SO GEAT SALVATION! - By Cecil etsinger-

SO GEAT SALVATION! - By Cecil etsinger- THE TERM salvation means deliverance, rescue, and being saved. In the Bible it indicates a work of God for man, not something man must do for God. In this present dispensation of grace it applies to the individual believer, the one who is trusting Christ as his Savior. Included in that salvation are various positions and blessings freely bestowed on "all who believe." No one word could fully describe those benefits; they are too abundant and wonderful. So God uses different words, each one given the assignment of revealing a different facet of the truths of "so great salvation." Justification, faith, redemption, forgive. ness, propitiation, reconciliation, grace and glorification are but some of the words thus used. Particular aspects of salvation will be dealt with in future articles. For now, some of its more general features will be considered. These will be viewed under three headings: the three-fold principle of salvation; a change of citizenship; salvation-past, present and future. A Three-Fold Principle There is a three-fold principle in the salvation of the believer in Christ. Though these may not all be mentioned at the same time, salvation is represented as being given by the grace of God, based on the blood of Christ (that is, His death on the cross), and received through faith on the part of the individual. That three. divisioned rule is well set forth in Romans 3:23.25. It is by grace (verse 24), based on blood verse 25), and through foith verse 25).1. By Grace To say that salvation is by grace Is to say that salvation, in its entirety, is a work of God for man. It indicates man's helpless and hopeless condition, the fact that he has neither the ability nor the inclination to save himself. Even a casual examination of Scripture reveals that there was, and is, no merit or good in man that would obligate God to act in his behalf. Romans 3:10.18 is a merciless and damning indictment of all mankind. It, along with other Scriptures, reveals man's utterly corrupt and sinful condition (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18). If man is to be saved it must be from without himself. Just as the Bible clearly asserts that man has neither the means nor the desire to accomplish his own salvation, so does it clearly depict that, from start to finish, it is all of God. He is its Author and Finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" Ephesians 2:8.9).2. By Christ's Blood Here is something that fallen man refuses to accept, that is, ". . . without the shedding of blood is no remission" Hebrews 9:22). But the Scriptures are saturated with the teaching and statements that we are saved by the blood of Christ. The blood, of course, represents His life that was given on Calvary's cross - not the life that He lived on earth, much though that might mean to us. His death is the grounds of our redemption. (Examine closely Romans 3:24-25; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:18, 2:24; II Corinthians 5:21.) God does not forgive sin in our sense of the word, that of overlooking it. The Bible teaches that when Christ died on the cross the justice of God was satisfied as far as the sin-question was concerned. All the claims of His holy law against the sinner were settled in that death. He became the believer's substitute, One Who was provided by God Himself to take the sinner's place. In Christ's death God could vindicate .His righteousness and yet save the sinner. Nor would any other sacrifice do. "The blood of bulls and goats (the Old Testament sacrifices) could never take away sin" (Hebrews 10:4). God did not arbitrarily appoint the death of Jesus Christ as the sole means of salvation. This would have been an unnecessary and exceedingly cruel act had there been any other way. Christ was sent; He came and died, because nothing else could solve the sin problem. Salvation is not just by blood; it must be by His blood.3. By Faith That salvation is by faith and faith alone is the clear teaching of the New Testament Scriptures. At least 135 times do they state that believe (have faith) is all that a sinner must or can do to be saved. "For by grace are ye saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8-9) and "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved ... " (Acts 16:31) present this truth as plainly as words can. In addition to these are numerous other Scriptures which teach that no self. effort or good works can ever save. It is "not by deeds of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us ... (Titus 3:5); "For by grace are ye saved through faith ... not of works lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, faith is not some act or quality which makes its possessor worthy of salvation. Faith is simply the channel through which it comes, the hand that receives the gift. All too often an unwarranted emphasis is placed on believing or faith, making it seem some sort of work for God and thus marking out the one with faith as deserving of salvation. But faith cannot save. Only Christ can do that. It is not our faith but the blood of Christ that forever settled the sinquestion. Faith Is resting in God, depending on what He has done for us, not what we do for Him.A Change in Citizenship Salvation is far more than just deliverance from the guilt and penalty of sin. It means rescue from the power, the control and the government of Satan. It means being brought into relationship with God, coming under His control, and a transfer of citizenship into His Kingdom. All humanity dwells in one or the other of two camps, either God's or Satan's. There is no middle ground, no alternative. "We know that we (Christians-believers) are of God and the whole world (all others-unbelievers) lieth in the wicked one" (l John 5:19 NASV). This change in leadership and citizenship is no small thing, necessitating as it did the death of Christ for its accomplishment (Hebrews 2:14-15). Two passages of Scripture relating to that remarkable change are here quoted. "Giving thanks unto the Father ... Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Colossians 1:12.13). "And you hath He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world; according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan) ... Among whom we all had our manner of life in times past ... and were by nature the children of wrath ... But God. Who is rich in mercy ... hath made us alive together with Christ ... and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 2:1.6). And this is only part of it. Indeed the Christian can sing, "What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought .Three Time Periods There are three time periods in the salvation of the believer-past, present and future. He has been saved, is being saved, and will be saved.1. Salvation Past Salvation past takes in all that God has done for His child when He saved him from the guilt and penalty of sin. That he has thus been saved there can be no doubt. "There is therefore now no condemnation judgment) to them that are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall never come into condemnation judgement); but is (already) passed from death into life" (John 5:24)2. Salvation Present In this aspect of salvation the keeping power of God is evidenced. Scriptures are clear to the effect that the one who has once been saved can never be lost. Once he has been justified (declared righteous) his glorification (entrance into heaven) irrevocably follows (Romans 8:30). The Holy Spirit of God has sealed (preserved) the believer until the day of his final redemption (Ephesians 4:30). "He shall never perish, neither shall any (one or thing) pluck him out of the Father's hand" (John 10:28) and there is absolutely nothing that can separate him from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37-39). The believer is "kept by the power of God" (! Peter 1:5), not by his own efforts or goodness.3. Salvation Future Under this heading would be included all the matchless and unfathomable blessings and positions which the child of God under grace will one day inherit and possess. When it is considered that the glorified Christ is the pattern to which the believer is ultimately to be conformed, the imagination is staggered and faith is taxed to its limit. But this is the sure Word of God. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (! John 3:2). "For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile (lowly) body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body . . ." (Philippians 3:20.21). It is no wonder that it is called "GEAT SALVATION."

WHICH GOSPEL WHEN? - By - Paul R. Van Gorder

WHICH GOSPEL WHEN? By - Paul R. Van Gorder Chapter One The current religious scene uses the word "gospel" indiscriminately. We hear of gospel music, gospel truth, the old fashioned gospel, gospel literature, and gospel meetings. But what is the meaning of the word "gospel"? Coming from the Greek word euaggelion, it simply means "good tidings" or "good news". Let me raise a question that might bring opposing response and perhaps considerable disagreement. Here's the question; is there more than one gospel;' Some would quickly answer "of course not! There's only one gospel." They refer to the gospel spoken of by the apostle Paul in this familial passage: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: First Corinthians.15:1-4 But is this [the only "good news" of the Bible? Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will demonstrate that for the 101 times the word is used, it cannot be exclusively " the gospel" to which the apostle referred. However, if you object to the statement that there is more than one gospel, you would surely agree that if there is but one "good news" it must necessarily concern several different subjects. Paul wrote, And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Philippians 1:9-10. A marginal rendering of the phrase "approve things that are excellent"' is simply "distinguish between the things which differ ". In this series of messages, I want us to consider the teaching of God's Word relative to four different gospels mentioned in the New Testament. We will examine the four different subjects about which the gospel is concerned. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM Early in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in Galilee, this is recorded: And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23 a little later we read, These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 10;5-7 This was the proclamation of the gospel of the Kingdom. John the Baptist had preached that same gospel. He announced that the long predicted Messiah, the One of whom the prophets had spoken, was standing at the door. WHAT IS THIS GOOD NEWS? Is this the gospel we proclaim today? This good news had reference to the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom. Addressing the men of Israel in the synagogue at Antioch, the apostle Paul spoke these significant words. He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus: Acts 13:22-23. God established a covenant with David, a promise that is irrevocable. That covenant had to do with a house; that is, a family or posterity, a kingdom, a sphere of rule, a throne, a royal prerogative over a kingdom. The gospel of the kingdom was the good news to Israel that their Messiah and King was at hand. The Jews are God's chosen people. The Messiah was promised to them. And they are to be the subjects of the King in a sense that Gentiles never can be. THE FOUNDATION OF THIS GOSPEL The gospel of the Kingdom was the central theme of the prophets. True, they spoke against the evils of their day, and they denounced Gentile oppressors by predicting divine judgment. But their prophecies had to do mainly with the person of the Messiah, the coining King, with descriptions of that kingdom, and with the children of Israel, who are the subjects of that king. THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM This gospel of the kingdom, with it's foundation in the covenant made to David, was the gospel preached by John the Baptist. It was also proclaimed by Jesus Himself during His earthly ministry, prior to His rejection and Death. The apostle Paul declared, Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: (Romans 15:8). Matthew, whose account presents Jesus Christ primarily as King, began his book by saying, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, (Matthew 1:1). When the angel Gabriel announced to the virgin Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus, he said, He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:32-33) Little wonder, then , that John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, should proclaim, "Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). As I previously stated, Christ Himself proclaimed this gospel, the gospel of the kingdom. And when He sent forth the twelve, recorded in Matthew 10, He said, These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 10:5-7 The announcement was made to Israel that the Son of David had come as their King. The disciples, however, did not understand that the Lord Jesus was going to die. Even following His death and resurrection, just prior to His ascension, they asked Him, "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). The disciples were still taken up with the establishment of the earthly kingdom. THE REJECTION OF THE KING Not only was the gospel of the kingdom proclaimed to Israel, but the very principles of the kingdom were announced in what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). The King Himself demonstrated the powers of the kingdom by His miracles. But John clearly stated that "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11) Israel did not acknowledge their Messiah but refused their King. Perhaps the most accurate picture of Israel's rejection of the message of the King and the Kingdom is given to us in one of Christ's parables (Matthew 21:33-42) A householder (a depiction of God the Father) planted a vineyard and leased it out to some farmers. Later he sent servants (the prophets) to harvest the fruit from that vineyard. The tenants (representative of Israel) grabbed His servants and beat them, stoned them, and killed them. The householder sent more servants, and they received the same treatment. Last of all He sent His Son (a picture of Christ). You would think they surely would have received Him, but no, "they caught Him, and cast Him out of the vineyard, and slew him." (V 39) In a similar parable in Luke 19, the Lord Jesus spoke of the "citizens" of the land who cried out, "We will not have this man reign over us" (Luke 19:14). The King is exiled! I ask you, "Is this gospel of the kingdom what we proclaim today?" Absolutely not! FUTURE PROCLAMATION OF THIS GOSPEL I hear men speak of "extending the kingdom". Nonsense! This is not the business of the church. The King must be present in order for the kingdom to be established and extended. Right now He is absent from the earth. The nation that rejected it's King had this sentence of judgment passed on it by the Messiah: Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23:28-39) The time is coining when (the gospel of the kingdom will again he proclaimed. I have often heard Matthew 24:14 quoted as applicable to the missionary ministry of the church in this age. Those who use this verse and interpret it this way are lifting it completely out of context. It says, And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14) This is the message that will be proclaimed after the church is ruptured. As it was at it's first preaching, so again the gospel of the kingdom will proclaim the near approach of the King. The setting of Matthew 24 is the tribulation period. Alter the church age ends, the good news of the kingdom is to be heralded throughout the earth. The "end" of which Christ spoke is the close of the Jewish age, Daniel's 70 weeks. It will terminate when the Son of Man comes to reign in power and glory. A great missionary enterprise will be carried out by the godly remnant of Israel during that period of the great tribulation. Every nation will hear the proclamation, "Behold, the King cometh!" Again, the word will go out, "Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" And "then shall the end come." Matthew 24 is essentially Jewish. It is limited to that period of time, a "week" of 7 years, called the tribulation. The coming of the Lord for His church does not depend on the gospel of the kingdom being preached in all the world. We have been placed in trust with the gospel of the grace of God. Our work is clearly defined, and the urgency is pressed upon us. We must get on with the missionary endeavor so that all may have the privilege to hear what the Word of God says concerning Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. Our Lord's command to us is this: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" {Mark 16:16). The next event on God's prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church. That event will not be preceded by signs. It is imminent; that is, He may come at any moment. Are you prepared to meet Him? Are you numbered among those who by faith have trusted the Savior for the cleansing of your sin and the salvation of your soul? He came the first time and was rejected by His own people. The apostle John wrote, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12). Today, you too may know the Savior. You will never face a more important issue. What you do with Christ determines your destiny for eternity. THE GOSPEL OF GRACE Chapter 2 The meaning of the word "gospel" is simply "good news." In every age, God has had good news for man. But that good news has not always been the same in the subject it declares. I would not contend for a moment that anyone can be born again except by the grace of God and without any merit in himself. Yet I must also unequivocally state that the gospel, God's good news, deals with different aspects of divine revelation. The gospel of the kingdom, discussed in the first lesson, was exclusively for Israel. John the Baptist heralded that gospel. And I knew Him not; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water (John 1:31) John the Baptist's purpose was to manifest Christ to Israel. The gospel that he proclaimed had no message for Gentiles. Rather, it was a declaration to Jehovah's chosen people that the kingdom of Heaven was present in the person of the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11). The special message to Israel about their King was refused, and the King Himself was rejected. Today He is in exile, and obviously there can be no kingdom without the King. Israel's rejection of their Messiah culminated in the stoning of Stephen. The Old Testament record reveals that they had rejected Jehovah as their King. Then God was manifest in the flesh in the person of the Son, and again they refused Him. By the way, their rejection was complete as indicated by the words of Stephen just before he died. "Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers did, so do ye" (Acts 7:51). The kingdom is therefore now in abeyance. The gospel of the kingdom will not be preached again until just before the King returns to establish His reign in righteousness and justice. Before this revelation of Jesus Christ and during the tribulation period, "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14). THE GOSPEL FOR TODAY A remarkable happening is recorded in Acts 10. Peter went to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile. He and his household were born again, and they received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized. When Peter finally explained this event to his Jewish brethren in Jerusalem, they "glorified God, saying, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). Peter referred to this memorable occasion as the time when God "put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:9). Peter further staled, "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even at they (Acts 15:11). This was the beginning of the new thing. James said that Simon Peter "hath declared how God first did visit the nations, to take out of them a people for His name" (Acts 15:14). How was this to be accomplished? By the preaching of the gospel of the grace of God. The apostle Paul spoke of this as a stewardship given especially to him. He was to preach to the Gentiles. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24) Writing to the church at Corinth, he added, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (First Corinthians 15:1-4) You will note that the King and the kingdom are no longer being announced. Why? Because the gospel of God's grace is being proclaimed concerning Jesus Christ-His death, His burial, and His resurrection. This is the gospel of God's free grace to everyone who believes the gospel of the crucified, risen, and glorified Lord. Paul spoke of the same good news in his letter to the Romans. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures, Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name: ( Romans 1:1-5) During this present age, the good news of the grace of God is calling sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, to the Savior. All of whom arc saved are placed into the Body of Christ, which is the church. TO WHOM IS IT ADDRESSED? The gospel of the kingdom was addressed to Israel only, offering to them their Messiah. The "good news" of the grace of God is addressed to all sinners with out distention offering to them a Savior. The gospel which Paul was called to preach, the gospel of the grace of God, does not offer Israel a ruler. In fact, at this time God is not offering a king to anyone. By the preaching of the gospel, God is visiting the nations "to take out of them a people for His name" [Acts 15:14). The Lord Jesus said to Simon Peter in Matthew 16:18, I will build My church," but that was still future. A mystery was later revealed to the apostle Paul. The mystery of the church, the Body of Christ. That God would save Jews was no mystery; that He would save Gentiles was no mystery. The mystery was that He would put Jews and Gentiles into one body and make them fellow members, fellow heirs, and fellow partakers of His promise in Christ. This was a new revelation. The apostle wrote, For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you ward: that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: (Ephesians 3:1-6) And now by the gospel of God's grace, which is the "power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth" (Romans 1:16), Jews and Gentile can be saved and added to the church. "For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Greeks, whether we be bond or free" (First Corinthians 12:13). THE GOSPEL WE PREACH This is good news! Called repeatedly in the New Testament "the gospel of God," it originated in His eternal purpose for a lost world. Designated "the gospel of Christ," it declares the unmerited kindness of God toward ruined, condemned sinners. Known as "the gospel of salvation", it reveals the only way the sinner may be saved through the finished work of Christ. This is the gospel we proclaim. Outlined by the apostle Paul in First Corinthians 15, the gospel of grace concern the person of God's Son, the Lord Jesus, in His death, burial, and resurrection. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." This death was not a suicide, the result of an accident, or the punishment of a criminal. This death of our Lord was a substitutionary death, "the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (First Peter 3:18). On the grounds of that death, God can be "just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3: 26). Christ bore the debt and demerit of our sin at Calvary. Something had to be done with that sin. The penalty had to be exacted. "He hath made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (Second Corinthians 5:27 The spotless Lamb of God took our place. The hymn writer said. Bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned He stood- Sealed my pardon with His blood: Hallelujah, what a Savior! Christ's death was "according to the Scriptures." By type, by offering and sacrifice, and by direct prophetic statement, the death of Christ was taught in the Old Testament. When the Savior bled and died on the cross, all the promissory notes of the past ages were paid in full, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. "He was buried." This is the ultimate proof that He really died. When a soul departs from a body, this separation spells physical death. The soldiers declared that He was dead, and Pilate gave Joseph of Arimathaea permission to take the body. He buried it in a newly prepared tomb, fulfilling the Scriptures, "He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death" (Isaiah 53:9). "He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." This is the foundation of our salvation. Paul wrote, "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins" {First Corinthians 15:17). After His burial, the stone was rolled in front of the tomb. The Romans seal was placed upon it. Soldiers guarded that sepulclier. Men and demons did their utmost to see that the tomb would keep that body in its cold, dread grasp. If the grave could keep the body so that it would "see corruption," the Calvary would become a farce and salvation would be impossible. But praise God, Christ rose triumphantly! He won the victory over sin, death and Hell! (He) was delivered for our olfenses, and was raised again for (on account of) our justification (Romans 4:25). God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him by seating Him at His right hand. The Lord's resurrection is unmistakable proof that God is fully pleased by the work He did at Calvary. Now we who were once far off are brought to God by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). This is the gospel you must believe if you are ever to stand accepted before God. This is the gospel we preach. God in His grace has provided eternal redemption for you through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. You do not deserve it, you cannot buy it, and you cannot work for it. But God will give it too you. By faith believe the gospel, trust the Savior, and receive the gift of eternal life through Christ. Then you can say with the hymn writer, I need no other argument, I need noother plea; It is enough that Jesus died, And that he died for me. ANOTHER GOSPEL Chapter 3 In every age, man is saved by grace and grace alone. The proclamation of this truth is called "the gospel." It is "the gospel of God." It is good news! Even though the gospel itself has the same message in even' age, it has different points of,,,,,,,,,, emphasis. During the ministry of John the Baptist and the earthly ministry of our Lord, the "gospel of the kingdom" was proclaimed to Israel. The kingdom of heaven was present in the person of the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel's response was, "We will not have this man to reiqn over us" Luke 19:14) During the church age, the gospel of the grace of God is being heralded to the world. God has provided the only way of salvation for condemned, unworthy sinners. We are saved through the death of Christ and His shed blood upon the cross. The guarantee is His resurrection from the dead. The gospel of His grace reveals God's righteousness. By it He is "just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus. "This rules out all human works and merit. If you and I are to be saved, to be made fit to come into the presence of a holy God, it must be totally apart from our own works. It comes exclusively by the grace of God, by virtue of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf. SATAN THE COUNTERFEITER When the seed of the Word falls on good ground and brings forth fruit, Satan is not content to let it go unhindered. As in the parable of the tares in Matthew 13, He over sows the field with a spurious wheat, a darnel. Satan is a counterfeiter, and he is quite successful at it by simulation and substitution. God no sooner begins His work in any dispensation than our adversary, the devil, attempts to discredit (that work by offering a counterfeit. Satan's substitutes are never completely false. A modicum of truth gives each lie a measure of credibility. The enemy is for too shrewd to supplant the truth with a total lie. So he adulterates the truth with a subtle mixture of error. The apostle Paul pointed this out in his second letter to the Corinthians. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his crafiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him (Second Corinthians 11:3-4) The apostle said this to the churches in Galatia: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-7) The apostle spoke of "another Jesus" and "another gospel. " Actually, he used two different Greek words for "another": in this verse, He was saying, "It is not another gospel (that is, another of the same kind); but it is a different gospel." Oh, it's true that Satan's deceivers use the nomenclature of Heaven to masquerade their false gospel. A cheap coin may be gilded to look like gold. But the gilding does not make it real. Almost everywhere Paul went he found those who sought by deception to divert his converts from the message of salvation by grace alone. Our day is no exception. ANOTHER GOSPEL The emissaries of Satan have lodged in the great tree of Christendom. Deceivers slip the leaven of false doctrine into the pure meal of the gospel. To illustrate the danger, the apostle referred back to the beginning of the human race. He warned that false teachers will use the same methods Satan employed in beguiling Eve. He did it through his craftiness. Paul wrote further, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works (Second Corinthians 11:15-16) Harry Ironside wrote, "That is how the devil works. Satan never says, Good morning, I am the devil! I want to mislead you. I want to seduce you. I want to turn your heart away from God. I want to ruin you for a time and eternity. No, he comes with the fairest pretenses and promises, and he endeavors to turn the heart away from Christ by his deception." From the New Testament we discern several instances of "other gospels," which are perversions of the true. Deceitfulness Imposed The first is found in Second Corinthians 11. When the mind is lead astray "from the simplicity that is in Christ" (V 3), you may put it down: This is another gospel. That word "simplicity" means "single hearted faith" or "single hearted loyalty." It carries with it the idea of being "spread out," or "without folds or wrinkles. "Any teaching which leads us away from sincere and pure devotion to Jesus Christ must be branded another gospel, one entirely different from the gospel of God's grace. Ritualism Added Second, when a system of works or religious observances is added to or substituted for the gospel of grace, you may be sure that it is another gospel. Paul had received news from the churches in Galatia that shocked him. They had been saved by grace through faith, totally apart from works. But Judaizers were telling them that they had to observe days, to submit to the practices of the Mosaic law, and to engage in a system of works. These teachers were perverting the gospel of Christ. Whenever you mix law and grace, law is robbed of its terror and grace of its freeness. This different gospel, contrary to the teaching of the New Testament, is proclaimed in numerous forms. Just as those Judaizing teachers told the Galalian Christians that they must observe the ancient rite of circumcision in order to have a full salvation, some religionists today insist on the baptism right or some other ordinance for salvation. To them it is grace plus something. A verse in Galatians should settle this question once and for all. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16) I care not from what quarter it comes. If the supposed gospel you have heard is one of reformation, baptismal regeneration, church membership, good works, or ritualistic practice, it is not God's gospel. It does not carry His blessing, and it is contrary to His Word. Don't be deceived. To depend upon anything or anyone for your salvation other than Jesus Christ, God's sacrifice for your sins, is to put your confidence in another gospel. God condemns those who purvey these errors, and He calls them "false teachers." Christ's Deity Perverted A third instance is given by John. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresses, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (Second John 1:7-9) Please note these three: Another gospel-not the gospel of Christ is preached, (1) when single hearted faith is drawn away from Christ, (2) when a system of works is substituted or added to the grace of God, or (3) when the doctrine of Christ is violated. The apostle John wrote in strong words the divine condemnation of deceivers who deny that Jesus is the Christ of God manifest in the flesh. Check it out, friend. What does your church teach and what does your preacher believe about Jesus Christ? All that scriptures says about Him and all that He declares concerning Himself is true. The one who departs from either is a false teacher and dispenser of a false gospel. CONDEMNATION OF FALSE TEACHERS The Word of God clearly condemns anyone who perverts the gospel of the grace of God, or who departs from the doctrine of Christ. In fact, you will find no stronger language in all of Scripture. Paul said that even an angel would be "accursed" if he preached anything different. Read for yourself his inspired words: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8) The curse of God is upon all preaching that says man has to work to be saved or to be kept saved. This sounds the death knell to all who mingle law and grace. John gave this warning about anyone who preaches another gospel. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed; For he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds (Second John 1:10-11) At the time of John's writing, the homes of the Christians were the primary places for assembly and worship. Stated simply, these believers were to have no fellowship whatever with one who preached a different gospel, and who denied the doctrine of Christ. May I put it pointedly to you? If you are affiliated with a church or a religious group that tolerates the preaching of another gospel, or that goes beyond or does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, you are not only exposing your family to false teaching but are disobeying the Word of God. Ephesians 5:11 commands us to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but, rather, reprove them." You and I must stay by the unchanging standard given to us in the inspired Word of God. This is the safeguard for the believer. Weigh every message in the balances of God's Word. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). Dear friend, you have nothing to offer God, No good works, nothing to commend you to Him. I invite you to receive the grace of Christ. Trust the Savior who died for you, and believe the gospel of God. Then you can say with the hymn writer, My hope is in the Lord who gave Himself for me, and paid the price of all my sin at Calvary. No merit of my own His anger to suppress, My only hope is found in Jesus' righteousness. And now for me He stands before the Father's throne, He shows His wounded hands, and names me as His own. His grace has planned it all, 'tis mine but to believe, And recognize His work of Love and Christ receive. For me He died, for me He lives, And everlasting life and light He freely gives. -Norman J. Clayton THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL Chapter 4 God has had His witness in every generation. In every age God's good news has been announced. The word "gospel" is not used exclusively in our age (nor of the message we preach). The Bible student who fails to recognize that there are different aspects of divine revelation, and that different gospel emphases apply to various dispensations and people, who will be led into great confusion in the interpretation of the Word of God. By the subject, Which Gospel When?, I am not suggesting that God has different gospels. But God's gospel has different phases. The gospel of the kingdom was given particularly to Israel. This gospel, the subject of much of the prophetic Old Testament, announced that Jesus Christ would reign on the throne of His father David, and that He would set up His kingdom upon this earth. The same message was proclaimed by John the Baptist and by Christ Himself, and it will be heralded forth again during the great tribulation. During this age of the church, the gospel of the grace of God is predominant. The ministers of the gospel around the world preach a message of salvation made possible through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is good new that you and I may come into a right relationship with God. This was accomplished "not by works of the righteousness which we have done" (Titus 3:5), but by the work of another, the perfect sacrifice, God's Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. To concoct some other method of salvation to concoct some other way is to preach another gospel, and the anathema of God is upon it. The gospel of the kingdom is primarily to Israel. But they rejected their King. They would not have that Man to reign over them. The King is therefore in exile, and the kingdom is yet to be established upon the earth. The "nobleman" has gone into the far country to receive His kingdom. Just prior to His return to this earth, a great company of witnesses will again announce "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." But now you and I are to make known the good news of salvation by grace to a world that is lost and perishing. The good news is that Christ has died "the just for the unjust, and that He might bring us to God" (First Peter 3:18). I ask you now to consider another aspect of the gospel, which is referred to in the book of Revelation. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:6-7. THE SETTING To understand the meaning of these words, yon must know the setting. The blackest storms always make the loveliest sunsets; and the darker the night, the brighter the stars. In the vision given to the apostle John in chapter 13, Antichrist engages in terrible blasphemy, the earth's multitudes worship this imposter, and the false prophet exercises his power in the infernal counterfeit trinity. It would seem that chapter 14 is not placed chronologically but is a parenthesis to speak of an anticipated victory. Remember that in the middle of the week of 7 years the lawless one (Antichrist) will renounce his covenant with Israel. He will assassinate God's two witnesses, and he’ll be determined to exterminate the saints. Into this dark scene the Holy Spirit interjects a chapter of hope. John looked up and saw a Lamb on Mount Zion. He heard the song of the heavenly choir and the refrain was echoed on the earth by the 144, 0000 out of the 12 tribes of Israel who had been sealed. This is a preview of the reigning Christ, the Lamb, sitting upon the throne. The conquering Christ is upon the throne in Jerusalem. Following this anticipatory vision, John saw another angel flying in mid-Heaven who had the everlasting gospel. WHAT IS THIS GOSPEL? The message of Revelation 14 is addressed to the earth dwellers immediately before the bowls of God's wrath are poured out. This dreaded event will take place in the latter part of the tribulation. The everlasting gospel is precisely this: "fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come" (Revelation 14:7). The emphasis is upon judgment. When God is unheeded as He speaks in grace, He is forced to speak in judgment. But when men and women listen to His gracious admonitions and walk in His ways they will reap great blessings. His servant Isaiah assured Israel that "the work of the righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever" (Isaiah 32:17) Dr. John Walvoord said, "The everlasting gospel seems to be neither the gospel of grace nor the gospel of the kingdom, but rather the good news that God at last is about to deal with the world in righteousness and establish His sovereignty over the world." God will place His King on Zion's holy hill to reign righteously, "This is the news of God's Ruler-not grace, His judgement! Not a Savior, but a Sovereign! This is also the final call for guilty nations to prostrate themselves in the dust and pay homage to their Creator. The nations of the earth, which at that time will be worshiping the Beast, are called to the worship of God. The message of this gospel will be that the Creator alone is to be feared and worshiped. It is called "everlasting" because these principles reach above and beyond any particular age: that God always was, is now, and always will be the proper object of man's worship. God's last call is being trumpeted to the Gentiles. Instead of"... now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (Senond Corinthians 6:2), the proclamation will be, "... the hour of His judgment is come" (Revelation 14:7). It's as if we hear this angel in mid-Heaven proclaiming the words of Psalm 2. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him. (Psalm 2:10-12) THE CONTRAST In reading this proclamation of the everlasting gospel, you cannot help but notice the difference between it and the announcement of the angel to the shepherds long ago on the. Judean hills. As the light shone round about, the angel said, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy" (Luke 2:10). But in the day before the return of the Lord when He will establish His kingdom upon (the earth, the word of the angel will be, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come." Yet those serious tidings will be a gospel for that time of unequaled darkness. To many the proclamation that the hour of God's judgment is come will not be "good news," but to others it will bring rejoicing because only through judgment can the earth be delivered. THE WARNING This is God's eternal good news to an earth long under the curse, and under the sway of the usurper. The kings of the earth cry, "Let us break their bands asunder" (Psalms 2:3). But judgment awaits the earth dwellers who refuse to give glory to God and acknowledge His sovereign right to rule. This will be the Lord's last warning to the nations. Let us not ignore this sobering thought:" The wicked shall be turned into sheol, and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17) The phrase, "them that dwell on the earth," or "earth dwellers," is used a number of tines in the book of Revelation. It's not as much a geographical term as a moral description. It describes those who have taken up abode upon the earth-who desire nothing more than what the world's commerce and religion can offer. They have no desire for God's eternal dwelling place nor the blessings of spiritual wealth. They are wildlings, taken up with earthly things. To you who think this world to your heart with no thought of the future and God, I ask yon to read from His infallible Word a description of the time that will come upon this earth and its inhabitants. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:15-17) But this does not end the display of God’s wrath against those who reject His grace. Revelation speaks of that time when the books are opened and the book of life reveals its record . “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). "OH," you say, "that is a time in the feature. It doesn't concern me." But friend, in every age and in every juncture of the divine program of time, God has held man accountable to Him. The gospel received brings life and blessing in every dispensation. To refuse God's good news, be it now or when the everlasting gospel is heralded by an angel to the nations, is to merit the judgment of God. The record is plain: you and I must accept God's message, believe His word, and trust His grace. We dare not exempt ourselves by postponing our decision, claiming that these issues are for a future day. It would be unfair to your soul if I should close this series of studies without presenting again the claims of the gospel of the grace ol God. Personal individual faith in God's Son as your Savior is absolutely imperative if you are to know the favor of God and the forgiveness of sins. Let me ask you pointedly right now, can you say from your heart, "Jesus died for me, paid for my sins by (the shedding of His blood; and I have deposited my faith in Him and nothing else"? To reject the Savior is to warrant the execution of God's sentence of judgment upon you. "He that believeth not is condemned already" (John 3:18). I urge you to flee from the wrath to come. Flee to the arms of a loving Savior who died for you and rose again. He is waiting to save you. The Scriptures says, "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37) The End Also Read The Gospel of The Kingdom - Paul R. Van Gorder Grace Bible Church (Click Here) How God Saves Men Believing Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY. Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION. Read Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4 Read the KJV BIBLE in large print (Click Here) (A 10 Minute Video) Jesus is JEHOVAH The One True GOD (Click Here) Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey cspivey1953@gmail.com E-mail this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends

The Work of the Lord Jesus Christ- By John D. LaVier

The Work of the Lord Jesus Christ- By John D. LaVier

Our Lord Jesus Christ isthe One referred to in Isaiah 57: 15 as "the high and lofty Onethat inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy." As a member ofthe Holy Trinity the Lord Jesus Christ was from etemity in the formof God. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sentforth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem themthat were under the law." There was a twofold purpose inChrist's coming out of etemity into time and to the earth His handshad made. First of all, He came to be the Redeemer, the Saviour ofthe world, to put away man's sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Then,secondly, He came to set up His kingdom on earth; that kingdom whichhad been prophesied and long awaited, when Israel would be head amongthe nations and when the Lord Jesus as their Messiah would be onDavid's throne and ruling in righteousness. God had made a covenantwith David assuring him that one of his seed would sit on his throneand that his kingdom would be unending. The Lord Jesus was thatpromised seed. He was "made of the seed of David according tothe flesh" (Romans 1:3). The angel said to Mary, "And,behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, andshalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called theSon of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throneof his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:31-33). He cameto take the throne, but instead of the throne wicked men put Him todeath on the cross. But death could not hold the Prince of life andon the third day He rose triumphant from the grave. In Peter'sPentecostal message he said that David prophesied Christ'sresurrection, and that God had swom with an oath to raise up Christto sit on his throne. Thus Christ was raised up twice in the midst ofIsrael. In His incarnation He was raised up from Mary's womb to siton David's throne, and in His resurrection He was raised up fromJoseph's tomb to sit on David's throne, and the day is surely comingwhen He will sit on David's throne and rule over Israel and thenations. The first question in theNew Testament was asked by the wise men following Jesus' birth. Theycame to Jerusalem saying, "Where is he that is born King of theJews?" (Matthew 2:2). At the triumphal entry the people shoutedHis praise and cried, "Blessed is the King of Israel that comethin the name of the Lord" (John 12: 13). At His death on thecross the superscription was written over Him, "Jesus ofNazareth the King of the Jews" (John 19:19). John Baptist wasChrist's forerunner and he came preaching "the kingdom of heavenis at hand" (Matthew 3:2). When the twelve apostles were sentforth they were told to preach "the kingdom of heaven is athand" (Matthew 10:7). There can be no kingdom without a king andthe reason the kingdom was then at hand was because the King was athand. When here in the flesh the Lord Jesus was here as King of theJews and during that time His ministry was restricted to the Jewishpeople. He instructed the twelve not to go to the Gentiles but onlyto Israel (Matthew 10:5-6). He told the Syrophenician woman that Hewas sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew15:24). In fact, He told her that it wasn't proper to take thechildren's bread (Israel) and cast it to dogs (Gentiles). ManyGentiles become upset when they hear that, but not this dear Greekwoman. She told the Lord that what He said was the truth; that as aGentile she had no claim on Israel's Messiah, that she would becontent with some crumbs. In John 1: II we read,"He came unto His own." His own were the chosen, covenantpeople, the nation Israel. He was a man approved of God among them bymiracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in their midst.Christ told them, "The works which the Father hath given me tofinish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Fatherhath sent me" (John 5 :36). In addition to the testimony of Hisworks there was also the testimony other Scriptures. The Lord said,"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternallife; and they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). Theholy writer had them in mind when he wrote they had "tasted thegood word of God, and the powers of the age to come" (Hebrews6:5). The miraculous powers shown by Christ were a foretaste of thecoming kingdom. Surely they should have known Him, but how tragic thewords that conclude John 1: II, "His own received him not."At times the multitude did throng His way and even shouted Hispraise, but mainly for the loaves and fishes or to see a miracle. Theabove verse from Hebrews indicates they were like many in thechurches today, who are only "tasters" and not "drinkers."They have never knelt to drink deeply at the well of salvation, justa bit of a taste, a mere profession, and perhaps soon turn away. John Bunyan has writtenan article titled "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners .. or.. the Jerusalem Sinners Saved." In it he points out that thefirst ones to whom the gospel was preached after Christ'sresurrection were the very ones who had rejected Him and demanded Hisdeath. On the day of Pentecost the Apostle Peter charged this Jewishaudience with having crucified Jesus, the Christ. When they wereconvicted and cried out "What shall we do?" he told them torepent and to be baptized for the remission of sins. This is notGod's message for today, but it was for that time. Thousands of thoseJews, both then and later, responded to the message and wereforgiven, but there was not national repentance. Israel had rejectedChrist but He had not yet rejected them. On the cross He had prayed,"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do"(Luke 23 :34). The Father heard and answered that prayer and Israelwas forgiven and given another opportunity. In a later message to theleaders of the nation Peter stated, "The God of our fathersraised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath Godexalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to giverepentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5 :30-31).Israel was being given one more chance to receive their King butturned a deaf ear. The purpose of the book of Acts is not to show thebirth and growth of the church, but to show the decline and fall ofIsrael, and the reason they were set aside. The book of Acts is alsoreferred to as covering the transition but there is really notransition in the early chapters. The kingdom which before had beenpreached is now offered but is violently refused. Israel's rejectionof the renewed offer reaches its peak with the stoning of Stephen,for immediately thereafter we begin to see a movement away from thatnation. Israel had rejected thetestimony of John Baptist, of the Lord Himself, of Peter and thetwelve, and now there is one final appeal through Stephen. The answerto this entreaty was to stone Stephen to death and this marked theend of Israel's day. To Israel God had said, "All day long have1 stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."Israel's long day as the God-favored nation is at an end. A newapostle, Paul, comes to the fore and through him a new program isinaugurated, with Israel set aside and God's message of grace andreconciliation proclaimed to the Gentiles. And yet, God seems loathto turn away from His covenant people and during the remainder of thebook of Acts, the transition period, the message still goes to theJew first. It is not until the Lord's message through Paul has beenproclaimed from Jerusalem to Rome that Israel is finally off thescene. There we have the solemn pronouncement of Acts 28:28, "Beit known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent untothe Gentiles, and that they will hear it." Stephen had concludedhis message by saying, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, andthe Son of man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56).The Lord Jesus is later seen as seated, but up to this point theresurrected Christ is seen standing, waiting patiently and longinglyto discern what Israel's response will be to the renewed offer. Ifthere had been national repentance He would have returned to earth tobring in "the times of restitution of all things" (Acts3:20-21). When the offer was refused the heavenly Father said to HisSon, "Sit thou at my right hand, until 1 make thine enemies thyfootstool" (Psalm 110:1). When God turned away fromIsrael He reached down and laid hold of the most bigoted Jew of all,Saul of Tarsus, who was the leader in the persecution of thebelievers. This was the Apostle Paul and he became Christ's emissaryto bear the message of salvation to the Gentile world. Thedispensation of grace was ushered in with Paul and now there is nolonger any difference between Jew and Gentile. The Scripture says:"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; forthe same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. Forwhosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"(Romans 10:12-13). What a grand word is that word "whosoever."None are excluded, all are included. Any sinner, regardless of raceor place, who calls upon the name of the Lord, will be saved. Andevery such sinner, at the moment of their salvation, is baptized bythe Holy Spirit of God into the Body of Christ. This is the one trueChurch, composed of all the redeemed. In relation to this Church theLord Jesus holds a new office. In Ephesians we read that God "hathput all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over allthings to the church, which is His body, the fulness of him thatfilleth all in all" (I :22-23). Also in Colossians 1: 18, "AndHe is the head of the body, the church." Christ is not the Kingof the church and is never given that title. He is the Head of thechurch. No pope, priest, prelate, preacher or potentate is the head.Man may be at the head of some human religious organization, but theHead of the true church is the crucified, risen, ascended Christ atGod's right hand. Dr. Bultema said that Godput the key to the Scriptures right on the threshold. The very firstverse in the Bible states: "In the beginning God created theheaven and the earth." Then as we study we learn that God has apurpose for the heavens and also a purpose for the earth. He also hasa people for the heavens, and a people for the earth, through whomHis purposes will be consummated. Israel is His people for the earth,while the church is His people for the heavens. Members of the churchdo have a blessed hope, a bright anticipation, and it is not anearthly hope, but heavenly. The hope of the church has to do withthat realm "far above all." Dave Breese recently wrote inhis paper: "Jews and Gentile proselyte believers (those savedunder the kingdom program) will inherit a redeemed earth. Bycontrast, the Body of Christ will rule the universe in eternity."The apostle wrote: "Looking for that blessed hope, and theglorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ"(Titus 2: 13). God's day of grace will close when Christ comes in theRapture to call every member of His blood-washed church into Hispresence. In that great passage in Thessalonians we read of the Lorddescending from heaven with a great assembling shout and every childof God being caught up to meet Him in the air and to be forever withthe Lord. Our blessed hope is fully realized 111 those three words"with the Lord." 0, Blessed! 0 thriceblessed word! To be forever with theLord,In heavenly beauty fair! Up! .. Up! .. We long tohear the cry!Up! .. Up! .. Our absentLord draws nigh! Yes, in the twinkling ofan eye,Caught up in the radiantair. Following the Rapture ofthe church there will be a time of trouble on earth unparalleled inhuman history. This is the time of Jacob's trouble, the GreatTribulation. We have been noting the changing roles played by Christand here again we see a change. No longer will He be stretching forthHis hands and beseeching men to come and be reconciled. Then it willbe quite different. "Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,and vex them in his sore displeasure" (Psalm 2:5). In that daymen will pray to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hideus from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from thewrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come; and whoshall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6: 16-17). How much betterto come in time; to flee to Christ, the Eternal Rock of Ages, andfind in Him a hiding place and shelter from the coming storm. AndChristians should be redeeming the time, because the days are evil;and reaching out to the lost, snatching them out of the fire. The Great Tribulationwill conclude with the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.Writing to the suffering saints at Thessalonica the apostle assuredthem that the day of their vindication was coming, when their enemieswould receive the due reward of their deeds. He wrote: "And toyou who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall berevealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire takingvengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel ofour Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thessalonians 1:7-8). The Lord willbe coming on this occasion not to suffer at the hands of His enemies,but to trample them beneath His feet; not to die in weakness on atree of shame, but to sit on the throne of His glory. Great voices inheaven are heard to proclaim, "The kingdoms of this world arebecome the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shallreign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11: 15). He comes as theAll Conquering Sovereign, accompanied by the armies of heaven. InRevelation 19 is pictured His majestic return, and in verse 16 weread: "And he hath on His vesture and on His thigh a namewritten, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." When Britain's QueenVictoria was crowned, she said, in expressing the desire to bepresent on that future occasion, "I should so love to lay mycrown at His feet." She knew that when the Lord Jesus came itwould be as a King - the King of David's Royal House and Dynasty. Sheknew the government would be on His shoulders and that she wouldacknowledge His authority. One of these days all the kings and rulersof earth shall cast their crowns before Him. It will be theCoronation Day of Christ. The whole earth will tremble at theshouting and the tumult. It will be the grandest day in human historyand may God hasten it. Amen! THE END

ThePerson of the Lord Jesus Christ! JohnD. LaVier

ThePerson of the Lord Jesus Christ! JohnD. LaVier In reading any book it is good to know the author and the Bible is no exception. The Author of the Book is God and in it He has revealed Himself so that we may know Him. This knowledge is imperative and essential. In His great high-priestly prayer Jesus said, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). Dr. Bullinger has written an article on "The Christian's Greatest Need." In it he states that our greatest need is to know God, and God can only be known through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ Himself said, "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Matthew 11:27). Coming to Christ and putting our trust in Him and in the work He accomplished for us at Calvary we are saved by the grace of God and born into God's family. As newborn babes we are then to desire the sincere milk of the Word so that we may grow thereby. The child of God should be growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is accomplished by feeding on the Word, going from the milk to the meat, and becoming strong, mature and stalwart in the Christian life. Sadly, many never get off the milk diet, never develop, and remain spiritual babies. This must surely be a heartbreak to their heavenly Father. It is fitting that our first lessons should deal with the Person of God's Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is God's desire tllatHe should have the pre-eminence in all things and it is certainly our desire that He should be preeminent in these lessons; that every eye should see Him and hearts set aflame with love for Him. He is the great and grand subject of Scripture and it is important that we have proper thoughts of Him. Newell writes: "There are two great truths you must hold fast; the truth about our Lord's Person and the truth about His Work." Jesus asked the question, "What think ye of Christ?" and we ought to be certain we have the right answer. John Newton has well written: "What think ye of Christ? " is the test To try both your state and your scheme' You cannot be right in the rest, Unless you think rightly of Him. The Bible clearly teaches that the Babe born at Bethlehem, who lived among men as Jesus of Nazareth, was indeed Almighty God in human form.The prophet Micah, foretelling His birth, said, "Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (5:2). The gospel of John, which presents the Divinity and Deity of Jesus, opens with this tremendous statement: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The One referred to in this verse as "the Word" is none other than the Lord Jesus. This will also be His name at His second coming, for we read, "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19: 13). There are three things to be noted in John 1: 1: He was in the beginning. In I John 1:1 we also read of a beginning and there it refers to the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry. In Genesis 1:1 the reference is to the beginning of the creation. Here in John 1:1 we are taken back to ages past. This is really a beginning without a beginning. The Word (Gr. Logos) is the eternally existing Christ. He was with God. He was with God the Father and with God the Holy Ghost, for as God the Son He was a member of the Holy Trinity. Genesis 1:26 reads: "And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness. "The plural pronouns in this verse indicate the three Persons of the Godhead. 3) He was God. Words could not be plainer in expressing the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh" (l Tim. 3:16). The Lord Jesus, who was the Eternal Word, was truly God and the Creator as well. In the third verse of this first chapter of John's gospel is written: "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." It was the Trinity which said, "Let us ... make," but God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was the active agent in creation. There are many Scriptures which state this, such as Colossians 1:16, "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him." Also, Hebrews 1:2 affirms that "God ... hath in these last days spoken unto us (Hebrews) by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds." Christ is the Great God and Mighty Maker of all things. He is the Eternal One. He is "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy" (Isaiah 57: 15). On the isle of Patmos He introduced Himself to John with the words "1 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). There is a precious statement made in Hebrews 13:8, where we read: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever." It is good to know that midst all the changing scenes around there is One who is unchanging. He proved to His people of old that, regardless of their changing attitudes, He was ever the same faithful and dependable God. He proves today also that amid the vicissitudes of life He is the same steadfast, loving, forgiving Saviour who merits our full trust, love and confidence. He will be forever the same. He can say, "For I am the Lord, I change not" (Malachi 3:6). But now we would ask the question: Does the fact that Christ is ever the same as to His person, pathos, and power mean that His dealings with mankind are always the same? The answer is no. We should give heed to the different ways in which Christ is viewed and to the dissimilar programs for His people. It is interesting that Hebrews 13: 8 is followed by these words: "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines." There are those with divers and strange doctrines who quote the 8th verse to support their fancied healing programs. They say that when Jesus was here on earth He healed all who were brought to Him, and since He is always the same He heals today in the same way. Jesus Christ is indeed ever the same, but they fail to see that in His dealings with mankind He does not always act in the same way. He was not acting in the same capacity when here in the flesh in the form of a servant as He was in eternity past when in the form of God. He will not be acting in the same capacity in the future when speaking to the nations in His wrath as He is today when speaking to them in mercy and grace. And His instructions or marching orders for His people do change with the changing times. In Philippians 2: 5-7 is the great passage on the self-humbling of Christ. We read: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. " Here is found the Doctrine of the Kenosis. This title comes from the Greek in the expression "made Himself of no reputation" which really means "emptied Himself." This does not mean He divested Himself of His Deity. Not in the least. He was just as much God when walking the dusty trails of Galilee as when seated on His eternal throne and creating all things. Scofield says: "Nothing in this passage teaches that the Eterna! Word (John 1:I) emptied Himself of either His divine nature, or His attributes, but only of the outward and visible manifestation of the Godhead." In the time prior to His birth at Bethlehem He was in the form of God, and on an equality with God as a member of the Godhead Three. John 4:24 states that "God is a Spirit" so before His incarnation Christ had no physical body, but coming into the world He came in the body prepared for Him in the womb of the virgin. He lived among men in that body, was put to death in that body, and rose from the dead in bodily form, but it was now a glorified body no longer subject to natural laws. He ascended in that body and now there is something new in heaven. There is a Man in the Glory. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). Notice the one mediator is not the woman of the assumption but the Man of the Ascension, the Man Christ Jesus. And when He comes again to earth He will come in a body with the marks of Calvary on that body. We contemplate with awe this mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh, and we bow in wonder. This is holy ground and we put off the shoes from our feet. The great Creator humbling Himself, taking upon Him creature fonn, in order that He might die and atone for the creature's sins. After one of his sennons a woman came to Dr. McKay and said, "1 can't accept that." He replied, "You can't accept what?" "Well," she said, "this idea of God punishing an innocent man for the misdeeds of the guilty; that isn't right." Dr. McKay said, "Madam, it is not the case of God punishing an innocent man for guilty men. On the cross we see the offended God Himself, the One who had been sinned against, taking our humanity and dying in order that the guilt of His creatures might be taken away." "But is that right?" "Madam," replied he, "It is love." Yes, it was infinite love that brought the Saviour down from the ivory palaces above and into this world of sin and woe. It was love that caused Him to live here among men, despised and rejected and hated without a cause. It was love that led Him to Calvary to suffer and die, shedding His precious blood for our sins. We can say, "He loved me, and gave Himself for me." What should be our response to this love? We ought to love Him in return and to prove our love by living in a way that pleases Him. One never tires of reading in the gospels of the wonderful life lived by the Saviour while here on earth. The Apostle John had this wonderful life in view when he wrote: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1: 14). We read of the mighty works He performed, listen to the words of grace that fell from His lips, see Him ministering to the needs of those around, and we bow in worship and exclaim, "Truly this was the Son of God." And yet, the life lived by Jesus, sinless and God-pleasing though it was, could not save us. "Without the shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22), and "Except a com of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24). Sinners are saved, not by Christ's life, but by His death. The gospel is that Christ died for our sins and that Christ died for the ungodly. Further, in considering Jesus' wonderful life, and as much as we may profit from the record of it, we must recognize that when here in the flesh He was not sent to us Gentiles. He said: "1 am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). When here as King of the Jews, their Messiall, He confined His ministry to that people. Paul wrote: "Now 1 say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers" (Romans 15:8). The Lord Jesus Christ had come as Israel's long-awaited Messiah, the one who was to save them from their enemies, and while here He confined His ministry to that nation. We are not to think, however, that His life did not concern us Gentiles, for we do have a deep interest in it. By His sinlessness, as the Lamb without spot or blemish, He proved that He was competent to deal with our sins and to put them away by the sacrifice of Himself. Then, too, the fact that He was once here in this wilderness scene, tested and tried as we, is that which qualifies Him as our great High Priest, now to appear in the presence of God for us. And because of His experience, having walked where we walk, He knows and understands, and in our time of trouble can come alongside and give the help needed. The late Dr. Hallman has written: "Christ was tempted in all points like as we - sin excepted. His round of temptations gives Him experiential knowledge of our conflicts; so his sympathy is not just the pity of an onlooker, but the compassion of a fellow sufferer." The Scripture says: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4: 15). The double negative "not" and "cannot" express a strong affirmative: "We have a high priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Because of His experience, akin to ours, He knows and understands. Stuart Hutchinson tells of a boy who lost his right hand, and was so humiliated he wanted no one to see him. His father suggested that a certain minister come and see him, but the boy rebelled against it. Finally, the father sent for this minister, and when he came the boy saw that he too had lost his right hand. Then there was an immediate bond of sympathy. The minister could say: "I know how it feels." THE END

e Person of the Lord Jesus Christ! - John D. LaVier

The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ! John D. LaVier In reading any book it is good to know the author and the Bible is no exception. The Author of the Book is God and in it He has revealed Himself so that we may know Him. This knowledge is imperative and essential. In His great high-priestly prayer Jesus said, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). Dr. Bullinger has written an article on "The Christian's Greatest Need." In it he states that our greatest need is to know God, and God can only be known through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ Himself said, "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Matthew 11:27). Coming to Christ and putting our trust in Him and in the work He accomplished for us at Calvary we are saved by the grace of God and born into God's family. As newborn babes we are then to desire the sincere milk of the Word so that we may grow thereby. The child of God should be growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is accomplished by feeding on the Word, going from the milk to the meat, and becoming strong, mature and stalwart in the Christian life. Sadly, many never get off the milk diet, never develop, and remain spiritual babies. This must surely be a heartbreak to their heavenly Father. It is fitting that our first lessons should deal with the Person of God's Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is God's desire tllatHe should have the pre-eminence in all things and it is certainly our desire that He should be preeminent in these lessons; that every eye should see Him and hearts set aflame with love for Him. He is the great and grand subject of Scripture and it is important that we have proper thoughts of Him. Newell writes: "There are two great truths you must hold fast; the truth about our Lord's Person and the truth about His Work." Jesus asked the question, "What think ye of Christ?" and we ought to be certain we have the right answer. John Newton has well written: "What think ye of Christ? " is the test To try both your state and your scheme' You cannot be right in the rest, Unless you think rightly of Him. The Bible clearly teaches that the Babe born at Bethlehem, who lived among men as Jesus of Nazareth, was indeed Almighty God in human form.The prophet Micah, foretelling His birth, said, "Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (5:2). The gospel of John, which presents the Divinity and Deity of Jesus, opens with this tremendous statement: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The One referred to in this verse as "the Word" is none other than the Lord Jesus. This will also be His name at His second coming, for we read, "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19: 13). There are three things to be noted in John 1: 1: He was in the beginning. In I John 1:1 we also read of a beginning and there it refers to the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry. In Genesis 1:1 the reference is to the beginning of the creation. Here in John 1:1 we are taken back to ages past. This is really a beginning without a beginning. The Word (Gr. Logos) is the eternally existing Christ. He was with God. He was with God the Father and with God the Holy Ghost, for as God the Son He was a member of the Holy Trinity. Genesis 1:26 reads: "And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness. "The plural pronouns in this verse indicate the three Persons of the Godhead. 3) He was God. Words could not be plainer in expressing the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh" (l Tim. 3:16). The Lord Jesus, who was the Eternal Word, was truly God and the Creator as well. In the third verse of this first chapter of John's gospel is written: "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." It was the Trinity which said, "Let us ... make," but God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was the active agent in creation. There are many Scriptures which state this, such as Colossians 1:16, "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him." Also, Hebrews 1:2 affirms that "God ... hath in these last days spoken unto us (Hebrews) by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds." Christ is the Great God and Mighty Maker of all things. He is the Eternal One. He is "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy" (Isaiah 57: 15). On the isle of Patmos He introduced Himself to John with the words "1 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). There is a precious statement made in Hebrews 13:8, where we read: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever." It is good to know that midst all the changing scenes around there is One who is unchanging. He proved to His people of old that, regardless of their changing attitudes, He was ever the same faithful and dependable God. He proves today also that amid the vicissitudes of life He is the same steadfast, loving, forgiving Saviour who merits our full trust, love and confidence. He will be forever the same. He can say, "For I am the Lord, I change not" (Malachi 3:6). But now we would ask the question: Does the fact that Christ is ever the same as to His person, pathos, and power mean that His dealings with mankind are always the same? The answer is no. We should give heed to the different ways in which Christ is viewed and to the dissimilar programs for His people. It is interesting that Hebrews 13: 8 is followed by these words: "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines." There are those with divers and strange doctrines who quote the 8th verse to support their fancied healing programs. They say that when Jesus was here on earth He healed all who were brought to Him, and since He is always the same He heals today in the same way. Jesus Christ is indeed ever the same, but they fail to see that in His dealings with mankind He does not always act in the same way. He was not acting in the same capacity when here in the flesh in the form of a servant as He was in eternity past when in the form of God. He will not be acting in the same capacity in the future when speaking to the nations in His wrath as He is today when speaking to them in mercy and grace. And His instructions or marching orders for His people do change with the changing times. In Philippians 2: 5-7 is the great passage on the self-humbling of Christ. We read: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. " Here is found the Doctrine of the Kenosis. This title comes from the Greek in the expression "made Himself of no reputation" which really means "emptied Himself." This does not mean He divested Himself of His Deity. Not in the least. He was just as much God when walking the dusty trails of Galilee as when seated on His eternal throne and creating all things. Scofield says: "Nothing in this passage teaches that the Eterna! Word (John 1:I) emptied Himself of either His divine nature, or His attributes, but only of the outward and visible manifestation of the Godhead." In the time prior to His birth at Bethlehem He was in the form of God, and on an equality with God as a member of the Godhead Three. John 4:24 states that "God is a Spirit" so before His incarnation Christ had no physical body, but coming into the world He came in the body prepared for Him in the womb of the virgin. He lived among men in that body, was put to death in that body, and rose from the dead in bodily form, but it was now a glorified body no longer subject to natural laws. He ascended in that body and now there is something new in heaven. There is a Man in the Glory. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). Notice the one mediator is not the woman of the assumption but the Man of the Ascension, the Man Christ Jesus. And when He comes again to earth He will come in a body with the marks of Calvary on that body. We contemplate with awe this mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh, and we bow in wonder. This is holy ground and we put off the shoes from our feet. The great Creator humbling Himself, taking upon Him creature fonn, in order that He might die and atone for the creature's sins. After one of his sennons a woman came to Dr. McKay and said, "1 can't accept that." He replied, "You can't accept what?" "Well," she said, "this idea of God punishing an innocent man for the misdeeds of the guilty; that isn't right." Dr. McKay said, "Madam, it is not the case of God punishing an innocent man for guilty men. On the cross we see the offended God Himself, the One who had been sinned against, taking our humanity and dying in order that the guilt of His creatures might be taken away." "But is that right?" "Madam," replied he, "It is love." Yes, it was infinite love that brought the Saviour down from the ivory palaces above and into this world of sin and woe. It was love that caused Him to live here among men, despised and rejected and hated without a cause. It was love that led Him to Calvary to suffer and die, shedding His precious blood for our sins. We can say, "He loved me, and gave Himself for me." What should be our response to this love? We ought to love Him in return and to prove our love by living in a way that pleases Him. One never tires of reading in the gospels of the wonderful life lived by the Saviour while here on earth. The Apostle John had this wonderful life in view when he wrote: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1: 14). We read of the mighty works He performed, listen to the words of grace that fell from His lips, see Him ministering to the needs of those around, and we bow in worship and exclaim, "Truly this was the Son of God." And yet, the life lived by Jesus, sinless and God-pleasing though it was, could not save us. "Without the shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22), and "Except a com of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24). Sinners are saved, not by Christ's life, but by His death. The gospel is that Christ died for our sins and that Christ died for the ungodly. Further, in considering Jesus' wonderful life, and as much as we may profit from the record of it, we must recognize that when here in the flesh He was not sent to us Gentiles. He said: "1 am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). When here as King of the Jews, their Messiall, He confined His ministry to that people. Paul wrote: "Now 1 say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers" (Romans 15:8). The Lord Jesus Christ had come as Israel's long-awaited Messiah, the one who was to save them from their enemies, and while here He confined His ministry to that nation. We are not to think, however, that His life did not concern us Gentiles, for we do have a deep interest in it. By His sinlessness, as the Lamb without spot or blemish, He proved that He was competent to deal with our sins and to put them away by the sacrifice of Himself. Then, too, the fact that He was once here in this wilderness scene, tested and tried as we, is that which qualifies Him as our great High Priest, now to appear in the presence of God for us. And because of His experience, having walked where we walk, He knows and understands, and in our time of trouble can come alongside and give the help needed. The late Dr. Hallman has written: "Christ was tempted in all points like as we - sin excepted. His round of temptations gives Him experiential knowledge of our conflicts; so his sympathy is not just the pity of an onlooker, but the compassion of a fellow sufferer." The Scripture says: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4: 15). The double negative "not" and "cannot" express a strong affirmative: "We have a high priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Because of His experience, akin to ours, He knows and understands. Stuart Hutchinson tells of a boy who lost his right hand, and was so humiliated he wanted no one to see him. His father suggested that a certain minister come and see him, but the boy rebelled against it. Finally, the father sent for this minister, and when he came the boy saw that he too had lost his right hand. Then there was an immediate bond of sympathy. The minister could say: "I know how it feels."

Death and Resurrection - By Ike T. Sidebottom

Death and Resurrection  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.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. I Know Whom (Click) I Have Believed youtube.comLes Feldick Daily Les Feldick Ministrieshttp://www.lesfeldick.org/30706 W. Lona Valley Rd.Kinta, OK 74552 Jesus is JEHOVAH The One True GOD (Click Here) Posted By Cecil and Connie Spiveyhttps://www.facebook.com/cecil.spivey  Share this BIBLE  STUDY to all your friends

The ABCs Of Salvation - Cecil Spivey

The ABCs Of Salvation Cecil Spivey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlBiNUEpBzU