to be progressively molded and conformed to the death of Christ.

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THE RICHES OF GOD'S GRACE
PART 1 of 3



Every Believer is perfectly saved, possessing "every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1 :3) from the moment he believes on Christ. This is accomplished by God's grace, through faith, and is a perfect, complete and eternal work in each believer. These spiritual blessings are:

1.    In Christ (Also known as "Union with Christ").
      The Believer is vitally conjoined to Jesus Christ by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 12: 13). This is the central and  preeminent truth of Christianity (Eph. 1,2).

2.    Indwelled by Christ.
      Christ indwells each Believer; He is our life and He dwells in us for Fellowship (Col. 1:27, ).

3.    Raised with Christ and Seated in the Heavenlies
      God has placed the Believer at the Father's right hand in Christ Jesus, the position of highest glory and honor in all of eternity (Eph. 2:6).

4.    Vitally United with the Father.
     A.    Every Believer is in God (I Thess. 1: 1).
     B.    God Indwells every Believer (Eph. 4:6).

5.    Vitally United with the Holy Spirit.
      A.    The Believer is in the Spirit (Rom. 8:9).
      B.    The Spirit is in the Believer (I Cor. 2: 12). The Holy Spirit indwells every believer for power to live the Christian life, to teach the believer, and for works of service.

6.    Sealed with the Holy Spirit.
      The Holy Spirit is God's Seal, His marker on each Believer that he has been redeemed by the work of Christ on the Cross, that he is God's purchased possession. To be sealed with God's Seal is the highest level of security He could give to those who belong to Him (Eph. 1:13-14).

7.    Resurrection power is available by the filling of the Holy Spirit.
      God provides to each believer the means to receive His resurrection power by the filling of the Holy Spirit. This power is both sufficient and necessary for every believer to live the Christian life, and may be obtained by God's grace, received through faith (Eph. 1: 18-19, 5:18.).

8.    Integral part of the Plan of God.
      Every believer is foreknown by God, predestinated, elect, chosen and called to be in Christ, to be the recipients of the riches of His Grace, of every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. We are chosen according to His plan, so that we might be used of Him to bring Glory and Honor to Jesus Christ (Eph. 1 :11, Rom. 8:29, 2 Tim. 1:9).

9.    Redeemed.
      Purchased by God out of the slave market of sin and death by the Blood of Christ and set free with the liberty that is given to every child of God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24, Eph. 1 :17, Col. 1:14).

10.  Reconciled.
       The enmity that existed between God and man because of man's sin has been removed by Christ's work on the Cross, and a perfect, complete and everlasting peace now exists between God and each and every believer (2 Cor. 5:19-21).

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THE RICHES OF GOD'S GRACE
PART 2 of 3





11.     Forgiven all Trespasses.
          Because of Christ's work on the Cross, every sin, past, present and future, has been paid for and has been  forgiven. Therefore there is no sin which can affect the eternal standing of any believer in Christ (Col. 2:13).

12.      Sons of God.
          As God's children, He is our Father and we are the objects of His immeasurable love, devotion, blessing and  discipline.  In addition, we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ Jesus, and we will share in His glory. (Rom. 8:16-17, 2 Cor. 6:18, Eph. 1:5) The Greek is sons not children. 
        
13.      Adopted.
          The believer who is already a child is advanced to the position of adult son before God, with the attendant advancement of relationship and responsibility that corresponds to the position of adult son (Eph. 1 :4-5, Gal. 4:5).

14.     Acceptable to God in Christ Jesus.
         A.    Christ's righteousness is imputed to every Believer at the moment he believes in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21, Eph. 1:6).
         B.    Positionally Sanctified. Every believer is positionally set apart unto Christ at the moment of their salvation (1 Cor. 6:11).

"Without the slightest strain upon His Holiness, God accepts those who are in Union with His Son. This glorious fact, that the one who is saved is accepted, constitutes a measureless feature of Divine Grace. "-Chafer

15.     Justified.
          At the moment of salvation, Christ's righteousness is imputed to every Believer. Justification is God's declaration (or divine recognition) that this imputation has taken place. It is a judicial pronouncement by God based upon the work He accomplishes  in the Believer at the point of Salvation. We are declared to be Righteous before God, and as such, are lifted up to a  lofty position in Him that the Justice of God is as  much  compelled to defend as it was formerly compelled  to condemn (Rom. 3:22-26, Rom. 8:30, Titus 3:7).

16.     "Brought Near".
           By the work of Christ God has brought us into a close, intimate relationship with Himself, so that each Believer may enjoy  a personal fellowship with Him (Eph. 2:13, ).

17.      Rescued From the Kingdom of Darkness.
           The Believer is freed from the power of Satan that he holds over every unsaved person (Col. 1:13, 2 Cor. 4:3-4,  Eph. 2:1-2, Acts 26:18.).

18.       Brought Into the Kingdom of the Son.
           At Salvation, every Believer is immediately translated by Grace into the present form of the Kingdom of God and Christ (Col. 1:13, 1 Thess. 2:12).

19.      Citizen of Heaven.
           The Believer's citizenship is now in Heaven, and He or She is to live as a citizen of Heaven. We are ambassadors, representing the Kingdom of God to the people of Earth (Phil. 3:20, Eph. 2:19, 2 Cor. 5:20).

20.      A Gift From God the Father to Christ.
           Jesus Christ is God's gift of love to the world; believers are God's gift of love to Christ (" ... those whom thou hast given me.") Each Believer represents a unique and wonderful gift from the Father to the Son. We are His inheritance. Should even one be found missing, Christ himself would be immeasurably poorer (Eph. 1:18,  Col. 3:4).

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THE RICHES OF GOD'S GRACE
CONCLUSION


31.    Peace with God and the Peace of God.
            One of the greatest blessings in Christ is that God has made available to each believer His perfect peace. We are at peace with Him. No enmity exists between God and the Christian. And we can have perfect peace in the midst of the turmoils of life, knowing that our relationship with God is at peace, and we are in His care (Rom. 5: 1, Gal. 5:22, Phil. 4:7).

32.    "Blessed Hope".
             That great assurance and expectation of Christ's imminent return, when every believer will be caught up in the air to meet Him "who is the center of all reality for the believer" (Chafer), and will be released from the bondage of fallen, sinful humanity and clothed in the fullness of His glory (Titus 2:13)!

33.    The Inheritance of the Saints.
            Our inheritance is God Himself, to spend eternity in intimate relationship with Him, and all that is encompassed by that incomparable truth (Eph. 1:14).

34.    Glorified.
            "Awaiting the Child of God is a surpassingly heavenly glory: Partaking of a portion of the infinite glory which belongs to the Godhead" (Chafer). So great is the assurance of this truth that God speaks of having already accomplished it in every believer (Rom. 8:18,30, Col. 3:4).

35.    Complete in Him.
            This truth consists of two parts (Col. 2:9-10):
            1.     "Complete". According to God's highest standards there is nothing more He can do for His child to make him more acceptable to Himself.
             2.       "In Him". This completion by necessity is in Christ. "The father finds infinite delight in His Son; He cannot find delight in that which is less than the perfection of His Son" (Chafer). Therefore the Believer has been made a partaker of all that Christ is, as outlined herein, so that he or she may be a delight to the Father.

 36.     Eternal Life.
            Every Believer will not only live forever but possesses the quality of God's eternal life now. This is not just eternal existence, but an intimate conjoining to God and sharing of His life for all eternity (Rom. 6:23,1 Jn. 5:12-13).

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NOW AND FOREVER FREE!
By Miles Stanford


"Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:7,8.).


We can trust Him for our matriculation here, and we can trust Him for our examination and graduation in Glory!

"That word, 'blameless,' may be translated 'unimpeachable' or 'unaccusable.' In other words, when we stand at last at the judgment seat of Christ, God Himself is going to see to it that no charge can stand against any believer, because the Lord Jesus Christ has atoned for all our sins with His own precious Blood. Every failure in life will be dealt with there, and all the wood, hay, and stubble will be burned in the fire of that day and we shall stand before our Lord unimpeachable, unaccusable." -H.A.I.

"Instead of my sins being between myself and Him, as before, it is Himself who is now between me and my sins; and the One who has thus interposed has given me to know that in the doing it He has brought me to Himself, and tuned my heart to His own praise.

"He has borne the judgment due to my sins, and condemned sin in the flesh; in the Person of my Substitute I am clear from, and carried beyond, the judgment forever; the power of death is annulled, that of Satan finally broken."

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's. elect? Shall God that justifieth? Who is he that condemneth? Shall Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us?" (Rom. 8:33,34).

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RIGHT DIVISION AND PRACTICAL LIVING
By R.B. Shiflet



It is a common thing in our time to hear a believer say, “I'm not concerned with dispensational Bible study; I'm just going to preach the gospel and emphasize the walk of the believer.”

This feeling has no doubt come as a reaction to the hair-splitting policy of many of our Bible teachers and the confusion that has come from an effort on the part of some to force their dispensational views upon others, or to make these views a test for fellowship. In an effort to get away from a dispensationalism that has degenerated into little more than “profane and vain babbling,” many have tried to forget  2 Timothy 2:15, and have reached a position that is untenable.

In the first place, we cannot preach the right gospel without dividing the Word of truth to some degree. The term “gospel” merely means “good news,” and God’s Word contains many messages of good news. Not all of them are directed to us, however. God had the good news of the kingdom proclaimed to Israel, but Israel rejected this good news. Today, He is offering the gospel of the grace of God, the glorious gospel of Christ, and unless we study the Word with a view to the right division of it, we will be preaching the wrong gospel, or a perverted gospel. Such is the case when men bring carnal ordinances, works, the law, miracles, signs, a healing program, Sabbath keeping, etc., into the gospel message today. Any man, then, who preaches a clear message of grace, has practiced the right division of the Word to some degree.

Secondly, one cannot live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world without dividing the Word of Truth correctly. Note 2 Timothy 2:15 in its context: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the master’s use, and prepared for every good work.” (2 Tim. 2:15-21)

Note verse 16. “Shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” Shun means to turn one’s self about in order to avoid. Profane means unholy. Vain babblings are empty discussions of useless matters. To increase is to advance, and ungodliness is absence of fear or reverence for God. This, you will notice, is placed in contrast with rightly dividing the Word of truth.

Next follows an example of two who, failing to divide the Word, have come into grave error. Through this error in doctrine, brought about as a result of failure to study the Word dispensationally, the faith of some has been overthrown. The teachers given as an example have been holding that the resurrection was already past. Perhaps they had taken Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:5-6, “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;” and failing to divide the Word right, had taken these words to teach that the only resurrection was a spiritual one, and that it was past, that is, it took place when we believed.

After showing the dreadful results of failing to heed the exhortation to right division, comes the assuring statement that God knows His own, but His own should depart from iniquity and strive to be vessels of honor. How can this be done? “If a man therefore purge himself from these (who fail to divide the Word and overthrow the faith of some) he shall be a vessel unto honor.” The interesting word in this verse is “purge.” Harper’s Analytical Greek Lexicon defines the original word as follows: “to cleanse thoroughly; purify; purge out; eliminate.” Thayer shows that it means: “to avoid defilement from one, and so to keep one’s self pure.” The word is a combination of two words, one meaning “utterly,” the other meaning “to cleanse or purify; to free from every admixture of what is false; to prune.” Isn’t this in itself a process of right division? If we study the Word of truth and rightly divide it, we shall know which things to purge from our lives. We will know what must be pruned out in the way of ungodly moral practices that were not brought into our dispensation.

What will be the result of this purging? We shall be vessels unto honor, consecrated, profitable for our Master’s use, and fit for accomplishing unto every good work (2 Timothy 2:21). For further proof that the “rightly divided life”—utterly free from admixture—is dependent upon a rightly divided Word, see 2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work” (2 Thess. 2:16-17). Doctrine and deed are inseparable!

[nChrist]

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GOD-CENTERED OR SELF-CENTERED
By Paul Hume



Scripture Reading: Ezek. 44:15-31; 2 Cor. 5:14-17

For centuries men believed that the sun was not the center of our solar system. They thought that the sun revolved about our planet, and the Earth was the center of our universe. Since the 16th century and the discoveries of Copernicus, men have recognized that the sun, not the Earth, is the true center of our solar system. The Earth, as everyone now knows, revolves once a year about the sun. We have a system which is "sun-centered."

By nature we are intensely self-centered. Even after becoming saved, we still tend to be self-centered. Only as we "grow in grace," and experience the working of the Lord in breaking us from our innate selfishness do we gradually move from being self-centered to being Son-centered! This is why the ministry of the sons of Zadok in Ezek. 44:15ff is so unique. Did you notice it? "They shall enter into My sanctuary, and thy shall come near to My table, to minister UNTO ME, and they shall keep My charge."

The Apostle Paul therefore declares that as the result of the "new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17), "they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but UNTO HIM which died for them, and rose again." This is God-centered living: living to please HIM; living to know more of HIM; living to make HIM known to others; living to do HIS will. Is this your heart's desire? Or are you still in "prison"--the prison of self?

"O the bitter pain and sorrow,
That the time could ever be,
When I proudly said to Jesus,
All of Self and none of Thee.
But He sought me, I beheld Him,
Dying on the accursed tree,
And my feeble heart said faintly,
Some of self and some of Thee.
Higher than the highest mountain,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered,
None of self and ALL OF THEE."

[nChrist]

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STOP, THINK, LIFT
Part 1 of 2
By Mel Flogel


We see these words on boxes in large bold print, reminding us to bend our knees and keep the back straight as we lift the heavy box. Prepare yourself, brace yourself and use correct strategy or you might be paying for a thoughtless action afterward.

For many of us, active lives can hinder our thinking. Sometimes by accident our activity, even good activity, crowds out and limits the amount of thinking we do. This can be very detrimental to our lives and souls for God does not by-pass our minds in communicating to us human beings. He has very crucial truth to convey concerning our everlasting destiny, so if we fail to stop, think, and lift our thoughts to what God has revealed through Paul's gospel, we could pay for this by spending eternity in the "Lake of Fire", and in "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord". (II Thessalonians 1: 9)

Our Lord Jesus Christ communicated this principle through a parable when He ministered to Israel saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully, and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, THOU FOOL, THIS NIGHT THY SOUL SHALL BE REQUIRED OF THEE, then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12: 16-21)

Failing to stop, think, and lift his thoughts to our Creator this man died leaving his acquired possessions to new owners. But worse than this, he was not rich toward God before Whom he now stands.

Later, our Lord Jesus Christ revealed much more about the dilemma mankind is in. Man is under the condemnation of God and is pronounced guilty of coming short of the glory of God. Stop for a moment and consider the righteousness of Jesus Christ. In Luke 23:41, we read of His sinless life, it says "but this man hath done nothing amiss." In II Corinthians 5: 21, it says He "knew no sin". Hebrews 9: 14, says He was "without spot".

You may have heard and understood this, but now through Paul it is revealed that the righteous of Jesus Christ is the only acceptable standard for everlasting life, and that we all come short of it. Paul wrote "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." (Romans 3:21) Please take note of those two words "but now". They denote a change from what was previously revealed.

Paul goes on to explain and declare why we all come short of God's newly revealed holy righteous standard by saying, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23) God's standard is perfect, sinless, and holy. He revealed His holy standard in giving the Law to Israel. People often are not informed that there were many more commandments and ordinances than the ten commandments initially given. There were at least six hundred and thirteen (613) which we can find in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. And our Lord Jesus added commandments to that number as He ministered to Israel. He perfectly fulfilled all righteousness in living a sinless life but also in that" he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father". (Philippians 2: 8-11)

So then now with Paul declaring the righteousness of Jesus Christ to be God's only acceptable standard and that we all come short of it, this places us in quite a dilemma. But with this new declaration, Paul also is chosen to declare imputed righteousness. This is the good news that God will impute to us the righteousness of Jesus Christ when we believe the good news concerning the cross of Christ. The good news is that Jesus Christ made complete satisfaction to God for our sins by His shed blood once for all. The word for this is propitiation. Paul said, "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. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a PROPITIATION through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. " (Romans 3: 21-26)