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The Rightness Of God
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


There are many theological words which most people — even most Christian people — do not under-stand. Among these is the Bible word “righteousness”. Actually, though, this word is very simple and we ought to understand about God’s righteousness even before we learn of His love.

Righteousness is simply an old word for rightness. When we say that God is righteous, we simply mean that what He does is always right; that He will not and cannot do anything that is not right. This is why Paul declares in Romans 1:16, 17:

    “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…FOR THEREIN IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS [rightness] OF GOD REVEALED…”

We are proud to proclaim the gospel of the grace of God because it emphasizes God’s rightness. The gospel does not tell us that God will overlook our sins or wink at them and smuggle us into heaven. It doesn’t tell us that He will forgive us if we are sorry enough or do enough good deeds to counterbalance our sins. By no means.

The “gospel of the grace of God” is based on His rightness. It is the wonderful message that “Christ died for our sins”, that He paid for them Himself so that He might justly offer us forgiveness and declare us righteous.

Romans 3:26 puts it beautifully. There the apostle declares that since our sins were paid for by Christ at Calvary, God can now “be just — and the Justifier of him who believes in Jesus”.

For centuries religious people have said to each other: “We must be truly sorry for our sins and do all the good we can and surely God will forgive and accept us”. But this is not the gospel. The gospel gives us more solid ground to plant our feet upon. It says to every man, woman and child: “Your sins were PAID FOR by Christ at Calvary. Trust in Him and you will be saved”. This is gospel [good news] indeed, for it is based on the just payment of the penalty for sin.

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Earth's Greatest Day
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


The incomparable English preacher, Charles Spurgeon, once said, “Every circumstance connected with the life of Christ is deeply interesting to the Christian mind. Wherever we behold our Savior, He is well worthy of our notice….All His weary pilgrimage, from Bethlehem’s manger to Calvary’s cross, is, in our eyes, paved with glory. Each spot upon which He trod is, to our souls, consecrated at once, simply because there the foot of earth’s Savior and our own Redeemer once was placed.

“When He comes to Calvary, the interest thickens; then our best thoughts are centered on Him in the agonies of crucifixion, nor does our deep affection permit us to leave Him, even when, the struggle being over, He yields up the ghost. His body, when it is taken down from the tree, still is lovely in our eyes—we fondly linger around the motionless clay. By faith we discern Joseph of Arimathea, and the timid Nicodemus… drawing out the nails and taking down the mangled body; we behold them wrapping Him in clean, white linen, hastily girding him round with belts of spices; then putting Him in His tomb, and departing for the Sabbath rest.”

On the first day of the week, Christ broke the bands of death and rose again. In the words of the angel who was there that glorious morning, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matt. 28:6). It is in every sense of the word, earth’s greatest day.

WITNESS OF THE EMPTY TOMB

After the crucifixion of Christ, Joseph begged Pilate for the body of Jesus, that he might give it a proper burial. Once in his possession, Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped the body and placed it in the tomb — they placed the Rock of Ages in a hewn-out rock. Then they removed the object holding the “great stone” in place, allowing it to roll in front of the entrance of the tomb. This stone is estimated to have weighed more than a ton; in fact, it is said that it would have taken the strength of twenty men to move it. According to the Scriptures, there were four believers that day who witnessed the entombment of our Lord’s body: Joseph, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary (Matt. 27:57-61; John 19:38-42).

Shortly thereafter, the Chief Priest and the Pharisees requested that Pilate secure the tomb. This was accomplished by doing three things:

    “So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch” (Matt. 27:66).

To make the tomb sure meant that the stone would have been removed from the entrance so the religious leaders and the Roman soldiers could confirm the body of Jesus was actually there. Obviously it was present and accounted for, seeing that the soldiers sealed the tomb with the Roman signet. The motto in those days was, “Break a Roman seal, and lose your life.” Finally, they set a watch, which meant sixteen Roman soldiers were posted nearby, four of which were stationed at the door of the tomb. We know for certain that there were more than two soldiers on duty because Matthew clearly states that “some of the watch came into the city” after Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 28:11,12).

As dawn was breaking on resurrection morn, the air, in all probability, was cool and crisp. When Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome arrived at the burial plot, they were amazed to find that the massive stone had been removed and the tomb was empty (Mark 16:1-3). When Peter and John arrived on the scene, they too were puzzled, but eventually realized that the reason the body was gone was because Christ had risen from the dead, as He had promised (John 20:19,20). The secured tomb was empty, which bears witness to the fact that Christ did indeed rise from the dead. Even the unbelieving Roman watch confirmed that the tomb they had been guarding was empty (Matt. 28:11-15).

THE WITNESS OF ANGELS

    “And, behold… the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it” (Matt. 28:2).

It is interesting that, according to the four Gospels, there were two different appearances of the angels on the day Christ rose from the dead. As messengers of God, they announced the Savior’s birth, and now one of them announces His resurrection. But is it possible for one angel to move what Mark calls a “very great” stone (Mark 16:4), estimated to weigh well over a ton? The strength and ability of the angels of God go far beyond our comprehension; they are supernatural beings. For example, in the days of Hezekiah, one angel smote dead 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (II Kings 19:35; Isa. 37:36).

The account given to us by Matthew makes it very clear that the Lord had already risen from the dead prior to the angel of the Lord rolling the stone away from the doorway. You see, the removal of the stone was for our benefit.  It was removed by the angel so we could see the tomb was empty. This is why the angel said to the women present that day, “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen” (Matt. 28:5,6).

THE WITNESS OF THE LORD

Luke records for us that the Lord showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs —undeniable, irrefutable proofs (Acts 1:3). In addition to the aforementioned witnesses, the Lord was seen by over 500 brethren at once in Galilee (Matt. 28:10; I Cor. 15:6). This was followed by perhaps the most credible evidence of all: He appeared to James and Paul, both of whom rejected Him before His resurrection.

Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus, when He saw the resurrected Christ, was similar to that of Thomas, who couldn’t deny his senses and said, “My Lord and my God!” But there’s still another infallible proof for those who believe: He lives in our heart by faith. Amen!

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The Sword of the Spirit
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


    “The Sword of the Spirit… is the Word of God” (Eph. 6: 17).

Of all the spiritual armor which believers are told to “put on” in Eph. 6:11-18, there is only one offensive weapon. This is “the Sword of the Spirit… the Word of God.” The Bible is called “the Sword of the Spirit,” because the Spirit of God is its Author. It is called “the Sword of the Spirit” because, thus written by God who knows all, it can cut deeply. This makes it, for the believer, a formidable weapon against Satan and the forces of evil. We are told in Heb. 4:12,13:

    “The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

    “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

As David said long ago:

    “O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me.

    “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off” (Psa. 139:1,2).

It is because God knows and understands us so thoroughly that His Word can sometimes cut us so deeply. How wise, then, to bow before that Blessed Book, acknowledge its condemnation of sin and trust the Savior it presents! And, having done this, how wise to “put on the whole armor of God” in our stand against Satan and sin, not forgetting to “take… the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”!

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Why Celebrate The Lord's Supper?
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


The Lord’s Supper was first instituted by our Lord after His last observance of the Passover (Luke 22:14-20). The main elements of the Passover feast were roast lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Ex. 12:8.) while at the Lord’s Supper they were bread and wine (Luke 22:19,20).

Furthermore, the Lord’s Supper was given by Paul to the Gentiles as a celebration of what Christ had done for them. Here let us be Bereans and ask a question or two from Scripture. Was not the Old Covenant made with Israel (Ex.19:3-6)? And does not this covenant affect the Gentiles?

    “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” (Rom. 3:19).

It is significant that Paul calls himself and his coworkers, not Peter and the eleven, “able ministers of the New Covenant” (II Cor. 3:6). And remember he was “the apostle of the Gentiles”(Rom. 11:13) and wrote this to Gentiles. As with the Old Covenant, so with the New, full light was not given until the revelation of the mystery to Paul by the exalted Lord.

The simple fact is, that what was promised to Israel and Judah under the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) we, Gentile believers, receive by grace. As we came under the condemnation of the Old Covenant so we also come under the blessing of the New — by grace, for remember, the blood of the New Covenant, shed at Calvary, was also shed for us. It is that blood whereby we are saved. He shed no other.

But, beloved reader, has it ever occurred to you that to accomplish this, our blessed Lord had to be baptized into the human race — become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh–one with us, yea, one of us? Before we could be identified with the Lord, He had to be identified with humanity. Before we could be baptized into His death, He had to be baptized into our death (Luke 12:50). To lift us from earth to heaven, to bless us with all spiritual blessings, He had to take on Himself a physical body to be beaten and scourged and spit upon and crucified.

God would have us remember this. And not only would He remind us of this stupendous fact and have us live in the light of it (Col. 1:21,22): He would have us show it forth to others as well.

    “THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.”

    “FOR AS OFTEN AS YE EAT THIS BREAD, AND DRINK THIS CUP, YE DO SHEW THE LORD’S DEATH TILL HE COME” (I Cor. 11: 24,26).

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The Highest Expression Of Faith
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


In Rom. 8:26 we read what our hearts must often confess to be true:

    “…We know not what we should pray for as we ought…”

But the Apostle hastens to explain that the Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God, adding:

    “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.).

Believers may not receive whatever they ask for in the darkness of this age, but

    “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (II Cor. 9:8.).

We may not receive whatever we ask for, but by His grace we may have so much more than this, that the Apostle, in contemplating it, breaks forth in a doxology:

    “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

    “Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Eph. 3:20,21).

In the light of all this the highest expression of faith today is found in the words of Paul in Phil. 4:6,7:

    “Be careful [anxious] for nothing — but in everything — by prayer and supplication — with thanksgiving — let your requests be made known unto God — and…”

“And” what?

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”?

NO!!

    “…and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep [garrison] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

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The Apostle Of The Nations
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Not Matthew, Mark, or Luke; nor Peter, James, or John, but Paul alone wrote Romans 11:13 by divine inspiration:

    “FOR I SPEAK TO YOU GENTILES [or OF THE NATIONS] INASMUCH AS I AM THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES [NATIONS]: I MAGNIFY MINE OFFICE” (Rom. 11:13).

Note well that Paul did not magnify himself, but his office, to which he had been appointed by the glorified Lord Himself. In defending his apostleship before the Galatians he wrote:

    “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” (Gal. 1:11,12).

In many other passages the apostle claims to speak as a direct representative of Christ (See I Corinthians 11:23; 15:3; Ephesians 3:2,3; I Thessalonians 4:15; etc.).

To Timothy, Paul wrote concerning his own writings: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing…” (I Tim. 6:3,4). This could not indicate more emphatically Paul’s claim that his words were “the words of the Lord Jesus Christ”, received from Him by direct revelation.

To the Corinthians, who questioned this, the Apostle wrote:

    “…IF I COME AGAIN I WILL NOT SPARE, SINCE YE SEEK A PROOF OF CHRIST SPEAKING IN ME” (II Cor. 13:2,3).

The proof of this claim? This was overwhelming indeed, for Paul was used more than any other apostle to found churches and lead men into the knowledge and joy of salvation. To the believers at Corinth he wrote what he could have written to many thousands of others: “The seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord” (I Cor. 9:2).

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A Memorial Of Calvary
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


It is disappointing to find some well-meaning brethren calling the Lord’s Supper the Passover.

Surely Luke 22:14-20 proves conclusively that after the observance of the Passover, our Lord instituted a “remembrance” of His death.

When Paul recounts what our Lord did and said at the Lord’s Supper he mentions only bread and wine, while at the Passover there was certainly much more than this.

The Passover, like water baptism, was an Old Testament ordinance, but the Lord’s Supper is as distinctly associated with the New Testament, or Covenant.

    “For this is My blood of the New Testament…” (Matt. 26:28.).

The Passover, like water baptism, spoke of an unfinished work, for if water cannot wash away sin, neither can the blood of bulls and goats take away sins (Heb.10:4). Both were shadows of the redeeming work of Christ.

Because so many stumble over the fact that water baptism was practiced even after the cross, we repeat that the full results of Calvary were not manifested until “due time,” through the Apostle Paul. Blood sacrifices, circumcision, the sabbaths and feast days likewise spoke of an unfinished work, yet these were all observed after the cross — by the Spirit-filled disciples. This is simply because the time for the unfolding of God’s secret purpose and the gospel of the grace of God was not ripe until God raised up that other apostle, Paul. Indeed, even then its unfolding and the passing away of the old order were gradual matters.

BUT— whereas the Passover and water baptism were Old Testament ordinances, the Lord’s Supper is distinctly a New Testament celebration. The celebration of the Lord’s death should never be classed with the ordinances, not even with the ordinance of baptism, for while water baptism spoke of an unfinished work, the Lord’s Supper is clearly a celebration of the finished work of Christ.

At least three times the Lord’s Supper is stated to be “in remembrance” of Christ and His redemptive work.

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The Path Of A Good Soldier
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


    “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” — II Tim. 2:1,2

If we were to ask the average Christian to write down what they expect in a spiritual leader the list would probably read something like this: A man of God must have completed college and seminary. He should be eloquent and be able to articulate his thoughts well, enthusiastic, insightful, creative, and have a good sense of humor. In addition, he should not have too many shortcomings, and be well dressed.

Interestingly, just the opposite was true of the spiritual leaders found in the Scriptures. Most of the giants of the faith in biblical times were unlearned and ignorant men by the world’s standard. The Bible is a who’s who of shortcomings: Noah’s drunkenness, Moses’ speech impediment, David’s adulterous ways, Peter’s denials, Paul’s repulsive appearance, etc. Nevertheless, God used these souls mightily to the pulling down of strongholds. As it has been said, “God took a handful of nobodies and made somebodies in His sight.”

While we are an advocate of higher education, intellectualism is not a prerequisite to be used of the Lord. God has accomplished great things through those who merely had a willing heart. Timothy, for example, wasn’t educated at the Ivy League Schools of Jerusalem, nonetheless, God chose him to carry the torch of grace after Paul’s martyrdom.

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The Word Of Truth
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


In Eph. 1:13 the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and believing “the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” This declaration is substantiated by many other passages of Scripture. Our Lord said: “He that heareth… and believeth… hath everlasting life” (John 5:24). This at a time when sacrifices and baptism were still required for the remission of sins. Even then men had to hear and believe to be saved, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

Now, however, salvation is received by hearing and believing alone. Works for salvation are not merely unnecessary; they are forbidden. Today salvation is “to him that worketh not, but believeth” (Rom. 4:5). “For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8,9).

God has changed His dealings with men from time to time down through the ages, teaching one lesson at a time. This is why it is so important to note the dispensational distinctions in Scripture, “rightly dividing the Word of truth.”

Once the works of the Law were required for salvation: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested” (Rom. 3:21) and men are saved solely by faith in Christ, “being justified freely by [God’s] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). We are saved, then, as we hear and believe what Paul calls, “the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Eph. 1:13), and we are established in the faith as we obey II Tim. 2:15: “rightly dividing the Word of truth.”

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Confidence In Death
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


In the forty years of my ministry I have seen many people approach death and have seen some die.

Some, who knew Christ as their Savior, were ready, even eager, to go to be with Him. Some passed from this scene with songs or words of praise on their lips. Others, who had failed to prepare, died in mortal fear, not merely of death, but of what lies beyond.

These things do not always run true to form, however, for I have also seen the most hardened unbelievers go out of this life joking and seemingly unafraid, while, on the other hand, I have seen sincere Christians cringe with fear at the approach of death. These human reactions did not change the fact that the unbelievers had reason to be afraid, while the believers need not have feared.

The Word of God tells us that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27,28.). It is the “after this” that makes men so afraid to die. They fear the truth of Rom. 14:12, that “every one of us shall give account of Himself to God.”

But wait: we did not quote all of Heb. 9:27,28. The full passage reads as follows:

    “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time apart from sin, unto salvation.”

This can mean only one thing: that Christ died for us and bore the judgment for our sins, the “second death.” This is why Heb. 2:9-15 declares that “by the grace of God” Christ “tasted death for every man… that through [His] death He might… deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

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Are You Sure?
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


Would you like to have the knowledge, the assurance and the joy of sins forgiven? Would you like to be sure of heaven?

Well, the first step to heaven is to realize that you cannot get there by trying. You can’t walk there. You can’t climb there. You can’t fly there. Only God can take you there. Many try to earn heaven. They try to climb there on a ladder of good works. They talk about “adding another rung.” But look out for that good works ladder! It’s not anchored at the top and the higher you climb the farther you will fall.

God’s Word says that salvation is “the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8,9). He is not going to have boasters in heaven — there are enough of them on earth and nobody likes them.

All of us should realize that even the best of us are not good enough for heaven, for “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), but in this same statement the Apostle Paul declares that believers in Christ, who died for our sins, are “justified freely by His [God’s] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

    “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).

So, friend, it is not by trying, or crying, or praying, or paying, or doing anything that you will reach heaven: it is only by believing. God says He loves sinners, and that Christ died for our sins. Will you believe this and trust Christ as your Savior? The terms are stated very plainly in John 3:35,36:

    “The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

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Understandest Thou What Thou Readest?
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


This was the question Philip asked of the Ethiopian prince as he sat reading from Isaiah’s prophecy (Acts 8:30), and it is a question which we should continually keep asking ourselves as we read the Holy Scriptures.

There are always those among God’s people who do not much care whether or not they understand what they read, if only it warms their hearts! To them the Bible is little more than a fetish. Taking only those Scriptures which appeal to them, and leaving the rest, they actually feel themselves quite spiritual and often talk about believing the Bible whether they understand it or not!

But such “spirituality” is far from genuine, and such “faith” is blind and superstitious at best.

While it is true that the Bible teaches many truths which we believe, although they are beyond our comprehension (such as its opening verse!), yet how can we believe what the Bible says unless we understand what it says? God would have us understand what we read and believe it intelligently. Indeed, true faith will want to know and understand more and more of God’s Word. One who does not care whether or not he understands what God has said is not interested in knowing what God has said at all. His faith is based on his own will rather than on God’s Word, for regardless of the meaning of Scripture, he will take any passage that suits his fancy and use it as he wishes.

How great an emphasis God Himself puts upon the importance of understanding His Word! On one occasion, when our Lord saw the multitudes, He “was moved with compassion toward them because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34).

And now that the secret of God’s great plan has been made known, how much more reason there is to study the Scriptures with a view to understanding them! How Paul, by the Spirit, emphasizes this as he writes of his prayers for the saints:

    “THAT the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, MAY GIVE UNTO YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM:

    “THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED; THAT YE MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING…” (Eph.1:17,18.).

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God's Gifts To His Church
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


Scripture Reading:

    “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry.”
    — Ephesians 4:11-13

Paul warns us about those who, whether wittingly or unwittingly, would spread unsound doctrine among us. We are living in a time when some of the brethren seem to deem it important to find something new. Of course, it is not our intent to discourage anyone in regard to exercising the “Berean spirit.” However, care should be taken not to undermine the foundation upon which our faith rests. We do well to remember that the “Doctrinal Statement” our forefathers forged for us was a product of intense debate with the denominational leaders of their day. Each plank of the statement was carefully crafted as a defense and confirmation of the Fundamentals of the faith and Paul’s gospel. Therefore, let us not be too quick to challenge those things which are “tried and true.”

At this late hour, there are those who tell us that the “gifts” of evangelists, pastors and teachers or pastor-teachers are no longer in operation today. Some have even gone as far to say that the enabling “gifts” have also passed. This flies in the face of our “Doctrinal Statement,” which has served us well for over fifty years. It states:

“The gifts necessary for the ministry of the Body of Christ are those enumerated in Eph. 4:7-16. Of these, only the gifts of evangelists and pastor-teachers are in operation today. All the sign gifts of the Acts period, such as tongues, prophecy and healing (I Cor. 12:1-31), being temporary in character, have ceased (I Cor. 13:8-11).”

Here in Ephesians, one of Paul’s later epistles, the apostle sets the tone for the course of this dispensation. Clearly, the context of this portion concerns itself with the gifts God has given to His Church. It is true that the gifts of “apostles” and “prophets” passed with the completion of the Word of God (I Cor. 13:8-13 cf. Col. 1:25). Once the Word of God was dispensed, these two offices and the gifted men who held them were nonessential. We now have something far better, the written revelation that they handed down to us, which is to be obeyed in matters of faith and practice.

There is no indication, whatsoever, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors and teachers have ever been withdrawn. In fact, Paul plainly states their purpose: “For the perfecting [maturing] of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying [building up] of the Body of Christ.” And how long shall this continue? “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge [Gr. epignosis — full knowledge] of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13).

Surely, it could not be said there has ever been a period in Church history, past or present, that the “unity of the faith” has been attained, much less a “full knowledge” of the Son of God. But this is exactly what we are being asked to believe; that is, the unity of the faith has been attained. Perhaps, we should put this to the Berean test.

Creation: Some believe God created all things in six literal twenty- four hour days. Others teach the “ruin and reconstruction theory” that God created, destroyed and re-created. This is commonly called the “gap theory” which places millions or billions of years between the original creation and the re-creation.

Redemption: The battle has raged for centuries over whether Christ died for the sins of all mankind or merely for the sins of the elect. Which do you believe?

Things to Come: It is well known there are those who believe the events covered in the Book of Revelation are entirely futuristic. Many would challenge this assertion as absurd. They teach that the early chapters of the Apocalypse describe the various stages of Church history up to the present “Laodicean” age. If we agree that there are two camps of interpretation on any Biblical subject, then we have yet to come into the unity of the faith.

There is not one scintilla of evidence that the “unity of the faith” has ever been attained by all. Even in Paul’s day, the saints were wielding the sword of the Spirit against one another (II Tim. 1:15 cf. 2:17-19). In addition, we must inquire: Has the Church come to a full knowledge of the Son of God? That is, of His person, work and present heavenly ministry. We shall answer this question with a question: Has the Church, which is His Body, acknowledged the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery?

The “unity of the faith” and a “full knowledge” of Christ is a goal set before us that will never be fully attained until the Rapture. Thus, the responsibility of Gods gifts to His Church is to proclaim the whole counsel of God in light of the Pauline epistles. Why? that the saints might be established in the faith!

There is also an experiential side to this truth as well. When God called me into the ministry nearly thirty years ago, it was definitive. Other pastors have testified of similar experiences, which confirms that the “gifts and callings of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29). Beware of those who would rob you of this precious truth!

[nChrist]

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Redeeming the Time
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam


As a new day dawns we do well to reflect upon two important passages of Scripture. The first is found in II Corinthians 6:2 where Paul, by the Spirit says:

    “Behold, now is the accepted time;  behold, now is the day of salvation.”

We have no guarantee that the Lord Jesus will tarry another year, or even a month or a day. It is possible that within ten minutes after you have read this the dispensation of Grace will have been brought to a close, and the Lord will have come to catch away His own. Most of our readers, surely, will then be part of a blessed, happy throng. What about you? Will you be with us or will you be left behind? If you are not sure of your salvation, be wise and place your trust in Christ now.

    “Yesterday’s past You have only today.

    Tomorrow may be too late.”

But the fact of the imminence of Christ’s return places a great responsibility upon believers too. How wrong of us to fritter away the time, when He may come so soon! How wrong to live for self! Let us rather heed the words of Paul to us who are saved:

    “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

    “Redeeming [buying up] the time, because the days are evil.

    “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:15-17).

As one year dies and another is born,
A searching question’s due:
Have we lived up to the light we had?
Have we to Christ been true?

Or have we failed to do our part
To send His blessed Word
To those who stumble in the dark;
To those who have not heard?

Well, let us now forget the past,
Both failure and success,
And yield ourselves anew to God
To own and use and bless.

[nChrist]

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Creation
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler


Scripture Reading:

    “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
    — Genesis 1:3-5

I am a creationist. I personally believe that God created all things in heaven and earth in six literal 24-hour days. A proper understanding of creation is essential, since it is the foundation upon which all the doctrines of God rest. Sadly, some in Christendom have sought to erect an elaborate system known as the day-age theory to accommodate the geologic timetable of billions of years. But does this position pass the Berean test?

Those who subscribe to the day-age theory believe that the Hebrew word “day” (yom) can refer to a 24-hour day or a long period of time. This is true! For example, the day of the Lord is an extended period of time which covers well over one thousand years. Consequently, the context must always be consulted to ascertain the duration of time under consideration. Of course, those who defend this position teach that the days of the Genesis record quite literally cover millions and millions of years, which conveniently accommodates evolution.

Interestingly, when the Hebrew word yom is used with a number, it always refers to a 24-hour day, without exception. In regard to the Passover God instructed Moses, “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel” (Ex. 12:15).

Would we conclude otherwise that the “first day” here is anything other than a normal day? Furthermore, when perimeters are set on the term yom, such as “the evening and the morning,” as found in Genesis 1:4, this limits the day to 24 hours.

But perhaps the most conclusive evidence that each day was 24 hours is found in Exodus 20:11: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Here Moses uses the term yamin, the Hebrew plural for “days,” which exclusively speaks of 24-hour cycles.

If the Holy Spirit had intended to convey that the days of creation were “eras,” He would have used the used the Hebrew olam, which is defined as “indefinite time.” We accept by faith that God is sovereign and all-powerful; therefore, it was a small matter for Him to speak all things into existence in six days (Psa. 33:6-9).