Bible
Prophecy
Revelation's Most Urgent Health Warning!
STORY
There
was a certain Judge by the name of Sir Daniel Grace.
He was known for his fairness, honesty and impartiality and was very
experienced.
Sir Daniel had many challenging and sad cases brought before him and always
seemed to cope very well. But one day some news arrived that made his heart
faint. By some administrative mistake he was called upon to judge the case of
his own son David.
David had been arrested for armed robbery and the evidence was clear -- he was
guilty. Now this was in the days of corporal punishment and the regularly
prescribed discipline for such cases was 40 lashes publicly administered in
the town square.
David was brought into the court room. His father sat at the bench and the
usual procedures were followed. David had pleaded guilty as he really had no
defence. When Judge Grace was called upon to pass the sentence he stood up and
what he said shocked all in attendance:
"I pronounce you, David Grace, to be guilty of armed robbery and required
to be punished with 40 lashes in the public square as soon as it can be
arranged. However, I wish to exercise by right as Judge to take upon myself
your own punishment and let you go free."
Judge Grace reminded the audience of an old law that allowed a criminal to be
pardoned on the condition that a substitute be found who would voluntarily
take the prisoner's punishment in his place.
Judge Grace was led from the bench in hand-cuffs and that morning the public
lashing was executed. The aged Judge was injured so badly by the flogging that
he was immediately taken to the hospital. David was set free and never known
to engage in criminal behaviour again. In fact what happened that day changed
his entire life -- for good.
This story illustrates, in a simple way, part of what Christ, our Judge and
Substitute has done for us. Referring to Christ, the Bible says:
"for our sins He was wounded, and for our evil doings He was crushed: He
took the punishment by which we have peace, and by His wounds we are made
well. We all went wandering like sheep; going every one of us after his
desire; and the Lord put on Him the punishment of us all."
"He took our sins on Himself, giving His body to be
nailed on the tree, so that we, being dead to sin, might have a new life in
righteousness, and by His wounds we have been made well."
"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."
(Is. 53: 5,6; 1 Pe. 2: 24.BBE; Jn. 3: 16) Why not put your trust in Him today?
Appendix One: The
Everlasting Gospel in More Detail
Bible prophecy in Revelation and
Daniel cannot be properly understood without a clear appreciation and experience
of the gospel. Therefore, more important information on this subject is included
here.
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Contents
of this Web Page
Please note, it is very important to initially read the following
four chapters in sequence -- to avoid misunderstandings and save you
time.
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1.
The Basis of our Salvation.
The everlasting gospel presents Jesus Christ --
the only cure for sin, guilt and selfishness.1 To
clearly understand the everlasting gospel we need to especially study the
crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus. If a copy of the New Testament or
the Bible is available please read chapters 27 and 28 in the Gospel of Matthew
which describe Jesus' death and resurrection. Appreciating Christ's sacrifice on
the cross is how to make meaning and
sense out of a world full of confusion, problems and pain.
Our focus here will be on better understanding
Christ's death on the cross. Christ's incarnation and perfect obedience to His
Father's will form the background to Christ's amazing sacrifice. The
significance of all that took place on the cross is made effectual by Christ's
resurrection from the dead, His ascension, His heavenly ministry and His
promised Second Coming. This work of Christ on our behalf is the basis of our
salvation.
Let us study Christ's sacrifice by considering
the following questions:
a). Who is Jesus Christ? The
Bible makes it completely clear that Jesus Christ is truly God,2
a member of the three Persons of the Godhead. It also makes it clear that he is
truly human.3 He is the God-man, the one true
mediator (1Ti. 2: 5). Here, it would be good to note, that the exact nature of
God and the Godhead is completely beyond finite understanding and we must be
content with what is revealed in the Bible. This is simply acknowledging that
the finite cannot comprehend the infinite. For more information on this please
see The
Divinity of Christ and the Trinity.
b). What was it that brought Christ from heaven
to live, suffer, and die for us? The
Father in heaven, in infinite love, gave His divine Son. The Son of God, the
Second Member of the Godhead, came willingly, subjecting himself to the humility
of becoming a baby and taking upon Himself humanity -- thus He became the
Divine-human Saviour Jesus Christ. This was an infinite sacrifice. It was His
divine love that made Him come in search of us (Jn. 3: 16; 10: 17, 18; Lk.
chapter 15).4
c). Why did He need to die for us? The
human race, through selfishness, and wrong-doing has become completely lost as a
race, and as individuals -- separated from God and doomed to eternal death. I
need a Saviour. You need a Saviour. (Ge. chapter 3; Ro. chapters 1-3; Is. 53: 6.
See also Justification by Faith below,
pt. "a").5
d). Why couldn't our restoration to God be
accomplished in some other way? God's
eternal law of love, which we have broken by our selfishness, cannot be altered,
in any way, to save us. This holy law demands our death (Eze. 18: 4; Ro. 6: 23;
7: 9-11). Its claims can only be satisfied by the eternal death of every
transgressor, -- or its Author paying the penalty Himself, and thereby giving
all a new opportunity to live (Is. 53: 5,6; 2Co. 5: 21).
e). How can Christ's sacrifice save us?
God, in His infinite love and grace,6
provided for us a Saviour -- Jesus Christ. Jesus, by His incarnation (taking
upon Himself humanity), perfect life, sacrificial death, resurrection, ascension
to heaven, ministry on our behalf in heaven, and second coming has provided a
means of saving us from our guilt and selfishness (1Co. 15: 1-4; 2Co. 5: 18-21).
This is the basis of our salvation. His death for us on Calvary is the
centre-point of all this. As one author has said, "Christ was treated as we
deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins
in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in
which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might
receive the life which was His. 'With His stripes we are healed'."7
f). What kind of death did Christ die? The
book of Revelation mentions the "second death" four times (2: 11; 20:
6,14; 21: 8). If you read about this "second death" in context, and
with an understanding of what hell is (see Appendix
Seven- What happens when you die?), you can see that it involves eternal
separation from God. This is the kind of death that Christ suffered on the cross
(cf. Mt. 27:45, 46; 2Pe.2:17). His death was much more than just physical
suffering. He was bearing the wickedness and guilt of every person who has ever
lived (Is. 53: 6). This is why in Gethsemane He agonised over the decision of
whether or not to go ahead and receive all this wickedness and pay the penalty
for all this guilt (Mt. 26: 36-44). For more on the significance of
Christ's death and resurrection please see What
did Christ Accomplish by His Death and Resurrection?
g). What do we need to do?
First, we need to understand that we have absolutely no merit or goodness in
ourselves that can contribute in any manner to our own salvation. The Lord Jesus
imparts all the grace, all the faith, all the self-surrender, all the sorrow for
our wrongs, all the inclination to do good, all the powers, all the
righteousness. All we have and are belongs to Him, and we can only give back
that which was first given to us. All the glory, all the praise belongs solely
to Him. Any goodness or obedience that we manifest in our lives is but doing our
duty through the power He imparts (Jn. 15: 5; Eph. 2: 8; Gal. 2: 16).
Second, we need to understand that there is a condition to being saved from our
guilt through Christ. What is this condition? We must be vitally connected to,
and remain (abide) in Christ.
So we have:
i). The basis of our salvation: Jesus'
incarnation, perfect life, sacrificial death, resurrection, ascension to
heaven, ministry on our behalf in heaven, and second coming.
ii). The condition of our salvation: We
must be vitally connected to and remain (abide) in Christ.
2.
The Condition of Our Salvation
Are there any conditions to being saved? Before answering this question let
me clarify what I mean by giving two definitions:
1. By "being saved" I mean getting to heaven and being with God.
2. By "condition" I mean a "thing on which [a] statement or
happening or existing depends" (Collins English Gem Dictionary,
1963). In other words a "prerequisite" or "that which must
proceed the operation of a cause" (Chambers 20th-century Dictionary,
1983). So I am talking about what must happen in our lives in order for us to
get to heaven and be with God in Paradise.
There is only one condition to being saved. We must be vitally connected to
and remain (abide) in Christ. This condition is explained clearly in the Bible
in John chapters 14 and 15:
1. Christ is the only way to get to heaven: "Jesus saith unto him, I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
Me." John 14:6 (See also Acts 4:12).
2. Christ is represented as a vine and His disciples as the branches: "I
am the vine, ye are the branches..." John 15:5.
3. Branches that are not connected to Christ dry up and are eventually
burned: "If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned." John 15:6.
4. Branches that are connected to Christ but do not bear fruit (that is,
branches that are not vitally connected to Christ) are cut off from the
vine: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in
Me that beareth not fruit he taketh away" John 15:1,2.
This leads to two questions:
1. How do I become vitally connected to Christ in the first place?
2. How do I remain vitally connected to Christ?
Let us look at these questions one at a time. First, how do I become vitally
connected to Christ in the first place? John chapter 14 tells us that it is by
"keeping" Jesus' words: "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a
man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will
come unto him, and make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My
sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father's which sent
Me." John 14:23, 24. The words "keep" and "keepeth" are
translated from the Greek word tereo (from teros, a watch) which
means "to attend to carefully, take care of", "to guard",
"to observe". The point being made here is that when we believe what
Christ says or commands and act upon it positively, then we become connected to
His power and presence.
This is illustrated by many of Christ’s healings. For example in John
chapter 9 Christ anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay and commanded,
"Go, wash in the pool of Siloam". The man believed in Christ’s words
and demonstrated this by acting on them. By doing this he was connected to His
healing power: "He went his way therefore, and washed, and came
seeing". Later Christ found the man and ministered to his spiritual need by
saying, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" The blind man replied,
"Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?" Jesus said "Thou
hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee." The blind man
believed Jesus and acted out his belief: "he said, ‘Lord, I believe’.
And he worshipped Him". Again he was connected to Christ’s power and
presence.
Lets look at another example. The following is the story of the paralysed man
who was lowered through the roof so that he could get to Jesus (as recorded in
Luke 5:18-25):
18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy:
and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before Him.
19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because
of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the
tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
20 And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven
thee.
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this
which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answering said unto them,
What reason ye in your hearts?
23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up
and walk?
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive
sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take
up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay,
and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
The blind man and his friends had heard of Jesus and His healing power and
acted out their faith by going to a lot of trouble to get to Him. "And when
He [Jesus] saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven
thee." Then a few moments later He said to him "Arise, and take up thy
couch, and go into thine house." The man believed all that Jesus had said
and demonstrated this: "And immediately he rose up before them, and took up
that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God."
Likewise, Jesus says to you and me, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn
of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls." Matthew 11:28-30. If we believe Him and act on this by coming to
Him (just as we are) and asking (in prayer) for His help, we will certainly
become connected to Him and His power. He will then give us further instruction
on how to come closer to Him and be more firmly and powerfully connected to Him.
He will say, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
(Matthew 4:17). Repentance includes a sorrow for sin and a turning away from it.
It involves realising how bad and ugly sin is, and choosing to walk away from
it. When we do this we will be brought closer to Christ.
Again we will hear our Lord saying, "He that covereth his sins shall not
prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
(Proverbs 28:13). Confession means admitting responsibility for sin, being
deeply sorry for it and acknowledging this to those we have wronged. Confession
should be from the heart and freely made. True confession is not a forced thing
and is not made from a desire to avoid punishment, but from a sense of the
abhorrent nature of sin. It involves a desire to do what is right. It should be
specific -- acknowledging the very sins concerned. If we believe Jesus and obey
what He has asked us to do, then we can rest in His sure promise that "If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).
Jesus will encourage us to strengthen our connection (relationship) with Him
by saying, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23) "No man, having put
his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
(Luke 9:62). What is Jesus talking about here? Surrender. Surrender means
acknowledging all we have and are belongs to Christ and receiving Him as Lord of
our lives. It means yielding the whole heart to God and asking that His will be
done in our lives rather than our own wishes. Day by day we are to ask that our
will be bought into harmony with God's.
Sincerely receiving, believing and acting on these words from Jesus to come
to Him, repent, confess and surrender will lead us to be firmly and vitally
connected to Him. By doing this we have exercised the gift of genuine faith and
not used any supposed merit or works of our own. As it is written, "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). The gift
of faith itself came into action as a result of hearing Christ’s words. As it
is written: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God." (Romans 10:17). "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation". (Ephesians 1:13a).
Notice that faith here is not just an intellectual acknowledgment. It is an
active, positive, obedient trust. The faith that leads to salvation is more than
just believing that God exists. As it is written in James 2:14-24:
14 ¶ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith,
and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;
notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body;
what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith
without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also
believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac
his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made
perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it
was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Faith is the hand that takes hold of the Saviour. Faith is the
"glue" that connects us firmly to Christ. We are not saved by faith;
we are saved by Christ. But through the gift of genuine faith we become vitally
connected to Christ. The exercise of the gift of genuine, active, obedient faith
in coming to Christ, repenting, confessing and surrendering is essential for the
establishment of a vital connection with Jesus.
This leads us to our second question, "How do I remain vitally connected
to Christ?" The scriptures say, "As ye have therefore received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Colossians 2:6). We are to abide or
remain in Him in the same way as we were originally connected to Him. How do we
actually do this? By continuing to exercise faith in sincerely receiving,
believing and acting on the words of Jesus. In other words, by obeying Him –
not in our own strength, but in the strength He imparts. And so we can see what
the following texts are saying:
"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you…If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide
in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His
love…Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." (John
15:7-14)
"If ye love Me, keep My commandments… He that hath My commandments,
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved
of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." (John
14: 15-21).
"And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He
that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in Him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of
God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him." (1 John 2: 3-5).
"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name?
and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that
work iniquity [Gk. anomia, lawlessness]. (Matthew 7: 21-23).
See also James. 1: 22 – 2:26; 1John. 3: 4-11.
Thus as we receive more light and understanding from Jesus; as new things in
our lives are brought to our attention, we need to continue to exercise genuine,
obedient faith in further repentance, confession and surrender. As we do this we
are letting the Lord refine and mold our characters and more firmly bind us to
Him.
Now another question: "Can a Christian who was once firmly connected to
Christ separate himself from Him, and if so how?" This is a big question.
First, it seems plain to me that Scripture says that Christians can potentially
become separated from Christ (See John 15:2-6; Hebrews 3:12-14; 10:26-29; 2Peter
2: 20-22; 1 Corinthians 9:27). Secondly, we must recognise that Jesus has said,
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:27,28). So those who
separate from Christ do so, not because of His failure, but because of their own
choices. Thirdly, we need to understand what the unpardonable sin is.
Concerning the unpardonable sin, Jesus said, "Wherefore I say unto you,
All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a
word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world,
neither in the world to come." (Matthew 12: 31, 32). So the unpardonable
sin has to do with speaking against the Holy Spirit. What does this mean?
Regarding the Holy Spirit Christ has said, "And when He is come, He will
reprove [convict] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:"
(John 16:8). So the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us. He says further,
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."
(John 12: 32). Who does the drawing or leading of people to Christ? The Holy
Spirit. As it is written: "And when He is come, He will reprove the world
of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe
not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no
more" (John 16: 8, 9, emphasis supplied).
So to speak against the Holy Spirit is to resist His efforts to draw us to
Christ. If you read the account in Matthew chapter 12 this is exactly what the
Pharisees were doing. What does the Holy Spirit use to draw us to Christ? As you
can see from the discussion we have had above, it is the words of Christ – the
Scriptures (which have themselves been inspired by the Holy Spirit).
But to commit the unpardonable sin is obviously more than just a brief
resistance to the invitations of the Spirit -- because most Christians, in their
journey to Christ, have done this in one way or another. It must be referring to
a persistent, repeated refusal to heed His pleadings.
The Holy Spirit has the job of leading people into the truth (John 16:13).
What we do with the truth (also called "light") we receive from the
Holy Spirit is very significant. The scriptures plainly reveal that we are
judged in accordance with the amount of truth we had opportunity to follow (See
Luke 12:47,48). Let us imagine that the Holy Spirit is trying to lead a
non-Christian to Jesus. He impresses them with the truth that Christ is the only
way to heaven. But they resist this impression and as a result their heart
(conscience) is partially hardened. The next time the Holy Spirit has to make a
more powerful effort because of this partial hardening that has occurred. But,
sadly they again resist His influence and their heart is further hardened. Can
you see what is happening? They will end up being completely hardened with a
heart that the Holy Spirit cannot reach. This is the kind of heart Paul referred
to when he spoke of some as, "having their conscience seared with a hot
iron." 1 Timothy 4:2. The evidence suggests that this is the kind of thing
that happened to many of the Scribes and Pharisees because they ended up still
resisting Christ’s work even after Lazarus, and Jesus Himself had been raised
from the dead (cf. Luke 16:31). Then after Jesus' resurrection these words were
spoken to them: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do
always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Acts 7:51.
But what about a person who is already a Christian? The Scriptures plainly
indicate that the same kind of thing can happen to believers when they
persistently reject further light from the Holy Spirit or resist His efforts to
save them from sin:
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation. (Hebrews 3:12-15, emphasis supplied).
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of
the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation,
which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who
hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done
despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29, emphasis supplied).
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day
of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30).
All this should not make us feel insecure in our
Christian lives. But it should make us distrustful of self and eager to depend
upon God in all that we do.
Finally, three important points on this subject:
1. Only God knows if someone has committed the
unpardonable sin or not. We should not judge those around us and try and
ascertain if they have "gone too far". Sometimes those who seem the
farthest from God become His most devoted followers. Instead of thinking about
the state of others we should be humbling ourselves before God and praying for
His help in living up to all the light we have received.
2. Some genuine Christians, from lack of
understanding or perhaps low self-esteem, are worried they have committed the
unpardonable sin. These type of people are often some of the most sincere, and
self-distrustful members of the faith. They may have sinned a lot and made many
mistakes, but if they still have a sincere desire to follow where Christ leads
and to overcome their faults, they must surely still be under the Holy Spirit's
guardianship. It is when we become indifferent, antagonistic, judgmental or
self-confident they we are on dangerous ground. We should not feel insecure in
Christ. Let us remember that Christ is an expert at saving people; an expert in
saving the worst of sinners. He wants us to be saved – more than we want to be
saved! He came in search of us because we were precious to Him (See Luke 15:
4-7). "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost." Luke 19:10. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15 He will never leave nor forsake us
(Hebrews 13:5). Let us choose never to leave Him by refusing to follow where He
leads.
3.We should be especially careful to avoid
procrastination. This temptation of Satan is one of his most effective ways of
destroying souls. He says, "You don't have to make a decision now. Put it
off until tomorrow. Put it off until you have better circumstances." It is
by putting off a decision that we often grieve the Holy Spirit. A decision for
Christ that is put off for one day often ends up being put off forever -- and
God says, "My spirit shall not always [forever] strive with man."
Genesis 6:3. God speaks these solemn words to us, "To
day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts".
Hebrews 3:15 (Emphasis supplied).
Are you vitally connected to Christ and abiding in Him? Is
Jesus living in your heart? Have you been reconciled to God? If not, or you are
not sure, why not come to Christ right now, just as you are? You can pray to Him
saying "Lord Jesus I surrender all to You. Thankyou for dying for me.
Please live in my heart, transform me and strengthen me to do Your will. Please
be my Saviour and my Lord now and always". Jesus promises "him
that cometh to Me I will in no wise [never] cast out.", "Come unto Me
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Jn. 6:
37; Mt. 11: 28). Do not depend upon your feelings but believe His promises and
you will experience His presence and power in your life. Can you hear Him
calling you?
Is Christ leading you into some new area of truth that is
unpopular with the world, your church or your family? (for example, the
seventh-day Sabbath). Does it seem hard for you to follow? Then grasp His sure
promises and go forward in their power. He says, "Fear thou not; for I am
with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I
will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My
righteousness." Isaiah 41:10. "If any man serve Me, let him follow Me;
and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My
Father honour." John 12:26.
3. LAW
and SIN
To properly understand the everlasting gospel we
need to have a clear understanding of (1) God's law and (2) sin.
a). God’s Law
The Old Testament has at least four laws -- the moral, the
civil, the ceremonial and what we might call natural law (these are elaborated
on later). Also, the books of Moses and even the whole Old Testament are
referred to as "the law". Thus the word "law" in the Bible
has many meanings.8
However, there is a foundational law, a fundamental
principle, behind all of these laws. From this foundational law come
applications or expressions which are the various laws, statutes and
commandments found in the Bible. This may be illustrated as follows:
Foundational Law --->Laws.
What is this foundational law? It is the character of God.
The chief attribute of God's character is His love: "Beloved, let us love
one another: for love is of God… He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God
is love." God’s love has two complementary aspects: mercy and
justice/righteousness. When God proclaimed His name (character) to Moses He
mentioned both His mercy and His justice: "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy
for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no
means clear the guilty". Mercy and justice perfectly blend in God's
character.9
What does merciful mean? The Greek word translated
"mercy" in the Bible means "kindness or good will towards the
miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them" (Online
Bible Lexicon). What does it mean to be just or righteousness? The main
Greek and Hebrew terms 10 translated
"just" or "righteous" indicate that it means to do what is
right, lawful and fair.
Since God’s foundational law is His loving character, it
expresses both His righteousness and His mercy. Throughout the Bible
God's character is described as righteous,11 just12
and merciful.13 Jesus, the divine Son of God, has
given us, in His life, a perfect demonstration of God's foundational law. He is
God's foundational law, God's character, made flesh and bone. The Bible
describes Him as righteous,14 just,15
merciful and gracious.16 Christ's sacrifice on the
cross is the ultimate demonstration of God's righteousness and mercy.17
Concerning the cross it can be said: "Mercy and truth are met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10). The cross
perfectly demonstrates the unity and balance between God's righteousness and
mercy. This balance is expressed elsewhere in the scriptures: "The LORD is
longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by
no means clearing the guilty…" (Numbers 14:18, see also Exodus 34:7,
Psalm 89:14, James 1:27 and 1 John 3:10).
Since the foundational law is God's character, it is not
surprising that the various laws and commandments that come from it are
described as being righteous and just (Ps. 119: 172; Mt. 5: 17-20; Ro. 7: 12).
Not only this, but love is described as fundamental to all the laws in the
Bible. Romans 13: 10 says, "love is the fulfilling of the law" and
Galatians 5: 14 says, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in
this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (See also Mt. 22: 37-40).
God's foundational law is not just a set of negative
rules. It is both positive and unified.18 Its
unity is expressed in the words of James 2:10: "For whosoever shall keep
the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Its
positiveness is expressed by Jesus' life – a life of doing good. A life of being
good (This is why we cannot keep the law without having Jesus Christ in our
hearts).
The foundational law, like God, is eternal and unchanging.19
It is defined in terms of a Person. It represents, it reflects that
Person's character. It is not a cold, impersonal set of rules, but an opening of
the mind and heart of God.
Thus we have,
God's foundational law (His merciful, righteous character). --->Merciful,
righteous laws and commandments.
The above is the key to understanding the many
different uses of the term "law" in the Bible. As mentioned above the
Bible contains moral laws, ceremonial laws, civil laws, and natural laws. By
reading the Bible you will see clearly which of these laws still applies today.
God's moral law is contained especially in
the Ten Commandments. The first four commandments particularly relate to loving
God and the last six to loving our neighbour. We cannot love God or our
neighbour while knowingly breaking any of these commandments. Obviously, the Ten
Commandments are fully applicable today. Every phase of human activity falls
under one or more of these ten all-encompassing principles. The holiness and
importance of God's Ten Commandments is but dimly understood in today's world.
So precious, sacred and important are they that, unlike the rest of the Holy
Bible, God spoke them with His own mouth and wrote them with His own finger.20
They were of central importance to the Jewish sanctuary service and have a
special function in defining sins.21
Jesus Christ's perfect life has demonstrated to us what
keeping these ten precepts means. Jesus did not come to abolish either the moral
law (Ten Commandments) or God’s foundational law -- but to fulfil them (Mt. 5:
17-48)22. If it had been possible for us to be
saved through the moral law or God's character being changed, then Christ need
not have died upon the cruel cross of Calvary paying the penalty of the broken
law. Those who say that the Ten Commandments have been changed or done away with
deny both Christ's own words and the significance and meaning of His death. If
God's moral law has been changed for man's sake then Christ died in vain (cf.
Gal. 2: 21). The great sin of the Jewish nation was their rejection of Jesus
Christ. The great sin of the Christian world today is their rejection of the
moral law, and in particular the fourth commandment (Ex. 20: 8-11 cf. Js. 2:
10).
The Old Testament ceremonial laws applied to
the time before Christ's first coming. Using these ceremonies the people were to
fix their faith on the coming Christ. At Christ's first coming these ceremonies
that had pointed forward to His ministry and death were no longer applicable.23
Christ replaced them with ceremonies suited to the new era.24
Although Christ replaced the Old Testament ceremonies we must not despise them
or count them as useless. Far from this, the Old Testament sanctuary services
reveal the complete plan of salvation, through Christ, in greater detail than
anywhere else in the Bible. We can learn much of great importance from these
symbols.
The Old Testament civil laws applied to the
people of Israel before Christ's first coming when their nation was to be under
the direct rulership of God. The Israelite nation was then a God-ordained,
God-directed religious and civil organisation.25
God had arranged things so that He could communicate His wishes directly to the
people through the high priest. Unfortunately, the nation of Israel rejected
their Messiah and withdrew from God's rulership.26
So the kingdom of God was transferred from Israel to the Christian church.27
The Christian church is a purely religious organisation. Although it has its
form of discipline and order,28 it is not to be a
union with the state, and is not to use civil laws. This can be seen, not only
from specific passages in the New Testament,29 but
from the fact that the New Testament Church operated as a religious movement
separate from the civil authorities of the day.30
The church was subject to the civil rulers in all matters that did not interfere
with the higher claims of God.31 As an
organisation it spread worldwide in numerous different nations and under many
civil authorities.
A further area of law concerns God's natural laws.
These are the laws that govern nature. When you throw a ball up it comes back
down. When you heat water to boiling point it turns into steam. When you cool
water enough it freezes. A duck's egg hatches into a duckling. Opposite magnetic
poles attract one another. Dry paper placed in a fire burns. A fish out of
water, or a rose bush out of soil dies, etc.. Natural laws help us understand a
very important principle relating to all of God's laws, namely, the
principle of cause and effect. Or to use the words of the Bible, "...
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Gal. 6: 7). Natural law
helps us to realise that obedience leads to health and happiness and that not
obeying God's laws will always produce ill-effects of one kind or
another. The book of Proverbs in the Bible particularly focuses on the principle
of cause and effect. It often uses natural law to illustrate spiritual truths.
Natural laws are used to demonstrate the value of obedience32
as well as the tragic consequences of breaking God's laws.33
Likewise, many of Christ's parables are based on the principle of teaching
spiritual truths using natural law.34 Health
laws are a form of natural law. The Old Testament describes many health laws
given to the nation of Israel. They include dietary regulations (e.g.. Le.
chapter 11), rules about basic hygiene (e.g.. De. 23: 13) and quarantine
regulations (e.g.. Le. chapter 13). They must, of course, still apply today, in
principle, seeing that the human body is physiologically the same now as then.
Horticultural (e.g.. Le. 25: 4) and agriculture laws (e.g.. Ex. 23: 12; De. 22:
10) are another form of natural law given to ancient Israel and no-doubt still
apply, in principle, today.
b). Sin.
In 1 John 3: 4 we read "sin is the transgression
[violation] of the law". In Romans 7: 7 it says, "I had not known sin,
but by the law".
So sin is defined in relation to the law of God. This is
especially true of the moral law or Ten Commandments. In Romans 7:7, after Paul
has said "I had not known sin, but by the law," he refers to the Ten
Commandments, saying, "for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou
shalt not covet".
But Sin in its most basic form, is defined in
relation to God's foundational law which, as discussed above, is actually
His character. Thus our foundational sin is the opposite of God's
foundational law or character. It is being unmerciful and unrighteous. This
foundational sin leads to various sins -- unmerciful, unrighteous thoughts,
words and deeds.35 How do we know what is
unmerciful and unrighteous? Through God's various laws that express His merciful
and righteous character, and through studying the life of Christ.
Thus we have,
God's foundational law. --->
merciful , righteous laws and commandments.
Our foundational sin. --->
Unmerciful , unrighteous thoughts, words and deeds (sins).
How can we better understand our foundational sin? The
following author considers it from the point of view of not having the right
kind of love. He uses the capitalised word "SIN’ to mean our foundational
sin. This is what he says: "SIN is love focused on the wrong object. SIN
is to love the object more than the Creator of the object. It makes no
difference whether that object is an external thing, another person, or one's
own self. To love anything or anyone more than God is SIN. SIN is love aimed at
the wrong target accompanied by a way of life lived in the direction of that
aim. Thus we have SIN, which leads to sins."36
The truth of this can be seen by studying how sin came into the universe and
then into our world. Lucifer, the heavenly angel, became Satan, the evil one, by
focusing his love on himself rather than on God (Is. 14: 12-15; Eze. 28: 12-19;
Re. 12:7-9). Eve transgressed the moment she put herself, and her judgment,
above the instructions of God (Ge. 3: 1-6). This author also says "SIN at
its most basic level is not some impersonal evil or residual animal behaviour or
bad trait built into human character. Rather, it is rebellion against the God
of the universe... SIN is personal rather than impersonal."37
Now that we understand what God's foundational law is, and
what our foundational sin is, we can better understand what happens when we are
forgiven and made right with God. The Bible calls this "justification"
(see below) or being "born again". When this happens our foundational
sin, which has ruled on the throne of our hearts and lives, is replaced by God's
foundational law -- through the presence of Christ. He comes into our hearts by
His Holy Spirit and His merciful, righteous character is written on our hearts.38
Through His presence we are made righteous and merciful. From Him flow merciful
and righteous thoughts, words and deeds. Then, each day, we need to co-operate
with Christ in letting His character flow from our lives rather than letting our
foundational sin manifest itself. Day by day we are to grow in maturity, more
fully reflecting the character of Christ. Our aim is to become so surrendered to
Christ that only His merciful, righteous character is manifested in us. To have
His character thus manifested in our lives fulfils Christ's commands of Mt. 5:
43-48 and Jn. 13: 34, 35.
One of the main functions of the foundational law and all
the precepts that flow from it is to convict us of our foundational sin and make
us realise our need of a Saviour -- thus sending us to Jesus.39
Then, when we have been cleansed and renewed by Jesus, He points us back to
God’s foundational law (as revealed in His life, the Ten Commandments and the
rest of the Bible) as the pattern for our lives. He says to us " follow
Me". We are to follow His example. We will never equal His example, but we
can imitate it. And if we abide in Christ, His perfect obedience (His
righteousness) is counted as ours and makes up for our deficiencies.
It is essential to note here that we cannot make ourselves
righteous and merciful. Jesus is our righteousness and mercy. In Him we are made
righteousness: "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."(2Co. 5: 21). His
presence, through the Holy Spirit, gives us genuine love: "the love of God
is shed abroad [poured out] in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [Spirit] which is
given unto us…" (Ro. 5: 5).
4.
Justification by faith.
"Justification by faith" basically
means the experience of being made right with God by a trusting relationship
with Him. It brings healing and cleansing from the disease of sin. The phrase
itself reflects the wording in Ro. 3:28; Ro. 5:1 and Gal. 3:24.40
It is the result of responding positively to Christ's sacrifice. Justification
by faith is equivalent to being born again through God's Spirit. It is at the
heart of the everlasting gospel. Let us look at true justification by faith
using the following six points:
a). The need for
justification by faith. The Bible teaches that, as a result of the failure of
Adam and Eve, our natural bent is to selfishness and wrongdoing. We have all
been infected with the deadly virus of sin -- the disease our first parents
contracted and passed on, like a congenital infection, to their offspring.41
We are all born with a heart in need of renewal. We cannot meet God's standard
of love without His divine grace and help. Ge. chapter 3; Je. 17: 9; Is. 53: 6;
Ro. 3: 23; 8: 7.
b). The origin or source of
our justification by faith is God's love out of which comes His grace or
completely unmerited favour towards sinners. Jn. 3: 16; Eph. 1: 7; 2: 8.
c). The basis or ground of
our justification by faith is who Christ is and what He has done for us: His
incarnation, perfect life, atoning death, resurrection, ascension, heavenly
ministry, and second coming. Mt. 1 : 21; 2Co. 5: 21; 1Co. 15: 1-4, 17-24, Heb.
7: 25; 9: 28; 2 Pe. 3: 10-13.
d). The essence or reality of
our justification by faith is Christ's righteous, saving, transforming presence
within us. Jn. 17: 23-26; Ro. 8: 9-17; Eph. 3: 17-19; Col. 1:27.
e). The condition of
our justification by faith is becoming vitally connected to Christ and remaining
(abiding) in Him (For more details and references please see Conditions
of Being Saved above).
f). The results of
our justification by faith are many and wonderful! The following Biblical
phrases or terms describe the same basic event as true justification by faith
while at the same time revealing one or more of its results or blessings: divine
forgiveness (Ro. 4: 5-8), reconciliation to God (2Co. 5: 17, 18), salvation
(Tit. 3: 5-7), rebirth (Jn. 3: 3-21; Tit. 3: 5-7 NIV), imputation of Christ's
righteousness (Ro. 4: 5-8), a new creation (2Co. 5: 17, 18), being "in
Christ" or having Christ in us (Eph. 1: 3-7; Jn. 15: 4-6; Jn. 17: 23-26),
the Holy Spirit indwelling us (Ro. 8: 9-17 ;Jn. 14: 15-27), adoption as God's
child (Ro. 8: 9-17), and sanctification (being set apart and made holy -- Heb.
10: 10-18).
Other results are: peace with God, hopefulness
and divine love (Ro. 5: 1-5), power to obey (1Jn. 3: 6-9), being made heirs to
eternal life (Ro. 8: 9-17), actual eternal life (1Jn.5: 12,13), and victory over
the world (1Jn. 5: 3-5).
Is there a Bible passage that refers to all of
the above six areas on the subject of justification by faith? Have a look at
Titus 3: 3-8.
Other web pages related to the subject of this one include
The
Divinity of Christ and the Trinity and More
on the Divinity of Christ and What
did Christ Accomplish by His Death and Resurrection?
Note: If this was the first page of this web site
that you came to, before proceeding please go to the Home
Page: Bible Prophecy - Revelation's Most Urgent Health Warning!. This will
save you time and help avoid misunderstandings. Thankyou.
Footnotes
1. In this discussion, that follows, I have
used selfishness as a synonym for "sin ".
2. Is. 9: 6 (cf. Mt. 1: 23); Jn. 1:
1-3, 14-17; Col. 2: 9; Heb. 1: 1-8; Re. 1: 17, 18 (cf. Is. 41: 4; 44: 6).
3. Heb. chapter 2; Jn. 1:14; Jn.
8:14.
4. For those who would like to
further explore the subject of God's wonderful love I would recommend, White
E.G., Happiness Digest, Silver Spring MD, Better Living Publications,
1994, chapter 1.
5. For further study please see
ibid., chapter 2.
6. "Grace" is undeserved,
unmerited favour or kindness.
7. White E. G., The Desire of
Ages, Mountain View, Ca., Pacific Press Pub. Assoc., 1898, 1940, p 25.
8. Cf. Knight G R, I Used To
Be Perfect, Boise, Idaho, Pacific Press Pub., 1994, p. 24,25.
9. Notice also the blending of
God’s mercy and righteousness/justice in Numbers 14:18. We must be careful to
understand and present these two attributes of God’s character in a balanced
way. They work together in perfect harmony. Today Christians generally talk
about and promote the idea of God's mercy and neglect His righteousness. Thus,
the righteousness of His laws is lightly regarded by many. In the past the
balance seems to have been in the opposite direction with God's majesty, power
and wrath against sin being emphasized and His mercy and grace kept in the
background.
10. Righteousness is Hebrew tsedeq,
Greek dikaiosune. In the KJV tsedeq is translated as both
"righteousness" and "justice". Righteous is Hebrew tsaddiyq,
Greek dikaios. In the KJV tsaddiyq is translated as both "righteous"
and "just". Also dikaios is translated as "righteous",
"just", and "justice".
11. Psalm 11:7, Revelation 16:5.
12. Psalm 34:17; Isaiah 45:21;
Revelation 15:3.
13. Exodus 20:6; 34:6; Deuteronomy
4:31; Psalms 118:1; Luke 6:36: Hebrews 8:12.
14. Isaiah 53:11; 1 John 2:1.
15. Zechariah 9:9; Acts 3:14, 7:52
16. Romans 16:24; Hebrews 2:17;
Jude 1:21.
17. Romans 3:21-26; Titus 3:5-7.
18. Cf. Knight G R, I Used To Be
Perfect, Boise, Idaho, Pacific Press Pub., 1994, p. 25-36.
19. Mal. 3: 6; Heb. 3: 8 Cf. Ps. 111:
7,8; 119: 160; Mt. 5: 18.
20. Ex. 20: 1-17; 24:12; 31:18.
21. See Introduction to
Revelation, point 6 (d).
22. In Mt. 5: 17-48 Jesus first
says "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did
not come to destroy but to fulfil". "The Law and the Prophets" is
a designation for the Bible of Jesus' time, the Old Testament. Jesus then says
"till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means
pass from the law" and "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least
these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of
heaven" (vs. 18, 19). From the discussion that follows in verses 21-48 we
can see that Jesus must be referring, in verses 18 and 19, to God's moral law.
In verses 21-48 Jesus uses various Old Testament commandments to illustrate the
depth of God's moral law. He does so in the context of the greatness of God's
character (His LAW) which He specifically refers to in vs. 43-48.
23. Dan. 9: 27; Mt. 27: 51; Eph.
2: 14, 15; Col. 2: 14; Heb. 10: 1-9.
24. E.g. baptism and the communion
service of bread and wine.
25. Technically called a
"Theocracy".
26. Mt. 21: 33-46; Jn. 19:15.
27. Mt. 21: 43.
28. Mt. 18: 15-17.
29. Mt. 22:21; 26: 52, 53; Jn. 18:
36; Jn. 6: 15; Lk. 17: 20, 21.
30. Please read through the book
of Acts.
31. Ro. 13: 1; 1 Pe. 2: 13, 14.
32. Pr. 4: 18; 11: 28; 16: 24; 25:
13; 25: 25 cf. Ps. 126: 5; Hos. 10: 12.
33. Pr. 4: 19; 6: 27, 28; 10: 26:
15: 19; 16: 27; 17: 14; 22: 8; 23: 29-35; 24: 30-24; 25: 16; 25: 20; 26: 1; 26:
21; 30: 33.
34. Mt. 5: 15; 7: 1-6; 7: 24-27;
9: 16, 17; 13: 3-8; 13: 24-30; Mk. 4: 20; Jn. 15: 4,5.
35. Mt. 15:18,19.
36. Knight G R, I Used To Be
Perfect, Boise, Idaho, Pacific Press Pub., 1994, p. 14,15, italics in the
original.
37. Ibid. p.15, italics in the
original.
38. Heb. 8:10.
39. An example of this is found in
the spiritual "stethoscope" quotes used in The everlasting gospel
section of this book. These Bible quotes help us to realise the desperate
condition of our hearts and our need of Jesus' healing power.
40. These passages refer to being
"justified by faith" (KJV, NKJV).
41. Christ is the only one born
into this world and not infected by this "virus". He was
conceived by the Holy Spirit (Lk. 1: 35). Although He took upon Himself our
innocent infirmities (eg. hunger, thirst, weariness) He did not have our
sinfulness (ie. SIN). He was tempted more than any of us will ever have to
endure and in ways we can never be tempted (eg. to use His divine power, Mt. 4:
1-3; or to not go-ahead and bear the guilt of the world, Jn. 12: 27) -- and yet
He never sinned. Why did He never sin? Because of His relationship with His
Father (Jn. 5:19; 8: 28,29; 10:15-18; 14:10; 17:21).
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in its entirety. Please ask if you want to just use a part of it.
David Bird compiled the web site.
Copyright © 2000, David Bird. Web site address: http://www.lis.net.au/~dbird/
Visitors to this web site are
most welcome to contact David Bird at dbird@lis.net.au
with questions, criticisms or suggestions -- or if you believe you've found a
mistake (e.g. in a Bible reference). I am a fellow pilgrim in need of God's
grace like anyone else. A reply will be sent as soon as practical, but may take
a few days.
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