“O God, where are You when I need You?”

Each day, millions pray. In China, Japan, Southeast Asia, prayers are recited in Buddhist temples, Shintoist pagodas; prayer wheels turn in dozens of Nepalese streams. In Europe, Central and South America; across the United States and Canada, millions pray each day. What happens to all those prayers? Where do they go? Does anyone hear them? Are very many of them answered? Do you pray? Are your prayers answered?

During World War II, Catholic mothers in Germany and France prayed that their sons would be granted safety, and victory. Priests recited petitions in the same language (Latin) to the same God, asking for the same thing. But, during the German advance into France, those prayers went up to God from opposing sides. Wasn’t this a little confusing to God?

Each Sunday, tens of millions go to church; tens of millions more see religious programs on television. They pray. They engage in responsive readings; millions recite the “Lord’s Prayer” each week. How many of those prayers are answered—really answered, in a definitive, perhaps even a spectacular way?

What about you? Do you pray? Are your prayers answered in a tangible, positive way, leaving absolutely no doubt in your mind?

Sometimes, failing to receive an answer to prayer can prove frustrating, especially to children. For example, a young lad named Peter once wrote a letter to God. You’ve probably seen samples of such letters—national magazines have published them, and they have been the subject of humorous comment on TV talk shows. Little Peter had been taught about God. He believed God was good, kind—that He was all-powerful, and could do anything. He saw his parents pray at home and in church. Then, disaster struck. When his teacher asked him to write a letter to God about it, Peter wrote, “Dear God: My brother Tommy was hit by a car. My mother prayed to you—and so did I. We begged you to let him live, but you wouldn’t. He was only two years old, so he couldn’t have sinned that bad. You didn’t have to punish him that way … you could have saved my little brother, but you let him die. You broke my mother’s heart. How can I love you, God?”

Peter’s letter is exactly the way millions feel. Why does God hide Himself? Why is He so unreal to us? Why does God allow wars, sickness and disease, rape, murder, tragedy, accidents, death? For centuries, man has sought the answers to these painful questions. Where is God when you’re really in pain?

Philosophers and theologians alike fail to provide us with ready answers. As a newspaper columnist wrote, “Suffering of innocent people is something we cannot understand.”

“Surely, His ways are mysterious, and past finding out,” intones the theologian, quoting scripture.

Pastors have sought for generations to comfort the bereaved at funerals—trying to provide some insight into the bitter question WHY? Why this or that person—why now? And why that way? Why are children born malformed, deaf, blind, dumb? Why crib death? Are there any answers, or must we remain forever helplessly asking “why”?

We humans tend to blame God for our failures and congratulate ourselves for our successes. When we’re comfortable, successful, happy, we have no special need of God. But when we’re sick, frightened, poverty-stricken, or experiencing the loss of a loved one—we cry out to Him in anguish of soul. We think of so many ways in which it all seems so unfair, somehow.

One man professed to be an atheist because he couldn’t rationalize suffering and the goodness of an all-powerful God. He wrote, “If I had the power to fashion the universe and remake it nearer my heart’s desire, there would be no blind, no deaf, no dumb; there would be no crippled, and each child born would live free of disease and possess a mentality capable of withstanding all the rebuffs of life. There would be no deaths by accident. There would be no earthquakes, cyclones or tornadoes. Unless and until such a condition comes to pass, and we may live free from disease, sorrow and suffering, there is no God in this vast universe worthy of homage.” At first glance, this may sound like a logical enough position. But on second thought, what causes blindness, deafness, dumbness, endemic disease? What causes accidents—why do tragedies occur? The atheist didn’t consider the element of free moral agency. Since there is a God, and God has created we human beings with a mind; with free choice, He has given us personal control over our own lives.

Man has, in too many cases, invited God out of his life. God has cooperated. God does not produce “Monday-morning automobiles” (cars produced by assembly-line workers with Monday-morning hangovers) with twenty-five easily discernible factory defects—careless, hung-over workmen do. God does not force mothers to turn their attention to morning sitcoms or soaps while their children stray from the yard to dash into the street after a rolling ball; God does not produce careless, indifferent, slipshod workmanship in products which often betray their users. God is not the One who causes accidents—men are. Yet, when accidents occur, man is quick to call out to God for relief—sometimes bitterly indicting a seemingly uncaring Deity for aloofness.

But is it God who is aloof, or we humans who ignore Him, and His will in our lives? Would you want God interfering in your personal life on a daily basis? Think about it.

Are you a smoker? I smoked for about 8 years, and it was a terrible ordeal to quit. Finally, with God’s help, and by discontinuing some associations; quitting the bowling league, staying away from situations where I was tempted to smoke, I broke the two-pack-a-day habit I had during my years in the Navy. I quit in 1953. That was about two years before Dr. Cuyler Hammond released his report showing the correlation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer—and years before the explosion of filter tips, longer cigarettes, and all the advertisements about the amount of “tar” contained in each. Today, cigarette advertising is banned from television; a clear warning is required on each ad, or package, saying smoking causes lung cancer.

If you smoke, would you like God to prevent it?

Try to imagine the scene, if someone who smoked was not necessarily an atheist, but not devoutly religious, either. Perhaps our smoker believes God may exist, perhaps goes to church a time or two each year, watches a religious TV program now and then; thinks he has all the bases covered.

But, one day, he tries to reach for his shirt pocket to extract a cigarette. Suddenly, his hand is stopped short of his shirt by some invisible, powerful force. He is shocked, wondering if he is having seizure, a cramp, an epileptic fit. He tries with the other hand. Just as he is about to extract the pack, his arm is stopped in mid-air by a powerful, unseen force! He seizes the arm with his other hand, tries to guide it to his shirt pocket. Again, some compelling force stops him from reaching his cigarettes! He calls to a friend, and asks him to reach his cigarettes. His friend tries it—only to be stopped by some sort of seizure. They look at each other in dumbfounded amazement. The smoker bends over, shakes his shirt, and the cigarettes fall to the floor. He tries to reach them. He can’t. Some power prevents it. Sobbing in desperation, bewildered by what’s happening, he asks his friend to light up, and blow smoke in his face. The friend lights a cigarette, and tries to blow smoke into his face. But the smoke simply disappears as it comes out of his mouth! Our smoker, bewildered, frightened, angry, frustrated, throws himself to the ground in a mindless frenzy! Finally, he is carried to a padded cell, placed in a straight-jacket, so he can’t hurt himself, or commit suicide!

Unrealistic? Not when you think about it. Apply the same scene to a developing affair between a married person and a friend. What if their attempts at physical contact were somehow barred by the intervention of a powerful force—an invisible presence?

What if God prevented you from doing anything which was harmful to you? It might give you better health, prolong your life, prevent accidents—but it would also remove your free moral agency; it would take away volition; make you into a robot, an automaton. God is not interested in producing robots—He is interested in reproducing after His own kind; the family of God! And He wants the development of righteous, holy character, not the bovine acquiescence of a pre-programmed robot. The atheist was wrong. The very fact that we have free moral agency; the fact that God allows us to choose between good and evil proves there is a God.

Accidents, tragedies are heart-breaking, difficult to understand. But God does not cause them—He merely fails to prevent them, in the same fashion that He does not intrude into our lives in a forceful sense; does not prevent us from doing things that are harmful to us.

Is there a God? If SO, can you prove it? Is God a personal Being, who hears and answers prayers? Of course, such a question is deserving of a book, or several of them. But yes, there is a God, and you can prove it. How? By the laws of science; by history, archaeology, by logic, and by the Bible.

There are seven proofs God exists. Each is deserving of a book to thoroughly explain, but in brief, they are:

(1) CREATION. Matter exists. The universe exists. It is. Our own galaxy, and our vast solar system, with our “orange dwarf star,” the sun, positioned precisely where it needs to be to provide stored energy for our fossil fuels, daylight, our seasons; all this is but an infinitesimal part of what is actually there—the universe. Our own galaxy is said to consist of two hundred billion, billion stars—many of them much larger than our sun. The good, green earth is said to be like one speck of sand in all the seashores on earth, in comparison to its place in our galaxy. No one doubts the universe, we merely stand in awe of it—heart-stopping, mind-boggling, breathtaking awe. Matter exists. We exist. Creation—the incredible array of interdependent, symbiotic life forms—it is. Your logical mind demands a Creator for a creation.

(2) LAW. And what of the forces that act upon creation? What of the laws of thermodynamics; of the conservation of energy? What of the laws which uphold the nuclear reaction in our sun which gives us heat and light? Think of the irrevocable, immutable, absolute laws of physics, chemistry, of the physical sciences. What of the cleavage properties of minerals? The laws governing how they form, or are broken down? What of gravity, the magnetic field of earth, inertia? Science must work within such laws to invent, design, and produce the wondrous machines that can make life so abundant. Aerodynamics is a case in point. Aircraft are designed so as to overcome drag by devices such as jet or propeller-driven engines and airfoils, or wings, which produce lift. Bricks can’t fly—but airplanes can. Science must comply with existing laws, finding efficient means to obey principles and laws which are immutable, unchangeable, from creation. When those laws are broken, we suffer. Break the laws, and they break us. Get in harmony with them, obey them, and they bless us. Immutable laws— the laws governing the properties of creation itself—these require a great LAWGIVER.

(3) LIFE. You and I are alive. Billions of creatures, from man to huge blue whales; from micro-organisms to yellowfin tuna; from tiny shrews to elephants, we all share something we call “life.” Life is a true cycle. It is broken only by death, and its only beginning is through pre-existing life of the same kind.

Evolutionary thought proposes that randomness produced life. Do explosions in print shops produce dictionaries and encyclopedias? Think of the myriad forms of life—plant, animal, fish, bird, insect, micro-bacterial life. Does your logical mind believe life came from the not-living? No. It demands that life comes from life—just as you came from your parents, and they from their parents, and so on. Life requires a Great Life-giver! All life must come from a life SOURCE!

(4) DESIGN. Look around you at the incredible design of our universe, our solar system, the earth, and all of matter, all life forms.

Think of your own body; your mind. Our marvelously constructed bodies are an absolute miracle of design. Is anything superior, in the known universe, to the human hand? With it, we can perform fantastic feats; from concert violinist to skillful surgeon, from champion boxer to astronaut; from architect to artist—the human hand is a marvel of engineering design.

What of the eye? Have you ever bothered to renew the smorgasbord of knowledge you received during your years of formal education—to reacquaint yourself with the functions of your own body? Study an encyclopedia on the human eye; study our muscular, digestive, nervous, skeletal, circulatory systems. Study articles on our vital organs; glands that affect our growth, reproduction, physical health, digestion, mental ability. Think of the feather of a bird, the wing of a fly; the symbiotic relationship between blue whales and plankton, or krill. What of the food chain—the microorganisms that produce humus; soil that grows herbs, vegetables, and fruit; our digestive systems with bacteria that help us utilize our sustaining foods; our blood stream that carries life-giving oxygen and foods to our cells?

Wherever you look in nature, you see harmonious, intricate, breathtaking design. Such marvels of design require a Great DESIGNER! Intricate design is not the result of blind accident, of happenstance, any more than a Boeing 747 could grow like fungus in a field.

(5) SUSTAINER. What of the continual functioning of the universe itself? What of the controlled forces we see at work; from gravity to erosion—the exact place of the continental masses in relationship to each other; the earth’s tectonic plates, great oceans with their powerful currents, polar ice caps, weather systems?

What keeps it all going? Why is it so dependable, so constant? Again, laws. The sustaining of such laws—the seemingly guaranteed, aeons-long, continuous operation of forces and energies which, if they acted in capricious disarray, would eradicate man from this earth, are instead dependable, lawful, constantly predictable. Laws governing the conservation of energy; the continual intake of carbon 14 into living things from the sun; the gradual breakdown of radioactive carbon into lead; the deposition of rocks and forming of strata; the daily tides; the earth’s annual journey around the sun, the moon’s monthly journey around the earth; our weather and seasons—such laws operate like a finely-tuned Swiss watch. Why? How? All this requires a sustaining force—a Great SUSTAINER!

(6) FULFILLED PROPHECY. Another great proof God exists is found through studying the many examples of fulfilled prophecies in the Bible. There were many, many prophecies which portrayed the coming of Christ as Messiah; many others which were fulfilled in specific things He said, or did. The Gospels relate these—continual references are made as to how Christ fulfilled this or that prophecy, spoken or written centuries before.

Are you a doubter? Study the 11th chapter of Daniel with Rawlinson’s Ancient History and other profane sources to hand. In this remarkable chapter, you will see generations of kings; the Seleucidae of Syria and the lesser Pharoahs of Egypt, the Ptolmeys, locked in bitter struggle over Palestine. Hundreds of years before the fact, God’s prophet Daniel was given dreams and visions of what was to become history. He foretold the rise and fall of the ancient Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the Greco-Macedonian Empire; the death of Alexander the Great and the division of his empire by his four generals; the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.

There are dozens of other examples. Theological libraries are filled with books attesting to the remarkable accuracy of the Prophets of old. Great city states and empires have come and gone—their emergence and destruction clearly set down in Bible prophecy centuries before it happened. Ancient Tyre, Sidon, Babylon, Rome all are mentioned, and in some cases, in fine detail. Bible prophecy and history cannot be separated.

Will skeptics deny history and archaeology? The monuments and ancient buildings of the near east and Mediterranean world bear silent testimony to many pages of fulfilled Bible prophecy. Rome itself was predicted to rise and fall—and experience successive revivals down into our time. Christ was the greatest of all prophets—and who can deny that He prophesied of our own time, when He warned that if God did not cut short the days, a time would come when all human life could be erased from the earth?

He said, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive], but for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:21, 22). Clearly, Jesus spoke of a time in which the destruction of humanity would finally become possible—our time, now. Yet, He gives us glorious hope in the face of awesome weapons of destruction—for He reaffirms that God does exist; that He will cut short the days of global chaos; that He will intervene to save mankind from himself.

Not only are there hundreds of fulfilled prophecies of the past; those which are absolutely, corroborated by history and the spade of the archaeologist, but there are prophecies which apply to our modern times, as well. Fulfilled prophecy is surely a proof God exists.

(7) ANSWERED PRAYER. Now we come to the most personal proof—a proof God exists that is absolute, incontrovertible, to those of us who have received dramatic, undeniable answers to prayer. Atheists and skeptics will of course deny answered prayer, placing it on the level of a placebo. Arguing about the historical accounts concerning Christ’s miracles is useless, for there are no living witnesses, and, in any case, the skeptic would discount them as unreliable. But to the believer—the individual who has experienced, seen, felt, known the answer to prayer in a vivid, undeniable, personal experience, the existence of a loving, powerful God is clearly proved. I know God answers prayers—I know, by the same token, that there are many prayers He seems not to answer—or perhaps defers to answer.

A few days after I had begun writing this book, my wife and I enjoyed a visit from my sister, Beverly. She brought with her from California two letters she had received from an old friend of the family—letters written by my mother. One had been written from Astoria, Oregon, in 1927, almost three years before I was born. In it, my mother told of an absolutely dumbfounding, inspiring, miraculous answer to prayer. I read the letter for the first time never having known of its existence before, only the morning before writing these lines. My mother related how she had been bitten on the arm by an Airedale dog; a rather serious wound. She went to the doctor, who cleansed and bandaged it.

But a couple of days later, she drove a thorn from a rose bush deep into her little finger. It became infected, and she developed blood poisoning. Then, while under the doctor’s care for this development, she contracted a severe case of laryngitis. She wrote to her friend that it had developed into what they commonly called “quinsy” at that time. The doctor lanced the infection several times, but it refused to heal up. She had a terrible fever, but she finally seemed to stabilize.

The doctor visited her several times. Finally, he said he would have to open the finger to scrape the bone, in order to rid her of the infection. Then came the day when my mother’s jaw locked shut. She could neither eat nor drink; her body weight, a normal 102 or so, had gone down to 84! She was very near death, and the doctor plainly indicated such, not venturing how long she had. But a neighbor lady asked my father and my mother’s sister, my aunt Bertha, if the family believed in “divine healing,” or answers to prayer. My mother had been reared a Methodist, my father a Quaker. They said yes, they did. The neighbor lady told them of a “Christian family” who she said had “great faith,” and who believed in prayer. She asked if it would be all right if they came over to pray for my mother.

My mom’s letter, written so long ago, related how the man and his wife, together with the neighbor lady, joined my father and mother at Mom’s bedside. He began to pray in a quiet, sober manner, almost as if in conversation with God, reminding God of His promises to heal—quoting scriptures which confirmed those promises. He pulled out a small vial of olive oil and anointed her forehead with oil, laying his hands on her head. Then, he thanked God for having heard and answered the prayer—even before he got up from his knees! He sounded sure, as if they already had received the answer!

My mom’s letter related how she immediately sat up; her jaw loosened, she was able to drink something. Though it was winter, she got out of bed, put on her coat, and walked outside with my father, to take a brief stroll under the stars, thanking God. She had been confined to bed for so long, she felt she had to get up, and go outside.

She related how the large abscesses in her throat, swollen hugely both inside and out, had suddenly disappeared! The pain and fever left! She was immediately strengthened! She went back into the house, went to sleep—the first good, full night’s sleep in weeks, slept until almost noon the next day, and then got up and went about her household chores again. The doctor was dumbfounded—he openly admitted it was a miracle! A day or so later, my father’s brother and his wife came to see my mother, expecting to find her near death.

When she walked out of the house to meet their car in the driveway, they looked as if they had seen a ghost, my mother wrote.

I had heard my parents describe this miraculous healing many times while I was growing up—but to see my mother’s own handwriting in a letter she had written to a dear friend in Iowa; a letter which had been in the possession of her friend’s family all these years—a letter I didn’t know existed—and to read it now, well, I can’t help wondering if God wanted me to put it into this book as a source of inspiration and encouragement to many who desperately need an answer to prayer.

Miracles do happen. Prayers are answered. I know. I wouldn’t be here if they weren’t! I literally owe my life to my mother’s neighbor friends; to my mother’s faith, and to God.

But there is much more to it than mere need; even desperate need. There are certain conditions to prayer–some requirements on our part.

Few seem to understand that God has made answered prayer conditional. That is, there are keys to answered prayer; formulas. In this book, using the outline of the famous “ Lord’s Prayer,” we shall see what those formulas are. By the time you have finished this book, you will understand, as never before, why so many prayers seem to go unanswered–and you will understand how to receive an answer to your own personal, heartfelt prayers to God.

Hopefully, you will never again cry out, “O God, where are You when I need You?”

CHAPTER TWO

“Our Father…”

So begins the Lord’s Prayer. Hundreds of millions can recite it in many different languages. But what does it mean to all those people? What does it mean to you?

The title naturally conveys a familiar relationship. We are told to address the God to Whom Jesus referred as His “Father” as our Father. Why? Why not “mother” (as some may prefer), or “God,” or “Great One in the sky”? Why did Jesus tell us to use a family title, the name connoting fatherhood?

First, because God is the Author of all life. He is the ultimate Creator, even though Jesus Christ was the Divine Spokesman, or the Executive Member of the Godhead who did the creating—the Logos (Greek for “Spokesman”) who issued the command, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:14; John 1:3). Therefore, God is the Father of all humankind. He is not “Big Brother,” or some anonymous “First Cause,” but the actual Progenitor of the human race. As we have seen, God is the Lifegiver of us all.

To most of us, our own fathers come immediately to mind when using the name “father.” Probably, in a subliminal way, our own fathers—the kind of persons they are, or were—subtly color our impressions of just Who, or What we are addressing in heaven.

Unfortunately, only about fifteen percent of American families are a true family unit, with parents and children in traditional roles. Millions of ill-prepared single parents strive to rear children (fifty percent of which are illegitimate) without a father figure in the home. As our society drifts further from the God ordained family unit—the building block of any normal society—millions of new citizens have no true father role model; have no prior knowledge of their father. Millions do not know who he was.

But for those who do, and they still represent the vast majority, it is quite possible that he shaped their concepts about God. What kind of a father is (or was) he? Was he mild-mannered, easy-going, tender; brusque, harsh, remote; a stern disciplinarian or a kind, loving provider? Unfortunately, there are no schools for training fathers; no “licenses” issued to those qualifying, nor certificates of merit, nor degrees. Today, children beget children; fathers are too often teenagers.

Since the impact of the title “father” is largely shaped by our own experiences, it is quite logical that most of us tend to grope for concepts which will help us understand this Divine Being, this hidden, unseen God who wishes to be called “Father,” in terms of our own human experiences. Either our own father, or some older role model; a father in the neighborhood, an uncle, a grandfather, may have shaped our concepts of what “father” is all about.

A father, of course, is merely any male who has procreated (produced children), whether a boy of sixteen, or a successful businessman of forty.

Has there ever lived a son or daughter who has not found, in at least some corner of their heart, a place for love of father? To be sure, there are far fewer “good” fathers than there should be, but because he is life-giver, the one who engendered us, gave us our being, we carry to our graves some of his hereditary traits; his genes, some of his physical characteristics like our height, weight, color and texture of skin, color of hair and eyes, perhaps even marked talents and abilities. We are a mixed copy of our fathers and mothers. No matter what, we are here because of them.

When we refer to God as our Father, we are not only addressing Him as our spiritual Life-giver; we are also ascribing to Him the title of Beginner, or Author of all life—ours included. “Father” is a common title.

Francis Asbury is known as the “Father of American Methodism,” while Aeschylus is called the “Father of Greek Tragedy.” Americans know George Washington as the “Father of his country,” and doctors refer to Hippocrates as the “Father of medicine.” The father of the constitution? James Madison.

Your father was somebody. Once, when Margaret had apparently been voicing some negative feelings, her father wrote to her, “Your dad will never be reckoned among the great. But you can be sure he did his level best and gave all he had to his country. There is an epitaph in Boothill Cemetery in Tombstone, Arizona, which reads, ‘Here lies Jack Williams; he done his damndest. What more can a person do?’ ” (Harry Truman).

Fathers can be anybody. At least, to other people. They can be alcoholics, drug-abusers, rapists, arsonists, murderers; they can be doctors, dentists, lawyers, politicians, truck drivers, busboys, senators, farmers, aeronautical engineers, pilots, assembly-line workers, clerks, technicians, deliverymen, scientists, morticians, astronauts, or generals.

Fathers can be kind, generous, humorous; or bitter, pecuniary, selfish. They can be gifted with a sense of humor, or possessed of a violent, uncontrollable temper. They can be good husbands, providers, protectors, breadwinners—or lazy, indolent, selfish failures. They can be ebullient, positive, happy, fulfilled; or self-pitying, despairing, resentful. They can be an amazingly complex mixture of many of the above.

Did your father beat you, molest you, abuse you? Did he love you, comfort you, encourage you? Did he never speak a single word against your mother in your hearing—or did he beat your mother, spitting epithets at her in the hearing of the children?

Theodore Hesburgh wrote, “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” How true. Any person fortunate enough to have been brought up by loving, traditional parents in proper roles will have a fairly easy time understanding God’s words about the Heavenly Father of us all; understanding God as a kind, loving, merciful Father who wants only the best for us.

The ancient Latin proverb, “Like father, like son,” acknowledges the powerful influences of heredity and environment on each of us, the significant influence of our human fathers in our lives . Like many old adages and sayings (where there’s smoke, there’s fire), it is not necessarily true, but it has a measure of truth. One quotation that is especially poignant for me is that of Samuel Johnson in his book Boswell’s Life, (July 14th, 1763), who said, “There must always be a struggle between a father and son, while one aims at power and the other at independence.”

Often, famous men have had famous fathers. A well-known case in point is that of General Douglas MacArthur whose father, military governor of the Philippines, was a role model for him. Douglas was to write, “By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder—infinitely prouder—to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven…’ ”

Harry S. Truman said, “My father was not a failure. After all, he was the father of the President of the United States!”

Other famous people have observed and commented on the relationship each had to his sire. Mozart, as a boy, was quoted as saying, “Directly after God in heaven comes Papa, “ and Margaret Trumbell wrote, “No man is responsible for his father. That is entirely his mother’s affair.”

With his usual acid wit, the well-known pessimist and satyrist, Sir Bertrand Russell, in Why I am not a Christian, wrote, “The place of the father in the modern suburban family is a very small one particularly if he plays golf, which he usually does.”

In a lighter vein, fathers are said to be “men who don’t practice birth control,” and “a man who has just missed being a bachelor by an heir.” Perhaps it was a disillusioned father who said of Father’s Day, “It’s the day to remember the forgotten man,” or “a holiday when your son lets you wear your new necktie first.”

My father was 38 years of age when I was born. A generation apart, we had virtually no father-son relationship such as those commonly enjoyed by most youngsters growing up. We never went camping, hunting, fishing together. By the time I was old enough to do such things, my father was middle-aged, and totally involved in the demanding, time-consuming work of his ministry. He was in the home only for eating and sleeping; then, off to the office, or another trip somewhere.

Strongly authoritarian, he ruled his family with an iron hand. How well my two sisters and I remember the state of impending doom when our mother would say, “I’m going to tell your father about this when he gets home.” The result was two very badly frightened little boys, my brother Dick and I, sweating out the hours until the punishment our mother was unwilling to dish out was systematically administered by our father.

I really don’t remember the first time I ever heard the Lord’s Prayer, or read it, for I was very young. However, the name “father” never failed to convey to my mind impressions of what “father” meant from my own childhood experiences. Not that all dad did was punish. Far from it.

There was also the Dad who would give us a quarter now and then, or who, sometimes grumpily, would heat the water to a boil, pour it over and into the radiator on our old Graham, manage to start the balky, cold engine during one of Oregon’s typical winter mornings, and take us to school after Mom had allowed us to oversleep.

I can remember the rough wool of his jacket, the faint smell of his after-shave when we climbed into his lap on a rare occasion to enjoy a session of his reading the Sunday funnies to us. How well I remember the night I awoke, screaming, after a neighbor boy had told me a gruesome story about a haunted hospital; an ancient, deserted old building with bloody knives, rusty needles, syringes, operating tables, and ghosts in the elevators. I was probably about five. My screams brought my parents, who promptly told me to come and get into the bed with them. There, I was safe—and if my father’s faint snoring kept me awake, it was not because it bothered me. Quite the contrary, it reassured me. Dad could deal with the knives and ghosts even if he had to haul out the ping pong paddle. Frightened little boys and girls always know everything will be all right if they are near their mother and father.

My human father was a man of great vision, passion, emotion; driving energy to succeed. He was generous to a fault—giving more of material things than of himself, but anxious to see the glow of enjoyment on the faces of his family or friends when he bestowed some gift or favor. Perhaps one of his worst faults was that of instantly leaping to wrong conclusions, failing to give his children (or anyone else) the benefit of the doubt. He was easily convinced by first impressions.

How many of us, whose fathers and mothers are no longer living, have so earnestly wished we could have expressed more love, more concern, more honor to them while they were alive? By the same token, what parent, if he loses a child, has not wished he could have expressed himself more deeply while the child was alive? Since we are seemingly so shy, so embarrassed, so remote in our feelings toward our human parents or children, can we learn the all-important lesson, before it is everlastingly too late, that God does not hear those who ignore Him in their daily lives? Do you thrive on love? Believe it or not, so does God! God wants our love! He wants our worship, our deep appreciation, our adoration! He does not respond to aloofness, to inattention!

Obviously, if you pray at all, you want God’s undivided attention! Fine. When does He have YOURS? The Bible shows us that once-in-a-while prayers—prayers only in times of emergency, prayers only a few times a year—are simply not heard.

Think of the following analogy: As a transmitter of prayer, you are a spiritual dynamo or a power source. However, like the incandescent lights in your home, you can only give out power as you receive it. As you know, electricity flows in a current. See the socket in the wall? Notice it has two holes in it, to establish both a positive and a negative contact so the current will flow in a continuous circuit. God is our Power source. When we are in constant touch with Him, we are imbued with spiritual power. Prayer is like a circuit. God gives us the spiritual power, and we communicate with Him on His “wave length,” called prayer.

Today, we enjoy a marvelous array of battery-operated mechanical devices, from portable telephones to tiny vacuum cleaners for our cars and boats. When we’re not using them, they are plugged in to a power source, or they finally run down and will not function. As a child of God, we need continual contact with Him, or we lose our spiritual energy, our spiritual power.

A desperate prayer every year or so has little chance of reception because the spiritual “batteries” that are operating the spiritual transmitter are too weak. Of course, we have to start someplace, so, even though terribly weak (from lack of prayer, lack of personal Bible study, lack of staying in communication with God), we can begin to pray again, and God will hear us. Naturally, analogies break down at some point, and the one above is not to suggest God will not hear us, even after years of lack of communication with Him, for He will! God will hear the most desperate sinner, if the sinner calls out to Him broken-heartedly, in deep contrition, and seeks contact with God. But “tired Christians” cannot expect dramatic answers to prayer if they seldom pray.

When you set yourself to really spend time with God in prayer, then you are “charging your spiritual batteries,” as surely as you are plugging in a portable electrical utensil of some kind to its power source. Those who pray only casually, perhaps once a year or so, should not really expect very dramatic results. Those who pray daily will probably tell you they get results— often!

Jesus said we are to address our Eternal Creator as if a personal Father, our Spiritual Progenitor. Is He listening? Is it difficult to talk to God? Is He so far away we can never hope to reach Him? Is prayer, after all, merely a spiritual placebo, a talisman we clutch in times of extremes? Or is God near enough that we can be heard?

Paul put it this way, “…for in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The Bible insists that God is not far from us, that His ears are always open to our cries, that His eyes are upon us. We are told He is but a prayer away—as instantly available, nay, more so, than our closest friend over the telephone.

Jesus Christ instructed us to pray that we and our loved ones be accounted worthy to receive special, divine protection during calamitous wars, droughts, famines, natural disasters.

Speaking of frightening world conditions, the times in which we live, He said, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36).

Of course it is a temptation to pray only selfishly. I remember the story about a man who, receiving counseling about prayer from his minister, was told he had a bad case of the “ gimmes.” It seems his prayers largely consisted of “Please gimme this, gimme that, gimme the other thing.” He was praying to receive more than he was praying for others.

Paul said many of our prayers should be directed away from self; should be concerned with others around us, those who affect our lives. He said, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty … I will that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:1-8).

When we address God in heaven above as “Our Father,” we are coming to Him as His begotten child. Peter said we are to “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). When we receive God’s Holy Spirit, after repentance and baptism, we are begotten as His child! Read 1 Corinthians 12:13, together with Romans 8:9-15.

Christ was Son of God, called the “First-begotten” and the “Firstborn from the dead” (Romans 8:29). John, the disciple closest to Jesus in a personal sense, wrote of Him, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made … He was in the world … and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name … and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-14).

The genealogies or Matthew’s first and Luke’s fourth chapter clearly establish Christ as the Son of God. His life’s work, His preaching, His miracles, and especially the fact of His resurrection, add positive proof that He was who He said He was—the only begotten, the first begotten of God—the very Son of God.

Because Christ was God’s own Son, He referred to Him as “The Father.” As we shall see in the chapter concerning God’s names, He has many, many other titles, several names. Yet, when we pray, Christ says we must address Him as our spiritual Father.

Some doubt that Jesus was a real person. Many scoff at the miracles of Christ, say He could not have been the Son of God, and thus set aside the origins of the Christian religion. But men don’t willingly die for what they know to be an hoax, the perpetration of a myth. Yet, hundreds went to their deaths, refusing to disavow the miraculous things they had seen, refusing to impugn their personal experiences with Christ, choosing torture and death rather than defilement of Christian conscience.

That Jesus Christ lived, that He was an authentic historical figure, is one of the most substantiated facts in all history. His life, death, burial and resurrection are central to the entire concept of Christianity, and therefore to Western Civilization.

Jesus Christ was the First-begotten from the Father; the first time in all history a human being had been injected into the human race who was not merely human, but also of divine origins.

Christ wants us to pray to our Father in heaven in a child-like, innocent, humble, supplicatory manner; trusting, hopeful, anticipatory; devoid of pride or vanity. On one occasion, when the crowds surrounding Him attempted to present their little children to Him so that He might bless them, His disciples tried to discourage them, thinking Christ had no time for children. But He said, “Suffer [permit, be tolerant of] little children, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 19:13-14).

On another occasion, His disciples were arguing about who should be the greatest in His Kingdom, and “…Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me’ ” (Matthew 18:1-5).

Notice well those words! Christ said we must become converted, changed, begotten of God as His children before we may enter His Kingdom. It is only those who approach God as converted, meek, humble little children—In child-like trust and innocent wonder, who are truly communicating with God.

Vanity, selfishness, pride, evil motives, these cancel communication with God as surely as if one dialed the wrong frequency on a radio transmitter. God simply does not listen unless we approach Him as an humble, trusting little child.

This is a vitally important key to answered prayer. Are you converted? Have you truly repented of your sins? Have you asked God for forgiveness? As we shall see, this continual seeking for daily forgiveness for our shortcomings is the quintessential element in successful prayer.

Is it only a coincidence that the name for “father” is the first word in the Hebrew language and the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet? “Father” in Hebrew is Awb. In English, we must progress to the sixth letter and through hundreds of words, until we come to “father” in a dictionary. Not so in Hebrew. It is first. Number one.

The Bible stresses the absolute primacy of God the Father. Jesus reveals that He and His Father, though One in spirit, purpose and mind, are nevertheless in a Father-Son relationship.

Christ said repeatedly He spoke not of and for Himself, but insisted the Father gave Him the messages He delivered; that the Father was the Supreme authority. How can one expect an answer to prayer unless one acknowledges the absolute supremacy of God in one’s life? Can you go to God with urgent requests unless you trust in Him absolutely? Can you trust Him without knowing Him, knowing His purpose in your life? If you are truly converted, the most natural way to address God is to simply call out to Him as an heavenly Father.

Paul put it this way: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption [Greek, “son-ship”], whereby we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ ” (Romans 8:14-15).

No human being can enter into the Kingdom of God without prayer. None of us can fulfill his personal destiny, the purpose for our existence, without discovering, and communicating with, the true God. Prayer is as essential to us spiritually as eating and drinking is essential physically. It is our spiritual sustenance, our life’s blood. Without prayer—answered prayer, two-way communication with God—we will shrivel and die spiritually as surely as flowers and shrubs will die without water.

Jesus instructed us to pray. He intended that we voice our innermost feelings; our guilt, our hopes, dreams, desires; our most personal frustrations and anxieties—that we come clean with God, baring our souls in the deepest, most private communication.

He also intended that our opening words of prayer establish contact with God. As a jet pilot, I am very familiar with the Air Traffic Controller system. Without it, flight operations in the United States at altitudes above 18,000 feet are impossible. See those wispy contrails of moisture in the sky from a passing jet? Each one of them is in constant communication with a ground controller in some nearby sector who sits before a radar screen upon which is a blip of light which represents that airplane.

Beside that light is a computer-generated readout obtained from the flight plan and the transponder code from the airplane, identifying the aircraft by number, giving its altitude, its ground speed, and other information.

When the jet has progressed to the point that another radar sector can better receive its electronic image, the controller issues a command, “United heavy 456, contact Albuquerque Center on 134.45.” The pilot (or, usually, the co-pilot) acknowledges the command, switches radio frequencies, and says into the microphone, “Albuquerque Center, this is United 456, level three seven zero.” The center acknowledges, and the crew knows the controller on the ground has identified the blip on his screen, sees it in clear relationship to all the other electronic blips, has heard audible confirmation that the transponder readout of the jet’s altitude is accurate, and can keep all the aircraft in his sector at their assigned altitudes, at appropriate distances from each other, avoiding disastrous collisions and loss of life. Ham radio operators use the same thing—certain frequencies—to contact other ham operators half a world away.

Opening a prayer with the humble words “Our Father,” is like establishing positive communication with a controller. We must be on the right “wave length” to communicate with God. Actually, our own spiritual state; whether or not we are willing to obey God, whether we are asking according to His will; our personal life’s current condition—our attitude—these are as highly significant in communicating to God as having the right frequency on a VHF radio transmitter.

Isn’t it more than mildly curious that Jesus did not say we should immediately state our own names, addresses, and social security numbers when we pray? But He didn’t. God’s great mind is vastly superior to the minds of all humans and all computers combined. When we establish contact with God, He instantly knows exactly who we are, where we are, what we are doing. So the expression “Our Father” is far more than a mere “religious” title of some sort; it establishes a contact with God; it acknowledges that we are His offspring. It is the way He wants to be addressed.

Jesus Christ intends we learn all there is to know about our Heavenly Father; get to really KNOW Him, through the scriptures, and through Christ’s own examples. Jesus Christ was the “stamped impress,” or the exact similitude, the “carbon copy” of the Father.

The apostle Paul wrote to the scattered Jews of the Diaspora, “God, who at different times and in various manners spoke unto the patriarchs by the prophets, has in these later times spoken unto us by His Son, who He has appointed Heir of all things, by Whom He made the Universe. Who, being the very brightness of His glory, and the express image [exact replica] of the Father’s Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had, by Himself, purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3 paraphrased).

The Greek word for the word “image” is karakter, from which we take our English word of similar spelling, with all it conveys. Paul was inspired to say that Jesus Christ was an exact replica of the Father; that His personality, His character, were as if a mirror image. The more you learn about Christ, His teachings, examples; His lifestyle, His miracles, His tenderness, compassion; His anger at posturing religionists; His feelings toward the sin-sick and afflicted, the more you learn about the Father in Heaven.

His own disciples were curious about this “Father” of whom He so frequently spoke. Once, overcome with curiosity about Jesus’ frequent references to His Father, one of His disciples asked, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be sufficient for us.” But Jesus answered, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not known me, Phillip? He that has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:8-9, paraphrased). Thus, we learn that God has “human” form, or, more to the point, that we human beings are made in the image of God.

The Bible says His eyes are upon those that seek after Him, speaks of His arm not being shortened that it cannot help in time of need, speaks of His face shining upon the just.

The Bible gives us many examples of men’s encounters with angels. They appear as human beings, as in the case of Christ’s appearance to Abraham, and the two angels who rescued Lot. So man-like did they appear that the citizens of perverted Sodom lusted after them (Genesis 19:1-5).

Moses, overcome by curiosity, asked God to show Himself. God declined, but, after insistent appeal, allowed Moses to see His hind parts as He passed by—saying, “No man can look on the face of God and live.” In the first chapter of Revelation, Christ is pictured in His resurrected glory as having head, torso, arms, legs, feet. God’s Word says He made man in the image of God, that God has the same shape and form as do we humans.

Unfortunately, the average person who recites the “Lord’s Prayer” may know little or nothing of Jesus’ examples, His teachings and instructions, His personality, His life’s record. He may not know, for example, that Christ was an ordinary-looking person, impossible to pick out of a crowd; that the Bible says He had “no form or comeliness, that when we see Him, we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).

If we expect answers to prayer, we must come to know to Whom we are praying—really communicate with Him. How can we expect an answer to prayer if we are praying “vaguely,” as if in bluffed images? Can the jet pilot contact the ground controller by simply dialing any frequency out of the hundreds that are available? Can you call a friend by dialing random numbers on your telephone? Can you write to a relative by addressing your letter, “Dear Someone, somewhere”?

The key to answered prayer is to establish contact. Prayer is not empty ceremony, it is powerful, personal, private communication. It must be a two-way communication, or it is meaningless!

And remember, Jesus Christ didn’t say, “IF” you pray, He said, “WHEN” you pray! Jesus Christ set an example of prayer. He prayed for literally hours at a time, rising early in the morning to go to a private place, climbing a steep mountain to escape His disciples and the crowds, finding a place to be alone with His Heavenly Father in earnest prayer.

Christ prayed until He perspired with the effort, prayed with groans and cries, prayed aloud, or prayed within Himself, in His mind. The Gospels are replete with examples of His life of closeness to God—His life of prayer.

Christ made His prayers personal. On many an occasion, it was as if He interrupted a human conversation to speak to His Father in heaven.

At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus had listened to the frantic weeping of Mary, and all of Lazarus’ family and friends. Because of their anguish, and because of His own pain upon seeing their lack of faith (not because of a sense of “loss” or pain on his own part for He knew what was to happen), Jesus simply “…lifted up His eyes, and said, ‘Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.’ And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, ‘LAZARUS, COME FORTH’ and he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, ‘Loose him, and let him go’ ” (John 11:41-44).

In this inspiring account, Jesus had been engaging in conversation with those surrounding Him; then, by merely shifting His gaze upward, began communicating with His heavenly Father.

A great miracle resulted.

Christ was in constant contact with God. He didn’t need to “work up” faith, or force Himself into a certain “mood” before talking with His Father. He merely addressed Him; began talking to HIM, instead of other humans nearby. He immediately established contact with God, because He thought of the specific Being with whom He had shared eternity; His mind was clear about what He meant when He addressed the “Father” in heaven; He was constantly in communication with Him through prayer, and not only prayer, but fasting with prayer. Christ met all the criteria for answered prayer; He was deeply imbued with the Spirit of God, He knew the Father, He was utterly selfless, and He was wholly trusting, faithful. Therefore, He was answered in dramatic, miraculous fashion. Christ understood how to pray.

God intends that we come to that same understanding; that we follow Christ’s example. God is not remote, aloof, impossible to know. On the contrary, He says He reveals Himself to us through His Son, through the pages of His written Word, so that we need not create a fantasy-figure, a vague, unreal “Someone” of our prayers, but pray to Him, personally!

To many of us, God has been like a “divinized” father-figure. Many speak of “The Man upstairs,” or “Somebody up there who likes me,” or the “Great Someone in the great somewhere. “Millions, of course, speak of God in slang and profane terms, cursing with His name, and that of Christ, as if in smug self-assurance there really is no God who stands behind His command, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Eternal thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” Is there one out of a thousand who thinks of the true God, the Father of Jesus Christ, in an informed, intelligent manner, as he prays?

Prayer, after all, is the most private conversation possible. It is time for confidentialities, secrets, confessions, admissions, requests, urgent, heartfelt appeals. It is more intimate than writing in a diary, more personal than sharing secrets with a dear friend. Therefore, it is necessary to know Who we are addressing—really KNOW.

The next time you pray, go through a mental check list. Have you repented of your sins? Are you approaching God as a little child? Do you envision Him as the perfect kind of Father; the absolutely ideal, kind, generous, loving, forgiving, father you may never have had? Do you see Him, at the same time, as of awesome power and ability, able to punish and exact the consequences for sin, as well as able to be generous with His gifts? Do you hold Him in wondrous AWE, having that Godly fear (not terror) that a small child might have for a father who not only loves, but disciplines?

God expects you to claim His promises, to come to Him as His loving, humble child. If you truly believe that He is your Spiritual Father; if you are as eager to confide in Him as you were to crawl into your father’s arms as a little child—then go to Him—let Him know how you feel— call Him “Father” each time you pray, for that way, you’ll always know He is listening!

After all, He says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him?” (Matthew 7:7-11).

What father is it who has been able to refuse a trusting, sweet, obedient, loving child who comes with a petition? Are you a parent; a grandparent? Can you refuse your own flesh reasonable requests? Nonsense. No, we’re pretty much pushovers when our beloved children come to us in a moment of need. How many skinned knees, cut fingers, bruised lips have we tenderly dressed? How many times have we “kissed away the pain” of a crying child? How deeply have we hurt when our children are hurt, or sick? You cannot feel as deeply as your Heavenly Father feels toward you; human emotions simply fall short. So go ahead, claim God’s love, claim His promises. After all, God listens to His own kids first, doesn’t He?

CHAPTER THREE

“Who art in heaven…”

Where is heaven? An altogether familiar word to hundreds of millions, the term conjures visions of streets paved with gold, “heavenly mansions,” spirit beings playing on harps. Then there are the dozens of jokes about “St. Peter and the pearly gates.” Heaven is supposed to be the place where all our deceased loved ones, the “good” people, are.

She has a heavenly body—we had a heavenly time—it was a heavenly dish; we use the term in everyday conversation, and in slang. Many use heaven in supposedly mild forms of profanity, in spite of the fact that Jesus Christ said we are to “Swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth, for it is God’s footstool” (Matthew 5:34-35).

All religions speak of some other-worldly paradise, whether it be a beautiful oasis, an island in the sky, or some utopian place of eternal bliss and happiness. Clearly, the Bible identifies “heaven” as the place of God’s throne. Yet, the word “place” is hardly applicable to our finite minds, for we are dealing with a spiritual realm of which we know only very little.

Most of us think of heaven as “up” there, somewhere. But “up” is a relative term, conveying the exact opposite meaning to Australians and Americans. The word “out” would be more correct. Out from our round sphere called earth in the midst of a solar system revolving about our orange dwarf star we call the sun.

Is the place of God’s heaven further away from earth than our own galaxy we call the Milky Way? Astronomers estimate there are two hundred billion, billion stars in our own galaxy, many of them larger than our sun. They tell us there are perhaps millions, or billions, of other galaxies.

To the layman, the most introductory study into the vastness of our universe is mind-boggling, incomprehensible. Yet, the God to Whom we pray is the Creator of all things, abides in heaven somewhere, and calls all those billions of stars and planets by name! Astronomers know where countless stars are. But where is heaven? No powerful telescopes, no space probes have captured the image of heaven on film, or transmitted it to earth stations on computer-enhanced images.

“I believe that Someone, in the great somewhere…” goes a line in the improperly named song, “I Believe.” (It should be called, “I Guess.”) The great “somewhere”? Is that where heaven is? Doesn’t the concept of heaven sound vastly far off, perhaps light years away – further than the other side of a black hole in the universe, when you stop to think about it?

When we were growing up, we were taught relative proportion. Remember the pictures and words about how far, how big, how long, how short, how tall? We studied pictures of mice and elephants together, of man and the great blue whale. We compared ants and the Statue of Liberty, an ocean liner and a locomotive, a bicycle and a 747. When Jesus gave us His outline for prayer, He said we should pray to our Father who is “in heaven”. He did not say this to confuse us, but rather to give us a sense of comparison, of proportion.

It is good for us to realize that we are on this good, green earth; that it is a round orb, endlessly making its annual journey about our sun; making its daily revolutions, the moon faithfully completing each monthly trip around our earth right on time. It is good for us to contemplate the vastness of our universe as a testimony to the work of the hands of God; a glittering, awesome, incomprehensible, mind boggling proof of His creation—His limitless power. The solar system and the universe give us a sense of proportion! Ever stand next to the General Sherman tree in Sequoia National Park? This forest giant dwarfs puny man—It contains enough wood to construct forty five room houses; was probably a little sprig of a tree just after the flood of Noah!

As the story goes, a lady aboard a 747 commented to her fellow passenger, “Oh, look at all those people down there—they look like ants!” To which her companion replied, “They are ants, my dear, we haven’t taken off yet. “ A flight in an airplane can give us a sense of proportion; we see huge buildings, whole cities, as but specks on the landscape. An ocean journey, especially if one encounters a storm, can quickly reduce us to our appropriate size. Prayer is like that. Jesus intended us to pray to our Father “who is in heaven,” as a reminder of proportion; of how GREAT is God, and how puny, how small, insignificant and temporal, is man.

However, most of us quickly lose this sense of proportion once outside astronomy class. Oh, we know, intellectually, that we live on a round earth. We know there are other human beings about 8,000 miles from us, straight through the planet. But we are not, in a daily sense, truly conscious of the fact. We speak of the sun “going down” or “coming up,” not of the earth rolling away from the sun, or rolling toward it. We awaken in the mornings utterly unaware we have just completed an 8,000 mile trip; that we are now about 8,000 miles distant from the place we were, relative to the stars, when we went to sleep.

We know astronomy has debunked the superstitions of the dark ages about a flat earth, that our daily weather satellites bring back incredibly detailed pictures of our entire planet, with the cloud formations clearly seen. Still, most of us live as if blissfully unaware of our temporal place on a planet that has been likened to but one grain of sand in all the seashores of earth in comparison to the number of celestial bodies in the Milky Way.

When we pray, Christ wants us to get our minds on God, on heaven—away from this earth with its mundane concerns. He wants us to project our thoughts out through space to the very place of God’s throne.

The Bible reveals there are three heavens. The first is identified as the mantle of air that cloaks the earth; our atmosphere.

The very first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning, God [Hebrew: Elohim] created the heaven and the earth. “ The Hebrew word for “heaven” is shameh (pronounced shaw-meh’), meaning “to be lofty,” as the sky, or “aloft.” It means the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as the higher part of our universe where the astral bodies revolve, and is also used to refer to the place of God’s throne.

The word has three different usages which are clear only from the context.

Notice a couple of examples: “And God called the firmament heaven” (Genesis 1:8). The Hebrew word “firmament” is raqiya which means “an expanse.” The Bible says, “And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years…” (Genesis 1:14). Obviously, the word shameh, translated “heaven,” is not here referring to the place of God’s throne, but at once to our earth’s atmosphere and to space—the physical universe.

Notice the usage of the word in relationship to our atmosphere: “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven [shameh] were opened” (Genesis 7:11). There are many other examples. Genesis 8:3 speaks of the rain from heaven being restrained.

Most of the places in the Old Testament where the word heaven is used, it is shameh, and refers primarily to this earth’s atmosphere, or to our solar neighborhood. When Elijah was “taken up into heaven,” for example, he was transported into the sky, carried out of sight—not taken to the place of God’s throne.

This is obvious, in the light of Jesus’ positive statement, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13). Also, speaking of Elijah, Paul wrote, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises” (Hebrews 11:13).

Not understanding the three usages of the Hebrew word for heaven, many have assumed Elijah was taken to the place of God’s throne; instead, he was transported to some other place on earth, there to live out his days in peace. The Bible says he died “in faith, not having received the promises.”

Three different meanings are possible from the Hebrew shameh. The first is our atmosphere, the air surrounding our earth where the birds fly, clouds form, and aircraft navigate. Air is matter, of course, composed of various gases, and is very much a part of our earth. The second is our solar neighborhood and outer space. The third usage is the heaven of God’s throne.

In order to determine which is meant, one must discern by the context. Notice: “Then hear thou in heaven [Hebrew: shameh] thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest … hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place… “ (1 Kings 8:39-43). So prayed Solomon at the dedication of the temple. He obviously refers to God’s throne, yet uses the identical Hebrew word for heaven which was used in connection with rain falling, or the heaven where the stars are, which is shameh.

Notice what Paul wrote: “…I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man… how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter…” (2 Corinthians 12:1-4).

The language Paul heard may well have been the “new language” God will give the entire earth at the establishment of His Kingdom. He says, “For then I will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Eternal, to serve Him with one consent” (Zephaniah 3:9). The words were “unspeakable” in a beatific, holy sense.

In vision, Paul said he was given a glimpse of heaven itself. He called it paradise, said the language was unknown to him. He calls this paradise, this place of God’s throne, “the third heaven.” Paul was obviously acquainted with the other usages of the word shameh, or he would not have specified “the third heaven” when speaking of the heaven of God’s throne.

Our heavenly Father is a Spirit Being. Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).

God exists in another dimension from ours—the spirit world. The method of communication with God our Father, who is Spirit, must therefore be spiritual, not physical. Radio and television are physical. One could dial in any frequency known to man on powerful transmitters and never be heard of God. He is available only on spiritual wavelengths; He is instantly available when we meet those spiritual criteria. Addressing Him as our Father; acknowledging that He is in heaven—envisioning heaven; seeing, as clearly as we can, God’s surroundings, His majesty, His greatness; this is what Jesus intended.

We must communicate “in the spirit,” not via the air waves. God is composed of Spirit—he is not flesh and blood, and if we are to reach Him we must do so in a spiritual dimension—prayer!

Think of some physical analogies. Perhaps we perceive radio and television as mundane, since they are so commonplace. And yet, radio and television waves that travel through space can teach us a great deal about prayer.

Right now, wherever you are, you are being bombarded by hundreds, perhaps thousands of unheard waves of sound. You have only to turn on a portable transistor radio set to prove it. Your human ear cannot detect these sounds, for they are emitted on frequencies not available to normal human perception. Yet, they are constantly bombarding you, filling the room where you are sitting, the automobile in which you are riding. So it is with spiritual communication.

Somehow, we are able to project our thoughts through spiritual channels directly to God’s throne in heaven, directly to the great mind of God Himself, by being on the right spiritual wavelength.

Jesus did not use the analogy of radio to help us understand prayer. But if He had, He would probably have shown how each of us is like a powerful transmitter. He might have explained how we can select the right frequency with which to communicate our heartfelt thoughts to God—that conversion, baptism, the broken-hearted humility and contrition God desires in His children is prerequisite to establishing contact, as surely as selecting the correct frequency on a VHF radio.

Perhaps He might have shown how, when we are truly “in the Spirit”—that is, thinking spiritually, our minds attuned to the things of God, and not the mundane concerns of this life— we can communicate with God as surely as a space satellite can communicate with a ground station.

It is an apt analogy. The human brain is capable of much, much more than we suppose. Many of us operate at about ten percent of capacity. We all know about strange “psychic” powers, about ESP, and kinetic energy. We have marveled at true accounts of how, during World War II, a wife screamed out in anguish at the precise moment her husband was killed overseas; how twins seem to know when something wrong has occurred even though separated by a continent; how our minds are capable of some kind of little-understood “spiritual” kind of communication.

Never underestimate the power of our human minds. God says “there is a spirit in man” (Job 32:8; Proverbs 20:27; Romans 8:16), and reveals that when He begets us with His Spirit, He gives us a new kind of spiritual power, of spiritual perception. It is not difficult to “tune in” to God. He is instantly able to receive our signals. We have but to worship Him in spirit, ensuring we have followed His required criteria of repentance—then approach Him using the formula Christ gave, and, instantly, He is receiving—He is listening.

Light travels at the speed of 186,282 miles per second. Without light, we could not live. It is our source of energy from the sun, and light from the sun is the source of the stored energy of the earth—the fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, representing billions of creatures of the distant past whose lives, flora or fauna, depended upon energy from that same sun.

The visible light we see is but a fraction of the waves of energy with which science is familiar, however. Electromagnetic waves transmit energy in pulses, or waves, up to hundreds of miles long; or in short waves of less than a billionth of an inch.

A serious study of light—what it is, how it works, how it affects our lives—can give one a perception of how prayer might work. Though He does not say so directly, Jesus’ instructions on how we should pray seem to imply that each human mind is like a powerful transmitter, that we have only to tune in to the proper “wavelength”—in this case, a spiritual channel—and we can communicate with Almighty God in heaven. Of course, the properties of electromagnetic waves, from cosmic rays, gamma rays, X rays and ultraviolet rays to long wave radio frequencies are limited by our physical universe and known laws.

Is spiritual communication so limited? Or is there something beyond the properties of light and energy which belongs in another dimension from ours about which we know little?

Let’s take a look at that quotation from the apostle Paul again, in which he said to the doubting Areopagites, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needeth any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’ ” (Acts 17:24-28).

Notice Paul said God is “not far from every one of us,” that He is immediately available, approachable. When we pray to Him as our Father who is in heaven, we need not be intimidated by the vast distances of our universe. First, God’s heaven may be far closer to earth than we imagine; second, our human minds, together with God’s Holy Spirit, may be capable of communicating in an instant, in milliseconds, directly to the mind of God.

We ask, “What does heaven look like?” Is it really all golden streets, heavenly mansions, and pearly gates? Listen to this description: “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me: which said, ‘Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.’ And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

“And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine [sardonyx] stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

“And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

“And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [Greek: zoon—”living creatures”] full of eyes before and behind” (Revelation 4:1-6). These living creatures are mentioned in greater detail in Ezekiel’s first and tenth chapter, where the throne of God was seen by God’s prophet Ezekiel.

He wrote, “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month… as I was among the captives by the river Chebar [Kabour], that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God…” Notice the description of God’s throne: “And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire unfolding itself [Hebrew: “flashing continually”] and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

“Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.

“And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

“Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

“As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle…” (Ezekiel 1:1-10).

One must read this entire chapter for the whole description—for it is fascinating. That there is no doubt it is a description of the throne of God, even though Ezekiel was not allowed to look upon God’s face, is evident from the text. He said, “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above it.

“And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of His loins even upward, and from the appearance of His loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Eternal. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One that spake” (Ezekiel 1:26-28).

The Bible identifies the “four living creatures” as cherubim, created angelic beings who are at God’s throne, and who apparently accompany Him wherever He goes. The true cherub of the Bible is hardly a tiny naked baby with a bow and arrow, called “Cupid.” Rather, cherubim appear as huge creatures, having manlike characteristics, plus the faces of oxen, eagles, and lions.

These “host of the heaven” were worshiped anciently. They can be seen in form as the Sphinx, guarding the tombs of ancient Pharaohs; as the “Winged Bulls of Bashan,” and the winged bulls guarding the palaces of ancient Babylonian and Assyrian kings (replicas are in the Louvre, and the British museum). God placed a cherub to guard the way to the tree of life after Adam was ejected from Eden, no doubt giving rise to pre-flood tales of monsters guarding fabulous treasures, remnants of which tales are found in Jack and the beanstalk, St. George and the dragon, and other myths wherein a dragon-like creature, breathing fire, guards priceless treasures.

Apparently, there are dissimilarities between “seraphim” and “cherubim,” as will be seen from careful comparisons of Isaiah’s sixth chapter with Ezekiel 1 and 10.

God’s throne was also seen in vision by the apostle John, who, on the Isle of Patmos, received the prophecies of the Apocalypse. He says, “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing’ ” (Revelation 5:11-12).

What? No St. Peter standing at the pearly gates; no angels playing on harps? Instead, a throne seen as set upon a translucent “sea of glass,” perhaps like quartz, or onyx; a brilliantly-hued, super-bright Personage on the throne. At His right hand, Jesus Christ in His glorified state. Before Him, twenty-four “elders,” or wise spiritual counselors. All about Him, countless angels. The picture of God’s throne is a stunning, awesome one—replete with multitudes of angelic beings singing in inspiring tones about God’s magnificence. When we pray, we should address God our Father in His heavenly setting letting our minds picture, as near as we can, the glorious magnificence of His throne. We should pray directly to Him.

John prophesied that God’s throne will eventually come to be on this earth! He wrote, “And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb … the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; … for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:1-5).

There are more than five hundred references to heaven in the Bible. By studying descriptions of heaven, the details the Bible gives concerning the throne of God, we may indelibly impress upon our minds the true biblical picture of heaven, replacing the myth, superstition, and vague unrealities of the past. In doing so, we remove one more obstacle to prayer—open up one more important key of access to God.

The phrase, “Our Father, who art in heaven,” is meant to be much more than mere sanctimonious rote – it is an intelligent address, a method of communication with God. If you were to write to our president, you would probably address your letter, “The President of the United States, The White House, Washington, D.C.” Your mind would envision the stately mansion in which so many of our presidents have lived.

So it is with addressing your prayers to God. Jesus intended you retain in your mind a vivid picture of the setting in which God lives; that you see Him as if in a blaze of super-bright light, brighter than several suns, surrounded by billions of angels, with the twenty-four elders at His left hand and His right. Of supreme importance, we must realize that the risen Christ is sitting at the Father’s right hand, waiting for your prayers, eager to make daily intercession to His Father on your behalf.

The next time you pray, do so after looking up and reading for yourself several of the graphic descriptions of God’s heavenly throne. Pray intelligently, with understanding. When you do, expect answers to your prayers! Claim God’s promises boldly, as a trusting child goes to his father in perfect confidence his requests will be answered. Think on all you have learned in these few chapters, and use this knowledge!

CHAPTER FOUR

“Hallowed be Thy name…”

Do you know God’s name? Millions speak of “God,” either in prayer, or profanity. But “God” is not so much a name as it is a proper noun, connoting divinity. A dictionary definition is, “God, the Maker and Ruler of the universe; the One Supreme Being.” As we shall see, this definition, leaves much to be desired. Millions assume, when they speak of “God,” that they refer to the One Jesus called “Father,” the Creator, as they suppose, of the Old Testament; the giver of the Ten Commandments; the God with whom the ancients dealt. This is untrue. As we shall clearly see, the Bible demolishes cherished myths, casually assumed tradition. Much more is implied by the word “God” than we may have realized.

The first place in the Bible where we encounter the name “God” is in the very first verse of Genesis, the first chapter: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…”

The Hebrew word is Elohim, which occurs 2,700 times in the Bible. Its contextual connection is with the creation, and illustrates its primary meaning—that of the divine family of Beings who did the creating. Elohim is a plural word, and connotes more than one personage. Notice, “In the beginning was the Word [Greek: Logos, or “Spokesman”], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men … He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name,…and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-14).

This unmistakable reference to Jesus Christ plainly says that He, the member of the divine family called the Logos, or the “Spokesman” of the Elohim (more than one—a duality of persons) did the creating! It also tells us something else rather startling to familiar traditions and concepts: That, when Jesus tells us to pray to “Our Father,” He is not telling us to address the God of whom we generally read in the Old Testament Scriptures! For, as shocking as it may appear, the Bible is replete with proof it was the One who became Christ who is the God of the Old Testament!

Notice further proof: “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 He made the worlds [Greek: aion, or “ages”], Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high…” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Therefore, the one personage of the dual name for God, Elohim, we see in the first verse of the Bible is that same One who was to come into this world: Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Remember, Christ said, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18).

Christ came to reveal the Father to the world for the first time. He said, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27).

The name Elohim connotes the Son as very God; as the living Word, who did the creating. Notice, “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of every creature; for by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:14-17).

Notice contextual proof that Elohim means more than one person:

“And God [Elohim] said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness…” (Genesis

1:26).

The next name for God we encounter is Jehovah which is a name used in covenant relationship between God and His creation. The name means, “The Ever-living One; the Eternal; the One who was, and is, and is to come.”

The name Jehovah is combined with ten other words in the Bible, forming ten different “titles” for the divine personages.

They are: (1) Jehovah-Jireh, meaning God will see, or provide. Read Genesis 22:14 for an example. (2) Jehovah-Ropheka, meaning the God who heals us. See Exodus 15:26. (3) Jehovah-Nissi, meaning Jehovah my Banner, or Shield. See Exodus 17:15. (4) Jehovah McKaddishkem, meaning the God who sanctifies you, or sets you apart as holy. See Leviticus 20:8. (5) Jehovah-Shalom, meaning the God who sends peace. See Judges 6:24. (6) Jehovah-Sabaoth, Jehovah of hosts, or multitudes. See 1 Samuel 1:3. (7) Jehovah-Zidkenu, meaning God our Righteousness. See Jeremiah 33:16. (8) Jehovah-Shammah, meaning God is there, emphasizing the nearness of God. See Ezekiel 48:35. (9) Jehovah-Elyon, meaning the Most High God. See Psalms 7:17. (10) Jehovah-Roi, meaning Jehovah my Shepherd. See Psalms 23:1.

It is fascinating to see how David was inspired to use seven of these names and titles for God in His inspiring 23rd Psalm! Read it in your own Bible. In verse 1 you will see number (1), above; in verse 2 Jehovah Shalom, or number (5) above; in verse 3, both number (7) and number (2) are used; and in verse 4, number (8); finally, in the fifth verse, both Jehovah-Nissi (3), and Jehovah-McKaddishkem (4) appear. Thus, in this moving Psalm, very possibly the one on Christ’s lips as He died (see the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion, together with Psalms 22, which is obviously prophetic), seven names, or titles, for God appear!

There are many other names of God in the Bible: A few are, JAH, which is Jehovah in the special meaning of having become our Salvation; EL, which means “the Almighty, “ and ELOAH, which is God in connection with His will and purpose, used primarily as “the Living God,” in contrast to dead idols.

The word ADON is one of three additional titles, all of which are generally translated as “Lord,” but which convey special meanings. ADON is the Lord as Ruler in this earth; ADONAI, the Lord in relationship to this earth, and ADONIM means, generally, the Lord who rules His own.

Jesus Christ said we are to show honor, respect, even awe toward the name of God, by including in our prayer, “Hallowed be Thy Name.” He intended that we come to understand the many names and titles of both Himself and His Father; that we come to know the usage of His names and titles as they relate to various situations. For example, if one were to pray to God for healing, it would be altogether appropriate to remind God that one of His very names is Jehovah (or Yawveh) Ropheka, God our Healer.

Notice the annunciation concerning the name of Christ, “… and she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The name “Jesus” is a proper name, coming from the Hebrew Joshua, or Yashua. The two are perfectly interchangeable. The Je prefix in the name as translated into English is indicative of the Hebrew Jah, or Yah, together with the remainder of the word, and means “God our Savior,” or “God who is our Salvation.”

In this same passage, Isaiah 7:14 is quoted. Notice the verse from Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord [Hebrew: Adonai]Himself shall give you a sign; behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name ‘IMMANUEL.’ ” The name means the Lord as connected to, or in relationship with this earth, or “God with us.” It is so translated by Matthew, who writes, quoting Isaiah, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name IMMANUEL, which, being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

It is fascinating to note that never, not once, during any personal conversations when the disciples of Christ were addressing Him directly, did they call Him “Jesus.” Always, it was “Master,” or “Teacher,” or “Lord,” as titles of great respect. Though they were to use the name Jesus in later writings, they never called Him by that name face to face.

The Third Commandment says, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

Obviously, using God’s name in profanity is a direct, flagrant violation of this command. Profanity turns God’s face away from us; it insults His divine integrity, deliberately hurls epithets, curses, vile utterances toward God. It is a capital crime exactly on a par with murder, according to God’s law, and will not go unpunished. God says the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Using God’s name in profanity is a sin, just as it is sinful to use His name in monotonous repetition.

Man has found many devious methods of “pretending” not to swear, yet using similar sounding words and names, or using the first letters of “Jesus Christ” in profanity. Millions say “Jeepers, Creepers,” or “Jeeze.” They say “Jumpin’ Jimminy,” or “Jehosaphat,” which includes a tide of God. The slang words “Gee Whiz” and “Judas’ Priest” are references, albeit supposedly “indirect,” to Jesus Christ. People say “For the land’s sake,” or even use the name of the capitol city of ancient Judah, “Jerusalem” as a byword. Why? One wonders whether rebellious men have searched the Bible to see what God says don’t do, and then proceeded to do it. Want an example? Notice the following passage from the famous Sermon on the Mount:

“Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, ‘Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:’ But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King … let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” (Matthew 5:33-37).

Yet, how commonplace are such expressions as “merciful heavens!” or “heavens, no!” How many times have you heard people using various oaths to proclaim their honesty? Even our childhood nursery rhymes teach us to ignore Jesus’ commands; the little pigs, when refusing to allow the wolf into their house say, “Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin,” but Jesus said we are not to swear “…by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black” (Matthew 6:36).

Could it be many of us who plaintively cry, “O God, where are You when I need you,” have unknowingly severed contact with God as surely as if we had pulled the plug on our reading lamp? Could it be we are overlooking the biblical requirements to successful prayer, short- circuiting our communication with God—placing barriers between ourselves and our divine Father in heaven, so He will not listen?

He says, “Behold, the Eternal’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1, 2). The remainder of the chapter is a powerful indictment against all who have not repented of sin, who have not come to God as a little child: “We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar like bears, and mourn sore like doves; we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; in transgressing and lying against the Eternal, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood” (Isaiah 59:10-13).

God tells us any lack of communication is simply not His fault, but ours! He is there— waiting, listening, ready to receive our cries. Is He our Father? In other words, are we His begotten children, repentant, of contrite spirit and humble heart? Do we truly seek His will in our lives, as well as His special favor from time to time? When we acknowledge the awesome holiness of God’s name, praying “Hallowed be Thy Name,” we need to realize how truly great is God; to understand the limitless power which can be unleashed by His great name.

Great miracles were accomplished by Jesus Christ, and astounding miracles were performed for the apostles. In each case, it was through recognition of the awesome power inherent in God’s name! Jesus absolutely promised His disciples would accomplish even greater works than He did—through prayer, through faith, and through the powerful name of Jesus Christ!

Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it!” (John 14:12-14).

“In my name” also connotes asking according to His will and purpose; asking according to His authority.

Striking examples of the veracity of this promise occurred in the first few years of the early church. For example, Peter and John, who recorded the words above, were entering into the temple only days after the resurrection of Christ when they saw a crippled beggar. Read the Bible account of what happened: “…and a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called ‘beautiful,’ to ask alms of them that entered into the temple.

“Who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, ‘Look on us!’ And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

“Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have I give thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk! And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:1-9).

Notice that the cripple did not seem to know who Peter and John were—only that they were worshippers, about to enter the temple. Notice too that he did not expect to be healed; he looked expectantly at them, expecting “to receive something,” obviously a small amount of money. This miracle was performed for the purpose of evangelism as is clear by the following texts. The crowds were amazed; a great discussion arose. Peter then began another of his stirring messages, referring to the miracle they had seen.

Was there ever a greater way to gain the attention of a crowd? Peter said, “Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we made this man to walk?

“The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up … whom God raised from he dead. And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know; yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all” (Acts 3:12-16). Though we may only remember it from childhood Bible tales, the account of Moses’ calling; how He came into the presence of God at the burning bush is fascinating, stirring. Israel was in slavery. Moses, like all his compatriots, was a product of the Egyptian society; he had been raised by a daughter of the reigning Pharaoh. After fleeing for his life when it was discovered he had killed an Egyptian for mistreating one of his fellow slaves, Moses encountered God, who appeared to him in a bush which seemed to burn, yet was not consumed. The interesting story is found in Exodus, the third chapter.

After God instructed Moses to take off his shoes, He said, “ ‘I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God..” A few verses later Moses asked, “… behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, ‘The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you’; and they shall say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say unto them?’

“And God said unto Moses, ‘I AM THAT I AM;’ and He said, ‘Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.’ And God said moreover unto Moses, ‘Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations’ ” (Exodus 3:6-15).

The Hebrew for the expression “I AM THAT I AM” is ‘Ehyer ‘Asher ‘Ehyeh and means what it says, in the sense that God proclaims He is the One who is self-perpetuating, with life self-inherent within Himself; the One who was, who is, and who is to come.

A fascinating reference is made by Christ in the New Testament to this name of God, another obvious proof that the Member of Elohim who did the creating was the One who became Christ. Christ was confronted by the leaders of the synagogue following a sensational healing of a man born blind. The entire chapter is an incredible study in human bigotry, fear religion, how churchmen can sometimes keep their members in a constant state of concern over being “put out” of their church. Finally, the argument became so heated, the Pharisees accused Christ of being illegitimate. Jesus managed to raise their anger to white hot heat when He said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

“Then said the Jews unto Him, ‘Thou are not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?’ Jesus said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM!’

“And they took up stones to cast at Him…” (John 8:53-59).

This is unmistakable reference to the same name used by the same personage of the God family to Moses. It enraged those who heard it, for they knew He was clearly stating He was God in the flesh.

To us today, it is another confirmation of the absolute divinity of Christ — His pre-human origins—that He was the God of the Old Testament, the One who dealt with the patriarchs and prophets, the One who appeared to Moses, the One who wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger.

What’s in a name? Today, many prospective parents find names in books of names for babies; perhaps name their children after relatives, or others they have known and admired. Many are named for famous persons; many are named almost haphazardly. Humorous stories abound about families so large their frustrated parents began calling them “Al, A2, A3,” and so on. But God names things what they are. He called man Ish in Hebrew, merely meaning “Man.” “Woman” was Ishah, or the one who came from Ish. “Adam” meant, literally, “red clay.”

God’s names are meant to convey to us His many divine attributes; His love, mercy, patience; His kindness, gentleness, goodness; His magnificent power; His eternal character. In the Oxford Press edition of the King James Bible, with the concordance, there is a section under “Proper Names” devoted entirely to the many scriptural examples of the qualities of the divine family.

Is your name important to you? Do you know what it means? Are you proud of your name? The word “name” conveys reputation, and quality of character. When we speak of a man having a good name, we mean a good reputation. Surely, when you name your children, their names become who they are. When we speak a name, our minds instantly give us the complete understanding of who we mean, depending on (note this well!) how well we know that person. If it is your spouse, then your usage of his or her name conveys an immediate picture of the total person. That’s the way Jesus Christ wants us to address God. He wants us to come to know Him—to understand how thoroughly, how completely, God knows us!

David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139:23-24).

When we read the Psalms, like Psalms 51, David’s heartfelt prayer of repentance after the affair with Bathsheba, we come to understand why David was “a man after God’s own heart.” God simply loves a broken and contrite heart, a prayer of repentance, a deeply felt, sincere, personal prayer for forgiveness.

Constantly, David exulted in the name of God. He prayed, “Bless the Lord [Hebrew: Jehovah, or Yahveh, The Eternal] O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Eternal, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things…” (Psalm 103:1-4).

And again, “Praise ye The LORD, praise, O ye servants of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and evermore” (Psalm 113:1-2). Here, the Hebrew expression is Hallelu-Jah. Psalms 111 through 113 are known as the “Hallelujah” Psalms. Each is a moving call to prayer, praising the great name of God. The 111th is an acrostic Psalm, and includes the phrase, “Holy and reverend is His name.” This is one reason I have never accepted the title “Reverend,” though I am an ordained minister. The Bible says His name is holy and reverend; I doubt that any man’s name is to be reverenced. There are dozens of references to God’s name in the Psalms; David continually praised the name of God; thought on His great qualities of character. David is the only man in history who earned the rich accolade, “A man after God’s Own Heart.” Was it because he was able to deeply repent when he had sinned; because He continually prayed to God, constructed dozens of poems set to music, praising His holy name?

When Jesus said we should pray “Hallowed be Thy Name,” He intended we know the great and holy names of God, and to know that those names and titles help us to understand God as our Father in heaven, to really come to know Him.

The first thing we usually say to someone when we meet for the first time is, “Hello, my name is…” We then call them by name. God wants us to know His great names, to appreciate their great significance. Perhaps, after reading this brief chapter, you will be much better equipped than before to put real meaning into your prayer the next time you say, “Hallowed be Thy Name…” You might want to remember that God is our Protector, our Provider, our Banner and Shield; that He is our Life-giver; that He is our Savior. Think on His names; pray to Him directly— by name. After all, He knows who you are!

CHAPTER FIVE

“Thy Kingdom come…”

When these words are recited in responsive readings in church, what comes to mind? For over thirty years in the ministry, I have noticed how many tend to “blank out” literal meaning of our language when it comes to “spiritual” sounding phrases, biblical language.

It is as if when biblical language is used, words suddenly take on an utterly meaningless, esoteric, “other-worldly” sense, like they don’t really convey the same sense to our minds that those same words might if spoken by the layman.

For example, if one were having a conversation with Prince Charles of Great Britain, and said to him, “I hope you are King, one day,” hastening to make sure he understands you wish no ill towards his mother, Queen Elizabeth, both would understand precisely what was meant. If one said, “I believe your reign will be the most magnificent in the history of Great Britain,” it would be equally understood, if a little pretentious.

But when we utter those same words toward God—asking that His prophesied Kingdom come to this earth, do we really know what we are asking?

Just what is the Kingdom of God? Is it merely a figurative phrase which means, in some vague “spiritual” sense, “heaven,” where God lives? Are we merely intoning an oft-repeated phrase which means something like “right on, Lord,” in the same way an Englishman might sing, “Rule Britannia?”

As the story goes, a little girl was being instructed by her Sunday school teacher about the three Hebrew children and the fiery furnace; how the astrologers came in before king Nebuchadnezzar and said, “O king, live forever.” The teacher asked, “And then what happened, Susan?” The child furrowed her brow, thought a moment and then with sudden inspiration said, “So right away, the king lived forever!” Is “Thy Kingdom come…” spoken like that? Like a childish fantasy, or a spiritual mystery?

Most professing Christians believe they go immediately to heaven when they die. Then why pray for God’s Kingdom to come to this earth, if that’s what we are really doing when using the Lord’s Prayer as our outline for prayer? Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 5:3). But why did He also say, virtually in the same breath, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5)?

Jesus spoke continually of His coming Kingdom. He uttered many parables about it, showing its character and nature. Many prophecies portray His coming Kingdom—some in fine detail, even to the point of answering such questions as “Will there be cities in God’s Kingdom” and, “What happens to those who remain alive, as human beings, when Christ comes”?

So, why not investigate this fascinating subject without preconceived ideas, traditions, or casually-assumed concepts? Let’s take a careful look at what the Bible actually says about this wondrous Kingdom of which Jesus spoke so often, the Kingdom He said we are to pray for!

John the Baptist was characterized as a type of Elijah, who was to “prepare the way” for the coming of the Messiah. John’s ministry was a great one, coming to the attention of tens of thousands. His preaching was fiery, impassioned, urgent. Thousands were moved to repentance, receiving baptism, calling out to God to forgive their sins. Notice what Matthew recorded, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, ‘Repent ye; for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaias, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’ ” (Matthew 3:1-3).

John’s message was about the Kingdom of God. He preached about the imminent appearance of the Messiah, saying the One who would follow Him was much greater than he; that he was “unworthy to loose the latchet of His shoes.” He said Christ would powerfully stir them, sifting the wheat from the chaff; bringing to light the innermost thoughts of the heart, calling upon God’s people to repent. John portrayed Jesus Christ as a coming King, who would one day rule over all the earth.

Christ’s message was also about the Kingdom of God. Millions have been taught to revere Christ; we have heard impassioned evangelists telling us to “receive” Christ. Many have supposed the “gospel” (which is merely a strange sounding “religious” word to most) is a story about Jesus Christ; mostly concerned with His person, what He did, His miracles, His parables, His examples; His life’s ministry, death, burial, and resurrection. The word “gospel” seems synonymous with “religion,” as in “gospel singers,” and “gospel music.” Many assume the Gospel is a “story about Jesus.”

But, notice, “And from that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ ” (Matthew 4:17). Jesus was a Preacher. His message? It was a good news announcement (the meaning of the word “gospel”) about the Kingdom of God. Notice again, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23).

Matthew’s account refers to Jesus’ message as the “Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven,” while Luke’s parallel account calls it the message about “the Kingdom of God.” The two terms are interchangeable—the message was about God’s great government; His law-abiding, reigning Kingdom, which Christ prophesied would come to this earth. Is the Gospel, then, only a message about the person of Christ, or does it include much, much more? Make no mistake. The Gospel indeed includes a message about Christ. He is absolutely central to the Gospel; He is its focal point, the Messenger who brought this wondrous message to earth from His Father, and Who is its central character. Yet, there may be another aspect to the Gospel many have missed: the story about the Kingdom of God.

What is that Kingdom? We speak of the “Kingdom of Great Britain,” or this or that kingdom of history, and we know we speak of a political entity consisting of certain peoples ruled by a monarch. Each such kingdom must consist of at least four things: (1) a King, or Sovereign; (2) territory, over which that Sovereign reigns; (3) subjects, or citizens living within that territory; and (4) laws—a system of government through which the Sovereign rules.

Using the four main parts of every kingdom, let’s see some Bible examples which will help us obtain the meaning from the words, “Thy Kingdom come.”

No doubt, you are familiar with the annunciation of Christ’s impending birth. It is a favorite story at Christmas, recited in thousands of church services. “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her and said, ‘Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord [The Eternal] is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’

“And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

“And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be Great, and shall be called The Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end’ ” (Luke 1:26-33).

Is this mere “spiritual salt and pepper” to flavor a verse in the Bible, or does this annunciation from a powerful archangel mean exactly what it says? David sat on the throne which God said would “never depart from Judah,” the throne promised to Abraham’s seed as an eternal inheritance resulting from His faith in God.

The throne of David was reconfirmed to David as a perpetual throne, which God said would never pass from this earth. The question concerning just where this throne may be today is one which should properly require a full book, or perhaps several, to explain. However, this has already been done in the past. Suffice it to say, God swore by Himself that David’s throne would remain in perpetuity, with a member of the same lineage—the seed of David himself seated upon that throne until Christ should return to this earth in glory, as King of kings.

A strange prophecy in the 22nd chapter of Isaiah about Shebna, the treasurer of Judah during the reign of Hezekiah, confirms this, as does the prophecy of Ezekiel 21:25-27 concerning the many “overturns” of this throne, until it would reside in a distant land far from its original setting, and there be “no more overturned,” until “He come whose right it is.”

The point is, the archangel said Christ would “inherit the throne of His father David, and of His Kingdom there would be no end.”

That Jesus Christ is prophesied to come back to this earth is absolutely cast in concrete, so far as Scripture is concerned. There are literally dozens of references to that fact. Notice the first message to ever come to earth when Jesus was taken up following His resurrection: “…Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven [the sky]? This same Jesus, Which is taken up from you into heaven [God’s throne], shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1: 11).

Christ said, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to His works” (Matthew 16:27).

During His last supper, Jesus promised, “… I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). When Christ comes again, He is coming back to this earth. Notice a few striking proofs: “Behold, the Day of the LORD [Jehovah, or Yawveh] cometh… then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations… and His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east … and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee…” (Zechariah 14:1-5).

John saw visions of the coming Kingdom of God on the Isle of Patmos, at the very end of the first century. His famous “Apocalypse” (Revelation) contains many references to Christ as King of the coming Kingdom. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war … and the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:11-15).

One of the major promises Jesus Christ gives to those who become His fellow-servants is co-rulership over the nations of this earth during His one thousand year reign. He said, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers; even as I received of my Father” (Revelation 2:26). And again, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne” (Revelation 3:21).

John also saw a vision of the millennium—the one thousand year reign of Christ—in which it was made clear that those who repent, who live lives of overcoming, as Christ said, shall join with Christ in administering God’s great government. He wrote, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them … and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

Jesus Christ came to this earth for many reasons. He came to bring a message from God the Father called the Gospel. The word Gospel merely means “good news” or “happy announcement.” The good news is that mankind will not perish from this earth in a thermonuclear blast, that God will step in to save mankind before that ultimate disaster occurs. The good news is, we can repent, beg forgiveness of our sins, turn to God’s way of life, live a life of overcoming, and have opportunity to share with Christ in setting aright the chaotic turmoil on this earth; to abolish from earth sickness and disease, poverty, squalor, crime, drug abuse, wars; every evil.

Christ also came to call and train His disciples, delivering the Gospel to them, commissioning them to carry on after His return to His Father; to preach the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God in all the earth as a witness unto all nations (Matthew 24:14).

He came to disqualify Satan as present evil world ruler (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4), and to qualify as future Ruler of earth (Revelation 3:21). Christ came to live a perfect life, condemning sin in the flesh, proving it is possible for humankind, with the power of God, to resist Satan, overcome the world, and conquer human nature. He came to die for the sins of the world, to become the Savior of mankind. He came to fulfill many Old Testament prophecies concerning His Messiahship, and to proclaim many prophecies concerning the end of the present world civilization (Matthew 24; Luke 21; Mark 13).

Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the soon-coming KING of God’s great Kingdom for which we are to pray.

The second main part of every kingdom is territory. We have already seen many biblical proofs that the territory of God’s coming Kingdom is on this earth, which is why Christ instructs us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” Notice several additional proofs:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God’ ” (Revelation 21:1-3).

Conditions to become extant on earth are described in vivid detail in Isaiah 11: “But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked … The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Eternal, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:4-9).

There is simply no mistaking the import of these verses. God’s Kingdom will rule on this earth. There are no bears, adders, poisonous snakes, lions, wolves, and goats in heaven. This passage plainly describes the conditions to prevail on earth after the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ.

Notice further, “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain [biblical symbol for God’s government] of the Eternal’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains [over all other physical nations, great and small], and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

“And many people shall go and say, ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Eternal [Jehovah, or Yawveh], to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths:’ for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Eternal from Jerusalem.

“And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:1-4).

Micah prophesied, “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Eternal shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it.

“And many nations shall say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the house of the Eternal, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths:’ for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Eternal from Jerusalem.

“And He shall judge among many people and shall rebuke strong nations afar off: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Eternal hath spoken it” (Micah 4:1-4).

Angels, as if voicing the exultation of the saints who are to inherit God’s Kingdom are heard to sing… “and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5: 10).

It is plain, then, that the Bible teaches the Kingdom of God will reign right here on this earth for one thousand years following the six thousand years allotted to mankind. Christ is the King of His Kingdom; the earth is His territory, where He will rule.

And the subjects of His Kingdom? First, those who are begotten of God’s Spirit; who are the children of God. Notice, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive, and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds [this earth’s atmosphere] to meet the Lord in the air [this earth’s atmosphere]: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). And we shall be with the Lord where the Lord will be, which is right here, on this earth.

Notice further, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the Firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s, at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

Notice again the scripture we read in Revelation, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment [rulership; power to reign as co-rulers with Christ] was given unto them, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

Clearly, the citizens of God’s Kingdom are, first of all, the divine family of God; Jesus Christ, as the Author and Beginner of life, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Under Christ, the saints of all history. He said, “And ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of God…” to the people of Palestine. Christ is called the “Firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29), who shall also be resurrected to eternal life at His Second Coming. As we read in 1 Corinthians the 15th chapter, it will be “each man in his own order,” Christ, who is the Firstfruits, and “afterwards, those that are Christ’s at His coming.”

Those who are to be subjects of this great world-ruling Kingdom are the remnants of all nations on this earth—perhaps billions of human beings. Notice: “And the Eternal shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be One Lord, and His name One … and men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited” (Zechariah 14: 11).

Later, God says, “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Eternal of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).

Christ is the King; the earth is His territory, and the nations of this earth are His future subjects. Obviously, the nations are not subject to Christ today. This is not a world of God’s design. He has allowed mankind the free moral agency to select his own governmental systems, economies, religions. God is not the author of this world’s societies. But He will be, in the future.

The fourth part of every kingdom is the legal system by which it rules—its system of government, or the laws regulating such kingdom. As we have already seen in several scriptures, God says “The law shall go forth out of Zion.” God’s laws consist of the Ten Commandments as Christ magnified them, plus many other statutes and judgments.

The Bible is a book of law in one sense, a legal document proposing a covenant between God and ourselves. It spells out the great rewards for obedience; proposes that God become our God, and we become His people. It proposes eternal inheritance in His Kingdom for our willingness to humbly submit to His rule of law in our lives. Jesus Christ greatly enlarged upon the Ten Commandments, making them infinitely more binding, exalting the strict letter of the law to a spiritual plane, in His famous Sermon on the Mount. The laws of God are summarized in the great commandment, “Thou shalt love the Eternal thy God with all thy heart, and all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

The “Golden Rule” is perhaps a hackneyed phrase to most. But it is, after all, the very basis of God’s system of law. We literally are expected to live by “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” and not by bread alone (Matthew 4:4). It is God’s will in our lives that we should “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

God’s perfect laws will be enforced during the millennial reign of Christ. And what a happy, joyous time that will be!

You see, God’s perfect laws are the laws and principles that produce everything we really want; success, happy marriages, healthy children; peace in our land, good weather, good health, long lives, thrills, excitement, enjoyment, fulfillment! When we break His laws, they break us. We don’t need to “know” about gravity and inertia in order to be severely punished if we are involved in a fall from heights, or an automobile crash. These inexorable laws take their toll whether we know of them or not. And so it is with God’s laws.

God’s spiritual laws are hidden, unseen. Few seem to know they are breaking God’s laws involving human relationships when their marriages fail, when true friends are turned away, when reputations are destroyed. Few seem to know we are breaking God’s laws involving our health, our physical well-being, when we eat fatty foods, accumulate too much cholesterol in our veins, and develop heart disease. Anciently, God commanded Israel “Thou shalt not eat the fat.” It has taken science thousands of years to begin telling us the same thing.

When we pray for God’s Kingdom to come, we should think on the marvelous world that will be in the future—the world of God’s love, His laws which are set in motion for our good. Think of a world without hunger, without disease, without war! Christ will impose His government over all this earth so there will be no such thing as crime, no more desertions of mates and abandonment of one’s own precious children; no more divorce and broken homes. No more drug addiction, no pornography! When you study the scriptures about God’s great Kingdom, contrasting it with conditions on this earth today, it becomes very meaningful to pray—and to really mean it when you pray, “Thy Kingdom come!”

We are familiar with such terms as “the plant kingdom” or the “animal kingdom.” We speak of the “kingdom of man.” The Kingdom of God is not only the coming government of God to be put in place on this earth under Christ as world ruler. It is also the governing, ruling family of God, for God is reproducing after His own kind, enlarging His family, begetting tens of thousands, ultimately millions, of additional children to be born into the family of God.

The nations of this earth are original families grown great, into nations. Many political entities are “melting pots” of various races, as America, Britain, and others, but it was not always so. Many of the nations of the “third world” still represent original tribes; family groups grown great into a political, geographical entity.

The Kingdom of God is not only futuristic, in the sense of Christ’s coming Kingdom to rule on this earth; it is also the growing FAMILY of God, into which Christ says we can be born.

Now do you see? There is a great deal implied when we pray for God’s Kingdom. Christ said “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17-23). He said, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye might be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36).

And what a beautiful prayer! When we pray for God’s Kingdom, we are asking God to hasten an end to every possible evil; to hasten the glorious, utopian reign of Jesus Christ on this earth! We are showing God our earnest desire for world peace; for an end to war, human tragedy—for an end to death!

When we pray “Thy Kingdom come,” we are once again expressing our loyalty toward God, our trust in His promises, our belief in Jesus Christ as King of kings, our confidence He will return to this earth in triumphant glory, to bring world peace at last!

Finally, we are praying for God to hasten the day when we shall be given His ultimate promise—eternal life! The greatest event in all history will be the moment of the establishment of God’s glorious KINGDOM on this earth. No wonder Jesus said we should continually pray for that day!

CHAPTER SIX

“Thy will be done…”

It is easy to recite these words in a quick responsive reading. They certainly sound pious enough, unthreatening. After all, none of us consciously hopes to be out of step with God, deliberately opposed to the divine will—except perhaps atheists and agnostics. Even those not especially religious, who have no special interest in church-going, like to maintain a personal philosophy of a sort, comforting themselves in the thought they are not really a “bad” person, that they have a unique, comfortable relationship “with the Man upstairs.”

How often have I heard it? One will embarrassedly acknowledge, “Well, I ain’t been no saint—but I think the Lord will understand when the time comes…”

These plaintive gestures toward a God of convenience are undiluted human nature. It seems natural to forget God in our daily lives; then turn to Him in a sudden frenzy of need, calling out our self-pitying complaint, “O God, where are you when I’m in pain?” We do not deliberately intend to treat God as a piece of treasured bric-a-brac to be placed on the shelf to grace a breakfront, to be polished for display on special occasions. It is not that we plan to treat God as if He were our servant, instead of the other way around.

Many seem to believe God is like the Genie that startled Aladdin when he polished the ancient lamp. We have but to rub the lamp with the magical words, “Our Father who art in heaven…” or even an informal, “O God, help me!” and expect God to come trotting to our aid.

For centuries, man has asked, “Why does God allow wars? Why, if God says He is good and merciful, does He permit babies to be born blind, deformed?” A rather abrupt and perhaps slightly insensitive answer would be the analogy of homosexuals praying to God in self- righteous indignation, “O God, why AIDS?”

Why, indeed? Let God answer, “Wherefore God gave them up to [allowed them to have; permitted them to exercise their own wills] uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who exchanged the truth of God into a lie [margin], and worshiped and served the creature [including man; themselves!] more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature; and likewise the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet [fitting]” (Romans 1:24-27).

God allows the natural consequences of man’s actions to obtain. He has set in motion natural laws; forces, energies. God is the Creator of this universe, of earth, and all life upon it, including micro-bacterial life. When man breaks God’s laws, those laws come crashing down upon him, not only in a spiritual sense at the judgment, but here and now!

Men lust for power, covet the possessions of their neighbors; they harbor hatreds because of racial, linguistic, cultural differences. They are especially intolerant of the religious beliefs of others. In all this hatred is the disease of war. War stems from the lust for power, among other passions. God allows wars, accidents, sickness, because those things are the natural outcome of God permitting the free exercise of human nature. Is anything more pitiful than a newborn baby that is deformed, or blind? Have you ever seen a pregnant woman smoking, drinking, eating harmful foods? Widespread information is available today about the direct cause-and-effect relationship between alcohol and a developing fetus. And what about venereal disease? It is known that syphilis causes blindness in babies. God does not cause sexual promiscuity, remember. He has chosen not to prevent it. You see, the Ten Commandments are not preventive legislation. God commands. But He leaves the choice up to us.

Remember our scenario of the smoker who found God interfering with his habit? It is the same right across the gamut of all human activity contrary to the expressed will of God. We may cry out our complaints about the effects of certain causes, but we would be enraged if God forcibly removed our free volition—took away our freedom of action. In other words, we would be extremely upset if God removed from us the opportunity to commit the cause that produces the wrong effect!

To be brutally frank, we seem to want God to allow us to sin, but to remove the penalty!

What you are about to read from your own Bible may appear a little shocking at first. Yet, upon reflection, you will see the logic in what Jesus said. He had launched into a discussion of false prophets, as He did on many occasions. He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” He then gave the analogy of judging a religious leader in the same fashion as one would judge a tree, or vine—by the fruit it produces. Speaking of false prophets He said, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).

Now, notice what may appear to be a startling statement at first reading: “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” (Matthew 7:21).

Why startling? Because it is obvious the recognition of Christ as Savior, believing on Him, calling out to Him by name is not sufficient. Yet, millions have heard the strident voice of evangelists pleading, “Only believe!” Many seem to believe that they may be saved by merely “believing on the name of Jesus.” Not so. Christ said “…even the demons believe, and tremble.” No, God requires much more than lip service.

What are those requirements? Christ said, “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:50).

The Bible is the written will of God. It can be likened to the “handbook” about mankind. It is revealed knowledge, information we could find from no other source. God’s Word does not purport to be a text on science, engineering, chemistry, or architecture. It is a text, instead, which explains who and what God is, and all about mankind! It tells us why we were born, why we were put on this earth, what is the purpose and ultimate destiny of every human creature.

Doing the will of God is not threatening. It does not mean a life of asceticism, of abstinence, of “Don’t do this, and don’t do that.” The will of God toward us is that we live life to the full, that we meet with success, reward, happiness, fulfillment! Notice: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health…” (3 John 2).

God is portrayed as a loving Father, One with vast resources, great wealth—not only in material things, but in great and good gifts which could never be purchased with money. However, like any loving Father, He wants only the best for His children. Because of His vast knowledge and experience, He knows we tend toward many things that are going to bring us the wrong results!

God knows there is a cause for every effect. If we would listen to Him, we could learn the cause of all the suffering, heartache, trauma, sickness and disease, failure, poverty, crime and wars which stalk this earth. There is a cause for lung cancer. Millions know one of the main causes—cigarette smoking. Yet, they persist in slowly polluting their lungs, perhaps robbing themselves of many years of life. Many cling to stories about various long-lived individuals (George Burns and his famous cigars are an example) who seem to sail merrily through their 80’s with no difficulty, and continue to smoke. Yet, when hundreds of thousands of Americans go to their deaths through the years, suffering the slow agonies of lung cancer, perhaps undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatment, surgery, only to be followed by a lingering death under massive sedation, both they and their loved ones call out to God—sometimes in heartbroken desperation, asking Him to spare their lives.

There are causes for broken marriages, failed businesses, poor health, alienated children, group and tribal instincts which lead to political ferment; causes which produce wars! The protracted struggle in the Mid-East is an example of the centuries-long, implacable hatreds between two of the great religions, two separate racial groups. After a few decades, the hatreds wax so white hot no one remembers the first “incident” which triggered the constant acts of terrorism; interminable war.

By the same token, there is a cause for the right result. We know what causes good health: plenty of exercise, a good, balanced diet, and avoidance of harmful substances. But do we know the cause which will produce happy marriages, obedient children, successful lives? Those causes are set forth in God’s Word, which is His written will as expressed toward us.

God’s Word contains plenty of information concerning the state of marriage! Several of the Ten Commandments bear directly on the family. God says, “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long on the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Could close family ties, honoring parents and grandparents—familial love and respect—be a cause for longevity? Gods Word says it is. He commands, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” Unfaithfulness is probably the major cause of ruined marriages today; yet, virtually all entertainment—the motion pictures, television, magazines, books—tend to treat casual sex, and its effect, divorce, as something to be done, something virtually “natural.”

Millions of young people have “live-in” mates, with no true bonds of marriage, and upwards of fifty percent of babies born in our inner urban areas today are illegitimate.

The cause for all this chaos in the family unit—the building block of society—is that God’s laws are being broken. Broken laws mean broken lives. We break them, they break us—it’s just that simple.

God’s Word says much about rearing children. It portrays proper roles for father and mother, and strongly encourages the closest possible family ties. Christ said divorce is a sin, that it should be avoided! This is not to say God cannot forgive sin, for He can, and will, when we call out to Him in real repentance. But, when we repent, God wants us to quit sinning. He will not save us “in” our sins; He will only save us “from” our sins!

God’s will toward us is benevolent, kind, solicitous, loving, caring. David said over and over again, “For His mercy endureth forever.” There is nothing fearful or “bad” for us in the expressed will of God.

Too many have equated the will of God with one or another of the organized religions. Recoiling from offensive religionists, from this or that television evangelist they may feel is not exactly sincere, some make the mistake of throwing out the baby with the bath water. But we must not compare human beings to God, no matter how “religious” they may seem. Usually, the successful, well fed, second-martini-for-lunch-bunch have little time for God. That is, until they develop some terrible disease, or their business collapses, or their marriage is destroyed. Why? Why not go to God when times are good, and pray they’ll stay that way? God wants us to prosper. It is not His will that we suffer heartache, sickness, want. Like any loving Father, He wants us to be happy!

Many seem to feel God’s ways are drab, dull, uninteresting; that He gave us “Ten don’ts” by which we should live. They seem to believe “fun” and “sin” are synonymous. Not so. Christ said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10: 10).

What kind of a God is our “Father” in heaven to whom we should pray? Notice what He says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

Do you really want God’s will in your own life? Notice Jesus said we should pray, not for our will to be accomplished, but God’s. No one came face to face with this choice in a more bitter moment than our Savior, Jesus Christ.

After His lengthy final supper, His discourse to His disciples following the Passover, Christ and His disciples went out of the city to the Mount of Olives.

There, He went a distance away from His disciples and prayed in an agony of intensity. He knew the minutes were fleeting; He knew Judas Iscariot had fled the dinner a few hours earlier, that armed men were on the way to arrest Him. He knew what this dark night would bring. With perfect clarity, He could see His own body being ripped and torn by a cat o’ nine tails, a crown of thorns cruelly jammed down on His head, lacerating the scalp. He could picture the agonies awaiting Him as they pounded spikes through His hands and feet, hoisting Him into the air on a stake to die a slow, pain-wracked death for the sins of the world.

Did Christ merely toss off this horrible ordeal with some Godlike “macho,” some super human reserves of courage and bravado? Note well the biblical account: “And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me…’ ”

Here, Christ was plainly asking His Father if there was some other way this fateful hour could be resolved. His total humanity comes clearly into focus; we see Him as lonely, forsaken— facing torture and death, praying with all His might that God could find some other solution. In asking this, Christ was clearly expressing His own will, His own point of view. But instantly, with no pause in His praying, He quickly said, “Nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done!” Let’s read the rest of this stirring passage: “And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:41-44).

No wonder God’s Word says, “When He had, by Himself, purged our sins, [He] sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

Probably, we tend to pray for our will to be accomplished without realizing it. After all, most don’t pray except in emergencies, tragedies, when we hurt, or when we are frightened because of the suffering of a loved one. By the time many get around to prayer, the die is already cast. They only pray in times of desperate need. They are surely going to be asking, “My will be done—my request be granted; my desires be fulfilled,” if they are only moved to pray in a dire emergency which stresses those needs.

It is not easy for those who rarely pray to ask for God’s will to be done. Actually, prayer and Bible study are inextricably linked. It is impossible to draw close to God in prayer without drinking in of His written Word. In that Word, we learn of His will toward us we learn how to ask “according to His will.”

Prayer, after all, is petition. It is not easy to get on our knees with hearts filled with urgent requests, and ask, instead, that God’s will be done—and not necessarily our own. It is especially difficult if His will in some matter proves to be the opposite of our own. Notice the experience of the apostle Paul: He had a terrible affliction. There is strong indication it was a disease of the eyes, perhaps cataracts. On one occasion he signed one of his letters in very large characters to attest to its authenticity (Galatians 6:11), leading to the assumption he had great difficulty in seeing.

He related how he had asked God to remove this affliction: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations [referring to the vision he had seen of heaven], there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness’ ” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

I know people whose strength is made perfect through weakness. Paraplegics, who spend their entire lives in motorized wheelchairs, can make those of us who have normal use of our limbs shrink in stature spiritually, when we see their courage and their faith. There are innumerable examples of incredibly courageous people who have found seemingly bottomless reservoirs of strength in terrible adversity. After knowing God’s will was different from his own, Paul meekly said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong!” (2 Corinthians 12: 10).

What an incredible example! Yet, is there any more beautiful example than the one we read concerning Christ Himself.? This is the epitome of selfless prayer, of beseeching God for HIS will and purpose to be accomplished, subjecting our will entirely to His.

Let’s face it, most of our lives are taken up with pursuing our will and purpose. The vast majority of our waking hours are spent in three self-directed purposes: self preservation, self determination, self perpetuation.

We cannot ask that God’s will be done unless we are willing to submit to His will. What does He require of us? He tells us we must repent of our sins. And what is sin? God says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect WILL of God” (Romans 12:1-2).

God’s will toward us is that we come to Him as His children; that we ask forgiveness of our sins, receive baptism, and become a begotten child of God through receiving of His Holy Spirit. “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” said Peter to thousands on the Day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:38).

Paul says, “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk [live] in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). God says we can change, that we can start afresh, begin anew! He is willing to wipe clean the slate of our sins and mistakes, blot it all out as if it had never been, allow us to begin a new and different way of life as if a new-born child without a single bad mark against us. It is His will to give us of His Holy Spirit to help us overcome the trials and troubles that seem too big for us.

There is a story about the man who supposedly died, and, when confronted by Christ in His Kingdom, said, “Lord, I want to thank you for helping me through life. I looked back along the trail, and noticed two sets of footprints almost all the way, so you must have been right there beside me. But, tell me, Lord, why, when I got to those rocky, steep places did I see only one set of prints?” To which the Lord supposedly replies, “Because that’s when I had to pick you up and carry you.”

Each of us possesses a natural human mind prior to conversion. In other words, we are concerned about material things, those things that are of this mundane world—carnal, physical, natural. We have no spiritual perception if we have only a natural, or carnal, mind. Oh, we may be “good” people, the way this world would look at it—we may be trustworthy, faithful, hard- working; we may possess qualities of character which cause others to admire us. But, unless we have repented of sin, we still possess what God calls a “carnal” or fleshly mind. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).

It is impossible to ask for God’s will to be accomplished in our lives if we are not yielded to God’s laws, if we do not sincerely thirst for God’s purpose to be accomplished in our own personal life. Such a prayer cancels itself out immediately, for it is obviously insincere. We must not ask for something we do not truly desire, something we are not willing to receive. God is eager to answer the prayers of His children if we pray according to His will. We have only to sincerely want His will in our lives in place of our own.

It is peculiar to human nature that we want other nations to obey God’s will; we want our neighbors to obey God’s will, but, for some reason, we tend to avoid applying His will in our own lives. We wish with all our hearts that the Soviet Union would yield to God’s laws, that they would “beat their swords into plowshares,” dismantle their nuclear arsenals, and turn all those tanks into tractors so they could feed their population. We wish they would disband their multi-millions of Red Army soldiers, that they would immediately cancel their plan for world conquest, order all their spies home from nations around the world, and live at peace and harmony with all nations. We wish all child abusers, pornographers, dope dealers, rapists and murderers, would repent of their sins, turning their lives over to God in an agony of self- abhorrence for what they have been, and allow God to totally change their lives.

We could wish that others around us obeyed the golden rule, that our neighbors were kind, considerate, law-abiding; we could wish they were perfect examples of the will of God in daily action. It sure would be nice to live in a region where all our neighbors were in submission to the will of God, wouldn’t it?

Yes sir, what a world it could be if all our neighbors obeyed the will of God! What a world it could be if the Soviet Union turned to God with their whole heart—as a nation!

But, on the other hand, we have been talking mostly about us, you and me, in this chapter, haven’t we? Maybe we become frustrated over being unable to change the Soviet Union, or stop abortion, or crime, or prevent wars. But there is something important we can change, with God’s help. Us!

CHAPTER SEVEN

“On earth, as it is in heaven…”

Heaven is depicted to us as the most glorious, beautiful, peaceful, harmonious, fabulous, rapturous paradise possible to imagine. Adjectives fail to encompass the picture we see of God’s heaven in the Bible. God reigns supreme; He is the absolute Authority, but God is a benevolent, merciful, forgiving Monarch. In heaven, we see order instead of chaos, beauty instead of ugliness, system instead of confusion; the epitome of all that could possibly be desired in the most perfect state.

God is the supreme RULER in heaven. But His rule is not arbitrary; not selfish, egocentric— It is not rule for the satisfaction of the One doing the ruling, but government for the sake of the governed. God is the greatest possible expression of self-government, for He rules Himself! God is perfect character. There is no higher power which prevents God from making mistakes, sinning, falling short. God is self-ruled to perfection!

It is this perfect character God wishes us to attain. He is ruled best who is ruled least. This is a principle of God.

And what is perfect character? It is the ability to discern the difference between good and evil; discern right choices from wrong choices; to clearly perceive the end result of all human actions, and the will power to force oneself to choose the right!

God is reproducing after His own kind. He is engendering children on this earth who are to mature through overcoming every human challenge, to finally be inducted into the family of God. He seeks to make each of us into one of His children, to give us eternal life. We are but a physical prototype of what shall be, a clay model made in God’s image. It is our human destiny that we should become members of God’s family.

In order to produce perfect character in us, God knew it would require the free exercise of personal choice—free moral agency. Character is not created automatically, but developed through a lifetime of imposing self rule on one’s own human appetites, overcoming the downward pulls and tugs of the flesh, overcoming Satan and evils in society, through the powerful help of God’s Holy Spirit.

When we pray that God’s perfect will, His system of government come to this earth, we need to acknowledge this world’s societies and institutions are not, in the main, of God’s design. God has given mankind 6,000 years to learn the lesson that man cannot achieve utopia through his own carnal struggles, that he was made to need God in his life, and in his society. When we pray God’s will be implemented on this earth as it is in heaven, we need to pray with the fullest comprehension of the sharp contrast between the two; the awareness of just how far man’s societies have departed from the will of God.

Today, this world is in chaos. Enough nuclear explosives exist to destroy the world perhaps twenty times, and the big powers are building more. Proliferation of nuclear weapons continues at an alarming pace; nations such as India, China, Israel, South Africa, have the bomb. Dozens of smaller, third-world countries possess nuclear reactors which produce plutonium; many of them are nearing production of nuclear weapons.

If we were all the same color, spoke the same language, worshiped the same God; if there were no chauvinism, racism, nationalism, we would still face the greatest problem looming before mankind—that of overpopulation. As the sub-Sahara attests, millions die from malnutrition, starvation and disease each year. The population of the world will double a few years into the next century; double again about thirty-five years later. There is no way to avoid food wars from engulfing much of the impoverished third world.

America and Western Europe, together with Japan, find themselves in the first-class passenger compartment of our spaceship earth, with about 90 percent of the remaining passengers in the economy compartment, separated only by a flimsy drape. Will the suffering, hungry, squalid, diseased, angry billions of the third world long be content with their plight?

Overpopulation is the most sinister of all global problems, for it recognizes no racial, political bounds.

Global pollution continues apace; solid waste, air pollution, water pollution. Thor Heyerdhal reported that, during his epic voyage from Egypt to South America aboard a papyrus-reed raft, he was never out of sight of flotsam injected into the oceans by man. Not once, during his thousands of miles of drifting through the Mediterranean and across the central Atlantic, was he out of sight of garbage, cans, bottles, oil slicks, plastic wrappers—some evidence of pollution in our oceans. We are all familiar with the deadly canisters of toxic poisons dumped into the oceans following World War I; the nuclear wastes being dumped into the oceans today, supposedly safely encased in concrete; the daily pollution of our seas by the effluent from thousands of rivers and streams; the huge oil slicks from accidents involving super tankers; pollution from oil production accidents off shore. Globally, man pollutes his environment through nuclear accidents like Chernobyl, or destroys life in the rivers and seas as deadly hydrocarbons are leached into the streams and rivers, and into the seas from farms using oil-based herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers to raise crops.

The diminution of strategic materials is of great concern. World reserves of fossil fuels, germanium, molybdenum, aluminum, chromium, are being used up rapidly. Not only is the list of endangered species long and growing longer, but the rapid depletion of raw materials is also of grave concern.

No new fossil fuel is being formed. Perhaps billions of years ago, at the “great die off” of the dinosaurs, billions of tons of animal and vegetable material were buried deep beneath the surface of the earth in cataclysms unimaginable to the human mind. Oil, coal, natural gas—these are the relics of a bygone age, another world—the waste of a period of time on our earth when the continents (no doubt, in completely different configuration) teemed with life of a different kind. Each day, as we burn millions of gallons of this fossil fuel, we edge nearer that time when there will be none left. Our earth is finite, like a space capsule that carries its own fuel, oxygen, water and food. No new fossil fuels are being formed; no mass burials of billions of animals is occurring today. How many years are there before man depletes his energy supplies?

Of grave concern is nuclear war by accident. Can the big powers continue to play the deadly game of stockpiling ever more destructive nuclear weapons, the while making futile gestures at arms controls, living in that gray area between the peace which can seemingly never be achieved and the war which must never be fought? Many a novel has pictured a nuclear submarine captain going mad or a nuclear bomber hijacked; a conspiracy of generals to launch a nuclear war. Are each of these scenarios so far-fetched? In our war of nerves, there are human beings in those nuclear submarines, armed with enough missiles to wipe out many large population centers. Can human beings always be trusted to remain stable, even when placed under almost unimaginable strain?

The socioeconomic picture of our globe is not inviting. Hundreds of millions lack the basic necessities of life; food, clothing, shelter. Even among the industrialized nations, vast disparities exist between the privileged and the disenfranchised, the well-to-do and the poor, the majority and the minorities, the overstuffed and the hungry.

Clearly, the good green earth is not a place of great tranquility. Daily reports of the protracted wars raging—Iraq and Iran, the latest car bombing in Beirut, the latest terrorist incident in Europe, the latest airplane bombing or hijacking, the latest blast in Belfast. These and our daily crime reports tell us man has not learned to live alongside those with different color, different language, different religion.

But it was not always so. Once, this earth was a place of beauty, harmony, perfect peace. It looked like a vast garden from one pole to the other. The Bible proves there was an earlier creation, long before man—a pre-Adamic creation perhaps several billion years in the past. A great archangel was placed over the earth named Lucifer, which means “shining star of the dawn” or “light-bringer.” He is one of the three archangels mentioned in the Bible, along with Gabriel and Michael.

The Bible depicts the whole world like the “Garden of Eden,” with Lucifer and millions of angels given responsibility for the earth. Let’s see what happened:

“In the beginning God [Hebrew: Elohim] created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1: 1-2).

The Hebrew words for “without form and void,” or shapeless, in confusion, are tohu and bohu. Yet, the Bible tells us, “For God is not the Author of confusion…” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Also, notice Isaiah 45:18: “For thus saith the Eternal that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain [Hebrew: tohu], He formed it to be inhabited.” God clearly says the picture we see in Genesis the first chapter of this earth completely submerged under the seas; a picture of chaos and confusion, darkness, lifelessness, was not the original condition of earth. God did not create it that way.

The key is found in the word “was” in the phrase, “The earth was without form.” The word should be translated, “The earth became without form.” The Critical and Experimental Commentary says “…Dr. McCaul has shown that the verb ‘was’ is, in some twenty places in this chapter, used as equivalent to ‘became,’ and that elsewhere it has the same significance…”

The Critical and Experimental Commentary article on this chapter contains three possible explanations for the reconciliation of Genesis 1: 1-2 with science. It says, “The third scheme of reconciliation supposes the intercalation of a long and indefinite period between the original creation and the state of things to which the second verse refers. An immense interval, of which no record has been preserved, succeeded, during which the earth passed through the various changes which geology has traced, accumulating the successive strata, with their entombed inhabitants, which its bowels contain; then, at some undescribed period in duration, it became the subject of a superficial catastrophe, by which it was thrown into general dislocation and disorder, overrun by an inundation of waters, and darkened, by an accumulation of thick, vapory mists” (Critical and Experimental Commentary, Jamieson, Vol. 1, p. 3).

But how, why? Geologists know this earth has been subjected to many ages of chaotic disarray. The majority of all rocks are sedimentary, or water-deposited. Fossilized ripple marks in stone, the evidence of ancient seashores, the aeons-long formation of coral atolls suggest that our earth was subjected to countless inundations; that monster storms ravaged the continents over millions of years. The movement of continental land masses along the tectonic plates of this earth is now fairly well-known. Anciently, our continents were in far different arrangement. How else did seabed fossils come to be easily visible in the tops of the Rocky Mountains; the Alps?

Somehow, from the early picture of absolute beauty, splendor and peace of which we read in the Bible, the earth was destroyed. But how?

Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10: 18). This was said in response to the joy His disciples evinced upon returning from their first evangelistic journeys. They were exulting because they discovered the name of Jesus Christ caused demons to obey them, that they had power over evil spirits through His name. When Christ said He saw the fall of Satan like a brilliant streak of light plummeting down to earth, comet-like, He was once again attesting to His pre-human existence with God the Father. He was showing He was present when a titanic struggle took place, and Satan, defeated, was cast down to earth. He was showing His disciples they had power over Satan’s cohorts through the use of Jesus’ name.

John wrote, “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12:3-4). Later, John said, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).

Study those words carefully. If they are to be understood literally, we may be looking at the answers to age-old questions about the chaotic condition of our solar system; the bleak, lifeless, pock-marked surfaces of Mars, Jupiter, and the other planets; the ravaged surfaces of their moons and our own.

We also see that heaven was not always the place of supreme tranquility it is today. There was a time when a battle took place so unimaginable, so gargantuan in scope that it defies the mind of the most inventive science-fiction writer.

We may be looking at evidence of the original “Star Wars!”

Now, let’s see what the Bible says about this event. Isaiah 14 is a chapter dealing with type and anti-type: Satan, and the king of Babylon. All the Bible commentaries and Bible handbooks acknowledge that the language of the middle verses of this chapter means Satan. Notice, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [Shining star of the dawn] How art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I will ascend unto heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars [symbol for angels] of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the MOST HIGH’ ” (Isaiah 14:12-14).

This verse reveals much about Satan’s origins. It tells us he was an archangel with a name which meant “shining star of the dawn,” and that he was on this earth, below the heights of the clouds. Notice further information in another chapter of the Bible dealing with type and anti-type, this time between Satan and the prince of Tyre: “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou was created.

“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou was upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

“Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Ezekiel 28:12-15).

The Ark of the Covenant, carried by the Levites in the wilderness and later placed in the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s temple, was constructed with two angelic beings called “cherubim” whose outstretched wings almost touched over the “Mercy Seat.” This was a picture of God’s throne. As we have seen, there are “cherubim and seraphim” about God’s throne. The reference to Lucifer apparently shows an earlier position of great station, next to the throne of God. Then, we see he was assigned to this earth when the whole world was of beauty. Finally, we see the metamorphosis from wise and beautiful to jealous and scheming, the struggle of Lucifer to unseat God; his defeat, together with one third of the angels of heaven, and his violent expulsion from heaven. Lucifer was cast back down to this earth at the climax of a battle so titanic, so vast in its proportions, that the human mind cannot begin to imagine it.

Now, see what we have learned: The earth was originally not in chaotic disarray. The picture of the creation of Genesis 1 is not the original creation, but the re-creation of the physical surface of this earth and the creation of man, together with most known types of animals and fish of the present world.

Both the Bible and geology tell us there was an earlier creations time when this world teemed with life, when the frigid, northern areas of permafrost and frozen tundra were in fact semi-tropical (mastodons have been unearthed in Siberia; they were warm weather mammals), when weather patterns were completely different. Our present-day fossil fuels are derived from this ancient world of teeming life.

Space does not permit a thorough discussion of the deposition of coal beds, oil reserves; the graphic story of fossils in the rocks; how the dinosaurs, and vast numbers of other species suddenly disappeared, as if from some gargantuan catastrophe. One very possible theory has to do with a comet, or gigantic meteor smashing into the earth with the force of hundreds of multi-megaton H-bombs, spewing into earth’s atmosphere billions of cubic yards of pulverized rock and dust, bringing about an immediate ice age. The initial shock would have destroyed all life on earth, caused earthquakes of unimaginable intensity, brought about tidal waves thousands of feet high, literally rocked the earth in its orbit.

Is that how it happened? We cannot know for sure, but we do know that our solar system shows mute evidence of massive destruction in the past. No new craters hundreds of miles across are being formed on our moon. Was the earth impervious to these showers of asteroids and comets? Probably not.

Both astronomy and geology tell us of mind-boggling catastrophes in the past history of our solar system; of the explosion of stars, and the forming of new ones; of the coming into being of planets, and the destruction of planets. Radiocarbon dating of fossils generally concedes the earth to be about four and a half billion years old. Did God place Lucifer here, with about a third of the angels, in that distant age? Did their rebellion and the ensuing war in the spirit world result in the destruction we see? There is strong indication it did.

God’s Word shows Satan was expelled from heaven, that he was “cast down” to this earth. Here, he is called the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He is called the “adversary,” the “accuser of the brethren,” and the “tempter.”

All of us are aware of stories about the devil. We eat “devil’s food” cakes, and take pictures of “the devil’s punch bowl” at the seashore. Most believe he appears as an evil-looking man with spade beard, pencil-thin mustache, smallish, wicked-looking horns, a red body stocking and a pointed tail. Not so. The Bible says he appears “as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15) and warns Christians about his subtle religious deceptions.

God’s Word reveals Satan is largely responsible for the chaos on this earth, that He influences nations of people, heads of state. Can anyone truly understand the mind of a totalitarian leader like Adolf Hitler apart from Satanic influence? Those close to him told of a mysterious power that seemed to emanate from him; of his towering, demonic rages. Somehow, he exercised a magnetic, evil influence over millions. His pogroms against the Jews, his incredibly inhuman “final solution” for millions in his death camps, his demoniacal military genius—these and other traits strongly suggest that Satan himself possessed Hitler’s mind.

Clearly, God’s will is not being accomplished on this earth today. The societal structures of man are not of God’s making; not pleasing to God. Man’s civilizations are based upon the human emotions of vanity, jealousy, lust and greed. They are wholly carnal, filled with competition, strife, avarice, cunning, vengeance, hatred. That is why God wants us to pray “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” When we utter these words, we need to see the desperate plight of this war-weary, sin-sick world; to see it from God’s perspective!

God is able to hear the piteous wails of the starving; the crying of deserted, lonely and abused children; the screams of the wounded and dying in the bloody conflicts of man. God sees the inhumanity, the callused disregard for human rights and simple human decency by despotic human leaders. God sees and hears it all—those terrible things we see but glimpses of in our daily news.

God is working out a great purpose here on earth, a purpose in which your life figures prominently. He wants us to know that we’ll never escape this human experience alive, that we have a personal destiny to fulfill, that we were put on this earth to become something so wonderful, so beautiful, so powerful, that our minds cannot encompass it. We were made in God’s image as a physical prototype—to ultimately be born of God, to become His children, members of His own family! He wants us to see that there is the alternative of eternal life over eternal death, that we have only to repent of our sins, call out to a loving Father in heaven for His divine grace, and He will hear; He will induct us into His family if we surrender our wills to Him, and begin to apply His laws in our lives.

I doubt there has ever been a morning so beautiful a husband has turned to his wife and said, “Dear, isn’t this a lovely day to go out and shop for a casket and a burial plot?”

No, we tend not to think of such things , choosing to pretend, as it were, that we are rather permanent, impervious to the madness of human folly, accident and happenstance that demand the lives of others all around us. But any day—any day at all—is a good day to seek our God, to pray to Him. He says, “Is not this the fast [spiritual service] that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that you cover him; and hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Eternal shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and the Eternal shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say ‘Here am I!’ ” (Isaiah 58:6-9).

Some day, in the not too distant future, God’s way of life will be imposed on this earth. What a great day it will be to read in the headlines how factories are progressing in converting guns to hoes and rakes, tanks to tractors, bullets and bombs to useful tools. God says, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.’ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

Christ’s outline for successful prayer, the “Lord’s Prayer,” as we call it, instructs us to pray for that glorious day!

Pray for God’s perfect will to be accomplished in your own life first; then pray it will be accomplished in others! But you must really want what you pray for. You must learn to pray, as did Jesus Christ your Savior, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done, right here on earth, here and now, just as your perfect will is always loyally and faithfully done in heaven above!” God loves prayers like that. Study David’s prayers, and you will quickly find why he was called “a man after God’s own heart.” What a description! How would you like it to be said of you? It’s possible.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Give us this day our daily bread…”

Why pray for just barely enough to last the day? Why not pray for enough food to last a lifetime? What about security, comfort in our old age? Is it contrary to God’s will to be “survivalist” in our outlook; to store foods, emergency supplies, batteries, gasoline, water; to look out for ourselves so far as the future is concerned? Did Jesus really mean what He said about praying only that we receive, each day, enough for our daily needs?

Christ emphasized the importance of relative values. There is quite a contrast between those who have settled the big questions first, such as repentance, conversion, baptism—surrendering their will to God and making His kingdom their primary goal in life—and those who never truly get around to asking the big questions in the first place.

Christ knew most are concerned about purely material goals. He said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other: or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

Mammon is an Aramaic word, meaning “riches.”

Jesus Christ knew human nature right down to the core. He understood perfectly the driving forces which motivate most men: vanity, jealousy, lust, greed, vengeance; the purely materialistic goals which most strive to achieve. It was the abandonment of these false goals Christ urged; the acceptance of His example, teaching, and His sacrifice for our sins. Christ is not urging poverty. He is not saying it is a sin to be materially comfortable. God is not especially attracted to the poor over the rich; it is the other way around. The wealthy rarely have time or need for God; the poor recognize their need.

Is it God’s will that His people be poor? No, Christ said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10: 10). Many of the most famous men in the Bible were wealthy. Abraham was the owner of thousands of head of cattle and sheep. His household numbered many servants. Likewise, Isaac and Jacob, who inherited much of their wealth from their parent, and continued to prosper. David was king of Israel and Judah, lived in a palace for a fair part of his life; yet was a “man after God’s own heart,” because he never coveted wealth. He had not obtained the throne through political machinations, but was appointed by God because of his qualities of character.

God says, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children…” (Proverbs 13:22). Not only does God expect His people to prosper, He expects them to build a significant enough estate that they leave an inheritance to their grandchildren.

The apostle John wrote to Gaius, a generous, apparently well-to-do member of the church, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2).

God is the owner of all wealth: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Eternal of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). God is our multitrillionaire heavenly Father who owns the universe. He has set down principles, which, if they were industriously followed, would result in material success as well as moral and spiritual well-being. With God it is a matter of priorities. Which comes first: material gain, success in business, money, or God’s Kingdom?

I knew a multi-millionaire who had all the things money can buy: mansions, limousines, fabulous art collections. He made his money in mining, then branched out into the stock market and real estate. By the time of his death in the 1950’s, he was reputedly worth over 200 million dollars. I saw him from time to time in the last years before his death—lonely, reclusive, miserable. His only son had killed himself during a lawsuit between father and son over money. His wife had died several years earlier. During his last years, he was seen going into pawn shops, bargain basements, run down stores in the skid row section of Los Angeles, purchasing various things at random—old shoes, lamps, objects which he didn’t need, and couldn’t use. When he died, a lonely old man, his home was auctioned by the managers of the estate for less money than it had cost to build the iron grillwork fence and stone walls around it.

I knew some students who he hired to maintain his considerable grounds. Yet, even though they were only being paid $1.75 per hour, he refused to pay them after a week’s work for some petty complaint or other. When the mansion in which he lived was renovated in later years, it was discovered there was a huge tank in a basement room adjacent to an indoor swimming pool, and that the tank had been tapped directly into the city’s main water supply. He had received millions of gallons of unmetered city water over fifty years. He had money, the trappings of material success. But, like so many others, this was never enough. He could neither buy nor steal what he coveted the most: happiness. Contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, these were denied him.

J. Paul Getty, one of the richest men in the world, was once quoted as saying he would give all his millions for just “one happy marriage.” Like many of the very wealthy, he discovered true friends are hard to find. Unfortunately, the wealthy must forever remain suspicious of the true motives of friends.

Yet, despite the countless examples of wealth coupled with misery, no matter how thoroughly documented, those lacking wealth cheerfully quip, “So let me be miserable in style!” It is impossible to convince those who have never possessed much money that it can be a powerful evil. They simply believe they know better. The lust for money is condemned in the Bible, and called a “root of all evils.” With this lust for money comes every assorted form of crime and violence known to man. It is the subject of countless novels, motion pictures, television shows. Those who write for the public know money, power, sex are what sells.

The most common form of idolatry in modern professing Christiandom is the lust for money. Sometimes, it seems money is the main thing on many television evangelist’s minds, much to the discomfort of many of their viewers. Personally, I have refused to follow the common tactics of fund-raising used by most; in more than thirty one years of radio and television evangelism, I have never asked for one cent over the air, in any personal-appearance campaigns, or even in our own church services. I sincerely feel the Gospel simply cannot be for sale. Yet, I recognize the right of others to ask. The desire for money, power, fame, importance, can become a powerful temptation. It is a subtle idolatry, not remotely realized by millions of churchgoers who would be shocked if Christ Himself were to point out their improper priorities.

A false god is whatever gets between you and the true God. What drives you? What motivates you? What really turns you on? The tables at Atlantic City and Las Vegas are garrulous testimony to the “get rich quick” philosophy of millions. Casino operators know as well as clergymen that gambling can become compulsive—a powerful lust that is as pervasive, as tenacious as drugs or alcoholism. Many a business has been destroyed, families broken, reputations sullied by inveterate gambling. Millions look for the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow—that’s why many states have turned to lotteries in a desperate bid for infusing new life into sagging state economies.

Remember the account of the black janitor in New York who found the sack of money that had tumbled out the back of a Brink’s truck? An honest man, he immediately returned the bundle, which contained many hundreds of thousands of dollars. He was rewarded—a couple or three thousand, as I recall. The story made banner headlines all over the country—and then his miseries began. People began ringing his telephone, cursing him, calling him foul names, saying he was a “dumb s.o.b.” His wife was plagued continually while he was at work by similar calls. People began driving by his home, honking their horns and shouting gross obscenities out the window. His children were terribly ridiculed, persecuted in school. Finally, he had no recourse but to move to a different city, lose himself, change his life. His neighbors couldn’t understand that kind of honesty.

Of course, the ones who persecuted this gentle, decent, and honest man were viciously angry because they wished with all their hearts they had been the ones to discover the Brink’s sack. It would have been the stuff of their dreams. They hated the honest black janitor. They were jealous. They were also thieves at heart, consumed with avarice.

Millions worship at the altar of success. They drive themselves relentlessly, sometimes sacrificing personal health, mental tranquillity, friends, even marriages, in order to gain material success. Jesus’ command that we pray for God’s sustenance one day at a time has to do with the poison of idolatry; worshipping things, the things money can buy; worshipping power, success.

What is success? There was a newspaper story about a distraught, mentally disturbed man in New York who gulped down poison just after he had poured lighter fluid on himself, quickly slashed his wrists, then struck a match and jumped out a multi-storied building to his death. This man wanted to make sure he was successful—at suicide. But success is measured in this world by the size of one’s bank account, not the quality of one’s character. There are many filled wallets and empty lives.

Jesus spoke a parable concerning success. He told of “…a certain nobleman [who] went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds [a sum of money], and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.’

“But His citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto Him, to whom he had given the money, that He might know how much every man had gained by trading.

“Then came the first, saying, ‘Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.’ And he said unto him, ‘Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.’ And he said likewise unto him, ‘Be thou also over five cities.’ And another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin, for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.’

“And he said unto him, ‘Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

“And he said unto them that stood by, ‘Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.’ (And they said unto him, ‘Lord he hath ten pounds,’) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him.

“But those mine enemies, which would not that I reign over them, bring hither, and slay before me” (Luke 19:12-27).

In a parallel analogy, the “Parable of the Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30), Christ said the money was given to each servant “according to his several ability.” The lesson is clear that Christ is speaking of Himself as the Nobleman. We are the servants, to whom Christ has given individual gifts—our own personalities, abilities, natural talents. Each of us is expected to produce according to our natural abilities. It matters not that one is more able than the other, the proportionate degree of success is the same! The servant who hid his talents like money in a mattress was the one who was chastised.

Those to whom Christ delivers the largest sums are expected to be busily occupied in becoming a success. Here, Christ is not impugning increase; He is not disparaging gain. No, He is encouraging it!

Notice the underlying approbation of the free enterprise system. The wealthy landowner has the perfect right to commission employees as he likes. He has the right to strike separate bargains, sign different contracts, deliver different commissions, according to his assessment of each man’s natural abilities.

Obviously, Christ is using successful enterprise as a type of building character; overcoming sin. Not everyone starts even. Some have inherently more natural ability than others. Still, their reward is the same, spiritually, if they overcome to the best of their natural ability. Christ is not disparaging money. He is using money as an example of Christian overcoming, showing it is a matter of priorities. Those who covet wealth are guilty of idolatry. Idolatry and covetousness are sins, which are punishable by eternal death, loss of God’s Kingdom! Learning how to handle material success, how to handle money wisely and generously is a powerful test of character, a measuring rule which is used by God to determine our fitness for His Kingdom.

Jesus Christ was not an ascetic. He did not enjoin upon us lives of abstinence, poverty, failure. God does not glory in the lack of accomplishment, inability, indolence, laziness; He is not impressed by the vanity of the poor. (Yes, even poor people can have vanity coupled with hatred of the wealthy, it is one of their main defenses against pangs of conscience, a method whereby they can convince themselves their plight is always someone else’s fault, which, in some cases, it is.) These two parables show Christ expects His servants to prosper. God does not automatically reject those who are successful.

David’s son, Solomon, became king over Israel. He expanded the Davidic kingdom; built a magnificent temple to God, palaces, public buildings. He had a throne of pure ivory carved for himself, imported peacocks and apes, exotic animals from India; imported metals from the British Isles. His kingdom was magnificent to the point of breathtaking splendor. Queen Hatshepsut of upper Egypt, most probably the “Queen of Sheba” of the Bible, related how her visit to Jerusalem had “taken her breath,” when she saw the beautiful buildings, balustraded, terraced gardens, flowing streams, reflective pools, fountains, the fabulous treasures of Solomon’s temple and palace.

Solomon was one of the wealthiest men of all time. He wrote of the entire experience of amassing his wealth. “I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

“So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour … then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). The book of Ecclesiastes is an object lesson in priorities. Time and again, Solomon mused on the fact that “one event happeneth to both the wise and the fool,” meaning death; he pondered the final end of those who had spent their lives in amassing wealth, only to leave it to others, and to go down to the dust of earth in the same fashion as the poor. Finally, he said, “Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes 2:17).

Solomon almost became a candidate for suicide. But, as he continually said, his philosophical pursuits were governed by the retention of his unusual amount of wisdom which God had given him. Even though giving himself over to every sensual pleasure; drunkenness, sex, sumptuous banquets, concerts; the trappings and entertainment of kings; he retained his insightful wisdom. At the end of it all he wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole of man.” (The words, “duty of” in the KJV are italicized, indicating translators added them later). When Solomon spoke of “vanity and vexation of spirit” he used an expression which means, literally, “striving after wind.” He knew the lifelong struggle for material wealth was like trying to seize a handful of air in one’s grasp.

Solomon came to see relative values. Since death is the common occurrence, recognizing no class, no position, no amount of material wealth, he came to understand that each individual should live to the very best of his ability; that the “whole man” was only attainable through the keeping of God’s commandments, study of God’s word; discovery of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Without understanding the purpose of human life, Solomon came to see, life was merely a “striving after a handful of wind.”

Yet, for all his wisdom, Solomon’s heart was turned away by his many wives and concubines during his old age (1 Kings 11:1-9).

Jesus Christ did not imply we should live in a state of uncertainty concerning our next meal, that any degree of material success, any accumulation of wealth, is inherently wrong. With Christ, it was all a matter of priorities, of emphasis. He gave the parable of “Lazarus and the Rich Man” to illustrate the sin of calloused disregard for the plight of the poor (Luke 16:19-31). Christ also spoke of the deceitfulness of riches in His famous parable of the sower. The seed that fell among thorns was analogous to “he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he become unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).

Again, it is a matter of emphasis. Christ said, “Therefore I say unto you take no [anxious, worried] thought for your life; what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and body than raiment?” Then followed His examples of how God clothes the beautiful flowers of the field; how He feeds the fowl of the air. Christ asked, “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

“Therefore take no thought [the Greek word means “anxious thought” –conveys fear, worry, concern], saying ‘What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’ (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

“Take therefore no [anxious] thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”(Matthew 6:25-34). Notice Christ says God knows we have need of “all these things.” It is a matter of emphasis. Where are our hearts and minds? Are we so busily concentrating on making ends meet, earning a living, or attempting to amass wealth, that we have no time for the very purpose for our lives? God wants our priorities straight first, then He promises to supply our every need.

An outstanding example of wrong priorities occurred when Jesus offered a very wealthy young man a discipleship. The youth asked Christ, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And He said unto him… ‘if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments!’ He saith unto Him, ‘Which?’ Jesus said, ‘Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ The young man saith unto Him, ‘All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?’ Jesus said unto him, ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’

“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

“Then said Jesus unto His disciples, ‘Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly [with great difficulty] enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.’ His disciples were dumbfounded at this saying, but Jesus said, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’ ” (Matthew 19:16-26).

God does not say it is impossible for the rich to enter His Kingdom, He merely says it is extremely difficult. Why? Priorities. Christ warned, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” How many truly secure rich people are there? How many are consumed with worry, anxiety? How much is enough? The sorrowful human examples are legion; history is replete with the common human tragedy of the utter devastation wrought in human lives through great wealth. How many “stars” have there been who have simply been unable to handle “stardom,” and whose lives were ruined as a result? Priorities. If we know and are busily fulfilling the purpose in our lives, no amount of wealth will corrupt us. But if we are pursuing success, glamour, fame, wealth; the things money can buy as ends in themselves, then we shrivel up inside; we become avaricious, cunning, deceitful, utterly selfish. These base human motives bespoil the beautiful character God wants to see developed in us as surely as a vial of acid will ruin a great painting. Again, it is a matter of priorities.

In a stinging condemnation, James indicts the indifference of the very rich toward the poor: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

“Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth [Lord of Hosts]. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned the just; and he doth not resist you” (James 5:1-6).

Here, James cites fraud, murder, deliberate exploitation of labor as crimes which resulted in ill-gotten gain. This is not a general condemnation of anyone who happens to have material substance, but an indictment of those who cheat, steal, and murder to become rich. As such, it is a perfect indictment against organized crime, against those who become super-rich trafficking in drugs. This is wealth accumulated at any price, riches no matter what.

Christ’s instruction to pray for our sustenance “one day at a time” becomes much clearer in the light of James’ statement, “Go to now [Or, “come on, now,”], ye that say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:’ Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, ‘If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that,’ but now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing [boasting of the future without regard to God] is evil” (James 4:13-16).

Priorities again. If the would-be businessman were to take God into His business as a partner, saying, “If it is God’s will, I will go to such and such a city, and buy and sell, and get gain,” and if he means he will conduct his business according to God’s will, as we saw in chapter five, then His priorities are straight; he is placing God and His Kingdom first in his life! Such a man will not profit illegally. He will not attempt to achieve success through cheating his neighbor. He will not evince calloused disregard for the poor.

When Christ says to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” He wants us to remember His vitally important statement, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He wants us to remember the terrible fragility of our lives, our temporality. The prayer of the righteous thinks first of the needs of others, addresses the needs of the poor, the sick, the diseased, the crippled and helpless, the lonely, the injured and the dying. Then, the prayer of the righteous asks, “Give us only that of which we have need,” in a selfless, giving, sharing attitude of concern toward fellow man.

Here and there, we have been amazed at the examples of the super rich who seemingly could not give away their money fast enough. There are inspiring accounts of magnanimity, altruism almost beyond belief. Such examples prove it is possible to become very wealthy without allowing money to corrupt character.

It is not wrong to go to God with a request on our lips; to include the words, “Give us…” in our prayer. It’s all a matter of priorities.

There are not a few examples of extremely wealthy, successful men who retained sight of moral values; whose wealth, instead of corrupting them, made them great. Such a man was Andrew Carnegie.

Carnegie was born the son of a small businessman in Scotland; his father owned a handloom business. Unfortunately, the competition of steam power forced the Carnegies out of business in about 1848, and they decided to emigrate to the United States. Young Andrew was only 10 years old when he got a job as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory at 20 cents per day. He was a precocious lad; his keen mind brought him to the attention of a supervisor in the engine room where he learned how to be an engine tender. Next, his arithmetic and good penmanship earned a promotion to clerk. Then he got a job as a telegraph messenger, which, due to his curiosity about Morse and telegraphy, resulted in a job as telegraph operator. Meanwhile, he became a part-time newspaper reporter, specializing in the telegraphic end of the news.

That resulted in his appointment as telegraphic train dispatcher to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Later, he became personal secretary to the general superintendent of the railroad, Colonel Thomas A. Scott. When Scott became vice president of the line, he named Carnegie superintendent of the Pittsburgh division. Learning of the booming sales of the Pullman sleeping-car system, Carnegie shrewdly invested in the Woodruff Company, which held the original patents. His soaring dividends went into carefully selected oil lands around Oil City, PA. When the Civil War broke out, Carnegie was put in charge of eastern military railroads and telegraph lines.

Carnegie saw, in about 1862, that wooden bridges were going to be replaced with iron ones. He organized the Keystone Bridge Company, which constructed the first iron bridge across the Ohio River. Later, as a result of this experience, he left the railroad to construct the Union Iron Works, which included furnaces and rolling mills. By 1888 he had acquired a controlling interest in eight other steel works around Pittsburgh, mostly due to the practice of using slack periods to improve plants and purchase new equipment, so he was ready instantly when business picked up again. This placed him far ahead of his competitors. His profits soared, and by 1899 he consolidated all of them into one gigantic company, the Carnegie Steel Company. By 1901, Carnegie retired from business life and transferred his company, valued in 1901 dollars at $500 million, into the still larger United States Steel Corporation, formed by J. Pierpont Morgan.

Carnegie began to write; to travel. His book The Gospel of Wealth caused quite a stir on both sides of the Atlantic, for he had developed a philosophy which said, in brief, that the very wealthy should be governed by a sense of argent oblige; that the accumulation of material wealth and prosperity carried with it an obligation to use that wealth for the public good.

He set himself to give his money away wisely—realizing this was no easy task; that money is power, authority; that it can ruin lives as well as enhance them. Carnegie established institutes and foundations; the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh was originally endowed with $24 million, and included a museum of fine arts, a music hall, a museum of natural history, and an institute of technology with a library school. He established the Carnegie Institution of Washington to encourage scientific research; the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission to recognize heroic acts performed in every day life; the Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, with gifts of $22 million, $10 million, $15 million and $10 million, respectively.

He became a renowned and successful author, writing many books, including Triumphant Democracy, Problems of Today, and An American Four-in-Hand in Britain.

Carnegie died at the age of 84, having lived a life of success; of travel, study, creativity, energy, productivity, and generosity. He gave away huge sums of money, such as the $135 million he gave to establish the Carnegie Corporation of New York for the purpose of the “advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.”

The accounts of fame and fortune corrupting we mortals are more plentiful than those relating largess, but Carnegie’s example proves it is possible. Christ does not smile on poverty for its own sake. It is not “righteous” to be poor, any more than it is automatically evil to be rich. Character is what counts.

It is a supreme test of character to get on your knees and pray, “…and give us this day our daily bread…” and really mean it!

CHAPTER NINE

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…”

God wants us to pray for forgiveness. It is one of the most vital prerequisites to successful prayer; when we are repentant over our personal shortcomings, calling out to our heavenly Father for forgiveness, He is eager to listen. David said, “The Eternal is gracious and full of compassion” (Psalms 111: 4). One of God’s great qualities is that of mercy.

What response do we want from our children when they have committed some grievous error? Isn’t it deep contrition; genuine remorse? The attitude of broken-hearted repentance is something God almighty loves to see in His children. He says “…to this man will I look, even to him that is poor [Hebrew: “lowly, humble”] and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).

When Christ said we should pray for forgiveness, He specifically said “debts,” or “trespasses,” which mean, in a generic sense, “sins.” And what is sin? “… Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Christ magnified the Ten Commandments by His famous “Sermon on the Mount,” and by all His teaching, and life’s example. He said though murder was a capital crime, carrying the penalty of death by stoning under the letter of the law; hatred in one’s heart toward any fellow human being was an equal sin; God counts it murder, and the penalty is death. Christ made the Ten Commandments much more binding, lifting the law to a spiritual plane.

It is a sin to break even what Christ called the “least” of His teachings. Sin is not a vague something that is “displeasing to God,” nor is it a list of taboos concerning personal tastes and life styles, any more than righteousness is turning around three times a second, sprinkling salt over one’s left shoulder, and mumbling a mantra while balancing on one leg. “Debts,” or “trespasses,” are infractions of God’s law as magnified by Christ. They are human actions stemming from human attitudes that are disrespectful toward God and harmful to fellow man. Some kinds of sins hurt in three ways: They hurt our relationship with God; they hurt our fellow man, and they hurt us as a natural consequence.

God’s laws are established for the good of mankind. They are not negative; rather, they are the formula for everything we really want; physical well-being, happiness, success, a long life!

When we break God’s laws, we incur a double penalty. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The death which is the penalty for sin is not the event which happens to us all, good or bad. God says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Death is natural. It is the one great event common to all human beings, but this first death is not the penalty for sin. Yet, the Bible says the wages of sin is death. What is the answer?

Christ said, “Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life … the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

“For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:24-29). The Greek word for “damnation” is better rendered “judgment.”

The resurrection from the dead is one of the most clearly and oftstated doctrines of God’s Word. The entire 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians deals with this important subject. Notice only a few excerpts: “Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: Whom He raised not up if so be that the dead rise not … but now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept … even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:12-23). Toward the end of this chapter, Paul says, “Now this I say brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep [die the first death], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:50-52).

The Bible says those who are the “dead in Christ” will rise to meet Christ at His coming, and shall reign with Him in His glorious Kingdom for 1,000 years. Notice: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; … and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

But what about those who are non-Christian when they die? What about the third world countries: the billions of human beings in the Soviet Union, China, Southeast Asia, Africa, who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ? God’s Word says, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:4-5).

The wages of sin is not the “first death” which happens naturally to every human being, including the finest people who have ever lived. No, the final payout for sin is described in the latter part of Revelation 20: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things written in the books, according to their works.

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [Greek: hades, meaning the grave] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell [hades] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Revelation 20:12-15).

The answer is, God Almighty has decreed there is coming a resurrection from the dead, both for the just and the unjust. The first resurrection we have seen described takes place at the second coming of Christ, and is the resurrection of the “dead in Christ.” Christ said, “Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God, and ye yourselves cast out” to those who plotted His murder. The second resurrection takes place at the end of the millennial reign of Christ, and is a great, general resurrection of all who have never heard the name of Christ; who have never had opportunity for salvation.

The metaphor, “death and the grave are cast into the lake of fire”, is grim warning of the final fate awaiting those who will not repent; who remain incorrigibly contrary to God’s will, His purpose in their lives, His holy laws.

It is given to all men once to die, but this is not the penalty for sin, per se. Though one may die as a direct result of sin (as murder, or suicide), the penalty for the perpetrator is not this first, physical death. The penalty for sins not repented of is death for all eternity, a most horrible death, final destruction in a lake of fire.

Notice the dead are said to be judged out of things “written in the books.” The Greek word for “books” is biblos and, transliterated, means “Bible.” How are we, this living generation, judged? God says, “The time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin with us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). We are judged today according to the standard of God’s written Word. God will not change His method of judgment. He says He is the “same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and “I change not…” (Malachi 3:6).

Remember, judgment is not synonymous with “sentencing.” The childhood picture we were given was as if there is some mysterious book, probably kept by angels, which contains every evil deed we have done; that, when we face “St. Peter at the pearly gates,” angels consult this terrible record of all our personal sins, and it is decided whether we “go up, or go down” to heaven or to hell. Not so. The Bible says Christians are judged over the period of their entire lives by those things written in the Biblos, meaning the Bible, the written standard of God. God does not change His method of judgment. Those coming up in the great, general resurrection will also be judged from the Bible, just as we are being judged today.

Furthermore, since Christ tells us to pray for forgiveness on a daily basis, that means we can have a daily “clean sheet” so far as any record of evil deeds is concerned! What is that worth to us? Of what value is it to know that Jesus Christ, as our Intercessor, sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven to make daily intercession on our behalf, turning to His Father and saying words to this effect: “Father, I understand that person; I understand those temptations, those sins—I ask you to forgive that person.” God says, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true [as the tabernacle in the wilderness], but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24).

If you have little confidence in your own prayers, how much confidence can you place in the prayers of Christ Himself? He said, “Neither pray I for these alone [His disciples], but them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20). Jesus Christ is our personal Emissary in heaven; our own personal High Priest. He is there to make daily intercession on our behalf, if we will only call out to God the Father in His name. No wonder Christ wants us to repent of sin! Can any man, no matter how impassioned, no matter how eloquent, accurately portray for us the awful consequences of unrepentance, or portray for us the breathtaking splendor of God’s Kingdom as an opposite reward? Our personal shortcomings and sins are the most important obstacle to successful prayer! God says, “Behold, the Eternal’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities [sins] have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity” (Isaiah 59:1-4).

God wants us to come to Him in a continual attitude of contrition for our human failings, always cognizant of our sins. John, writing to Christians, said, “If we [we, who are Christians] say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10).

When we pray…. “and forgive us our debts [sins], as we forgive our debtors,” we are automatically acknowledging the conditions God has imposed on our own forgiveness. What are those conditions?

Peter asked, “ ‘Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?’ Jesus saith unto him, ‘I say not unto thee until seven times: but, until seventy times seven!’ ” (Matthew 18:21-22). Christ immediately followed this rejoinder with a parable about forgiveness; how a king forgave a huge debt to a man, who, now relieved of his debt, discovered a friend who owed him money, and promptly had him jailed because he couldn’t pay. The result was that the king discovered the matter, and threw the first debtor into the dungeon. Christ concluded, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother’s trespasses” (Matthew 18:23-35).

When Christ gave His outline for prayer we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” He said, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14).

That’s pretty plain. When we forgive, God hears our prayers for forgiveness. If we harbor resentments, grudges, spites, petty hatreds, remembrances of carnal human hostilities between ourselves and any other fellow human being, it cancels out our prayers as surely as pulling the plug to our lamp. God simply does not hear us if we have the slightest resentment in our hearts, the slightest lack of forgiveness toward fellow man. The bulk of the lesson of the Sermon on the Mount, in which we find Christ’s outline for prayer, is taken up with the same subject.

Christ said, “Judge not [condemn not] that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, ‘Let me pull out the mote of thine eye:’ and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

“Mote-casting” is a favorite pastime of many Christians. Somehow, we delight in gossiping about the frailties, mistakes, inadequacies, faults, poor taste, or lack of social graces we see in our own friends and neighbors. We tend to see with the sharpness of an eagle’s piercing vision the tiniest infractions committed by others. Yet, we tend to be blind to the same things in ourselves. It is this peculiarly carnal, human tendency to criticize our neighbor that God wants rooted out of our character. What if God were spiteful, petty, vindictive? None of us would be alive! But no, He is generous, kind, good, longsuffering, patient, tolerant, eager to forgive. If we are to be inducted into God’s own family, He wants us to be like He is!

Jesus Christ wants above all things for us to repent of our sins. He tells us to pray for forgiveness on a daily basis, for He knows we can only live life “one day at a time.” Even as He tells us to ask for our physical sustenance; protection from sickness, accident and disease on a daily basis, so He encourages us to remain in a daily state of contrition toward God.

We all know the biggest little word in the English language: “if.” Christ tells us we will be forgiven IF we are willing to forgive others. The key is in the phrase, “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors!”

Peter said the three-fold key to salvation is, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Jesus said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” and, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

David was a man after God’s own heart because He was repentant when he had sinned. Motion pictures have depicted David’s affair with Bathsheba; his calloused decision to send her husband, Uriah, to the front lines in an impending battle, sure to result in his death. A child was engendered as a result of his adultery, and God allowed the child to die. When God caused David to see clearly his great sins, adultery compounded by murder, David cried out in anguish of soul.

The 51st Psalm has come down to us as an example of repentance. David cried, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving kindness: … wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight: … purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow … hide thy face from my sins, and blot out mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:1-10).

This entire Psalm should be read by any of us who seek God’s forgiveness, for it is a moving example of a truly repentant man, who had to come face to face with his own monstrous guilt, whose sins had so sickened him he felt self revulsion, anguish of heart over them, who cried out to God for forgiveness. No wonder God said David was a “man after God’s own heart.” God shows us He loves to see contrition in His children, even as we want repentance in our own child. We don’t punish to exact vengeance. We don’t punish, or take away privileges from children to “get even.” No, we are so solicitous of their welfare, we want the most salubrious possible result of necessary constraints—heartfelt contrition!

The apostle Paul was a man of great hatreds prior to his conversion. Armed with letters of authority from the chief priests, he was on a mission of hate, compelling Christians to blaspheme the name of God under torture. He was seeking to stamp out the new Christian religion through force of arms. Yet, when on the road to Damascus, he was suddenly stricken by a heavenly light; heard a thunderous voice saying, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” Blinded, he could only grope for someone to assist him. God sent one of His servants, Ananias, to lay hands on him and say, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized … and straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; is not this he that destroyed them which called on His name in Jerusalem, and came hither for the intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ (Acts 9:17-21).

Paul, as he came to be named, became one of the most dedicated, humble, hard-working Christians of whom we have record. He was used to write fourteen books of the Bible. But never once during his ministry did Paul forget who he had been, what he had done; he said, “And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme” (Acts 26: 11), and cried out, “For I am the least of the apostles, that I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9).

Paul never became forgetful of his old sins, even though he knew he had God’s forgiveness. He was a beautiful example of one who, though forgiven, never became intolerant of other men’s sins. He wrote, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do … now it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:14-24).

Paul wrote, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, Who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1: 12-16).

Jesus Christ of Nazareth died to save each one of us. Paul knew his own life’s work was set forth as an example of Christ’s love and mercy; that we, today, can come to understand the depths of God’s forgiveness. We, you and I, are among those “which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting.”

We know, then, that God only forgives us as we forgive others. We also know He won’t hear us if we have a spirit of lack of forgiveness, or if our own sins have canceled out all communication with God.

How to receive an answer to prayer? First, repent of our sins; call out to God for forgiveness. Do as Peter said, to those who had been so stricken by what He said about Christ on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). When you repent, go to God feeling deeply, with the clearest possible introspection, a genuine emotion of self-disgust, self-revulsion over what you have done, what you have become! A part of what we have been, as carnal human beings, is vindictive, spiteful, short-tempered; desiring vengeance! These motives are prominent among those of which we must repent. Once we have repented, then forgive! Forgive others from the heart, even as you want God to forgive you! Forgive!

Think of a few people you know—family members, business associates. Do you know anyone against whom you have certain hard feelings; old grudges, resentments, hostility? If so, get on your knees and ask God to help you come to an attitude of love and forgiveness toward them. Are you easily irritated? Do people make you angry in crowds, in restaurants, lanes of traffic, the check-out line in the supermarket? Are you easily tempted to sneer at the foibles of others?

Take a few moments to think introspectively about the kind of person you are. Do you tend to overlook the faults of others? Are you tolerant, not easily angered? Do you encourage those who make mistakes, such as your own children, or do you tend to criticize, saying, “You stupid child! Look what you have done! What am I going to do with you?” When you should have said, “That’s all right darling, I’ll help you clean it up, and then I’ll show you how not to make the same mistake next time!”

Can you honestly say you don’t hold anything against anyone? If so, you can go to your private place of prayer and pray in confidence, asking God to forgive you this day for your daily infractions against His perfect will; “as I am willing to forgive others,” and really mean it!

Remember, prayer is a time for secrets! You can confess things to God that cause the most bitter anguish of soul. He will keep your secrets. After all, He saw you when you committed that particular sin anyway—God, Christ, and several million angels—and they’ve never told anyone about them yet, have they? God knows our every act, hears our words, knows the thoughts of our hearts. So when you pray for forgiveness, get specific! At the same time, get specific about your forgiveness toward others. When you think about Mary, George, Helen, or John, think of specific things that might have irritated you; realize they are people made in God’s image just like you are; think of them as God does. Remember, Christ said He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Paul wrote, “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

If God has loved us at our worst; allowed His own Son to die for our sins, what right have we to harbor feelings of anger toward any other human being?

When Jesus spoke of forgiving one’s brother, He likened it to bringing a gift to the temple. He said, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift before the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).

Do you sincerely want to receive an answer to prayer? Then do as Jesus Christ says, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).

Want to make a new start, a new beginning? Then get in touch by letter, telephone, or in person with someone you love, but against whom you have had some bad feelings. Tell them you want to apologize. Tell them you’ve been wrong to be unforgiving. Ask them to forgive you; you’ll be surprised how quickly old wounds will heal! Then, go to God on your knees and ask Him for forgiveness as part of your prayer requests. God can’t turn away from His own children when they come in that attitude. He says so!

CHAPTER TEN

“And lead us not into temptation…”

The Greek word for temptation is pierasmos, which means adversity, a trying situation, putting to proof, discipline, provocation. Actually, the phrase would better be rendered into our modern English: “And allow us not to be led away of temptations.” God emphatically says He will not tempt us!

Notice what James, the Lord’s brother, wrote, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted of God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man!

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

“Do not err, my beloved brethren [by thinking God tempts us] every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:12-17).

At first glance, it appears Christ is telling us to pray that God will not lead us into temptation; as if we would be tempted of God if we did not pray otherwise. But no, we find the Bible says God is neither tempted, nor will He deliberately tempt anyone.

Satan is called “the tempter.” He is called “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). Peter described Satan as a “roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). Satan is a very real being. He has destructive powers which he can use insofar as God allows (read the example of Job’s trials—how Satan caused the death of his family and servants), and is aided by literally millions of fallen angels called “demons.” These powerful spirit beings are able to influence, and sometimes even possess, human minds. There is simply no question whatever of the existence of these spirit cohorts of Satan.

Christ encountered many who were possessed of demons, and cast the demons out, restoring these afflicted humans to their normal, rational state.

God promises His children protection from Satan and his demons. He says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). James also wrote, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). We need not be in fear of demons or Satan, but we do need to be aware of their power, of their evil influences. God says it is the demons who fear; that, in the presence of Christ and His Spirit, they must shrink away in fear.

There are three major sources of temptation of which we should be aware: Satan, society, and our own human natures.

Remember the Bible’s description of our natural, fleshly minds? We are “not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” in our natural human state prior to conversion (Romans 8:7). Human nature contains vanity, jealousy, lust, greed, avarice, cunning, selfishness, and, now and then, beneficence, selflessness, and surprising humanitarian instincts. How many hundreds of books are there concerning the human mind; our ego, our psyche, our mental, psychological and spiritual makeup? Human nature is a mixture of good and evil. The most evil person who ever lived might contain certain good qualities; the finest may contain various evil qualities.

When we were born, we were an altogether sweet, precious, innocent, beautiful little life to our parents. They showered love and affection on us; showed us tender concern, the finest care. We did not learn how to reciprocate this outpouring of loving concern until many years later. Some never do. No, for all our innocence as a little child, we were mostly a collection of unbridled physical appetites.

As an adult, when we are uncomfortable, hurt, hungry, cold, or tired, we express ourselves in controlled ways. We may be vindictive toward one who has hurt us, or we may snap at someone, “For Pete’s sake, (why do we say that—why not “For John’s sake,” or “For Elmer’s sake?”) close the door, I’m freezing to death!” A spouse might snap at a mate, “Will you turn off that light, so I can get some sleep?” But normally, we don’t explode in mindless tantrums over minor discomforts. By adulthood, we’re supposed to have outgrown all that.

As a child, we simply yell. We fill our lungs with air, kick, wave our arms about, and scream out our hurt, frustration, anger, and self pity. What parent has not moved with compassion to see the lower lip of their tiny infant curl downward, the eyes fill with tears, the plaintive wail of absolute self pity, as if to say, “You must hate me terribly, to make me feel this way?” Babies have no sense of fairness. They wail as if their little hearts will break even as Mom is doing everything in her power to coddle and love them.

As a little child, we are completely unacceptable to normal society. We are blissfully unaware of all social graces. We cannot control our bodily processes. We drool, burp, spit up, urinate and defecate with gleeful abandon—and unless our parents are quick to clean us up, we will play in it all if they let us. We do all of this happily unaware that it is unacceptable behavior. Why? Because we are, at this stage, a collection of appetites and emotion. There is no character development as yet, only human functions and uncoordinated motor facility.

The first area of development is physical. Then, we begin to grow mentally. Like punching information into a computer, our little minds begin to absorb knowledge and experience like a sponge. The last way most people grow up is emotionally; some never do. The rarest maturation of all is to grow up spiritually, through repentance, and receiving God’s Spirit.

Everything we know; about history, philosophy, science, theology, was “programmed” into our mental computer by our teachers, parents, friends; by influential people around us and through experience. Many of us have never taken the time to study and think through our religious concepts; many merely inherited them through parents and friends. We tend to trust the “professionals” when we look for help in real estate, tax returns, or purchasing a car. It is the same in religion. Somehow, we have acquired a false concept about God; about just what it is He is supposed to be doing here below. That’s why we cry out “O God, where are You when I need You?” We tend to feel our troubles are somehow God’s responsibility, that He could do something about them if only He would.

As carnal humans, we do not really single out God in heaven above for our anger. At least, most of us don’t. But indirectly, in our self-pitying, self-conscious, egocentric plunge through life, we tend to lash out at God. “Why me?” “Why does everything bad happen to me?” In our petulance, it is as if the very elements have contrived to thwart us. All “Sunday hackers” in the golf world know this is so. They do not doubt for a moment that the weather, the ball manufacturer, the club-maker, the lie of the land, the root beneath their ball, or the fellow on the adjacent green who said something during their backswing all conspired to ruin their shot. They can be heard fervently cursing these and other factors, or making extremely harsh and repeated reference to divinity as they hook, slice, shank and skull the ball around the course. Few recognize the real problem—the loose nut on the end of the shaft!

Psychologists know most—that’s right, most human beings are afflicted with a vast inferiority complex. It is virtually axiomatic that some of the greatest achievers in society were those with the largest inferiority complexes; those who sought to prove to themselves and the world at large they were not as inferior as they believed themselves to be. Inferiority can be a driving force which produces boundless energy in some people, forcing them to struggle continually for success.

God’s Word shows this is not God’s society; this present world with all its evils is not of God’s making. He is not generally intervening in human lives today. It is only when we come to realize God is not a God of convenience; He is not a part-time “helpful Genie” to bail us out of trouble, but otherwise remain somnolent and avoid restraining us from our own self-willed choices; only when we understand that mankind has invited God out of its social structures that we finally see this present evil world in its true perspective. We are just “out here,” taking our chances like anyone else, unless and until we repent of our sins, and come to God the Father through Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Then we can use the outline of the “Lord’s Prayer” in a daily sense, and we can expect dramatic results! Want to overcome temptations in your life? God will help you, as long as you are willing to do your part.

What are the temptations Christ says we should pray to avoid? We know the most obvious ones, surely; stealing, cheating, robbing, lying, plotting revenge or murder. But most of us are rarely “tempted” to commit a crime. The temptations most common are those of appetites. Our human appetites involve the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and feel. As Solomon said, “All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). When are we truly “filled” with sated senses? Solomon wrote, “All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8).

The lust to see can become an obnoxious human passion in some cases. We’re all familiar with “rubber necking” motorists who cause horrible traffic snarls on the freeways when they go ever so slowly past an accident to see the jangled metal, bleeding bodies, and general chaos. The desire to see this or that distant place, beautiful scene, or smoking disaster, has led millions of humans like thundering herds of stampeding wildebeests to rush here and there in order to fulfill the desire of the eye, to see! “I want to see, Daddy!” we yelled as children, when standing in the third rank as the circus parade went by. Satisfying the desire to see is not a sin in itself, of course, any more than eating is a sin, or an inordinate temptation, so long as we eat those things which are healthful, and which do not harm us. God says He is the heavenly Father “…Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things” (Psalms 103:5). It is only when the desire to see becomes lust, when appetite leads to careless disregard for others, that the exercise of our physical senses becomes sinful.

The “desire of the eyes” becomes a sin when lust enters; when lust has conceived. It is this lust which supports a multi-billion dollar porno industry. The basest of all examples is the kind of under-the-counter home video or film which actually portrays a real murder which is committed during some orgiastic sex scene.

The desire to fulfill our appetites leads to an enormous host of sins, spiritual and physical. Drinking, smoking, overeating; these can cause lung cancer, heart disease, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, gout, kidney stones, a number of other diseases, and are directly linked to substances we ingest in order to satisfy sensual cravings.

And what is more tempting, to those possessing a “sweet tooth,” than a big, three-scoop banana split laced with syrupy sauces? What is more tempting to a voyeur than an X-rated book store or nude peep show? What is more tempting to an alcoholic than a bottle of Glen Livet Scotch? Physical temptations of the appetites are as commonplace as breathing. They come to us in a daily barrage of advertising, human contacts, and our own physical senses. As Freud understood, one of the most powerful appetites in the human creature is that of sexual fulfillment.

Two of the Ten Commandments deal directly with sex. One says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” and the other says, “Thou shalt not covet.” The breaking of God’s laws governing sexual behavior has led directly to the gradual destruction of our homes and families. Our nation is only as strong as our homes. When this essential institution is in chaotic disarray, our society itself is in deadly peril. As we learned earlier, only approximately fifteen percent of our homes in the United States are traditional, with father and mother in Godgiven roles. Much of entertainment, much of literature, seems aimed at satisfaction of the sensual pleasures of sex. The effect of all this is divorce, abandonment of children, desertion of mates, child stealing, millions of single parents, and soaring statistics concerning murders within the family. Homicide is increasingly “home-icide,” for police statistics tell us the most common murders are among family members.

If you sincerely desire to be in control of your own life; to make your own decisions, coolly, calmly, and rationally, then you need to sit down and make out a private list of your most acute temptations. Those you recognize, at least.

Are you overweight? What are your favorite foods? What substitutes are there? Have you read any of the many books available on eating right, altering your diet, starting an exercise program? Have you had a complete physical exam in the last year to determine your level of blood cholesterol? Millions of Americans seem to ignore the many warnings, and the body count of the dead from heart attacks continues to climb. Even young athletes, who outwardly appear to be in supreme physical condition, can drop dead of stroke or heart attack, because of our high fat diet. Anciently, God said, “You shall eat no manner of fat” (Leviticus 7:23). He knew what He was talking about.

Do you smoke? There are many Schick centers; help is only as far away as the yellow pages. There are many books and magazine articles on the subject. Do you sincerely want to break the habit? You can, with God’s intervention, plenty of will power, and some human help, as well.

Singling out one temptation at a time and overcoming it is an exhilarating experience. God loves an overcomer! Christ said, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne” (Revelation 3:21).

One of the most frightening and ominous of all temptations common to Americans today is that of drugs. Does any of us need to be told about the enormity of the problem; of the new, purer form of cocaine called “crack” which has killed top young athletes, and which is powerfully addictive, probably from its very first use? Millions of Americans are hooked on drugs.

Are drugs part of your own problem? If so, the first step to overcoming it is to admit it. Many lie to themselves, play clever little games about how they are able to “handle it.” Reformed alcoholics and drug addicts can tell you about the clever little lies they uttered to their innermost psyche: “I can handle it.” Most go through protracted periods of denial. They deny they have a drinking problem. They deny they have a problem with drugs, telling themselves they are in complete control, that they can handle it.

Recognizing the lies, admitting you’re in trouble, can be the first major step toward overcoming such a powerful addiction. Of course, at the addiction state, we are far beyond what James talked about concerning temptations. He said a man is enticed of his lust, remember, and that when lust has become action, then sin ensues. And sin, says your Bible, “brings forth death!” Do you have certain temptations you hope with all your heart you can overcome?

It is important that we pray specifically about temptations. Single them out. Talk to God about them. Tell Him how badly you are “hooked” on this or that temptation in your life. You see, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was tempted too! Surprised? But why should you be? Christ was human; He was all man. Every common temptation of the appetites and senses was experienced by Christ. But with a difference! He overcame the temptations. They never became lust, and lust never conceived into sin. Yet, He experienced the tug and pull of appetite, of the temptations common to every one of us. Notice, “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:16-18).

Jesus Christ had all the normal, robust appetites of any other 30-year-old Jewish man of His day. He could look on the beauty of young girls and experience powerful attraction—yes, temptation! He could see the hatred directed toward Him and be tempted to answer back in kind; He could see and smell foods He knew He should not eat; He could desire to sleep until late into the morning, when, instead, He would rise up early, go to a private place, and pray.

Whatever passions, emotions, sensory desires are common to us all—Jesus experienced. But He never sinned! Temptation never got the better of Him. It never became lust! Study the 4th chapter of Matthew, and the account of His temptations from Satan himself, during a time when Christ was at His very weakest physical condition, having fasted for forty days and forty nights! This is an account of a titanic battle being fought, a struggle of will, for the dominance of this earth. Christ met every villainous temptation and challenge of Satan; conquered Satan, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, and Christ’s own Spirit of obedience to His Father in heaven.

Many fail to understand that God is not intervening in this world except in special cases; that He hears and answers prayers for those who obey Him; that answered prayer is not for everyone.

Have you ever known people who were bitter toward God? I have. I knew of a deeply religious young woman who lost a child at birth. She could not reconcile the loss of her child with the loving, kind, merciful God of whom she had heard. She felt betrayed; as if God had singled her out for especially harsh treatment. Beside herself with grief and agonizing loss, she screamed out against God. I heard later that she became so severely mentally disturbed she had to be institutionalized. A rare case? Perhaps. Yet, there are many of us who have difficulty reconciling personal tragedy with the concept of a God who is loving, kind and good.

Soldiers involved in the stinking carnage of warfare, shockingly and brutally brought face to face with the fact that war is not the way the movies portray it; that it is not glamorous or heroic; that it is only gnawing, mindless fear, the shrieks of wounded and dying buddies, the stench of death; many such men have completely lost all faith in God; many have denied His existence. Others have experienced the exact opposite effect. Many have found God on the battlefield. Many have been unable to account for their survival except through God’s help.

Why is it so difficult for some of us to see that God is not the Author of man’s sins? That God is allowing us free choice; He is not actively intervening in this world in any general sense; He is not preventing the wretched effects of the evil causes man sets in motion? Is it because we have somehow believed God is desperately trying to save this world, now? Many envision a spiritual “tug o’war” between God and Satan; they believe God is desperately trying to save as many souls as possible; that the Devil is trying to keep them “lost.” Impassioned evangelists paint vivid pictures of the pangs of hell, cry out for people to be saved as if the very next day would be too late. Perhaps all this religious hype has contributed to the very common assumption that this is God’s world, that He is actively involved in it, that He is trying very hard to save this world.

But the Bible says otherwise. Satan is described as having deceived all nations (Revelation 12:9). Christ said humanity is spiritually blinded of its own choice, and that God has allowed man to go his own way, apart from God. Humanity has invited God out of its societies, and God has cooperated.

Christ did not try to save all those He could during His human life span! When His disciples were puzzled because Christ spoke to the crowds in riddles, they asked, “Why speakest Thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, ‘Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given … therefore I speak unto them in parables, because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaias, which saith by hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing, LEST at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.’ ” (Matthew 13:10-15).

Christ also said, “None can come unto the Son, except the Spirit of the Father draw Him.” Although many have assumed Christ came to save everyone He could, He specifically stated He clouded and concealed the meaning of His words; “lest they be converted!” God has a time schedule; He is working out a master plan here below. It was not God’s intention that Christ attempt to save the world during His physical life; nor is it His intent to save this world now. The concept of a spiritual “tug o’war” between God and the devil is untrue. It pictures God as weak, ineffectual. If God wanted to save the world now, He would be doing it.

It is only when we understand God’s great master plan for salvation that many of the myths and superstitions melt away. The tendency for many to feel resentment toward God for seeming aloofness stems directly from their erroneous concept that God is actively intervening in this world now; that He is desperately trying to save it. But no, He is now inviting a few, here and there, who will hear His voice, and who will repent of their sins, receive baptism, and His Holy Spirit. He is not trying to save Japan, China, Russia, India, all of Africa and Southeast Asia nor any other nation, per se. The billions are deceived; believing in false religions, false gods. The Creator of heaven and earth is not trying to change that just yet. He will change it, in the not too distant future, probably in the lifetime of most of us living now.

God is not intervening to punish sinners, any more than He is intervening to save them. He is presently following man’s own choice, which is a “hands off” policy. It is only those who invite God into their lives who experience divine intervention. He seldom interferes, otherwise, except in major world events as He must, from time to time, to see to it His purpose is fulfilled.

Somehow, churchmen have instilled in us the concept that God “punishes” us for the slightest infraction; that, when some terrible thing happens, it is God, punishing us for our wrongdoing, sitting in His heavenly armchair zapping us with His lightning bolts of divine wrath.

Believing God is a God of convenience—that He is waiting, watching, to step in at the last possible second and save us from our own tragic mistakes—many turn on this “God” of their imagination, begin to scream out their indignation at the supposed slight. They cry out, “O God, where are You when I need You?” To which God might well reply, “The same place I am when you don’t seem to need me.”

Should we have a bit of religion; believe in God “just in case.” Many live their lives in complete ignorance of God and His laws they have never read the Bible, let alone studied it; they don’t have the slightest concept about the real Jesus Christ of the Bible. Then, when tragedy strikes, they suddenly call out to God, crying in desperation for His divine intervention. I have always wondered if there are any atheists suspended by one leg from a rope in a deep coal mine, or drifting helplessly on a life raft in the middle of the South Pacific. Most people, regardless of personal philosophies, seem to turn to God in prayer when terrible tragedy strikes.

Does God single out some for special punishment? Does God take out His wrath and vengeance on those who are especially wicked?

Jesus ran head on into such reasoning. He had been told of a couple of cases of mass death; one, a tragic accident, the other, mass murder.

Luke wrote, “There were present at that season some that told Him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, ‘Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish’ ” (Luke 13:1-3).

What did He mean? First, it is plain these unfortunate victims of Pilates’ soldiers were not “sinners above all the Galileans.” Jesus said so. But their deaths were meaningless. They died, not for some great cause; not as martyrs for a special purpose, but ignominiously, anonymously. We know nothing else of this incident except what we can glean from the sparse details. Here was a mass murder; yet Christ said God had nothing directly to do with it; God was not exacting vengeance because these were more evil than anyone else.

Christ gave another example: “Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:4-5). An accident had occurred. Perhaps ancient mortar had crumbled, and a cascade of stones came down; a section of wall from an ancient building buried eighteen men beneath tons of rubble, killing them. It was a well-known tragedy; Jesus speaks of it as a familiar event. Yet, many had been “supposing,” searching for answers, pondering the meaning of this mass death. Surely it was more than just bad luck? Surely, there must have been some terrible sinners among them? No doubt, there had been much gossip about supposed causes, suspicions concerning divine wrath.

But Jesus said God simply had nothing to do with it. These men were the victims of time, and chance, and circumstance. They died meaningless deaths; they were not Christ’s disciples, not converted, not yet begotten members of God’s own future family. Their deaths were tragedies, like so many thousands of tragedies down through the centuries. Did Jesus mean if we repent, we will not die? No. It is given to all men to die once; the Bible is a book about the deaths of its heroes, a book of martyrs for great causes. All the apostles died; many of them were martyrs. But we have no record whatever of any of them dying through accidents, or in purposeless, mindless slaughter. Paul was martyred. Tradition says Peter was crucified upside down. James was beheaded. Steven was stoned to death. These men stood for a great cause; lived lives of overcoming, hard work, and a powerful witness for Christ. They were allowed to die, yes. But their deaths were not random, happenstance, accidental.

Without God in our lives, we are just “out there,” taking our chances like anyone else. We are like so many faceless, anonymous human beings; a part of the mad rush for material goals; the massive tide of cursing, crying, bawling, complaining human beings struggling toward material goals, living our lives filled with short-range objectives; sometimes betrayed by our machines, or run over by our toys. When those things happen, it is not God “zapping” us because we are especially evil; it is merely time, chance, and circumstance. But Jesus says when we become converted God makes a difference between us and those who do not have God’s protection.

When Jesus says we are to pray “And lead us not into temptation,” He means we should ask God for special strength to resist the temptations that come to us every day. God will not lead us into such a situation, even if we do not pray to that effect, for God clearly says He will never tempt us.

God promises to help us overcome temptations. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [permit] you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10: 13).

Are you tempted to sin in various ways, against God, against others, against your own mind and body? God understands. Christ sits at the Father’s right hand, turns to Him and says, “Father, I understand that temptation, for I experienced it.” In Christ, we have an experienced High Priest and Counselor, an Intercessor who is there to help us. Take your private, personal temptations to God in prayer. Christ said, “Pray that ye enter not into temptation” (Luke 22:40), and Peter wrote, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptations…” (11 Peter 2:9).

And remember, temptations are only the first step toward sin. After temptation comes lust. When lust has conceived, and some action takes place, it is sin. That’s why Christ says pray to avoid and overcome temptation because prevention, after all, really is the best cure.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“For Thine is the Kingdom…”

At the conclusion of His sample outline for prayer, Christ said we should acknowledge the absolute supremacy of God in earth and in heaven. The beginning of this acknowledgement is the admission that the government of the whole universe is securely in God’s hands.

When we have reached the point of recapitulation in our prayers; we have prayed for forgiveness, we have forgiven others, we have made known our most urgent heartfelt needs— especially the needs of others first—we then begin saying, in effect, “Father, I know you can do this; I know you will do it, because you are in control. You have the absolute authority; you are the Ruler over all!” We acknowledge God is on His throne, that He is the Omnipotent God, that He is able to answer our prayers.

As we saw in chapter five, the Kingdom of God is very real; it is to be established on this earth at the second coming of Christ to rule for 1,000 years. We saw that God’s Kingdom consists of Christ as King; subjects, both human and spirit; territory, meaning this earth and the whole universe; and laws by which His Kingdom governs.

Why then, does Christ say we should begin the conclusion of our prayer with the seemingly repetitious statement, “For thine is the Kingdom?” Is this merely “spiritual salt and pepper,” some spiritual-sounding flavor to prayer? Far from it. As startling as it may sound, one of the great purposes in Christ’s sojourn on this earth in human flesh was to qualify as future World Ruler; to overcome the power of Satan who is the present evil ruler of this earth—now disqualified, but not yet removed!

You may not have realized that Christ’s encounter with Satan in the wilderness was, in fact, a struggle for rulership of the world!

Let’s notice what the Bible says: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’

“Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto Him, ‘If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’ Jesus said unto him, ‘It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Eternal thy God.’ ”

Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and shewed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto Him, ‘All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.’ Then saith Jesus unto him, ‘Get thee hence, Satan;’ for it is written, ‘Thou shalt worship the Eternal thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’ Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him” (Matthew 4:1-11).

All of us have engaged in tests of physical strength at least a few times in our lives; perhaps athletic contests, lifting weights, arm wrestling, or some other test. Have you ever worked as a ditch-digger for eight straight hours? Ever been so physically exhausted you threw yourself into bed and slept for about nine hours without turning over? Long, arduous hours of hard labor can be exhausting. But mental struggles can be even more enervating! A battle of the will can leave you as physically weak as a test of physical strength! In Christ’s great struggle of mind and will power, He was pitted against the most subtle, wily, seductive spirit on earth. And this when Christ was at His weakest, near starvation.

This was a clash of wills. Christ could never have overcome Satan’s temptations without having fortified Himself with many hours of fervent prayer! By fasting coupled with prayer, Christ was extremely close to God; imbued with God’s Spirit. Yet, when He met Satan in this great contest for mastery of the earth, He did so with His spiritual reserves only; God did not Personally intervene; no angels came to force Satan to leave. Now, notice the variety of temptations, and notice Satan’s boast that he is presently in charge of the governments of this world. Satan first tried to probe into Christ’s mind, to see if the slightest bit of ego or vanity was there. He said, “IF You be the Son of God…” disdainfully, contemptuously. Have you ever had someone scorn you, ridicule you, attempt to “put you down”? Ever had someone act as if you are beneath contempt, completely unimportant? It rankles, doesn’t it?

What would be the response of most of us, especially if we occupied an important position? I am reminded of the story of the young recruit who had barely received his haircut and dungarees at the U.S. Naval Training Station in San Diego when he was put to work mopping and waxing the hallway in the Administration Building. The Commanding Officer of the Station, an Admiral, came down the hall, and the boot said, “Hey, buddy, gotta match?” The Admiral smiled, took out his lighter, and lit the recruit’s cigarette. Just then, a Lieutenant who had been hurrying down the hallway, and who had seen what had happened, shouted, “TenSHUN!” at which command the boot snapped to attention. “Why you stupid meathead!” raged the Lieutenant, “Don’t you realize this is the Commanding Officer? How dare you speak to an officer like that!” and proceeded to make exceedingly uncharitable references to the boy’s probable genealogy. The Admiral watched with a bemused smile, and as the boot stammered out a thoroughly frightened apology, said, “That’s all right son, just make sure you don’t ever do that to an Ensign!”

If you have traveled abroad very much, you may have run into the kind of pompous vanity that seems common among some men in uniform, such as customs officials, or military personnel of some third world countries. When you see their chests full of medals, especially if they are in a tiny country which has never been involved in a major war; when you see the large bands of gilt leaves on their caps, the gleaming epaulettes, doesn’t it make you wonder? What major campaigns, what great battles, what personal acts of heroism do all those medals represent? The “Battle of Ougadoogou Swamp?”

How well I remember a rumpled official in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, many years ago, who, to show his contempt for Americans, sent my Spanish professor and me to the back of a long line of those waiting to pass through customs control after we had arrived at the customs window first. His swaggering authority was hugely impressive—to him. It seems axiomatic that the less the authority, the more those carrying such authority tend to be impressed by it.

Make no mistake. Satan knows human nature pretty thoroughly. He is fully aware of the generous amount of ego and self importance that beats within many human hearts. The slightest lack of proper respect toward authority can bring surprising rebuke in many cases.

But one who possesses real authority does not find it necessary to continually prove it. Nor does he (or she) find it necessary to explain it or defend it. A strongly authoritarian person is usually filled with feelings of inferiority. True authority comes from within, comes from strength of character, from a cool assessment of ones own abilities. A person with large responsibilities, and therefore authority, does not need to continually display it.

Satan was attempting to bring about an angry, petulant retort when he said, “IF thou be the Son of God…” The carnal reaction would be “What do you mean, IF?” No doubt followed by a rebuke and an immediate reassertion of position, of authority. But Jesus Christ was utterly devoid of vanity and pride. He recognized Satan’s ploy instantly. He was not for an instant led away by the temptation to put this sly upstart “in his place,” as most might have been. No, instead, He quoted Scripture to him.

A word about Satan’s attempts to quote Scripture: At first blush, it almost appears that this is the classic “religious argument,” with two individuals each attempting to get the better of the other by quoting Scripture. One recites a text to prove a point; the other comes back with a different text which seems to knock out the first one. But is the Bible really capable of just any interpretation? Can we quote one scripture to destroy the meaning of another? No, far from it. The Bible is the most perfectly cohesive book that has ever been written; in it’s original languages, it is absolutely flawless.

When Satan quoted a section of one of the Psalms, trying to tempt Christ to throw Himself down, he deliberately twisted the meaning of the scripture promising God’s protection. Christ knew the devil was perverting the verse; for God will not protect anyone who deliberately casts himself down from an height. The verse is a promise to protect God’s own people from accidental falls, not to prevent them from deliberately tempting God!

Then came the moment when Satan told Christ he, the devil, was the master of all the kingdoms of this earth. Notice that Christ did not rebuke Satan for his statement, nor contest it. By His silence, we can see He took no issue with Satan’s claim that Satan had the power to give the governments of this world into another’s hands.

Satan is called “The god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and is described as a serpent who “deceiveth the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).

It was after this final test that Jesus issued a command! Previously, He had met the devil “on his own turf” so to speak. He was so hungry He must have been near death. Most of us would have had neither the physical stamina nor the mental and spiritual tranquillity necessary to endure forty days of fasting. But now, Christ issued an order, and the devil had no choice but to slink away in surly obedience.

Satan had no recourse. He clearly understood the magnificent display of character; of spiritual power Christ had illustrated. He was defeated, and he knew it! Christ had won this great struggle through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. The whole point of Christ’s fasting was to move all human, physical strength aside, to overcome Satan’s greatest temptations by the power of God’s Spirit, and not by any human feats of strength!

There are many interesting points to notice. First, the number forty is always used of a period of testing in the Bible. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years before entering the promised land which was a symbol of our life on this earth—a lifetime of tests and trials—prior to entering God’s Kingdom. There are details gleaned by carefully comparing Luke’s account of this event with that of Matthew which prove there were not necessarily only three temptations. Nor are we to assume these temptations took place over a period of brief moments—about the length of time it takes us to read the account in the Bible. This clash of wills may have lasted for many hours, or several days.

Notice that when the agonizing trial was over, “Angels came and ministered to Him.” Christ was exhausted. He needed water, food. Now that He had successfully passed every test, won the greatest battle of His life, did God actually perform for Him the very miracle Satan had so slyly suggested? We cannot know, of course, but when the Bible says angels ministered unto Him, it means they accomplished more than simply patting Him on the back! He needed water, and food. No doubt, they supplied it! Even as God miraculously sent manna from heaven to feed His infant nation Israel, so it may be that Christ ate “angel’s food!” But during the trial, God the Father did not personally intervene. No angelic help was given until after Christ had won the victory. Christ had fasted and prayed for forty days and forty nights! His spiritual strength was equal to the tremendous task before Him. When the test came, He had to face it with the spiritual reserves He had acquired through fasting and prayer! On one occasion, when His disciples could not cast the demon out of a child who was thrown violently to the ground, they asked Him why, and He retorted, “This kind cometh not out but by fasting and prayer.”

Perhaps it is time we saw Christ as more of a Hero, the Victor of great battles, the Overcomer of superhuman tests of strength, and not as a very nearly effeminate, soft, philosophical individual who seemingly walked through life with profound statements always on His lips, but who never got His hands dirty; never experienced the sweat, toil, exhaustion and near despair that is common to man. Many find it difficult to relate to the Christ Who is portrayed to them in the pictures commonly found in Bible book stores, or in the pages of illustrated Bibles. And no wonder—if they have not known of the real Jesus Christ, the One who is the Savior of all mankind.

It is easy to see how Sunday-school teachers can keep the attention of their little charges by graphic accounts of David versus Goliath, the stripling overcoming the giant with a slingshot; tales of Sampson’s prodigious strength; of Daniel, standing coolly courageous in the lion’s den; of Noah, building his ark, and collecting all the animals. But Jesus? Most little children are not particularly impressed by Jesus as He is typically portrayed. About the time they learn He tells them to “turn the other cheek,” and they think about the neighborhood bully, they begin to wonder about this “Jesus” of whom they are told.

But the real Jesus of Scripture was a Person of fabulous accomplishment; the bravest man who ever lived! This struggle against Satan was far tougher, of much greater duration, and carried consequences far beyond those of David’s battle with Goliath. Had Christ failed, He would have sinned, by giving in to Satan. He would have lost His spiritual destiny; to return to the right hand of God. He would have lost His crown as future King of the universe! We would have had no Savior! Victory for the allies in World War II meant the physical salvation for countless millions. It meant freedom for most of Europe, for Britain and the United States. Had we lost the war, we would have been enslaved. Millions died to save many millions more. The dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified by Truman by determining that it shortened the war by several months, and, therefore, saved perhaps a million or more lives. But if Christ had failed His battle with Satan, it would have meant the loss of all mankind. Christ was struggling not only for reward; for the supremacy—He was fighting for survival!

Do we realize what terrible hunger can accomplish in we humans? Have you read about the Donner party? About the crew of the whaler, Essex, smashed and sunk by the frenzied charge of a great blue whale several hundred miles off the coast of Chile? Have you read about what some frenzied inmates of concentration camps did to their own fellows in order to survive? There have been many horrendous, gruesome cases of people resorting to cannibalism down through history. Extreme hunger is not some easily conquered appetite. It can literally turn a cultured person into an animal.

A vivid account of a family’s survival aboard a small boat in the South Pacific was written some years ago. The sailing vessel in which they were making a lengthy cruise caught fire, and they were forced to abandon ship. They drifted for weeks, living on what meager supplies they had quickly salvaged, and, finally, on a chance sea turtle or fish they caught now and then. They were nearing starvation. They related how they would spend hours discussing favorite restaurants; going into the most intricate details of food preparation, talking of the meals they would enjoy when they were finally rescued. They watched each other rapidly lose weight, become emaciated, nearing starvation. This particular story had a happy ending, for they were ultimately rescued after being adrift for several weeks, and so far as I know, the family did exactly as they had so longingly discussed—survived to enjoy those meals they had so yearned for. Have you ever been excruciatingly hungry? Ever fasted for three or four days at a time?

When Satan began describing bread to Christ, he no doubt gave glowing descriptions of food, not necessarily only a loaf of bread, but probably went into great detail, portraying in vivid, colorful words the tempting sight and smell of delicious foods of various kinds. Remember our discussion of appetites? Judging from the enormous number of us who are carrying entirely too much weight around for the good of our hearts, appetite can be quite a problem. The Bible says Christ was tempted in every point just like we are! Paul wrote, “For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). The suggestion to merely command stones to become bread was a deliberate, clever and powerful one; Satan tried to attack Christ in His most vulnerable areas.

But Jesus Christ immediately thought of how the life we live is much more than “meat,” more than continually imbibing the physical, chemical elements of matter in order to keep our bodies functioning. He knew the life of us all is centered in the spiritual portion of our human minds; that there is a spirit in man, and that the careful protection of that spiritual essence, nurturing it toward spiritual perfection, guarding it against pollutants of any kind, is far more important than maintaining and prolonging this physical life. He instantly quoted Scripture to Satan, saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God!”

As bread—food—gives us our physical life, so God’s Holy Word gives us true life! Life everlasting; life for all eternity! Christ plainly said so, yet His disciples and His persecutors all were puzzled, and some of His disciples left Him because of the seeming impossibility of what He said.

Christ portrayed Himself as the Living Word which must be ingested, imbibed. He said, “I am that bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:48-51).

This saying was so puzzling, so difficult for them to understand, that many of His own disciples forsook Him right then and there! It was not until the Last Supper, Christ’s final Passover, that they came to understand. Christ is the “Living Word,” meaning, metaphorically, that when we drink in of God’s living witness, the Bible, we are drinking in of the nature of Christ. Spiritual food sustains our spiritual growth, and is vastly more important than the temporary perpetuation of this physical life. Christ knew this, and it sustained Him. He was not susceptible to thoughts which would result in depravity, as some have been when resorting to ghastly acts in order to survive. Spiritual survival was more important to Christ!

Next time you pray, why not do so with an open Bible before you, referring to the words of the “Lord’s Prayer” as an outline for your prayer. As you progress through this rich outline; covering thoroughly each point, calling to mind what you have learned in preceding chapters, you will finally come to the concluding words. When you acknowledge, “For thine is the Kingdom…” think about what you are admitting! First; to Whom are you praying? Why, to God, the Father! Yet, it was Christ who conquered Satan; who qualified to receive the Kingdom of God on this earth, wasn’t it?

Notice the answer: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:22-26). Yes, Christ qualified to become the future World Ruler. He disqualified Satan. But Christ is not yet on this earth, and Satan is not yet removed. Christ conquered through the power of God’s Spirit; He did so in fullest partnership with His Father; He did so to deliver the Kingdom to His Father in heaven. He wants us to acknowledge that the Kingdom of God is securely in the hands of the Father in heaven.

As a powerful article of faith, we acknowledge that God has the strength, the ability, the authority, to answer our prayers! We are saying, in effect, “Father, I know you are going to hear and answer this prayer, for you are the One in complete control; you are in charge; you are the Great Ruler; you sit on your throne over all governments, powers, authorities—the Kingdom is YOURS!

Suppose you had a loved one who had been wrongfully thrown into jail. Suppose you finally, after months of trying; writing to congressmen, senators, contacting attorneys, talking to the news media, writing letters to the warden, and writing to the White House, received a telephone call from the President of the United States. Suppose he said, “I have reviewed the entire situation, and I have called the governor of your state, who will call the warden. Your loved one will be released immediately!” Would you have faith it would be done? Yes, we can have faith in human powers and authorities. If you receive a government check if you have overpaid your income tax, do you doubt for one instant it will be good when you deposit it in your checking account?”

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. What is a government check? It is merely a piece of paper. It is a written promise. It has no intrinsic value. It is not silver, or gold, or even paper money. Yet, when you take it to the bank, you have perfect faith it is good; that it will be cashed, and you can purchase goods with the money. The Bible is like that. It is a written promissory note. You can depend on it! Paul wrote, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11: 1).

God answers our prayers when we pray in faith. But faith is nothing more than believing God is perfectly able to do what He promises, believing He is in charge! He will answer your prayers because He is in charge; He has the authority to do so!

Harry Emerson Fosdick said, “It is cynicism and fear that freeze life; it is faith that thaws it out, releases it, sets it free.” It is faith that releases your prayer, sets it free, sends it loud and clear to God. When you conclude your prayers with your acknowledgement that God is in control, then let go of your prayer. Don’t pick it apart, rethink it, or keep tagging on unessentials. Let it go. Give your concern to God. Have faith and He will answer!

CHAPTER TWELVE

“…and the power…”

We are all familiar with many applications of the term, “power.” Political power, military power; horsepower, electrical power, or the civil rights chant, “Power to the people!” Just as we acknowledge in our prayer that God is in complete control; that He rules in heaven above; that He is soon to rule this earth when we pray “For thine is the kingdom…” so we should realize the immensity of His limitless power.

As we shall see, knowing something about the power of God can be a vitally important item of faith. When you’re sure someone is capable of performing some act, you have confidence it will be done. Faith is confidence, assurance your prayer will be answered because God has power to perform mighty deeds. But unless we know what is the power of God, the repetition of the familiar words, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,” sound more like spiritual poetry; as if we are merely intoning the required words with a group of the devout in church, insuring the commas are all in place, the emphasis is just right, the words uttered in proper cadence.

Do you know of examples of God’s power? When you say, “for thine is the power…” do specific concepts of God’s great power come to mind? Mostly, our minds conceptualize the power of man. We are impressed by displays of power. The marching of armed men; columns of tanks, armored vehicles, missile carriers; these are the trappings of military parades intended to impress and intimidate. No one understood the trappings of implied power better than Adolf Hitler. When we see the news photographs of the mighty 16-inch guns of a battleship firing; a flight of F-16 aircraft unleashing rocket attacks; or the launch of a Titan missile, we are suitably impressed. We know we are seeing frightening engines of destructive power.

I have been as impressed as anyone with military power. As a young sailor aboard an aircraft carrier during the Korean war, I shall never forget the moment I heard the captain announce over the ship’s loudspeakers that we had joined elements of the 7th fleet off Wonsan; how he advised all those not on duty to come topside when they could, to see the magnificent sight of all those American ships.

Thankfully, I was in the gunnery department; my duty station was only one deck below the flight deck, and my battle station was that of captain’s talker for the gunnery officer. I scrambled up just one ladder, out the hatch onto the starboard side of the flight deck, and took a look about me. There, only a few hundred yards away, were two other Essex class aircraft carriers just like the USS Antietam. The battleship Iowa was there, as were some heavy cruisers, several light cruisers, and a large number of destroyers. Ships were everywhere, extending over the horizon. I knew there were others, too distant to be seen. It was a mighty armada. Standing there with the wind in my face, seeing these mighty ships ploughing along through the steep gray swells of the South China Sea, I was exhilarated with a sense of pride, of belonging to a great nation, of being there, offshore Korea, for a noble cause.

The implied power in all those guns, in those dozens of aircraft with their bombs and rockets and machine guns, in the sleek gray shapes of those destroyers plunging along like so many watchdogs over their larger charges—it was heady wine.

Many times during my two years aboard ship, I stood just above the twin 5 inch/38 anti-aircraft guns while they were firing. Just above them and immediately below my station was a 40mm quad mount. The deafening blasts from those guns, the acrid smell of burnt cordite, the bits of charred cork that smudged my face as the winds blew their clouds of smoke toward me is still a poignant memory. That’s power, up close.

How well I remember my very first trip aboard a jet airliner in the winter of 1959. 1 was aboard the first nighttime flight from Los Angeles to New York by American Airlines after they had just taken delivery of their very first Boeing 707. Though I was a seasoned traveler by then—having flown all over the country, throughout Europe, Central and South America aboard everything from old DC3’s to DC7’s and Super Constellations—I was not prepared for the thrill of my first jet ride.

This was different! When we took off, I was not anticipating the incredibly steep deck angle, nor the surprising acceleration on the takeoff roll when the engines were brought to full power. I seemed to be pushed back into my seat by some invisible force; the aircraft lifted off and began to climb at what I thought was an impossible angle.

But this was nothing to compare with the many times I observed launches from Cape Kennedy. I covered the entire series of Gemini-Thor-Agena launches, and was on hand for the manned Apollo flights. The first time I was in the forward press stand for the launch of a huge Saturn 5 rocket, I could scarcely believe my eyes. Not so far distant from us was a huge rocket the size of a thirty-six story office building! Brilliant lights illuminating it in the predawn darkness revealed tendrils of vapor slowly rising from the rocket, hinting at the liquid fuels inside. I was to do a television program during the launch commencing with the final seconds of countdown, and continuing live, on camera, throughout the launch and the hoped-for successful aftermath.

As the countdown reached 0, and the instantaneous blast of bright flame and white smoke burst from beneath the rocket, we saw the huge missile begin to slowly rise. I had been giving the dimensions of the rocket, the names of the crew aboard, their mission. I had described to my viewers the incredible power of that gigantic missile—seven million pounds of thrust were to be generated from those Saturn 5 engines! Then, the blast of sound reached us. The ground shook under my feet. My ears were filled with a thunderous roar; it was the loudest sound I had ever experienced. We were buffeted by shock waves from the nearly instantaneous explosion of thousands of gallons of fuel. The change in my pocket jingled, and it felt as if two mighty hands were beating against my chest. It was impossible to keep my voice from trembling as I described the launch; the incredible courage of our astronauts who could calmly sit there in that capsule atop a massive bullet, going through their prescribed routines as if what they were doing was somehow routine, normal. Talk about power! I was witnessing mankind departing from the earth! Those men over there were going to the moon!

As a pilot, I have flown eleven different types of jet aircraft, over sixty different airplanes in all, including singles and twins, land and sea planes. I became familiar with the powerful thrust of their engines. Accumulating thousands of hours in the Dassault Falcon Jet, I crossed the Atlantic at the controls of the airplane nearly fifty times. The Falcon was a dream to fly, and I never tired of its safe, dependable, powerful performance. We would lift off at about 120 knots, get the landing gear and the flaps up, and accelerate to 200 knots (the fastest speed allowable in a control zone) in only a few moments. Our rate of climb fell off as we went higher into the thinner air, but we would generally climb at an initial rate of from four to six thousand feet each minute depending on our weight.

Once above 25,000 feet or so, it was a different story. The last 10 or 15 thousand feet of our climb had to be accomplished at a much reduced rate, so that our average climb to cruising altitude was about 1,000 feet per minute. We generally planned to get to our cruising altitude in about the same number of minutes as the altitude—37 minutes to 37,000 feet.

But when I flew the Grumman Gulfstream II, a larger, more powerful airplane, we could make it from a standing start at the end of the runway to 41,000 feet in just 14 minutes! The fuel aboard the GII weighed more than the combined weight of the Falcon, including 11 passengers with baggage.

But our modern jet fighters can lift off, pull straight up, and reach an altitude of over 50,000 feet in about three minutes! That’s power!

We’re all familiar with, and impressed by, the technology of man. The awesome power unleashed in the explosion of a hydrogen bomb looms ominously in the back of our minds. Who has not seen the photographs of that towering column of water, smoke, and debris from the explosion of the first hydrogen bomb at Bikini—the great ships of the U.S. Navy dwarfed by that gigantic, mushrooming cloud? That was the world’s most powerful explosion, ever.

But what about God’s power? Does God have power to compare with the thrust of a jet engine, the blast of a 360-foot long rocket, the explosion of a hydrogen bomb?

Have you ever heard evangelists talking about God’s power? I once saw a large advertisement in the Los Angeles Times, announcing an evangelistic meeting under a huge tent. The ad said great manifestations of God’s power were to be performed; that the sick were to be healed; the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see. This particular night was billed as “double portion night,” implying that the evangelist had the power to somehow control the production of miracles so that on the preceding night, only a “single portion” of God’s power would be available, but on this special night, a “double portion” would be evident. Forgive me, but I was skeptical of such a claim.

Since I had begun to study the Bible by this point in my life (it was about 1955), 1 spoke to my wife about it, and we decided to go to the meeting along with another young couple attending the same college. I wrote of that experience in my book, The Real Jesus. It was the only time I ever attended such a meeting in my life. It was quite an education. This is how I described it in my book:

“During one session of the meeting… the wildly-weaving, hoarse-voiced, colloquially-accented southern evangelist who claimed to be having almost daily communication with ‘The Lord,’ was calling upon personal testimonies from the audience. From time to time a person… would rise, wave both arms, and scream out some unintelligible utterance… it seemed to be both enjoyable and intelligible to many others in the crowd because it would usually bring forth shrieks and moans of ecstatic agreement.

“There was a group of teenagers sitting directly in front of us, and they seemed to be under the tutelage of an… older teenaged girl who was urging her younger brother, ‘Go ahead, you can do it, there’s nothing to it!’ and gave him an outpouring of… urgent instructions.

“On a moment’s sudden inspiration… adding to our growing and acute discomforture, because suddenly all eyes were turned in our direction, the girl jiggled herself into position, and, springing onto the seat of her chair with all the grace of a rhinoceros, began to wave her arms ecstatically in the air and shrieked a series of piercing testimonies, interrupted by breathless screams of ‘Bless You Jesus! Bless You, Jesus!’… then she said the name… over and over again…

“Even though those of us sitting immediately behind her knew that all this was a carefully contrived demonstration in which she hoped to encourage her younger brother to throw off whatever remaining constraints of propriety and etiquette he may have had… the wildly gesticulating figure came to the immediate attention of the… evangelist on the platform who then confidently affirmed… over his microphone that what was happening in our vicinity of the tent was in fact a ‘direct message from God!’

“…Soon, it came time for the taking up of an offering. This was my first and only experience with what I heard described as a ‘silent offering.’ The evangelist said he only wanted to hear the ‘whisper of bills.’ No vulgar, noisy, obscene jingling of change! He then gave a quick financial report which was delivered with the same fervor and intensity as portions of his sermon… it seemed that ‘the Lord’ had managed to send him head over heels in debt, and the evangelist then proceeded to enlighten us [as to] what the tent cost… what it cost for payments on his buses, trucks and other vehicles in the traveling caravan, and many other costs which soared up into the thousands of dollars.

“Then followed the promise of yet stranger miracles. But these miracles were the other edge of the sword. Many of the devout were warned with absolute assurance that if they held back their money, it was quite likely they would arrive home and find it in flames! They were threatened with head-on collisions at intersections, heart attacks, a telegram saying their mother had died, and everything from liver attacks to instant senility.

“It must have frightened the daylights out of enough of them that they parted with a surprising amount of their money, but even this was insufficient, because after what was apparently one of the quickest tabulations in all history of accounting procedures, the evangelist and his staff took up yet another collection… stating they were some $700 short, which meant the evangelist had to convince only seven people in this vast crowd of thousands that God had especially called and appointed them for the purpose of providing [this] required deliverance.

“I was beginning to get a clue as to what was meant by ‘Special Blessing Night,’ or ‘Double Portion Night’ or that we would ‘See Miracles.’ The evangelist was receiving very special blessings, double and triple portions, and it surely was a miracle the way those people parted with their money.”

I have never forgotten that experience. Of course, the traveling evangelistic campaigns of that particular man are over now, for he died many years ago, reportedly of acute alcoholism. I saw nothing I could remotely equate with God’s power. On one occasion, the evangelist seemed to become engaged in a fight with the devil and communists all at once. He shouted out his height and weight, whipped off his jacket, clenched his fists and professed willingness to do battle right there and then. The audience cheered. Most people in that tent seemed to really enjoy the show.

Were we witnessing the “Power of God” as billed? I do not doubt many of the faithful in that tent were positively thrilled with the meeting; that many experienced moving, emotional heights. Surely, the frequent applause; the tears of joy, the ecstatic moans of agreement were real enough. But somehow, our little group of four was not able to enter wholeheartedly into the proceedings. Maybe it was that the evangelist failed to recognize the wholly contrived demonstration of the young girl in front of us. Maybe it was because I could not equate the power of God with the volume of a loudspeaker, or truly believe the wetness on the evangelist’s hands was “holy oil” as he claimed.

Have you ever seen a demonstration of the “Power of God?” Surely the power of Almighty God is more than the power of loudspeakers and amplifiers. Surely, it is more than the sound of an evangelist’s voice? Where is the power of God when we hurt; when we’re involved in terrible tragedy?

God’s Word says a great deal about God’s power. The very first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning God created…” What is “creation?” Remember the first proof there is a God? It is that creation demands a Creator. Creation means the universe and the solar system; every portion of matter, and the laws that act upon it. What does it take to create? To bring something into existence from nothing? God says He is the Creator of all things; that He created matter.

All matter is made up of atoms. Yet, man has never seen an atom. It is only within the last few decades that scientists have been able to demonstrate the existence of the atom, have been able to identify its various parts, and have been able to unleash energy from the very “building block” of the universe, the hydrogen atom.

You are composed of atoms. The air you are breathing, this book you are holding, the clothing you are wearing, is composed of atoms. Each atom contains a nucleus and many other components, such as neutrons, protons, and electrons. Electrons are negatively-charged particles which circle about the nucleus at a distance of about 10,000 times the diameter of the nucleus. There are many other atomic subparticles, some of which have a life span of only a couple of billionths of a second.

Each atom is like an infinitesimally minute solar system. It is as if the nucleus were the sun, and atomic particles were the planets with their moons, circling about the nucleus. It requires several atoms in composition to form molecules. A molecule is the smallest particle of matter containing chemical elements. Water as we know, is composed of H20, or, two hydrogen atoms combined with one atom of oxygen.

In a sense, all matter is merely stored energy. Atoms are like tiny dynamos; electrical energy in rapid motion. Yet, when they are grouped together in certain ways, they appear as “matter.”

Though it may sound strange, energy is matter, and matter is energy. Each atom is a tiny energy source. The closer we look into matter, the more difficult it is to see. A molecule of some substance or other would be visible only under powerful microscopes. But the atom is so tiny it remains completely invisible, even to the most powerful electron microscopes. Yet we know it is there! We know, through experiments in nuclear physics, of what it is composed, how it acts. But it is invisible!

No wonder God says “…that which may be known of God is evident to them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him are clearly understood by looking at what He has created; even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20, paraphrased). If we see some huge structure, we marvel at the hands that made it. A trip to New York by someone who has lived all his life on a farm, or in a small village, brings exclamations of awe at the huge buildings—the Empire State, the World Trade Center. Millions stand at the foot of Mount Rushmore and marvel at the skill, artwork, and dangerous struggle it required to carve the faces of presidents out of solid stone. Men discover ancient monoliths in Tibet, or China, or in Iraq and Egypt, and marvel at the massive work it must have required. The great pyramids have astonished and impressed mankind for thousands of years.

Man’s great works impress us. But Who made the stone from which these marvelous structures were fashioned? Who created gravity, inertia, the laws of physics and chemistry that are immutable, powerful, eternal?

From ancient times, men have recognized the power of the sun. They have known it required the sun for their crops to grow; to provide daylight, warmth, the seasons. Instead of wondering about the Maker of the sun, they have worshiped the sun, itself. As God says, “Who changed [exchanged] the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature [that which is created] more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 1:25).

Perhaps it is no wonder the ancients, with no knowledge of physics, chemistry or astronomy worshiped the sun. All energy with which we are familiar comes ultimately from the sun. The sun is our solar system’s “furnace”; its power source. Talk about power! Think about our sun for a few moments:

The sun averages about 92 million miles away from earth, holding our entire solar system in its powerful gravitational field. Only about one hundred billionth of the sun’s expended energy reaches earth—all the rest is lost in space. Yet, with this minute portion of our sun’s energy, all man’s energy derives. All our fossil fuels; coal, oil, are stored energy—ancient life forms which received their sustenance from the sun.

How does the sun generate its energy? Our sun is like a gigantic nuclear furnace, with hydrogen fusion occurring in its core, sending violent gamma rays rushing toward the surface about 300,000 miles away. The sun is about 864,000 miles in diameter. Experiments with nuclear fission (the atom bomb) and nuclear fusion (the hydrogen bomb) have demonstrated to scientists that the process by which our earth receives its energy is exactly like that of the explosion of a hydrogen bomb. Hydrogen is fused into helium at a temperature of some 25 million degrees. A vast mantle, whose size is unknown, absorbs the powerful bombardment from deadly gamma rays, changing them into slower-moving forms like ultraviolet waves and x-rays. The next layer of the sun is called the “photosphere,” which is thought to be a turbulent region perhaps 80,000 miles thick. The chromosphere, the outer layer of the sun, is the portion we see. It is perhaps 10,000 miles in depth, and consists largely of hydrogen gas.

The outer atmosphere of the sun is called the “corona,” and is only visible near the surface of the sun, yet extends invisibly all the way to Mercury, about 36 million miles away.

The sun has been photographed many times by using powerful telescopes which obscure all but the outer layer of the chromosphere and the corona, or by photographing hydrogen’s red wave length. These photographs reveal the sun is exploding in continuous eruptions called “spicules.” These gaseous explosions are like volcanic eruptions; they extend out into space for several thousand miles, and last only a very few minutes. There are about 20,000 such “spicules” visible at any one time.

Huge eruptive loops, prominences, and arches have also been photographed. One of the largest ever recorded occurred in June, 1946, lasted about two hours, and extended nearly a million miles into space before it disappeared. Sometimes, these loops and arches appear to ignite in space, soaring back down to the sun’s surface. The average temperature of these surface storms appears to be 10,000 degrees F. Most are associated with interference of radio communication on earth, and are connected with “sun spots,” although not consistently.

The power of the sun staggers the imagination. Yet, the sun is but an “orange dwarf” star in comparison with many other stars in our galaxy. For example, if our sun were moved to the position of any of the stars in the “Big Dipper,” it would be invisible to the naked eye, for it is 14,000 times less luminous than any of those stars. If Betelgeuse, the super-giant in the belt of Orion, were moved into the position of our sun, its huge mass would absorb most of our entire solar system, with Earth, Venus, Mars, and Mercury orbiting within the chromosphere of that super-giant. Our sun is more than 100 times the diameter of the earth, but Betelgeuse is more than one million times larger than the sun.

Most of us live in blissful unawareness of our universe, of our solar system, and our position in it. We say the sun “rises” or “sets,” remaining largely unconscious of our daily journey. Few of us awaken in the morning aware that we have just completed about an 8,000 mile trip, that our relative position to the sun has changed by the rotation of our good, green spaceship. Our minds simply boggle at the distances, sizes, shapes, and measurements of the solar system, our galaxy, and the universe. Our planet is like but one speck of sand in all the seashores of the world in comparison to its place among the stars. The distances between stars is as if one were to change one cubic inch of water into steam, and then disperse it through 30 trillion cubic miles of space, each invisible droplet of steam representing a huge star.

One thing we can know. We can know the sun is a continuous, daily display of awesome, stupendous, mind-boggling power! Our Father in heaven and the member of the divine family known as Jesus Christ created all that! God says, “To whom then will ye liken me? or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold, who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou,… ‘my way is hid from the Eternal, and my judgment is passed over from my God?’ [In other words, “O God, where are You when I need you?”] Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Eternal, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding” (Isaiah 40:25-28).

When God wanted Job to repent of his self-righteousness, He turned to creation. He said, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

“Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened, or who laid the cornerstone thereof? When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

“When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness as a swaddlingband for it. And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed’? Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?… hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in search of the depth? Have the gates of death been opened unto thee, or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

“Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all. Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof, that thou shouldst take it to the bound thereof [can we see to the “end” of the blackness of the universe?] … knowest thou it, because thou wast then born, or because the number of thy days is great?” (Job 38:1-21).

After God showed Job the greatness of His power; after Job came to see himself in true perspective for the first time in his life, Job said, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).

How many of us are like Job? We have “heard” about this “God” of whom evangelists speak. We have a certain “belief” about God, a personal philosophy. We have certain vague, nebulous concepts about who, or what, God is. But have we ever really set our minds to study the work of God’s hands? Have we ever absorbed as much knowledge about our earth, all life upon it, our solar system, our galaxy, and our universe—and wondered in ever-increasing awe at the mighty hand that produced it all?

Newton didn’t invent gravity; he merely defined it. But what is gravity. Do you know? Why do stars like our sun hold planets securely in their “gravitational field”? What is magnetism? What is nuclear energy?

Whether we look out to the macrocosm (out into the blackness of space), or into the microcosm (inside an atom, which is mostly space), we see the same great pattern of creation. God is the great Creator of all things. He has all power!

When Christ commissioned His disciples to tell of His resurrection, He said “ALL POWER is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world [Greek: aion]. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Jesus Christ healed dozens of people instantly! Peter was inspired to say to a crippled man, “Rise and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” and the man stood for the first time in his life. Christ raised Lazarus from the dead; Peter raised Dorcus from the dead. Startled, shocked onlookers saw deformed limbs suddenly made whole; the sickening sight of lepers, with their whitish, decaying skin instantly become as pink and fresh as a newborn baby’s skin. The disciples saw one stupendous-miracle after another. They were witnesses to Christ’s resurrection; they saw Him on many occasions in Jerusalem, in Galilee—and they believed. The apostles were told, “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me… unto the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Startled thousands saw flickering crowns of real flame seem to settle on the apostles’ heads; glittering, fiery crowns, distributed equally among them, as each began to speak, one at a time, telling of the miraculous things they had seen. The miracle of understanding foreign languages was given to thousands; the apostles spoke miraculously, the people heard miraculously, and three thousand people were converted and baptized in only one day (Acts 2:41).

The apostles were believed because they believed! They knew what they had seen, heard, and experienced. They were eyewitnesses to the brutal murder of their Lord, and witnesses to His resurrection! Their faith was boundless—because they knew. You can come to know the power of God by learning about the things His hands have made, by drinking in of His written Word, by hearing His servants preach the truth from that Word, by fervent, private, prevailing prayer. You can tap the mighty power of God in your personal life!

Are there conditions to prayer? Certainly. But they are good, healthy, wholesome conditions. God says, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment” (1 John 3:22-23).

When the apostles prayed in the name of Jesus Christ, they knew that powerful name could unlock absolutely limitless power! Peter was not in doubt when he lifted the crippled man to his feet. He had not the slightest iota of fear or doubt. His mind was not on himself, thinking, “What if this doesn’t work? I’ll look like a fool.” He was filled with compassion for the crippled man. He was in instant communication with Christ. It was as if his mind’s eye could see Christ sitting on the right hand of God in heaven. He knew he was tapping the very power of the universe. The crippled man supposed Peter was about to give him some money, instead, Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have I give thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth RISE up AND WALK!” And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:5-9).

Notice that the crippled man “expected to receive something” of them. He hadn’t the slightest inkling of what was to happen. When Peter stopped to look at him, he supposed Peter would give him money. This was a clear example of an apostle exercising the gift of healing; of the faith of Peter, irrespective of the faith or belief of the crippled man.

Does God heal today? I know He does. I have seen miracles with my own eyes. I would not be here, except God had miraculously healed my mother many years ago. When my wife was eight months along toward the birth of our second child, we were in Europe with my parents and my brother. One day, she felt severe pain, low, on her right side. She looked, frightened, and called me in to see. She had ruptured! There was a large purple and blue spot, with a portion of the intestine obviously protruding through the lower abdominal wall. I saw it and touched it. We asked my father to join me in prayer. James says, “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he hath committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:14).

We knelt by her bedside, and my father used a little bottle of oil like the one we both carried, placing a drop or two of olive oil on her head. We both laid our hands on her, and prayed earnestly for God to heal her. I thought how God is our Designer and Creator; how it was He who designed the female body to give birth to children; that it was ridiculous for the stress of carrying a child to cause a rupture; that God had the power to heal this wound, and close it up. We claimed God’s promises, saying we knew God would hear, and heal, because He could not deny His own promises; could not deny the sacrifice of His own Son.

A day or so later, we were in Switzerland. My wife excitedly called to me from the bedroom, and I rushed in. She said, “Honey, look! It’s gone!” Her abdomen was as smooth as before! It was as if the rupture, with the large, blue-black area of bruise, torn flesh and swelling had never occurred! We were moved to tears; we were ecstatic with joy, and rushed to tell my parents and my brother.

This was an absolute miracle. No one can ever tell me God does not exist, or that God cannot perform a miracle. There is no medical textbook ever written which can explain away what I saw with my own eyes, what I felt with my own hands. We knew she had ruptured. We knew God had miraculously healed her!

I have known of dozens and dozens of miraculous healings in my more than thirty-one years in Christ’s ministry. I have heard personal testimonials, read letters by the score of those who have experienced dramatic healings; those who have been blessed with new jobs, increased income, or been delivered out of terrible trials. I know all things are possible with God.

Are you personally familiar with the great power of God? You can read an article in an encyclopedia about the atom, about the sun, about nuclear energy; you can study the miraculous process of reproduction and human birth; you can study gravity, inertia, the cleavage properties of minerals, the formation of crystals; biology, chemistry. The more you know about matter, about our material universe, the more you know about God’s limitless power.

Christ said we should acknowledge, at the conclusion of our prayers, that God has the power to perform what He promises! We say to Him, “I know you can do this, Father, for you have all power; there is nothing you cannot do!” Christ’s outline for prayer, commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer,” urges us to think deeply about God’s great power; then to pray in faith, without the faintest shadow of a doubt, that God will answer our prayers!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“…and the glory, forever,”

The term “glory” is commonplace. We speak of a “glorious” sunset, a “glorious” morning. How many synonyms can you think of for “glory”? You might think of magnificent, beautiful, awesome, fine, sumptuous; of great praise and honor; of renown; a source of pride and joy; radiant beauty, brightness, splendor, brilliant, lovely, superb, excellent, great, super, terrific, bright, or perfect. Holy, righteous, hallowed, to be praised—how many expressions are there?

Shakespeare spoke of the “glorious planet sol,” referring to the sun. Something having glory is that which deserves fame, something of such magnificence that it virtually defies description.

Christ wants us to understand and appreciate the splendid magnificence of His heavenly Father; to understand that nothing on this earth—be it gold, silver or precious metals, the finest and rarest of diamonds, rubies and emeralds, the finest works of art, the most glorious sunsets or breathtaking scenery in nature—can compare with the awesome, stunning glory of God. Have you ever heard of religious people who speak of “glory”? Often, charismatics equate glory with “exultation,” or “joy.” During a particularly enjoyable charismatic meeting, one may be heard repeating, “Glory, glory, glory, glory…” until the sound loses all meaning to both the speaker and the listener. As a commonly-used religious expression, the term has become synonymous with “good,” or “praise.” One might say, “Well, glory be!” as a happy exclamation. Of course, we’re familiar with morning glories—the flowers—and who hasn’t known at least one girl named “Gloria?” But none of these meanings were intended by Christ in the outline for prayer, as we shall see.

I well remember an occurrence which illustrates a common misapplication of the term. Two friends of mine were conducting a tour, visiting and baptizing those who had written to the church requesting water baptism. Baptism was by immersion, just as practiced by Baptists, and many others. During one outdoor baptismal ceremony, the two men were standing hip deep in a small farm pond with a beaming, happy, black farmer’s wife who had just been baptized. As they turned to wade back to shore, a pickup truck slid to a stop in a cloud of dust, a man jumped out with a shotgun, and shouted to his wife in alarm. Obviously, she hadn’t told him of the event, thinking he would be away. He thought, for his part, that someone was trying to drown his wife. All he saw was two white strangers standing in the middle of his pond, dripping wet, with his wife between them. Seeing his anxiety, frightened over possible consequences, she happily shouted, waving both hands exultantly in the air, “It’s all right, honey! These men is from the church, and I is in my glory!”

It’s a common expression. “She is in her glory,” someone might say, referring to a debutante at a ball, or a bride at a wedding. I have related the true story about the farmer’s wife many times, and it never fails to bring a chuckle from the audience.

From time immemorial, men have attempted to depict the glories of God. The ceiling of the Cistine Chapel in the Vatican is a well-known example, with the magnificent painting by Michelangelo of the fantasized scene of The Creation. How many thousands of fine Belgian tapestries, beautiful paintings, frescoes, friezes, icons and sculptures are there which attempt to inspire concepts of the creation, or great religious events; of angels, Mary, Christ and God?

We all know western art traces its origins to religious works; attempts to convey to the mind of man the splendor of God; of creation, of the birth of Christ; His passion; His resurrection; imaginary concepts of heaven.

All of us enjoy gazing upon things which are inspiring, pleasing to the eye. Who cannot be moved by the spectacular scene of breakers crashing upon the rocks of a rugged seashore, the spray flung high into the air? Who is not inspired by fabulous landscapes; scenes of our National Parks like Yellowstone and Old Faithful; Yosemite; Mount Rushmore?

For millennia the pastime, and sometimes the business, of the very rich has been to collect breathtaking works of art; porcelain, glass; sculptures of marble and bronze; tapestries, works of gold and silver; jewelry, inlaid, skillfully-made furniture, intricate, hand-made instruments such as an Amati or a Stradivarius violin. There is something deeply satisfying, rewarding, inspiring, about being surrounded by things of fabulous quality; of breathtaking beauty.

The finest material things are made by the skilled hands of master craftsmen. We gasp in amazement at the intricately-carved ivory and jade of Chinese artists; at the minute stitchings of the finest Belgian lace; at a landscape by Bierstadt, or the stained glass windows of Notre Dame. I well remember a Louis XIV harpsichord owned by a multi-millionaire in Pasadena, California. The inside of the lid featured a magnificent hand painted scene of stylishly-dressed men and ladies of the King’s court; the case of the instrument was of the finest rare woods, bordered in gold. Such treasures are beyond price. Have you ever looked in awe at the British Crown Jewels in the Tower of London? Is anything more beautiful than the huge goose-egg sized diamonds in the crown, and the scepter?

Yet, for all the loveliness of man-made or man-shaped things, what can surpass the things we behold in nature itself? What can compare with the sight of a tiny ruby-throated hummingbird, hovering effortlessly over a bright red hibiscus, sipping of the nectar? I remember the story about a multi-millionaire owner of some of the big casino hotels in Las Vegas and South Lake Tahoe who, his fortune made, purchased a remote lodge in the most inaccessible part of the western mountains. He had to be flown in to the ranch in a small airplane, equipped with “STOL” (Short Take-off and Landing) equipment. There, he basked in the beauty of nature; fished for trout, observed the deer and elk which grazed in nearby meadows. There, he found peace—surrounded, not by the tapestries, objects of art, paintings and expensive furniture of his grand hotels or many mansions—but by God’s creation.

I have seen some of the most beautiful man-made buildings, works of art, jewelry: I have visited Versailles; The Vatican, with its famous museum and the huge, awe-inspiring basilica of St. Peters. Il Duomo in Milano is very impressive, as are the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace in London; the Louvre, El Escorial, and the Taj Mahal. I have been inside Notre Dame, in Paris, a number of times. I have seen the palaces of kings; been inside many beautiful mansions, chateaus, country homes of the super-rich. As a guest of Princess Lillian of Belgium, the second wife of King Leopold, I stayed in their lovely chateau at Hinteriss, in the Austrian Alps just over the Bavarian border from Bad Tolz. The structure was an exact replica of centuries-old Tyrolian mountain homes; constructed without the use of a single nail. It was situated alongside a rushing river, surrounded by soaring peaks. The royal family of Belgium enjoyed their many visits there, in a family-owned game preserve about the size of Yosemite National Park. It was, in every sense of the word as we commonly use it, glorious.

And yet, what can compare with the glories of the sun; of the solar system; of the universe? Remember the description of the sun’s awesome power in the preceding chapter? Such splendor pales into insignificance the little things created by the hand of man. Just as we acknowledge that God has all power; that He is able to intervene in our lives, when we become obedient to Him, when we go to Him as His own little children with our requests; so Christ wants us to acknowledge His great glory.

The apostle Paul wrote of the glories of the universe; of earthly and celestial bodies. He said, “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body … As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, [die] but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:40-52).

What a striking passage! Can we begin to comprehend it? Can we take it all in? God tells us we can actually become changed from human to divine, from flesh to spirit, from mortal to immortal, from earthy to heavenly. From a physical, mundane, temporal, fleshly body with our worries and concerns; our aches and pains, our physical debilities and limitations, we can become glorious, godly, spirit beings—inducted into the divine family of God—born into His glorious Kingdom!

It is always nice when a friend says, “My, you’re looking well!” Or, when someone comments on our physical appearance—complimenting us by saying we look younger than our years, or saying our skin seems to have such a healthy glow. All of us want to look well; to exude vitality, energy, well-being, health; to appear robust. But what a contrast between our frail human bodies and the glorious picture Paul gives of the resurrection! What if our bodies suddenly took on the shine of a billion diamonds, of burnished gold, of translucent pearls and onyx, of the dazzling brightness of the sun? That is what Paul said the resurrection is like!

As Isaiah wrote, “He giveth power to the faint: and to them that have no might He increaseth strength … they that wait upon the Eternal shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. “ And to the dead God will say, “Arise! Shine! for thy Light is come, and the glory of the Eternal is risen upon thee!” (Isaiah 40:29-3 1; 60:1).

The Bible tells us men have been perennially curious about the glory of God. They have wanted to see His splendor. However, Christ said, “Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape” (John 5:37). He also said, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13).

When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses was overcome by curiosity. After many encounters with this Divine Being, Moses could no longer contain himself. In a touching account, we read of how God understood, and partly relented, to satisfy a little of Moses’ acute longing.

“And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord [Yahveh] talked with Moses.

“And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man at his tent door.

“And the Eternal spake unto Moses face to face [in a cloud—not literally; Moses could not see His face, as is proved in the context] as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp; but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

“And Moses said unto the Eternal, ‘See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

“ ‘Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way that I might know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.’

“And He said, ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ And he said unto Him, ‘If thy presence go not with me, carry us up not hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are on the face of the earth.’

“And the Eternal said unto Moses, ‘I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.’ And he said, ‘I beseech thee, shew me thy glory!’

“And He said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Eternal before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.’

“And He said, ‘Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.’

“And the Eternal said, ‘Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen’” (Exodus 33:9-23).

What an inspiring account! Can you imagine it? Moses actually beheld the back of God Almighty! God would not allow Moses to see His face; but He understood, and tried to satisfy insofar as He could, Moses’ burning curiosity. It is a touching story, this interrelationship between God and His prophet Moses, a man unique among all other human beings, a man to whom God spoke “face to face,” out of a cloud, as if “to a friend.”

When Christ was about to be crucified, He prayed the real “Lord’s Prayer.” This is not an outline for prayer, as is the case with the words we have been studying, but the prayer Jesus prayed just before He was led away to be killed. Toward its conclusion, Jesus prayed, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

“And the glory which thou gavest me have I given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am: that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:20-24).

Have you ever wanted to share some accomplishment, some ability, some performance, with a dear friend? Does an artist paint rare masterpieces only to be stored in the closet? Does a superb athlete perform only for the physical exercise? Does an operatic quality singer perform only in the shower?

How well I remember learning to swim, as a boy. My parents had been away, and I was spending the summer at my grandmother’s farm. When they left me there, I was unable to swim. When they came to pick me up, I was swimming, diving, enjoying outings in the Molalla River, in Oregon. I well remember my frustration when, piping shrilly to my parents to watch my new accomplishment, they seemed preoccupied. I called, “Look Mom! Look Dad! I can swim!” whereupon I dove through a big truck inner-tube, to come to the surface only to find my parents were engrossed in conversation with my uncle and grandmother on the shore. How badly I wanted to show off my newfound ability. It’s a common human desire. I find it very touching that Jesus Christ prayed to His Father that He could ultimately show His disciples His great glory He had shared with the Father from eternity; that He wanted them to really see Him, as He really is, in all the splendor of His Kingly office!

The Bible pictures Christ in His glorified state in metaphorical language. In the first chapter of Revelation, John describes how he was given a vivid vision of events to occur during the famous “Day of the Lord” of prophecy. He wrote, “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what thou seest, write in a book,’ …And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

“His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.

“And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His hand upon me, saying unto me, ‘Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [Greek: hades, meaning “the grave”] and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter’ ”(Revelation 1: 10-19).

Can our minds picture such a radiant vision of glory and splendor? Christ appeared as if His face shone with the full strength of the sun; His eyes like leaping flames of fire; His head as white as snow; His feet as burnished brass. When He spoke, John thought His voice was as powerful as the roar at the foot of Niagra Falls. No wonder the vision was so overpowering, so awesome and magnificent that John fell down in a faint!

There is no more detailed picture in all the Bible of God’s throne than that of Revelation the 4th chapter. Let’s notice what it tells us. “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, ‘Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.’

“And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.

“And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine [sardonyx] stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

“And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

“And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

“And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four beasts [Greek: “living creatures”] full of eyes before and behind.

“And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature was like a calf [an ox], and the third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature was like an eagle.

“And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him: and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.’

“And when those living creatures give praise and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘For thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure [will] they are and were created” (Revelation 4th chapter).

The Bible reveals that cherubs, far from appearing as naked babies with bows and arrows, appear as a lion, an ox, an eagle, or a man. Study the apparition of God’s throne which appeared to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1 and 10), how each creature had the four faces of a man, a lion, an eagle, or an ox. God placed two cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life after the expulsion of Adam. Remember, Adam lived almost one-sixth of earth’s recorded history until now. The garden was no doubt there until destroyed by the flood of Noah’s time, about ten centuries later.

Cherubim are pictured in the ancient monuments. In the British Museum and the Louvre are casts of the huge creatures carved from solid stone guarding the palaces of ancient Babylonian and Assyrian kings such as Sargon and Asherbannipal. Each features the huge bodies of lions or oxen, with the heads of men, wings of an eagle, and hooves of an ox or claws of an eagle. Various representations of these four creatures are found throughout the ancient Middle East. The Sphinx is a case in point, as are many other representatives of “the host of heaven” in ancient art and monuments.

From whence came the fabulous myths of the dragon (or the giant, or the beast) who guards castles filled with treasures—the fable of St. George and the Dragon, for example—but from the oft-told stories handed down through the generations of those intrepid adventurers hundreds of years after Adam’s expulsion who ventured too close to the entry of Eden, and were repulsed?

The Mexican aboriginals, the Aztecs and other races, worshiped a “winged flying serpent” they called Quetzalcoatl. Quetzal means flying creature, or bird; coatl means serpent. The Hebrew word for “serpent” in the account of the Garden of Eden is nachash which means, not so much a snake, as an upright, serpentine-like creature with wings, like an artists conception of a dragon. Satan is called a “dragon” in Revelation 12:9. He was called “the cherub that covereth” (Ezekiel 28:14) when in his pre-Satanic state, as “Lucifer,” or “Light Bringer.” As such, he was in close relationship with God’s throne. Cherubim appear to have four wings (as in Ezekiel 1), while seraphim (Isaiah 6) have six. Why the living creatures surrounding God’s throne in Revelation 4 have six wings, yet seem to evince the characteristics of cherubim, which usually have four, is puzzling. Perhaps they are cherubim of a different order which are not otherwise mentioned in the Bible. In any event, they are huge, powerful, spiritual creatures, after which families of fleshly creatures are patterned.

The cherubim surrounding God’s throne evince the characteristics of the four creatures supreme in their own domain: the eagle, as king of all flying creatures; the ox, as largest, most versatile and useful of all domestic animals; the lion, as king of beasts, and emblem of many nations; and man, under whose hands God has placed all other creatures.

Can our minds imagine it? We see the brilliance of a rainbow shining with bright, emerald-like hues, behind which are rolling clouds, lightning and thunder flashing and roaring. A dazzling throne with the brightness of several suns radiates from beneath the rainbow, upon which God is seated. A translucent, sparkling, clear, quartz-like “sea of glass” or large floor stretches toward the throne. Seated on each side are twelve (twenty-four in all) white-haired sages, or elders, wearing dazzling garments white as snow, their heads adorned with sparkling golden crowns. Guarding the throne are four huge cherubim, each with four different faces (hence, many “eyes”). Billions of angels are there; heavenly choruses singing, the elders fall to their faces, casting their crowns at the feet of Him that sits on the throne, and sing honor and praise and glory to Him. Such a breathtaking spectacle is simply too magnificent, too bright, too beautiful and overwhelming to imagine! Such is the GLORY of Almighty God!

To most of us, God is somehow remote, distant, unseen. Only by drinking in of these glorious scenes, thinking deeply about them, meditating profoundly over what we have read, can we begin to envision the magnificent glory and power of God. What a difference it makes when we talk to God in a personal sense directing our prayers to Him seated on His glorious throne, and not just some figment of our own imagination.

Jesus Christ prayed fervently that His disciples and “those that should believe on Him through their word, “ which includes us, you and me, could some day see His glory! For now, we must be content to envision it as the Bible portrays it. Yet, the time is coming, God says, when “We shall be like Him, for we shall SEE HIM AS HE IS !” (1 John 3:2). Paul said so! When we are resurrected, or physically changed, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” we shall inherit God’s own glory! Then, our visage will no longer be mottled flesh. No more aches and pains. No more tears. No more physical limitations, sickness, debility. Then, boundless energy! Endless youth! Limitless vitality! Eternal life! And glory, beyond our ability to imagine! Yes, we must acknowledge God’s great glory when we address Him in our prayers. God loves our praise—He returns our love, many times over. So pray to Him, as Christ outlined we should. Pray in faith, believing!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“…Amen!”

We’re all familiar with the practice of saying “amen” at the end of a prayer. The word Jesus used is the Greek version of the Hebrew word, amen, which comes from a root word, aman, meaning “to build up or support: to foster, as a parent or a nurse: to render, be firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; to be true or certain.” It connotes steadfastness, surety, verity, trust.

The word means “so be it,” or “so let it be done.” The first place the word is used in the Bible is Numbers 5:22, in connection with an oath administered by a priest to determine infidelity in marriage.

In Deuteronomy 27, the word is found 13 times in connection with a series of curses, or condemnations, recited by the Levites. An example: “And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice, ‘Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Eternal, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’” (Deuteronomy 27:14-15).

This was solemn public acknowledgment and agreement. They were answering, “We agree, so let it be done—let it be accomplished exactly as stated.”

David wrote, “Blessed be the Eternal God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Amen, and Amen” (Psalm 41:13).

There are three uses of the word: (1) Initial amen, referring to the words of another speaker. See 1 Kings 1:36, where Benaiah said, “Amen: the Eternal God of my lord the king say so too.” (2) Secondary or detached Amen, the complimentary sentence being suppressed, as in Nehemiah 5:13: “Also I shook my lap, and said, ‘So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied.’ And all the congregation said, ‘Amen’ and praised the Eternal. And the people did according to this promise.” (3) Final amen, the most common usage, as in the “Lord’s Prayer,” illustrated by the Apostle Paul when he wrote “…I will pray with the understanding… else… how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say ‘Amen’ at thy giving of thanks…” (1 Corinthians 14:15- 16).

There is a further, deeper meaning. “Amen” is used as a name, or a description of Christ, and God. “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness; the Beginning [Beginner] of the creation of God” (Revelation 3:14). Since God has self-inherent eternal life the Perpetual, Eternal, Ever-living God—and since “amen” means “So be it,” and God introduced Himself to Moses as “I AM,” meaning the One Who was, and is, and is to come, it is natural that the Hebrew expression which connotes steadfastness, truth, positiveness, endurance, absoluteness, finality, surety, should be applied to the divine family.

Men have incorporated the names of God into their own names from time immemorial. My own middle name is a shortened form, or “nick name” for “Theodore” (although “Ted” is my legal name), which means “Gift of God.” A translator’s error in Genesis obscures the true meaning of the verse, which should read, “…then began men to call themselves by the name of the Eternal” (Genesis 4:26). This is said at the birth and naming of Enos, the first letter connoting El, or God. From that time forward, hundreds were named after the divine names and titles. “Elijah” means, “El,” He is “Jah,” or, “God, He is God.” Names like Elishiba, Elisha, Joel (Jah- El), Enoch, Jared, Joshua, and so many others include one of the names of God.

The concept of an “omen,” meaning a supernatural indication of some sort, whether evil or good, stems from ancient usages of the Hebrew word aman, from which “amen” derives. Ancient Pharaohs included this name in their titles. “Amenhotep” is one example.

Paul uses the word in expressing the truthfulness, verity, surety of the gospel and of Christ’s teachings. He wrote, “But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay [or, vacillating, hesitant, ambiguous, unsure]. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus [notice the Greek name for God, Theus, in the name], was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Corinthians 1:18-20).

What should go through your mind when you conclude a prayer with the expression, “Amen”?

Let me draw upon an analogy. The difference between many amateur golfers and professionals is that the professionals have a “grooved swing.” Through constant practice, careful attention to the fundamentals like grip, stance, takeaway, movement of their hips and legs in coordination with the upper body, keeping the head still, they learned long ago to make their swing constant, almost automatic. The amateur golfer, on the other hand, is continually “picking his swing apart.” He may stand over the ball, saying to himself “Keep your head down; check your grip, look at your stance, take away by, ‘curling under’ with the three fingers of the left hand, move the right elbow closer to the body,” and a host of other things. The result is a timid, erratic, sometimes wildly off center shot. Millions of amateur golfers are continually looking for the “secret” to a better golf game.

This continual search for perfection is why golf clubs and clothing and all associated paraphernalia are a multi-billion dollar business. It is why so many read the many golfing magazines, or purchase video tapes and recordings, and buy books and manuals hoping to improve their swing.

What they are doing is picking their swing apart. They stand over the ball, thinking anxiously of the things they should have long since committed to memory; long since made apart of them, until it became habit, automatic!

The professional doesn’t “pick his swing apart” any more. It’s a “natural” swing, because he has grooved it into his mind indelibly, with a tremendous amount of practice, not to say natural ability and athletic coordination.

What should occur to your mind when you conclude your prayer with “Amen” is that it is finished. It is accomplished. God has heard. It will be done. He has promised. It is conclusive, final. Once you have spent twenty or thirty minutes or even an hour on your knees with your heavenly Father, it finally comes time to give the prayer to God; to leave the results with Him. That’s when it’s time to say, “Amen,” which means, “So let it be done.” It means, “It is finished.” And it means something else! It should mean to you—In faith—that you are saying to God, “Father I know you have heard and I know you will answer.”

When you say “amen” you let go of your prayer. You don’t continue to “pick it apart,” worry over it, repeat it over and over again. Now, it’s time to leave the result with God.

Study the context in which Jesus gave the sample outline for prayer. You will be shocked! Do you know Jesus was condemning the practice of monotonous repetition? Do you know He was condemning the Pharisees for their “oft-speaking” and their repetitious prayers in public places, saying they “think they shall be heard through their much speaking”? Actually, the famous “Lord’s Prayer” is not a prayer at all, but an outline for meaningful prayer. Christ specifically forbade monotonous repetition! But what have many sincere but misinformed religious people done? They have memorized the outline and endlessly repeated it in public places; reciting it as if a talisman, believing this is somehow pleasing to God. Not so. Christ specifically condemned the practice of repeated, public prayers.

So now you know. Now, you know how to pray. Now, you know the conditions to answered prayer, as we saw them in Acts 2:38. It is my own fervent prayer that the writing of this book has proved to be inspiring, informative, encouraging, deeply rewarding to those who read it. I dare to hope, and make it my prayer to God in concluding these words, that this small book may change human lives for the better. If such occurs in only one instance, it will have been well worth the effort. For of what value, after all, is only one human being, inducted into the very family of God—glorified with Christ in His Kingdom? I would encourage you to read this book more than once, to look up, and read for yourself each scriptural reference. Most of all, I would encourage you to pray. As you have seen, we could spend an hour or more praying about each word or phrase of the so-called “Lord’s Prayer,” and even then, we would have just begun. As I related at the beginning, I know God answers prayers. I have seen miraculous answers within only moments; I have seen answers delayed for years; I have come to understand that sometimes the answer is either “no,” or, “not yet.” Paul besought God thrice, and knew the answer had been delivered—but the answer was “no.” No one has some magical formula which makes the Great, Awesome Creator of the whole universe jump to our whims, or hasten to satisfy every need. Certainly, I do not. I have known of those who have prayed for years for specific requests which have been denied them. Why? Is the answer somewhere hidden within the beautiful thing God is shaping of each of our lives? Does it have to do with faith, and with character?

On the other hand, I have known of those who have cried out to God in time of need, and have received dramatic, almost instantaneous answers. As a witness to miracles, I can say with Job, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

Amen.

You may copy and distribute this information only to friends and family without changes, without charge and with full credit given to the author and publisher. You may not publish it for general audiences.

This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

The post ANSWER to Unanswered Prayer first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3,4). Merely spiritual-sounding metaphor? But what if the devil knows you by name, knows where you live, knows your character? Are you armored against him?

God’s Word describes the Christian life as warfare; identifies the devil as a vicious, cunning enemy; and urges the repentant sinner to be armored against his many weapons. Unfortunately, many wear only a thin cotton shirt.

The corporate seal of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association, is designed around Ephesians 6:11-17, which describes the “whole armor of God.” Without the spiritual armor God’s Word describes, we are unprotected from Satan and his wiles. It’s time to check up and find out if our armor is in place; to find out if we and our loved ones are protected from the devil.

Have you ever noticed how Satan disappears when professing Christians discover one of their own has committed a sin?

Intellectually, millions of professing Christians believe there is a devil. They have, through study of their Bibles, determined his origin. They have read, or heard, about Christ being tempted of Satan. They have heard that the devil is a “roaring lion walking about, seeking whom he may devour.” They have heard how he caused Herod to commit genocide against thousands of innocent little babies.

They have heard dozens of sermons, read books and articles, about Satan’s wiles, his temptations, his demons, his subtle, deceptive ways. They imagine, in their minds, a wicked spirit being who is engaged in continual evil.

But then someone they know and love, someone they trust, comes short of their expectations and disappoints them.

Suddenly, outrage! Suddenly, she did it! He did it! They did it! Instead of the old cliche, “up jumped the devil,” they seem to say, “away went the devil, and he did it on his own!”

And even this, believe it or not, is Satanic!

Your Bible says, “God is LOVE!” God is portrayed to us as instantly ready to forgive when His children are ensnared by Satan’s evil tricks, and taken in sin. Like a loving parent, seeing a child doing something which could result in serious injury or death, God’s emotions toward His children are positive ones; emotions of sorrow, of protectiveness, of understanding how His child could have been tempted, or misled, and a desire to forgive and protect against future mistakes.

Not so the spiritual Pharisee.

Spiritual Pharisaism is, first, self-righteous. It is harshly judgmental, critical! It preens itself in its own spiritual mirror, saying, “How thankful I am not like that evil person!”

Christ showed us exactly this example: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you [said Jesus Christ], this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:10-14).

Notice that the Pharisee prayed with himself. His prayer was not accepted of God. God didn’t hear his prayer. His attitude was one of self-righteous comparison with others.

He had no compassion, no empathy. He was incapable of saying, “Oh, look at this poor person, who is being attacked of Satan; who is being deeply hurt and spiritually injured by the evil arrows of the devil. How may I help this person overcome his trial?” Oh, no. Not the Pharisee. To him, it was all a matter of personal integrity—personal character—personal comparisons.

But the publican was feeling so wretchedly condemned because of his sin that he couldn’t even approach God’s altar. He could not raise his eyes. He struck himself on the chest with his own fist in self-revulsion and sick remorse. He acknowledged his sin, and begged God’s mercy!

Your Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, heard the publican’s prayer, and rejected the self-righteous judgment of the Pharisee!

What are you? Are you a Pharisee, or are you a publican, in your attitude toward those who are victimized by the devil?

How Job Lost Everything From Satan’s Attack

“Have you considered my servant Job?” asked God of the devil. Satan had presented himself before God when the angelic hosts were likewise appearing before God’s throne.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Eternal, and Satan came also among them. And the Eternal said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Eternal, and said, >From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

God then asked the question above, and added “that there is none like him [Job] in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth [dreads, avoids] evil?”

“Then Satan answered the Eternal, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast Thou not made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face. And the Eternal said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Eternal” (Job 1:6-12).

We learn many important things from this encounter.

First, we learn that God calls conferences in heaven; that there are times when His angels appear before Him as if in accounting of their actions.

Second, we learn that Satan was not denied access to God’s throne at this time.

Third, we learn Satan is not omnipresent; he has no ability to be everywhere at once, no ability to “project” his power over vast distances. He said he was “going to and fro” and “walking up and down” in the earth. First, he presented himself before God, and then he “went forth from the presence of the Lord.”

Fourth, it is obvious he knew Job personally, no doubt because he had tried to corrupt him and had not been able.

Fifth, the reason Satan could not previously attack Job was because he knew God had “made an hedge about him,” and about his property, and his family. Not only was God protecting Job, He was blessing his labors, so that Job was prospering. Therefore, we know God will both bless and protect those who serve Him. But Job was self righteous. God knew it. Satan did not. God allowed the devil to try Job almost to the breaking point, as a thorough study of the entire book of Job shows.

Sixth, we know Satan wanted to see Job fall; wanted to attack him personally. Satan knew Job’s name and address.

True to form, Job’s “friends” could only see Job as the sole perpetrator of whatever evil was causing him all this suffering and anguish! They tormented Job. They accused him. They railed at him for his alleged sins. They demanded he confess the great evil they were sure he had done. When Job deeply repented of his self-righteousness, which neither his friends nor the devil himself could seem to see, God said to Eliphaz the Temanite (one of Job’s “friends”), “My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath” (Job 42:7).

Instead of deeply empathizing with Job because Satan himself had attacked him, his so-called “friends” could only judge him, rail at him. Suddenly, there was no devil who powerfully tempts, lures, induces, incites, or attacks God’s people.

Suddenly, to these judgmental men, Job was solely responsible for it all.

How do you and I react when we are deeply disappointed in someone we love? Do we react as the publican, or as the Pharisee? Do we judge and condemn, or do we pray for, and forgive?

Who, What, Is the Devil?

Is there a real devil? In the Western Christian-professing world, hundreds of jokes about heaven and hell, about God and Christ and Satan, about “Peter and the pearly gates” and the “other place” are common.

Prominent geological phenomena are named after the devil. The “Devil’s Pinnacle,” “Devil’s Punch Bowl,” “Devil’s Rock,” “Devil’s Canyon,” and “Devil’s Cave” are only a few. People eat “devil’s-food cake,” or say, “The devil made me do it.”

People speak of a mischievous child as a “little devil,” or wonder aloud, “I wonder what got into him?” “What could have possessed him to do such a thing?” they ask. Sports teams are called the “Blue Demons,” or “Devils.”

If one wanted to go to a costume ball dressed as the “devil,” one would automatically look for the proverbial red body stocking with wicked little horns, spade beard, waxed, thin mustache, a long, pointed tail, and a trident to go along with it.

Ancient woodcuts picture Satan as a snake entwined around an apple tree, hissing to Eve, who is handing her simpleton husband an apple. The devil is pictured in mythology as half-man, half-goat, or half-man, half-horse, or in various other weird ways. People think they would immediately recognize the devil if he suddenly rang their doorbell. But they are completely ignorant and deceived. And guess who deceived them? Read Revelation 12:9 to find out.

Satan was originally a brilliant, shining, super-intelligent creature, right next to God’s throne in beauty and power. His name was Lucifer, which means “shining star of the dawn,” or “light bringer.” He was called one of the cherubim, the great creatures who attend God’s throne, and who were seen to transport the throne of the One Who became Christ.

Notice: “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering …. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; I have set thee so: thou was upon the holy mountain of God: thou hast walked in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Ezekiel 28:12-15).

Here, Lucifer, one of the three archangels named in the Bible, is said to have been one of the cherubs “that covereth.”

Moses was instructed to design two “cherubims of gold” which would be placed over the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. God was said to “dwell between the cherubims ” (1 Samuel 4:4).

Notice: “And thou shall make two cherubims of gold … one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be” (Exodus 25:18-20).

Cherubs are not little pink babies with tiny wings, floating around heaven with tiny bows and arrows. They are not “Cupid,” nor is “cherubic” a term which means tiny, ruddy faced, naked, or cute, as sometimes applied to infants.

What was a cherub?

Let an eye witness describe them: “Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet [like hooves of an ox]; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

“As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were Joined together, and two covered their bodies” (Ezekiel 1:5-11).

Four faces? Four wings? These were like no creatures ever seen before. Yet, Ezekiel clearly recognized that each face of a man was the principal face; that the face of the lion was on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and, naturally, the face of the eagle on the reverse side, or behind the face of the man.

Commentators have long ago speculated on the various aspects of these cherubim. The man, as the supreme handiwork of God’s creation, is over all other created physical beings. The ox is the largest, most versatile and powerful, the most useful of all domesticated animals. The lion is “king of beasts,” while the eagle is the most majestic of all winged creatures, traditionally the symbol of power, might, freedom, strength, or war. The eagle is a symbol found on the crests of many governments and kingdoms, as is the lion.

Study the entire first chapter of Ezekiel, together with Ezekiel 10 and Isaiah 6. While each cherub had four different aspects, it is obvious our eye witness, Ezekiel, knew which one of the four to dub “cherub.” Notice: “And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle” (Ezekiel 10: 14).

Since the face of an ox is the only face not described, in this passage Ezekiel indicates that the “face of a cherub” is the face of an ox.

What did Eve see in the garden?

Believe it or not, the Bible does not describe the physical aspect of the devil in Genesis 3. Though the English translations use the word serpent, probably because of the curse placed on the serpent (verse 14), the Hebrew word is nachash, and does not always indicate a snake.

The word is from a primary root which means, “To hiss (i.e. to whisper) (a magic spell), to prognosticate; to divine; enchanter, enchantment,” among other things.

What Eve saw was a creature which was an enchanting, magnetic, whispering prognosticator, who was attempting to predict her future! No doubt, she saw one, or perhaps all, of the aspects of a cherub—albeit a perverted one.

This was not at all surprising to Eve, that a creature such as we see Ezekiel describing should talk to her. After all, she had no prior experience.

Notice that Satan appeared in person to the first family of creation. Contrary to some popular mythology, the devil was not speakingthrough a snake entwined around a tree, but was standing there before Eve, in person. What did she see? Was it all four faces of the cherub, with the huge body of an ox, claws and tail of a lion, and wings of an eagle?

When Adam and Eve were driven from the garden after their sin, God “placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). Notice that they were placed at the eastward approaches to the garden. Jewish tradition says the garden was probably in modern-day Palestine, with its center in the mountains around Jerusalem. Whether true or not, it is obvious no wayfarer or explorer in that ancient time could approach from the west. And what is to the west of ancient Eden? The Mediterranean Sea!

Ancient Myths and Superstitions

As the human family increased, no doubt there were those among the grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren of Adam and Eve who heard the tales of their ancestors’ expulsion from Garden of Eden.

Remember, the Garden of Eden continued to exist until the flood of Noah’s time one-sixth of all human history from creation until now.

What would they have seen if they got too close?

Examine the ancient monuments, palaces, hieroglyphics, pictographs, sculpture, and idols. What do you see? Almost always, you see some combination or other of cherubim.

On the walls and gates of ancient Babylon were huge oxen, with men’s faces, eagles wings, and lion’s claws and tails. The famous Sphinx of Egypt is a lion with a man’s head. On the walls of Egyptian tombs one finds men with eagles’ heads.

Also, since the Bible speaks of a seraph as a “winged, flying serpent,” and since there are no vowels in the Hebrew language, and since Satan is described as both a “serpent,” and a “dragon,” it is not surprising to find Quetzalcoatl, or the winged serpent” god of the Aztecs and other Mexican and Central and South American Indian civilizations.

Myths like that of “St. George and the Dragon,” or myths depicting a dragon crouching in front of a castle at the end of a precipitous hill, a dragon who guards treasure of inestimable value, and who comes roaring out breathing smoke and fire to frighten away intruders, no doubt have their origin from ancient tales of pre-flood people—tales perpetuated by Noah’s children.

God commanded Israel not to worship “the host of heaven.” The heavenly host included cherubim and seraphim. Satan is a corrupted cherub, and drew fully one third of the angelic creatures of heaven with him in his rebellion (Revelation 12:3).

Christ said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10: 18). The Bible says that “his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth…” (Revelation 12:4).

Long prior to the creation of Adam, Satan and his fallen angels, now perverted, demonic spirits, were chained by God’s command to this earth. It was to these evil spirits Christ witnessed during the flood (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; 1 Peter 3:19,20), which was a type of the coming destruction of the earth by fire at the end of the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment (2 Peter 3:3-13).

We are not told how many angels there are. However, the Bible says that one-third of them followed Satan in his rebellion. They became evil spirits, demons, and are currently in tartaroo (falsely rendered “hell” in 2 Peter 2:4), which means a condition of imprisonment, or restraint. Since only three archangels—Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel—are mentioned in the Bible, it follows that each of them commands one-third of the angels.

Notice: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).

Satan has caused millions of humans to worship him by appearing in his many guises, as mentioned above. “And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4).

But Satan’s greatest deception of all is his masquerading as an angel of light, which is exactly what he used to be!

The “Angel of Light” and His Ministers

A deceived person can be the nicest person you ever met. A deceived person can be honest, faithful, loyal, generous, forgiving, kind, friendly, decent, fair, hard-working, thrifty, bubbling over with personality, outgoing, charming—the kind of person you would like to be.

You see, deception has nothing to do with conscious, deliberate choice! By its very nature, deception is something which appears right. It appears attractive, good, even righteous and holy! A deceived person can be a very sincere, believing person!

When you don’t know something, you don’t know that you don’t know it! That does not make you a bad character. It does not mean you are dishonest! If you HONESTLY DON’T KNOW, then you are HONEST about something of which you are in complete ignorance.

Satan is the great deceiver. He is the master of subtle deception; the superb actor who produces misdirection, misinformation, illusion; the greatest magician of all time. He is a counterfeiter.

A counterfeit one hundred dollar bill may have passed through your hands at one time or another, and you never knew it. It takes a real professional, sometimes with sophisticated scanning machines, to determine whether a bill is counterfeit or genuine. If such occurred, you were unwittingly passing on a completely worthless piece of paper. Yet, you were wholly innocent of any wrongdoing.

So it is with Satan’s myths, superstitions, false doctrines, and lies. Millions believe them. Millions cling to them with a tenacity that would amaze a frightened wildcat! They believe their false doctrines. They believe their false ministers! They are good people. Just good deceived people.

If the devil can deceive good people, he is content. Remember, now, what you read in the beginning about the fanciful ideas people have concerning the devil; how he sounds, looks, and acts. Now, let’s see if those ideas are biblical or not.

“But if our gospel be hid [obscured, not understood], it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).

Millions think they believe the gospel. That is, they believe a Person called Jesus Christ was the Son of God; they believe He died for the sins of the world; they believe He is the Savior of all mankind; they believe on Him, and they “accept Him as their personal Savior.”

But these same millions imagine a “Jesus Christ” who did away with God’s laws. They imagine a “Jesus Christ” who lived a righteous life in their stead. They imagine a “Jesus Christ” who had long hair, walked about in a white robe, carrying a shepherd’s crook with a lamb in His arms, speaking platitudes. They imagine the “Jesus Christ” who is depicted in millions of pictures in Bible bookstores, or on colorful pages in family Bibles.

They believe in a “Jesus Christ” who could easily be picked out of any crowd, from the Super Bowl to a political convention. They believe in a “Jesus Christ” who abrogated God’s laws about which animals are unclean, and not fit to eat; who did away with any requirements to keep God’s Sabbath days, weekly or annual; who “nailed the law to the cross.”

Suppose your father was a World War II veteran. Suppose he told you, hundreds of times, about one of his favorite buddies who had saved his life overseas. He described this buddy, whose name, shall we say, was “Aloisious Percival McGillicuddy,” as about 5 feet, 2 inches tall, missing his right leg, left eye, and most of his hair. According to the descriptions your father has repeatedly emphasized, “Good old McGillicuddy” was a wizened, stooped, horribly wounded veteran, with a black eye-patch, tattoos on both forearms, and limped about with his prosthetic leg, telling jokes in his squeaky, rasping voice with a Brooklyn accent.

For years—decades—your father had told you about good old McGillicuddy. So many stories had he told you—exploits of heroism; how it was that McGillicuddy lost his eye and his leg because he dove on a grenade to save his buddies; how brave he had been in the hospital—that you came to feel, over the years, that you KNEW Aloisious P. McGillicuddy.

Then one day the doorbell rang.

You went to the door, and standing there was a man about 6 feet tall with the build of an athlete. Two steady blue-grey eyes looked down at you. His arms had no tattoos, and he was standing on two good legs. He had a shock of straw-blond hair, a commanding presence, and a deep bass voice without accent.

“Hello there,” said the stranger, putting out his hand, “My name is Aloisious Percival McGillicuddy. Is your father home?”

Would you be shocked?

To millions of professing Christians, if a person approached them in a vision or a dream, or if someone approached them in person, looking exactly like all the pictures of “Jesus” one sees festooning the walls of a Bible bookstore; if such a person said, “Hello, I am Jesus Christ, may I come in?” They would immediately swing the door wide open!

And guess who would be entering?

But don’t take my word for it. Let’s see what the Bible says:

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15).

How does Satan appear?

Not as the “Satan” depicted by mythology and popular belief! He doesn’t come to you as a grinning “devil” wearing a red body stocking with black beard and mustache, little horns, hissing lies, with smoke and flames just behind his spear-pointed tail.

Oh, no. Not at all. No, his favorite costume, his favorite masquerade, is to pass himself off as Jesus Christ! He is a “false Christ” who is accepted as the real Jesus by millions!

Jesus Himself said so! “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24).

Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you as wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15, paraphrased).

A wolf knows it is not a sheep. The devil knows he is not Jesus. A false prophet knows what he is.

Do you suppose there are those “out there” in the field of televangelism and religion who know they are nothing but con men” who are mostly concerned about money?

Or are you so deceived, so self-righteous and “good,” that you would not dare to admit to yourself some of those you see and hear are deliberate frauds, fakes, charlatans, crooks and liars?

Your Creator, and the real Jesus Christ of Nazareth, warn you very solemnly to beware of false prophets; warn you that even the devil himself is “transformed” as an “angel of light.”

What Is the Main Message of Satan’s Ministers?

Satan is the original “rebel without a cause.” He became jealous of God, lustful of His power. Not content with the brilliant, beautiful status God had allotted him; not content with the whole earth as his domain, he coveted heaven! He coveted God’s power and majesty. He wanted to be the one “in charge.”

He attempted to overthrow God.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning [bright, morning star]! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars [angels] of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the North: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds [he was on this earth]: I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14).

In this antitype of the king of Babylon, Satan is described as having lusted after God’s own throne.

Ezekiel wrote, “Thou [Lucifer] wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise, they have filled thee with violence, and thou has sinned…” (Ezekiel 28:15,16).

The second part of this quotation makes little sense in the old King James English. Who are “they”? What is the meaning of “By the multitude of thy merchandise?”

The word merchandise in Hebrew is rekullah, which is the feminine past participle of rakal, meaning “to travel for trading.” Our English expressions going about, trafficking, traveling here and there, or going to and fro in business make the meaning plain.

It was not passive things, or “merchandise,” as in items stored on the shelves of a market that filled Lucifer with violence. Rather, it was his continual “trafficking” in, going to and fro, talking, reasoning, arguing, surmising, influencing the angelic hosts under him, and convincing himself that he was treated unfairly! His “business” was to persuade, to continually attempt to influence the angelic hosts under his command that God was “unfair.”

Lucifer is depicted as “walking to and fro” and “going up and down” in the earth. Even in the warning about him as Satan, God’s Word says he is like a pacing, caged lion, walking back and forth.

The true sense of this obscure verse should be: “Because of the vast amount of your going about, trafficking in resentment, jealousy, vanity, and hostility toward God, you became filled with wrath and violence.”

Then comes the indictment: “Thou hast sinned.”

Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). The first four commandments tell us how to love and serve God, and the last six tell us how to love and serve our fellow man. Satan was putting himself in the place of God. He was deeply afflicted, like the mythological Narcissus, with self-adoration. He worshipped himself, his beauty, his brilliance, his self-perceived perfection.

Sin breaks God’s commandments, and is therefore rebellion against God. “Therefore I will cast thee as profane [the opposite of holy or sacred, meaning plain, common, base] out of the mountain of God…” (Ezekiel 28:16).

Satan’s entire being is deeply enmeshed in hatred of authority, resentment toward law, anger toward restraint, loathing of God’s Ten Commandments.

Lucifer was created with free moral agency. He could choose whether to obey God, remain faithful to His Creator and serve Him in gratitude for his high station, or rebel against Him.

We have no idea how long the process of Lucifer’s corruption took; no idea how long he had been “going about” with his subtle arguments and hints against God, of how “unfair” God was. Measured in human terms, the process could have consumed millions of years. In any event, Lucifer finally became completely corrupted, hostile toward God. He mounted up in rebellion with all his equally perverted, resentful, hostile angels and tried to overthrow God.

The original “Star Wars” was the great battle, perhaps more than 4.5 billion years ago between Lucifer and his angels and God and His loyal angels. Our space probes and powerful telescopes show us theresult of great destruction in the universe. Billions of huge burning balls of gas; billions of lifeless, pockmarked planets; billions of empty, misshapen, scarred moons; massive quantities of debris like dust, rocks, asteroids, comets, meteors are found in space.

The lifeless face of our own moon, and the empty, lifeless face of Mars and the other planets, like the thick clouds of gas around Venus (the names are all pagan) testify to an ancient chaotic time. Even the most cherished theory of the no-God evolutionists for creation itself is called the “Big Bang,” in which they theorize a vast explosion, which is the ultimate violence, caused an expanding universe and brought about the forming of the solar system.

The primary focus of Satan has always been resentment against God’s laws! Satan is the crown prince of nihilism; of anarchy, rebellion, chaos, disorder, caprice, randomness, happenstance, and amorality.

And what is the primary focus of Satan’s ministers today? As if with one voice, they shout, wheedle, argue, write, preach, cajole, reason, whimper, cry and whisper, “The law is done away!” “There is nothing you must do to be saved,” they cry. “Just BELIEVE.”

But the devil believes. His demons believe (James 2:19). More than “believe,” they know! Satan knows the Bible, and could quote it to you by memory backward!

Today, millions “believe” on the “Lord Jesus Christ.”

They “believe” He was the Son of God, that He died for our sins, and that He was resurrected and sits on the right hand of God.

But they will not obey Him!

Christ cried out, “WHY CALL YE ME, LORD, LORD, AND DO  NOT THE THINGS WHICH I SAY?” (Luke 6:46).

Notice that the judgment of Satan’s ministers will be because of the very thing they so vehemently preach against WORKS!

“Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11: 15).

Today, as billions of years ago, the subtle, lying, charming, reasoning, influential voice of Satan says, “Only believe; there is nothing you must do; you need not worry about laws and “legalism”; you need not worry about doing what God says with regard to His law [don’t you know Christ nailed all that to His cross?]—you need not worry about obeying God; only believe.”

But Christ said, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments [whichever ones men think are “least”], and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:19).

God says faith without works as evidence of your faith is dead! (James 2:17). 

Identify Your Enemy

What is the single most important piece of information a battlefield commander could possess? It is intelligence-the knowledge of exactly who his enemy is, what his enemy intends to do, when and how he intends to do it.

Those who have read The Man Called Intrepid, or books about the “Ultra” secret during World War II, know how vastly important it was to a handful of top allied officials to know, in advance, much of what Hitler was going to do.

Unfortunately, what many millions of hopeful, professing Christians do not know is who their enemy really is, what he looks like, how to identify him, what his plans are, where and when he is most likely to attack.

Notice: “The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves: if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will!” (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

The devil said to God that he could not attack Job because God had “placed an hedge about him.” But of these described by Paul in his letter to Timothy, the devil had no such problem. No, he could ensnare, entrap, capture, influence, enslave these people “at his will,” meaning whenever he got good and ready, at his leisure.

What a horrible thought, if it were to apply to you, or to me! What if God were to mention your name to the devil? What if he were to ask about you, in the same way he asked about Job? Would the devil say, “Oh, HIM?” or, “Oh, HER? Well, with that one I have no problem at all. Whenever I feel like it, I just influence them a little, and they fall right in with what I want them to do”?

What kind of people are these?

Paul described them as people who prate about “foolish and unlearned questions” (2 Timothy 2:22), as well as those involved in strife and argument, and those who “oppose themselves,” or who are continually in opposition. Immediately following this passage, Paul launches into his description of human nature in the raw just as you and I see it being lived all about us.

He said, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves [narcissistic, filled with vanity], covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection [but with perverted, twisted, demonic lusts, such as lesbianism, sodomy, homosexuality], trucebreakers [look at Bosnia, Ireland, and countries all over the world], false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady [headstrong, self-willed] high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Millions today have a “form” of “godliness.” They have rituals, ceremonies, clerical garb. They recite written prayers, and engage in “responsive reading.” They light candies, and insert scraps of paper in walls, trees, and niches in churches. They kneel, bob, scrape and weave. They crawl, and make signs on their heads and chests. They have a “form” in everything they do.

But they deny the power of God. They deny His authority to rule over them. They deny His laws! They will not obey God’s Ten Commandments.

The carnal mind loves itself, not God.

Satan loves carnality. Human nature is carnal, meaning purely physical, fleshly; of the human lusts and appetites.

Satan will continually appeal to those lusts and appetites, particularly the most powerful appetites of human beings, those of the taste, of the feelings, of the smell, of the five senses. Millions are deeply tempted over physical drives and Compulsions involving sex. Millions of marriages are destroyed, lives ruined, by adultery, pornography, incest, “wife swapping,” child abuse, and illegitimacy. The cost in human life the divorces, desertions of children, abortions, rape, beatings, and murder—is simply incalculable, and all because of the blatant, screaming, continual assault of Satan the devil against our society about sex.

As I write, a major flap is being discussed in the news media over ads for a kind of denim jeans, which picture dozens of semi-nude teenagers on billboards, in magazines, and on television. The message of the ad, and hundreds like it, is clear to impressionable young minds.

Satan will attack you in your very weakest point. What is it? Is it overeating? The wrong kind of music? Is it the lust of the eye, or physical cravings for sexual fulfillment?

God says, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the LAW of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). Satan is exactly this! He is in rebellion against God’s law! Human nature is primarily made up of vanity, jealousy, lust, and greed. It is a mixture of a certain amount of “good,” in a carnal, human way (which we call “humanitarianism,” congratulating ourselves for being “human”), and a very unhealthy amount of evil.

Primarily, we human beings are completely engrossed in self. We think of self-serving, of pleasing and satisfying the self.

Satan takes captive at his leisure, just “for the fun of it,” those whose physical appetites of vanity, jealousy, lust, and greed are continually exercised.

What Is the Armor of God?

Paul wrote that the “weapons of our warfare are not carnal [physical, material], but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds…” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

God says, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, tostand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…” (Ephesians 6:13,14).

Obviously, God’s Word is using metaphor, or analogies, to illustrate a point. The Bible clearly says our armor is not material, or physical. it is spiritual, of the mind and heart.

Put another way, it is the armor of the intellect, combined with conscience, commitment, and emotion. It is not a flak jacket, or bullet-proof vest the Bible is talking about, any more than it is really talking about a literal shield or helmet of metal, or a steel sword, or a solid metal breastplate.

It is the kind of armor a tiny, 92 pound, 85-year-old lady could wear; the kind of armor a pregnant mother, or a logger in the woods could wear. It is spiritual, mental, intellectual.

It is the truth of God.

Protect Your Spiritual “Loins”

The loins, or that part of your body between the ribs and the hips, are regarded as not only the part of the body which should be “clothed,” as opposed to the torso and legs, but the generative part of the body. Look up the word in your dictionary, in case you have forgotten. It will say, “The part of the body between the ribs and the hipbone. The part of the body that should be clothed, regarded as the seat of physical strength and generative power: “Kings shall come out of thy loins [Genesis 35:11]” (The World Book Encyclopedia Dictionary).

When the Bible speaks of “girding up your loins,” it means the practice of tucking the longer skirt, which would impede running, or hamper in battle, into the belt. The “loincloth” is worn around the hips, and between the upper thighs.

God says this vulnerable, vital part of our bodies (as a spiritual analogy) can be protected by God’s truth.

The first part of God’s armor is truth. Truth is the opposite of falsehood. Jesus said “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Complete freedom is freedom from fear, freedom from uncertainty and doubt, freedom from the shackles of physical, carnal appetite.

Satan the devil is the first liar in all history. Christ said to the posturing religious leaders of His day, who had a form of godliness, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning [he influenced Cain to kill his own brother], and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).

When Christ appeared before Pontius Pilate, who had the power to release Him, He said, “Thou sayest that I am a King. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice. Pilate said unto Him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in Him no fault at all…” (John 18:37-38).

In the moral and social revolutions which have swept the Western world of professing Christianity since World War II, there has been much written and said about “truth.” “Moral relativism” has replaced right from wrong. The evolutionists, agnostics, and perverted philosophers of Satan’s world have taught millions that “truth” is only a “relative” term, changing with the mood swings of the populace.

Perhaps nowhere is Satan’s perverted lie about “moral relativism” so self-evident as in politics. Millions of Americans know many of their elected officials are practiced, deliberate liars; that they only say “what works” for them, to keep them in power.

Millions believe “cover up” is one of the foremost concerns of corrupt public officials. God’s Word says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me, seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6).

Amorality, nihilism, and anarchy have replaced morality, right from wrong, and God’s law. Today, millions of human beings are murdered before reaching birth, all in the name of the “law” protecting abortion. A multi-billion dollar pornography industry flourishes, corrupting youth, destroying marriages, perverting people’s knowledge about sex, contributing to rape, and sado-masochistic, brutal crimes—all protected by the Supreme Court.

Our news is filled with sensational trials: the shotgun murders of two youths’ parents; the bloody stabbing deaths of two victims in Los Angeles; the piteous death throes of two little boys as they slowly drowned, trapped in their own mother’s car. We are stricken by hideous spectacles of massive murder and violence, like Waco and Oklahoma City.

As if crying out with a national voice of outrage, Americans today are like those characterized by Isaiah’s stirring prophecies: “The way of peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity [millions of Americans “waited for light” during the Waco hearings, and the Whitewater hearings into Vince Foster’s death—but behold, obscurity!]; for brightness, but we walk in darkness….

“For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; In transgressing and lying against the Eternal, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity [honesty, fairness, integrity, veracity!] cannot enter!” (Isaiah 59:8-14).

These verses describe many Western societies today! They describe our judiciary, executive, and legislative branches of government. They describe many government agencies. And, sadly, they describe many professing “religious” people!

One of the most important pieces of “armor” for a Christian is the truth!

Yet, one of the biggest lies of professing “churchianity” is that Jesus Christ came to do away with God’s law!

Jesus Christ said, “Think NOT that I am come to destroy the law…… Yet, millions are taught by their clergy that He did precisely that!

Christ said NOT to use “vain repetitions” when we pray, but millions, each Sunday morning, repeat the “Lord’s Prayer” (it was not His prayer, but an outline of how we ought to pray) in responsive readings.”

Christ told His disciples, after washing their feet, and giving them wine and bread on the fourteenth of Nisan at the Passover, “This DO as I have done unto you…… and millions of professing Christians simply will not do it!

The truth includes the truth about Who and What Is God; about Who was Jesus Christ before His human birth; about God’s law, and whether the New Covenant does away with the Ten Commandments. The truth is the truth of the whole Bible, the truth of the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Christ is the living WORD, the “TRUTH,” in metaphor, for He never spoke a single untrue word. His word, His example, His life, His death and resurrection, and His present-day High Priesthood represent the truth about Jesus Christ. But millions do not know the real Jesus Christ, even though they have heard the phonetic sound, in their tongue, of His name.

Are you one who is armored with the very truth of God? Are you thoroughly grounded, rock solid in the truth? Do you know the truth about pagan holidays, as contrasted with God’s Sabbaths, both weekly and annual? Do you know the truth about the pagan doctrine of the “immortality of the soul,” as contrasted with the “spirit in man,” or the “human spirit” and its incredible potential? Do you know the truth about whether God’s law has been done away?

The Breastplate of Righteousness

The next piece of armor Christians should wear is the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14).

The chest, with its encircling ribs, protects the most vital organs in the body, the heart and the lungs. Always, soldiers in battle in ancient times sought to pierce the chest with their lances, spears, swords, or arrow. Such would usually be a fatal wound, as opposed to wounds on the arms or legs.

What is the Bible definition of “righteousness?”

Obviously, it comes from the word right. Right is the opposite of wrong. God is perfect righteousness. He is flawless, holy, just, perfect, RIGHTEOUS. Jesus Christ lived a perfect, righteous life.

But is “righteousness” defined as a series of “don’ts,” such as “don’t drink, don’t dance, don’t go to movies, don’t smoke”? Millions of professing Christians have various concepts of righteousness.

Some believe it is righteous to wear a thick beard. With millions, there is something holy about human hair. Hair styles, hair lengths, the manner of braiding, curling, twining, piling, or dressing the hair becomes a laborious religious duty in various religions. Some women believe they should never cut their hair.

Other religious groups define “righteousness” as various restrictions on hair length, facial or bodily hair, various types of headgear, or clothing. The “righteous” uniform of some might be all black, with a severe hat for men, a bonnet, veil, scarf, or hat for women. To some, long, bushy sideburns (a perversion from General Burnside of the American Civil War, who effected generous hair growth along the sides of his face below his ears) are sinful, and should not be worn.

“Righteousness,” to some, is the difference between a jacket and a necktie, or a casual shirt. It is the difference between being bareheaded in church, or wearing a hat or veil. It is the difference between driving an automobile, or plodding along behind a horse in a carriage.

It is sheer nonsense to believe God requires His people, no matter in what climate, geographical location, or ethnic background, to wear a uniform! God is not sitting in heaven, in His “heavenly armchair,” looking down to check out whether this or that person has the right hair length or the correct skirt length. No, God does not judge by appearance, but by what goes on in the human heart, or conscience.

What is the Bible definition of righteousness?

David said, “My tongue shall speak of Thy word, for all Thy commandments are RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Psalm 119:172). The Ten Commandments of God are, by biblical definition, “righteousness.”

God is Righteous. David prayed, “Righteous art Thou, O Eternal, and upright are Thy judgments. Thy testimonies that Thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful” (Psalm 119:137,138).

The Ten Commandments comprise God’s most basic laws. The first four tell us how to love God, while the last six tell us how to love our fellow man. The “testimonies” of God spoken of by David comprise every word God ever spoke. The Bible itself is the “testimony” of God.

Jesus said, when defeating Satan by using God’s armor, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God!” (Matthew 4:4). Satan had just asked Jesus, Who was on the brink of starvation, to miraculously turn stones into warm, fragrant bread to eat. Christ countered Satan’s evil thrust into Christ’s mind, trying to tempt Jesus to give in to the power of the devil, by the Word of God. Christ, through forty days and nights of fasting and prayer, was heavily armored against Satan’s darts and spears.

“Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” means the entire “testimony” of God. It means all the Bible.

Modern philosophers sneer and scoff at God’s laws. To millions, moral relativism is the order of the day. To them, every conceivable human situation, from murder to rape, from lying to abortion, “depends” upon circumstances.

But they are merely educated fools, without the knowledge of God, and with no fear of God.

Millions of humans, in dozens of societies, know the differencebetween “right” and “wrong.” Hundreds of human societies know it is wrong to steal from one another, wrong to murder someone, wrong to be disobedient to parents.

Lacking God’s law, they are a “law unto themselves.” Paul wrote, “For when the Gentiles [nations], which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another” (Romans 2:14,15).

God has given to humanity a conscience. It is a part of human nature, when living together in a community, to seek the most functional method of harmony, mutual protection, productivity, and happiness. Therefore, many human societies, “do by NATURE the things contained in the law.”

This is merely to illustrate the point that all human societies, to some degree or other, recognize the difference between right and wrong. By no means is this biblical righteousness, but it certainly gives the lie to “situation ethics,” and the simpering excuses of liberal extremists who would make sodomy an act of love, and the murder of millions of the unborn a “choice” for young mothers.

God’s Word clearly points out what is “righteousness.” It is living by every word of God (Matthew 4:4); living according to God’s perfect law; living the life of Christ; living a life of faith, of love, and of obedience!

“And Your Feet Shod With the Preparation Of the Gospel Of Peace”

The gospel is the “good news” about the coming Kingdom of God. It is the message Christ brought from His Father in heaven to deliver to His disciples (John 8:26,28,38).

It includes all the truth about the central Figure of that coming kingdom, its King, Jesus Christ; the facts concerning His pre-human existence (John 1; Hebrews 1), His birth, His lonely sacrifice; His teaching, His example, His death, His burial, and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

Millions have heard what they believe is the “gospel,” not knowing it is “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6). They have heard “about” Jesus Christ. They have been told He died for the sins of the world, but have never really understood what is sin (1 John 3:4), nor been truly informed of what it is they should repent.

They have been told they should “believe on Him,” without being told they must also believe what He said!

They have been told they should “accept Him” without being told they should obey Him (Luke 6:46).

If you are going to hike for twenty miles over the mountains, you need good, sturdy boots. In your walk through life,

God’s Word says part of your equipment—your armor for your very important vehicle of travel, your feet—Is the gospel of peace.”

Isaiah cried, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings [the gospel of Jesus Christ!], that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing…” (Isaiah 52:7,8).

In my own case, I have said dozens of times, “I will just keep putting one foot in front of another, plodding along, doing what I am supposed to be doing with my life, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness and a warning to the world.” I have described my calling of preaching, teaching, writing, as a “walk” through life. What about you? Are your feet “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”?

If you do not truly understand the real gospel of the Kingdom of God which Jesus preached, it is as if you are wearing thin, worn, shoddy boots which allow every stick, rock or thorn you encounter to pierce your feet; which allow your feet to blister, and become so badly injured that you simply cannot take another step! 

“The Shield of Faith”

“Above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked [one]” (Ephesians 6:16).

What is faith? God’s Word answers, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11: 1). Faith is the rock-solid conviction that what God has promised He will perform.

The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is written to illustrate the powerful faith of believing men and women over the centuries.

Not only this, but having the faith to know, from the clear evidence right beneath our feet of the earth itself, that God is the Creator; that He is the Original Maker, Lifegiver, Lawgiver, and Sustainer of all that He made.

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 1:3).

It was not until the discovery of the atom that man began to learn that matter is merely energy, compacted into various forms. A molecule is the smallest divisible particle of matter which can be identified according to its properties. But each molecule is made up of atoms, which are invisible to the human eye, even under a powerful microscope.

Each atom is made up of many particles. An atom is like a tiny universe, with electrons, neutrons and protons whizzing about in microseconds. Thus, everything we can see and know, such as the rocks beneath our feet; trees, grass, soil, animals; even our own bodies, are composed of energy, compacted together in highly structured form.

We know by looking at His handiwork that God created all things: “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world [by looking at the physical creation] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20).

Faith is assurance. It is positiveness. It is doubtless. It is solid, knowing conviction.

A perfect definition of faith is found in reference to the great test God placed before Abraham concerning Isaac’s birth: “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; AND BEING FULLY PERSUADED THAT, WHAT HE HAD PROMISED, HE WAS ABLE ALSO TO PERFORM” (Romans 4:19-21).

When God said it, Abraham believed it.

Abraham is called “the father of the faithful” because of his example of faith, coupled with obedience.

James writes of the evidence of our faith: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works” (James 2:17,18).

Faith is how thousands of families over the decades trusted God with regard to their jobs and income when they lost a job because of God’s Sabbath or annual holy days. Faith is how thousands have been healed of sickness and disease.

Faith is a shield against doubt, against mistrust of God.

But faith cannot be “whipped up” by we human beings. We cannot simply say to ourselves, “Now, I must have faith about this or that problem.”

Believe it or not, it is not our faith in Christ that is the kind of faith God wants us to have, but His faith placed in us!

Notice: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith OF the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

God gives us faith.

It takes faith to forgive. When Christ told His disciples they must forgive their brother up to seven times in one day for sinning against them, they said, “Lord, INCREASE our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed [one of the smallest of all seeds], ye might say unto this sycamore tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea, and it should obey you” (Luke 17:1-6).

A huge gap in the armor of God would be the lack of faith to forgive a brother or sister for sin. God says, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure ye mete withal it shall be measured unto you again” (Luke 6:37,38).

Faith means absolute, unquestioning belief. It means knowing, not just thinking maybe. Consider: If you are on Social Security, like so many millions of America’s elderly, and you receive your government check, do you have the slightest iota of a doubt that when you endorse it and cash it or deposit it in your bank it is good? Of course not!

So you have faith in the U.S. government to that extent.

If you set out in your automobile to a distant location which you have never
seen before, with a map before you, do you have faith that the map is correct? Of course you do!

It seems easy to place our faith in human cartographers, or automobile salesmen, or employers, or the government. It should be even easier to place our faith in God!

A final caution: Many people “worry” their faith! When sick, or in terrible trauma, emotionally, or in financial trouble, they cannot seem to let go of the situation. They seem unable to turn the entire matter over to God, IN FAITH, and then patiently wait for His answer.

Instead, many people “pick at” their faith. They “worry” it, like a puppy shaking a rag, or a kitten playing with a roll of yam.

Often when we ministers pray, we acknowledge in our prayer to God our utter helplessness to really “do” anything about the heart-rending letters read. Some months ago, we read of a precious little three year old girl whose mother had a live-in “boyfriend.” The girl was illegitimate, from another boyfriend. The live-in urged his girlfriend to have an abortion. She refused, and gave birth to her baby.

We had to hear the horrible story of how the boyfriend had beaten the little girl until she is so badly brain damaged she will never walk again. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my breath came short, as happens every now and then when we hear such sickening, cruel stories.

All we can do is tell God, “We have no strength or power of our own. We can do nothing of ourselves. All we can do is hold up these sad, pleading letters to you; to pray over them, to ask in faith for your divine intervention. Then, we must get up, go our way, doing our work for this day, and leave the result with you!”

So it is with our own daily lives. We need to let go of the faith we have—not “worry it,” and keep looking on the negative side of things. We need to learn to leave the result with God!

When we do this, in faith, we have a big, strong, thick shield in place against Satan’s evil influences.

“And Take the Helmet of Salvation”

The most important part of your body is protected by the strongest bones—the bones of your skull. Your brain is encased, like a helmet, more than any other part.

It is the part of your body that, if grievously injured, can more quickly kill you, or completely incapacitate you. You truly are your mind. You “live” inside your brain.

Perhaps you have known a person who has lost a limb. He or she might say, “I lost my leg in an automobile accident.” The person is still there, with perhaps a prosthetic leg. But the personality, the memory, the character, the conscience, the decision-making ability—all are intact, for the mind is unhampered by even such a massive injury to the body as loss of a limb.

God’s Holy Spirit comes to engender a new spirit creature in our minds when we surrender, in heart-broken repentance to God; when we are baptized, symbolizing the death, burial and resurrection of the “old man” (Ephesians 4:22), and have hands laid upon us for the receiving of His Spirit (Acts 2:38).

You and I have a human spirit. Millions call it the “soul,” thinking it survives, consciously, when the body dies. This is not true. It IS true that there is a spirit connected to our brain; that the “spirit in man” gives us our humanity, our conscience, our ability to feel empathy for others, and our capacity for forgiveness. It is this “human spirit” that lifts man above all animals.

It took two lives to produce your one life. Your father’s life united with your mother’s life in her womb, and in an instant of time you were a living, human creature, destined to be formed, shaped and created in the womb of your mother. From the instant of conception, the genetic code from your two parents had already determined your general characteristics; your appearance, coloring, kind of hair and skin, your proclivities—even talents, such as music, art, sports, and the like.

This is merely a physical analogy for how God begets each of us asHis own child, to be formed and shaped through prayer, study of God’s Word, living a life of overcoming Satan and the world; being gradually developed within the “womb” of the Church of God, until we are finally to be born into God’s own family (1 Corinthians 15:50-52).

God’s Holy Spirit does not come into our elbow, or our ankles, or our kneecap. It comes into our mind, but into the part of our mind, the frontal lobes of our brain, that contains the spirit, the human spirit that God gives us at our first breath, if not earlier.

Paul wrote, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin [the “old man” has died, for the wages of sin is death], but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [make alive!] your mortal bodies by His Spirit That dwelleth in you …. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear: but ye have received the Spirit ofsonship [margin], whereby we cry, Abba, Father!” (Romans 8:8-15).

These are vitally important scriptures.

First, notice that God has not given us the spirit of “fear.” Fear is the deadly enemy of faith. Fear is uncertain, unknowing, apprehensive, unsure.

Unfortunately, there are thousands of believing, professing Christians who are not really sure of their salvation!

Worse, there are thousands whose own ministers have KEPT them in constant fear of “losing out” on salvation! Have you been one such?

Think back. Do you remember sermons which have beaten you down, frightened you, made you fearful that you would be “put out,” or that you would not “make it” into God’s Kingdom? Have you left church meetings on occasions where you were virtually trembling in fear because you knew you could never become as “righteous” and “close to God” as you assumed the minister in the pulpit was?

Now, notice: “The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16).

When you were being formed in the womb, the life of your father bore witness with the life of your mother that you were to become a member of your own family. You would inherit your place as a full-fledged family member. You were not born as a lesser creature, placed in a little house out back, or a cage. No, you were tenderly nurtured, nursed, changed, powdered, fed, protected, and taught. You were lovingly received into the bosom of your family!

If we are heirs with Christ, what did Christ inherit?

He said, “All POWER is given unto Me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). “All the gold and silver is Mine,” God says. Christ rules the universe. He will soon return to this earth to rule it with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26; 20:4). If you and I are to be co-heirs with Christ, we are to share in HIS vast, powerful inheritance!

This is what salvation is all about! Salvation is to receive the very Mind, Nature, and Spirit of our Heavenly Father into our minds, coupled with our human spirit, to create a new creature in Christ within us!

Notice: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

To possess the “helmet of salvation,” you need to know you are saved! Notice that! I did not say “think” you are saved; or “hope” you are saved! I said you need to KNOW your ARE SAVED!

God’s Word tells us that salvation is complete when God’s Holy Spirit begets us as His children! Just as you were human, and a member of your family from the instant of conception, so it is that, at the moment God places His Holy Spirit with your human spirit, you become a child of God, a “new creature in Christ.”

Scripture tells us, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself, he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar: because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record…” NOTICE THIS! NEVER FORGET IT! “…that God HATH GIVEN TO US ETERNAL LIFE, AND THIS LIFE IS IN HIS SON. ”

This is past tense! It is a past act. It is something which has already been accomplished, not something which is yet to be decided, or something still in doubt!

Notice further these absolutely wondrous, encouraging, inspiring words: “He that hath the Son HATH LIFE; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11,12).

I know of thousands of people who were continually kept in doubt of their salvation. They were never given the peace of mind to know that they HAD BEEN SAVED when they were baptized after repentance, when they received God’s Holy Spirit through the laying-on of hands.

It was terrible of harsh, overbearing “ministers” to keep thousands of God’s children in doubt; in trembling fear; not knowing, always wondering!

Instead, they should have been encouraged to pick up, and put on, the “helmet of salvation,” knowing they were saved, and to face the decisions of each day with confidence and with faith!

The way to wear the “helmet of salvation” is to know you are saved, to know you are the child of God, to know you are a “new creature in Christ,” to know you will be in God’s Kingdom. That way, you will be wearing the “helmet of salvation” when you wage your daily battle against Satan and the world!

The Sword of the Spirit

Notice that each piece of the armor of God we have learned of to this point is defensive armor. Now, we come to a weapon which is at once defensive and offensive.

A sword, together with a spear, is known as the most ancient weapon fashioned by man. Dozens of massive battles mentioned in the Bible are described as fought with swords and spears. During the time of Jesus Christ, the Roman “short sword” was worn by the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Roman legions. It was thick, powerful, and for battle close up and personal.

As you know, a sword is a cutting weapon. Many swords were designed to cut through body armor, or to slice through shields of leather or thin metal. The famous Claymore of the Scots was a two-handed sword. The sword of Goliath was huge. It was wielded by David after he took it from the dead body of the giant (1 Samuel 21:9; 22: 10). The famous samurai swords of Japan were noted for their incredible strength, temper, and razor sharpness.

God tells us, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which IS the word of God.”

The sword of the soldiers of Christ is not a sword of metal. It is neither a rapier, or a Claymore, or a samurai, or a Roman short sword. It is the Word of God.

The Word of God is the whole Bible, the revelation from God, the divine Sovereign, to His creation. His Word begins at the beginning, “Genesis,” which is what the word means, and ends with the “Revelation” into the future beyond the end of the writing of the Bible.

Jesus Christ said to Satan, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). What is that Word? It is all of the Holy Scriptures.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:13-15).

The only “Holy Scriptures” which were extant from Timothy’s childhood (Paul wrote these words only about thirty to forty years after Christ’s resurrection) were the Scriptures we know as the Old Testament. Yet, millions of professing Christians have been totally deceived into thinking the Old Testament is done away. Millions go to churches each week, hearing only a few flowery platitudes, but are not taken through detailed studies of God’s Word, including the Old Testament.

Notice that the Old Testament Scriptures are able to make us “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Paul continued, “All scripture [the Old Testament—he did not presume to call his own letters “scripture”] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished [equipped! wearing his armor!] unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

When Satan thrust his evil temptations at Christ, Christ parried his thrusts with the Word of God, then used the Word of God to defeat the devil.

Satan would twist scripture. He would deliberately quote a portion of a passage, and then misapply it. He said to Jesus, after taking Him to the pinnacle of the Temple, “If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone” (Matthew 4:5,16).

Notice Satan said “IF Thou be the Son of God.” He was attempting to appeal to vanity . He wanted Christ to bridle, to react angrily, and retort, “What do you mean, IF?” He wanted Christ to say, like so many carnal humans would have, “I’ll show you whether I am the Son of God or not,” and plunge down.

There is a story I heard in the Navy which beautifully illustrates this vain quirk of human nature. It seems a raw recruit, called a “boot,” with his close-cropped head and brand-new blue work clothes had been assigned to buff the floors of the administration building at the Navy Training Depot in San Diego.

As he was working, the admiral, who was commandant of the whole base, came walking by. The boot looked up from his work, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and said, “Hey, buddy! Gotta match?” Smiling, the admiral approached him.

Just as this happened, a chief petty officer rushed up, commanded the boot, “Atten-HUT!” He grabbed the cigarette out of the trembling boot’s hand, made him salute the admiral, who returned the salute. The chief said in a loud voice, “You stupid boot! Don’t you know who this? This is the admiral! This is the commanding officer of this base!” He then apologized to the admiral.

The admiral chuckled, then said to the boot, “That’s alright son—but just never do something like that to an ensign! ” An ensign is the lowest commissioned rank in the Navy, equivalent to a second lieutenant in the Army.

The lower the level of authority some people have over others, the more vain, conceited, and jealous of the “rank” they possess. It was this vanity of human nature to which the devil appealed.

But vanity, was wholly absent from Christ! He paid no attention to the barbs of Satan about whether He was the Son of God. Instead, He quoted Scripture correctly! He said, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God!” (Matthew 4:7)

Paul wrote, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow [down into the bone, even splitting them!], and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Unless you know the Word of God, you cannot possibly wield it like a quick, flashing sword. Unless you study God’s Word, you cannot know which concepts, which examples, which teachings of Christ, which writings of Paul, which doctrines, which prophecies to use as a weapon in your daily spiritual warfare!

Have you ever sat down, and decided to read the Bible right straight through, just as you would any other book? Many have. Yet, many have found themselves bogged down in ancient genealogies, or ancient history. They grow bored, and fail to persevere. But with a couple of good Bible handbooks, like Halley’s, or a Bible encyclopedia, or an exhaustive concordance, or a Bible commentary, one can learn a great deal about the Bible. Of course, these are books written by men, and are by no means infallible, but they can be a definite help to the discerning student of the Bible.

Jesus said, “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:3 1). He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus Christ is the “Word of God” personified!

Don’t misunderstand. This is metaphor, or an example. This is not to say that Jesus Christ is a vague “principle” or a “concept” of truth. But He was the divine SPOKESMAN, the Logos (the Greek word for Spokesman), Who did the commanding when the earth was created!

Notice: “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ, long, long prior to His human birth], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men …. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own [the Jews], and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Which were born [Greek: gennao, which can mean either “begotten” or born”] not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us [the Greek means, literally, “tabernacled among us “] (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth” (John 1: 1-14).

There is absolutely no question that this is speaking of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! It is telling us that Christ was a Member of the divine family of God; that He was very GOD long, long prior to His human, physical birth.

Do you know what this means? It means it was the One the world calls “Jesus Christ,” Who said, “Let there be light.” He said, “Let the dry land appear.” He was the One who dealt with Adam and Eve, with Noah, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the One who spoke to Moses from the burning bush, and said, “I AM THAT I AM.” He is the One who wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger!

He is the One Who plagued Egypt, sent the death angel, spared the Israelites, brought them out of the land of Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and was with them for forty years in the wilderness.

The Word of God is the whole Word of God, not just selected verses that appeal to rebellious, lawless, posturing pseudo Christians whowill not OBEY God!

If you are wielding the “sword of the spirit” as your only offensive weapon against Satan, then you are a “workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing [discerning, understanding] the word of truth.” You are knowledgeable about the Bible. You are able to explain why you believe what you do, and you are able to take that sword of the Spirit, and slash to the marrow of the bone the false doctrines, lies, half-truths, and Satanic delusions that are believed by so many millions of people today!

Christ is the Word. When you have Jesus Christ living His life over again with you (Galatians 2:20); when you have studied, pondered, meditated, prayed over, read, and then read again the life and teachings of Christ, as well as the whole Bible, you are better equipped to parry the wicked thrusts of Satan and his false ministers.

The Word of God cuts. But sometimes, it is necessary to inflict a wound upon some people before they will wake up, come to themselves, realize they have been sinners, and deeply repent before God!

The Word of God cuts into our consciences. It cuts into our memories. It cuts into our minds. It cuts into our past. It cuts into our personalities, our associations, our way of life, our very innermost thoughts.

The more you study the Word of God, the more you are convictedby it! The more you give yourself in surrender to God, allowing His Holy Word to correct you, the more you are equipped to wield the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

Study the beautiful fifty-first Psalm, and see how David, a man after God’s own heart, prayed the prayer of heart-broken repentance! Let David’s Psalms sink down into your innermost heart. Study the gospels, the epistles of Paul, the writings of James, Peter, and John. Read the Bible!

By doing so, you are sharpening your sword. You are preparing yourself for a daily struggle against Satan, this evil world, and your own carnal nature.

The fully-equipped soldier of Jesus Christ must know the Word of God to wield the “sword of the Spirit.”

The Word of God is “of the Spirit” because it comes from a divine spiritual source. It is not the wisdom or philosophy of man, but the divinely-revealed knowledge, wisdom, purpose, and plan of Almighty God. The Bible is the living witness from God to man, not mere words on paper, musty with age.

Jude wrote that “Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 9). Obviously, if the devil had caused the location of the body of Moses to be known, it would have become a world-famous shrine, a place of worshipful idolatry to millions of people.

God didn’t want Moses’ burial place known. Satan wanted to cause it to become an idolatrous shrine. In the dispute between Michael, a powerful archangel at the same rank in God’s kingdom as was Lucifer, Michael did not have the responsibility to bring “railing accusation” against Satan. Rather, he deferred to the spiritual power of God by pronouncing the words, “The Lord rebuke thee!”

Michael was using the “sword of the Spirit” by using the Word of God to actually rebuke the devil!

So it is with us, on a daily basis. If we are continually pondering, studying, thinking on the Word of God, we are filling our minds with God’s spiritual truth. The way to get the air out of a glass is to fill it with water. The way to force evil thoughts out of our minds is to fill them with God’s Word.

Read some inspiring Psalms! Study Ephesians 4, Colossians 3, Hebrews 1-5; read all four Gospels! In addition to selected reading or study,  set yourself to read the whole Bible completely through!

In this way, you will be equipped with your offensive weapon against the devil, this evil world, and even your own carnal nature, by wearing the “sword of the Spirit.”

“Praying Always”

Concluding this inspiring passage about God’s armor, Paul wrote, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:18,19).

Jesus did not tell His disciples, “IF you pray”! Notice: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:5,6).

Jesus Christ prayed, and prayed, and prayed. He would fast and pray, crying out to His Father in heaven to strengthen Him for the monumental task He had to accomplish. He would be missing from His bed in the very earliest, dark hours of the morning when His sleepy disciples arose. They would find Him up on a hillside, deep in prayer.

Many of David’s Psalms are written in the form of a prayer to God. There are many examples of prayer in the Bible. When Elijah faced down the evil false prophets of Baal, His prayer lasted only about eleven or twelve seconds, yet great miracles occurred!

Notice what happened: “And Elijah said unto all the people, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Eternal be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I even I only, remain a prophet of the Eternal: but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men…… (1 Kings 18:21-40).

Elijah then had them set up an altar; had them dress a calf and place it upon the stones. Then, he told them to cry out to their false god, Baal.

They began shuffling around the altar, limping, cavorting (verse 26), performing ridiculous, ritualistic dances. Elijah chided them. He shouted, “Cry aloud! For he is a god! Either he is talking, or he is pursuing [hunting], or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awakened!”

The Bible says “Elijah MOCKED them!”

Many thousands of people today would be outraged at God’s prophet Elijah! “Why, how dare you ‘make fun’ of these sincere ministers?” they would bleat. Why, doesn’t the Bible say “Judge not?” they would wail.

I have had a significant number of angry telephone calls and nasty letters over my more then forty years of radio and television broadcasting when I would mimic and mock the false prophets of Baal. The “wheezers and gaspers” who follow the same ridiculous cadence of shouting, moaning, gasping for breath, and putting a grunting “UH!” on the ends of their words; those who pace back and forth, holding the Bible like a limp rag; those who adopt the supercilious, sickly grin, and speak with a whisper; those who preach the false mythology of the pagan past; who speak like namby-pamby, weak, wimpish, wheedling, whining, pleading beggars—when I expose their antics, some are made angry at me!

But Elijah mocked the ridiculous prophets of Baal!

Elijah’s name means “Yahweh [Jah] is God [El].” He was one of the most powerful prophets of all time. And God Almighty inspiredHim to mock the prophets of Baal.

Notice that immediately after Elijah’s mocking challenge, they increased their ridiculous efforts. “And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with their knives and lancets [short spears, or swords], till the blood gushed out upon them” (verse 28). Even today, in some religions, people believe they can get their deity’s attention if they lash their back or cut themselves!

Finally, when they were exhausted, Elijah ordered the men to take twelve stones, signifying the tribes of Israel, and build an altar. Then, he had them dig a deep trench all about it. Then, he placed the wood and bullock atop the altar.

Next, he had them fill four barrels full of water and pour it over the bullock, the wood, and the stones. He had them do it the second, and then the third time (verses 31-34).

Now, notice: “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said [this is his prayer! time it with a stop watch if you have one, and notice how brief it is!], Eternal God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. Hear me, O Eternal, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Eternal God, and that thou has turned their heart back again!”

Following this brief, eleven or twelve-second prayer, which was delivered for their benefit, and as a witness against the false prophets, “Then the fire of the Eternal fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Eternal [Yahweh, commonly pronounced Jehovah] He is the God; the Eternal, He is the God” (verses 30-39).

As a result of Elijah’s powerful prayer, a great miracle occurred. It resulted in the extermination of the false prophets of Baal, and the “turning back” of the children of Israel to the “fathers,” Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their relationship with the true God.

When Peter, John, and several of the other disciples were thrown in jail because they preached in the name of Christ, and after the high priest and his relatives had threatened them “that they speak henceforth to no man in this name,” Peter and the others prayed to God.

They prayed, “Lord, Thou art God, Which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of Thy servant David has said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against Thy holy Child [or Servant—margin] Jesus, Whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word. By stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Thy holy Child [Servant] Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:1-31).

There are many examples of moving prayer in God’s Word—prayers made to God at a time of great danger, of great stress, and under great threat.

When King Jehoshaphat knew that the Moabites and Ammonites had amassed a huge army against Israel, and knew they would not be able to stand against this massive host, he “feared, and set himself to seek the Eternal, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3).

He gathered the people together after they had fasted and prayed. He “stood in the congregation of Judah, and Jerusalem, in the house of the Eternal, before the new court. And said, O Eternal God of our fathers, art not Thou God in heaven? And rulest not Thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in Thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee? Art not Thou our God, Who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before Thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend forever? And they dwelt therein, and have built Thee a sanctuary therein for Thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in Thy presence (for Thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

“And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom Thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of Thy possession, which Thou hast given us to inherit. O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us: neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee. And all Judah stood before the Eternal, with their little ones, their wives, and their children” (2 Chronicles 20:1-13).

Read the remainder of this beautiful chapter! The prophet of God told the people to go out in the vanguard of the army of Judah unarmed! They would go with songs to God!

They would not go with swords and spears, but with prayers and singing!

“And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Eternal unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but Gods …. Ye need not fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Eternal with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Eternal will be with you …. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Eternal set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them; and then they had made an end of the inhabitants of mount Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped” (2 Chronicles 20:15-24).

This is one of the most stupendous miracles in the Bible!

Here, a righteous king set himself to fast and pray, and commanded all the people to fast and pray. Then, they took the whole armor of God upon themselves. It was not the armor of a soldier, with heavy metal helmet, greaves, breastplate, shield, spear, and sword. No, they were wearing only their own everyday clothing!

But they advanced toward the combined armies of three nations with prayers on their lips, and with songs in their hearts!

God heard their prayers. He answered them by a mighty miracle, causing the allied enemies to become confused, and to attack each other!

Your daily problems and mine are like those massed armies of the Moabites, the Ammonites, and mount Seir. Whether financial, mental, physical, or spiritual; whether of Satan and his evil world; whether of the sick, perverted false values of this sin-sick society; whether of our own weaknesses and compulsions of the flesh—we can advance toward our problems with a song in our hearts and prayer on our lips!

We can take up, not guns and knives, but the whole armor of God our loins girt about with truth, our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; having put on the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation; and having taken up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!

Then, so equipped, we must pray with all prayer and supplication in the spirit!

Notice that after Paul explains all these wonderful weapons of our spiritual warfare, he asks that Christ’s soldiers would pray for him,that “utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel!”

So it is that I close this booklet. Take up the whole armor of God. Put it on. And when you are waging the daily spiritual battles as a “good soldier of Jesus Christ,” please remember now and then to pray for me, that I may lift up my voice like a trumpet, that I may preach the gospel of Christ boldly, that I may fulfill the purpose for my life, that I may serve as a watchman for God’s people!

You may copy and distribute this information only to friends and family without changes, without charge and with full credit given to the author and publisher. You may not publish it for general audiences.

This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

The activities of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association are paid for by tithes, offerings and donations freely given by Christians and co-workers who are dedicated to preaching the gospel according to Jesus Christ.

The post God’s Armor first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Some churches include baptismal tanks as a part of their pulpit platform and altar, with baptisms incorporated into special worship services before the entire congregation.

Millions have been “baptized” in one form or another. Hundreds of millions in the Catholic world, especially France, Italy, Spain, and most of Mexico, Central and South America, were sprinkled as an infant, believing they were “baptized.” Baptism is called the “door of the church” by the Roman Catholics; the means by which one is brought into the body of the church.

In comparatively modern times, exultant believers have been seen cavorting beneath a fire hose, spraying water over the wildly enthusiastic following of an evangelist who held forth in a major street corner. Was this “baptism” valid? During the late ’60s, the “Jesus People” movement saw hundreds joining hands, skipping over the sands of the Pacific coast, striding into the surf. Was this a valid baptism?

Probably, you were baptized at some time in your life, perhaps on your first birthday; perhaps as a young person at 15, or 17, when you were emotionally moved to do so by a revivalist. Maybe you were “baptized” into the church you attend because it was the church of your parents, and your friends.

But what about baptism? Have you ever read much about it in the Bible?

Some claim it is not necessary.

Have you ever heard a radio or TV preacher deliver a message similar to this? “If you want to be saved, all you have to do is accept Jesus in your heart. As you sit in your car or home -even if you are in a bar – just say, “I accept you, Jesus” and you will be instantly saved. You don’t even need to be baptized!”

Is this statement correct? Is this all there is to being saved? Can a person who wishes to become a Christian simply whisper, “I accept you, Jesus” and thereby receive ETERNAL LIFE?

Or is there more to Christian conversion?

Understand this! Jesus died for our sins so that we may have ETERNAL LIFE (John 3:16). If we are to receive salvation, it is vital that we understand what is required in order to receive this great gift. We dare not take the word of any man; we must look to the Bible for our answers.

“But wait a minute!” you may protest. “You’re telling me I must earn salvation. If salvation is a free gift, then that means I don’t have to do anything at all in order to receive it! Right?”

Wrong! We are saved by GRACE through FAITH (Ephesians 2:8), but the process is not unconditional.

Suppose a friend telephoned you and said, “I have a gift for you. I’d like to give it to you today but you must come to my house to pick it up.”

Is your friend offering you a free gift? Yes! Did you earn this gift? No! Will going to your friend’s house mean that you have earned this gift? No! It is still a gift. But you must take certain steps in order to receive this gift. If you refuse to take those steps, you will receive nothing.

Receiving God’s free gift of eternal life involves the same principle. You have not earned it, but you must do what the Bible instructs if you are desirous of receiving it.

Notice the instructions Peter gave to thousands of people who asked what they should do in order to receive eternal life. His first directive was to “REPENT.” His second was to “. . . be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Can you see how Peter, who was speaking under God’s inspiration, told his listeners that, even though eternal life was a gift, they could receive it only if they met certain requirements -REPENTANCE and BAPTISM? Comparing baptism to the Noachian Flood where only eight people were saved. Peter later wrote, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience through the resurrection of Christ” (1 Peter 3:21, Revised Standard Version).

Peter never once said, “Just sit there and whisper to yourself. ‘Jesus, I accept you into my heart.’ ” No! Peter taught that receiving salvation required ACTION on the part of those wanting it. How could it be plainer? Repentance and baptism are essential requirements for salvation.

Many people today have been deceived into thinking that they have been saved. “How could this be?” you may ask. “Isn’t the important thing that we worship Jesus Christ? Does it really matter how we worship Him?” Yes it does! Jesus said that the time would come when people would worship Him in a wrong manner! He said, “In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-9).

We must not swallow “hook, line, and sinker” what any man says. We must obey God and follow His instructions as laid out in His Holy Bible.

Jesus’ Instructions and Example

Baptism did not begin with Peter after the death of Christ. Christian baptism was prefigured by the Israelites when they passed through the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Jesus Himself taught baptism. He instructed His disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). Did Jesus require the mere verbal expression of faith in order to receive eternal life? No. He required physical action – baptism – in order to be saved from ETERNAL DAMNATION.

Should it surprise us that Jesus taught baptism? It shouldn’t when we realize that Jesus Himself was baptized! Even though Jesus lived a perfect life and was totally without sin (1 Peter 2:22), He knew the importance of setting an example for us to follow. “. . . Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). For this reason, Jesus was baptized and thereby demonstrated the vital importance of this act (Matthew 3:16).

What Method of Baptism?

“But there are many methods of baptism in the world’s churches,” it is often pointed out. “How does one know which method of baptism to use?”

Many of the large, fundamentalist churches utilize sprinkling, or pouring of water for baptism. However, in doing so, they ignorantly admit their sole authority for this completely unbiblical, unauthorized form of “baptism” is teaching handed down from the Roman Catholic Church; teaching inherited by many Protestants from the time of the reformation.

The primary Catholic authority, the Catholic Encyclopedia, admits, “. . . The most ancient form (of baptism) usually employed was unquestionably immersion. This is not only evident from the writings of the fathers and the early rituals of both the Latin and Oriental Churches, but it can also be gathered from the Epistles of St. Paul, who speaks of baptism as a bath (Ephes. v, 26; Rom. vi, 4; Tit. iii, 5). In the Latin Church (the church at Rome, as distinct from that at Constantinople and elsewhere), immersion seems to have prevailed until the twelfth century. After that time it is found in some places even as late as the sixteenth century. Infusion and aspersion (pouring and sprinkling), however, were growing common in the thirteenth century, and gradually prevailed in the Western Church.” (Art. “Baptism,” Cath. Encyclopedia, Vol. 11, pp. 261, 262, emphasis mine).

Thus it is admitted that the Bible teaches immersion; that the practice of immersing, baptizing believers into the water prevailed for more than twelve long centuries until it was “gradually” altered from the biblical form to the present-day Catholic sacrament.

But the Catholic Church recognizes the “traditions of the ‘fathers’ ” as being equal with scripture. Most Protestant churches reject such traditions.

How strange, then, that with the exceptions of the Baptist Church and some others, many large professing “Christian” churches follow Catholic tradition in their form of ‘baptism” instead of the plain words of Scripture – the commands of the Saviour, Christ Himself!

Modern “churchianity” is deeply divided on the subject. Anciently, controversy raged over various practices such as infant baptism, re-baptizing (which led to the name “Anabaptists,” attached to those practicing re-baptism by their enemies) and baptizing surrogate candidates for the dead.

But did Jesus Christ leave it up to the churches to “decide” which mode of baptism they would like to use?

He certainly did not!

Obviously, according to the plain statements of Christ; according to Peter’s command on the Day of Pentecost; according to the whole meaning and purpose of baptism (study Romans, the 6th chapter), one should be baptized only after repentance.

“REPENT!” Jesus cried.

And what does it mean to repent?

It means to be deeply convicted of sin – to be emotionally shocked into deep remorse; shameful penitence; contrition, sorrow!

And what IS SIN?

“Sin is the transgression of LAW!” (1 John 3:4). Sin is the breaking of any one of the ten cardinal points of God’s Ten Commandments as they are magnified, made spiritually binding, by Jesus’ whole life and teaching, particularly His famous “Sermon on the Mount.”

Almighty God has not left it to mankind to decide what is sin. He has, rather, left it up to us to decide WHETHER to sin, or obey God’s holy, righteous and perfect LAW!

When Paul repented, he came to the realization that his life was forfeit! He knew the penalty for sin! “For the wages of sin is death: but the GIFT of God (Notice it is God’s gift – not something with which we were born; it is not something inherent within us!) is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23).

Paul wrote, “For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin . . . 0 wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:14-25).

When Paul was struck down on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9) he was shocked into REPENTANCE! When Ananias placed his hands on him (Acts 9:17) Paul was immediately baptized. Notice; “And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized” (Acts 9:18).

Here is a classic example of what Christ meant by His command to repent, and be baptized!

Isn’t it then obvious to any thinking person that baptism is NOT FOR INFANTS? Can a baby “sin”? Can a tiny babe in arms become convicted of having broken God’s law? Can a baby of months be brought to full knowledge of God’s plan of redemption; of His Holy Law; to the conviction of sin and repentance?

Nonsense! Yet, many great and vaunted churches practice infant “baptism” (which is a misnomer, for they do not really “baptize,” but sprinkle, or pour a bit of water on the startled infant’s head!).

Does God authorize carnal, human churchmen to devise any method of so-called “baptism” that appeals to them?

By no means! The Bible lays down a definite method of baptism, which we shall see plainly. This is not a frivolous matter.

We cannot take this matter lightly. We must again go to the Scriptures to see how the actual act of baptism is supposed to be performed. In order to fully understand this matter, it must be pointed out that the New Testament was not written in King James English. It was written in the Greek language. Today we have many English translations – the most popular being the King James version which was first published in 1611.

When the apostles wrote the New Testament in Greek, they used the following words:

1. cheo meaning “to pour”
2. rantidzo meaning “to sprinkle”
3. baptizo meaning “to immerse” or “to dip.”

If pouring or sprinkling were acceptable forms of baptism, the apostles would have used the words cheo or rantidzo. But they did not. They used the word baptizo whenever referring to the act required for salvation. Proper baptism requires immersion – not sprinkling or pouring.

During his ministry John the Baptist went to Aenon ” . . . because there was much water there” (John 3:23). If sprinkling or pouring were proper forms of baptism, John could have used a few gallons of water to baptize hundreds. But he needed “much water” because he practiced complete immersion.

Notice that when Jesus was baptized He was in water. “And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the spirit like a dove descending upon him” (Mark 1:10). John the Baptist did not take Jesus to a well and pour water on His head out of a dipper. Jesus was immersed.

Another example of water baptism is found in Acts 8. Here we see Philip teaching Christianity to the Ethiopian eunuch. When the eunuch asked to be baptized, he and Philip ” . . . went down both into the water” (v.38) for baptism. And when they were finished “. . . they were come up out of the water” (v. 39). The Ethiopian eunuch was completely immersed in water.

Meaning of Baptism

“Why is complete immersion required?” is commonly asked. “What is so wrong with pouring or sprinkling?” God tells us not to follow the ways of men, but to obey His Commandments and to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

As you will see from a careful, thorough reading of Romans 6, baptism pictures, among other things, the complete burial of the old self.

Complete submergence in water is necessary because it is symbolic of burial. Can you imagine the local undertaker standing a dead corpse against a tree, shoveling a small amount of dirt on its head, and declaring the body “buried”? That is how ludicrous the practice of “sprinkling” or “pouring” must appear to Almighty God, who set His method of baptism down in scripture!

Baptism is an important symbolic act. It has a special threefold meaning for us. It pictures WASHING, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION.

First, baptism cleanses us of our sins and gives us a fresh start with God. Both the blood of Christ and the waters of baptism wash away our sins (Revelation 1:5; Acts 22:16).

Second, baptism symbolizes the death of our old, sinful selves. To be baptized is to bury one’s carnal self in a watery grave (Colossians 2:12).

And, third, baptism gives us new life. It symbolizes the resurrection which we are promised if we obey God and accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:3-5).

What could be more beautiful? Baptism pictures being buried with Christ (by being covered with water) and being resurrected with Him (by being raised out of the water)! The symbolism of burial and resurrection cannot be portrayed by sprinkling or pouring.

This important ceremony was practiced by the New Testament ministers and has continued to this day. Jesus Christ has never given any man or group of men the authority to modify the method of baptism which He preached and which the disciples practiced.

Over the years many have asked God’s ministers, “Aren’t there any circumstances where God could give salvation to a person who was not baptized?” It is not up to men, even ministers of Jesus Christ, to dictate to God or to limit what He can do. The important point is that any person who desires eternal life and is able to be baptized should do so.

If there are special circumstances (and this would be rare, indeed), Almighty God knows, and understands. There are some. for instance, who have a very real disease – hydrophobia. In its worst form the disease literally causes fear of swallowing. Though rare among humans, it results in an unreasoning fear of water. Commonly, though it is called rabies among animals. If someone knows the truth of God: knows what sin is; is convicted, broken-hearted in repentance of sin; wishes to beg God’sforgiveness for those sins; wishes salvation from God, but has an unusual fear of water, then God would surely understand. The decision would have to remain that of the individual, not of the minister, or other counselor.

Sometimes, handicapped persons have wondered if it were possible to be baptized. I have known of cases where some few were actually baptized while lying on a stretcher, because of incapacitating handicap, or weakness.

To satisfy some of the more curious questions, let’s suppose the following scenario. Suppose a couple were marooned on the desert – more than a hundred miles from the nearest water of any kind. Suppose, as they knew they were near death, they read the Bible together, realized they were sinners – desired to beforgiven of God. Suppose it was physically impossible for them to be immersed in water (their most earnest prayer, surely!). Would God reject them because they were unable?

By the same token, suppose our fictitious couple were on an island in the ocean. They repented, wanted to call out to God for forgiveness, and for His Holy Spirit. Suppose they solemnly baptized each other in the sea? Would God honor such a practice? I sincerely doubt that either of the above scenarios have obtained, but surely, God would not reject such people, for He is far more concerned about what happens in the human heart than the physical, mechanical aspects of things.

The Bible does give us an example of a repentant person who was not baptized but was promised that he would he with Christ in the Kingdom of God. It took place during Jesus’ crucifixion. Two thieves were also being crucified at that time. One expressed his belief in Christ and asked if Jesus would remember him when He came into His Kingdom. Jesus replied that the man would see Him in Paradise.

Unfortunately, this scripture is used by many churches to imply the thief went immediately to heaven. Yet, Christ said, clearly, that He (Christ) would be dead for “three days and three nights” (Matt. 12:40), buried in the “heart of the earth.”

Following His resurrection, He warned the women, “touch me NOT, for I not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, ‘I ascend unto my Father and to your Father; and to my God, and your God.’ ” (John 20:17).

Christ was alone. The thief was not with Him. Christ had NOT “gone to heaven” immediately upon death, but, exactly as He said (Matt. 12:40) was buried! Many do not believe Christ was truly dead for those three days and three nights. But if Christ did not die, then we have no Saviour! 

Remember, man placed the commas and periods in the Bible. There were no punctuation marks in the Greek. If a husband turned to a wife, while driving the car along a country lane and said, “What’s that up in the road, ahead?” The wife, hearing the pause after the word ‘road,’ might misunderstand. She might think the husband was saying there was a head in the road!

But if he said “What’s that – up in the road ahead?” She would understand.

So it is that, by misplacing the comma, men have totally perverted the meaning of Jesus’ statement to the “thief on the cross.”

What Jesus really said was, “Truly, I’m telling you today -YOU SHALL BE (in the future – after the resurrection!) with me in paradise!” (Luke 23:43, paraphrased).

But what about the thief? Christ obviously promised salvation to him, because the thief was repentant; because he recognized Christ!

This was a situation in which the man obviously was not physically able to be baptized. Sometimes a minister of God will counsel an inmate in prison who cannot to be baptized because the officials of his penal institution will not allow it. One inmate who still had eleven years to serve for robbery said, “I’ve repented of my sins and do not bemoan the fact that I won’t be released for several more years. I know I must pay for my crime. But I can’t be baptized for eleven more years! What if I die before I am released? Will I then suffer eternal damnation?”

The principle of “the thief on the cross” would seem to fit in this instance. This inmate is simply unable to comply with the Bible command to be baptized. But if he is truly repentant and accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, he too will be with Christ in Paradise.

Sometimes a person who has requested baptism lives in an area where we cannot get a minister to him for some time. Invariably the person expresses concern about having to wait. One man refused to drive his car for fear he might be involved in a fatal automobile accident before he could be baptized. A similar situation is that of a hospitalized person who is so ill or injured that hospital paraphernalia such as a body cast, intravenous feeding tubes, or a breathing machine will not allow immersion in water. Once again, no concern is necessary in such situations because of the “thief on the cross” principle.

In What Name?

Many have been confused by Matthew 28:19 where Jesus talked about baptizing in His name and in the Father’s name. Some are also confused by the mention of the “Holy Ghost.”

Since this scripture is often used during the baptism ceremony, it would be worthwhile for the reader to understand two points.

First, the King James Bible uses words that have different meanings today than they had over 350 years ago. The translators in 1611 used the word “ghost” for the Greek word pneuma. God does not have a ghost (there is no such thing as a ghost as portrayed in fictional movies on the supernatural), but God does have a Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a personage in the God Family. The God Family is presently composed of the Father and the Son – it is not a trinity.

The word “trinity” is nowhere mentioned in the Bible, and the only scripture which implies it is a deliberate insertion by copyists after the invention of printing. The spurious verse is found in 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.” Not one word of that passage is found in the Codex Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, or Alexandrinus, nor in any manuscripts until after the time of the comparatively modern invention of printing. For full information on this vital subject, ask for a re-print article on the subject of “The Trinity.”

Remember! Christ prayed to the Father. Even the Roman Catholic Church recognized the Father as the supreme member of the Godhead; the One to whom Christ returned; the One to whom Christ credited all His works!

Yet, when the angel announced the conception of Christ, he said, “. . . for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Sprit.” (Matt. 1:20). Mary was told, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the POWER OF THE HIGHEST shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God!” (Luke 1:35).

Obviously, not one of the vaunted churches of this world claims the “Holy Ghost” is the FATHER of Jesus Christ, yet the Bible says again and again that the agency used by God in bringing about this stupendous miracle was the Holy Spirit! Write for the “trinity” article for a complete, irrefutable Bible study on this important issue.

Back to our discussion. Remember, the first point was that the word “Ghost” is an error. It should be rendered “Spirit.”

Second, the word “in” in this scripture was translated from the Greek word eis. A better translation would he “into.”

A more accurate rendering of Matthew 28:19 would be, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Baptism puts us into the divine God Family. At baptism we become begotten sons of God and earn the right to call Him “Father.”

Notice from this scripture that we are baptized into Jesus Christ, not into any church denomination. Oftentimes ministers of this world’s churches will baptize a person only if the new person is willing to be baptized into that minister’s church denomination. This is wrong! Any person who wishes to receive salvation should refuse such a requirement. He should only be baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son. Loyalty to any man or group of men should also be refused because it is not a requirement for baptism.

A proper procedure for baptism should follow this form very closely: Before the actual baptism, the repentant person should be asked if he has repented of his sins and accepted Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour. Then, the person doing the immersing should say, “And now, (the persons’ full name) as a result of your repentance of your sins; the transgression of God’s holy law, I now baptize you into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ‘in the name of’ meaning ‘by the authority of’ Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.” The repentant person is then totally immersed in water.

Some church denominations believe baptism should he performed only in running water such as a river or stream. But there is no scriptural basis for this. A baptism may he performed in a swimming pool, a lake, the ocean, or any body of water which is large enough to accommodate complete immersion.

When Should You Be Baptized?

Some ministers tell repentant persons, “It is not for you to decide when you are ready for baptism. As a minister, I have the discernment to determine whether or not you are bearing good fruit.”

This high-handed attitude is not scriptural. Philip did not require the Ethiopian eunuch to demonstrate several months of good works to “prove” he was “worthy” of baptism. Nor did the disciples require “proof” from the thousands that they baptized on the day of Pentecost. The Philippian jailer and his household repented and were baptized by Paul and Silas in the same night (Acts 16:33).

As soon as a person realizes that he is a sinner, that he needs to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, that he accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, and that he wants to become an obedient begotten son of God, HE SHOULD BE BAPTIZED! If it is not possible for him to he baptized immediately, he should he baptized as soon as possible.

On one hand, baptism should not he taken lightly. It should not be undertaken without counting the costs. On the other hand, like all important steps one takes in life, it should not be put off!

And because of the vital importance of baptism, it is not a step to be taken by children. The Scriptures speak only of “men and women” being baptized (Acts 8:12). There is no New Testament reference to children being baptized.

It is impossible to draw an arbitrary line as to what the minimum age for baptism should be. No one can say, “Twenty years old is the earliest anyone can he baptized.” Some young people, though not many, are ready for repentance at age seventeen. Even more uncommon is the sixteen year old who truly understands the significance of such a step.

Many a child is convinced in his own mind that he has come to true repentance and may even convince others of it, only to come to the realization later that it was just a passing interest replaced by a new infatuation with another person, a rock group, or a car.

Who Should Perform Baptism?

It is a commonly held belief that only an ordained minister may baptize. This is not true. When the disciples first baptized, they were not yet ordained. They were not even converted! Remember, however, Jesus Christ had appointed them directly! They were His students, His disciples. Though unconverted, they were His bona fide representatives. Not just anyone – surely not spiritual novices; not those who are unacquainted with the scriptures, should perform baptisms.

In Acts 2:37-41 we learn that three thousand people were baptized on the Pentecost following Jesus’ crucifixion. Did the twelve apostles baptize this vast number? Probably not. No doubt nonordained members also baptized.

In Acts 8 we see the example of Philip who, although a deacon, was apparently not an ordained minister as yet. Even so, he baptized many Samarians (v. 12) and later the Ethiopian eunuch (v.38).

So the Scriptures are plain that ministers are not the only persons qualified to baptize. The person who baptizes you is only human anyway. One woman was baptized by a minister who was later discovered to be a thief. Did the minister’s sins invalidate her baptism? Absolutely not! Because it is actually Christ who baptizes us. He uses imperfect men as His instruments to do His will.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Therefore, it is unreasonable to expect baptism at the hands of a man who is free from sin. When you are baptized, you do not look to the human being who puts you under the water. You look to Jesus Christ, the One who actually washes away your sins. But in the process of seeking baptism, it is wise to look for someone who can help you with questions and provide you with spiritual guidance. Jesus Christ set up His true Church with ministers who are specially called for this purpose. All biblical examples show that baptisms were performed by representatives of the true Church of God. In all cases these representatives were either ministers of the Church of God or they were men selected by the ministry to represent the Church.

Receiving the Holy Spirit

The ceremony of baptism completely cleanses the repentant person of all past sins. At that moment, he stands before God as a holy vessel. It is then that the baptizing person places his hands on him and asks God to put the Holy Spirit in that person. This is known as “the laying on of hands.”

Actually, the laying on of hands is a second baptism. Paul called it the baptism of the Holy Spirit. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we he bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

As mentioned earlier, the Holy Spirit is the divine power from God which guides and directs the Christian. The person is still a free moral agent – free to do whatever he wants. But he now has God’s Spirit within him, showing him the way as he submits his life to God.

This power within us was promised by Christ. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost [Spirit] is come upon you” (Acts 1:8). The power of the Holy Spirit is the essence of the mind of God. It is that Spirit which God uses to put His laws into our minds and write them in our hearts (Hebrews 10:16).

When the Christian gives his whole life to God and places his trust in Him, he receives the blessings of a peaceful mind. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance . . .” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Is it possible to he baptized and not receive the Holy Spirit? Yes! In the New Testament we read of a dynamic preacher named Apollos who was taught by John the Baptist. Apollos baptized people but did not perform the laying on of hands. Later Paul met some of these converts and was shocked that not only was the Holy Spirit absent from their lives, they had never even heard of it! (Acts 18:24, 19:16.)

There are many Christians today who are in the same condition. They have been baptized but do not have God’s Holy Spirit in them. The solution to this problem is the one administered by Paul. He rebaptized them and laid hands on them so that they could receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:5-6).

What About Re-Baptism?

Tens of thousands have had the experience of “repentance” at an early state in their lives. Then, as the years go by, they “backslide,” as the churches term it, drifting into sinful habits, appetites, and attitudes. At some point in their lives, they begin to realize this sinful condition, and they again come to the place of repentance.

They begin to attend church; they begin to “straighten out their lives” again, probably because of some emotional shock. Sometimes it is financial; or a divorce, or loss of a loved one, or terrible sickness or disease. Something awakens them to their spiritual need.

But they begin to feel rejected. They begin to feel guilty about their previous baptism; about having slipped back into hurtful old ways. Some, convinced they are “not good enough” for God, drift along for years, wondering whether they have committed the “unpardonable sin”, wondering if God will reject them. But, while they WANT to be forgiven anew. They want to repent; to straighten out their lives, they labor under guilt feelings, and can’t seem to shake them off! 

Then, the question comes; “Should I be re-baptized?” The answer? It is entirely up to you. Any Christian can sin – and ALL do, from time to time. But there is a difference between slipping up; yielding to temptation, giving in to physical appetites (like a severe habit of smoking, etc., which can be like a terrible yoke, and for some almost impossible to break) and sinning – quite a difference between that, and living a life of sin.

Surely, if there exists serious doubt about your own state of mind when you were first baptized; about how much you understood about what sin really is, whether you truly repented of it; whether you knew enough about how to obey God, then you should remove that doubt, and be baptized again. The point is, no other human being can make that decision but you. No one can know your heart except God Almighty. No man – minister, or not, can claim to know your mind and heart.

Baptism For the Dead

Some churches practice “baptism for the dead,” also known as ”vicarious baptism.” It is based on the belief that one person can be baptized for a dead person who was not a Christian. This dead person supposedly will then be offered salvation.

Vicarious baptism is based on just one scripture which says. “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” However, the most obviously logical explanation is found in remembering what we learned about infants being baptized. Baptism should follow repentance; a conscious act by a living, breathing, human being! Baptism is an act of voluntary submission to God’s will! It the act of a living person, “acting out” the terrible consequences of sin, obeying God’s command willingly.

The dead are completely inert; unconscious, oblivious! It is nonsensical to assume a living person can somehow be “baptized” for some person who died, when the dead person is incapable of thought; of understanding scripture; of repentance, and acceptance of Jesus Christ as personal Saviour!

The Greek word for the English “for” is the same word used throughout the New Testament, huper, which means, according to the Greek-English Lexicon (Thayer), “Up, over, etc., Lat. super, over, a preposition, which stands before either the gen. or the acc. according as it is used to express the idea of state and rest or of motion over and beyond a place.”

Since the use in 1 Cor. 15:29 is in the genitive, notice what Thayer says, “With the GENITIVE; cf. W. 382 (358) sq. 1. prop. of place, i.e. of position, situation, extension: over, above, beyond, across . . . Lat. pro, for, i.e. for one’s safety, for one’s advantage or benefit.”

Specifically, when dealing with 1 Cor. 15:29, Thayer says, “. . . in the place of, instead of” (Thayers, p.638-639).

NOTICE! The meaning of the term huper from the Greek does not mean “on behalf of”! It means INSTEAD of, or “in the place of.”

Now, notice the original scripture: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. . . else what shall they do which are baptized for (Gk. huper, meaning IN THE PLACE OF, or INSTEAD OF) the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for (huper) the dead?”

“And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:26-31).

The whole context of the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians is the subject of the resurrection of the dead. Paul reveals that some of the Corinthians were doubting this important truth! (See vs. 12-18). But Christ is the Head of a living Church, and said He would be with that Church down through the many generations. He said the Church would never cease to exist!

But, unless there were newcomers; new converts, being baptized to replace those who died (baptized IN THEIR PLACE, INSTEAD of the dead-) then, as that older generation ceased to exist, there would be no church. As part of Paul’s argument, he explains to the Corinthians that the church continued to baptize newcomers to “fill up the place of” the dead; replacing those who died, thus tying the rite of baptism directly to the hope of the resurrection, which it partially foreshadows.

This was NOT authorization for living persons to be baptized a dozen, or a hundred times for unknown, dead persons, which makes a travesty of the whole point of baptism!

What Should You Do?

Now, what about you? Have you been baptized? Did you know, if you were, what sin really was – about the weekly Sabbath; God’s Holy Days, His laws concerning clean and unclean things, tithing; about the real truth concerning the nature of man; about Bible prophecy? After you were baptized, did you begin to grow in grace and knowledge; to become more and more well-versed in the Bible, the sacred word of God? Were the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit of LOVE, JOY, PEACE instilled deeply into your mind, inculcated into your very character?

If you have never been baptized, do you now realize that you MUST obey this command of your Master; your Lord and Saviour, if you are to be truly SAVED?

IF you were baptized previously, but have since drifted back into carnal habits; drifted away from God – do you recognize the need to call upon God to get you started back in the right way; God’s WAY OF LIFE?

As you well know, we have never held “altar calls”; never begged audiences over radio, television, or in personal appearances to “come forward” or to “make a commitment.” That does not mean we are unconcerned about your personal salvation -it means we reject the practices of many of the modern religious leaders, believing, instead, that we should adhere as closely as possible to the teachings and customs of Christ Himself!

God commissions His true Church, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice LIKE A TRUMPET, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sin!” (Isa. 58:1). He says, “Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; (keep at it! Don’t let up!) reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

“But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry!” (2 Tim. 4:2-5).

Jesus prophesied, “And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness (a witness against them!) unto all nations; and THEN SHALL THE END COME.”‘ (Matt. 24:14).

Somehow, God has brought YOU into contact with His work; with His church!

This is not a work of men. It is not a large, wealthy, politically-powerful organization; it is not boastful of great properties, but is of very modest, humble means. Yet it is a work of FAITH; a work that is the work of Jesus Christ in his human instruments – all the church – a collective work of many, not just the work of one man, or a small handful of men!

In this booklet, you have read the TRUTH from Almighty God about baptism! Christ said to REPENT, and be baptized! Peter cried, “REPENT, and BE BAPTIZED!” Whether you have heeded this command in the past; whether you heed it today – the time is coming when you WILL heed, for the only alternative is to lose out on eternal life; to LOSE SALVATION!

No, we do not beg, or make emotional appeals. But we do preach Christ’s Gospel of forgiveness; of God’s love; of the coming TRIBULATION and the DAY OF THE LORD! We plainly speak out about SIN, and show WHY we should repent!

If you need personal counseling about baptism; about your own spiritual condition, please ask for a list of the ministers nearest you. If no one lives within reasonable distance, it is possible we could help you in the not too distance future when conducting one of our many personal-appearance campaigns. Failing that, perhaps someone can visit your area. We will be happy to counsel by letter, or even telephone, if that is desired.

The most important question in your life is whether you are converted; whether you are a servant of Jesus Christ; whether you have been made a child of God, brought into His Church, the spiritual Body of Christ. YOU must make that decision. We will pray that you make the right one. And we will also pray that you do not put it off – that you are encouraged to act NOW.

You may copy and distribute this information only to friends and family without changes, without charge and with full credit given to the author and publisher. You may not publish it for general audiences.

This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

The activities of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association are paid for by tithes, offerings and donations freely given by Christians and co-workers who are dedicated to preaching the gospel according to Jesus Christ.

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Who hasn’t, at one time or another in life, wanted to “turn over a new leaf”? Who among us has not desired to relive certain portions of our lives – to start over, to erase unpleasant experiences of the past?

We have all done it. We have all promised ourselves to “begin anew,” to rid ourselves of bad habits; to commence new interests, projects or hobbies, and, sometimes we succeed, in part. New Year’s resolutions, promises to mates and loved ones, personal vows and promises we make to ourselves – all of these illustrate the desire to “turn over a new leaf.” And which person among us has not decided, with almost monotonous regularity, to “change our lifestyle”? We promise ourselves we will diet, exercise; we will eliminate certain foods and substances we suspect may be harming us, and we will get ourselves back in good physical condition.

Transcendent above all of these passing and temporary desires for change is the profound, religious and emotional experience which millions call “being born again.”

What did they believe they were doing? What was the goal, the motive? Was it not to change their lives? Was it not to give themselves to Jesus Christ; acknowledging the fact that He is the Savior of the world; that He died for our sins, and that, when we acknowledge Him as the divine Son of God, our personal Savior, High Priest and soon coming King, calling upon Him for forgiveness of all of our evil deeds and sins of the past, He becomes our forgiving Savior?

What wife and mother has not been thrilled to the bottom of her soul upon seeing a husband and father who had been grievously afflicted with a drinking problem, perhaps abusing his wife and children, unable to hold a job, of a foul mouth and bad personal habits be moved to want to change all this – perhaps “going forward” at the altar call following a particularly inspiring sermon by a famous evangelist, and confidently feeling he has then been “born again”? To tens of thousands, the experience they call “being born again” is a very precious, deeply rewarding experience.

Repentance

Jesus preached about repentance. Matthew said, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 4:17).

Surely everyone understands the meaning of the word “repent”? Webster’s New World Dictionary puts it this way, “(1) To feel sorry or self-reproachful for what one has done or failed to do; be conscience-stricken or contrite. (2) To feel such regret or dissatisfaction over some past action, intention, etc. as to change one’s mind about. (3) To feel so contrite over one’s sins as to change, or decide to change, one’s ways; be penitent.”

Continually, Jesus preached that those hearing His message should repent! Mark wrote, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel!” (Mark 1:14, 15). He told His listeners, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). when Jesus commissioned His disciples to go into all the world, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness and a warning, He reminded them that repentance and the forgiveness of sins was the primary focus of their message! It was the result that should be expected, in those cases where God was calling individuals to salvation, as a direct result of hearing the apostles preaching.

Read the description of the “great commission” Jesus Christ gave His apostles! “And [He] said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46, 47).

One of the most outstanding examples of how the apostles began to fulfill that great commission in their day – a great commission to God’s Church which remains to be performed in our day – is found in the second chapter of Acts, when the apostle Peter, explaining about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ said, “Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 2:38).

Surely, you have known individuals in your experience who have tried to do this! Perhaps you, yourself, have gone through a religious experience when you felt you really repented of your sins – wanted to rid yourself of your guilty past, and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior! But, perhaps the minister you heard, or the church you attend referred to your experience as “being born again,” rather than ”repentance.”

Then why did Jesus speak of repentance so forcefully and continuously as being the experience one feels at the time or deep contrition over one’s past? Why did He continually thunder at His audiences “REPENT ye, and believe the gospel”?

It may come as a shock to you – but literally millions of our fellow citizens have been brought to a frame of mind where they wanted to REPENT, and, insofar as they were able, they tried to do just that – but were not told by the evangelist to whom they listened HOW to do it! Instead, they were told that the “experience” of accepting Christ as Savior and the desire to rid oneself of feelings of guilt over past sins was “being born again”! Make no mistake! Jesus Christ or Nazareth said. “You must be born again!” But does “being born again” mean “repent”?

But how can this be? Notice what the Bible plainly says! “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!” (Romans 8:29). Here, Jesus is called the firstborn among all those who are likewise to be born of God, even as He was. Was Jesus “born again”? Absolutely! The Bible plainly says He was! But does this make any sense? If “being born again” means repentance; if “being born again” means the experience one feels at a time of deep sorrow and contrition, and a desire to change one’s life by receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and calling upon Him for the forgiveness of sins, then how could Jesus have possibly been born again? If “being born again” means forgiveness of sins and commencing life anew as a Christian, is the Bible trying to say that Jesus somehow was guilty of sin?

But Jesus never sinned! He lived a flawless, perfect life! Yet, the Bible says He was “born again”! Notice! “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept!” In Romans, the eighth chapter, the same writer, the apostle Paul, speaks of Jesus Christ as the “first born” among many brethren. Here, drawing upon the meaning of the day of Pentecost (called, in the Old Testament, the ”feast of firstfruits”!) Paul characterizes the risen Jesus Christ as “the firstfruits of them that slept.” Read on. “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Notice carefully the context. This is the famous “resurrection chapter.” 1 have said for over twenty-eight years that, if a sincerely thirsting and hungering Christian person will merely read the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians slowly, carefully and meaningfully – without anyone attempting to “spiritualize away” or argue around what these beautiful words plainly tell us, he will come to understand more about the plan of God; about the state of the dead, and about the resurrection of the dead than is understood by thousands of ministers in the great and vaunted churches!

Jesus Christ of Nazareth is ALIVE! He was raised from the dead! (See Acts 2:24, 30, 32, 36; Acts 4:2; 4:10; Revelation 1:18.) when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, He was once again, very God! Even though He had the power to manifest Himself in His human, physical form (as He did to the apostles on many occasions, even telling doubting Thomas to thrust his hand into His gaping wounds, in order to convince him of the fact that He was, indeed, alive!); even though He was able to appear inside locked doors, materializing miraculously from His spirit form into human form, Jesus Christ was SPIRIT!

The stone was not rolled away to let Jesus Christ out of the tomb, it was rolled away to let the world look in! The world saw, through the eyes of Peter, John, and then others, a tomb that was empty! The tomb had been emptied long before the stone was rolled away at the earthquake, when the keepers of the tomb were struck unconscious!

Notice how the apostle Paul explains the great change that takes place at the resurrection of the dead! “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up’? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed His own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: . . . And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:35-38).

Notice that Jesus, referred to as the “last Adam” (verse 45) is stated to have been made a “quickening SPIRIT”! After the resurrection of the dead, at which time Jesus was said to have been “born anew” or “born from above” He became, once again, SPIRIT! When the Bible says He was a “quickening spirit,” it means He has the power to make alive! Now, what about us?

Paul says, ‘And as we have borne the image of the earthy [made in the image of our own physical parents], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly [finally be made in the spiritual image of our spiritual father!]. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God: neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

Study those words carefully! Can you understand them? If you can, you are now being given understanding that is not possessed by literally tens of thousands of ministers, and simply is not taught in many of the most prestigious churches! Yet the Bible plainly says that the time of our great CHANGE from human to spirit; from corruptible fleshly life to incorruptible spirit life comes only “at the last trump” which is precisely at the time of the second coming of Christ!

But of course! Did not you already read it? Notice again verse 23. “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits [He is the “firstborn” of many brethren!] AFTERWARD they that are Christ’s AT HIS COMING!”

So the Bible characterizes the instant of the resurrection of the dead – a great, global, tumultuous event to occur precisely at the time of the second coming of Christ, as “being born again”!

Obviously, this is distinctly different from the moment of repentance, at which time, if we sincerely repent, are baptized, and received the laying on of hands for the Holy Spirit, we are begotten as children of God! It is as different as the two moments in your own life involving your birth! There was a moment when you did not exist! You were merely “potential” life, within the bodies of your two parents. Then, at the moment of conception, “YOU” began to be! A few seconds previously, and you were merely a “potential” human being! But, following the very instant of conception, YOU, just the way you are, with your thinking, reasoning mind; your height, shape, weight, general texture and coloring of skin, hair and eyes, were predetermined by the indelible stamp of your father and mother’s own heredity, contained in the genes and chromosomes from their own bodies, gradually forming in the womb of your mother, until the time, approximately nine months later, when you were BORN!

The two events are obviously greatly different! Yet, they are closely related.

Believe it or not, this is a direct analogy to the process of repentance on the one hand, and being “born again” on the other! Could it be that millions of people who speak of “being born again” do not understand that what they really mean is that they believe they have repented, but are merely using incorrect terminology? Could it be that there is something far deeper, greater, more fabulously exciting and rewarding in their personal futures that they do not yet understand, because they have not known the whole truth on this vital subject?

After all, Jesus did tell Nicodemus “You must be born again!” Now, it is time to painstakingly study that most important part of scripture!

“Ye Must Be Born Again”

The first time in all history such strange words were ever uttered was when Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus, an educated man, a Pharisee, and a member of the Sanhedrin, knew the Old Testament scriptures. However, what Jesus said to him was totally outside his experience, or his education. Never in his life had he heard such a strange saying. To Nicodemus, there was no such thing as people “speaking with tongues,” or speaking about “being baptized by the Holy Ghost,” or “being born again.” Though such expressions are commonplace, particularly in the southeastern United States and in the colloquial phrases used by itinerant evangelists and others, you have to realize that the strange statement Jesus uttered was absolutely shocking, and brand-new to Nicodemus’ startled ears!

Nicodemus knew Jesus used the ward in Hebrew which meant “born.” It was the same word Jesus would have used if He had spoken of a “newborn colt” or a “newborn baby.” It was not a “different” word, connoting anything spiritual or extraphysical.

Therefore, Nicodemus answered exactly in kind. Since Jesus had spoken of birth, Nicodemus, completely mystified, retorted, “How can a man be born when he is OLD? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John 3:4).

Now, let’s pause a moment and ask ourselves, how would YOU have answered Nicodemus? Let’s suppose you are one of the millions of people who believe you have been “born again.” If so, how would you respond to Nicodemus’ obvious puzzlement? Millions would probably tell Nicodemus he must “believe on Jesus Christ of Nazareth as personal Savior – call upon Him for the forgiveness of sins, and, upon receiving the Holy Spirit, he must be “baptized” by the power of the “Holy Ghost”! Many, particularly those in the “charismatic” movements would go on to explain that there must be “evidence” of the baptism of the Holy Ghost by speaking in tongues!

You and I both know there are literally hundreds of “Pentecostal” preachers and ministers who would explain it that way!

But how did JESUS explain it?

Read it, in your own Bible!

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:5-13).

I have included here about half of the lengthy first-person quotation from Jesus Christ to Nicodemus, which includes the “favorite scripture” of millions, John 3:16!

But did you grasp it? Did you understand it?

We shall see.

Were You Born of the Flesh?

How well I remember a conversation I had with a very cultured, genteel, elderly lady more than twenty years ago on this same subject! I’m sure she has long since died. She must have been in her late seventies or early eighties at the time: the widow of a Protestant minister who had preached standard Protestant doctrine as taught by one of the mainstream fundamentalist churches for more than fifty years. Deeply entrenched in this elderly lady’s mind was the commonplace understanding of the expression “born again.”

However, she had heard several of my radio programs, or perhaps seen the telecast; she had read some of the literature, and, during a visit to our offices, asked me for an explanation.

I read Jesus’ words from this passage very carefully, expounding every single word, and the meaning of each phrase. I explained. “Now then, Mrs. (I have long since forgotten her name, but shall call her Jones), you were born many years ago as a little baby, just as I was. My name is Armstrong. I am so named because my father and mother gave me life, by the process of begettal, and human birth. Today, as l am sitting here talking to you, it is obvious I am flesh”! I grasped one forearm with another, and explained to her that, if I nicked my face when I am shaving, I bleed. I explained that our human, physical and chemical existence is temporal, that we are sustained by the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the foods we eat. She and I both agreed that, as we sat there chatting about the scriptures, we were both HUMAN – both flesh!

“Fine,” I said. “Jesus said, That which is born of the flesh is flesh! So far, so good. We are both fleshly, and we have both been born into this human life from our mother’s womb, and we are FLESH!” “Now then,” I said. “Jesus said, That which is born of the spirit IS SPIRIT.” Looking at the lady, I said to her, “Now then, Mrs. Jones, it is obvious you are not yet spirit! That is, you have not yet been changed into a spirit being!” I explained how Jesus, after the resurrection, was able to materialize before the startled disciples, standing suddenly before them inside a stone building with securely locked doors! I explained how the Bible says “God is a spirit,” and how we read, in 1 Corinthians 15:50-52, that when we are changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” we are to BECOME composed of spirit!

I explained the vast and fathomless difference between a fleshly, human being; a creature with the same bloodstream and fleshly, chemical existence as any rabbit, cow, chicken or horse -and the fabulous, ETERNAL existence of the spirit members of the family of God!

I went on to expound, even as did Jesus to Nicodemus “The wind blows wherever it wants to, and you can hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from, or where it goes – so IS everyone that is born of the spirit” (John 3:8)!

After painstakingly explaining about how our physical eyes cannot see the molecules of air that surrounded us; how wind likened unto God’s Holy Spirit in the Bible, can be so powerful that hurricanes and tornados can tear down buildings, hurl cars and trucks about like matchsticks, and pack a powerful punch, I explained, as thoroughly as I knew how, the vast DIFFERENCE between that which is fleshly, and that which is spirit!

Feeling I had finally gotten through to this very sweet, elderly lady’s mind by carefully explaining exactly what Jesus meant, I finally asked, “Now then, Mrs. Jones, in the face of all this and what Jesus plainly said, have you yet been ‘born of the spirit’?”

”Oh, yes! Praise the Lord!” she said.

I wish someone could have taken a picture of the look of dumbfounded amazement that must have transfixed my face at that moment. Never have I felt so inadequate.

You see, to this dear lady, the idea was so absolutely FIXED in her mind: having been set in her memory for more than fifty years, that she was only “half listening” to what I was saying! She simply did not get it – she didn’t understand! Spiritually, she was BLIND!

But Nicodemus had not been subjected to fifty solid years of false teaching! Nicodemus, amazed, asked Jesus “How can these things be?” which resulted in Jesus saying, If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” (John 3:12).

You see, Jesus Christ was speaking of a total change from flesh to spirit; from human to divine!

The apostle Paul explained it thoroughly in the famous “resurrection chapter” of 1 Corinthians 15.

Read it again, particularly noticing what Jesus said about the kind of body we shall have in the resurrection!

”It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness: it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit [a spirit being – capable of giving life!]. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment. in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality [something we do not now have!]. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:35-54).

I have repeated here, for your careful perusal, one of the most important passages in all the Bible concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the meaning of “being born again”!

Can anything be plainer?

Just as I explained to the elderly lady, there is a kind of flesh that we human beings share with other air-breathing creatures! But our fleshly bodies are as different from spirit as the difference between the earth and the sun!

Paul said ”So also is the resurrection of the dead!” He said that we are buried in the ground as “a natural body,” but we are raised as a “spiritual body”!

He explained that the “last Adam” (meaning Jesus Christ) was “made a quickening spirit”! He went on to say that just as we are earthy, as our human physical parents were earthy, so shall we be “heavenly” as our heavenly Father is heavenly.

Now, can you understand verse 49? “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly”!

Did not John say the same thing when he said, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: But we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2)?

No, elderly Mrs. Jones simply did not understand! Doubtless, she was a genteel, cultured and sincere lady. But, because of literally decades of false teaching, she was spiritually blind! She didn’t know that she was spiritually blind – she thought she really understood! To her, the only response to my question “Have you been born again?” was her natural response “Oh yes, praise the Lord!”

She did not understand, just as millions of others do not understand that the experience which they CALL “being born again” is really the experience of repentance; and that Jesus Christ meant something far deeper, far greater, more profound – that He meant we are, eventually, to be BORN OF GOD by a resurrection just as He, Christ, was!

That’s why He is called the “firstborn among many brethren,” and the “firstfruits of them that slept”!

Jesus Christ was “born again”! That doesn’t mean He had to “repent,” for He lived a flawless, sinless and perfect life! But He did die for our sins, and He was resurrected! When He was resurrected, He was changed into SPIRIT!

He was no longer physical, fleshly. When He manifested Himself to the startled disciples behind closed doors, He was able to identify Himself as having the same “body” by the miraculous power of God, but He was also able to instantly disappear by transforming Himself into spiritual essence and simply disappearing from their sight INSTANTLY, even through solid stone walls!

Jesus used the analogy of wind as something which has power, which can set up a noise, and which yet is invisible. He said, “So is every one that is born of the spirit!”

Of course! When we are changed instantaneously at the final trump, at the moment of the arrival of Jesus Christ to this earth, whether we are living, or dead, we will instantly be changed INTO spirit!

We will then be born of God BY A RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD!

What a tragedy it is that, though millions have been led to the place where they wanted to “be born again,” meaning they wanted to change their lives; to give themselves to God; to repent of their sins, and to receive Jesus Christ as personal Savior – they were able to go only PART WAY with that process for the simple reason that they were blindly following blind leaders who simply could not tell them the whole truth! And why not? Because those blind leaders did not KNOW the truth about repentance! They did not know what sin is! They did not know the real truth about water baptism and its deep symbolism; about the laying on of hands for the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit; about the real meaning of being BORN AGAIN!

The Greek word for “born” is gennao. It means, according to the exhaustive concordances, “to bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring forth.”

Notice that there is only one Greek word connoting both the words “to beget” (conceive), and “born.”

Only by understanding the context can one determine which way the Greek word gennao should be translated into the English. Actually, Christians should speak of having been “begotten of the Holy Spirit,” as a new child of God – but not yet BORN of God – if they knew what Jesus really meant by “Ye must be born again.”

“Begotten, But Not Yet Born”

We all know what is meant by conception. It is the moment when a male sperm unites with the female egg in the womb, causing the beginning of a new human life.

At that precise moment, a moment which took place in all our lives, a completely new, totally individual human life has begun! The pattern in the genes is set; the sex is decided, and the general height, shape, skin color and texture, color of eyes and hair – all is set, predetermined by the combined hereditary traits of mother and father.

But the newly-begotten life is not yet BORN. Today, as millions fight against legal abortion, they point out that such a life, though conveniently called a “fetus” and not a “child” is a HUMAN LIFE!

The analogy between human begettal and birth and spiritual begettal and birth is clear.

God is the Architect of our bodies. It is He who “made them male and female” (Genesis 1:26, 27). God is the Great Designer of the human reproductive cycle.

Just as the Creator designed our human, physical bodies so they are capable of reproducing after their own kind, so is GOD REPRODUCING AFTER HIS OWN KIND!

He BEGETS US with the power of His Spirit! We then become a “new creature” in Christ – a “new creation.” We are, in the innermost being, as enlivened by the begettal of God’s Spirit, a NEW SPIRIT LIFE gradually being formed!

We are begotten, but not yet BORN!

Follow the logical analogy further: Just as the tiny human life, in embryonic form, must be nurtured and fed by the mother’s body; just as it is protected in the womb, so must the newly-begotten Christian; the newly-begotten spiritual life be nurtured and fed in the body of the “mother,” which is the spiritual organism called the Church!

Finally, after years of overcoming; of patience, faith, trials and tests; years of serving, sharing, giving – years of allowing God’s ways to supplant OUR ways; of allowing our Heavenly Father, through the power of His Spirit to RULE our lives – we come to maturity; to the point of BIRTH into His own family!

That is why Christ is called the “Firstborn among many brethren”!

Finally, at the resurrection, or at the moment of His coming, if we are “alive and remain”

(1 Corinthians 15:50-52), we shall be CHANGED! We will then be BORN OF GOD by a CHANGE from human to spirit; from physical to spiritual; from a mortal being to an immortal being!

Then, and ONLY then, shall we be “BORN AGAIN”!

Finally, if you and I were sitting down to discuss the statement Jesus made to Nicodemus, and I painstakingly went through the same scriptures as I did with elderly Mrs. Jones, after explaining, carefully, each word Jesus spoke, and I asked YOU, “Now then, (substitute your name), have YOU been born again?” What would your answer be?

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This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

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The post Just What Do You Mean…”Born Again”? first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

It’s time you saw the answer to all this from your own BIBLE.

Does it really matter whether you go to a church or not? Do you need to “belong” to a church to be saved?

Any number have boasted, “I am not a churchgoing person, but I know I am as good or better than many of the so-called Christians I see going to church.”

Others are convinced it is only by “having their letter” in a church – having their names on the church rolls, taking their families and going regularly, dutifully every Sunday to church – that they can be saved.

Are you one of these? When the church bells toll on Sunday morning, or when you see other people going by dressed “in their Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes,” does it nag at you with a twinge of guilt, make you wonder whether you should “be in church”?

We are all familiar with the great evangelistic campaigns. Famous evangelists command audiences up into the tens of thousands at huge outdoor football stadiums and arenas – all of this carefully prepared and rehearsed months and months before the event.

Usually, dozens of local church congregations take part, sparking membership drives, donating countless hours of time, contributing members for a massive choir, and enthusiastically involve themselves in a campaign to ensure the visiting evangelist has a tremendous turnout.

The ostensible reason behind much of this is to reach the “unchurched.”

On many such occasions, a spirit of ecumenism prevails.

After a fervent appeal to “come forward,” the penitent who have been moved by the evangelist’s sermon are then directed to any number of “counselors,” who are wearing name tags, representing this or that local church. The people are urged to “go to a church of your choice!” When one reads the Saturday church page or church directories, one frequently sees the invitation, “Come worship with us.”

In the thinking of many millions of churchgoing, professing Christians, it is as if there are “many routes” to “heaven,” which they imagine is the reward of the saved. The only considerations may be the location of the church, the size of the choir, the ability of the preacher, the parking lot, the organist, the soloist, or perhaps where members of their own family and/or friends attend.

Millions of churchgoing professing Christians are utterly ignorant of the true doctrines of the church they attend. For that matter, many a pastor may not be all that skilled in the intricate doctrines that form the basis of his denomination.

One could go to Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Congregationalist or other denominational churches and hear their sermons, and yet be struck by the marked similarity of the fare they hear.

That’s because most church messages tend to be on “neutral subjects,” do not necessarily rebuke, exhort or admonish the congregations, and tend to stay away from strong, hard, doctrinal truths and real “meat” of the doctrinal beliefs of that church.

Isn’t it time you understood what is a church, where God’s church really is, what that church is like, what it is supposed to do, and how you can get into it?

“Church” – Just What Is It?

Most would answer “a building,” or “a denomination of believers,” or a “religious organization.”

Gradually, over the years, the original Greek word “ekklesia,” which meant “called-out ones,” has changed in meaning to become a building in which people meet!

Actually, the Greek word means a collective group of individuals who are called out from this present evil world by the process of repentance, conversion, water baptism, and the laying on of hands for the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit.

Jesus promised us, “I will build My church”! (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus said He would remain the living HEAD of that church; governing and ruling over that church in loving kindness, mercy, boundless forgiveness and tender care. He promised, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

Jesus Christ made it very clear He would NEVER leave the governing and headship of that church to any man!

Notice Jesus said He would build His church! He did not promise He would build a church named after a particular form of church government; after the day of the week the church kept; after a female prophetess, after the practice of “speaking in tongues,” or after John the Baptist, or any other individual, method, mode of baptism or religious-sounding jargon.

If you count up the number of times the true Church of God is mentioned in the New Testament, you will see the expression “Church of God” far outnumbers the other descriptions of the group of called-out ones who formed the early church.

The name of the true Church of God is just that: “the Church of God”! Sometimes different appellatives were added before or after, which were merely descriptions of a particular local congregation such as “the church which is in their home,” or “the Church of God which is at Corinth.” However, the main term which is used most often in Holy Scriptures, giving us positive proof of the name God ordained, is always “the Church of God.”

What really is that church?

By analogy, it is called “the body of Christ,” “the bride of Christ,” “His wife,” and by many other terms.

The following analogies are used of the church: a “little flock,” “the diaspora” (those of the dispersion, or “scattered ones”), “pilgrims,” “sojourners,” “the house of God,” “God’s temple,” “Christ’s body” and various other descriptive analogies.

An analogy is not the TRUTH. It is an illustrative story designed to help one understand a certain truth, but quickly break down, and so are not always applicable in every point. It is very clear that the true Church of God is spoken of as “one body.”

Notice! “There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

However, remember that the church is spoken of as a scattered group of “called-out ones,” individuals, in whom is the Holy Spirit of God.

Please bear in mind the question of as to whether Ephesians 4 is trying to tell us that only one incorporation of man, a political entity sanctioned by a materialistic state government, can be the “one body” of Jesus Christ, or whether this expression is to be taken spiritually, meaning there is only one collected SPIRITUAL body, but composed of sometimes scattered, persecuted individuals who are called, collectively, “the body of Christ.”

There are those who trade on this scripture, trying to use it to justify a closed church, or a closed system of government, or an exclusive organization of men to which you must give your fealty and loyalty, saying the only door to the Kingdom of God is by “belonging to” that organization!

This is blasphemous on its face, and flies directly in the face of Jesus’ statement that there is “no other name given under heaven” whereby men may be saved and that HE, only, is the “door of the sheepfold” and that any man trying to steal in by any other method is a robber and an intruder.

It is just not possible to “incorporate” the totality of the body of Jesus Christ in its true spiritual meaning!

An Evangelistic Association

Believe it or not, the early apostles would have been thunderstruck and dumbfounded if they could have entered a time machine and been plummeted forward to this modern 20th century to be taken on a tour of a Bible Belt city and to have seen dozens of buildings, representing dozens of different congregations and organizations, all purporting to be “the church.”

Why? Because Jesus Christ did not tell them to build different churches, but gave to them the GREAT COMMISSION: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature!” He told them, “You shall be witnesses unto Me, both in Jerusalem, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.”

Luke 24:47 gives a very succinct summarization of the “GREAT COMMISSION.” Notice they were to be witnesses unto Him – HIS NAME was to be primary!

They were to go, preaching a message of repentance (Matthew 4:17, Luke 13:3, 5, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) and commanding people to come out of sin (Revelation 18:4), and be baptized in water (Acts 2:38, Romans 6) for the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit!

They were also to give powerful warning (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) of the terrifying and troublous times that lay just ahead, crying out, “Watch and pray always that you might be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36).

The purpose for which the church was commissioned was to preach the gospel. It only began to dawn on the early apostles that they lacked certain organizational patterns when it became noticed (Acts 6) that the widows were being neglected in “the daily ministration.” At that time, only after this neglect had been brought to their attention, the apostles had to solve the problem by ordaining deacons to serve the physical needs of the growing congregations.

How tragic and ironic it is that, as the centuries have passed, this organization of seeing to the physical needs and creature comforts of human beings has tended to supersede and completely blot out the primary purpose for the calling and commissioning of the church in the first place!

Today, one sees great, moneyed organizations of men, with elaborately intricate and detailed liturgical services, special organizations within the organization, plenty of “rank consciousness” and political structure, like a giant bureau of a huge government, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the scattered group of persecuted, spirit-led, preaching and witnessing apostles who went about “always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,” and who said, “We ought to obey God rather than men,” and who preached powerfully of the person, the death, burial and resurrection and the second coming of Jesus Christ, even in the face of threats to their lives – and martyrdom!

The early church was a group of absolute equals (12 of them) who were organized for the purpose of preaching the gospel.

As such, that first-century fledgling group far more resembled an “evangelistic association,” a group of people who were associated together by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of preaching the gospel, than it did “a church” in the modern sense of the word.

Where is the true church today? Jesus Christ built His church – just as He promised He would. There are many proofs as to where that church is, what it is doing, how one may enter into that church, and how it can be recognized.

First, let’s follow the simple process of elimination.

The only recognized Bible name of the church is “the Church of God.” Presto! In looking over the handbook of denominations, one can safely eliminate literally hundreds of denominations and organizations which do not have that name.

Next, look at the body of beliefs, identifying signs and important scriptural truths surrounding that church.

1. Jesus Christ, not any man or organization of men, would continue to be its spiritual Head!

2. That church would be organized and governed exactly as Jesus Christ said to His disciples. He explained how the kings and potentates of the gentile nations enjoyed “lording it over them,” and said, “It shall not be so among you”! Jesus went on to explain that those who would be “the greatest” should become the servants of all. In the true Church of God, one will not find rule by fear; threats, coercion, hatred, strife, the wielding of frightening power over private, individual lives.

3. The true church will be preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a warning/witness to the world! Read Luke 24:47. That gospel, while it is the message of the soon-coming, world-ruling government of God; a message about the governing, ruling family of God, into which governing, ruling family we must be born, is nevertheless a message which must never OMIT THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!

That true church will never be ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ – not ashamed of His name before government leaders, kings, presidents, premiers, people of any stature, great or small, rich or poor, Jew or gentile!

4. The true church will understand the truth about the weekly Sabbath! It will also understand the truth about God’s annual Holy Days.

5. The true church will understand the truth about the pagan holidays of this world.

6. It will understand the truth about the false doctrines of the pagan churches, including the false doctrines of the rapture, an ever-burning hell, the Trinity and dozens of others.

7. The true church will have, safely intact, the body of doctrine Jesus Christ of Nazareth Himself delivered. It will be striving to “get hack to the faith once delivered to the saints,” by recapturing the true understanding as well as the spirit of the early New Testament church!

8. It will he structured as closely to the structure of the early apostles as possible – meaning a sense of teamwork, of absolute equality among apostles, and an open, friendly spirit of give and take in doctrinal and procedural discussions (see Acts 15).

9. That church will be humble, led of the spirit of Jesus Christ which is “goodness, mercy, forgiveness and faith,” and will be striving to emulate Jesus Christ the Lord.

There are hundreds of identifying marks one may wish to apply to the true church. Every doctrine, small or great, could be applied – as could the attributes of the Holy Spirit of God, of “love, joy and peace,” and most especially the absence of hatred, rancor, avarice, cunning, greed, politics, party spirit, strife, brute force, cruelty, and a hierarchy attempting to carry out the punishments for sin. Such would be pharisaical, cultic and not of the true Church of God!

Now, following your process of elimination, how many churches do you have left who fit the foregoing description?

It is not for any one organization to boast that it, and it only, is “the true church,” for history proves that there have been scattered individuals, as well as contemporary groups, which have existed side by side, whose members have both been converted, spirit-led, baptized members of “that one body,” which is the body of Jesus Christ!

It is impossible to “incorporate” on a legal piece of paper filed away in a secretary’s file in the office of the secretary of state in some state capital the very body of Jesus Christ!

The true Church of God is a spiritual organism, and is a body you cannot join.

No. God must put you into it by giving you a calling, granting you repentance, baptism, the laying on of hands and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. God then inducts you into that true church.

On the Day of Pentecost in 31 A.D., Peter preached a powerful sermon about repentance. The people answered, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).

Peter, unlike many modern evangelicals, did not say, “See a counselor, or join the church of your choice,” but told them, instead, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

And then what happened? They became members of the Church of God by being baptized into that one body!

“By one spirit are we all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Remember! You cannot be in the Kingdom of God without having received the Holy Spirit of God! God will only give that Spirit to those who are willing to obey Him! (Acts 5:32). ‘When you receive the Spirit of God you are receiving the spirit of a sound, sane mind (2 Timothy 1:6,7), which is the very mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5) and you are then “added to the church” because God says you are among those who “should be saved” (Acts 2:47).

Notice how it was done. Following that early experience at Pentecost, “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women” (Acts 5:14).

Make no mistake! No one can arbitrarily “join” the true Church of God. Jesus Christ says expressly, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

Yet, this does not mean Jesus does not want to call you – does not mean He is being exclusivist or restrictive – for He also said, “Come unto Me all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” and He also said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

If you are one who has been repentant of your personal sins, meaning the transgressing of God’s holy law (1 John 3:4), then Jesus Christ tells you to be baptized (Acts 2:38, Romans 6) and have an authorized representative of God’s true church lay hands on you for the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit.

From that time on, you need no membership identification card, no “letter” sent to and kept in church files, and no material, man-made recognition whatever. From that time on, you are automatically inducted into the “one body of Jesus Christ,” which is the true Church of God!

That true Church of God will be zealously attempting to do the work of God!

It will be preaching the same gospel Jesus Christ of Nazareth gave to the disciples. It will be a church in which is found the Spirit of God; the spirit of brotherly love, harmony, forgiveness, kindness, goodness, meekness, gentleness, faith and understanding.

It will probably be quite small, perhaps looked upon as weak and ineffective, even persecuted, widely scattered, and will not be a vast organization of this world!

Yet it will be “rich in faith,” crying out daily to Almighty God for every need.

If you have repented, been baptized and received the Holy Spirit of God – if you know and understand what sin is, have repented of all those sins, and cry out to Jesus Christ as a daily High Priest making intercession for you if you stumble and sin as a Christian, and if you are zealously, eagerly and enthusiastically supportive of the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a last-minute witness and warning to a dying, sin-sick world – then you are a member of the true Church of God!

If you are not, you should be!

You may copy and distribute this information only to friends and family without changes, without charge and with full credit given to the author and publisher. You may not publish it for general audiences.

This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

The activities of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association are paid for by tithes, offerings and donations freely given by Christians and co-workers who are dedicated to preaching the gospel according to Jesus Christ.

The post Must You be a “Member” of a CHURCH to be Saved? first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

This powerful scripture, together with Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” has been one of the most potent “proof texts” concerning what is repentance, and what is human nature!

Is complete revulsion toward self; utter loathing of one’s self what Job experienced?

Is it a sin to have even the slightest amount of self-respect, self-confidence, self-love? Does human nature contain a part of Satan’s nature?

“REPENT!” Surely this has been the single most important word at the conclusion of countless thousands of sermons.

Jesus said, “REPENT, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 4:17). John the Baptist cried, “Repent ye: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2), and Peter said, at the conclusion of his famous sermon on the Day of Pentecost, “. . . Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

“Repent” means to “feel sorry or self-reproachful for what one has done or failed to do; be conscience-stricken or contrite, or to feel such regret or dissatisfaction over some past action, intention or thought as to change one’s mind.”

A third dictionary definition is “to feel so contrite over one’s sins as to change, or decide to change, one’s way; be penitent.”

The Bible gives outstanding examples of what repentance wrought in the lives of men. When Job finally saw through his self-righteousness and repented, he used the famous words, “Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes”! David’s famous Psalm of repentance (Psalm 51) is a particularly heartrending example of self-deprecation, sorrow, contrition and humble prayer to God for forgiveness.

The apostle Paul became the writer of 14 books of the Bible, one of the most famous of all the apostles and the man to whom we are indebted for a great share of the New Testament of the Word of God, due to the miraculous CHANGE wrought in his character after repentance, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit!

Paul never abandoned the subject of that miraculous change, flavoring his sermons and his writings liberally with the fact that where, formerly, he had been “Saul the destroyer,” hailing terrified men and women into prison, persecuting “that way” of God, now he had been completely converted, and was preaching the name of the very Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom he had formerly hated.

Paul referred to himself as “not fit to be an apostle,” as “chief among sinners,” and said, on one occasion, “O wretched man that I am”! (Romans 7:24).

Repent of WHAT?

The apostle Paul said that, upon repentance, one was to be baptized “for the remission of SINS . . .” Surely the simplest Bible definition of sin is found in 1 John 3:4: “.. . Sin is the transgression of the law.”

However, remember that Jesus Christ came to “magnify the law and make it honorable.” He did magnify the Ten Commandments of God by His entire life’s work, teaching and example. The most outstanding evidence of this is in the beautiful and moving “sermon on the mount,” found in Matthew 5,6 and 7. Here, again and again, Christ illustrates the vast difference between the technical “letter of the law” (thou shalt not kill) and MAGNIFIES God’s law by showing that whereas it was formerly a sin to murder, now it is a sin of equal gravity to HATE your brother!

Time and time again, Jesus Christ lifts the law of God to an exalted plane of spiritual applicability.

Where formerly the deed was that which constituted sin, now the lust for the deed, or the THOUGHT of the deed, constitutes sin!

Clearly, when one repents, one must feel, deeply, sorrow and contrition over having broken the many tenets and ramifications of God’s law! It must be a far more profound repentance than the human sorrow directed inward as SELF-PITY! (2 Corinthians 7:10).

However, the word “repent” does not deal only with the past. It does not mean merely to repent of past sins, but connotes the heartfelt desire and determination to CHANGE.

It is a twofold decision.

It is an emotional feeling of disgust directed toward oneself over past acts and thoughts, and it is a careful, fully considered, intelligent CHOICE to quit sinning—in the FUTURE. As such, it is obvious that repentance has everything to do with human nature.

Just What IS Human Nature?

Your Bible says Jesus Christ was human.

But did He have what we commonly call “human nature”?

IF human nature contains, in any small measure, a part of the“nature of Satan,” as some have assumed, the question above takes on the gravest significance.

Let’s begin at the beginning.

When God placed the first man and woman on this earth, He made them in His exact physical image, and He breathed into their nostrils and lungs the breath of life.

They became living, breathing creatures (nephesh, in the Hebrew), and they had human nature.

They were completely neutral toward God. God walked and talked with them, and they evinced no fear, but willingly and cheerfully listened to His instructions.

The Bible does not tell us how many hours of conversation ensued, but it was sufficient following the creation of man on the sixth day and that first Sabbath day during creation week that it could have constituted far more than 24 hours of repeated contact with God.

Eventually, perhaps on the very next day (was it the very first “Sunday”?), Satan the devil entered the scene.

In their blithe innocence, the man and woman (the woman taking the lead) listened, willingly, to the voice of Satan, who appeared as a serpentine (dragon-like, standing upright) creature.

He subtly began implying that God had withheld vital knowledge from them. In effect, he called God a liar.

He asked them leading questions, and began appealing to their sense of vanity; to human lust and appetite.

Especially he attempted to appeal to intellect, subtly implying that God was withholding vital secrets, piquant and interesting information, and that God “knew better” than what He had said!

Desiring this new knowledge (illustrated by the fruit of the forbidden tree), Eve ate, gave to her husband, and he followed her in original sin!

Now notice the shocking change.

Prior to this time, the original couple had been completely “neutral” toward God. They were not in terror of Him; did not find His presence or His voice foreboding, threatening or frightening. Adam cheerfully named all the animals and creatures as God caused them to pass before him, and the two of them listened to His instructions with equanimity. They were unaware of shame, or fear, or guilt. Though naked, they were unembarrassed.

Now, following original sin, a TREMENDOUS CHANGE had been wrought!

But was this a CHANGE in the nature of MAN? Or was it a change in man’s relationship to God? We shall see!

Your Bible says, “The carnal mind is enmity against God; it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”! (Romans 8:7).

Now, when God called out to Adam and Eve, He found them hiding, fearful of His presence, ashamed of their nakedness (they had made “aprons” out of large leaves) and their timorous reply seems to contain a partial spirit of accusation. They heard His voice, they were afraid and, therefore, they hid themselves.

Like naughty children, each attempted to absolve himself of blame. Adam pointed to Eve, Eve pointed to the serpent, and each attempted to point the finger of guilt away from himself.

Is any story of the Bible more familiar than that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?

Yet how misunderstood is this account of original sin!

That it was SIN they committed we are sure!

For example: They disobeyed their only Parent, therefore breaking the Fifth Commandment; they reached out and stole that which was not theirs to take, breaking the Eighth Commandment; they lusted and coveted, thus breaking the Tenth Commandment; and they allowed Satan the devil to become their final authority, allowed him to stand in place of God, and therefore broke the First Commandment!

Of course, if you break even one point of the law of God, you are guilty of all! (James 2:10).,

But what about human nature PRIOR to the encounter with Satan in the Garden of Eden?

Many thousands have been taught that human nature contains a part of Satan’s nature.

The teaching goes something like this: “We know that Satan is the god of this world [2 Corinthians 4:4 ]. He is also called the ‘prince of the power of the air…’” (Ephesians 2:2).

“Satan somehow ‘broadcasts’ his evil spirit and nature, his mind and his thoughts and attitudes through the air.

“Since all of us human beings breath in this air; since we are surrounded at all times by an envelope of air as a part of the physical sphere (atmosphere) of this earth, it is obvious that we live, move and breath in Satan’s world.

“Human nature, therefore, contains a part of the very nature of Satan the devil!”

There may be far greater elaborations on this teaching, but, in a nutshell, that is the essence of it.

But is it true?

Can it be proved from the Bible?

It is absolutely essential for you to realize one vital TRUTHconcerning Satan the devil!

One Satan, in One Place, at One Time!

From the very beginning of the Bible it is clear that Satan the devil can only be in one place at one time!

Immediately, at the end of creation week, we see Satan the devil physically manifesting himself in serpentine form to Adam and Eve, in his desperate attempt to wreck and destroy God’s creation!

When we study Isaiah 14 with Ezekiel 28, and come to understand that the world was created in total, flawless perfection; that there was an original “Star Wars” billions of years prior to the creation week of Genesis the first chapter, we can also understand how Satan was once a great archangel who ruled over this earth!

The aforementioned scriptures, together with others, prove that Satan was one of the three angels of “archangel” rank! There are only three angels of this supreme rank who are at the level of “cherubs” who are mentioned by name.

They are Lucifer (who became Satan), Michael and Gabriel.

Apparently (Revelation 12:4), each one of these great angelic beings was placed over one third of the angels.

Satan rebelled against God (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28) and literally attempted to overthrow the Creator, exalting his (Satan’s) throne above the throne of God!

The original, flawless creation was NOT created in chaos and confusion (Isaiah 45:18). Yet, when we are ushered upon the scene in the second verse of Genesis, the very first chapter, we find that the earth had become totally “tohu and bohu” (Hebrew words meaning “chaotic, vain, empty, waste, confused”).

Now, as we witness the end of what is truly a “recreation,” we see Satan the devil standing immediately at the center of events, attempting once more to destroy God’s greatest creation, man. Satan was personally present—in one place at one time—in Eden.

Now turn to and read segments of the first and second chapters of Job.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God [angels] came to present themselves before the Eternal, and Satan came also among them.

“And the Eternal said unto Satan, whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Eternal, and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” (Job 1:6, 7).

Now notice chapter 2: “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Eternal, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Eternal.

“And the Eternal said unto Satan, hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? And still he holdest fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause” (Job 2:1-3).

These scriptures absolutely prove that Satan the devil is in oneplace, at one time!

The concept outlined earlier concerning Satan being able to “broadcast” via the “air” is absolutely false.

This concept assumes that Satan the devil has a counterfeit” of the very Spirit of God! In other words, it assumes that Satan is able to project his mind and his power; that he is able to emit “thought waves” or, through some powerful spiritual means, such as the invisible waves of radio or television in the air, project his mind, his influence and his power in all directions away from himself!

This is Simply NOT TRUE!

You will see this clearly proved, once and for all!

Notice that Satan had to go from the presence of God back down to earth, and to be instantly and immediately in the vicinity of Job in order to wreak his terrible afflictions upon him. He could not will this to happen from afar.

Now turn to and read the fourth chapter of Matthew.

Here you find Satan once again literally, “physically” (for he manifested himself so he could be seen) present with Jesus Christ at the end of Christ’s 40-day fast!

Satan was no doubt literally present with Herod when he attempted to have Jesus slain by killing all of the newborn children in Judea about one year from the time of Jesus’ birth!

In Revelation the 12th chapter, you see two attempts of Satan the devil to mount up an offensive against God in heaven!

On both occasions, Satan the devil is cast down to the earth!

Read James 4:7! This scripture plainly tells you that, if you are close to God; if you have the presence of God’s Holy Spirit within you; you can by the name and the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth “resist the devil and he will FLEE FROM you”! He will be no more in your immediate vicinity.

You need not fear the false concept that Satan the devil is able to “broadcast” through some strange “spiritual brain waves his evil nature and his evil temptations through the air!

Human nature, believe it or not, is a mixture of good and evil!

Yes, though some refuse to admit it, there is some GOOD mixed with a very unhealthy amount of evil within human nature!

On the other hand, David said, “There is none good, no not one,” and Jesus Christ said to the young nobleman, “Why callest thou me good?” (Matthew 19:17).

Did this mean that Jesus was “bad“?

The Greek word which is used in Matthew 19:17 is “agathos.” The root “aga” is used for 16 different Greek words, including the word “agape,” which is the most common word used in the New Testament for love.

Examples are “agathoergeon” (to work good, or do good), “agathopoiia” (well-doing, virtue), “agalliasis” (exultation; gladness, exceeding joy).

The word Jesus used which is translated “good” means nothing more than any other common English expression such as “It is a good day”; “this is good food”; “He is a good boy”; or “I had a good time.”

However, by its emphasis and its position in the sentence, it is obvious Jesus is using the word “good” in its superlative form!

In English we say something is “good, better, best.” “Best” is the superlative, and the other two are relative terms.

In Jesus’ usage, He is insisting that only God is “good,” meaning wholly good, completely good, thoroughly good, on an exalted, spiritual, holy level!

Here He is contrasting Himself in human form, as a humanbeing, with human limitations and a human, physical lifespan, with the eternal glories of GOD!

His disclaimer was not false humility.

This does not mean we, in this age, or the disciples who knew Jesus personally should not have referred to Him as good!

For, not only was He “good,” He was PERFECT!

As you well know, the word “good” is capable of many subtle shadings of meanings; becomes a completely relative term in judging the value, beauty, purity, efficacy or qualities of some word, deed, thought, object or person.

Jesus is not saying there was nothing good about Him; that there was “no good thing” within Him, and was most certainly not saying that He was “bad”!

Jesus was human. He was “. . . in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. . . ” (Hebrews 4:15).

Must We Feel Utter Revulsion Toward Ourselves?

Probably you are familiar with a few of the following scriptures: “. . . Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity! (Psalms 39:5).

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked [sick]: who can know it? I the Eternal; search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9, 10).

“The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good … every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalms 53:1-3).

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 7:18).

And, finally, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24).

Many a powerful sermon has been preached using these and other scriptures as “proof texts” concerning the horrible EVIL, to be found in human nature!

The enormity of sin; the utter depravity, brutality, mercilessness, savagery and bitter cynicism and hypocrisy of human nature has been poignantly illustrated.

Certainly a sermon buttressed by the aforementioned scriptures, together with a liberal number of examples of child abuse, theft, sexual perversions, arson and murder, plus references to the holocaust perpetrated against the Jews by Adolf Hitler and his gang, would be sufficient to convince many an audience of the abysmal depths to which humankind has sunk.

But is it a “sin” for one to have even the slightest amount of SELF-confidence, self-awareness, self-appreciation or love toward oneself

When Job said, “Wherefore I abhor myself,” did he imply a life-long exercise of daily abhorrence, utter rejection, hatred, denial and feelings of repulsion toward himself?

Or was his feeling more a temporary one, seeing himself, for the first time, in glaring comparison with the greatness and divinity of God; seeing his self– will; his SELF-righteousness and, temporarily, being thoroughly DISGUSTED with himself, which could then become replaced with feelings of self-satisfaction and a growing and gradual feeling of self-worth and value?

Is there, after all, nothing good whatsoever in human nature?

Is human nature WHOLLY EVIL,?

Why Did God Call it GOOD?

On the evening of the sixth day of creation (RE-CREATION, actually) “…God saw everything that He had made [ including Adam and Eve ], and, behold, it was VERY GOOD”!

Genesis 1:27 refers to the creation of Adam and Eve, and we are given a few more details in the second chapter.

“And the Eternal God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”(Hebrew nephesh) (Genesis 2:7).

Notice especially Genesis 2:25: “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

WHY does God tell us this?

First He tells us that He, the member of the God family whobecame Jesus Christ (read John 1 and Hebrews 1) formed the “clay model” out of the mud of this earth—shaping, modeling, sculpting, if you will, a human form, as if a replica of Almighty God Himself!

Was this good? Is there anything “evil” or “satanic” about the human physiological aspect?

No, God beheld His creation and said that it is “very good”! No doubt Adam and Eve were given human bodies! They were created flawless, for they were the only human beings from that time to this who were created directly out of the ground by the very hands of God!

Could there have been the slightest flaw, imperfection, error or deformity in these two perfect human beings?

Was there something about their bodies which was inherentlyevil?

No! Not only does God tell us His creation was “very good,” but we are given the further information that the minds of Adam and Eve were completely innocent, happily and contentedly neutral toward God (without any fear, hostility or antagonism), and that, looking upon each other, though naked, they were completely without SHAME!

No GUILT was present!

No concept of ugliness, embarrassment or the feeling that they were in some way “exposed.”

By analogy, consider a tiny, sweet, innocent baby.

Do our little children, prior to the months and years we spend training them to keep their bodies clothed; reminding little girls of how they are expected to sit; how they should wear their skirts and dresses, the different manner in which a girl crosses her legs as compared to a boy; become embarrassed when we are changing their diapers, giving them a bath, or carrying them about without a stitch of clothing on their little bodies?

Naturally not. It has never entered their innocent little minds that their nakedness carries with it any shame.

In that sense, Adam and Eve were completely “childlike” in their innocence!

Like a trusting baby, they looked toward their only Father, God Almighty Himself, with wide-eyed innocence, trust, faith, love and without any feelings of fear, hostility or shame.

However, just as there lies buried deep within the subconsciousness of even the sweetest little child a capacity for anger, resentment, hostility, embarrassment, shame and guilt, so there was, inherently within Adam and Eve (for they were merely human, after all), the capacity for evil and fearful emotions and motives.

Notice that God forbade them to partake of a specific tree! It was not the tree of merely the knowledge of EVIL, but the tree of the knowledge of a MIXTURE of BOTH “good and evil”!

Few have noticed this, tending to place all the emphasis on the fact that they were forbidden to eat of the fruit; that it was a sin for them to do so; that this represented the “fall of man”; and that their natures became contaminated, and evil, as a result.

But notice!

The tree contained the knowledge of an admixture of TWO things!

It contained both GOOD and EVIL!

Notice what God said! “And the Eternal God said, ‘Behold, the man has become as one of us, to know GOOD and EVIL: and now, LEST he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’; therefore the Eternal God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden. . .” (Genesis 3:22, 23).

Notice that your Bible plainly says the Almighty Creator God KNOWS “both good and evil”!

Does God here say that Adam and Eve had become AS ONE OF US”!

What’s the difference?

God, in His flawless, divine perfection, though KNOWING what is evil; recognizing it instantly, knowing the glaring difference between good and evil, is nevertheless supreme, divine and of righteous character!

Almighty God has the character and the ability to CHOOSE the good; to reject the evil, and to RULE HIMSELF with a PERFECT divine control!

Was Satan “In the Air” Adam Breathed?

Remember the false teaching revealed earlier?

Some have assumed that, when our newborn babies gasp their first breath of air, they somehow imbibe a part of the very “nature of the devil,” since he is called the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2: 2).

What a hideous concept!

Consider! When the divine member of the God family (who became Jesus Christ and was manifested as a human being) had finished forming and shaping the first man out of the clay of this earth, He, that divine member of the God family, “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”! One pictures the process of artificial respiration; where, as later developments in first aid have proven it is most effective to place your mouth directly over the mouth of a victim who is no longer breathing and blow directly into the lungs of that person, thus inflating the lungs in the most direct and instantaneous fashion.

This method of “mouth-to-mouth resuscitation” has completely replaced the old method of pressure on the rib cage.

The “breath of life” which filled Adam’s lungs came directly from God!

One should tremble in fear to even THINK such a thing.

No, AFTER God had breathed the breath of life into Adam’s lungs, he beheld His creation and called it “very good.”

What About the Patriarchs and the Prophets?

Now, what about the famous patriarchs and prophets of the Bible? We are given the absolute guarantee, from Jesus Christ Himself, that they will be in the Kingdom of God!

Hebrews the 11^th chapter is a chronicle of the great faith of men from the time of Noah and Enoch to Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and a host of others including Samson, Jeptha, Barach and David!

Jesus said, “Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and you yourself cast out” to the Pharisees!

During the transfiguration, the startled eyes of Peter, James and John SAW Moses and Elijah in vision, as if they were already inside the Kingdom of God!

But, remember not ONE of these great men of the past were begotten with the Holy Spirit of God from the Father!

Jesus Christ of Nazareth is plainly called the “first ” begotten,” and the Bible says that He must have the “preeminence” in everything!

Prior to Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven, to sit at the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit from God the Father was NEVER available to humankind!

Yet David prayed, “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” How do you understand this? Notice! “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

“Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it [the Spirit of Christ] testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:10,11).

Few among this world’s churches know the simple truth that the God of the Old Testament was in fact, the Jesus Christ of the New! (1 Corinthians 10:4, John 1, Hebrews 1). The member of the divine family of God who created Adam, who spared Noah, and who wrote the Ten commandments with His own finger was that member of the Godhead who later “emptied Himself and became of no report” and was “made flesh and dwelled among us”! (Philippians 2:6-8; John 1:14).

The only God who had revealed Himself to the ancient world, including the patriarchs and the prophets, was that member of the divine family who later came to this earth to redeem His own creation in the person of Jesus Christ!

In some way different from the manner in which we may be “begotten” from the FATHER, that divine member of the Godhead placed His Spirit within men who dwelt thousands of years the other side of the first century A.D.

The apostle Paul makes it very clear that we cannot “question God”! (Romans 11:33-35). The manner in which Almighty God accomplishes His perfect work is not always going to conform with logical, easy-to-understand “analogies” or formulas of us limited, flawed, imperfect human beings.

However, the Bible makes it very clear that the Holy Spirit of God, the Father was Not available to mankind prior to PENTECOST!

What does this mean?

The obvious truth with which we are dealing has escaped the minds of God’s ministers—yes, even the leadership of the church—for decades!

Consider carefully!

We know that the righteous patriarchs, Enoch, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and a host of others are going to be in the Kingdom of God. Also, the Bible plainly tells us that David, a man after God’s own heart, will be in God’s Kingdom.

A part of the very foundation of God’s church consists of these righteous patriarchs and prophets of old (Ephesians 2:20). The Bible even goes to some pains to inform us that we, of this modern, end-time generation, have no preeminence above those ancient prophets and patriarchs! “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep) [the prophets, patriarchs and righteous saints of former years] that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep.

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (Ephesians 4:1:3-17).

Those who will be resurrected at the precise instant of the second coming of Christ include those ancient patriarchs and prophets!

But “how” will God do this? Have not many assumed that the only way that any person can enter into God’s Kingdom is through repentance, water- baptism, the laying on of hands and the receiving of the Holy Spirit?

But if the Holy Spirit was not available until Pentecost and thereafter; if none CAN be saved except through the name and by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ: then HOW can this be?

If we are to assume that, so long as we do not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God the Father we can have “NO GOOD THING” dwelling within us; if we assume that human nature contains a part of the “nature of SATAN,” and that there is “none that doeth good, no not one,” then HOW, by what process does Almighty God induct into His Kingdom these hundreds and thousands of men and women who lived and died long BEFORE the time of Christ?

Did Abraham Qualify for the Kingdom?

Notice what God said to Abraham!

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Eternal appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God [El Shaddai]; walk before me, and be thou perfect, and I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly…As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations”! (Genesis 17:1-3).

Earlier, God had said, “…Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1?.

And the Bible plainly says that he (Abraham) “…believed in the Eternal; and he counted it to him for righteousness“!(Genesis 15:6).

Later the apostle Paul cites this very scripture in Romans 4 verses 3, 9 and 22.

Abraham is called “the father of the FAITHFUL”!

Yet we know that Jesus Christ was the “first begotten” among all mankind! Jesus Christ was the “ONLY begotten” from the FATHER!

The question we must now ask is a profound one, and must be answered honestly, and scripturally, from the Bible.

Question: Is it possible to build righteous character as a mortal human being WITHOUT, having been begotten of God’s Holy Spirit?

The answer is a resounding, BIBLICALLY proved YES!

Let’s understand!

The personage of the Godhead who dealt with the patriarchs, the prophets and righteous men and women of old was the member of the God family who did the speaking to Abraham, and who calls Himself the great “I AM”; “El Shaddai,” “Yahveh Ropheka” (God our Healer), and by many, many other divine names and titles.

He became the “logos” of the New Testament! He was the one who did the commanding during the creation week!

He is VERY GOD!

Yet, when He “became flesh and dwelled among us,” He, Himself, revealed there is a Father-Son relationship between the two revealed members of the God family!

Jesus plainly said, “My Father is GREATER than I,” and said, “The Father that dwelleth in me, HE doeth the works”!

Jesus said He came to REVEAL (for the first time in all history) the Father!

He was the exact similitude; the “stamped impress,” or the exact likeness of the Father!

He said, “If ye have seen me, ye have seen the Father.” And yet He also said, “No man hath seen God at any time.”

Prior to His human birth, as a member of the very God family, Jesus Christ was the CREATOR!

Somehow, lodged in the minds of millions, is the false concept that the “God of the Old Testament” is the FATHER, while Jesus Christ is the member of the divine family with whom we are dealing in the New Testament!

This is NOT TRUE!

We ONLY know about the Father; we only know of His personality, His nature, His character, His greatness and His divine power, THROUGH and by the life, teaching and message of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

It was only through the death, burial and resurrection—and then the ascension—of Jesus Christ to heaven to SEND the “other comforter” (the Spirit of the FATHER) that humankind could have access to the divine nature (through the Holy Spirit) of the FATHER!

The “Us-Them” Syndrome

Unfortunately, a complete misunderstanding about what human nature IS; a misunderstanding about the “fall of man,” and, in some cases, even a misunderstanding about the subject Of CONVERSION, has led toward feelings of party spirit, exclusivity and a “siege mentality.”

Jesus Christ of Nazareth did not commission His true church to spread the message that “we are the ONLY ONES”! To the unconverted, constant claims of being “the only true church,” and constant swipes at other church organizations (“all others are of SATAN THE DEVIL!”), anger people; it causes them to stumble, insults them and turns them away from receiving the truth of God.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth commissioned His apostles to offerwholesale, universal REPENTANCE; to say to the world, “Come unto me YE THAT ARE WEARY AND HEAVY-LADEN, and I will give ye rest”; to say to the unbelieving, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel!” NOT to continually say, “YOU are of the devil and I am of God!”

Jesus did not preach a closed church; a closed gospel; a closed Kingdom, or even a closed divine Godhead!

Your Bible tells you that God is “not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance,” and strongly hints that the vast majority of all humankind will eventually be SAVED!

The Pharisees, during Jesus’ day, had sunk into narrowminded exclusivity!

Certainly they did not begin that way.

However, as the years passed, and the leadership of the Pharisees continued to add to their interminable “Good Housekeeping seal of approval” on each little human deed, thought and activity; as the Talmud grew, so their own concept of THEMSELVES, in contrast to the infidels, gentiles and unbelievers, also grew.

By the time Jesus informs us of the incredible hypocrisy of the Pharisees, we are brought face to face with the realization that the religious leaders who “sat in Moses’ seat” were nevertheless “binding grievous burdens, and heavy to be borne” and laying them on men’s shoulders! Christ called their doctrines “leaven,” and angrily denounced them as “a generation of vipers, and “hypocrites,” and “whited sepulchres”!

Why these indictments?

Simply because they had the outward appearance of true religion; they truly were the legal successors to Moses and “sat in Moses’ seat.” To them pertained the law, the prophets and the oracles of God.

Yet, for all that, they were human, carnal and corruptible.

Their continual racism; their downgrading of the unbelievers, infidels and gentiles; their haughty SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, led them into a narrowminded, cloistered religion of total exclusivity.

They became an “elite corps” of “insiders,” viewing with contempt and disdain all who were not of their own number.

Parading before each other, they enjoyed making the borders and embroidery of their priestly robes larger and larger; they reveled in insuring they had the “chief seats” at important public and religious meetings; and, though they preached an autocratic, unresilient, unloving, harsh and unforgiving religion, they themselves were far above the blood, sweat and tears they enjoined upon the common lay members, and would not “lift one of them with their fingers.”

Because of their egotistical exclusivity, they viewed Jesus Christ as a rebel; said He was “of Satan,” and even dared to blaspheme God by claiming the miracles the Father accomplished through Jesus Christ were accomplished by “Baalzebub, the prince of demons”!

Notice, in many confrontations with the Pharisees, how the Pharisees doted upon whether Jesus was “of God” or not! Their standard labels which they placed on every human being, organization, human act or thought was whether or not it was “of God” or “of the devil.”

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, their contemporary, did not take issue with the basic BODY OF BELIEF of the Pharisees! He plainly told His followers, “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not” (Matthew 23:3).

He had just said “the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. . .” and was plainly showing that, so long as their teachings conformed to the law and the prophets; so long as they taught within the broad framework of the law of Moses, then the people were required to obey!

BUT, though these were the legal successors to the priesthood dating from Moses’ time, when their own humanly devised doctrines, commandments, edicts and autocratic whims ran contrary to the broad parameters of the law of God, Jesus said His followers did not have to obey!

Think about some of the “Christians” you know.

Do they believe they must follow a human leader “NOMATTER WHAT”? Are they fearful, mistrusting, afraid of being overheard? Are they afraid of asking an “inappropriate” question? Are there quite a number of “taboos” enforced upon them involving personal and private choices?

Do they labor under any heavy burdens?

Do they view “strangers” with suspicion, and perhaps even a little bit of hostility? Are they easy to know; easy to be entreated, easy to be with?

Do they have an outgoing love toward those who are NOT members of their own group?

Or do you know of any “Christians” who have become so narrow in their exclusive, cloistered mentality that they recoil with a mixture of contempt and fear from any who are not of their own “inside” group?

Believe it or not, the spirit of the Pharisees is alive and well in entirely too many hearts today!

What of John the Baptist?

Remember, John the Baptist did not have the Holy Spirit fromGod the Father!

Jesus said, “John did no miracle,” and yet plainly said, “Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). Here Jesus contrasts even the greatest among human beings as decidedly inferior to even the “least” in the Kingdom of God!

He also said, “And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come” (Matthew 11:14).

John the Baptist fulfilled a typical ministry of “Elijah,” in preparing the way for the first coming of Jesus Christ! His was a great ministry. Andrew (Peter’s brother) and perhaps Peter himself were John’s disciples. John preached a message of repentance, and baptized hundreds and hundreds of individuals!

How do you understand the ministry of John the Baptist, since it preceded that of Jesus Christ; since it came before Pentecost, and since John the Baptist could not have had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God the Father? (He had the Holy Spirit from birth [Luke 1: 15], but, since Christ was the first-begotten from the FATHER, John could not have been “begotten,” spiritually, as was Christ.)

IF you take the narrow view that it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God prior to baptism and conversion; that there is “no good thing” in human, carnal nature PRIOR to conversion and the receiving of the Holy Spirit from God the Father, then you simply cannot understand any of the ancient patriarchs, prophets or righteous men and women being “saved” PRIOR,to the time of Jesus Christ!

Yet they WILL BE in the Kingdom of God!

How? It is not for us to insist that God accomplish His perfect will in ways and means which are “pleasing” to us! God warns us that the ax shall not boast itself against the hand that heweth therewith; that the saw cannot say to the arm that wields it, “What doest thou?” And Paul says some questions (such as “With what body are the dead raised?”) constitute foolish questions.

The point is, God says He WILL induct these righteous men and women into His Kingdom! Certainly, since it was that member of the Godhead who became Jesus Christ who dealt with them; since it is Christ who died for them as well as for that living generation and for us in this end-time generation; God can induct them into His Kingdom through and by the powerful name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth at the instant of the resurrection from the dead!

Just “how” God does this is perhaps not for us to inquire, nor to be concerned.

BUT, obviously, it was possible for these men and women to BUILD CHARACTER, and for that character to reach the final summation of “righteousness” during their human lifetimes!

Then, IF this was possible (and the Bible plainly says it was), there must be SOME GOOD inside “human nature” after all!

Could anything “good” come from a nature which allegedly had a part of the very nature of SATAN?

Can anyone be “righteous” who has not yet been begotten of God—or who is not in God’s church?

What Is “Righteousness”?

Is it possible to attain to “righteousness” only after baptism, the laying on of hands, and the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit? Does God have a double standard? Were there those, prior to Pentecost, who were “righteous” in only a human, “carnal” manner; as contrasted with those who, today, can be “righteous” in a spiritual sense?

Consider the parents of John the Baptist. “There was in the days of Herod, the King of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abbia: And his wife as of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord BLAMELESS”! (Luke 1:5, 6).

What a marvelous testimony as to the CHARACTER of Zecharias and Elisabeth! How would you like to have it said of you that you are “righteous before God,” walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord BLAMELESS”? And what of Mary, the mother of Jesus? Was not she very special among all women? Notice!

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, ‘Hail, thou that are highly favored, the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou among women [some of the best manuscripts omit this last phrase, though it is included in some English versions] … And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: For thou hast found favor with God (Luke 1:26-30).

Those who take the very narrow view that the Holy Spirit of God was ONLY available after Pentecost simply do not know how to cope with this and many other verses!

For example, the Bible plainly says that Joseph was a JUST man (Matthew 1: 19). Joseph was a “good” man! He had righteous character! So did Mary. So did Zacharias and Elisabeth! Notice further: “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: And theHoly Spirit was upon him, and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ.

“And he came by the spirit into the temple: … Then took he him up in his arms [the baby Jesus], and blessed God, and said, ‘Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . . .”‘ (Luke 2:25-30).

The point of all this is obvious!

God has, on numerous special occasions, placed the Holy Spirit within the minds of various human beings! His Holy Spirit has been “with” numerous men and women down through the ages! Perhaps it may be said, technically, that these men and women were not “begotten” of the FATHER in the same manner in which Jesus Christ was begotten from the Father, even from His birth; or in the same fashion that one may become a “begotten son of God” from the time of Pentecost until now.

Yet it is not for us to question the methods Almighty God chooses to use in working out His perfect plan!

Notice what the Bible says of John the Baptist! “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine or strong drink: And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb”! (Luke 1:15).

David prayed, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me”! (Psalms 51:11).

Obviously, then, there were any number of men and women who did build character; who were righteous and “just” (meaning GOOD), in God’s sight! Technically, perhaps it is correct to say that these men and women were not “begotten” in the same fashion as was Christ, or as were those from Pentecost and thereafter. A “proof text” generally cited for this (and this assumption may be accurate) is 1 Peter 1:11: “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them [the prophets] did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”

That men could be “just,” and “good,” in God’s sight stands absolutely PROVED!

Notice another example: “And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a GOOD MAN, and a JUST.. .” (Luke 23:50).

Remember what Jesus said of Nathaniel? He said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” (John 1:47).

Nathaniel had human nature. Did his very nature include a part of the “nature of the devil”? Of course not! Otherwise, Jesus would have discerned it, and could never have said that Nathaniel was absolutely guileless!

And what about the “saints” who had lived and died prior to the time of the death of Jesus Christ? “And the graves were opened [just at the time of Jesus’ death]; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52, 53).

These were “righteous” individuals called SAINTS.

This does not mean they were resurrected to spiritual, eternal life. Rather, they were resurrected to be given a few more years of physical life, as a great sign and a witness concerning the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

But your Bible calls them SAINTS!

Now, finally, do you see?

There was no “Change” in Human Nature

There was no basic CHANGE in the nature of man at the so-called “fall of man” in the garden! Adam and Eve were absolutely NEUTRAL toward God! Their basic, human natures contained the CAPACITY for evil. However, Satan had not yet entered the scene, and had not “struck the note” of that particular discordant, evil part of human nature. Once that discordant note had been struck; once Satan had appealed to vanity, lust, resentment and intellect, that portion of their natures and characters came into play.

God said, after Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, that they had become LIKE GOD, now having the understanding of “both good and evil”! But they were imperfect. God knew that they could not yet RULE overthemselves! God made it specifically clear that, to PREVENT them from reaching out and partaking of the tree of life, and thus obtaining eternal life, prior to having built righteous character, He thrust them out of the garden!

Man did not “fall”; he was PUSHED, by Satan the devil!

Human nature IS, in fact, a mixture of both “good and evil”!

There is, even in the worst, the capacity for good. There is, even in the best, the capacity for evil!

Unfortunately, it is the evil which tends to predominate! Human nature seems to be primarily a collection of vanity, jealousy, lust and greed! It is selfish, self-centered, egotistical to the point of being narcissistic!

It is filled with vanity; and is very much centered around total SELF! But consider some outstanding examples: How many thousands and thousands of men and women have dedicated their lives to caring for the sick? How many Albert Schweitzers and Florence Nightingales have there truly been? There are truly thousands of examples which make even professing Christians open their mouths in awe and amazement!

Consider those who literally sacrificed their lives in service to handicapped children; to the mentally deficient, to the infirm, and the poor.

What causes a person to dedicate his entire life to working with pitifully deformed, handicapped children? Is it really only “vanity”? Would one DARE to say that there is no such thing as a “good person” who is not a member of his or her own church organization?

Unfortunately, the narrow view portrayed earlier has left many members of God’s own true church with but ONE CHOICE in their attempts to understand this basic “goodness” they see in action all around them! Unfortunately, many have made the wrong choice. Because they simply cannot understand the decency, the mercy, friendliness, kindness, happiness, forgiveness, patience and other good qualities in professing “Christian” people, they begin to assume these people must also be members of God’s true church! They begin to reason that, even though others do not understand the TRUTH; do not keep the Sabbath, or understand prophecy; but are “good” people—then they must be “Christian.”

Having been taught there is absolutely “no good thing” in human nature; having been taught that human nature contains a part of “the nature of the DEVIL,” they cannot understand how these people can be “good” (and they ARE “good people”!), they “decide” they must, in some way, be members of the Church of God!

NOT SO! You can be GOOD, without being a Christian!

But the teaching that human nature contains a part of the “nature” of Satan the devil is FALSE!

My grandfather was a GOOD man! He was not perfect—but he was good!

I have known many GOOD people! I am not speaking, now, of the members of God’s church; I am talking of people who were good in many ways; who exemplified many of the very attributes of the divine nature, meaning mercy, generosity, kindness patience and HIGH CHARACTER!

You, also, have known such people!

Did the GOOD character they built count for naught?

Now, finally, what about yourself?

Must You Truly ABHOR YOURSELF?

Make no mistake! Almighty God hates SIN! When we sin (break God’s Ten Commandments, even in their spiritual intent), we violate God’s sacred and holy law! In a very real sense, we flagrantly defy our heavenly Father; we trample His holy laws underfoot; we resist, sneer at, contemptuously scorn and deny the loving, tender mercy and deep concern of our heavenly Father!

John the Baptist preached “REPENT!” Jesus continually cried, “REPENT YE!” Peter said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Job, upon repentance, said, “Wherefore I abhor myself. . .”

The apostle Paul cried, O wretched man that I am. . .” David prayed, “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight … Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy way; and sinners shall be converted unto thee … The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalms 51:1-17).

Almighty God says He is our FATHER. In this Father-child relationship, He must, from time to time, punish His children!

God says, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.

“If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:5-7).

Repentance is certainly a feeling of self-DISGUST. It is a feeling of deep remorse, far deeper than merely the “sorrow of this world” which works death—true repentance is a genuine CHANGE OF HEART!

But is it deep, total self-revulsion; self-rejection; a continual, day-in, day-out feeling of self-HATRED and loathing?

Notice that God punishes every son whom He LOVES! Just as God would have loving parents properly discipline their children, so He disciplines every son (or daughter) whom HE LOVES!

And how should we discipline our children? Surely, not only God’s Word but common sense and any intelligent teacher of child rearing would tell us that, when we have disciplined our children, we should immediately show them our most loving FORGIVENESS! We should pick them up, show them how much we love them, dry their tears and give them positive encouragement.

It is a terrible mistake for parents to punish in anger, then go away and leave the child without following up the punishment with a great deal of love, affection and forgiveness.

To utterly crush or CONQUER a child; breaking a child’s spirit so that the child can have absolutely NO confidence; no sense of self-worth or personal value, but feel whipped, discouraged, defeated and fearful is a great CRIME!

Almighty God has not given us the spirit of “fear,” but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1: 7). Does He expect us to hate our own selves? No. “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wifeloveth himself! (Ephesians 5:28)

What? Here, in using the analogy of Christ’s love toward the church, God says men ought to love their wives AS THEMSELVES!

In other words, the love of a man toward his wife is to at least equal the amount of SELF-RESPECT, self-appreciation and self-LOVE he feels toward his own SELF! Jesus Christ of Nazareth calls upon men for no higher form of love toward their wives! If men hate themselves, how can they love their wives?

Notice further: “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church”! (Ephesians 5:29).

Naturally! Then, in the light of these plain scriptures, is it really true, after all, that we are to go through life, after conversion, feeling nothing but rejection, abhorrence, disgust, disdain, denial, contempt and loathing toward our own selves?

Is it a SIN to have ANY self-respect?

You have seen biblical proof that clearly says it is NOT!

Notice the final scriptures concerning Christ’s analogy of His love toward the church and the love of a husband toward a wife: “This is a great mystery: But I speak concerning Christ and the church.

“Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; And the wife see that she reverence her husband” (Ephesians 5:32, 33).

Yes, repentance is deep remorse, and even a temporary feeling of loathing and disgust toward ourselves for things we have said, thought and done! But repentance is NOT the beginning of a lifetime of self-loathing, contempt, rejection, and feelings of terrible inferiority and failure!

The highest form of love Christ says we are to attain toward our neighbors is the same degree of love we possess for ourselves!

This is absolutely fundamental to the Bible, fundamental toyour salvation!

“. . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor AS THYSELF”! (Matthew 19:19).

Jesus Christ summarizes the intent and spirit of the TEN COMMANDMENTS as loving God, our Father, with all our hearts, all our being and all our minds, and loving our neighbors AS OURSELVES!

There you have it!

No matter what you have heard, or what you have been taught, God Almighty does not demand of His beloved children that they go through their Christian lives with feelings of self-contempt, failure, rejection and loathing!

You may copy and distribute this information only to friends and family without changes, without charge and with full credit given to the author and publisher. You may not publish it for general audiences.

This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

The activities of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association are paid for by tithes, offerings and donations freely given by Christians and co-workers who are dedicated to preaching the gospel according to Jesus Christ.

The post Must You LOATHE Yourself To Become A Christian? first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

“Oooooom Oooooom Oooooom” she muttered, eyes tightly closed, fists clenched and raised to the ceiling. Others nearby were shouting “Praise you Jesus!” and “Hallelujah!” and “Praise the Lord! ”

Someone else was saying, “Fleegle! “And another, “Dzan jak!” and another, “Mammana ja rungwa thawkiealasendia! ”

It was another typical “charismatic” meeting—wherein newly “converted” seekers had finally “found their word,” and were allegedly “speaking in other tongues.” The preacher was ecstatic, as were regular members of his church. Surely, they thought, what they were witnessing was a direct manifestation from God!

And make no mistake! These people were sincere!

Sincerity: The Test of Truth?

Too often, we human beings adopt a hostile attitude toward those with different opinions. Our empirical selves are threatened by contrary ideological, philosophical, political, cultural and spiritual concepts. And what is it, after all, that so completely divides the human race? Is it not prejudice, and that along tribal, sociological, cultural and political lines?

“You don’t look like I do; don’t dress the way I do, do not speak the same language, salute the same flag, or believe in the same god, and therefore I hate you” might be the way it could be voiced.

Do you believe that “speaking with other tongues” is the only proof of having been “baptized with the Holy Ghost”? Tens of thousands most sincerely do! Notice, I said “most sincerely”!

But, no matter what you believe on the tongues question, you will agree with me, I’m sure, that “the majority is not always right. ” After all, there are far more Chinese (every fourth human being is Chinese!) than there are English-speaking “Caucasians.” You may believe in the “Christian” concept of God, while approximately ONE BILLION Chinese believe in various concepts of Buddha, Confucius, or assorted forms of ancestor worship. They are in the majority. But are they right?

No, probably you, together with millions of others in the English-speaking world, fervently believe they are wrong! But are they sincere? Do you give them the “right” to their convictions and beliefs? Of course you do. And of course, they are sincere.

Apply the same concept to yourself, or to others around you of differing religious and philosophical convictions. Jesus said, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8, 9).

Jesus plainly said it is possible to sincerely worship Him, and yet do so in vain, so long as we are believing in the doctrines and commandments of men.

When Jesus was asked by His disciples why He clouded the meaning of His teachings by speaking in parables, He said “…because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given … and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which sayeth, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive:

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them!” (Matthew 13:10-15).

The Bible plainly shows that Satan the devil has deceived all nations! (Revelation. 12:9; Ephesians 2:2).

Millions are deceived, just like all of those hundreds of millions of Chinese! But are they “sincere”? Of course they are!

You see, sincerity is simply NOT the test of truth! It does not matter one whit how honest, heartfelt, dedicated or faithful we may be; it matters not one whit how flawless of character, we are still capable of being DECEIVED when it comes to the teaching of God’s Word! Jesus Christ plainly said so!

Through Paul, Christ warns “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

“Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Here, the Holy Word of God plainly tells us there ARE “false apostles. ” It is not for us to engage in name—calling and blame—placing. God has not called His true Church to attack others, or go about placing “labels” on various cults, church organizations, or religious television programs. There is an altogether unhealthy amount of bitter criticism, persecution and “labeling” being done by those of many religious organizations who seem to feel it is their righteous responsibility to defame and discredit others.

Nevertheless, your Bible DOES warn about false prophets and false doctrine! You read plainly that Satan DOES have “his ministers.” Since you know he does—then who are they? That is a question YOU must decide!

Christ warned……. take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many!” (Matthew 24:4, 5).

Here, in the famous “Olivet prophecy” Christ said one of the very first signs of the imminence of the beginning of the Great Tribulation, and His eventual return to this earth would be the eruption of many false prophets and false religions! He said, “And MANY false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive MANY” (Matthew 24:11). Again, notice the word “deceive.” A deceived person can be the best neighbor you ever had; a good, honest and trustworthy friend.! A deceived person can be completely sincere! Adeceived person is utterly unaware that he or she is deceived!

After all, what we don’t know—we simply don’t know that we don’t know!

Do you see? A deceived person’s beliefs are totally bereft of evil motive! Therefore, when you calmly study an issue of doctrine, you should do so objectively, not “subjectively,” or emotionally, feeling that a contrary approach is, somehow, an attack against your character, or your empirical self. Is it remotely possible you have been deceived about speaking in “tongues”?

The Day of Pentecost

One of the greatest events of all history was on the day of Pentecost (called “the feast of weeks,” or the feast of “firstfruits” in the Old Testament) when the apostles received God’s Holy Spirit, and about three thousand individuals were converted!
Jesus had said, repeatedly, that He would send the Holy Spirit after He was assumed into heaven, following His resurrection (John 14:16, 17; 15:26, 27).

As the disciples stood, watching Jesus being taken into the heavens out of their sight, a miracle occurred. Jesus had said, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

“And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

“Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:7-11).

One quick explanation, as an aside. You will notice I continually refer to the word “ghost” in the Old King James translation as “spirit.” The word for “spirit” in the Greek is pneuma which means “a current of air; breath, breeze, or by analogy or figuratively a spirit. ” Unfortunately, back in 1611, at the time of the translation of the King James Version of the English Bible from the Reims-Douay version, the translators believed in ghosts. They substituted the word “ghost” for “spirit.” This is a very unfortunate substitution, and is not followed by any of the more modern translations. It is definitely not the meaning of the Greek word!

The word “ghost” conjures up a vision of a wraith-like creature of some sort, like the “hooded spectre” of death! “Ghosts” are supposedly evil spirits which haunt houses and scare little children! Certainly, the very mind, life-giving power and Spirit of God should not be translated into the English language as “ghost”!

Now, back to our text.

Notice that the angels told the disciples they would be imbued with POWER! Precisely what did that mean? Is “power” mere human emotion? Is “power” merely the ability to become overwhelmed emotionally, speaking a series of meaningless, unintelligible sounds, as if in ecstatic joy, having a “religious experience”?

We shall see. Actually, the word “power” could be translated “authority,” or even “ability”!

They were to receive power—power to do what? Power to be witnesses of Jesus

Christ of Nazareth! Specifically, they were to be given power to be witnesses of His resurrection!

Now, turn to and read the all-important passage in the first half of the second chapter of Acts!

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, [see margin] and it sat upon each of them.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

“Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

“And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

“And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

“Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

“Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya and about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

“Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

“And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

“Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

“For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

“And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

“And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:1-21).

I have included here the entire passage concerning the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit so that you may refer back to it from time to time.

First, notice they were not “tarrying” as if in a prayer meeting, attempting to “pray down the spirit”!

The disciples (apostles) had been completely mystified by the pronouncement of the angels! They did not know what ‘to expect!

However, this was one of God’s annual holy days which continued to be observed by the New Testament Church! (1 Corinthians 5:7, 8; 16:8; Acts 27:9). The meaning of the word “Pentecost” is “fiftieth.” Read Leviticus 23, verses 9 through 21, for a fuller understanding of the way the feast of “weeks” or “Pentecost” had previously been celebrated.

It was called “the feast of weeks” because they were to count beginning with the morrow after the Sabbath during the days of unleavened bread until they came to the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, which would, obviously, be a Sunday, and on that day, the FIFTIETH day following the weekly Sabbath during the days of unleavened bread, they were to celebrate the “firstfruits.”

Anciently, the priest went in to the grain field, using a hand sickle, and cut out a swath of the early grain, holding it aloft, waving it as if before God, in thanksgiving, to be accepted of Him. This “wavesheaf” offering typified the very FIRST of the “firstfruits” of the harvest from the earth, which was Jesus Christ!

What better day for Almighty God to choose for the birthday of His New Testament Church than the feast of Pentecost?
Now, the risen Christ, typified by the wavesheaf, had already ascended to heaven! Now, Almighty God would beget, by the power of His Holy Spirit, His twelve apostles (Matthias having been substituted for the deceased Judas Iscariot) and, on that day, His New Testament Church (group of “called-out ones,” or “assembly”) would be constituted!

Notice that the sound which was audibly heard did not come from the throats of the apostles! It did not come “gradually,” as one here or there discovered “their word” or began chanting their “mantra. ”

No, this sound was a supernatural sound! It was not a sound manufactured by human voices! It did not come from within the room, but came, “FROM HEAVEN”!

And what did it sound like?

It came with a ROAR, like a rumbling, thunderous sound of many freight trains—like that of a “rushing mighty wind”! A rushing, mighty wind is the sound of a hurricane, or a tornado! The sound was almost overwhelming, and it “FILLED all the house where they were sitting”!

Notice, too, that they were sitting, not standing up, swaying about, holding their arms or their fists in the air, but perhaps quietly chatting among themselves, puzzling over events of the past few months, speaking of the phenomenal miracle of the appearances of Christ and what the angels had said.

Then, there appeared unto them “tongues of fire” equally distributed among them!

Notice the margin of the King James Version, and, if you have a Ferrar Fenton, James Moffatt, Goodspeed, Ivan Panin Greek Numerics, Diaglott, or any other biblical translations or Bible helps, you should avail yourself of them, and prove to yourself what you are about to read!

The correct translation of that verse should read: “And there appeared unto them tongues of fire equally distributed among them, and it sat upon each of them!” You see, we often speak of flames of fire as “tongues of fire.” This is merely a metaphorical statement in the English language, and is of common usage. What actually appeared before the startled eyes of the apostles themselves and hundreds of onlookers (perhaps the entire 120, including Philip, Stephen and others were present) was that flickering flames, like leaping “tongues” of fire appeared like radiant, flickering, brilliantly illuminated crowns on the head of each of the apostles!

Now, let’s understand what happened!

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance! ” (Acts 2:4).

Read, again, what all of the Parthians, Cappadocians, Egyptians, Romans and Arabians said! Here were represented more than sixteen separate languages and dialects! Yet, each of these people were able to say “We do hear them speak in our languages the wonderful works of God!”

The Meaning of the Word “Tongue”

The word “tongue in the English language is used as a synonym for the word “language.” It is the same in many other languages. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance explains that the Greek word glossa means, “the tongue; by implication a language—tongue. ” The transliterated Greek word is found in our English language in several forms, among them “glossary” which means a list of difficult, technical, or foreign terms with various definitions or translations.

Actually, both the Greek and the English words are completely interchangeable; that is, they may refer either to the organ of speech in our mouths, or the language that is spoken. Notice carefully both verse 6 and verse 8! In verse 6, we read that they were confounded because “…every man heard them speak in his own language,” and in verse 8 we read, “And how hear we every man in our own tongue … ?” Yet, in both of these verses, a completely different Greek word was used! It is dialektos from which we take the English word “dialect” or “language.”

Notice how the translators felt perfectly free to interchange the two Greek words. Glossa or “tongue,” can be rendered either way—”language” or “tongue.” The same with dialektos—it may be translated either way. Here, glossa is rendered “language,” and dialektos is rendered “tongue,” yet each rendering obviously refers to a known, intelligible, spoken language.

It is plainly obvious to any eighth-grade child that these startled visitors to Jerusalem, representing perhaps sixteen different dialects and languages, plainly heard shocking and completely intelligible statements made by the apostles!

What statements? The Bible says they heard “the wonderful works of God!” Read the rest of the chapter, and you will see, as if a summary of the messages spoken by all of the apostles, the famous sermon by Peter on the day of Pentecost!

And what did he preach? He preached about the resurrection of Christ; that Jesus, by being born of God by a resurrection from the dead was now very Christ, and that his audience should “repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 2:38).

What was the greatest event in all history up to this time? It was the FACT of Christ’s resurrection!
Christ had commanded His disciples to be “witnesses unto me” i.e., of His life, His gospel and His examples, and His death, burial and resurrection!

Later, the apostle Paul, summarizing the gospel he had preached to the Gentiles, wrote “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

“By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

“And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures;

“And that He was seen of Cephas [Peter], then of the twelve:

“After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

“After that, He was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

“And last of all He was seen of me also, as one born [Greek gennao meaning “begotten”] out of due time” (1 Corinthians-15:1-8).

The main thrust of their message was the FACT of Christ’s resurrection!

This was an astounding announcement to these startled Gentiles, Jews and proselytes from nations all over the Mediterranean region!

They had never heard of such a thing!

As a result, not of the manner of the apostles, but as a direct result of WHAT THEY SAID, some of them mocked,” and accused the apostles of being drunk!

Just as someone would disparagingly discard or reject a statement you might make, saying “You must be off your rocker”; “You must be drunk,” or “You’ve got to be crazy, ” using modern vernacular, so these startled listeners to the pronouncements of the apostles said, “These men must be drunk!”

Read the context!

It is important for you to note that these listeners and viewers did not assume the apostles were drunk because of the manner in which they ACTED—but because of what they said!

Peter’s retort is plain. He went on to explain that, since it was only about 9 o’clock in the morning, and the wine shops were closed; that it was contrary to Jewish law for anyone to drink at this time of the day, that these men were not “drunken, ” but that this was the fulfillment (as a previous type) of a prophecy uttered by Joel, which Peter proceeded to expound.

Now, an important point: did all the apostles speak at once?

Remember, the Bible interprets the Bible! The Bible is a completely harmonious, interdependent, perfect book, representing the divine word of Almighty God! It does not contradict itself!

The apostle Paul plainly said, “If any man speak in a language, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that BY COURSE [meaning, one after the other!] and let one interpret”!

He went on to say, “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

“If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace! [Only ONE was to talk at one time.]

“For ye [all of you ministers or prophets] may all prophesy [including inspired preaching] ONE BY ONE, that all may learn and all may be comforted … for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints!” (1 Corinthians 14:27-33).

It is obvious, since God is not the author of confusion, and since each of these visitors to Jerusalem clearly understood the points the apostles were making, that each of the apostles spoke one by one—one at a time!

We have no knowledge of who began speaking first; or who followed, or even whether or not, in fact, Peter’s sermon was the final message of that day!

We DO know that a great miracle occurred; we know that the miracle was BOTH in the speaking AND the hearing!

How do we know this?

Simply because those representing approximately 16 languages and dialects plainly said they, ALL of them, heard EACH of the apostles speaking in “their,” (meaning ALL of their) languages!

In other words, even though one man was speaking at a time, say, James, the brother of Jesus Christ, giving witness to Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, each one of these individuals, numbering into the thousands and representing perhaps 16 dialects and languages clearly understood everything James was saying! Yet, James was perhaps unaware that he was doing anything other than speaking in his own language! Almighty God inspired his speech; and, by a miracle in both the speaking and the hearing, allowed each of these individuals to understand!

Notice there was reason involved. There was order. Each man spoke one by one, and as a result of this orderly progression and development of ideas; as a direct result of the great witness given by these men who had SEEN Jesus killed, and had then seen Him alive, thousands were converted!

There is not one statement in the book of Acts that ANY of these very first converts to the New Testament Church ” spoke in tongues“! The Bible merely tells us, “Then they that gladly received His Word [intelligently given, and intelligently received] were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Greek psuche meaning beings, or individuals). Later, we see these throngs of visitors who had come to Jerusalem for the “feast of firstfruits” remained for quite a number of days, until they had to sell properties or possessions, giving them into a common pool, so that they might continue “daily in the temple” and “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved! ” (Acts 2:41-47).

The Gift of Speaking in Foreign Languages A Tool of Evangelism!

Jesus Christ said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). The Greek word for “church” is ekklesia, which should better be rendered “assembly,” for it connotes the “body of believers” or the group of specially selected individuals who would repent, be baptized, and receive God’s Holy Spirit for the purpose of conducting the work of that assembly, or group of converted individuals.

With the passing centuries, the word “church” has become corrupted.

To many, it means the “building” in which the assembly of people meets. Commonly, people say, “I was married in the church,” or, “the church is on the corner of Fifth and Main Streets. ” But the Greek word used by Jesus Christ had nothing to do with the building. It meant a group of called and chosen individuals who, collectively, form a spiritual organism called the ekklesia, or church.

Jesus Christ commissioned His group of specially called and trained disciples (which means “students” or “learners”)—gave them a mission to perform.

He said, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Luke’s account of the same event is also revealing:

“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).

HOW are they to “baptize them that believe” among all nations of the world without first reaching their minds?

What are the major barriers between you and, say, the Russian people, or the Vietnamese, Japanese, the Chinese, or the members of any other race who speak a different language from yours?

Notwithstanding the economic, geographical, political and cultural difficulties, the one main barrier is that of language. Naturally, as time went on, God’s true church, or the assembly” of called-out individuals would grow to include members of many races, many languages.

It is obvious WHY Almighty God caused the powerful demonstration of His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost when you think about it deeply! There were present thousands representing perhaps SIXTEEN separate languages and dialects! While most of them were Jews, they included “proselytes. ” A proselyte was a Gentile who had become circumcised, embraced the religion of Moses; Jewish customs and traditions. Yet, such an individual would have retained his native tongue.

Thus, by causing above three thousand to be converted on the day of Pentecost, God saw to it that the miraculous events of that day and the powerful sermons of the apostles would be repeated, by these converts, over and over again through the ensuing years in every one of the nations and provinces from which these visitors came! No doubt, many of them went on to become members of the ministry. What better way to begin the fulfillment of the great commission, which charged the apostles with GOING into “all nations” to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness and a warning?

Within a few weeks, thousands of elated, excited, wondering Jews and proselytes would be returning to Crete, Rome, Arabia, Cappadocia and Bithynia, and many points in between! They would carry with them all that they had seen, heard and learned in weeks of some of the most exciting, profoundly shaking and sobering experiences of their lives!

“And He said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned [judged, or condemned].

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues [languages]; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:15-18).

Much is made, by many leaders in the “charismatic” branches of professing Christianity that these signs “shall follow them that believe. ” Deeply desirous of healing for cripples, elderly and infirm; seeking to display the “gift of speaking in other languages,” many have allowed themselves to become completely deceived over the true meaning, purpose, and present-day application of these spiritual gifts.

Unfortunately, many a church organization has drifted into a collective guilt complex over the absence of sensational miracles, signs, hearings, or tongues-speaking, and so try to manufacture these signs by various emotion-charged, “revivals” and powerful condemnations of their followers for being “unspiritual. ”

Earlier, Jesus had said to His disciples, “And as ye go, preach, saying, the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons; freely ye have received, freely give!” (Matthew 10:7, 8). In this chapter, as He called His twelve disciples He “…gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

Being practical with the scriptures, let’s ask how many dead were raised in the entire New Testament experience of God’s true church? Jesus Christ miraculously raised Lazarus from the dead! (God the Father accomplished the miracle, though Jesus Christ issued the command, following prayer.) Peter raised Dorcas, and when the apostle Paul prayed for a young lad who fell out of an upper balcony during a long sermon, though he was pronounced dead, he miraculously became alive. The Bible says many of the saints who had died in preceding years were resurrected at the time of Christ’s death, though it does not tell us how many. These individuals, including Lazarus, Dorcas, and the unnamed young lad whom Paul was used to raise up were resurrected to human, physical life spans and, eventually, died a natural death.

There is no record that James, Bartholomew, Simon, Andrew, Matthias, or others of the apostles, save Peter and Paul, were used as an instrument of God to raise anyone from the dead.

Yet, we read how Peter, under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, gave a command, and a crippled man was instantly healed at the gate called “Beautiful” leading into the temple (Acts 3:7, 8). So great was the fervent belief and faith on the part of those in Jerusalem who witnessed the many miracles being accomplished that it was said even Peter’s shadow passing over them, caused them to be healed of sicknesses and disease (Acts 5:15).

The apostle Paul, shipwrecked enroute to incarceration in Rome, was cast ashore on the Island of Malta. You read of this in Acts 28. “And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

“And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

“And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

“Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

“In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us [wrote Luke], and lodged us three days courteously.

“And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

“So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed…” (Acts 28:2-9).

Notice that this is the only case in the recorded history of the New Testament church where an apostle was bitten by a serpent! It was a total accident. Paul had no knowledge whosoever that, as he picked up an armload of branches and sticks to place on a fire, a snake had coiled itself among them!

Here, Almighty God performed a miracle, sparing Paul’s life! Those who seek to pervert and twist this experience of Paul’s into justifying “snake handling,” as if such an abominable custom is honored by God, do so at their own peril! It is sheer ignorance to claim God was commanding His true servants to “handle snakes,” as some cults have been known to do (and frequent snakebite, and even death, has been the result in some cases). Was He also “commanding them” to drink poison? Strangely, there are no “poison-drinking” cults around. Jim Jones’ followers drank their poison—and it killed them all! Those who justify the bizarre and demonic custom of “snake-handling” and call it “Christian” can hardly claim to be resurrecting the dead, and they studiously avoid swallowing poison,

The point is, God was promising protection for His apostles, so long as their lives were still useful to Him; so long as their personal destinies were yet to be fulfilled!

On this occasion, Paul’s life was spared. God wanted him to testify in Rome, before the court of Nero himself. Later, however, Paul was allowed to be martyred for his faith. He may have died in the coliseum in Rome, though there is no proof of either the place or the manner of his death.

God continually spared the lives of His true servants when they anointed and prayed for the sick, laying hands on them. When coming into such close physical proximity with those possessed of extremely virulent, contagious diseases, God gave them immunity. There is no record of the death of God’s servants following prayer for a victim of a contagious disease.

What is the “Baptism With Fire”?

Our English word “fire” is utilized in many forms of metaphor. A country-western song of recent date says, “My Heart’s on Fire for Elvira! ” People are said to have a “fiery temper,” and a basketball or football team is said to be “fired up.” Terminations of an employee is called “firing.”

But what is the “baptism with fire”? Those who believe in the “charismatic” or “Pentecostal” manifestations of the professing Christian religion borrow a phrase from a statement made by John the Baptist, nearly two thousand years ago, and urge their followers to receive the “baptism with FIRE! ”

Apparently, what is meant by all this is that, upon receiving the “baptism with the Holy Ghost” a person feels especially “fired up!” The person feels heightened emotion, which is illustrated by garbled gibberish, “ecstatic” utterances, unintelligible sounds, accompanied by, perhaps, frantic jerks, twitches, gyrations, contortions and violent movements of the body.

But is this what John the Baptist meant? Is it what the Bible says‘.?

Let’s see: “But when he [John the Baptist] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

“And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

“And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

“Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:7-12).

Now, let’s understand what this passage plainly does say, and what it does NOT say!

First, notice that, when John saw the leaders of the two major, opposing religions of his time, Pharisees and Sadducees, he was moved to indignation! He referred to them exactly as did Jesus (Matthew 23) as a “generation of vipers!” Literally translated, he was not merely calling them “snakes ” but ” venomous snakes! ” He then ordered them to bring forth fruit which would prove that they were really repenting! He told them not to argue along racial, tribal and historical lines, claiming “We have Abraham for our father,” and said that God was able of the stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Then, John the Baptist used the analogy of a forester hewing down trees! It is obvious that when John said “…the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire… “ John was referring to the destruction of unfruitful trees!

He speaks of the same thing in a different analogy (verse 12).

Notice! “Whose fan [winnowing shovel] is in His hand, and He will thoroughly PURGE His floor [threshing floor] and gather His wheat into the garner, but He will BURN UP the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12).

Both analogies; the one wherein the forester hews down unfruitful trees, and the other where the thresher gathers up chaff to burn it, are immediately obvious to any humble individual sincerely thirsting to understand the Word of God.

What happens when you hew down a useless, unfruitful tree, chop it up, and cast it into a fire? Naturally, you DESTROY the tree; you burn it up!

And what happens when you use a fan, or winnowing shovel to separate wheat from the chaff and then cast the chaff into afire which you refuse to put out? As John said, you will “BURN UP the chaff!”

At this confrontation, John was speaking to two groups of people. Previous verses tell us of the greatness of the ministry of John the Baptist; how citizens from many provinces around came to him to hear his preaching, and to be baptized of him in the river Jordan. It then tells us that some of the Christ-rejecting Pharisees and Sadducees came also among the others. John was speaking to TWO groups of people! On the one hand, he was speaking to those who came sincerely thirsting for his message; those who would repent upon being convicted, and would be baptized with water, as a symbol of the death and burial of the old self, and their commitment to begin walking in “newness of life. ”

To them, he spoke of the baptism with the Holy Spirit!

But he also addressed a separate, different group! Sadducees and Pharisees! Even as, with both analogies, he indicated there would be some trees which would be spared by the axmen; those bearing fruit; and also indicated that the wheat would be gathered into the barn while the chaff was destroyed, so he said to this whole group that SOME of them would be baptized with the “Holy Spirit’ and OTHERS would be baptized with “FIRE”!

What kind of fire?

The kind of fire which he called “UNQUENCHABLE”! And what is “unquenchable fire”?

You can find out, in your own home, if you have a wood burning stove or a fireplace. Simply light a fire and decide not to quench it! Do not put on water, do not smother it, or use a C02 bottle or in any way interfere with the fire you have lit! That is an unquenchable fire!

Notice the biblical usage of the term! When Jesus rebuked the citizens of Capernaum saying unto them, “If the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day, ” He spoke of the fact of the DESTRUCTION of ancient Sodom! As you know, Almighty God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire! This fire was from a divine source, and is actually a type of the “Gehenna fire” of which Jesus Christ spoke. He said “…but rather fear Him [God] which is able to DESTROY both soul [Greek psuchel and body [Greek soma] in Gehenna“ (Matthew 10:28).

When an individual (referred to as a “soul” in some cases in the Bible) sins, that individual will reap the “wages of sin” which is death! (Romans 6:23).

Read Ezekiel 18:4 and 20! “The soul that sinneth IT shall DIE!

The incorrigible wicked are to be cast into “Gehenna fire” which is described as a lake of fire which “burns them up”! (Malachi 4: 1). Read that scripture! God says, “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble [ “chaff’ the same analogy used by John the Baptist!] and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Eternal of hosts, that is shall leave them neither root nor branch!” (Again, notice the direct repetition of the same analogies used by John! Referring to being left neither “root nor branch” is obviously referring to growing stalks, or trees.)

God’s Word goes on to say, “And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Eternal of hosts” (Malachi 4:3).

Now, notice what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah!

God’s Word says “…even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire!” (Jude 7).

And what IS this “unquenchable fire” or “eternal fire” which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah?

Probably, it as like a nuclear bomb! It came from God, out of heaven, and completely DESTROYED both cities! As such, it was like a type, or forerunner of the “Gehenna fire” of which Jesus plainly warned!

Notice that the fire is not still burning!

John the Baptist warned the murder-plotting, sinning Sadducees and Pharisees that they represented the unfruitful trees which were. being hewn down! He said if they were hewn down they would be cast into the fire and BURNED UP! He said they represented the “chaff ‘ which would be separated from the “wheat,” which chaff would be cast into the FIRE and BURNED UP!

And so, the only reference to this “baptism with fire” in all the Bible, where John the Baptist sternly WARNS sinning, evil men about the coming of Gehenna fire has to do with the threat of the DESTRUCTION of the wicked, and most certainly NOT some ecstatic, emotional “experience” one might feel in a church service or a revival!

You had better PRAY that the Eternal God never selects YOU for the kind of “baptism with fire” about which John warned the Sadducees and Pharisees!

The Spiritual Gifts

Read the entire twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians. Here is a chapter in which the apostle Paul explains how God has established His form of loving, caring and merciful government in His church! God is not the “author of confusion” but of order (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Then, he shows how certain “spiritual gifts” would be miraculously added to the natural talents and abilities of the leaders in the church. He said, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant … for to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit; to another FAITH by the same spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another kinds of tongues [languages]; to another the interpretation of tongues [languages].

“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severely as He will. ”

Notice carefully the order of importance of these spiritual gifts!

God places wisdom first. That gift is followed by knowledge, then by faith, healing, miracle-working, and prophecy, or inspired speaking and preaching. Then comes the “discerning of spirits” and, at the very tag-end of these spiritual gifts He lists “kinds of tongues” and “the interpretation of tongues.” There are nine “spiritual gifts” in all.

In the order of importance, God shows that speaking with various kinds of languages and then being able to interpret to others those languages are listed eighth and ninth!

Now, notice a very important point:

Only on the day of Pentecost was there a DOUBLE miracle performed! As you have learned, the miracle was in BOTH the speaking AND the hearing. However, from that time onward, the double miracle of affecting the hearing of the audience as well as the speaking of those doing the preaching no longer occurred! It was absolutely UNIQUE to the manifestation of God’s Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

From that time onward, the miracle of hearing “every man in his own tongue” as exclaimed the startled Parthians, Medians, Persians and Arabs was not utilized.

Here, God says there are two gifts involved in “tongues.

The first (listed eighth in the order of spiritual gifts) is “speaking with other languages.” Then, as a separate spiritual gift, perhaps not given to the one with the gift of speaking in languages, but given to a different individual, is “the interpretation of languages”!

Let us note how the apostle Paul said these are to be used. “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

“For he that speaketh in an ‘unknown’ tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

“He that speaketh in an ‘unknown tongue’ edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

“I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

“Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

“And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

“So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For ye shall speak into the air.

“There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

“Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

“Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

“Wherefore let him that speaketh in an ‘unknown’ tongue pray that he may interpret” (1 Corinthians 14:1-13).

Read that entire passage, which I have included here so that you may refer to it from time to time. A moment’s clarification: the added word “unknown” is italicized in the King James Version. Printing the word in italics meant that the word was supplied by the translators! It does not appear in the original Greek, and is obviously a direct contradiction within the scripture itself! Notice the proof “I would that ye all spake with languages, but rather that ye prophesied [spoke under inspiration] for greater is he that prophesies than he that speaketh with languages EXCEPT HE INTERPRET, that the church may receive edifying! (verse 5).

Obviously, then, the “tongue” or “language” being utilized would be a language KNOWN by someone present! Though most present might not understand it, and, indeed, perhaps NO ONE present understood it, yet it would be a definite language spoken, written, understood and presently extant somewhere among the human family.

And so, the apostle Paul clearly said that one who had been given the gift of speaking in other (foreign) languages should refrain from exercising that gift unless there was someone there with the gift of “interpretation“. Why? Simply because they would not understand! Paul himself said he had been given the gift of speaking with other languages. He said, “I thank my God I speak with languages more than ye all:

“Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in a tongue! ” (1 Corinthians 14:18, 19).

Is this true of those who diligently seek after the supposed “gift of glossolalia” or “speaking in other tongues”? Usually not. Very few of them would ever say they would far rather is speak only five words in a plain, easily understandable language than ten thousand words in a “tongue” spoken by foreigners or people of another language.

After quoting the prophecy of Isaiah 28:11, 12, Paul said, “Wherefore tongues [foreign languages] are for a SIGN, NOT TO THEM THAT BELIEVE but to them that BELIEVE NOT: but prophesying [inspired preaching or teaching] serveth not for them which believe not, but for them which believe.

Do you see?

Thousands of people in the professing Christian religion which embrace the “Pentecostal” emotionalism of “tongues speaking” parade it before each other IN THE CHURCH!

But has there EVER been a case where a minister, perhaps speaking on television on an international satellite network spoken in only one language, and automatically been understood by twenty, thirty, fifty or more different languages?

You have never heard of such a thing!

Clearly, the gift of speaking in “tongues” is a divinely imparted gift of speaking in known, foreign languages which are spoken by other races and nations.

It is a tool of evangelism, added to God’s church for the furtherance of the gospel!

Spiritual gifts were not given for personal decoration! They are not spiritual “badges” or “medals” to decorate the leaders in the church. They are not for personal gratification, or for “comparing with others,” to cause ego and vanity!

Rather, they are miraculously-given divine GIFTS of God’s Holy Spirit, and are utilized as a sign for UNBELIEVERS as a method to convict and to convert them, calling them to repentance and a knowledge of the truth!

Yet, many have perverted the simple truth about ” speaking in tongues,” and made it into a matter of mere human EMOTION, and in some cases, outright gibberish; making no sense whatsoever!

“THE ONLY EVIDENCE?”

Some have claimed the “speaking in tongues” is the only proof one has the Holy Spirit. Nonsense! Plainly, the scripture says “For to ONE is given by the Spirit the gift of wisdom; to ANOTHER [a different person] the word of wisdom … to ANOTHER [still a different person!] kinds of tongues [languages]…” (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

Paul said, “There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit! ” (verse 4).

Clearly, some had superior gifts of the Spirit., such as wisdom, knowledge, or faith. Others had gifts of inspired preaching. Others the gift of healing, and perhaps another the gift of discernment of spirits. Still another had the gift of tongues, or speaking in other, known, intelligible languages.Paul shows NOT ALL of them possessed all the gifts! “Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:30).

So, since the Bible clearly shows tongues is only ONE of nine spiritual gifts, and is listed EIGHTH among them; since it shows NOT ALL HAD THAT GIFT, the claim that the only evidence one has the Holy Spirit is “tongues-speaking” is not true.

What is the real proof of the Holy Spirit?

God says, “By ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into one body…” 1 Corinthians 12:13). He says, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 2:38).

WHEN we repent, and are baptized, God promises to give us His Holy Spirit. The proof of the Holy Spirit is said to be “…LOVE, JOY, PEACE, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance… ” (Galatians 5:22).

Must You “Speak in Tongues”

Jesus said, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out!” (Luke 13:28).

But Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—NONE of them, ever ‘spoke in tongues”! Jesus said, “…all the prophets” shall be in His Kingdom—but NONE of them ever spoke in “tongues”!

DAVID is prophesied to be the future KING OF ISRAEL in Christ’s 1,000-year reign here on this earth! (Jeremiah 30:9). But King David, a “man after God’s own heart” never spoke one word in “tongues”!

Now, let’s review what we have learned:

(1) The first time in all history anyone spoke with “other languages” as a divine miracle from God; communicating, intelligibly, to those of a foreign, different language as a result of a spiritual gift was when the apostles spoke of the resurrection of Christ on the day of Pentecost!

(2) The miracle was in both the speaking and the hearing!

(3) The sound they heard came from heaven, and not the throats of men and women!

(4) From that time onward, even though there were several instances of God granting the gift of “tongues” when Gentiles would receive His Holy Spirit, the miracle was in the speaking ONLY, and was not a double miracle, but would have required a translator unless there had been those present who understood the language being spoken!

(5) “Tongues-speaking” is a divinely-given spiritual GIFT, having nothing to do with one’s natural abilities.

(6) It is listed eighth among the spiritual gifts; meaning that the spiritual gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, discernment of spirits and healing are more to be desired!

(7) Yet, “more excellent” than all these (1 Corinthians 13) according to your Bible, is to be filled with the love of God as defined in the “love chapter.”

(8) Clearly, “speaking in languages” is a TOOL OF EVANGELISM, and is listed as a “sign to the unbeliever”! (9) Paul said he would rather speak five words, and be understood, than exercise the spiritual gift of “tongues” if no one understood what he said!

(10) Paul ordered those who had the spiritual gift of “tongues” to refrain from using that gift unless there was an interpreter present!

(11) “Speaking in tongues” is NOT the only evidence of having God’s Holy Spirit!

(12) John the Baptist, said by Jesus Christ to have been one of the greatest men to have ever lived, and a man who came in the “power and spirit of Elijah” never spoke in tongues, yet will be IN God’s Kingdom!

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; all the prophets, King David, Moses, Elijah and many, many others (see Hebrews 11) will be in God’s Kingdom yet NONE ever spoke with “tongues.”

The real “fruit” of the Holy Spirit is LOVE and it is far more important to manifest the love of God (1 John 5:3) in your daily life than it is to have one of the spiritual gifts, no matter which one it may be!

It is sad that many thousands, seeking for a “deeper” or more “fulfilling” religious experience have allowed themselves to be blinded by a cheap imitation called the charismatic movement. ” They seek a “spiritual high, ” and believe that the most important manifestation of God’s Holy Spirit is exercising what they call “speaking in unknown tongues. ”

True to the prediction of Jesus Christ, the MANY are being deceived!

I have spoken with individuals who were counseled to just let their minds go” and think of “their word, ” which they would be encouraged to begin to repeat, endlessly, over and over again! This is merely a form of self-hypnosis, and, in my humble opinion, DANGEROUS, for it may invite “spiritual participation” from unwanted, and dangerous quarters!

Surely, such people are sincere. But sincerity, remember, is not the test of TRUTH! You have read the truth about “speaking with tongues” in this booklet. May God give you the grace and humility to accept it.

You may copy and distribute this information only to friends and family without changes, without charge and with full credit given to the author and publisher. You may not publish it for general audiences.

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“Peace on earth—good will toward men.” How many times have you heard it?

At Christmas, millions of church-going, professing Christian people attend church services, concerts, performances of Handel’s stirring “Messiah.” Millions decorate their homes, their lawns, or even their rooftops with scenes of the Christ child in a manger; with wise men, shepherds, Mary, and the angels.

They suppose they are doing this in honor of Christ’s birthday, which they erroneously believe was on December 25. History proves Christ was born in the autumn, very likely on the First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, not in the middle of winter.

God’s Word shows Christ was “tabernacling” (dwelling only temporarily) in human flesh (John 1:14); that He came to this earth for many important purposes.

What were the real reasons for the very Person of the Godhead Who said, “Let there be light,” and “Let Us make man in Our image,” to become human flesh? Study carefully the entire first chapter of the Gospel according to John forproof of Christ’s pre-human state.

Did Jesus Christ come to give us a new and different religion? Did He come to bring peace? Did He come to save the world? Did He come to revive the synagogue? Did He come to heal everyone He could, cast out every demon He encountered, teach every person He met, and convert asmany as possible?

No, believe it or not, Jesus Christ did not come to save the world then! Had Jesus Christ decided to “save” the world, He would have done it. Instead, He told His disciples: “Think NOT that I am come to send peace on earth: I came NOT to send peace, but a sword [a symbol of violent death; symbol of war!].

“For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

“And a man’s foes shall be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).

Are you mature enough; is your mind open, and inquiring enough to really think about that scriptural passage? Do you believe it? Christ said it. He meant it. He did not come to bring peace during His physical lifetime of “tabernacling” in human flesh.

But what of the oft-repeated phrase, “peace on earth”? It is a blatant mistranslation in the King James Bible of 1611. Most marginal references clear it up: The Oxford KJV margin says: “Or, on earth peace among men of good will, or, on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased” (Luke 2:14).

Christ Himself tells you He did not come to bring peace to this earth. Eventually, He will, but that time is in the future.

This Is Not God’s World

Many people hope for a time of great ecumenism, a time when all men of good will, working together, can bring about a vast Christian revival which will influence governments, and bring the world peace at last.

The Bible prophesies no such thing.

Instead, God’s Word says that Satan the devil has deceived the institutions of this world (Revelation 12:9); that he is the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and the present “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). As such, Satan is the architect of this world’s institutions, its governments, its societies, and its religions.

The world is in total spiritual darkness, deceived by Satan. Jesus Christ did not attempt to penetrate the veil of darkness and deception that clouded most men’s minds.

Christ’s disciples, wondering why Jesus spoke in puzzles and riddles to his audiences, asked Him why He did this. Millions have supposed Christ’s parables were to make the meaning plain by giving His audiences cozy little stories to illustrate His point.

But Christ told them: “It is given unto you [His disciples] to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given … therefore I speak unto them in parables [puzzles]: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias [Isaiah], which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and should understand with their heart, and should be CONVERTED, and I should HEAL them! ” (Matthew 3:10-16).

Do you understand what Jesus plainly said?

Christ was telling them He was making a conscious decision to speak in puzzling terms, LEST those people should understand, and become converted! He quoted Isaiah’s prophecy which said the masses would have become deceived; that their ears would hear words, but not understand the deep, spiritual intent; that they had closed their eyes to God’s truth!

Not only did Jesus say He had come to a world of spiritual darkness and deception, He plainly said He was not sent to the whole world then, only to Israel!

Read it, in your own Bible. Jesus was approached by a Gentile woman, a Canaanite, who desperately begged Him to heal her daughter, to cast out a demon. But Jesus did not so much as answer this poor woman! He “answered her not a word” (Matthew 15:23).

Are you prepared to believe what your own Bible says, instead of what mainstream evangelicals have always supposed or what you have always assumed?

What your Bible tells you is that if the Canaanitish woman had not shown an example of unusual tenacity, Jesus Christ would have turned a deaf ear to her appeals; He would have gone His way, and paid no attention whatsoever to her desperate cry for relief for her daughter!

Even the disciples wanted to be rid of her. “And His disciples besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

“But He answered and said, ‘I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’

“Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’

“But He answered and said, ‘It is not meet [proper, fitting] to take the children’s bread, and cast it to dogs”‘ (Matthew 15:23-26).

At this point, had the Savior of all mankind said such a thing today, in our “politically correct” society, this dark, swarthy woman would have fiercely bridled: “What!? You’re referring to me and my kind as DOGS?

What are you, a racist, white male, homophobe, bigoted religious fanatic?”

Sure she would.

Think about it.

His analogy said that parents of children who were sitting at the dining table would hardly take food from their plates, and toss it to their pets! The meaning was clear. He was only sent to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel,” and it was not yet time for God’s grace to be extended to the Gentiles.

But the Canaanitish woman did not react the way millions of her female countrywomen might react today.

Instead, she persevered, “Truth, Lord [notice the agreement! notice the respect!], yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.”

“Then Jesus answered and said, unto her, ‘O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto you even as you will.’ And her daughter was made whole from that very hour” (Matthew 15:27,28).

God’s Word proves that Jesus Christ did not come to save the world then! Yet, millions assume He made every effort to heal, rescue, save, convert every human being He came across. They think, quite falsely, that He was engaged in a desperate saving mission, preaching, teaching, appealing, healing—trying to get the people saved!

They only think so because they are complete biblical illiterates.

Christ Did Not Come To Do Away With God’s Law

Millions have supposed Christ came to do away with the law! They imagine, because of the deceptive propaganda of liberal churchmen over the centuries, that Christ set Himself against what they suppose were the harsh, unyielding, “legalistic” old laws of the “Father God of the Old Testament,” that He came to abrogate that old law, the Ten Commandments.

They think He came to give us some “new” commandment having to do with “love.” In the minds of millions, this “love” each of us is to have toward our fellow man is all that is necessary, once we “receive Jesus,” profess His name, and “believe” on Him.

Today, millions “believe on Jesus,” but they do not BELIEVE Him!

They do not believe what He said!

He said: “Think NOT that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:

I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). Christ lifted the law to a spiritual plane; applied God’s Ten Commandments in a spiritual sense, showing that the law was broken even by thoughts of the human heart, and not by the breaking of the letter of the law only.

Of course, millions of people, including countless thousands of churchmen, have no special quarrel with nine of the Ten Commandments. Millions believe it is well and good to honor one’s parents: to avoid stealing, or murder, or lying. But the Fourth Commandment’?

Christ spoke continually about God’s Ten Commandments. He upheld the law against murder and hatred (Matthew 5:2 1 ); said it was a sin, breaking the command against murder, to call a brother by a hateful name (Matthew 5:23); said the commandment against adultery was intact (Matthew 5:27); observed the Passover (John 2:13,23; Mark 14:1-16). observed the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day of the Feast (John 7:10-14; 7:37).

Paul wrote, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit: “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good,” and concluded: “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:12,25).

John wrote: “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” (1 John 2:3,4).

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.

“For this IS the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:2,3).

Jesus Christ said: “The Sabbath was made for man [He did not say, “the Jews”], and not man for the Sabbath:

“Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27,28). Which day is the “Lord’s Day”? The Sabbath.

Christ said: “Why call ye me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46), and told His disciples: “Not everyone 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” (Matthew 7:21).

No, Christ did NOT come to “do away with the law”! Yet, millions of blinded, deceived, biblical illiterates suppose He did!

Christ Did Not Come To Establish A New Religion

Millions suppose Christ came to do away with all things “Jewish,” and to establish a new, and very different, religion—that of “Christianity.”

But, as we just saw above, Christ continually upheld, by His teaching and by His example, the law of God! And why not? For, after all, He WAS the Divine Agent of the Sovereign God in heaven Who gave Moses the law!

Read it! “In the beginning was the Word [Greek: Logos, or “Spokesman”] and the Word was with God [Greek: Theos, equivalent to the Hebrew Elohim, which is a plural word], and the Word was God.

“The same was in the beginning with God.

“All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made … He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.

“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name … and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1: 1-14).

Any fifth-grade child can understand this plain statement of Scripture! The One Whom we know as Jesus Christ WAS the One Who said “Let there be light”; Who said “Let us make man in our image”; Who sent Moses into Egypt; Who wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger; Who called Abraham; Who dealt with the patriarchs and prophets.

Now, think what this truth does to the false theology of millions who think Christ came to “do away” with the law and the “Old Testament”!

Notice further: “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” (Hebrews 1:1,2).

Jesus Christ IS THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. Not that there is no reference to both Father and Son in the Old Testament, for there is. However, your Bible plainly tells you that Jesus Christ of the New Testament is the Member of the Divine Family of the Old Testament Who DID THE CREATING!

Did Christ, as millions suppose, change God’s truth, abrogate the Divine law, do away with any requirement to obey God?

“For I am the ETERNAL [Jehovah], I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed,” God said.

Jesus said, “Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, and ye yourselves cast out” to the Pharisees. How? Did people “get saved” under Moses back then? But Moses was not even born when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived.

Did God somehow CHANGE the manner in which men may please Him, serve Him, believe Him, obey Him? He says not. “Jesus Christ, the SAME, yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

No, Christ did not come to establish some “new religion”! He chided the Pharisees for their burdensome human traditions which they had added to the laws of God, while upholding the law. He said: “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? … Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

“But in vain do they WORSHIP me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:2-9).

Jesus said it is possible to worship Him, to laud Him, to praise Him, to sing about Him, to “believe on Him,” to adore Him, to love Him, and to feel all kinds of worshipful emotions about Him, and to do it ALL IN VAIN!

How?

By “appropriating” Christ, by claiming to “believe on Him,” and by accepting” Him as Savior, but REFUSING TO OBEY Him! Millions worship their fantastic concepts of Christ, but reject the Ten Commandments of God (which that same Christ wrote with His own finger), claiming they are “done away.”

Thus, they have substituted the hundreds of years of churchianity, of Catholic and Protestant tradition, for the truth of God from His Word.

The Real Reasons Christ Came To This Earth

One could cite many reasons Christ came to this earth. Here are the main ones.

Jesus Christ came to this earth to qualify, in human flesh, as it’s future King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Notice: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Eternal of Hosts will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6,7).

Study this scripture carefully. Do you see the word religion included anywhere? Is “revival” of the synagogue, or “doctrines,” or “liturgy,” or “ritual,” or “vespers,” or “Christian endeavor,” or the lighting of candles, or Gregorian chants, or rosaries, or indulgences, or anything smacking of hidden, “spiritual” mysteries mentioned?

No, of course not.

What is plainly set forth is GOVERNMENT! Christ was prophesied to come to assume the role of King, to sit upon a throne which was prophesied to remain on this earth—the throne of David!

The archangel Gabriel said to Mary, the mother of Jesus: “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).

God made a covenant with David, promising him that his throne would never fail. The prophesies show that throne would be overturned a total of three times, until “He come whose right it is [Christ].” It would remain on this earth (Ezekiel 21:25-27).

Millions “spiritualize away” the plain meaning of God’s Word concerning Christ’s return to this earth to RULE it, from the throne of David, with a rod of iron (Zechariah 14:4; Revelation 2:26; 20:4). To them, Christ is somehow “ruling” up in heaven! They are utterly deceived, unknowing, in spiritual darkness.

The prophecies concerning Christ’s sojourn on this earth prove He was coming to qualify, as its future KING! Notice the prophecy of Isaiah again; how His function would be as a ruler, as a judge, as a counsellor; how His government would continually expand!

What are the problems of this world today, and what are the causes of those problems? Crime, divorce, poverty, squalor, sickness, warfare—all the result of human lusts, and the feeble attempts of mankind to govern himself apart from the laws of God.

Continually, the prophets of old went to the political leaders of their time. They warned kings of their chicanery, duplicity, idolatry, dishonesty, corruption, and sins! Study Jeremiah 23, particularly versus 4 through 6, about the return of Christ to inherit David’s throne! While religious leaders (pastors) are surely indicted for their watering down of truth and exploitation of the flock, an ultimate solution is proposed, which is the overthrow of all present world governments, and the setting up of the Government of God in their place!

Study Christ’s stirring prophecy of Matthew 24. For decades, I have asked, “What’s religious about a drought?” Jesus spoke of “natural” calamities, such as droughts, famines, and earthquakes. He also spoke of vast wars to come, as some of the signs preceding His return.

None of these are “religious” exercises. None smack of “ecumenism,” or the sugar-coated smarm of the utterly fallacious cliche’: “By men of good will working together everywhere, we shall have world peace.”

God said the false prophets would be crying, “Peace! Peace!” when there IS no peace! (Ezekiel 13: 10).

Jesus Christ plainly said He did not come to bring peace to the world then! “Think NOT that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

“For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother in-law. And a man’s foes shall be those of his own household” (Matthew10:34-36).

Christ foretold great tribulation; a time of wars and rumors of wars; a time of betrayal, of persecution, of suffering and death!

Continually, He reminded His disciples He would become the KING over His Kingdom. What was the very title of His message? The KINGDOM of God!

Matthew 13 is replete with many of Christ’s Kingdom parables. After prophesying that many of His own disciples would “see Him coming in His Kingdom,” He provided them with a vision about that Kingdom (Matthew 17:1-9).

One of His most outstanding Kingdom parables was about “A certain nobleman [who] went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return” (see Luke 19:11-27).

In this parable, Christ describes Himself as the young Nobleman, Who, upon returning, apportions positions of authority in His Kingdom to His servants, according to their natural, individual abilities and accomplishments. When the first servant showed his accomplishments, Christ said: “Well, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority, over ten cities” (verse 17).

He concluded the parable by describing those who rebel against God; who will not repent, and obey Him. “But those mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay before me” (verse 27).

Dozens and dozens of times in the four Gospels, the whole message, life, and future purpose of Jesus Christ is summed up in the gospel of the Kingdom of God!

He said: “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the THRONE [David’s throne, which is on this earth] of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats … Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, INHERIT THE KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the earth”‘ (Matthew 25:31-34).

Christ Came To Disqualify the Present Evil World Ruler

The greatest struggle in the history of the world did not involve warring armies. It had nothing to do with border disputes, unfair trade practices, sanctions, embargoes, or politics.

It was a spiritual struggle between Jesus Christ, shortly after His baptism and just prior to His public ministry, and Satan the devil, the god of this world.

Satan was hurled down to this earth by God when he failed in his attempt to overthrow God from His throne (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:16). He is called “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2).

Satan was instantly present when God finished His masterpiece of creation: making man in God’s own image, and placing our first parents in paradise. By his magnetic, charming, subtle suggestions and lying hints, he deceived Eve, who influenced her husband, Adam, to disobey God’s commands.

The Hebrew word nachash, erroneously translated “serpent” in Genesis, means “whispering enchanter,” and has nothing to do with the physical appearance of the creature Eve saw. Rather, it implies a creature who charmed, influenced, and deceived the woman. Today, Satan is described as “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world’ (Revelation 12:9).

Paul wrote: “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Millions worship various “gods,” or ancestors, or vague, ethereal, metaphysical concepts, not knowing they are deceived by Satan; that he is the “god” of this sin-sick world of poverty, illiteracy, disease, crime, and war.

Satan was present at Christ’s birth, influencing Herod, who then viciously slew thousands of little toddlers and babies, all male children from two years and younger, in his attempt to murder Christ. Satan then appeared to Jesus in the wilderness, attempting to appeal to every human instinct in order to cause Christ to sin, and therefore to fail in His mission.

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4: 1). This was planned of God the Father. It was a necessary first step in Christ’s mission on this earth. Before He could fully qualify as the “Messiah,” or the “Anointed One” (which is the meaning of the title “Christ”), to qualify as future “King of kings, and Lord of lords,” to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, to call His disciples, to die for the sins of the world, He had to disqualify the evil world ruler, Satan the devil.

“And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered” (Matthew 4:2). You and I cannot imagine a fast of such duration. But Jesus Christ was in perfect physical health. Further, He was in complete control of Himself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He did not allow Himself to burn up energy needlessly by fretting, worrying, or becoming panic-stricken, like most humans would in only three or four days without food and water. Nevertheless, he was no doubt much thinner, having lost much weight. He would have been right at the point of starvation, His body crying out for food and water!

At this precise time, when He would have been at the lowest ebb of His physical strength, Satan appeared!

“And when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread”‘ (Matthew 4:3).

Notice Satan’s subtle suggestion, aimed at human vanity. He did not say, “Since you are the Son of God,” but “IF” you are. Most people, when having their legitimacy, their office, their rank, or their authority challenged, will swell up, and say: “Just what do you mean, ‘IF? I’ll show you whether or not…’”and so on.

Not Jesus. He did not give in to this human impulse. Instead, He instantly quoted the Scriptures, saying: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). The record does not show whether Satan had carefully selected several rounded stones which were the shape and color of bread, hoping to plant the thought in Jesus’ mind of fresh-baked, hot, soft, tasty bread, or whether he merely pointed to stones lying about. Whatever the case, Satan not only attempted to appeal to Jesus’ starving condition of extreme, painful hunger, he also tried to appeal to vanity, to get Christ to “prove” to Satan that He, Christ, had the power of God.

“Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone” (Matthew 4:5,6).

Christ allowed Himself to be transported through the air from the “arabah,” or the desert-like wilderness to the east of Jerusalem, to the city itself, where He was placed atop the temple building. Then, Satan quoted scripture. But He misapplied it, taking the intent of Psalms 91:11,12, and twisting it, suggesting that Christ tempt God by flinging Himself down as if committing suicide.

Had Christ given in to this temptation, the devil would have laughed in derision, and Christ would have died! God would not have saved Him from suicide. No angel would have intervened.

Had Jesus Christ failed this titanic battle of wills; had He given in to the subtle, charming, magnetic, tempting influence of Satan, then you and I would have no Savior! Christ would have failed in His great mission on this earth, “tabernacling” among mankind in human flesh as the Firstbegotten, as the Firstborn from the dead. Satan would be laughing still.

Christ knew this. He knew the real meaning of David’s psalm; that God places His protective angels about His people to spare them from accidental injury or death, but will not intervene to prevent suicide!

Christ said: “It is written again, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God”‘ (Matthew 4:7), once again refusing to give in to Satan’s temptations.

“Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain [scholars believe it was Mt. Heremon, which is snow-clad the year around, and provides a breathtaking view for hundreds of miles in all directions on a clear day], and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, ‘All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me”‘ (Matthew 4:8,9).

Notice that Christ did not dispute Satan’s claim to possess the kingdoms of this world; did not contend they were not Satan’s to give. Here, the devil was implying to Christ that He need not wait for world rulership—He need not worry about trials and tests, about the terrible beating He was to receive, or about being nailed to a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39); that He could have world rulership right then and there!

But, of course, since Satan had the power to give it, he had the power to take it away, didn’t he? Further, even though he may have given over the power to rule the world to Jesus, since he was the one who allowed Christ to rule, it would have meant he would always have been right there, looking over His shoulder; in the background, like a “kingmaker,” the one who was really in control.

If the chairman of the board appoints a CEO, but then second-guesses him, alters his every decision, listens to complaints against him, and ultimately decides to replace him, the CEO is in a very precarious position, indeed.

Jesus Christ knew this, of course. Satan’s suggestion that Christ should worship the devil was outrageously blasphemous, hideously revolting. To do so would have meant Christ would have been abjectly placing Himself under Satan, obeying him, influenced by him, ordered about by him become his slave!

Now, it was time to give Satan a command! Now, Christ had taken his wily suggestions and magnetic, charming hints long enough. Now, Satan’s outrageous proposal had gone far, far beyond the bounds of temptation!

“Jesus saith unto him, ‘GET THEE HENCE, SATAN! For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM ONLY shalt thou serve.’ Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him” (Matthew 4:9-11).

At Christ’s command, the devil had to obey!

Now, God’s angels provided Christ with sustenance. Perhaps He ate real “angel food,” and drank water they provided. Perhaps, having now passed the supreme test of His life, and having been completely physically drained of strength as a result, God really did provide miraculous food and drink. It is doubtful the term “ministered unto Him” merely means shaking His hand, or cradling His head, or smiling at Him.

This was no casual encounter. Christ did not toss it off like a super weightlifter in the Olympics, casually picking up a mere 100 pound weight. No, this was a struggle for control of the nations of this earth!

Satan appeared as the present evil world ruler, even admitting this was his position to Jesus.

Christ DISQUALIFIED Satan by overcoming his every wily temptation! Christ qualified as future world ruler, as King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Christ Came To Preach the Wonderful Good News Of His Future Kingdom

The word gospel should be relegated to an archaic dictionary, where it appears only as a curious relic, long fallen into disuse. Millions hear about the “gospel,” and have not the slightest clue as to what it means.

Many think it is a kind of country-western religious music. When they say “gospel,” it means the entire religious music industry, “stars,” traveling family singing groups, and maybe a Willie Nelson album.

Some use the word as a synonym for “truth.” (And that’s gospel, fella!). To many, anything whatever from the Bible is “gospel.”

Millions suppose they have heard a “gospel” ABOUT Christ, meaning a story about His birth, death, and the forgiveness of sins.

Little do they know the word gospel is a contraction of two old Anglo-Saxon words, meaning “good news.”

Jesus Christ came with a message. His message was about the future world-ruling government of God. Millions today believe they are worshipping Christ, worshipping the Messenger, but know nothing about the message He brought!

Millions “believe ON” Christ, but they do not BELIEVE CHRIST.

Christ’s message was called “the gospel [good news] of the Kingdom of God.” A king rules over a kingdom. Such a kingdom has territory, subjects, and laws.

Christ taught His message to His disciples. His “Kingdom” parables (Matthew 13), together with many other examples, stories and analogies, continually emphasized the coming Kingdom of God.

At the annunciation of the impending birth of Christ, the angel said:

“Of His Kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33). Christ came to qualify to “inherit the throne [the position of rulership of a king] of His father David.” Matthew continually referred to that Kingdom as “the Kingdom of Heaven,” while the other three writers, Mark, Luke, and John, all referred to it as the Kingdom of God. It is the Kingdom of God, Who presently dwells in heaven, which shall come down out of heaven, to rule on this earth (Revelation 20:4; 5:10; 2:26; Zechariah 14:4, Isaiah 11; Revelation 19:11-21).

Jesus “went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel [good news—news foretold in advance] of the Kingdom…” (Matthew 4:23). When He was about to be martyred, at His last Passover, He told His disciples He would not again drink of the wine that pictured His shed blood until “I drink it new [again] in the Kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25).

On one occasion, “He went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God” (Luke 8: 1). Here, the word “gospel” is not used, but its meaning is plainly set forth: glad tidings,” or “joyful announcement.”

Any exhaustive concordance will list literally dozens and dozens of references to Christ’s message about the “Kingdom of God.”

Here are but a few for your study: Matthew 4:17,23; 5:3,10,19,20; 6: 10, 13,33; 7:21; 8:11; 12:28; 13:11,19,24, 31,33,38,41,43,44,45,52; 24:14; 25:1, 14,34. I have omitted many from Matthew’s Gospel in this brief list. There are dozens more in Mark, Luke, and John.

Jesus said: “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Millions do not know what it means to repent. Repentance means contrition, sorrow, remorse. It means to be deeply, emotionally, mentally and psychologically moved with shame and sorrow over one’s rebellious deeds and thoughts; it means to be broken up, emotionally, over the knowledge that one has sinned.

And what IS sin?

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). I have in my possession a newspaper ad placed by a major denomination, urging people to learn more about their church.

The ad asks: “What is SIN?” In the text, it says: “But, on this subject of sin, let’s ask—just what is it?

“The way we look at it—that is, the way it’s interpreted to us—sin is defined as the error of imposing our own wills over God’s will” (emphasis mine).

What a shameful admission. The writer of the ad for this large, mainstream denomination either was ignorant of his own Bible, or else he deliberately tried to deceive his readers. If he had quoted the Bible definition of sin, he would probably have been fired from his job, and someone else would have written the ad.

But it really doesn’t matter how one or another group of people, theologians or not, ad writers or not, “look at” the subject of sin! It is God Who defines what is sin, not man in his clever manipulations, twisting of Scripture, and carnal point of view.

Paul wrote: “I had not known sin, but by the law: For I had not known lust, except the law had said, ‘Thou shalt not covet”‘ (Romans 7:7). The law defines sin. It is only through God’s Ten Commandments that we know what sin IS. Paul also wrote: “Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin! (Romans 3:20).

Justification means the forgiveness of sin. It is the removal of guilt from past lawbreaking. Being “justified” means being “rectified,” or “made right.” It is not a future state, or a future guarantee. It has only to do with God’s unmerited grace, mercy, and pardon in forgiving repentant believers who are deeply sorry they have broken His laws. Being justified means being forgiven for sins that are past.

The law defines sin, not the “way humans look at it.”

Christ commanded men and women to repent of sin, and BELIEVE His advance witness of the coming Kingdom of God! Millions of professing “Christian” people, including regular church-going people, “believe on” Jesus, but do not know anything about His message! He came to deliver His advance good news to the people of His day, and to teach it, privately, to His disciples.

He then commissioned His disciples to announce His coming Kingdom to the world.

Jesus Christ Came To Call, Train, and Commission His Disciples

Millions suppose Christ came to “save the world.” They believe He made every effort to convert people, to explain God’s Word to them, to get them to repent and believe on Him.

Yet, as you read in the beginning (Matthew 13:10-17), Jesus plainly said it was not given to the masses to understand. He said He spoke in puzzles, “lest they should understand with their heart, and should be converted….”

While Christ did not attempt to convert the masses, He vigorously taught His disciples. Though they were yet carnal, and did not understand much of what He said and did, He prophesied that, when they were converted—when the Holy Spirit would be sent on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)—they would remember.

He told them the Holy Spirit would lead them into all truth (John 16:13), and would “bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

Christ called His disciples individually. He said: “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained [set apart, appointed] you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” (John 15:16).

Who is not familiar with Jesus’ invitation to Peter and Andrew: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men?”

He was with them for three and one-half years, eating sleeping, praying, traveling about. During that time, they saw countless miracles. They saw Him cause deaf people to hear; blind people to see. They saw Him cast out demons, heal withered, shrunken human members, and raise the dead. They saw Him calm a violent storm with His word. They watched, stupefied, as a basket of food was miraculously replenished each time they divided bread and dried fish, until they fed two huge groups, one of 4000 and another of 5000, by a miracle!

They heard His enigmatic messages; heard His condemnation of posturing, hypocritical “religious” leaders; heard His loving concern for the sick, the poor, the elderly, and little children. They watched Him walk on water. Then, they saw Him arrested!

They fled in the night, believing the revolution they had expected was all over, that they would be killed!

They saw Him killed; saw Him hoisted into the sky above Golgotha on an upright pale; saw His disfigured face, lacerated body, and huge spikes protruding from feet and wrists. They watched Him die.

Then, they saw an empty tomb.

He appeared to them time and again following His resurrection. At first, they were unbelieving. He had to virtually force them to accept the fact of His resurrection. An outstanding example of this is the famous case of “doubting Thomas,” who said: “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

In the ensuing verses, you read of how Christ materialized through the walls when the doors were shut and locked, and appeared to them.

“And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace be unto you.’Then saith He to Thomas, ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said unto Him, ‘My Lord and my God…’” (John 20:26,27).

Now, there was no further doubt in any of their minds. They had seen Him die, but He was alive again—He had been resurrected from the dead, as He had prophesied (Matthew 12:40). Now, they not only “believed”; now, they KNEW.

Finally, Jesus Christ appeared to them and commissioned His disciples. He said: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age [Greek: aeon]. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).

For three and one-half years, He had taught, trained, and led His disciples. He had set them an amazing example in His perfect conduct, His sin-free life, His constant prayer to His Father, His miracles, His compassion, His forgiveness, His doctrines.

He knew He was constructing a major part of the foundation of His assembly of “called-out ones” who would come along over the generations to follow (Ephesians 2:18-22; Matthew 16:18).

This was one of the major purposes for Christ’s sojourn on this earth, “tabernacling” in human flesh—that of choosing, training, and commissioning His disciples. Few understand, today.

His disciples lived in the “here and now” with Jesus. Over and over again it is apparent from the Gospel accounts that they believed He would overthrow the Jewish leadership, that He would become King. From His birth, when the Magi from Persia asked, “Where is he that is born ‘King of the Jews,”‘ the stories had persisted.

To His disciples, it was only a matter of time when He would depose the Sanhedrin, throw the Sadducees out of the temple, rouse the masses, and expel the Romans from Palestine. He would restore the kingdom as it had been in the greatest days of David and Solomon; its borders reaching from the Nile Delta to Syria, from the Mediterranean to the desolate Arabah.

Each time Jesus challenged the hypocritical authorities, they thought this great event was near. Twice, he drove from the temple the cheating money-changers and vendors of sheep, cattle, and doves. When He fed the four and the five thousand, many of those present wanted to hoist Him atop their shoulders and begin a triumphal march on Jerusalem.

When Christ entered Jerusalem in the van of a shouting, tumultuous crowd, His disciples thought this was the moment! At the last supper, thinking Christ would establish His Kingdom at the Passover, when many thousands were in Jerusalem from all over the world, His disciples argued among themselves about who would have the topmost positions: “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

“And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

“But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

“For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as He that serveth.

“Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

“And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me:

“That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:24-30).

To the disciples, this even might be taking place within the very next day! They were, on that night, sitting at His table in a larger upper room, partaking of the Passover about seventeen hours earlier than usual! No doubt they thought this was because He intended doing something very different; something unique, on the moment of the Passover. “His table” in “His kingdom” might well be set in the governor’s palace the following night!

It was with shock and dismay they saw Him arrested!

In a rage, feeling both betrayal and futility, Peter tried to precipitate the revolution at the moment of Christ’s arrest. He drew his sword, and tried to kill the closest person to him, which happened to be Malcom, the servant of the high priest.

Malcom dodged, and Peter’s razor-sharp sword severed his ear! Christ rebuked Peter on a loud voice, commanded him to put up his sword! Then, He picked up the severed ear, placed it against Malcom’s head, and miraculously healed it! The bleeding stopped, the ear was as before.

At this, His disciples melted away into the night, fearful of being arrested with Him. Only hours later, Peter would curse and blaspheme, standing in a courtyard outside the building where Christ was being beaten, claiming he had never known Jesus.

None of His disciples remotely imagined they would grow to be old men, many of them to be martyred for their faith—that the centuries would slowly pass; that the world would enter a “dark age,” gradually emerge into an Industrial Revolution; that World War I and World War II and the Cold War would be waged; that the world would enter the jet and then the space age.

None of them remotely believed that Christ would still not have set up His Kingdom in the late 1990s, AD!

At the last moment of His final appearance to them, they still were thinking of the “Kingdom” only in terms of “greater Israel.” It did not enter their minds that the whole world would be involved.

“When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, ‘Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”‘ (Acts 1:6). They said nothing about Rome, or England, or India, or Africa, or Asia. They asked whether He would restore the kingdom that had existed under Solomon, the kingdom at its greatest heights, the kingdom of Israel.

He responded: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:7,8).

These were the last words Jesus Christ spoke on earth to His assembled disciples. He was taken up visually from them, disappeared into the clouds, and rose to heaven.

They had asked about restoring a kingdom to Israel, and He had shown them they would carry His message far beyond—to the “uttermost part of the earth.”

Few professing Christians really understand that Christ came to call, teach, train, and set an example for His disciples; that He commissioned them; that they would form a part of the building blocks of His “assembly” (Greek: ekklesia, translated “church” in English) which would be an instrument in His hands for proclaiming the good news of His coming Kingdom to the world.

Jesus Christ Came To Build His Church

The English word church is mostly misunderstood, misapplied, and distorted from the Greek original. To most people a “church” is a building. Or, it is a “denomination,” such as the “Catholic Church,” or the “Baptist Church,” or the “Methodist Church.”

To many, it means a religious organization of one name or another.

Most people would say: “We’re going to go to church today,” meaning, go to the building, probably with its traditional steeple, stained-glass windows, bell tower, pews, and altar.

But the Greek word connoted none of the above.

Instead, the word ekklesia meant, simply, “assembly,” or “group.”

Jesus Christ is the One Who called, taught, commissioned, and formed His disciples together into a group, or assembly of men, who would then be responsible for proclaiming the good news of His kingdom to the world.

As a result of their powerful witness, some few people among the masses would respond to the calling of God, and would repent of their sins, ask for baptism, and begin to live a new and different way of life. They would become “new creatures in Christ” (IICorinthians 5:17).

To care for these newly-begotten children of God, Christ established His ekklesia, His “group” of disciples, giving to them a two-part COMMISSION!

Read what He said: “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).

He prophesied: “And this gospel [advance good news!] of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end [the end of civilization as we know it; the end of an age, and the dawning of a new age—the Kingdom of God on earth] come” (Matthew 24:14).

Christ never relinquished the Headship of the church! He promised He would be continually present with it, leading, guiding, correcting, inspiring. “Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the age.”

Notice how Paul wrote that God had placed Christ “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church [the “assembly” of called-out individuals]. Which is His body [in metaphor], the fullness of Him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:21-23).

Christ, Who was the Creator (John 1), “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the Head of the body, the church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead: that in all things He might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1: 15-18).

Today, some mortal, puny, temporal men claim to be the “head of the church”! In one rather well-known case, the person who has the “preeminence” is called “Holy Father” (a blasphemous title; see Matthew 23:9), and is worshiped, claiming “infallibility.”

But Jesus Christ alone is to be worshiped, and only God is our “Father” in a spiritual sense.

Christ called, trained, then commissioned His disciples, who became a part of the foundation of the church: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners [Paul told the Gentiles], but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone; In Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy temple in the Lord: In Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 1: 19-22).

Yet, millions of professing Christians suppose the “Old Testament is done away,” and pay no attention to the prophets of the Bible.

But your God and your Savior insists they are part of the foundational building blocks of the true church!

Why did Jesus call His “group” of disciples, and ordain them, sending (“apostle” merely means “one sent,” or “a messenger”) them into all the world?

He told them the primary purpose for their calling was to preach the good news of His coming world-ruling government, His Kingdom, to the nations of the world! Their first commission was evangelism, and their secondcommission was to “feed the flock” of converted people who would repent at their preaching.

That remains the function of God’s church today!

Christ Came To Set An Example

Jesus Christ kept His Father’s commandments. He lived an absolutely perfect, sin-free life, filled with God’s Holy Spirit without measure from birth (John 3:34).

He told His disciples: “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” (John 15: 10). John wrote of Him: “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. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself so to walk [live], even as He walked [lived]” (1 John 2:4-6).

This is one of the many Bible definitions of a Christian: “Live as Christ lived”—follow His example.

Paul wrote: “Be ye followers of me [Greek: “imitators”], even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11: 1).

The example of Christ included His many sufferings, rejections, and persecutions. He promised His disciples: “If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you,” and predicted, “Yea, the time cometh that they who kill you will think they do God a service.”

Following the example of Christ clearly meant more than living a good life. It meant suffering, if God so willed, the consequences of living that life—the rage, hatred, rejection, and persecution from others.

Peter wrote: “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:19-21).

Such conduct goes far beyond that of most professing Christians today.

The world of “churchianity” is filled with backbiting, accusing, persecuting, name-calling, labeling, blame-placing, rumor-mongering, and scurrilous attacks by various groups and individuals against other individuals or religious groups. Many little groups are organized for the very purpose of doing nothing but muckraking, scandalizing, accusing, maligning, persecuting.

Many “professing Christians,” like so many Yorkshire hogs at the slop trough, cannot wait to get their hands on the latest gossip, rumors, scandals, and vicious attacks against this or that group. They feed on scandal the way hogs feed on slop, thus continually feeling scandalized and outraged at others. In this way, they bask in the self-deceived comfort of pointing the finger away from self, at others.

Like practitioners of Islam, engaging in Jihad, or “Holy War” against their enemies, many professing Christians feel it is their “holy” duty to attack others.

All such activity is satanic, and not remotely influenced or guided by the Holy Spirit. It is antithetical to the life, teachings, and example of Jesus Christ.

At the final Passover, Jesus Christ washed His disciples’ feet. After doing so, He seated Himself, and said: “Ye call Me ‘Master’ [Teacher] and Lord, and so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than His Lord; neither He that is sent greater than He that sent Him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:13-17).

Millions of professing Christians completely ignore God’s annual Sabbaths; His Holy Days, such as the Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Tabernacles. They suppose all such observances were somehow “done away.” But Christ did not perform such rites to “do away” with them, but to set us an example that we should DO them.

When would the disciples have been obedient to His commands to wash one another’s feet? They did not do so right then, for Christ had already washed them.

Their first opportunity would have been exactly one year later at the Passover (Lord’s Supper)!

That they continued this practice is proved in your Bible. Year after year, God’s people continued to observe the Passover on the fourteenth of Nisan, just as Jesus Christ had. It took centuries for the apostate, great false church (Revelation 17:1-6) to stamp out this practice, often by force of arms. Those who continued to follow Christ’s example were labeled “Fourteenthers,” because of their tenacity in sticking to the “faith once delivered,” and observing the Lord’s Supper exactly when Christ observed it. The Latin label for them was “Quartodecimans.”

Paul, writing to Gentile Christians in the late 50s, AD, over twenty years after the resurrection of Christ, was still teaching Gentile Christians—not “Jews”—to keep the Lord’s Supper!

He wrote: “For I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, ‘Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.’ After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, ‘This cup is the New Testament [the New Covenant, or New Will] in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it [and it was a memorial occasion, done once each year, on the anniversary of the event], in remembrance of Me. For as often [once each year] as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Christ has not come yet. Therefore, the observance of the rites of the “Lord’s Supper,” instituted by Jesus Christ at the last Passover, are still binding upon God’s people—those who profess Christ—today! 

Millions “profess” Jesus. Millions say they “believe on Him.” But they will NOT OBEY Him. They will NOT DO WHAT HE SAID.

He cried out: “Why call ye Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Christ set us an example, that we are to follow in His steps. Are you one who follows His example?

Jesus Christ Came To Qualify As Your High Priest

Jesus Christ came to become our High Priest, making daily intercession for us with God. Notice how clearly this is set forth:

“For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for God in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but that he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Hebrews 5:1-4).

Here, Paul explains the function of a priest, showing how the priests under the Aaronic line were selected by God to serve as intermediaries for those who came to offer “gifts and sacrifices.” He fully explains how such men were, themselves, afflicted with human weaknesses (“compassed with infirmity”), and so could empathize with those who came to them.

Now, notice the context of this entire passage, and its central Figure:

“So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest; but He that said unto Him, ‘Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee. ‘As He saith also in another place, ‘Thou [Christ!] art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. Who [Christ!] in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared: Though He were a Son [Christ!], yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:6-8).

Jesus Christ was ordained a High Priest “after the order of Melchisedec,” or according to the rank, or designated time of service, of Melchisedec.

Who was Melchisedec? He was the One of the Divine Family in heaven who appeared to Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20); the One who was to “empty Himself” (Philippians 2:5-8); Who was to be made flesh (John 1: 1-14), and to “tabernacle” among humankind. To Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He was “Yahweh,” or “Jehovah,” or “I AM.” Today, to you and me, He is “Jesus Christ,” or Jesus, Who is the Christ, or the Messiah, the Anointed One.

He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven as your daily High Priest.

Again, contrasting the human priesthood of Aaron and the Levites with the spiritual, eternal Priesthood of Melchisedec, Paul writes: “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal [physical] commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For He testifieth, ‘Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec”‘ (Hebrews 7:14-17).

A human priest could empathize with worshipers and supplicants to some degree, and was “compassed with infirmity,”

But Jesus Christ can actually feel our infirmities, for He suffered through them, was “tempted in every point” as we are!

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace [undeserved, unearned pardon!] to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

The ministry of Christ’s true church is not a priesthood. NEVER is it necessary to obtain absolution, or a feeling of forgiveness and relief of spiritual burdens by “confession” of our sins to some other human being!

Jesus Christ is now sitting at the right hand of God, waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool (Acts 2:33-36). He is alive (Revelation 1: 18), and is right beside His Father.

He acts as the “counsel for the defense” before God when we go to the throne of grace to confess our sins and faults, and ask for forgiveness. Satan, on the other hand, is like the “prosecuting attorney,” who is called “the accuser of the brethren,” who “accuses them before God, day and night” (Revelation 12: 1 0).

When we pray to God our Father “in the name” of Jesus Christ, we establish a private, deeply personal conduit, like our own special “frequency,” or wave length, to God.

Millions of professing Christians suppose they must divulge every secret sin to a human priest. Others, equally deceived, believe they must confess sins to a human minister, thus allowing that man to be placed between them and Jesus Christ.

But there is no human being on earth who is qualified to stand between you and Jesus Christ!

You never need ask “permission” to go to Christ.

You never need worry about being in the “good graces” of some man or woman in order to be in the good graces of Christ. There is not a single human being on earth, in any nation, that has any say-so whatsoever concerning your personal spiritual life—your confession—your prayers!

There is no more intense, personal, deeply private relationship possible than that between you and your Savior; your soon-coming King, and your daily High Priest, Jesus Christ!

Christ Came To Offer Himself As A Sacrifice For the Sins of the World

The favorite scripture of millions is only partially understood: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Many repeat this scripture endlessly, like a spiritual talisman. Some venture to plaster the name and numbers on T-shirts, hats, jackets; on billboards, bumper stickers, and rocks along the highway. Some paint it on cloth, then position themselves so cameras at major sports events like golf tournaments or football games will photograph it, thus believing they are somehow helping to “spread the gospel.”

But this passage is not to be cheapened by being paraded about, or worn on clothing. It is one of the most beautiful, and profound, scriptures in the Bible.

First, it obviously identifies the Father of Jesus Christ, using the Greek word Theos, translated “God.”

Jesus continually spoke of His Father in heaven. He said: “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (John 6:37,38).

Calling Himself the “living bread” that came down from heaven, He spoke in metaphor of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, as well as the daily Christian life of allowing Christ to dwell in human hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit: “As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me [in metaphor] even he shall live by Me” (John 6:57).

Christ said the Father directed His every work; that the Father “dwelt” in Him; that none could come to Jesus Christ except the Father drew him.

Notice the profound import of John 3:16. “Theos so loved the world, meaning sinning, lost human beings, that He gave His only begotten Son.” The Greek Theos is the same as the Hebrew Elohim. Now, notice the rest of the verse: “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but [as an opposite, contrasted to “perishing”] should have everlasting life.”

Yet, millions assume this beautiful verse is wrong. They cling to their superstitions, which come down to us from Plato and Socrates and other pagan philosophers—that of the “immortality of the soul.”

To countless professing Christians, the verse implies, “that whosoever believeth in Him should not live forever in hell, but live forever in heaven!” But the Bible says perish. The same word would be used of canned fruit that “perished,” or of “perishable” foods, like fruits and vegetables.

If you read of an airliner crash wherein over one hundred people perished, you know they died. In some cases, only tiny fragments, of what moments before had been living human beings, are left.

Here, two opposites are presented. To reject Christ means we perish, cease to exist, go to the grave, die. To believe in Jesus Christ, to obey God, and to believe what Jesus said results in eternal life, the opposite of “perishing.”

The greatness of God’s love toward His creatures is illustrated by the ultimate gift He could give us: the death of His own Beloved Son.

Paul wrote: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

By repenting with broken hearts, then being baptized (which is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as well as a symbol of the death of our old, sinful selves, then the resurrection of the “new man,” or the “new creature in Christ”) and by receiving the begettal of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 5:32), we become the children of God.

We repent of sin, which is the breaking of God’s laws. Baptism symbolizes the claim over our lives by the penalty for sin, which is death (Romans 6:23). But God substitutes the death of Christ, who died to pay the penalty for sin, in our stead.

“Therefore we are buried [in water, temporarily, in baptism] with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk [live] in newness of life. For if we have been planted together [as in a grave] in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man (the old self, with its carnal attitudes and sin] is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ [in symbol], we believe that we shall also live with Him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:4-11).

Study this entire chapter (Romans 6). It is the “baptism” chapter, and filled with profound meaning. By repenting and being baptized, we are “justified” with God; we have had all past guilt removed. Justification means forgiveness of sins that are past, not a present, and continual “condition” of the Christian.

Having been forgiven for breaking God’s laws, we now, through the power of the Holy Spirit (for we could never accomplish it on our own), live a life of obedience to God and His laws.

As Paul wrote: “But now being made free from sin [by forgiveness], and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life [two diametric opposites!] through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:22,23).

As in John 3:16, here are two complete opposites. The one, death, or “perishing,” and the other, eternal life.

Paul also wrote: “Christ died to save sinners, of whom I am chief’ (1 Timothy 1: 15).

Millions know Christ “died to save sinners,” yet do not know what sin is (1 John 3:4), and do not have the faintest idea that, once forgiven for sin, which is the breaking of God’s Ten Commandments, they should begin living a life of obedience to God’s Ten Commandments. Of course, the millions have no special quarrel with God’s laws against stealing, murdering, dishonoring one’s parents, or lying—it is the Fourth Commandment they absolutely hate.

Jesus Christ died. He said so! “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [hades, the grave] and of death” (Revelation 1: 18). Many major church denominations deny this. They insist Christ did not die; that only His body died, but that He descended into hell, preaching to demons! They completely misinterpret the scriptures of 1 Peter 3:19,20; 2 Peter 2:4,5; and Jude 6.

In those scriptures, it is clear that the One Who became Christ witnessed against the “angels that sinned” during the flood. The word hell is from the Greek tartaroo, used only once in all the Bible, which means a condition or place of restraint. The Bible shows Satan and his demons were cast down from heaven; that the demons are bound to this earth.

When the flood waters prevailed on earth, and all humanity had been destroyed save eight people in the ark, the One Who became Christ, the Logos of the Divine Family in heaven witnessed against them of the coming destruction of the earth by fire (2 Peter 3:10-12).

Instead, major denominations set aside Christ’s own words, deny He was truly dead, and claim He was preaching to “lost souls” in “hell” during the three days and three nights in the tomb!

But unless Jesus Christ died, unless He was truly dead and buried, you and I have no Savior! The wages of sin is death, not eternal life in some other state of being (Romans 6:23).

But Jesus’ death was not the only part of His sacrifice. His sacrifice also included of the twenty-four hours or so of beatings, scorn and ridicule, and final agony on the stake.

The prophecies said of Christ: “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness [He was not outstanding, humanly; was not a striking-looking, or handsome, man]; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).

Again, millions are completely ignorant of this important prophecy about Christ. They suppose He was an outstandingly handsome man; a striking, attractive, comely person. They believe they could easily spot Him in a crowd of a hundred thousand, for He would be dressed in a white robe, with a shepherd’s crook and a little lamb in His arms; light brown hair, softly cascading over His shoulders; small, neat mustache and full, pointed beard; high forehead, with neat, chiseled nose, intense, deep-set eyes of brown, with a distant, contemplative stare.

Go to any Bible book store, and look at the favorite “pictures” of Christ, and you will see what I mean. But no artist ever painted Christ, and no photographs existed then. Your Bible says He was an ordinary-looking Jew of His time; shows how He escaped out of crowds when they were trying to kill Him!

Time and time again this happened! In the temple in Jerusalem, at Nazareth in the synagogue—they tried to kill Him. But the Bible says that “He, passing through their midst, went His way.”

A deaf man would not notice Christ, because there would be nothing physically attractive or outstanding about Him. A blind man would be startled, intrigued, amazed—for He would hear the power and authority in His voice (Matthew 7:29; Luke 4:36).

Jesus Christ’s sacrifice lasted for a lifetime! Notice: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

Have you ever experienced rejection by someone you love? Divorce is perhaps the cruelest form of rejection; that, and estrangement among close family members. It is mentally and emotionally traumatic, anguishing.

Have you felt despised, hated, by others? Jesus Christ was despised and rejected as a young man by His own brothers and sisters. He said “a prophet hath no honor in His own country, and among His own kin.”

Jesus Christ did not live a life of ebullient happiness; of gaiety, fun, and frolic. No, He was a “man of sorrows,” and “acquainted with grief.” Could He laugh at the antics of a balky mule, or some human situation? Very probably so. But there were tears of sorrow more often than tears of joy in Jesus’ eyes.

Perhaps millions can repeat the religious-sounding cliche’, “He died to save sinners,” but few know the real breadth and depth of Christ’s lifetime of sacrifice.

“Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities [sins]: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed [notice 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 in this regard]. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Eternal hath laid upon Him the iniquity [lawlessness; sin] of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:4-7). This entire chapter demands careful study and contemplation. Few professing Christians have ever read it.

Jesus Christ Came To Die, Then To Be Resurrected

Christ foretold His own death, burial, and resurrection. He said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s [great fish’s] belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39,40).

He told His disciples, “All ye shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written, ‘I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’ But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee” (Mark 14:27,28).

Near the end of His ministry, when the terrible ordeal of beating and death lay just ahead of Him, Jesus cried out to His Father, who answered, probably by the voice of an archangel (for no man has ever heard the voice of God [John 5:37]): “Father, glorify Thy Name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, ‘An angel spake to Him. ‘Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgement of this world: now shall the prince of this world [Satan] be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth [on the stake], will draw all men unto Me.’ This He said, signifying what death He should die” (John 12:28-33).

Literally millions of professing Christians in the major denominations flatly reject the ONLY SIGN Jesus Christ left as a perpetual witness that He was truly the Savior of the world—the “sign of the prophet Jonas.”

Clearly, Jesus said He would be exactly three days AND THREE NIGHTS in the tomb. Count up, on your fingers, or on a piece of scrap paper, the beliefs of millions in the big churches. They believe Christ died on “Good Friday” (what was “good” about it?). Friday sunset to Saturday sunset is one day and one night. Saturday sunset to Sunday sunset is two days and two nights. Sunday sunset to Monday sunset is three days and three nights.

Was Jesus then not raised from the dead until Monday sunset?

No, He was not put to death on a Friday, but on a Wednesday late afternoon!

Because of hundreds of years of professing Christian “tradition,” millions of people will flatly reject the truth of their Bibles, and cling, instead, exactly as Christ said the Pharisees did, to their “traditions.” Good Friday to Easter at sunrise is the “tradition” of nominal “Christianity.”

Here, we will publish excerpts from the Companion Bible, by Dr. Bullinger, published by Zondervan, for your careful study. The finest details of the final days of Christ on this earth are contained in the gospels.

Bullinger wrote: “I. That the first day of each of the three feasts, Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, was ‘a holy convocation’, a ‘sabbath’ on which no servile work was to be done. See Lev. 23.7,24,35. Cp. Ex. 12.16.

“‘That sabbath’ and the ‘high day’ of John 19:31 was the ‘holy convocation’, the first day of the feast [i.e., the Feast of Unleavened Bread], which quite overshadowed the ordinary weekly sabbath….

“This great sabbath, having been mistaken from the earliest times for the weekly sabbath, has led to all the confusion.

“II. This has naturally caused the further difficulty as to the Lord’s statement that ‘even as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights’ (Matt. 12.40). Now, while it is quite correct to speak according to Hebrew idiom of ‘three days’ or ‘three years’, while they are only parts of three days or three years, yet that idiom does not apply in a case like this, where ‘three nights’ are mentioned in addition to ‘three days’…..

“III. We have therefore the following facts furnished for our sure guidance:

“1. The ‘high day’ of John 19.31 was the first day of the feast.

“2. The ‘first day of the feast’ was on the 15th day of Nisan.

“3. The 15th day of Nisan, commenced at sunset on what we should call the 14th.

“4. ‘Six days before the passover’ (John 12. 1) takes us back to the 9th day of Nisan.

“5. ‘After two days is the passover’ (Matt. 26.2. Mark 14. 1) takes us to the 13th day of Nisan.

“6. ‘The first day of the week’… (Matt. 28. 1, &c.), was from our Saturday sunset to our Sunday sunset. This fixes the days of the week, just as the above fix the days of the month, for:

“7. Reckoning back from this, ‘three days and three nights’ (Matt. 12.40), we arrive at the day of the burial, which must have been before sunset, on the 14th of Nisan; i.e. before our Wednesday sunset.

“Therefore Wednesday, Nisan 14th (commencing on the Tuesday at sunset), was ‘the preparation day’, on which the crucifixion took place: for all four Gospels definitely say that this was the day on which the Lord was buried (before our Wednesday sunset), ‘because it was the preparation [day]’ the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, ‘for that sabbath was a high day’, and, therefore, not the ordinary seventh day, or weekly sabbath. See John 19.3 1 ” (Appendix 156, p. 179,180).

John’s statement about the “High Day” Sabbath proves that the Sabbath following the death of Christ was our Thursday, the “First Day of Unleavened Bread.” The “preparation day,” or Friday, followed. The women then “rested on the Sabbath,” according to the commandment, and went to the tomb “very early, while it was yet dark, as it began to dawn TOWARD the first day of the week” (Matthew 28: 1). But the tomb was empty. Jesus was not there. The angels told them “He is not here: for He is risen, as He said” (Matthew 28:6).

And He said He would have been exactly three twelve-hour days and three twelve-hour nights in the tomb! The angelic statement is past tense; He had already been risen from the dead many hours, for He had risen from the tomb exactly seventy-two hours after being laid in the tomb, just before sunset the previous Wednesday afternoon.

Study the information from the Companion Bible appendix carefully, checking every scripture in your own Bible.

In order to cling to false, musty tradition, churchmen in the seminaries teach eager, young, would-be clergymen that Jesus’ statement about being exactly three days and three nights in the tomb was a “Jewish idiom.” They say it meant only part of three days and three nights.

Look at the facts. Friday sunset to Saturday sunset is one day and one night. Saturday sunset to Sunday, early pre-dawn darkness, when the tomb was already empty, is but part of one night!

Therefore, the traditions of “churchianity’ claim that Jesus was only in the grave for one full day of daylight, and one full night of darkness, plus another partial nighttime period! That’s two nights and only one day!

Jesus Christ Himself, speaking only of the daylight hours of the twenty-four hour day, said: “Are there not twelve hours in the day? (John 11:9). The night also has twelve hours. God’s Word says: “And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day [Hebrew: yom], and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning [both the nighttime and the daylight hours] were the first day” (Genesis 1: 4,5).

A “Jewish idiom”?

But Jesus said plainly: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly…” (Matthew 12:40). When Jesus said “as Jonas,” and said “three days and three nights,” He obviously meant three days and three nights exactly as you and I count time today—exactly as Christ Himself counted time.

Any attempt to twist and distort what Jesus plainly said becomes obvious, on its face, as a carnal-minded, God-defying, Christ-rejecting desire on the part of false teachers to cling to their cherished traditions, such as “Good Friday” and “Easter,” rather than believe and accept the plain statements of their Lord and Savior.

Christ said to the posturing religious traditionalists of His day: “Well hath Isaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men’…and He said unto them, ‘Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition”‘ (Mark 7:6-9).

Tradition is a powerful influence on millions of professing Christians. Nostalgia, warm, cozy family memories; getting up in the pitch blackness of a pre-dawn “Easter” (“Ishtar,” meaning the pagan Babylonian goddess of sex and fertility—hence the rabbits, eggs, and the like), dressing up in gay spring colors; little white patent-leather shoes, frilly green, yellow and white dresses and bonnets; millions remember going to a church, or an outdoor sports stadium, or a mountain top, for an “Easter sunrise” service.

Little do they suspect they are committing an absolute disgusting abomination in the sight of God!

God showed Ezekiel the filthy abominations committed by idolatrous Israel and Judah. After showing him their houses of worship, decorated with the signs of the Zodiac (Ezekiel 8:10-12), He said: “Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And He brought me into the inner court of the Eternal’s House [the temple], and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Eternal, between the porch and the altar [they were outdoors—so they could see the sun], were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Eternal, and the faces toward the EAST; and they worshipped the sun toward the east” (Ezekiel 8:16).

The sun is in the east at its rising. This was a sunrise service, performed by evil, perverted, false “priests” right in the door of the temple of God in Jerusalem. Read what God proposes to do about it in the ensuing chapter; how the pagan abominations will be expunged from His people.

Whether traditionalists want to believe it or not, Jesus Christ, your Savior, was resurrected from the tomb late on a Sabbath afternoon. He appeared to the women in the garden, and later, on the road to Emmaus. When they would have grasped Him, He told them: “Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father” (John 20:17).

Yet, later, He appeared to them inside a closed room, demanding that “doubting Thomas” touch Him, placing his finger into the big wounds on His hands, his hand into His side (John 20:19-31).

Christ had, in the meantime, ascended to His Father, and returned.

For over a month, He continually buttressed their faith by appearing to them here and there. They were, at first, unwilling witnesses! He chided them: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses [in the Torah, or the first five books of the Bible] He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself’ (Luke 24:25-27).

The pagan doctrine of the “immortality of the soul” absolutely nullifies the necessity of Christ’s resurrection! If God were running a “soul factory” here below; if, when each person dies, his or her “soul” goes to “heaven,” or to “hell,” and if Christ’s shed blood atones for our sins, and if by His death we are “saved,” then why did He have to be resurrected?

God’s Word says: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5: 10).

Christ’s shed blood “reconciles” us, brings us back to God in a sinless condition. When we repent and accept His atoning sacrifice in our stead, we are then brought into a sinless, forgiven, redeemed condition before God.

But we must then live a life of overcoming (Revelation 2:26; 3:21). To do this, we must quit sinning, meaning quit breaking God’s Ten Commandments! We cannot do this on our own strength.

It is “Christ in us,” through the Holy Spirit, that helps us obey God. When we stumble, as we often do (1 John 1:8; 2:1-4), Christ is in heaven at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us.

He is our living Savior, actively intervening, guiding, directing, passing on our supplications to His Father! He is our living High Priest, our best Friend, our closest Confidante, the One to whom we can confess our innermost problems, fears, faults and sins.

We are “brought back” before God, into a fresh start, a new beginning, by His death, but we are saved by His life!

Now, you know why Jesus Christ did not come to this earth the first time, and you know many of the major reasons why He did! May God help you to open your mind and heart, and understand! 

You may copy and distribute this information only to friends and family without changes, without charge and with full credit given to the author and publisher. You may not publish it for general audiences.

This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.


The activities of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association are paid for by tithes, offerings and donations freely given by Christians and co-workers who are dedicated to preaching the gospel according to Jesus Christ.

The post The Real Reasons Why Christ Came To This Earth first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Mention God’s law to millions of professing Christians and their pastors, and they will likely retort, “Oh, that’s LEGALISM!” Strangely, there is a pervasive animosity in the Christian-professing world against the laws of God!

The catchword “legalism” is thrown about frequently. Yet, when you really think about it, you want everything done legally. If you purchase an automobile, do you want the documents you sign; the loan agreement you arrange; the warranty you are promised; the price you agree upon to be legal? Surely you do. Legal merely means “according to law.” If you graduate from high school or college, and receive a diploma or degree, do you want it to be legal; to know that the school or college is legally constituted, and empowered to issue your degree? Of course you do. Everything in life; from your home to your insurance; from your job to your investments, you want to be handled legally! Yet, millions are deceived by religious hucksters who hate God’s laws, and who scornfully say, “That’s legalism!”

The scripture from Ephesians 2:8, 9 quoted in the drophead above is one of the most commonly used to convince biblical illiterates that there is no requirement to obey God’s law! Is God up there, sitting in His heavenly armchair or throne, saying to we human beings, “You had better not let me catch you trying to OBEY MY LAW”? Does God say to us, “TheWORST THING I CAN IMAGINE for you to do is to try to OBEY me!”? “Why, don’t you know that the law is DONE AWAY?” Is this what God is saying to Christians?

Perhaps you need to ask an anti-law pastor “Will I LOSE SALVATION if I try to OBEY GOD?” “Will God throw me into a burning hell fire if I try to keep His Ten Commandments the way Jesus did?”

According to many a professing Christian pastor, the answer is YES! You will be under a curse of some kind if you try to keep the law, they tell you.

Millions seem to imagine that once upon a time there was an old, harsh, scowling, angry God who burdened mankind with a terribly rigorous, unyielding law which was impossible for them to obey. Then, along came His Son, who overthrew and dismantled the laws His Father had handed down, and, as a Savior, unlocked mankind’s shackles; broke his bonds; gave him LIBERTY from that harsh, egregious old law! “He NAILED IT TO HIS CROSS” they say.

Every Sunday, in tens of thousands of churches, pastors inveigh against God’s laws; against any WORKS in connection with salvation. The way they tell it, the worst thing that can happen to a member of their congregation is to try to obey God’s law!

Then WHY does the very next verse following Ephesians 2:8 and 9 say this? “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Is this a direct contradiction in scripture? Certainly not! Instead, it is clear proof that grace, faith, AND WORKS are all a part of the process of salvation and receiving the rewards of greater responsibility in Christ’s soon-coming world-ruling government!

Paraphrased, this scripture tells us that we are God’s handiwork; His creation, and that, through Christ as Christians, the very purpose for which we were called, converted, baptized, and given God’s Holy Spirit as “new creatures in Christ” is to ACCOMPLISH GOOD WORKS!

Now, who was it who wrote the Ten Commandments? Was it a harsh, angry, vindictive Old Testament God?

The LAWGIVER

The apostle John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word [Greek: Logos, meaning “spokesman”], and the Word was with God [Theos, the Greek equivalent of Elohim in Hebrew; Genesis 1:1], and the Word was God.

“The same was in the beginning with God.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made [clearly, we are being told about the CREATOR of the universe, this earth, and all life upon it!].

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John [referring to John the Baptist].

“The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

“He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

“He came unto his own [the Jews], and his own received him not.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

“Which were born [Greek: gennao either born or begotten], not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [Greek: tabernacled] among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-14). Here, in your own Bible, is the clear proof that Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died for the sins of mankind, is the CREATOR who said “Let there be light…let the dry land appear…let US make man in OUR image!” The Hebrew word for “God” in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim. This word means more than one. It is a word like “family, group, or assembly.” One may attend church services for more than 40 years, and never hear that passage preached! WHY?

Simply because it would be DEVASTATING to the doctrinal stance of thousands of preachers! If they were to admit that the God of the Old Testament is the person of divine Elohimwho BECAME CHRIST, then their false portrayal of Christ as a smart-aleck young man who came to destroy everything His Father ever did would not stand up!

Notice further concrete proof: “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;

“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3). So Christ was the CREATING AGENT who did the speaking; who gave the commands!

It was THIS personage of the divine Godhead, called Elohimwho said, “Let US make man in OUR image!” (Genesis 1:26). It was THIS personage of divine Elohim who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, and who said His name was “I AM.” Jesus Christ enraged the Jews by referring to His pre-human state when He told them,”Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).

The one people call “Jesus Christ” is the one who WROTE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WITH HIS OWN FINGER! He is the one who appeared to Abraham; who caused the birth of Isaac, and later spared him; who wrestled with Jacob in the dust of the earth. He is the one who inspired the prophets! He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God [the Father], who came to this earth to atone for the sins of mankind!

As the divine YHVH (whom some pronounce as Jehovah) of the Old Testament, the Logos or “Word” said, “For I am the LORD [YHVH; the one who became Christ], I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6). Now, THINK! Do you honestly believe that God Almighty, as divine Elohim, who is all-knowing, perfect in every way, would think out and then deliver a law to His own creatures that was FLAWED in some way?

Did the great divine Elohim, “God” as Father and Logos, make a mistake? Was Christ sent to rectify the mistake — overturn the law, and “nail it to His cross”?

Your Bible says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday [as the Logos or Spokesman, in His pre-human state], and to day [right now!], and for ever [for all eternity!]” (Hebrews 13:8).

So much for the concept that Jesus Christ came to destroy or annul the laws of His Father! They were NOT laws which were flawed, and they are not harsh!

How many of the Ten Commandments can you recite? Which ones are so harsh, rigorous, and forbidding that they are impossible to obey? The average professing Christian cannot recite more than four or five, and even then not in the correct order.

Here they are, just as Jesus Christ Himself wrote them with His own finger, with numbers added:

(1) “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

(2) “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

(3) “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

(4) “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

“For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

(5) “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

(6) “Thou shalt not kill [Hebrew: Rawtsach meaning “do no murder”].

(7) “Thou shalt not commit adultery.

(8) “Thou shalt not steal.

(9) “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

(10) “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (Exodus 20:3-17).

Review these commands slowly. Which one is it you wish your neighbors would obey? Which ones would you have your neighbors breaking, and disregarding? Would you want them spreading false tales about you? Stealing? Murdering? Sitting there coveting, lusting after your husband or wife, or your car, or your property — jealous of you?

Why should so many thousands of professing Christian pastors HATE those laws? Which one is it they frantically seek to avoid? A clue: it is found somewhere between the third and the fifth commandment!

If you have access to a personal computer (you can have your librarian give you access, and she can operate it for you) by all means look into our web site at “https://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/” and download and print my major booklet The Ten Commandments. In this book, each one of the Ten Commandments are expounded, applied, and explained, along with what kind of a world it would be if even ONE of the ten were universally obeyed! It is a fascinating book, and I urge you to read it. Also, call or write for my free book, Why Would Anyone ‘Keep Saturday for Sunday’? It is a fascinating look at the Sunday-Sabbath controversy.

Now that you have seen the proof from your own Bible, you know that it was the One who became Jesus Christ of Nazareth; the Savior of mankind, who WROTE the Ten Commandments with His own finger! Now you know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that He says He never changes; that He is the SAME, yesterday, today, and forever! Then what shall we do with several scriptures the Sunday-observing preachers quote which SEEM, on the surface, to do away with God’s laws?

An example: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10). Is this a contradiction? Is this telling us we are under a CURSE if we try to keep the Ten Commandments? Write or call immediately for my three sermons, given sequentially, in which I painstakingly go through the book of Galatians and expound all the relevant scriptures. The tapes are entitled “Galatians I, II and III.” In those sermons, you will see the difference between the “book of the law,” called a “schoolmaster” to lead us unto Christ, and the Ten Commandments! Also, why does it NOT say one is “under a curse” if one KEEPS the book of the law, but under a curse if one DOES NOT CONTINUE IN ALL THINGSwritten in that law?

I am well aware of the “proof texts” used by law-hating preachers. For another example, notice Colossians 2:13 and 14: “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” But are the Ten Commandments, given by Elohim (who became Christ), and called by Paul “holy, just, and good” (Romans 7:12) “contrary” to us? Are the Ten Commandments ever called a “handwriting of ordinances” in the Bible?

Notice further what this “handwriting of ordinances” really was: “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

“(Touch not; taste not; handle not;

“Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

“Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh” (Colossians 2:20-23). None of the Ten Commandments say to us “touch not, taste not, handle not,” as did the ceremonial laws of the Levitical Priesthood. None of the Ten Commandments are the “commandments and doctrines of MEN”! None of them involve “will worship” or a “show” of outward humility, asceticism, and pretended spirituality, as in the shaving of one’s head in a vow, the fasts of the Pharisees, or their boasting of circumcision.

All such “proof texts” which law-hating preachers use to deceive people into believing the Ten Commandments are done away are easily understood in their correct context, and in the light of the dozens of PLAIN scriptures upholding the law! Paul said, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14). And what IS sin? There is only ONE plain, straightforward scripture in the Bible which says “SIN IS…” and tells you what it is!

Notice it, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Burn that scripture into your mind and heart, and never forget it! It is absolutely axiomatic! When we repent, what is it of which we are to repent?

Why, of SIN! And what IS sin? Sin is the transgression of the LAW!

God says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Yes, ALL have failed to observe God’s righteous, holy, just and good Ten Commandments!

Now, understand what one EARNS when one fails to keep the Ten Commandments: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Here are two OPPOSITES! Death on the one hand, and eternal life on the other.

The “wages” we earn when we sin — meaning when we break God’s Ten Commandments — is DEATH! But that death is not the first death, which may come in any manner; whether accident, sickness, or old age. God says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation (Hebrews 9:27, 28). The SECONDdeath is death by fire, and destruction for all eternity! “And death and hell [Greek: hades, meaning the grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Revelation 20:14).

Now let’s understand what happens when we REPENT OF SIN!

Repent Of What?

When Jesus first began His public ministry, He called out to the masses to repent, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel [good news!] of the kingdom of God,

“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14, 15). Peter, speaking under inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, called out, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Repent of what? Repent of SIN! And what IS sin? Remember, sin is the breaking of God’s Ten Commandments! The remission of sin is FORGIVENESS for having violated God’s laws!

Repentance means deep sorrow; remorse, self-revulsion! It means to be penitent, to be very sorry! Sorry for WHAT? Sorry for having broken God’s laws! Sorry for having NOTkept the Ten Commandments! Never forget this vital biblical principal! There are MILLIONS of church-going, professing Christians who have NEVER KNOWN THE MEANING OF REPENTANCE; never known the meaning of WHAT IS sin! Literally MILLIONS do not know that sin is NOT merely “something displeasing to God,” or “drinking, dancing, card-playing and honky-tonking,” or any other man-formulated series of social or religious violations or infractions, but that sin is the breaking of any point of God’s law! Of course, some of the activities referred to above are certainly contrary to the Ten Commandments, but there are sins which are sins in any amount, such as murder, adultery, theft, idolatry and cursing, and there are sins which are sins in excess, where moderation would not be a sin.

One can sin against one’s body by ingesting too much water, for example! One can eat far too much food, and be gluttonous, and be committing a sin against one’s own body, which is to be the “temple of the Holy Spirit,” as well as ruining one’s health by becoming grossly obese, while eating correctly, and in moderation is not a sin.

God does not single out any one of the Ten Commandments as being inferior to the others! Remember it is only the FOURTH commandment which most Sunday-observing preachers hate.

James said, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

“For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law” (James 2:10, 11).

What Is Redemption?

Now, you need to understand what “redemption” is all about. When a thing is “redeemed” (as one might redeem some article from a pawn broker by paying off the loan) it is “bought back.” It is “brought back” to its original state. When we are in sin, we are CUT OFF from God! We are under the penalty of the law, which is DEATH, in Gehenna fire!

Paul explained how we become God’s PURCHASED POSSESSION when we accept the blood sacrifice of Christ: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). This is the essence of “redemption.” You have been bought with the blood of Christ, and now you are not “your own” to do with as you please, but the purchased possession of God Himself!

And WHY did Christ die? He died because mankind has been breaking God’s Ten Commandments! Remember, Christ LIFTED the Ten Commandments to a much higher, SPIRITUAL plane! He said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17,18). To fulfill means “to do or perform.” It is not synonymous with “destroy”! Christ explained how the Ten Commandments reach into every nuance of human thought and action: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire (Matthew 5:21, 22). Obviously, Christ is applying the Ten Commandments in the broadest possible sense, showing how God’s law reaches into all human thought. He said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27, 28).

Thus, while the LETTER of the law certainly defines sin, it is the spiritual INTENT of the law which also defines sin in a much broader way! Where it required ACTION under the Old Covenant, it only requires THOUGHT under the new! Therefore, the Ten Commandments are INFINITELY MORE BINDING than before! Far from being “done away,” they are made much more BINDING!

Jesus Christ gave HIS flawless, perfect, sin-free life for the commandment-breaking of all mankind! The “favorite text” of all preachers says, “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.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16, 17). The false preachers make people believe that scripture says that “whosoever believeth in him should not live forever in hell fire…” But the Bible nowhere says there is an EVER BURNING hell fire! Instead, it portrays Gehennafire, which will BURN UP those who are cast into it: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashesunder the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 4:1-3). No Sunday-observing, law-hating preacher who believes in and preaches an ever-burning hell fire and the “immortality of the soul” would DARE quote and expound that scripture! It shows the true fate of unrepentant sinners — that of total DESTRUCTIONin Gehenna fire!

The OPPOSITE of eternal death is eternal life! God gave His only begotten Son that we might not PERISH — and perish in Gehenna fire — but have eternal life!

Jesus Christ came as our REDEEMER! When we were lost in sin, which is the breaking of God’s Ten Commandments, we were under the DEATH penalty, for the “wages of sin is death!” Jesus Christ PAID that penalty with His one PERFECTlife — the very life of God in the flesh — His one life being worth more than all human life put together!

Think of the analogy of a bond servant. Many early arrivals to the original thirteen colonies in the United States were “indentured servants.” They came here as a bond servant to an employer; sometimes accepting the rigors of such work in lieu of debtor’s prison in England.

But if a kindly man should come along and pay off the bondby giving the employer the full amount he is owed, then the bond servant is no longer beholden to his debtor, but is FREE.

When we were under sin, we OWED OUR LIVES!

Jesus Christ came to set us FREE — not from the obligation to obey God, but free from the penalty of sin, which is death! Paul explained, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death [by being “buried” in the “watery grave” of baptism], we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

“Knowing this, that our old man [the old sinful man, who was living in disobedience to the Ten Commandments] is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin [remember: sin is the transgression of the law!].

“For he that is dead is freed from sin.

“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

“For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin [through Christ’s death in our stead], but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:5-12). Indeed! Let NOT SIN REIGN in your mortal body! And WHAT IS SIN? Sin is the breaking of God’s Ten Commandments! Clearly, Paul shows that water baptism is a type of our death; that Christ’s death has PAID THE DEBT; that not only has He conquered death through the resurrection, but we are now ALIVE unto God through Christ. When Paul said we are not to let sin have dominion over us, he clearly shows we are to LIVE WITHIN the Ten Commandments, not in disobedience to them!

Had Christ’s death been the only necessary part of salvation; if we are “once saved, always saved” by His DEATH, then why was Christ resurrected? Notice, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:7-10).

You need to study this beautiful, meaningful passage slowly and carefully, and come to throughly understand its terms. Notice that we are RECONCILED to God by Christ’s sacrifice!

We are then “redeemed.” We are a “purchased possession” of God, having been bought as if from slavery by the life’s blood of Jesus Christ. Reconciliation, or redemption, has to do with SINS THAT ARE PAST! Reconciliation means restoration; bringing back to an original state. An estranged couple who reconcile is a couple who forget those things which have divided them, and commence anew. Reconciliation is FREE! It is God’s free, loving gift!

Remember, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” But if Christ’s DEATH is the ONLY ingredient for salvation, then why did Jesus Christ need to be RESURRECTED from the dead? Notice the fabulous truth, so little understood by millions of professing Christians, “…much more BEING RECONCILED, we shall be saved BY HIS LIFE!”

There are countless professing Christians who believe in a catch-phrase, “once saved, always saved.” This is tantamount to proclaiming that Christ’s death gives the Christian blanket approval; blanket permission to live life in a “saved” condition, apart from the need for any further repentance!

But this attitude utterly ignores Christ’s PRESENT function as the HIGH PRIEST in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, to MAKE INTERCESSION on a daily basis for those who have repented, been baptized, and who have received the begettal of the Holy Spirit.

This is why Paul wrote “we shall be saved BY HIS LIFE!”

Christ’s Priesthood

The Book of Hebrews is the book about the present High Priesthood of Jesus Christ. It clearly sets forth Christ’s DAILY function as our High Priest in heaven, who makes daily intercession before His Father for the failings of stumbling, struggling human beings.

Notice, “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 him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

“And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

“For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:14-18). Christ’s EXPERIENCE in battling Satan, the world, and His own human nature is what QUALIFIED Him to become our living High Priest! The ministry of God’s true church are not priests! They are fellow servants; men and women who SERVE the brethren in various functions. There are no RANKSin the ministry, only different functions.

This is how we “shall be saved BY HIS LIFE!” Now, review what you have learned:

(1) All of us have sinned.

(2) Sin is the breaking of any one of God’s Ten Commandments.

(3) Christ shed His life’s blood to REDEEM us from sin!

(4) We are forgiven (reconciled to God) for PAST SINS!

(5) God’s GRACE is His free compassion and forgiveness, unmerited, unearned by us.

(6) Christ’s death atoned for sins that are past.

(7) Christ was resurrected to become our High Priest in heaven.

(8) Now that we have been FORGIVEN of past sins (the breaking of God’s Ten Commandments), we are commanded to LIVE WITHIN THEM with the help of the Holy Spirit, and Christ’s daily intercessory work!

Since Salvation is FREE, Then What Of WORKS?

You could never EARN salvation! Should you live to be one thousand years of age, and keep God’s laws perfectly, you could never “EARN” salvation, for salvation is God’s free, loving GIFT! God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son!

Are you a legal citizen of the country in which you live? (Mostly, those of you reading this will be U.S. citizens, but many are Canadians, Australians, Britons, French, or citizens of other countries). Paul claimed to be a “free born” Roman! As such, he was able to avail himself of his Roman rights, to exercise his franchise, and thus to appeal to Caesar for a hearing.

As a free-born American citizen, I did NOTHING to “earn” my citizenship!

It was “earned” FOR me by others. Hundreds of thousands of others! From the founding fathers to the “Minutemen” of colonial days, there have fallen in battles hundreds of thousands of men and women who gave their lives for liberty. From the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to the Spanish-American war, World War I and World War II — from Korea to Vietnam, and from Grenada to the Gulf, thousands have died to give ME my FREEDOM!

I did not buy it. I did not work for it. I did not “earn” it. It has been GIVEN to me by the sacrifices of all those who went before!

My country is founded upon LAW! While our criminal justice system is not perfect (while God’s system IS), nevertheless, assumedly, if I BREAK the laws of my land, I am subject to whatever PENALTY the law requires. In many states, murder requires the DEATH penalty!

In the case of God’s laws, any infraction of His righteous, perfect Ten Commandments demands the DEATH penalty.

Now, suppose you were to break the law; commit a felony. Suppose that, when your case came to trial, as the attorney for the prosecution was spelling out all the heinous things you allegedly did, and demanding that you pay a million dollars in fines, the counsel for your defense introduces a kindly intercessor, a benefactor, who offers to pay your fine for you!

When the judge rules that you are free to go; that your fine has been paid, are you now free to GO OUT AND COMMIT A FELONY? Of course not!

But this is PRECISELY what the Sunday-observing preachers teach! In effect, by boasting they are “once saved, always saved,” they say you have “license” to BREAK THE TEN COMMANDMENTS EVERY WEEK! Because, whether millions want to believe it or not, Sabbath-breaking is on an exact par with MURDER! Just because you are “redeemed,” or “reconciled” to society by the payment of a fine, you are not now under license to live outside of the laws of the land! Now, suppose you begin to rigorously live WITHIN the laws of the land. Does that mean you have EARNED the monstrous amount of money your merciful and generous benefactor gave you? Of course not!

You are merely doing that which was required of you in the first place! Jesus Christ said, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). When you see many soldiers in the uniform of their country, with the markings of their nation, their unit, and their service, but bereft of medals, you are seeing men who have done their duty. But when you see a solider with medals, such as the Congressional Medal of Honor, or the Silver Star, you are seeing a soldier who has gone FAR BEYOND his duty!

All are expected to do their duty. The REWARD which follows heroic action may be not only a medal, but even promotion! Herein is an important analogy to the process of entering into the Kingdom of God!

Remember, the scripture the false anti-law preachers IGNOREis the following passage to Ephesians 2:8 and 9! It is verse 10 which says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them!

James said it is our good WORKS which DEMONSTRATE our faith!

Now, notice the example of Abraham: “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

“For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

“Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:1-8). It was Abraham’s FAITH in God; His stolid, dogged, unrelenting BELIEF that whatsoever God had promised He was able to accomplish, that pleased God! Never forget the biblical meaning of the term “justified.” Remember, to be “justified” means to be “rectified,” or “redeemed.” It has to do with SINS THAT ARE PAST, and not with a blanket approval to continue in sin!

Yes, BLESSED are we when God will not impute sin to us, but instead, allow the precious and holy blood of Jesus Christ to cover our sins! John wrote to fellow Christians, including HIMSELF, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

“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 (1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-4).

Clearly, SALVATION, being forgiven for SIN is GOD’S FREE,LOVING GIFT! You could never earn it, for “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” But once receiving salvation are there any WORKS to be accomplished?

Remember, James wrote, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

“If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

“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?

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone [but the TWO TOGETHER are alive!].

“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works! (James 2:14-18). Here, then, is a simple truth which is IGNORED by the preachers of licentiousness and permissiveness. Either they KNOW this, and deliberately ignore it, or they are themselves deceived, and do not know the truth.

Suppose you are a community-minded, service-oriented person. You have your free, undeserved, unearned citizenship. In addition, you contribute to charity; you help out by giving food and clothing to the needy. You show your love to those facing surgery, or who are ill by visits, cards, flowers, letters, phone calls. You volunteer your time when disaster strikes your neighbors. Perhaps a neighbor’s house burns down — will you help all you can, by donating clothing, food, even some pieces of furniture, or money? These things are called GOOD WORKS! Do they EARN you your citizenship? Of course not! But they earn you a great deal of respect; of honor; of high regard!

In the same way, once you have repented of breaking God’s Ten Commandments, and once you have been RECONCILEDto God by the blood of Christ, you must now not only live WITHIN the laws of God, but you must go BEYOND by producing GOOD FRUIT if you wish to receive any reward in God’s kingdom.

Here is an important analogy, backed up by an important scripture: Suppose someone GIVES you a building! But the building consists of a firm foundation, with a beautiful, solid, perfectly level concrete slab, with all the raw electrical conduits and plumbing in place. There, lying beside the slab, is a large pile of building materials. The materials consist of steel beams, joists, girders, studs, side and roof panels; all the materials needed to complete a beautiful building.

Your benefactor says to you, “See, I have GIVEN you this beautiful foundation. You did nothing to earn it. But it is YOURS. Now, I want to see you BUILD A BUILDING atop this foundation!

Perhaps one person is given a foundation with only enough building materials for a modest home. Another is given materials for a large, commercial building. Still another enough for a whole complex of buildings. Not only is the slab free, but so are the materials!

But then, there is WORK to be done! Does that WORK ever PAY FOR THE ORIGINAL SLAB, OR THE BUILDING MATERIALS? Of course not!

Now, notice the biblical analogy: “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, whichis Jesus Christ.

“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire [symbol of trials; tribulation]; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

“If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

“If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:9-17).

Your foundation is JESUS CHRIST. That means His sacrifice; His life, freely given as atonement for your sins in your place! Now, the death penalty has been REMOVED from you. Now, your fine has been PAID. Now, you have been REDEEMED. Now, you begin ANEW, making a fresh start, with no sin to your account!

There is the foundation. And there, beside it, are several kinds of building materials.

Notice there are six kinds: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and stubble. Each is of a different degree of hardness; each reacts differently to fire.

Gold is more precious than silver, and has a different melting point. Yet, fire, or intense heat, only REFINES gold, burning out impurities. Silver, while of less value, is the same, in that fire only purifies it. Perhaps the precious stones are changed in color by the intense heat, but nevertheless, while less in value to gold, are able to survive the fire, and retain their beauty.

But wood, hay, and stubble, or chaff, are all destroyed! The stubble has such a low flash point that when fire is applied, it bursts instantly into flame, and quickly burns. The hay takes just a little longer, but will burn rapidly. Wood requires even more fire, and has a higher flash point than stubble or hay, but will eventually burn, and be destroyed.

So, HALF of the building materials, when the fire is applied, are destroyed! Some instantly, some a little later, and all eventually! But the other half, the gold, silver and precious stones SURVIVE THE FIRE! There they are, still atop the foundation, not only having survived, but rendered even purer, more beautiful by the fire!

Now, understand Christ’s parables of the pounds and talents, both of which are units of British or Roman money. For brevity, since both demonstrate the same point, I will print the parable of the pounds here, and expound it: “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

“But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

“And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

“Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

“And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

“And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

“And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

“And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

“For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

“And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

“Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

“And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

“(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

“For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

“But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me” (Luke 19:12-27). Jesus Christ is the young nobleman. The “far country” is heaven itself. The pound is symbolic of God’s forgiveness; His free SALVATION through Christ. Don’t fail to notice that Christ called TEN servants! But ONLY THREE OF THEM SHOWED UP! The other seven said “we WILL NOT SUBMIT TO THIS MAN’S RULE! We will not have him ruling over us!” This is precisely the attitude of the anti-law preachers and their duped congregations! They refuse to OBEY God! Notice that each one of the three is given the same amount!

But one is very hard-working and industrious, and increases tenfold! Another is also hard-working, but not quite so successful, and increases five-fold! But the other is suspicious; imputes wrong motives to his benefactor. In the analogy of the slab and the building materials, this one would build a barbed wire fence around the slab, then sit there and guard it with a shotgun until the benefactor came back to see what kind of structure he had completed.

The REWARD is that of RULE or AUTHORITY over TEN CITIESfor the one who overcame the most! ELEVEN cities, or even more, for Christ takes away the pound from the suspicious, lazy dolt, and gives it to the most successful one. No telling how many more pounds he would gain with it, as he had in the first instance.

Here is a clear reference to the REWARD for WORKS in the kingdom of God!

Rulership In The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is going to be established on this earth in the near future! You can read all about it if you get three of my books on the subject, one entitled, Here Is The BEST NEWS You Could Ever Hear, another entitled, Heaven On Earth? and another entitled, Coming Soon — An INVASION From SPACE! All are FREE of charge of course, and I urge you to read them!

Slowly read and study Isaiah the 11th chapter, which describes conditions to become extant on this earth following Christ’s return. Then read Revelation 19, verse 12 to the end of the chapter for the description of the second coming of Christ.

Remember, Christ promised positions of RULERSHIP in His kingdom! The archangel, when he announced the impending birth of Christ, said, “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

“And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33). David’s throne is ON THIS EARTH! David has been promised eternal RULERSHIP over the whole House of Israel! “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

“For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

“But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them” (Jeremiah 30:7-9). David’s REWARD in the Kingdom of God on this earth will be RULERSHIP over the entire twelve tribes of Israel — thirteen in all, because Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, comprised two of the largest tribes.

Jesus Christ promises those who OVERCOME, depending on the DEGREE of their overcoming, RULERSHIP OVER THE NATIONS! Notice, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

“And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father” (Revelation 2:26, 27). Notice that Christ did not say “He that ‘loves’ me; that becomes smarmy, sticky, sentimental over me; that sings love songs to me; that continually indulges in praise worship toward me!” No, He said “he that overcometh, and KEEPS MY WORKS unto the end!” Christ produced WORKS! He said “My Father WORKETH hitherto, and I WORK!” (John 5:17).

There is a WORK to be done by God’s church! The very purpose for the church is to accomplish the COMMISSIONJesus Christ gave to its early apostles, and all those who have followed after; “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20). When the disciples asked Jesus Christ if He would restore the kingdom to Israel, notice what Christ said: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:6-8). Millions do not know that Christ’s disciples were like young, would-be revolutionaries! They fully expected Jesus Christ to overthrow the corrupt Herodian kingdom, abolish the Sanhedrin, and expel the Romans! Their question on the occasion of seeing Him as He departed this earth proves it! If you have not heard it, by all means call or write for my sermon tape about the “Young Revolutionaries.”

Are there WORKS required for positions of responsibility in God’s kingdom? YES, there are! But those good WORKS to be accomplished have nothing to do with God’s FREE,LOVING GIFT of salvation! Instead, they have to do with REWARD, over and above salvation!

Salvation is GIVEN to us through the wonderful sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Notice that we HAVE that gift; that it is a PAST ACTION by the Eternal God: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:11).

God’s GIFT is like that perfect foundation! Notice how it is configured: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

“In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22). Notice that the PROPHETS are included, along with the apostles, as a part of the FOUNDATION of the church! Imagine a foundation of large, perfectly hewn slabs of white marble. They are labeled “Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Zedekiah, Bartholomew, Andrew, James, John, Peter, Matthias,” and include all the names of the prophets and original apostles. But at the corner, as a large, imposing, chief corner stone, is the perfectly formed white rock with the name of Christ! But this is a DIFFERENT kind of a building, for Christ is at once the “chief corner stone,” AND He is the CAPSTONE, or the HEADSTONE: “Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it” (Zechariah 4:7). The only structure in which the headstone is also the chief “corner” stone is the PYRAMID!

This clearly shows Christ as the HEAD; the Ruler; the King of kings and Lord of lords.

The analogy shows that salvation is our foundation! It is God’s free gift! We could never in a million years of merely doing our duty, and living within God’s laws, “earn” it. But God intends that we BUILD RIGHTEOUS CHARACTER on that foundation. Depending upon how well we build — whether with gold, silver, or precious stones, or whether with wood, hay, or stubble, our work will either merit great REWARD; great RESPONSIBILITY in the coming world-ruling government, or our work will NOT SURVIVE the tribulation, though we ourselves are SAVED, even if through fiery trial. God gives us, according to our natural, individual abilities, a JOB to do! He tasks us with OVERCOMING our evil, carnal human natures; with overcoming the rotten, filthy, sin-sick, crime-ridden, war-torn, drug-drunk world around us, and overcoming our adversary, who ACCUSES us day and night before God — Satan, the “accuser of the brethren.”

Many make little strides here and there with their personal character. Many devote themselves to others. Many are generous; helpful toward those in need. But many of those same people, while “good Christians” in some ways, have hatred and animosity toward others! Many are UNFORGIVING! Many harbor decades-long feelings of rejection and contempt toward others who are also striving toward God’s kingdom.

Notice what Christ said, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

“And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

“And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

“For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

“When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

“Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

“For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

“I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

“Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

“Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:31-46). Are not each of these GOOD WORKS?

It is WORK which produces food and drink. WORK to drive to a distant prison and take the time to visit an inmate who needs spiritual help. WORK produces clothing to give to those in desperate need.

But there is even more that is required: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 25:14, 15). This is VITAL to your salvation! There are THOUSANDS of individuals who, when God’s church broke up into dozens of scattered little organizations, harbored resentments, anger, contempt toward others! Peter was SHOCKED when Jesus Christ told him just how DEEPLY forgiveness is required: “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

“Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

“And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents [a huge sum!].

“But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

“The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

“Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

“But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

“And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

“And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

“So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

“Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

“Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

“And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses” (Matthew 18:21-35).

If you have never read my book entitled Buried Sins and Spiritual Graves’ Robbers, I urge you to do so! This principle transcends all they arguments, excuses, accusations, and explanations put forth by those who are self-righteous, and who SHUN others who should be their brethren in Christ! SHUNNING — avoiding any contact with those who had once been loving brethren, is COMMONamong many today! Do such people assume they will have a joyous reunion when they meet one another in the air over the Mount of Olives? Do they assume it is God’s will, and RIGHTEOUS on their part to SHUN their own brothers and sisters in the meantime? What Bible is it they have been reading? It CANNOT be the true word of God!

JUDGING one another is one of the most common sins! It is the omission of just this one point which may result in many being cast into a lake of fire, while they had ASSUMED for years, and even decades, that they were going to be in God’s kingdom! There may be JUST ONE MORE WORK God is waiting for YOU to accomplish in YOUR life!

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This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

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The post Salvation by Works? first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

A short while ago, as I dialed across my car radio, I came upon two evangelicals discussing how “simple” it was to be saved. The one said to the other, “It is as simple as ABC. A, you must realize that you have been a sinner. B, you must receive Christ as your Savior, who died for your sins. And, C, you must ask Him to forgive you of your sins and publicly acknowledge Him as your Savior.” The two then continued to discuss how “easy” it is to be saved! How attractive it all seemed! But is it true? Is it really all that easy to be saved? What did Jesus Christ say? What did the first apostles say? What does your Bible say about how to be saved? Is such a profound thing as transitioning from human life to the Kingdom of God as “simple as ABC”?

You have heard all your life the expression, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Probably, you have heard very similar statements.

To millions, the way to salvation is truly as “easy” as ABC. But is receiving eternal life in the Kingdom of God easier than getting a driver’s license? It is easier than negotiating a contract, or joining the armed services, or taking out a marriage license?

If it is so easy, why do so many hundreds of millions of human beings continue to reject it? Why do they resist being saved?

Let’s carefully examine the words of the two Christian ministers who discussed salvation on the radio.

“A”

In a very matter-of-fact tone, the two men said, “You must realize that you are a sinner.”

But how does one realize one is a sinner if one does not know what sin is?

No two people believe the same thing about what sin is or is not, in God’s sight, unless they know God’s own definition in His Word.

One person may walk outside the steps of a church building, light up a cigarette, and enjoy a smoke on his way home, thinking nothing of it. Another may believe smoking is a sin, and may be fighting the habit wanting to get rid of it.

One person may enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine with dinner, while another may look upon taking a single drop of any alcoholic beverage as a terrible sin.

One person may enjoy a neighborhood game of cards, while another may believe all card-playing is of the devil.

One person may enjoy dancing, while another may condemn any form of dancing as satanic.

One person may enjoy a plate of shrimp and lobster, while people at the next table may look at the same dish with distaste, and would never eat shellfish or shrimp because they believe it would be a sin.

One person may make out a shopping list, or gather up vegetables and produce and go to the farmer’s market on Saturday, enjoying the busiest shopping day of the week while others would never think of doing so, because they know it is the Sabbath day, hallowed of God at creation, and holy time in which they are not to conduct their own business.

Many millions of people believe “sin” is “something which is displeasing to God.” On the list can be drinking, dancing, smoking, going to movies, reading the wrong kind of books, cussing, or being lazy, rude, thoughtless, and abusive toward your wife and children. Millions know it is a sin to steal, to be abusive toward their parents, or to murder. Others have no conscience whatsoever if they lie or cheat.

But how many know the Bible definition of sin?

Many, when they hear the true definition of sin from their own Bibles, begin to squirm, reason, argue, and try desperately to find some way out of the plain scripture. They want the definition to be greatly modified by some “new” commandment of Jesus, whereby they can just “love one another” in some manner. By no means do they want to be told they must obey God!

But your Bible plainly says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).

God’s Ten Commandments point out what sin is. 

When Jesus Christ delivered the famous Sermon on the Mount He magnified the law and “made it honourable.”

Notice: “The Eternal is well pleased for His [Christ’s] righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable” (Isaiah 42:21).

How did Jesus do this?

He said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause [“without a cause” is not in the best manuscripts] shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [vain, useless fellow], shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool [graceless wretch], shall be in danger of [Gehenna] fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:21-24).

Christ shows how the commandment against murder can be broken by human rage and anger; that if one becomes angry with a fellow human being to the point of utterly disparaging them, wanting them to “drop dead,” so to speak, it is the same thing as murder in the sight of God.

This indeed “magnifies” the law, and makes it “honorable,” for it goes far beyond the deed itself, and deals with thethoughts of the heart.

What a paradox it is that millions believe the Sermon on the Mount does away with God’s law when it does precisely the opposite. It makes God’s law far more binding, by restoring it to its spiritual plane and applying it to every human deed and action, and to the human thought process as well.

Jesus said, “Think NOT that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). To “fulfil” does not mean “destroy,” no matter how many clever arguments are advanced by theologians who want to be rid of the requirements of God’s law.

It means to do or perform. The law is a lifetime obligation, just like laws in society. If it is against the law to murder on Tuesday, it is still against the law to murder on the following Monday.

Jesus Christ kept His Father’s commandments to set us “an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

Jesus said, “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” (John 15: 10).

When a young nobleman came to Christ and asked Him what he must do in order to be saved, Christ answered, “If thou will enter into life, keep the commandments.” When the young man asked “Which?” Christ went on to enumerate examples of the Ten Commandments of God, and then summed up the last six by saying, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 19:17-19).

To fail to love God by keeping His commandments is sin!

John wrote, “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”(1 John 2:3,4).

God says there are conditions to answered prayer! God simply does not answer the prayers of those who refuse to obey Him: “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).

As Christ explained, if we keep God’s commandments, we abide in the love of Christ. John wrote, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:2,3).

How many professing Christians truly know that sin is the transgression of God’s law? How many know that God tells us over and over again that if we love Him, we win keep His commandments?

This is very different from the matter-of-fact manner expressed by the two theologians over the radio—that we must “realize we have sinned.”

God told Isaiah, “Cry aloud, spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).

Paul explained that it is the law which points out what sin is: “What shall we say then, is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” (Romans 7:7). Then he said, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (verse 12).

Had the two theologians explained what sin is, what its evil effects are, and why it is so wrong for us; and had shown that Christ died to atone for the sins of the world, that He took our sins upon Himself, I would have listened further. But they obviously did not know what sin truly is.

On its face, what they said is correct, as far as it went. The trouble is, it barely scratches the surface of a far deeper truth. A matter-of-fact, intellectual acknowledgement that one “is a sinner” does not remotely indicate that deep, soul-shattering repentance has occurred.

When we are convicted of sin, God wants us to repent of sin, and cry out to Him for forgiveness. Job said, when he truly saw his sin, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6).

Paul put it this way: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:22-25).

Paul felt absolutely wretched when he looked deep inside himself and saw that it was his human nature, his passions, lusts, and senses that caused him to give in, to stumble, to make mistakes! He hated those lapses, those mistakes, and cried out “O wretched man that I am!”

Yet, Paul was a deeply converted man, one who labored very hard to preach the gospel to others. How encouraging it is to every struggling Christian to read Romans 7, and know that one of the greatest Christian men in history had to struggle against his own human nature, just as we do. Yes, it is true we must come to know we have sinned. But such knowledge should have a deep, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual effect on us, and not be a casual, matter-of-fact observation.

Next, the two theologians said we must “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“B”

Jesus Christ said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47). Did Jesus mean that is all we must do? A little later, to the same people, Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

What did Jesus mean when He said we must “believe on Him”?

To millions, it means we must believe that He was the Christ, that He was the Son of God, that He died for the sins of the world. But do these same millions of professing Christians believe they must obey what Jesus Christ said we are to do? Do they believe Christ set us an example, that we should follow in His steps? Do they believe we must also believe the message He preached, and live by it?

The Bible does not contradict itself. God’s Word must be “rightly divided,” discerning the truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

The eighth chapter of John is a fascinating example of how people in Jesus’ day believed on Him, and yet, within only a short time, “took up stones to cast at Him” (John 8:59) and tried to kill Him!

Study the whole chapter! He had entered the Temple when the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They demanded to know what He would say about the Law of Moses, or rather, whether He would say they should stone her to death.

“This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground [floor], as though He heard them not. So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst” (John 8:6-9).

It is obvious Jesus had written names in the dust. The “pecking order” of the scribes and Pharisees dictated that the “highest ranking,” or the “eldest,” should have opportunity to peer over Jesus’ shoulder at the ground, and see what it was He had been stooping down to write. No doubt, as each one in his turn saw what Jesus had written, his cheeks flushed with shame and embarrassment for each one of them now knew what every other one of them had done. That Jesus had linked certain names together seems inescapable.

In any event, instead of stoning the woman, they went out as quickly as they could, and the woman was left standing alone.

Jesus asked her, “Where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8: 10,11).

This marvelous example of loving compassion and forgiveness should be an inspiration to every human being. The Pharisees, whose own lives were far from perfect, and who had no doubt been guilty of the very same kind of sin, wanted to stone the woman to death! By being outraged at her sins, and carrying out the punishment for sin right then and there, they could point the finger of guilt away from themselves.

But Jesus Christ, seeing the shame and remorse of the woman, and knowing her public humiliation, forgave her.

At some later point, He was again speaking to the Pharisees, and said, “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me” (John 8:14-16).

He told the Pharisees He would go His way, and they would seek Him, yet die in their sins. He said, “Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world: I am not of this world” (verse 23).

Finally, after referring to His divine origins, and speaking of His impending death and resurrection, He said, “And He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone: for I do always those things that please Him. As He spake these words, many believed on Him” (John 8:29,30).

Finally, after a lengthy argument, and after seeing some of their own number publicly humiliated, some of those in His audience believed on Him!

They had now accomplished, according to the two radio preachers, the A of salvation! Now, they had taken the firststep in what is called an “easy path” to eternal life!

Notice what happened!

“Then said Jesus to those Jews WHICH BELIEVED ON Him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (verses 31,32).

Plainly, He told them they must continue believing the message He was preaching, and that they would come to know the truth!

This stung their pride! This hurt their self-righteous vanity! They “believed on Him” only moments before, but now He was implying they did not yet know the truth.

“They answered Him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth forever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed: but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father and ye do that which ye have seen with your father” (verses 33-38).

Christ was cutting right through to the heart of their spiritual pride and vanity. They trusted in their tradition, their national religion, and their history. Inwardly, they were not repentant. Again, they drew themselves up to their spiritual haughtiness and said, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus retorted, “If ye were Abraham’s children [spiritually], ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to killme, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father” (verses 39-41).

At this point, they lost their tempers. Jesus was plainly denying that their spiritual father was Abraham, even though He had acknowledged that physically, racially, they had descended from him. They knew He was referring to Satan when He said they were doing the deeds of their “father.”

So infuriated were these men, who only minutes earlier had “believed on Him,” that they said, “We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God!” (John 8:41).

They called him illegitimate!

Jesus then drove His point home more intensely: He said, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, YE BELIEVE ME NOT!” (verses 44,45).

There is the difference between “believing on Him,” and believing Him!

Study this entire chapter. The argument continued for some time, culminating in their attempt to stone Him to death on the spot! (John 8:59).

This is a poignant example of people who came to “believe on Him,” yet did not believe what He said! Do you see the difference? One may “believe on” Jesus Christ; that is, believe that He is the Christ, that He died for the sins of the world, that He is the Savior, that He was the Son of God—and yet reject His message and refuse to obey Him, and therefore believe on Him in vain! Not only did these Jews who “believed on Him” reject His message, they tried to killHim on the spot!

Look at Jesus’ own words:

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9).

The two theologians I heard on the radio said it was necessary to “profess Christ orally” as a part of their “simple as-ABC” formula for being saved. Here, Jesus says it is possible to speak in worshipful language, to speak honorably of Jesus, and to do it all in vain!

Here is another striking example: “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” (Matthew 7:21).

“Jesus is Lord” is a common bumper sticker or decal I have seen on car windows. It is also a common slogan on billboards outside churches. Do all those who proclaim “Jesus is Lord” also do the will of the Father? Do they know what His will is toward mankind? Do they understand that sin is the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4), and that repentance of sin is necessary for salvation (Acts 2:38)?

No matter what the two evangelicals said on the radio about how “simple” it is to be saved, Jesus said otherwise.

He continued, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out demons? 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 [lawlessness]” (Matthew 7:22,23).

Here Jesus is clearly speaking of religious leaders. The average layman will never claim to have preached and prophesied, cast out demons, and done many wonderful works in the name of Christ.

Then there is something beyond the simplicity of “ABC’ in being saved after all, isn’t there?

Jesus cried out, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Obviously, then, just “believing on Jesus”—accepting the fact that He was the Son of God, that He died for the sins of the world—is not enough, by itself, for salvation! There is something called “the will of the Father” that we must do in order to be saved. There are some things Jesus Himself said we must do!

Repent

The first recorded public command Jesus gave is in Matthew 4: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (verse 17).

Mark recorded the same thing: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1: 15).

When Jesus sent out the twelve to preach the gospel to the surrounding provinces, He gave them power over unclean spirits, and issued instructions about how they were to conduct their journey. They were to take no extra clothing, not even money (Mark 6:7-11). Mark writes, “And they went out and preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12).

Strangely, I did not hear one single word from the two evangelicals on the radio about the need to repent. In a very matter-of-fact tone, they said one must “acknowledge that he is a sinner” and then “believe that Christ died to save sinners.”

Jesus and the apostles did not teach it as a matter-of-fact realization or thought. No, Jesus said, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).

To repent means to be emotionally contrite, sorrowful. It means to be truly brokenhearted over sins one has committed, and to desperately want to be forgiven. Job came to feel complete self-revulsion over his self-righteousness when he repented, as we read above.

On the Day of Pentecost, when Peter had finished His powerful sermon about how the Jews in his audience had been directly complicit in the death of Christ, they were convicted of sin. Frantically, they cried out “Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter did not tell them “It’s as easy as ABC…” No, he said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Stricken, ashamed, and deeply remorseful, thousands in Peter’s audience repented of what they had done, and were baptized. The two theologians on the radio said absolutely nothing about repentance, and nothing about the command to be baptized.

Is Baptism Necessary?

When Peter said “be baptized,” he was using a word that means “be immersed.” The Greek word baptizo means to “plunge into,” or “to immerse.” It does not mean to sprinkle or to pour water on one’s head.

Baptism carries deep spiritual significance.

Paul wrote, “Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3,4).

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Christ died to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8). He was buried in the tomb, and was resurrected by God the Father after three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40; Acts 2:32).

The Bible shows that baptism is a symbol, or a type of our death, burial, and resurrection. Instead of being a literal burial, it is a symbolic “burial” in water for only a few brief moments.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The Holy Spirit of God is likened unto water many times in the Bible. It is also likened unto wind, and unto fire.

Paul likened the process of Christ cleansing, edifying, and building up His church to “the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26), once again using water as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. This same symbolism is used by Paul in his letter to Titus: “according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy spirit” (Titus 3:5).

Water is not only essential for life itself (for without it there could be no life on earth), but it is a solvent a cleansing agent. We wash our bodies and our clothes in water.

Baptism symbolizes burial by a repentant sinner being lowered completely under the water, and it pictures being washed from our sins, as if they were washed away, left behind in a watery grave. It is not a symbol of burial to splash a bit of water into the face of a startled infant of six weeks at a “christening,” or to sprinkle a few drops on the head of a person who is supposedly “being baptized” by a priest in a formal church ceremony.

The health department would not agree that dead bodies should be propped up, or tied to a tree, and have one shovelful of dirt thrown on them. No, they demand that bodies be buried.

Paul wrote, “For if we have been planted together [some used the term planted referring to burial of a body] in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead [baptism pictures death of the “old man”] is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ [symbolized by our being immersed in water by baptism], we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Romans 6:5-8).

The two radio preachers said absolutely nothing about baptism. Yet, it is a requirement of God! Jesus Christ commanded baptism! Peter commanded those who were conscience-stricken on Pentecost to “be baptized!”

Christ commissioned His apostles, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world [the Greek term for “world” means “age”]. Amen” (Matthew 28:19,20).

When God sent Ananias to Saul, who was struck down by God on the road to Damascus, Ananias baptized him: “And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized” (Acts 9:18).

When Philip had expounded many Old Testament scriptures concerning Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection, the Ethiopian eunuch asked, “See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water [Philip did not scoop up a handful; they waded out into the water together], both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38).

In spiritual metaphor, Paul likened the passage of Israel through the parted waters of the Red Sea to baptism. Hewrote, “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat [manna was a type of the Word of God]; And did all drink the same spiritual drink [the water from the rock, miraculously produced, was a type of God’s Holy Spirit]: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4).

There is simply no remote question about whether the rite ofbaptism is a requirement of God! When we are baptized, we humbly and obediently show our God and our Savior that we are deeply sorry for our sins; that we acknowledge that our sins cost the life of the Savior, that we realize our baptism pictures not only His death and burial but the death and burial of our old person; that we joyously and gratefully are calling upon Him to wash away our sins, so that just like a resurrection, we come up out of the water “in newness of life.”

Christ commanded His apostles, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel [good news] to every creature:

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned [condemned, judged]” (Mark 16:15,16).

So, no matter what the two radio preachers said about “ABC,” since they completely omitted any real explanation about repentance, and since they said nothing about baptism, they were not telling their audience the truth about how our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said we must be saved!

Yes! We must believe! But read Christ’s commands again! “He that believeth AND IS BAPTIZED shall be saved!”

“C”

The two preachers did mention asking Christ to forgive us of our sins, but did not even begin to explain what sin is! They seemed to lay great stress upon public acknowledgement of Jesus Christ, as if by saying something about Him publicly, Christ is satisfied, and forgives us, and saves us.

Certainly, we are to be a light unto the world. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works [your what? Not your fair speeches, or your testimonies, or your arguments?], and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

Peter wrote, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

Many believe it is necessary to confess Christ publicly in order to be saved. They have seen hundreds “coming forward’ at massive outdoor evangelistic campaigns; they have seen “altar calls” in local churches, and at revivals. Yet, the Ethiopian eunuch walked away from his caravan and his chariot with Philip, and the two of them walked out into the water where the eunuch was baptized. Philip and the eunuch had enjoyed several hours of private conversation.

There is a difference between being ready to “give an answer” to an obvious question, and attempting to publicly proclaim our beliefs and convictions to unbelievers.

God’s Word emphasizes “good works” more than fair speeches. Yet, there is a caution with this understanding. Casting pearls before swine is one thing; being joyously enthusiastic and humbly grateful for our salvation is another.

Jesus said, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26).

God expects His people to use wisdom in knowing when and under what circumstances they should speak concerning their convictions, their belief in Christ.

Notice: “And at that time there was a great persecutionagainst the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles …. Therefore they that were scattered abroad [disciples of Christ, newly converted laymen—part of the “fruit” born on the Day of Pentecost] went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:1-4). Philip was one of these. His preaching in Samaria and his encounter with Simon the magician follow in the ensuing verses.

The climate of the times—terrible persecutions, people being thrown into prison for their beliefs—gave rise to the most urgent and enthusiastic speaking, teaching, and preaching on the part of these members of God’s church.

These were not “testimonies” about the people, personally, but were messages about Jesus Christ and Him crucified, about His resurrection, and about the coming Kingdom of God.

“But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12).

Not every member of God’s church has been called to preach. Yet, every one of them, with the obvious exception of the deaf or those with speech impediments, can talk. When the opportunity presents itself, when questions are asked, when discussions develop that make it appropriate, Christ expects His people to be completely unashamed of their beliefs and convictions.

Paul explained that different people have different gifts of God’s Holy Spirit:

“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; toanother the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing [would God that anyone in God’s church today possessed such a wonderful gift as this!] by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of tongues [languages]; to another the interpretation of tongues [languages]: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit dividing severally [individually] as He will” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11).

There is one guaranteed impediment to receiving any one of God’s spiritual gifts. That is vanity. Spiritual pride and vanity—wanting to appear “special,” or “spiritual,” in front of other people—automatically cancels any opportunity for a person to receive one of the gifts of God’s Holy Spirit.

There are many thousands who aspire to be someone “special” in God’s sight. Thousands believe they have received a special calling. They believe they are prophets or prophetesses, or have special knowledge. Strangely, I do not know of a single one of them who has the gift of healingexactly as the Bible describes.

Obviously, there is very much more to the process of salvation than indicated by the two radio preachers I heard the other day.

What Did Jesus Say About Salvation?

We cannot save ourselves. By living perfectly, in accordance with God’s Ten Commandments, for ten lifetimes of one hundred years each, we still could not save ourselves! Why? Because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

It required the shed blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins. When we repent, and receive baptism and the laying on of hands for God’s Holy Spirit, we are then justified in the sight of God.

Justification means all our sins are washed away in the waters of baptism. It means that we are forgiven.

We are justified by Christ’s death, but we are saved by His life! “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life!” (Romans 5:8-10).

The church cannot save us. A religious organization cannot save us. A family member cannot save us (1 Corinthians 7:16). We cannot save ourselves.

We can only be saved by the life of Christ. Not only does Jesus Christ, through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, begin to live His life within us (1 John 4:2; 5:11,12), but He becomes our daily High Priest, sitting on the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Did Jesus say it would be as “easy as ABC’?

Notice: “Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13,14).

He said, “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” (verse 21).

He said, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

He told a young nobleman, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).

He commanded His disciples to go into the world, and preach the good news about Him, and about His coming kingdom, “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:20).

But the two radio preachers who were happily discussing how simple salvation was—as “simple as ABC’! —said nothing of repentance, of sin, of baptism, of living a life of overcoming, of obeying God, or of doing what Christ said.

Peter remembered vividly the teachings of Christ. He wrote, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us [the church], what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:17,18).

Some of the greatest and certainly the easiest to understand of Christ’s promises are found in Revelation 2:26,27. He said, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”

Overcome? How? Overcome what? It is obvious. God’s Word tells us we must resist Satan (James 4:7); overcome the satanic, deceived, sin-sick, crime-ridden, drug-infested, war-torn world around us; and overcome our own human natures. Does this sound as “easy as ABC”?

On the other hand, it is not so difficult as to be impossible. Salvation is God’s free, loving gift. God does not want us to be in doubt of our salvation. John wrote, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life in His Son. He that hath the Son [abiding in Him, living in Him by the power of the Holy Spirit] hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11,12).

Paul said, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, being in the form of God [see John 1: 1-10], thought it not robbery to be equal with God” (Philippians 2:5,6).

With Christ living in us, all things are possible. We cannot accomplish the good works God demands of us on our own strength, but only through the faith of Christ in us, through His indwelling presence.

Paul wrote, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will [to have the courage and determination—which He supplies through His Spirit] and to DO of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12,13).

But If We Sin, Then What?

There is a tendency to think that once we are baptized, we will be living perfect lives. Many enter into God’s church, into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, with enthusiasm and zeal, feeling completely forgiven of all their past sins, determined to live as perfectly before God as they can.

But the months and years slip by. Human relationships become difficult. People betray one another, desert one another; divorces occur; human anger and rage enter in. Lusts and appetites seem to boil up within, and Satan’s world beckons with all its glitter and glamour, all its noisy and strident clamor.

Many times, those who started to live a life close to Godlook around one day and realize they have slipped back into their old way of life. They become discouraged. Some simply give up and quit, thinking they have lost out.

But have they?

Not according to the apostle Paul. He wrote of how our human compulsions are in conflict with our best intentions, how we do not always do what we want to do: “For the things I do I wish I didn’t do. What I want to do, I don’t do, and what I hate, I find myself doing. If then I do the things I don’t want to do, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now it is no more the real me that does it, but sin that lives inside of me. Because I know that in me (that is, in my physical flesh), lives nothing good: for to determine is present with me; but now to perform good things I find not. Because the good things that I wish I would do I don’t do: but the evil things I wish I wouldn’t do I find myself doing.

“Now if I do the things I wish I wouldn’t, it isn’t the real me that does them, but sin that lives inside of me. I find it is a law, then, that when I would do good things, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my physical members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that lives in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank God that it will be done through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God: but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:15-25, paraphrased).

The radio preachers said nothing about this daily struggle in the hearts and minds of converted people against the compulsions and carnal reactions of their human natures. If Paul, whom we feel to have been one of the greatest Christians who ever lived, could say he felt wretched because of his own personal mistakes, then no wonder we feel wretched when we do similar things!

John was special to Jesus. He was the disciple whom Jesus loved. John was an elderly man, an apostle, and the overseer of the church in Ephesus. He wrote, “If we [including himself!] say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins [to God, not to man!], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10). John was writing to converted people in God’s church. He acknowledged that all people sin from time to time, and included himself.

James said, “My brethren, don’t many of you become teachers [ministers, overseers], knowing that we shall receive the greater judgment. For in many things all of us offend others. If any man never offends in what he says, he is a perfect man” (James 3:1,2, paraphrased.

God’s Word clearly shows that converted Christians do slip up, make mistakes, and commit sins. That is what overcoming is all about. What is there to “overcome’ if one is perfect from the moment of baptism?

Christ shows it is a strait, narrow road that leads to Salvation, and says only “few” really find it! Peter said the righteous are “scarcely” saved! Paul said he was a wretched man. John said he also sinned!

The entire book of Hebrews deals with the priesthood ofJesus Christ, how He makes intercession for converted Christians who need to cry out to God on a daily basis.

The radio preachers did not explain a single word about what Jesus Christ is doing today in their happy remarks about “ABC.” They did not discuss why He is a daily High Priest!

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:14,15).

Jesus Christ of Nazareth can feel our human compulsions and weaknesses. He never gave in to them, but He understands them.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace [unmerited mercy and pardon], that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

No, salvation is not as “easy as ABC.” Neither is it so difficult as to be impossible, or out of reach. It is only through the sacrifice of Christ and the daily intercession of Christ—through the faith of Christ—that we can be saved!

The true “ABCs” of salvation are:

A: Repent! But before we can do that, we need to understand what we repent of. That means we need to know what sin IS, what it was that cost the life of Christ. We need to know who and what Jesus Christ was before His human birth; How He could die for the sins of the world; whether He was dead; how long He was in the tomb (Matthew 12:40); whether He was resurrected, and why.

B: Be baptized! We need to know the true picture of baptism (Romans 6); that it symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and also symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of our “old man,” and the emergence of the “new man,” a “new creature in Christ,” to live in a new and different life. We need to know that the Greek word baptizo means “to immerse,” or “to plunge into,” and that baptism is not a ceremonial sprinkling, or pouring, or “christening” of an infant.

C: And you shall receive the Holy Spirit! We need to know God, that He is a Spirit, and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. We need to know what IS the Spirit of God, and how God begets us as His own children. We need to know the fruits of the Spirit; about love, about forgiveness and tolerance, and about the gifts of God’s Spirit. We need to know about the coming resurrection and our new spiritual bodies!

Salvation is hardly simple! It is a fabulous wonder, almost incredible, that God could decide upon a process to make sinning, carnal human beings into His own children, to ultimately change our human bodies to become like Him!

ABC?

Hardly!

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