The Moral Necessity of a Universal Judgment

The Moral Necessity of the Universal Assize

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," saith the Scripture (Heb. 9:27). Again, God "hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead" (Acts 17: 31). These and many other Scriptures stress the fact of the coming judgment for all people. Of a truth, "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (II Cor. 5:10; cf. Dan. 7:9-10; Matt. 25:31-32; Rev. 20:11-13). 

 

Aside from Scripture's incontrovertible declarations of the universal assize to come, there is another witness of it which is of great weight. It is that of the moral necessity of the great judgment day, in which all people, "both small and great" shall appear before "the Judge of all the earth" for the final disposition of their cases (Gen. 18:25; Rev. 20:12). Since God is God and it is fundamentally a moral universe in which people live and have lived, logic shuts us up to the conclusion that ultimately God will call everyone before Him to account for the time they spent and the things they did in the flesh. So many things are never justly adjudicated in this life that the prevalence of any semblance of righteous authority and order demands that in the future there be a final detennination and decree setting things thoroughly straight and meting-out retribution and rewards.

 

Even on the level of earthly government, though greatly perverted in these days of general laxity and judicial corruption, this prmciple obtains. "In all human governments there must be an assize held. Government cannot be conducted without its days of session and trial." Obviously, this necessity is greatly intensified in the case of God's rule of the universe. "Inasmuch ais sin and evil are in the world, it can fairly be anticipated that there will be a time of judgment. God will go on circuit, and will call the prisoners before Him, and the guilty shall receive their condemnation. Judge for yourself; is this present state the conclusion of all things? If so, what evidence would you adduce of the divine justice, in view of the facts in the case. The best of men are often in this world the poorest and most afflicted. The worst of men acquire wealth, practice oppression, and receive homage from the crowd.
 

"Who are they that ride in the high places of the earth? Are they not those, great transgressors, who 'wade through slaughter to a throne and shut the gates of mercy on mankind?' Where are the servants of God? They are in obscurity and suffering full often. Do they not sit like Job among the ashes, subjects of little pity, objects of much upbraiding? And where are the enemies of God? Do not many of them wear purple and fine linen and fare sumptuously every day? If there be no hereafter, then the "rich man" has the best of it (Lu. 16:19-30); and the selfish man who fears not God is, after all, the wisest of men, and more to be commended than his fellows.

 

"But it cannot be so. Our common sense revolts against the thought. There must be another state in which these anomalies will all be rectified. 'If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most niiserable', says the Apostle (I Cor. 15:19). The best of men were driven to the worst of straits in those persecuting times for being God's servants. How say ye, then, Finis coronat opus', the end crowns the work? That cannot be the final issue of life, or justice itself were frustrated. There must be a restitution for those who suffer unjustly; there must be punishment for the wicked and the oppressor."

The Voice of History

"History is a voice for ever sounding across the centuries the laws of right and wrong. Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral law is written on the tablets of eternity. For every false word or unrighteous deed, for cruelty and oppression, for lust or vanity, the price has to be paid at last. Justice and truth alone endure and live." While calamities, plagues, famines, and disasters of every sort are precursors to a final Day of Judgment, God has nevertheless "appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He has ordained; whereof He has given assurance unto all men, in that He has raised Him from the dead (Acts 17:31).  He shall most assuredly bring every word and work into judgment. 

A Holy Regard for the Fulfillment of Prophecy

Unlike the prophecy mongers of our day, it is evident that Daniel was driven by a holy desire for the prophecy's fulfillment (see Dan. 9). He was constrained by his evident love for, and devotion to the LORD God, and also a love for God's holy people, Israel, who had been sent into captivity because of their sin and rebellion against the Most High. Let us seek to emulate Daniel in this holy regard for the fulfillment of the things which God has made promise. 

The Nature and Blessing of the Scriptures

The Nature and Blessing of the Scriptures 

This Book unfolds Jehovah's Mind, 

This Voice salutes in accents kind, 

This Fountain has its source on High, 

This Friend will all your needs supply. 

This Mine affords us boundless wealth, 

This Good Physician gives us health, 

This Sun renews and warms our soul, 

This Sword both wounds and makes us whole. 

This Letter shows our sin forgiven, 

This Guide conducts us straight to Heaven, 

This Charter has been sealed with blood,

This Volume is the Word of God. 

--Anonymous (found on the flyleaf of a Bible)

Regeneration Implies Divine Energy

"Regeneration implies a Divine energy. Those forms of religion which are satisfied with man as he is may dispense with any very marked activity on God's side in religion. But when the ruin of man is acknowledged, the chief element in religion must be, not man's devotion, but God's salvation. Now, this is what we see in the Bible. There man appears in his sinfulness and helplessness, utterly unfit for heaven, or even for earthy life in its beauty and fruitfulness. And there God is seen as the mighty Deliverer coming to the rescue of His heloless child."—W. F. Adeney

The Loneliness and Opposition of the Saint

The Loneliness and Opposition of the Saint  

 

It is human to stand with the crowd; it is divine to stand alone.  It is manlike to follow the people, to drift with the tide; it is Godlike to follow a divine principle, to stem the tide. It is natural to cornpromise conscience and follow the social and religious fashion for the sake of gain or pleasure; it is against nature to sacrifice both on the altar of God's will. 

 

"No man stood with me, but all men forsook me", wrote the battle-scarred Apostle in describing his first appearance before Nero to answer with his life for believing and teaching contrary to the Roman world (II Tim. 4:16). Truth has been out of fashion since man changed his robes of fadeless light for a garment of faded leaves. Noah built and voyaged alone. His neighbors laughed at his strangeness and perished in style. Abraham wandered and worshipped alone. Sodomites smiled at the simple shepherd; followed the fashion and fed the flames. Daniel watched and prayed alone. Elijah sacrificed and witnessed alone. Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone. 

 

The Lord Jesus Christ loved and died alone! And of the lonely way His disciples should walk, He said: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matt. 7:13-14). Of their treatment by the many who walk in the broad way, He said: "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (Jn. 15:19). 
 

The church in the wilderness praised Abraham and persecuted Moses. The church of Caiaphas praised the Prophets and persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ. The church of the popes praised the Savior and persecuted the saints. And multitudes now, both in the so-called church and in the world, applaud the courage and fortitude of the Prophets, Apostles, and martyrs, but condemn as stubbornness and foolishness, like faithfulness to truth today. 

 

Now is the accepted time for men and women, young and old, to obey the Word of God in their convictions of truth and duty, at the cost of fortune and friends, and even of life itself. "Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (II Cor. 6:17-18). "Havmg therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7:1). --The Bible Friend

The Holy Spirit Clothes Himself with Sanctified Humanity

In the redemption in Christ "the Holy Spirit of God clothes Himself with sanctified humanity, and in Him sanctified humanity is clothed. He fits in with every element of personality, gives power of expression to every faculty, shines in illuminating power upon every theme in reason, conscience, and heart, and brings to pass the ideals, desires, and purposes of God in heart and life. He quickens the mind, purifies the heart, and strengthens the whole man." --Samuel Chadwick

Durch die Erlösung, die in Christo Jesu ist, bekleidet sich der Heilige Geist mit geheiligter Humanität.
 
 

Christ’s Forerunner, Elias (Elijah)

Christ’s Forerunner, Elias (Elijah)

By Al Stoner

Behold, He (the Lord Jesus Christ) Shall Come!  But before He comes, He shall send His forerunner before His face to prepare His way before Him.  This was true regarding the Lord's first coming into the world, and it shall also be fulfilled just prior to His second (His final) coming at the end of the world.

With regard to the coming of the Lord, there are many things that we have been given to know of a surety.  “I will come again!”

1. “And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).
2. “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” (I Jn. 3:2).
3. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:27-28).
4. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:1-3).

Siehe, ich sende meinen Boten, daß er den Weg bereite vor mir her. Und plötzlich wird zu seinem Tempel kommen der Herr, den ihr suchet; und der Engel des Bundes, den ihr begehret: siehe, er kommt, spricht Jahwe der Heerscharen.

Вот, Я посылаю Ангела Моего, и он приготовит путь предо Мною, и внезапно придет в храм Свой Господь, Которого вы ищете, и Ангел завета, Которого вы желаете; вот, Он идет, говорит Господь Саваоф.

The "Communication" of One's Life

By combining one of the meanings of the word "conversation" as used in the King James Version of Scripture, with the modern understanding of the word, the efficacy of one's being and conduct as a means of communication is brought forcefully to light. In the 17th century, "conversation" was used to, among other things, denote manner of life, conduct, behavior. Thus, such Scriptures as I Pet. 1:15: "Be ye holy in all manner of conversation"; or, per modern translations: "in all manner of living" (ASV), "in all your conduct" (RSV), "in all your behavior" (Confrat. V). Today, we ordinarily use the word "conversation" to mean oral communication, or speech by which we express ourselves, or to communicate by word of mouth. But we speak not only vocally; what we actually are and the way we live speak even more tellingly. Hence, in the usage of the present, our manner of living can be well considered as "conversation," or a speaking to others, as, indeed, it most surely is. The Apostle declared, it will be recalled, we are "the epistle of Christ" "read and known of all men" (II Cor. 3:2-3). It has been aptly said, "What you are [and do] speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say". Let us, therefore, take due heed to ourselves, that our "conversation," thus considered, or our being and conduct, "show forth" the glory and praise of God, as well as what we express in our speech (I Pet. 2:9).--Fred O. Blakely 

The Unsheltered Alien Sinner

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him" (Jn. 3:36, RSV; cf. v. 18). When something of the awful condition of being exposed to the wrath of God is perceived, the inconceivably grave state of the alien sinner, as set forth by this text, begins to appear. That wrath can be utterly consuming of the object of its visitation, as scriptural examples of its outpouring abundantly demonstrate. The person of accountable status to God who is not in Christ is wholly unsheltered from the Divine wrath, which is "revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (Rom. 1:18). He constantly lives under that dread exposure—when he abides in his domicile, when he lies down, when he arises, when he goes out, when he comes in. All the while God is completely uninhibited, as to justice, from wreaking His wrath to the full against such a one. Somehow, we of the church must make those who are out of Christ realize this terrible state of things. In such a condition, one should not let another day come to a close—nay, another moment pass—ere he flees to Jesus Christ for refuge from the righteous wrath of the holy God against him. --Fred O. Blakely 

Jerusalem Jerusalem

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! the blessing lingers yet

On the city of the chosen, where the Sabbath seal was set

And though her sons are scattered, and her daughters weep apart,

While desolation, like a pall, weighs down each faithful heart;

As the plain beside the waters, as the cedar on the hills,

She shall rise in strength and beauty when the Lord Jehovah wills:

He has promised her protection, and the holy pledge ~is good,

Tis whispered through the olive groves, and murmured by the flood,

As in the Sabbath stillness the Jordan's flow is heard,

And by the Sabbath breezes the hoary trees are stirred.

             --Mrs. Hale, in "The Rhyme of Life

The New Heavens and the New Earth

"The present material universe, yet unrevealed in all its area, in all its tenantries, in all its riches, beauty and grandeur, will be wholly regenerated. Of this fact we have full assurance, since He that now sits upon the throne of the universe has pledged His Word for it, saying, 'Behold, I create all things new!' Consequently, 'new heavens, new earth'; consequently, new tenantries, new employments, new pleasures, new joys, new ecstasies. There is a fullness of joy, a fullness of glory, and a fullness of blessedness of which no living man, however enlightened, however enlarged, however gifted, ever formed or entertained one adequate conception." --Alexander Campbell, in the Millennial Harbinger

The Work of the Church

"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12). The purpose of Christ's death, we are told, was "that He might bring us to God" (I Pet. 3:18). So is the church's work cut out for and assigned to it. That work is to bring people to God through the Son, and build them up in Him. Thus declares the text printed above. To equip the church for that ministry was why the Lord "ascended up far above all heavens." It was that "He might fill all things" (Eph. 4:10). Thus, it is written that the saints are "builded together" in the church "for an habitation of God through the Spmt" (ch. 2:21-22). "I will dwell in them, and walk m them," says God (II Cor. 6:16). Reincamated in the church, the Father and the Son will manifest Themselves to and function m the world. To the extent that the church lacks this concept of its mission, it has been blinded by Satan, the god of this world. The church is not a mere religious club, whose primary function is to recruit members to itself, and have a good time together in the flesh. It is God's habitation through the Spirit. Hence, it is to be unvaryingly God-centered. In the measure that it departs from that mission, the church has become corrupted by the spirit of the world, which is that of its adversary, the Devil. --Fred O. Blakely 

The Way to Victory in Christ

The remedy for love of the world is the knowledge and love of God, who is exactly opposite to the world (I Jn. 2:1~5-16). To be drawn to the world with its lusts, is to be drawn away from God (Jas. 1:13-14). And, vice versa, to be enamored with God, is to have the world's appeal neutralized.  Those who "turn from the holy commandment" or the requirement for holiness, after having embraced the way of righteousness (II Pet. 2:21), reproach God. They imply that what sin offers is better than what is to be had in His fellowship. 

The antidote to such unfaithfulness is to "taste" of the Lord, "that He is gracious" (I Pet. 2:3; cf. Ps. 34:8). No other procedure is effective for overcoming the world. We must "taste of the good word of God" and "the heavenly gift" in order'to perceive the emptiness and deceit of the world's attractions (Heb. 6:4-5). That is God's means for our triumph over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. It is the way of faith in Christ (I Jn. 5:4-5). --Fred O. Blakely 

Pure and Righteous Judgment

Over and over in the Scriptures men are told to judge with righteous judgment as it is in accord with God's righteous judgment. "He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness" (Ps. 9:8). "The heavens shall declare His righteousness; for God is judge Himself (Ps. 50:6). "O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth" (Ps 67:4). "...He cometh to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth" (Ps. 96:13). Men of faith, men of righteousness, all those who live their lives "as innocent as doves" and suffer for it can live with hope in view of God's righteous judgment. "But, O Lord of hosts, that judges righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see Thy vengeance of them; for unto Thee have I revealed my cause" (Jer 11:20). And so like Jesus, when they are reviled they can revile not again and when they suffer, they can threaten not, but can commit themselves to Him who judges righteously (l Pet 2:23). The pouring out of the wrath of God is a controlled and precisely orchestrated procedure. There is great fury and indignation that is poured out in an effortless and uninhibited way. There is not a struggle. There is not an explosion of emotion. No outbursts of anger but simply a rendering to every man his reward. --Patrick B. Woods

Channels of Divine Influence

'Men are channels of Divine influence to our souls, and, as such, should be acknowledged in their work.' Paul was an example of this practice when he wrote: "God, that comforteth them that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus" (II Cor. 7:6).

Keeping God's Commandments

"Keeping the commandments does not mean absolute perfection. It means serving God in the spirit of obedience and consecration. It does not mean faultlessness, but it does mean yielding to Him whom we love, living for Him, preference for Christ above all else, and glad acceptance of His will."

Corruption and Destruction

"Corruption and destruction are inseparably associated together. The man's old-nature lusts are his own executioners, fitting him more and more for eternal corruption and death."

The Glory of Christ's Manifestation

The Glory of the Manifestation. "Abide in Him, that when He shall appear [be manifested, ASV], we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming (I Jn. 2:28). "The deep meaning of the Savior's manifestation is concealed in the word 'appear'. The ASV brings it out to clear light by the word 'manifested' [Peter calls it His "revelation" (I Pet. 1:13; cf. I Jn. 3:2, ASV).  When He was on earth, 'a weary Man and full of woes', there was a veil over His true glory, through which only a few could see. When He comes the second time. He will be seen 'as He is'-'in His glory' (Matt. 25:31; I Jn. 3:2)."

Seek the Things Above

Seek the Things Above. "While we were servants, we held by lease, and that but for the term of a transitory life. (But the Son abideth ever' (Jn. 8:35). O my soul, let go thy dreams of present pleasure, and loose thy hold of earth and flesh. Study frequently and study thoroughly this one word eternity. What, live and never die! Rejoice, and ever rejoice! O happy souls in heaven! This one word everlasting contains the perfection of our glory—of that salvation ready to be revealed at the last time' (I Pet. 1:5)."

Seid ihr nun mit Christo auferstanden, so suchet, was droben ist, da Christus ist, sitzend zu der Rechten Gottes.

Si donc vous êtes ressuscités avec Christ, cherchez les choses d'en haut, où Christ est assis à la droite de Dieu.

Итак, если вы воскресли со Христом, то ищите горнего, где Христос сидит одесную Бога;

On the Good Ministry of Hope

On the Good Ministry of Hope

“God’s fixed and faithful Word gives us certainty of future. Nor need our own sin or weakness dash our confidence, for his promises are made to the sinful and weak. We have a rock on which to build. Why should our hope cast its anchor on some floating island which may drift and melt away, when it may be fastened within the veil?”

“Some good people say ‘I hope’ in such tremulous melancholy tones that it sounds like ‘I fear.’  Joyous confidence becomes those who have God to lean on. “I am persuaded,” “we know,” are the words with which Paul and John heralded their hopes; and we should be bold to use the same. It is blessedness to hope perfectly. So we escape the alternations which, like the hot and the shivering fits of ague, rack others, and the bitterness of disappointment when some gleaming vision collapses, and, instead of the rainbow—hued bubble, we are left with a drop of dirty water. He who lives by earthly hopes is in danger of dying by earthly disappointments. A fulfilled hope is often a disappointed one. We may have a pillar of fire to guide us in all the darkness, which will glow brighter as we draw near the end. It is strength to hope perfectly. Hope is often a trifler, robbing us of energy, making the present flat, and withdrawing us from working in order to dream. But Christian hope is an armed warrior, grave and calm, ready for conflict because assured of victory. It will be as wings to lift us above care and sorrows, and as cords to bind us to duty and toil.” —Excerpted from Alexander MacLaren

The Glory of the New Covenant

It Is the Keeping Power of the Gospel! The Glory of the New Covenant By Michael P. Blakely ". . . Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Pet. 1:5). We who are Christ's know that we serve the only true God, and that ours is the only true religion, the popularity and apparent success of other religions notwithstanding. Yet, Christianity seems to be the least successful of the major religions of the world, as measured by man's standards of growth. We can't seem to reach enough new people to add to our number, and of the few who are added, too many remain spiritual infants, are persistent in living ungodly, or just drop out altogether.   The wisdom of men has been employed to remedy the situation in the form of legions of growth programs, recruiting formulae, and the like, all the while neglecting the greatest remedy of all. The very gospel that has been cast aside by wise men has been ordained to be the wisdom and power of God to salvation.   Instruction Not the Answer. "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD" (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:11).   The power of the gospel that has been hidden from wise men is in its proclamation, not in instruction. The qualities of the new creatures in Christ are those of new affections, renewed minds, an affinity for God, and hatred for sin and worldliness. These are the things which cannot be produced by instruction. More people should be alarmed that there is such a lack of devoted people in the churches at a time when there is unprecedented teachings, methods, and formulae for devotion!   We cannot cause people to love God by telling them that they ought to love God. We cannot cause people to get excited about going to heaven by teaching them how to be excited about going to heaven. Worshippers cannot be taught nor coerced into worship. The changing, transforming power of the gospel that causes men to be true worshippers, anxiously anticipating their beloved Lord's soon return, comes from preaching it--proclaiming it--and believing it!   Transforming power. God has ordained the preaching of the gospel to remedy the contrariness of the carnal nature. The power of the gospel is that which can bring about a complete change in men pronounced dead by the law--which law, coincidentally, was a body of instructions. (One would think that that example would be sufficient to prove the fruitlessness of instructions on how to please God).   The change that the gospel effects in the believer is not only a change in relationship to God--that is, a removal of the stains of sin and the terrible wrath and judgment of God, and the appropriation of His love and grace--but it also effects a change in the man himself. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (II Cor. 5:17). To further expound the point, the transformation that takes place in the believer is not merely an improvement of the old man. The entire corrupt, old man is rejected and God creates a new man in Christ.   New Devotion. Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren that, "the love of Christ constraineth us" (II Cor. 5:14). The context of that passage is telling us that Paul gave himself in undying devotion to God and the work of spreading the gospel because of Christ's love for him, and his love for Christ. That was apparently a powerfully motivating factor, as anyone who knows even a little about the life of the Apostle Paul can see.   It is the love of God and Christ that draws us to the Father, and that initiates the heart's reaction of gratitude and contrition. The knowledge and belief of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ will produce that devotion that is so lacking today. The preaching of Christ's sufferings and great sacrifice will cause the hard heart to become tender toward God.    How can we envision His sufferings for our sins and not be compelled to draw closer? How can we survey that great glory that He left behind in order to save us and not listen to His words? We carefully examine his great love for us as He prayed in agony in the garden, and as He freely laid down His life on the cross, and we know we must embrace this Savior.   In the Scriptures many responded with the simple question, "What must I do to be saved?" as if to say, "How can I honor Him? I do not want to be guilty of rejecting this great salvation. What does my loving, merciful, and gracious God require of His unworthy servant? I will do it because I see that I can trust Him. I see that He bore all of the punishment that I deserved and I will come to Him in faith, trusting that goodness and mercy which I now so plainly see."   The gospel necessitates a humble response from the believer. It will produce that sense of great obligation and undying gratitude in the heart when it is preached. But this is merely the beginning point of our transformation. The Christian life is one marked by continual spiritual growth and godly change.   Devotion alone is not enough to satisfy the whole man and to keep him on the straight and narrow way. There must be some long-term expectations, some other-worldly power to keep the carnal nature at bay, and to satisfy the hungry soul. That power which continues our transformation is provided also in the new covenant.   The Glorious Incentives. One of the hallmarks of the new covenant which distinguishes it from the old is that it provides glorious incentives to man. Anyone who has studied the nature of man at all can attest to the changing power that incentive can have on one's living. The incentive of the new covenant is glory for those who are partakers in it! "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him" (Isa. 64:4; I Cor. 2:9). Just what the intricate details of that glory are we cannot possibly precisely conceive, but the Scriptures do give us insight into what the glorious final product will be, which end the divine transformation has now begun in us.   That end is to be glorified with the very One who gave Himself for us: "but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (I Jn. 3:2). That great truth has yet to dawn upon the average churchman of our day, and yet the Holy Spirit gives the promise living, transforming, power in the lives of believers. To those who are looking for the transforming power of the gospel the word of truth rings clear, "we shall be like Him!"   We are Changed by Believing. The bane of neglecting to preach the gospel is faithless, powerless, stagnant--if not dead--people. O that more men would believe that He has made us "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:17,18)!   We do not transform ourselves into something that is pleasing to God by obedience, rather, God begins the transformation in us when we believe the gospel, and continues that transformation by our continued faith. It is our faith which appropriates His blessings, not our compliance with code. Our Creator well knows that if we will only believe what He has done for us in Jesus Christ, and His wonderful promises, that will be sufficient to cause a change in us.   "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not us" (II Cor. 4:7,8). That "knowledge" in "the face of Jesus Christ" is the knowledge of what we are becoming--the change that our transformation is affecting. If one wants to know how God has made us new, we bid them look at Christ!   One, with God and Christ. This is what Jesus earnestly prayed for, "And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them." "And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One" (Jn. 17:10,22). To become like our Savior! That is the glory of the new covenant!   Whatever can be said about Jesus Christ can be said about all of God's sons and daughters by faith. He is God's Son, and we have been made God's many sons. The glorious situation of redeemed man under the new covenant is just this, that God "hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). By faith, we are being "changed into the same image" of His glorious Son, to the end that we will also be triumphant, reigning, blessed sons, as He is (II Cor. 3:18).   Christ is thus described as the "forerunner" (Heb. 6:20), the "firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29), and the "firstborn from the dead" (Col. 1:18). "First" signifying that there will be many others who will follow in His glorious footsteps. By God's grace and our faith, we are those "many sons!" God help us to grasp the great salvation in Jesus Christ! The transforming, sanctifying, power of the gospel is in preaching it, and believing it. The sacred conclusion then, is that by faith, "every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (I Jn. 3:3).

 

For the Time is at Hand

For the Time is at Hand

By Al Stoner

“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (Rev. 1:3).

In the first part of verse 3 the Apostle we are apprised of the absolute necessity of giving heed to the words that are written here in order to one’s preservation unto eternal life.  Taking up the words of Paul in Hebrews we must give heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let the words slip, tragically resulting in our faith no longer being able to take firm hold of them.  The reading, hearing, and keeping of these words are all essential labors, unto which men must constantly give themselves in order to receive the divinely intended profit from them.  The words must be “mixed with faith” in the ones who hear them.

For the Time is at Hand. The eternal God is speaking here from the perspective of eternity.  The time is at hand.  From God’s perspective, the outworking of this purpose is extending over six or seven days.  “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”  “For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Ps. 90:4). 

Similar Apostolic Expressions.  It is the last time. “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (I Jn. 2:18).

The appearance of antichrists in the first generation became a reasoning point for the Apostle that it is the last time.  God has sent forth His Son, who is the express Image of the Father, and the Fulfillment of all that holy Prophets had prophesied of since the beginning of the world.  God has given the Greatest and the Best that He has to give in the Person of His Beloved Son.  And John correctly reasons that the major satanic assaults against God’s Greatest and Best are a demonstration that it is the last time.

In the first century there were several major assaults against the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ by those who professed to be of Christ. 

1) Those who denied the Father and the Son. “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also” (I Jn. 2:22-23).

Those who denied that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I Jn. 4:1-4).

“They went out from us, but they were not of us.”  These major assaults against the faith of Christ were coming from those who were once among the camp of the saints.  The faithful and uncompromising adherence to the proclamation of the truth, as it is in Christ, will ultimately drive such ones out. 

2) Those who held and taught the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6, 15), which encouraged indulgence in fleshly lusts. (The evil proponents of this error reasoned with their hearers that fleshly lusts were given to them of God, and therefore it is proper to give expression to them.) The church at Ephesus was commended by the Lord Jesus for their hating of “the deeds of the Nicolaitans”.  And here is graphically demonstrated that doctrines that are taught and embraced by men will indeed affect their manner of living before God, either for weal or for woe.

3) Those who held and taught the doctrine of Balaam, “who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication” (Rev. 2:14).  The doctrine of Balaam is also associated with prostituting the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ to become a means of monetary gain (as can be seen in Numbers 23 and 24).

The time is short.  “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away” (I Cor. 7:29-31).

Our salvation is nearer than when we (first) believed. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Rom. 13:11-12).

A short work shall the Lord work upon the earth.  “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth” (Rom. 9:27-28).

For the elects’ sake the days shall be shortened. “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days” (Mk. 13:19-20).

The Proper Understanding of Such Utterances as are Found in Matthew 24. And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Mt. 24:3).

In the Lord’s Matthew 24 discourse, He is answering all three of these questions, not systematically, as the carnal mind would desire, but rather from the perspective of God’s eternal purpose, and from a perspective that ministers to faith.  The New Covenant era is the time when the just shall live by faith.

Epochal Events in History.  History is divinely marked by certain epochal events, particularly, the flood, the calling Abraham, the giving of the Law, the first coming of Christ into the world, the resurrection and ascension of Christ, the enthronement of Christ, and finally the second coming of Christ. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.”

Other significant events in earth’s history would be the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel (though this was a severe judgment on the part of the Most High, yet it resulted in the birth of different nations, and in the scattering of peoples all over the face of the earth. These were nations from which God would draw a people for His Name’s sake, and a bride for His beloved Son). 

We see from this word in Deuteronomy that the scattering which took place at the Tower of Babel was not a random scattering, but rather one characterized by Divine purpose.  “When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance” (Deut. 32:8-9).

Another noteworthy event in earth’s history was Israel’s wilderness trek, and their consequent entrance into the land of Canaan with Joshua and Caleb being the only two of the original adults who actually entered into the Promised Land. What wonder and sobriety for succeeding generations to consider!  “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” (Rom. 3:3), Paul reasons in this connection in his letter to the Romans.  Also, in First Corinthians 10 and Hebrews 3 and 4, he brings forth his strong arguments with those who were out of step with the manner of the New Covenant.

And still other significant events are God’s dealings with “Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim” (Deut. 29:23), cities that God overthrew because of their indulgence in base sinful lusts.  We also could not leave out the angels that sinned, in this connection, as both Peter and Jude cite their wicked examples as a warning against the consequences of rebellion against the Most High.

How the Holy Spirit Summarizes History and Time.  From Adam to Moses.  “(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come” (Rom. 5:13-14).

The Time of Law and the Time of Grace and Truth.  “John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (Jn. 1:15-18).

When the Time of the Promise Drew Nigh.  “But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph” (Acts 7:17-18).

When the Day of Pentecost was Fully Come. Fifty days after the Passover.  “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

In these Last Days. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;” (Heb. 1:1-2).  God has nothing greater to reveal of His own Person and purpose than what He has revealed in His beloved Son.

“He is coming. He is actually on the way. The train of events which will bring him to us has long ago begun to move; and only, only as we recognize this do we understand the meaning of the dispensation under which we live. Of old, whether men knew it or not, every event was made subservient to the first appearing; and now every event is being so guided and controlled as to prepare the way for the second. Not a moment is being lost.” –The Pulpit Commentary

The Time is at Hand. What shall be our conclusion drawn from the consideration that two millennia of time have passed since the Savior first came into the world?  The time is at hand.  What shall be our response to the mockers in the last time who say, Where is the promise of His coming?  The time is at hand.  With what words shall we encourage one another as we approach the end of this ungodly age?  The time is at hand. And what shall we say when we behold the fig tree, when her branch is yet tender, and she is putting forth her leaves?  The time is at hand.

 

The Waiting God

His Longsuffering Waits in Our Day Too!

 

The Waiting God

By Timothy McCulfor 

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Pet. 3:9). 

God Waited in the Days of Noah. Scripture declares that “once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing” (I Pet. 3:20). What was God waiting for? God had already pronounced judgment saying to Noah, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Gen. 6:13). Was He waiting for Noah to finish building the ark? Certainly God could have destroyed the earth immediately and carried Noah away in chariots of fire. Clearly man needed to be punished, for God saw that “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). God’s justice demanded that the rebels be destroyed, and yet, their sin continued and God waited.  There was no reason for this delay but the great mercy of God. But this is the very situation sinners are in today. They are continuing in sin and God is waiting. 

The Testimony of God’s Abundant Mercy. God is not willing that any should perish. If one sheep wanders off, He leaves the ninety and nine and seeks the lost one. The Son of man came to “seek and to save that which was lost.” This is the heart of our great and merciful God. It has been His pattern to delay punishment, while offering forgiveness to sinners. 

“But to Israel He saith, All day long I have stretched forth My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Rom. 10:21). Here God was waiting for Israel while they continued in sin.  To the church at Thyatira, Jesus said that He had given that woman Jezebel “space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not” (Rev. 2:21). Jesus was waiting for Jezebel while she refused to repent. In one of His parables Jesus described a fig tree to which the owner of the vineyard came seeking fruit three years and found none. “Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?”, was his verdict. But the dresser of the vineyard interceded, willing to extend even more effort to see fruit on this tree, and the judgment was delayed yet another year (Lk. 13:6-9). 

God is waiting for people to respond to Him and bear fruit and He is working to see it accomplished. “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jer. 31:3). “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (Jn. 12:32).  “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (Ps. 103:8). These all demonstrate God’s deep desire that none should perish. We see somewhat of His ever enduring mercy and should be constrained by His love. 

God is Waiting. God is waiting in this day of salvation. He is waiting for the sinners to repent and believe the gospel. The wrath of God is ready to be revealed. Justice demands that those who “know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” be “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” (II Th. 1:8-9). The natural creation, the holy angels, and God’s own holy nature are calling for the day of judgment. God’s beloved martyrs cry out for vengeance. His precious saints are suffering persecution and yet His longsuffering is waiting.  Oh, how He wants people to repent! 

Judgment Will Come. Though God is now in a stance of waiting, the day is coming when He will judge the earth. Though now mercy rejoiceth against judgment, there will come a time when mercy is brought to fruition, having perfectly finished its work, and the time for judgment will have come. “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all...” (Jude 15).  People should not marvel that God will bring fierce judgment one day. The great marvel is that it hasn’t happened yet. The spectacle is that it has been delayed so long. 

Many people can not fathom the thought of a loving God sending people to hell, yet all the while they are rebelling against His outstretched arms.  All the while they are indifferent to His Word; they don’t like His people, and they mock His gospel. This loving God sent His only Son to die in their place so they could escape the fire of hell. God gave His best and if people refuse His Son He has nothing else to offer. 

In a very real sense God is not sending people to hell. Their sin has already condemned them to all the agony of hell poured out forever. God is actually seeking to stop them from going there. The cross of Christ has been planted squarely in the pathway to hell providing a way of escape and anyone who goes to hell must get around that cross. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (II Cor. 5:20). The full extent of God’s love is now offered to all freely through the preaching of the cross. The full extent of His wrath will then be poured out upon all who rejected His mercy; to some few stripes and to some many (cf. Lk. 12:47-48). 

A Sin against Mercy. Every second of delay brings the sinner closer to the unleashing of God’s wrath against him. Until the final shutting of the door of salvation, every second is one in which God is waiting. His mercy is staying the hand of the reaper and all the while the cry for justice grows in intensity. The justice that is called for is not for the mending of the breach brought about by breaking God’s law. This injustice has been fully atoned for in the sacrifice of Christ. Rather the cause for judgment of the sinner is an even greater debt, for it is the continual rejection of Christ’s outstretched hands and His putting away of their sins. Those who refuse have trodden under foot the Son of God. They are guilty of a persistent rebellion against God’s mercy.  

Behold My Servant

Behold My Servant

"Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him:

He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Thus saith God the LORD, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house" (Isa. 42:1-7).

The LORD Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth here exhorts, and even commands men to behold His Servant, to consider His Servant, to give the more earnest heed to His Servant, to look at His Servant, to look unto His Servant, and to draw nigh unto God through His Servant. His Servant is none other than His Christ, His Elect, His Chosen One, His Anointed One, the Lord Jesus Christ, Him Who is the Resurrection and the Life, Him Who is the first-begotten from the dead, Him, Who did lay down His life a ransom for many, and Who is the Savior of all men, specially of those who believe.

The Necessity of Suffering for the Saint

 

The Necessity of Suffering for the Saint

By Fred O. Blakely

It is disgusting to hear breezy, but superficial, preachers proclaiming abundance of everything and freedom from all sickness and pain for all who have enough faith in God. Such a message has a compelling appeal to the flesh a6nd the carnal mind, and today ensnares many. It represents, however, “a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). The expectation of utopian existence in the flesh produced by this kind of doctrine cannot but result in acute disappointment and frustration in the faith life, which can ensue in actual shipwreck of the faith itself. 

It is a gross fallacy to assert or imply that all suffering is caused by personal sin. It is true that in a given case, this may be so; but it would take a person endued with special revelation from God to identify that case. Lacking such enduement, we should refrain from assuming it. Actually, the exact opposite of the charge of sin has been demonstrated to be the true situation in renowned instances of affliction. 

The experience of Job is the classic example of this. His calamitous miseries did not come upon him for anything wrong that he had done. In fact, he is presented to us be Scripture as “perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). Yet it pleased the Lord to permit Satan to bruise him severely.

Because he was sinful? No! To demonstrate in the Patriarch the complete sufficiency of Divine grace, and so to glorify God. It was the same with the blind man whose sight Jesus restored, recorded in John 9:1-7. The nosy disciples asked the Lord, “Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind” (v. 2). That was the dogma of affliction-because-of-sin raising its presumptuous head. Christ crushed it with His unequivocal answer: “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (v. 3). 

It must be recognized that suffering---in whatever way God may choose for us---is the normal, not the abnormal, lot of His saints. We are expressly told that we have been “called” and appointed thereunto (I Pet. 2:21; cf. Acts 14:22; I Th. 3:3; II Tim. 2:11-12). Our Lord Himself was made perfect by “the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:8-10), and we are to be perfected in the same way. It is written, “He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” (I Pet. 4:1). In view of the good purpose served by our suffering “according to the will of God” (I Pet. 4:19), we should be able to say with Paul, “Most gladly will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (II Cor. 12:7-10).

“There is something about suffering of any kind that brings the world and the flesh into its proper perspective. Suffering makes us understand things as they really are. By suffering we see the worthlessness of all the passing vanities of earth, and by it we are weaned away from the vain deceits that concern a purely physical world. Suffering thus tends to cause us to be done with the transient affairs of this present age and inspires us to anchor all our hopes ‘within the veil, whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus . . .” (Heb. 6:19-20).”