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• WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
• THE GRATEFUL HEART
• THE POWER OF THE LIE
• ELECTION
• FAITH REVISITED
• YOUR FINEST HOUR: HUMILIATION
• A NOTE OF APPRECIATION

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January 2025

 

 

 

 

WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS

THE WAY

Randall Walton

        Over the years there have been meetings of the heads of major religions of the world where the delegates of these religions, in some cases, sign an agreement that each organization is equal and all valid representatives of a creator, or a higher force, and that none was superior in any way to any of the others, having identical or nearly identical goals.

        Included in these questionable assemblies are delegates from major “Christian” denominations as well as those from the Eastern religions and various other groups from around the world.

        This conclusion, of course, flies in the face of the teachings of Jesus Christ who stated unapologetically that there was/is but ONE true faith, or way, which is right in the sight of God. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He declared, “no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6).

        Such a statement as this means that all religions are not equal, and in fact, it denies the credibility of all religious persuasions except the teachings of Jesus Himself, and the doctrines He expounded. All the religions of the world, except true Christianity, may be leading to the same place, but that place is certainly not heaven!

        Of course, such a position as this invites charges of discrimination and bigotry. So be it. If the words of Jesus are unreliable or untrue, then there is surely no hope for anyone after this present existence. He alone taught the depravity of human nature and the need for a cleansing from the ravages of sin and rebellion against God. He alone bore the message of hope and reconciliation through a sacrifice of blood and death. And He alone was the eligible One who became the means for the reclamation of the human race.

        While there are many other ways, there is only one true THE way; that is, the Jesus way.

The Jesus Gate

        The message of Jesus was much more than a mere collection of witty and entertaining stories (parables). He actually laid out in strict form the rules for living a life for God with eternal life as the end in view. He prescribed in vivid detail the means to obtain that grand estate known as everlasting life. “Strait is the gate,” He informed His listeners, “and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life; and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14).

        This, of course, is not the message of this “anything goes” generation. There is nothing strait or narrow about the so-called sinner’s prayer which is purported to make a person saved. The word strait means narrow or not wide, and applies to the gate, or the entrance. Narrow in this verse indicates confining, restricted, to suffer tribulation, and refers to the way or the journey. The gate or the entrance to the way is narrow. It does not accommodate a large crowd which is manipulated in an effort to get them through. The few who find that gate understand the meaning of the word “strait.” There are certain obligations and requirements that must be met before a person can access that narrow gate. “Except (unless) ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” Jesus informed the crowd.

        Repentance begins with a recognition of and admission (confession) for the wrongs of the past. Only after a person acknowledges his guilt of sin can he repent. Facing the truth and reality of guilt is a sobering and awesome experience. Not everyone is willing to admit to the severity and vileness of sin. Too many times excuses are offered as a reason for transgression, thereby negating the necessity of confession of guilt. But God doesn’t accept such excuses. Sin is sin regardless of the reasons for committing it.

        Sin is not the same as our having a sinful nature, or having a bent toward sin. Sin is an active deed which is opposed to the will of God, or as John stated it, “sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). Neither is sin something passed on from one generation to another. Every person is accountable to God for how he conducts his life here on earth.

        Much of the time deep sorrow accompanies confession of sin. Being sorry for having been caught or found out is not the same as sorrow for having done wrong. The conviction by the Holy Spirit will reveal to the sinner the awfulness of his sinful life, and that produces the sorrow and tears and anguish of soul. It is in this state of great sorrow for having sinned that repentance may become a reality.

        The word repent means change, turn around, stop what one is doing, and begin a new life. Involved in this is a commitment to God and a promise and resolve to never become involved in the former way of life again. Merely recognizing that one’s quality of life is not the best is not repentance. Repentance brings about a revolution in one’s life – his practices, habits, conduct, deportment, perspective, likes, desires, attitudes, and purpose for living. Anything short of this is not repentance. Could this be the reason Jesus said the gate is narrow and few find it?

        There is little said about repentance in Christian circles today. The message is basically, “Believe that Jesus paid for your sins, and you are saved.” This is superficiality in the extreme! It is one of the highest forms of deception because it encourages people to believe they are saved when they are not. Making the decision to join the church of one’s choice does not save a soul either: it could make him a hypocrite or a habitual-sinning church member, but certainly not a Christian. There is no salvation apart from confession and repentance for anyone.

        Modern evangelists have attempted to make a wide gate so that multitudes can rush in, unimpeded by any restrictions or barriers. It’s easy to join a religious institution nowadays, but that doesn’t make one a citizen of the kingdom of God. The gate that leads to life everlasting is still narrow and confining: it is entered by FEW.

The Jesus Way

        The Jesus Way – the path or journey – is just as restrictive as the Jesus Gate. It is an uncrowded road, the travelers of which are acquainted with privation and tribulation (Acts 14:22). It is unattractive to the man of the flesh and is, therefore, the highway of the few.

        Jesus described it thus: “If any man will come after me, (the way), let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Let every would-be Christian pay special attention to these words of the Master:

        1. Deny himself.

        Self-denial is anathema in the average Christian assembly today. Self-esteem is certainly emphasized, but self-denial is seldom, if ever, mentioned. Jesus placed such importance upon this grace that it appears to be totally necessary for the obtaining of salvation. One cannot “come after” Him unless he practices self-denial!

        The dictionary says that self-denial is “denial or sacrifice of one’s own desires or pleasures.” Strong’s dictionary describes deny as, to “disown, abstain.” In either case, it is to turn one’s back on his own pursuits and ambitions, or as Thayer puts it, “to forget one’s self, lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests.” He states that it is comparable to Peter’s denial of Jesus when he claimed that he did not know “that man.”

        This attitude, Jesus declared, must be attained in order to walk the Jesus walk. Those who venture upon this narrow path must make the journey the number one pursuit of his life. Everything else in life must become subservient to that one task: progress along that Jesus way. No wonder self-denial is so unpopular and undesirable. Self-esteem sounds a lot more interesting and fun.

        2. Take up his cross.

        Any way you look at it, a cross is an instrument which produces death, death by crucifixion, death with suffering, death with humiliation.

        While death by crucifixion may include self-denial, it exceeds and surpasses it because it means the cessation of the life of self. The personal cross (his cross) means that a person must put to death his own desires, plans, and ambitions, and conform his life to the will and order of Jesus Christ.

        The commands of Jesus represent the very nature of the cross for everyone who would be a Christian. His teachings are potent with obligations and demands which are not pleasing to self-man. He ordered His followers to do things that are diametrically opposed to the general practices of mankind. For example:

        “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.

        “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

        “And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

        “Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

        “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

        “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

        “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:27-31,35,36).

        Admittedly, the message contained in these words is the exact opposite of the behavior of the average “believer.” Anyone who practices these commands of Jesus is personally acquainted with “his cross;” such continual obedience to these demands brings about the crucifixion of the self-life. Now, these are but a few of the commands of our blessed Redeemer, but they are sufficient to illustrate the meaning of “take up his cross and follow me.”

        It is no exaggeration to state that the message of the personal cross is not being preached at the present time. The Christian life is presented as the easy way, the pleasing way, the prosperity way. When the cross is mentioned, it is usually in reference to the “old rugged cross” upon which our Savior was impaled. The narrow way doesn’t need to be broad because there are but few who travel thereupon. It is the way of the cross, the way of death to the carnal man, the way of crucifixion of the flesh and its desires. Yet, it is the only way that leads to life.

        Jesus placed so much importance upon this cross that He said, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). A disciple is simply a believer or a follower. He is one who dedicates his life to God as a true Christian.

        No wonder, then, that He stated so emphatically: “no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” His words, He said, “are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). By so saying He excluded all other religious persuasions and beliefs. There is no other way to reach God except through His Son, Jesus Christ. The agreements among the various religions of the world are vain attempts to climb up some other way than the Jesus way. According to the Scriptures “every knee shall bow ... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10,11).

 

 

 

 

THE GRATEFUL HEART

Curtis Dickinson

        One phrase in the Apostle Paul’s writings forcefully describes our present culture, and provides a basic clue to the deterioration of morals and animosity toward Christians. The phrase is found in Romans 1:21: “Because that knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks.”

        Neither gave thanks!

        What a simple thing, to give thanks, and yet this is the watershed of the human race: on one side the self-sufficient ones whose end is death, and on the other, those who consciously depend upon the Father, give Him thanks in all things, and whose goal is eternal life in His image.

        Despite all our knowledge and the abundant gifts lavished on us, generally speaking, we are an ungrateful people. Even the poor among us are rich compared to three-fourths of the people in the world; people who cannot even imagine the lifestyle that is normal for our nation. Instead of being noted for ardent gratitude to God, we are famous for complaining.

        The progressive result of such ingratitude is described by Paul as those who professed themselves to be wise but became fools so that God gave them up to vile passions and all unrighteousness. This shameful degeneration describes our decadent society, as proclaimed in media headlines every day (Rom. 1:18-32). Men not only have failed to give thanks, but now our government seeks to ban such gratitude from public life under the false claim of separation of church and state.

        As in other things concerning God, our example in giving thanks is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. At the tomb of Lazarus, before He raised him from the dead, “Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you heard me. And I know that you always hear me, but because of the multitude that stand around I said it, that they may believe that you sent me” (John 11:41,42).

        If Jesus recognized that it was a great privilege for God to listen to His prayer, how thankful we should be that He hears us. Jesus was God’s only begotten Son, a man whom God anointed with His holy spirit without limit, who never once disobeyed the least of the Father’s commands. Still, He humbly gave thanks that God heard His prayer. Compare that with those of us who have been disobedient, who have sinned repeatedly, and repeatedly found mercy and forgiveness. Don’t we have far greater cause to thank Him for hearing us?

        For Jesus to give thanks to God demonstrated His full dependence upon God. “I can of my own self do nothing,” He said (John 5:30; 5:19). As God’s unique Son and special agent, He could have felt that He had a right to God’s special care, yet He never presumed on such a relationship. He repeatedly reminded the disciples that His teaching was not His own, but the Father’s who sent Him (John 7:16; 8:23), and that it was the Father abiding in Him that did His works (John 14:10). Unlike Adam, who sought equality with God, Jesus “emptied himself” of personal pride and lived as God’s servant. “He humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).

        Jesus had long since been anointed with power to raise the dead before He arrived at the tomb of Lazarus. Yet, in humility, He gave thanks to God for hearing His prayer. Our culture champions the idea of self-sufficiency, and we like to think that all we are and all we have is the result of our own efforts, in the spirit of the song, “I did it my way.” This leaves little room for us to be humbly grateful to God.

        In His prayer, Jesus said, “And I know that you always hear me.” We can say the same thing, and this fact in itself is cause for great thanksgiving, to know that in every crisis and at all other times our Father not only knows our need but also hears our prayers.

        A chief hindrance to finding joy in thanksgiving is self-centeredness. As long as one is focused on having his own needs met and fulfilling his own desires, he will be unable to appreciate the magnitude of his blessings.

        It was because Jesus was totally empty of “self” that He looked to the Father in every situation, giving Him praise and thanks. He also instructed us to do the same, to deny self and make obedience to the Father our first priority. “Seek first his kingdom, and his righteousness,” He said (Matt. 6:33). Paul expressed the idea when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

        We give thanks to one who freely bestows a gift, a gift that is not earned and for which no payment is required. Some people have difficulty accepting such a gift, and instead of a simple “Thanks,” may protest with remarks like, “You really shouldn’t have,” or “This is too much,” or “I wish you hadn’t...” This reluctance to be a humble recipient may be a sign of pride, or a fear of being obligated. To give thanks to God requires us to humbly lay aside our pride and acknowledge that we are ever in debt to Him. It is only as we gladly accept this relationship that we can feel happy in giving Him thanks.

        Another significant prayer of thanksgiving was during the Passover, the night before Christ’s crucifixion. He knew that the time had come when He was to become the sacrifice of atonement on the Roman instrument of torture, the cross. At the age of 33, He was to be shamed, tortured, and executed as a criminal in the cruelest manner. He would suffer this shameful torture and death, not because it was His will, but because it was the Father’s will.

        Completely aware of what the Father had in store for Him, “Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it…and said, Take, eat, this is my body” (Matt. 26:26). In like manner He gave thanks for the cup, which was symbolic of His blood about to be shed. Jesus gave thanks in the midst of the great crisis which engulfed Him in the extreme horror of assuming man’s sin and suffering its penalty of death.

        The fact that Jesus gave thanks to God during the worst time that we can imagine is an example of what Paul meant when he wrote, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thess. 5:18).

        He does not say to give thanks for everything. There is a great amount of corruption and evil for which God is not responsible, and for which we are not to give thanks. There is a real danger that we grow bitter and cynical as we resist and oppose this evil. What Paul says is that in everything, even in the midst of this evil, we are to give thanks. In doing so we follow the example of God’s grateful Son, who gave thanks even as He faced the worst that man could do to Him and submitted to the sacrifice as a lamb led to the slaughter. The grateful heart will not become hard and cynical, even in the times of trouble and suffering.

        A while back a man in a state penitentiary wrote, saying, “This snake pit is an awful place. But every day I give thanks that I was sent here, because it was only after being imprisoned that I came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I have fellowship with the Father and know a peace that I had never known before.” Even in times of hardship, trials, persecution, and sickness we still have fellowship with God and possess “all spiritual blessings in Christ.” These are great treasures, which cannot be taken away from us against our wills, and they give us cause for continuous thanksgiving.

        Paul wrote, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called in peace; and be thankful” (Col. 3:15). Like all of God’s commands, this command to be thankful is given for our benefit. Being thankful helps us guard against greed and makes us content with such things as we have, so that we are at peace, even in a culture that glorifies avarice and idolizes the rich and famous. It frees us from self-pity and reduces the temptation to complain.

        People such as those described by Paul, who “neither gave thanks,” are often problem-centered, focusing on their failures and the faults of others. Paul faced many problems, not only in his own life but also in the lives of those to whom he ministered. The Corinthian Christians had many moral and doctrinal problems in their congregation, and some questioned Paul’s apostleship. To them he wrote, “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus” (I Cor. 1:4). Paul could face such serious challenges because he had a grateful heart.

        “As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in your faith, even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Col. 2:6,7).

 

 

 

 

THE POWER OF THE LIE

Lorraine Scullin

        The human race has been subject to the power of the lie from the time the serpent injected doubt in the mind of man, “HATH GOD SAID?” and attempted to conceal from him the appalling consequences of unbelief and disobedience, “Ye shall NOT SURELY DIE.” From that hour, humanity has been listening to the voice of this insidious and merciless foe and has been under hell’s barrage of misrepresentation and falsehood for so many centuries that people have been conditioned to accept the lie rather than the truth.

        Eve believed the lie because of what her eyes saw – the testimony of the flesh. She accepted the lie because her sentiments were stirred by the appeal to her physical senses and her vanity. When the woman saw that the tree was “pleasant to the eyes and to be desired to make one wise,” she did eat. This was a subtle tactic to lead her to trust in her emotions rather than in the commands of the Lord – the only tenable and secure foundation for one’s faith (Matt. 7:24-27). In this day of undue emphasis upon sentimental values, beware of any religious teaching that makes its appeal based on emotions rather than on the plain commands of God. Human feelings are utterly unreliable and unpredictable as a guide to truth and reality.

        Through the power of the lie, the communion of our first parents with the Lord was severed and their citizenship in Paradise was lost. They became inhabitants of a lesser state where they were continually under the impact of the fabrications, deceptions, and lies of hell. Even when individuals sought after God in this alien realm of physical limitations, they suffered the taunts of the devil as this “accuser of the brethren” stood before the throne of God to rail against them day and night; such people lived under a cloud of condemnation and gloom. But there was hope for humanity even in these tragic conditions where man’s physical being was attacked by disease, pain, hunger, weariness, and age; where his mental faculties were marred by the ravages of sin; where a veil of darkness lay over his spirit, blotting out all the glories and realities of the eternal world; and where over all animate being the clammy hand of death held undisputed sway.

        The Father did not leave His creation in this pit of despair. He had promised a Savior who would not only redeem man from the enemy’s grip by the price of His own blood but would secure again the creature’s privilege to be a citizen of Paradise and return to more direct communion with his God. In addition, this Redeemer would terminate irrevocably the devil’s right to accuse and plague man with his failures by casting down forever this archenemy and father of lies from his place of access to God’s Throne.

        This was accomplished at the time of the cross when Jesus Christ went into the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. There, He entered the strong man’s house, bound him, and spoiled his goods (Matt. 12:28,29 and Luke 11:21-22). By this supreme triumph over the enemy and his house, He led “captivity captive and gave gifts unto men” (Eph. 4:8). Thus, Christ could say of His victory over “the strong man” at the time of His crucifixion: “Now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” At the same time it could be declared in heaven: “Now is come salvation ... and the Kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down” (John 12:31 and Rev. 12:7-12). This work has already been finished, and as evidence of this complete triumph over the “liar” and his lies, Jesus Christ wears the keys of hell and death (Rev. 1:18). These powers were once in the devil’s control, but they have been seized from his grasp by the mighty Lord Jesus.

        “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy (make powerless) him that had the power of death, that is the devil” (Heb. 2:14). Since the cross there has been a great change in the invisible and visible realms. The devil has lost his great weapon – the power of death – by which he held the whole world in bondage through fear. Jesus Christ has conquered this evil antagonist, stripping him of all his armor wherein the devil trusted (Luke 11:22). This great fact of the defeat of the enemy would revolutionize the lives of God’s people if they would take hold of this part of their inheritance. The devil cannot touch the servant of God who is under the blood of Christ and so remains. He can only hurl his lies and accusations on men’s minds, but every child of God has been given complete power to reject these shadows of hell. “Behold, I give unto you power ... over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). This is man’s present place of victory and authority over this agent of evil, but because he has believed the devil’s lies so long and has accepted his doubts and insinuations, it is hard for him to realize that he actually is a joint-heir with Jesus Christ and that he has a seat of great power in heavenly places.

        Since the cross, great privileges have been secured for every child of God because of the binding of the enemy. It is now possible for him to unite with another son of God and “agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask and it shall be done.” At this present time “whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” It is now possible to “say unto this mountain ... be thou cast into the sea; and it shall be done.” Power to do the same works as Jesus Christ belongs to God’s servant. Now he can taste of the powers of the world to come through the baptism of the Spirit. Today he has great influence before the throne of the Sovereign of the universe where he can present a petition and receive the answer. This is more power by far than that given those who sit in the seats of the mighty here in earth.

 

 

 

 

ELECTION

Harry Miller

        Briefly, election is a divine appointment. God was well aware of the fact that blind chance or “happenstance” would never accomplish the supreme purpose of creation, nor bring into fruition the things for which He hoped. Many times and in many ways, the hand of Providence was to move in the affairs of men. Positive and absolute fore-ordination was essential to the success of His plan. Many things were predicted by the prophets as absolute: such things were not subject to the vagaries of the changing conditions in the human race; they were permanently fixed in the preordained history of man.

        By divine appointment, the Lord chose certain nations as objects of His special grace, and they were given special privileges: “The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.” This was spoken to ancient Israel through Moses (Deut. 7:6). “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” This bespoke the elect children of Christ, the modern Israel (I Peter 2:9).

        The Lord ordained certain individuals for a specific work. Some of these were chosen and prepared for their work before they were born: some of them were godly, and others were most ungodly. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” So said the Lord to His servant Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5). Many years before the birth of the man who was to be the king of Persia, Isaiah prophesied of his coming, and even declared his name: “Cyrus, he is my shepherd…I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee” (Isa. 44:28 and 45:4). The Lord spoke to the great king Pharaoh, of Egypt, through the mouth of His servant Moses: “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout the earth” (Ex. 9:16).

        In the hour that the proud king Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his own power and majesty, a “voice from heaven” declared that he would be driven from among men and would abide with the beasts “until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Dan. 4:31,32). Concerning governmental powers, the apostle Paul said: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1). Many people have attributed certain events to chance, or coincidence; but God, the Master Tactician, is the reason behind many earthly events that only appear to have been the result of chance.

        Principalities and powers and rulers of spiritual wickedness work in the earth, it is true, but God and a great host of angels also work. The world is a great stage, and each generation of mankind provides the actors for the drama of life. The unseen Director stands hidden behind the scenery: He gives the “cue” for the “changing of scenes and props.” He also sets the time for the music to begin, and He it is who orders the curtain to go up or down. God is the absolute Master. Both angels and devils are quick to respond to His command. And both the forces of good and of evil are used as factors in accomplishing the desired end and fulfilling the Father's wonderful plan.

        As pawns are moved across a chess board by the hands of the individuals who plan the strategy and play the game, so also are men often moved by an invisible “hand.” Great leaders like Jacob, Moses, David, and Jesus of Nazareth, were all men sent of God to contribute their part in the great “master plan” of the ages. Peter, James, and John were some of the men “predestinated in him before the foundation of the world” to become members of that mystical body known as the Church (Eph. 1:4,5). On the other hand, there were also “vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” (Rom. 9:22), like Judas, who was “a devil from the beginning.” The apostle Peter thundered a warning to God's people against the “natural brute beasts, MADE to be taken and destroyed…cursed children…servants of corruption” (II Peter 2:12-22). And Jude also spoke of these ungodly men “who were before ORDAINED to this condemnation” (verse 4).

        Election, relative to Christian life, rests in the hands of the heavenly Father. If it were not for His abundant grace, no man would ever be saved. Each step in the process of salvation is wholly dependent upon the grace of God. Consider this: “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). One must have faith to please God. Yet, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT OF GOD” (Eph. 2:8). Who, then, is it that has this believing faith? “As many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

        Under the terms of the new covenant, the salvation of a man's soul requires the functioning of no less than five distinct gifts of the Holy Spirit: each gift a special act of divine grace; and all five, critical factors in the work of salvation. No matter how devoted men might be to religious practices, nor how faithfully they would toil to attain unto righteousness, if it were not for these five special graces of God it would be impossible for any man to be saved. These graces are virtuous in themselves, but they are impossible for man to exercise. Without divine help, no man could possibly manifest EVEN ONE of the required divine graces.

        The holy nature of the Almighty God requires that those who are made worthy of His Presence, and family, must be conditioned and prepared. The five graces are the “means” of preparation. Since man is wholly unable to do the job alone, God, by His infinite grace and mercy, supplies the “means,” but only for THE ELECT.

        CONVICTION is man's first step toward God. But what man would be aware of his sinful condition if it were not for the convicting grace of God? “No man can come to me (said Jesus), except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). The “drawing” influence of His Spirit is the first factor in the reclaiming of man's soul. This Spirit influence is given to man while he is yet in his sins. This is the VOICE that stands at the heart's door and knocks. This is the visitor who comes uninvited and usually unwanted. Surely the grace of God is without measure!

        It is “the goodness of God that leadeth thee to REPENTANCE” (Rom. 2:4). Here we have the next step in the path of divine grace: Repentance is not left to the vagaries of the will of man. Esau, a “profane person”…“found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Heb. 12:17). The servants of the Lord are told to use meekness in instructing those who oppose themselves “if God peradventure will give them repentance” (II Tim. 2:25). If repentance was all that God required for man to be saved, then salvation could be left to the caprices of man's will, and he could tap saving grace whenever he felt disposed to do so. But God has never kept an open house such as this. He, alone, determines who will come through “the door,” and he who will remain without.

        REGENERATION; or the “new birth” is a “MUST” according to the words of Jesus: “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Again, we have a manifestation of divine grace, for no man can be born of the Spirit except through the special grace of God: “Them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12,13). And the apostle James declared: “of HIS OWN WILL begat he us” (James 1:18).

        SANCTIFICATION is the crucial gift of divine grace. Upon the work of this gift within the individual rests the success of all of the Holy Spirit's labors with the individual. Many scholars have construed sanctification as being one with the Gift of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost; but the gift of sanctification is not an EXPERIENCE, it is a STATE. It is the STATE of the soul when it is completely and wholly separated from the world and dedicated unto God. When first converted, the pardoned sinner is given a LEGAL STANDING in God, and God counts him righteous as Christ is righteous. This is the saints’ LEGAL STATE: “We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). And again in verse 14: “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”

        ENDURANCE is as much a gift of God as any of the other graces: “Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me,” was the prayer of Jesus (John 17:11). Peter said that the elect are “kept by the power of God” (I Peter 1:5). Jude speaks of those who are sanctified, as being “preserved in Jesus Christ” (verse 1). Jesus declared that this was the Father's will concerning “all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing.” And “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory” (Jude 24). “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me…I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine…Keep, through thine own name those whom thou hast given me” (John 17:6-12).

        Before the foundation of the world, the Creator and His Son made an honor roll, or “book,” with all of the names of the saints who would be of HIS ELECT. This book is known as “the book of life” (Rev. 20:15). None of these names are placed in the book during the course of history: they are there from the beginning. In the will of the Father, these are the names of the people who will be the bride of Christ, the holy city, the New Jerusalem. Each saint is a living stone, an important part of a beautiful temple, a house for God to dwell in. Not one of these stones shall ever be lost: ALL that the Father giveth me shall come to me…And this is the Father's will that hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:37,39).

        The Psalmist poetically portrayed the “body” of Jesus thus: “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes didst see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in THY BOOK all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:15,16). Paul spoke of certain saints “Whose names are in the book of life” (Phil. 4:3). Jesus told the seventy to “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). And Daniel predicted the day when God's people would be delivered: “Every one that shall be found written in the book” (chapter 12: verse 1). And again, in Revelation twenty-one, verse twenty-seven, this same book is called “The Lamb's book of life.”

        Now brethren, ELECTION cannot rest in the will of man, but in the will of God; “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom. 8:28-30).

 

 

 

 

FAITH REVISITED

Alfred King

        When the topic of Christian faith comes up, the eleventh chapter of Hebrews is often brought into the conversation. Hebrews eleven gives many examples of godly men who exemplified a life of faith. The chapter mentions Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses specifically. These examples aid us in understanding what genuine biblical faith is and how it affects one’s life. Because these were men of faith their lives were dramatically affected, not just when they first believed but in the course their lives took. It seems so foreign to us today for a man to spend 120 years building an ark when it had never rained upon the earth before the great flood of Noah’s day. Yet, God told Noah that a storm was coming which would destroy the known world of his day. The result of Noah’s faith was, he “condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Heb. 11:7).

        One has to wonder if Noah ever got discouraged or considered dropping the project. If he is like most of us, he no doubt had times when the task was extremely overwhelming for him and his family. But whether he did or not, he is a tremendous testimony of that faith which perseveres year after year. Noah knew God would fulfill His words and that a day of great destruction would come from the Almighty.

        So it is today: God has spoken in His word that a day of great trouble is on the horizon and it will come suddenly and unexpectedly. In Luke 21:35 Jesus warned of this day, “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” Jesus adds to His warning in His account found in Matthew 24:38-39, “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

        Noah’s example of faith is to show that even though time continues on and on with seemingly no end in sight, God’s word is sure and it will come in God’s time. It is dangerous to become lax or dismiss God’s warning. It is much like Noah’s day, in that time tends to dilute one’s faith, complacency sets in and, if one is not careful, spiritual rigor mortis settles in destroying one’s very soul. We live in a day when secularism is becoming more and more prominent as we see many Christians leaving the church and the basic teachings of scripture. Sadly, many of those remaining in the church are merely “Sunday-only Christians.” The light of the glorious Gospel of Christ has been dimmed by worldliness and carnality and a departure of the faith that was once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). The warning in Matthew 25 might be pertinent here, the foolish virgins had no faith to keep their lamps burning.

Faith Defined

        Since faith is our topic, let us go back to Hebrews eleven, verse one where the author defines Biblical faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This definition of faith is a little confusing to our minds in the 21st century. Maybe it was clear to the Hebrews to whom this epistle was written, but it is somewhat vague in today’s vernacular. Let’s examine this verse and try to explain it in a way that is simple to understand.

        To get a better grasp of this definition it is good to consider to whom the author is writing and the central theme that flows throughout this epistle. The book was written to the Hebrews, Jews who had converted to Christianity. Being raised under Jewish teachings, especially the teachings of Moses with all the Old Testament rituals and ceremonial laws, leaving behind those life-long practices was most difficult. It was not easy to chart a new course and forsake those things they had been taught all their lives. Even after having been saved and having been taught that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament rituals and laws given by Moses, there was no doubt some trepidation and uncertainty to many of these new converts.

        The author begins his epistle by showing that God spoke in the past to His people through prophets, but now, in the latter days (under the New Covenant) He has spoken through His Son. God magnified and made honorable His law and His government, raising His word and His law to a higher and more noble level. The author proceeds in chapter two to show that Jesus is above the angels and all heavenly beings. In chapters three and four, he informs his readers that there is a rest, prepared by God for those who are faithful to the end. That rest is still waiting to be entered into. In chapter 5 he brings in the priesthood and the example of Melchizedek, likening Jesus to Melchizedek who had no beginning of days nor end. Jesus’ priesthood is a heavenly priesthood that will never end. He is our eternal priest and pleads our cause before the Father in heaven. He is our intercessor, for He is ever interceding for His people.

        In chapter six, the author warns of a falling away that is possible and the serious consequences which would follow. He is concerned that some of these newly converted Jews might want to return to Judaism, much like Israel in the days of Moses, when they were determined to return to Egypt. This return would be catastrophic, for it would leave them without a Savior.

        In chapters seven and eight, he delves into what the priesthood meant under the Old Covenant and explains that the Levitical priesthood, what was established by Moses, first in the tabernacle and later the temple, were all a shadow of the heavenly priesthood in which Jesus is now our high priest. Now under the New Covenant we have a better priesthood, “a better covenant established upon better promises” (Heb. 8:6).

        In Hebrews nine and ten he again warns of the dangers of going back to the Levitical order for that order was no longer efficacious to cover men’s sins. He endeavors to unveil to them the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice and priesthood. Note the warning in Hebrews 10:28-29. “He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 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?” This is a most sober and profound warning!

        This brings us to our definition in chapter eleven. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” With what is written above, we can better gain an understanding of this definition. The substance is the ground or foundation upon which one’s faith rests. If we return to Hebrews chapter one, we read, “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). One very important and clear observation that is foundational to one’s faith is creation. No one can deny that the creation of the earth with all its various forms of life from the ameba to the vegetation, to mammals, birds, fish, etc. reveals something or someone supernatural. Nor can we deny that the solar system which is so vast that even with all our scientific advancements we cannot begin to see the end of all that God created. This foundation (substance) proves that there is a master designer and creator. That creator is God.

        Since there is a God, then we have a foundation and support upon which our faith can rest. Faith is what makes the unseen real. What is not seen is real through faith. What is not seen are things like God, eternal life, heavenly beings, a place called heaven, etc. Creation becomes the evidence of things not seen since creation declares the glory of God. If there is creation, which we see all around us and cannot be denied, creation then becomes a strong and persuasive evidence of things not seen.

        There are people who believe in conspiracy theories, and they feel they have evidence when in most cases they are not true at all. Yet their faith causes them to live a certain way because they expect those theories to affect them in some way. These have faith in non-realities, based upon something they have been told or conjured up in their own minds. Nevertheless, their faith is founded on something, although not true nor real; their belief governs many aspects of their lives.

        We all exercise faith in things in this world. For instance, there may be a place you have never visited; such as Jerusalem, Paris, or Moscow but you believe these places exist. You believe because you have read about them, been taught about them in school, heard about them in the news, or been told about them by people who have visited them. This is faith because you have never been there. But once you visit those places, it is no longer faith but experience. So it is when you are saved and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Your sins are washed away, the burden you carried rolled from off your shoulders, and the love of God flows into your heart. Your faith becomes real and you know whom you have believed and are persuaded that He is able to keep you throughout your life on this earth. You know that you have an eternal home in heaven that awaits you and this world is no longer your home for you, like Abraham, look “for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10).

Moses

        When we come to Moses, we find a most interesting kind of faith that today is profoundly rare. Heb. 11:23-26 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

        We find in these few verses that God allowed Moses to be born at the very time Pharaoh had ordered all Israelite baby boys be killed. Moses’ parents must have been a praying couple, for they recognized that this son was special in some way. They hid him for three months before putting him in God’s hands, placing him in a basket, and setting him among the reeds at one of the tributaries to the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and adopted him as her son. He was therefore raised in Pharaoh’s courts with all the benefits of Egyptian education, learning how the government of Egypt was run and becoming a great soldier and military leader.

        It was when he was forty years old that he determined that his lot was not with Egypt but with his people, Israel. He traded all the luxuries, the wealth, the prestige, and all the benefits and glory of Egypt in order to suffer affliction with the children of Israel. Moses’ faith was the motivating force behind his departure from Egypt and uniting himself with Israel. It was yet another forty years before God called him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out.

        After Moses returned to Egypt, the next forty years of Moses’ life were not a picnic. The people were a constant burden to him and their unbelief added to the many trials which Moses endured. In spite of this, HIS FAITH carried him onward and he became one of the most honored and faithful men of the Old Testament. He was even likened to Jesus as expressed when he prophesied, “… A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3:22-23; Acts 7:37; Deut. 18:15,19).

        Much more could be said about Moses as well as the others mentioned in this eleventh chapter of Hebrews but this should help us understand what true godly faith is and how it is revealed in one’s life. It’s not just in words but in a transformed life.

        Did any of these men of faith ever regret their decision to have faith in God? No! They all died in faith not having received the promise but with expectation and confidence that their rewards await them when Jesus returns.

        These men of faith resound in agreement with the faith of the Apostle Paul as recorded in II Cor. 4:17-18: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

 

 

 

 

YOUR FINEST HOUR: HUMILIATION

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

        If one lives long enough, there comes the hour of humiliation.

        When this occurs in the life of the sanctified, he has that opportunity to realize this to be one of his finest spiritual hours.

        Being talked about unkindly…lied about…gossiped about…maligned…is to be in the company of some of the noblest human beings who have ever breathed – especially Jesus Christ. Being misinterpreted when you have performed no deeds but love offerings to the good Lord above…being misunderstood when you intended nothing but healing in others’ lives…is being in the fellowship of the Lord Himself.

        Who is it who is misunderstood day in and day out? Who is it who is ignored though He pours His kindness upon us season upon season? Who is it who is even cursed loudly to the very skies He has painted? It is God.

        Yet He continues His benevolent presence upon our planet, regardless of the mistreatment His gracious heart endures hour upon hour by the majority of self-centered human creatures making a living from His turf. No wonder Paul wrote that when the believer suffers for doing good, that Christian is in league with Jesus Christ, helping to fill up His sufferings.

        Therefore, take seriously the counsel of Jesus when He warned you ahead of time that the world would hate you because of living the holy life, seeking others’ benefit, thereby living solely to the glory of God Almighty.

        When you are then hated, despised, spat upon perhaps, consider it your finest hour. Hold your head up high. Sing praises to the Lord in heaven, knowing that while the meanest would have your heart shredded, He has already smiled upon your consecration.

        The other evening I listened to a Christian man relate his trials. He said that at first, he wondered what in heaven the Father was up to. Then he quarreled with the divine will. Finally, he sat in his living room chair and told God that He could do exactly whatever He desired with his existence – pain and all. “Then it was that, though suffering on the outside, I had such peace in my heart. There was this sweet holiness from Jesus that settled in upon my very being. I would not have traded that experience with the divine for any approving nod from the world.”

        Today, what is it that you are dealing with by way of injustices and spite from others? What hurts are bombarding your character, your integrity? What people are plotting for your undoing? Whatever – surrender it all to God, thanking Him for this life opportunity for praise – one of your finest spiritual hours.

 

 

 

 

A NOTE OF APPRECIATION

        We at People of the Living God want to express our appreciation to God for His bountiful blessings throughout 2024. Included in these blessings are each of you who read “The Testimony of Truth” faithfully and for those who contribute loyally to this ministry financially, but even more so for those who encourage us to continue to present articles that both challenge and enlighten. Our prayer and desire is to awaken the sleeping church to the times in which we live, to advance the Kingdom of God by promoting holiness as disciples of Christ, a holiness that can only be obtained and possessed by allowing the Holy Spirit to live and rule in our lives.

        Not only do we desire that God’s church be awakened but that America might, by the grace and mercy of God, return to the reason and common sense she once possessed and where God is God. This will only be accomplished if the church returns to her first love, a love that produces righteousness and holiness. When the infant church in Jerusalem, being first filled with the Holy Spirit, was scattered throughout the known world, they took with them the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who, like America today (sits), sat in darkness. So we, too, desire that light that once so permeated the hearts of those early believers to penetrate the darkness of this hour and enlighten the wayward, the lost, those who are afar off, those whose hearts are darkened and whose eyes are blinded through sin and depravity. May it again, by the grace of God, shine in America, a land that sits today in darkness.

        We ask our readers to pray for this ministry that it will be, as John the Baptist “… a voice crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3:4-6) (emphasis mine)

        May God bless each of you throughout 2025.

 

The Editor