Everyday.

 Crucified With Christ.

Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 

Because Jesus lives, we will live. This is our HOPE!  We have NO HOPE in ourselves. It's because JESUS lives that we will live! It isn't because we live, it isn't because we are good, it isn't because we are special in some way of our own making. We live BECAUSE He lives!

If Jesus hadn't lived then we wouldn't have any hope whatsoever.

Each of us is given the hope of eternal life. It is Satan's position to take this hope from all he can. Satan will stop at absolutely nothing at all to take the hope of eternal life from each and every one of us. Satan will deploy tactics so deceptive that people will never even realize who is the evil source of their eternal end.  

What I don't comprehend is the belief not to believe simply because of arrogance great or small that gives a person a tiny bit of self-satisfaction to say they won't be fooled into believing a fairy tale.  Believing in Christ as our Savior gives us a hope, but what hope does one have who chooses not to believe? They will live and one day realize before they are eternally gone that they made the wrong choice not to believe. The horror of that moment will only be equaled by the horrors of the many who for very various reasons will be lost eternally. Those whose beliefs are fueled by self, not Christ. Those who say they know Christ and do all sorts of wonderful things in His name, but their hearts are not known by Christ at all. Those who have never made a personal commitment to know Christ, accepting His death and living for Him.  So many will be lost, many more than those who will be saved all because Satan uses great deception and man chooses self over God!

We've got to stop choosing self over God! And we have to do this by the power of God. Everyday yielding ourselves to HIM! Regardless of what our day contains, each and every day we yield! We seek forgiveness every day as we pick up our cross daily. EVERYDAY!

God help us! Please, God help us! Keep us from the evil that would keep us from You!

(Excerpt)

Crucifixion with Him. 

As Christ was crucified, therefore, being baptized into his death means that we are crucified with him. So we read, "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."  Galatians 2:20. Crucified, yet living, because crucified with Christ, and yet he lives. Christ said, "Because I live,  ye shall live also." John 14:19. How can we live a new life? We have no power at all of ourselves; but Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father; and in his prayer to the Father he said, "The glory which thou gavest me I have given them." John 17:22. Therefore, the power that raised Jesus from the dead is exercised to raise us from the death of sin. If we are willing to allow the old life to be crucified, we may be sure of the new.

"Our Old Man" Crucified. We shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. If we are crucified with Christ, our sins must also be crucified with Christ, for they are a part of us. Our sins were on him as he was crucified, so of course our sins are crucified if we are crucified with him.

But here is a difference between us and our sins when crucified. We are crucified in order that we may live again;  our sins are crucified in order that they may be destroyed. Christ is not "the minister of sin" (Gal. 2:17). It was the life of God that raised him from the dead, and in that life there is no sin.

A Separation From Sin. The reader will notice that the separation from sin is in death. That is because death is in sin. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15. Therefore nothing less than death will effect a separation. We could not separate ourselves from sin, because sin was our very life. If it had been possible for us to effect the destruction of sin, it could have been only by the giving up of our lives, and that would have been the end of us. That is why there will be no future for the wicked who die in their sins; their life having been given up (or rather, taken from them), they are out of existence. But Christ had the power to lay down his life, and to take it again; and therefore when we lay down our lives in him, we are raised again by his endless life.

Remember that he does not give us our own life back again, but that he gives us his own life. In that life there never was a sin; and so it is that our crucifixion and resurrection with him is the separation of sin from us. This thought must be borne in mind when we come to study the next chapter.

United to Him In Death.

 

(Excerpt)

Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner

Chapter 6

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 In beginning the study of the sixth chapter of Romans, it must be remembered that we have but a continuation of the fifth. The subject of that chapter is superabounding grace, and the gift of life and righteousness by grace. As sinners we are enemies of God, but are reconciled, that is, freed from sin, by receiving the righteousness of Christ's life, which has no limit. No matter how greatly the sin may abound, grace does much more abound.

Crucified, Buried, and Risen "With Christ" Romans 6:1-11

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 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. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 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. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; 9 knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

An Important Question. "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" The student will doubtless recall a similar question in the third chapter, verses 5, 7, and the answer in verses 6, 8. It is another form of the question,  "Shall we do evil, that good may come?" The answer must be apparent to all, "Not by any means," for this is really the force of the words improperly rendered, "God forbid."

Although grace superabounds where sin abounds, that is no reason why we should willfully pile up the sin.  That would be most emphatically to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 Cor. 6:1.

2Co 6:1  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 

The Reason Why. "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" It is simply an impossibility, and there is really no question as to whether or not we may do it; for it is certain that if we are dead to sin, we can not live in it at the same time. A man can not at the same time be both dead and alive.

Now the previous chapter has emphasized the fact that we are reconciled to God by the death of Christ, and are saved by his life. Reconciliation to God means being freed from sin; so that being "saved by his life" means that we have "passed from death unto life." The life of sin that was enmity has been ended in the life of Christ.

"Baptized into Jesus Christ." Baptism is the symbol of putting on Christ. "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal. 8:27. "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles." 1 Cor. 12:12, 13.

Where Christ Touches Us. It is in death that we come into contact with Christ. He touches us at the lowest possible point. That is what makes our salvation so sure, and so sure for every one without any exception. Sin and sickness are tributary to death. 

Death is the sum of all the evils possible to man. It is the lowest depth, and it is there that Christ comes in contact with us. We become united to him in death. As the greater includes the lesser, the fact that Christ humbled himself even to death proves that there is no ill possible to us that he does not take upon himself.

Baptized into His Death. "So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death." And what is it to be baptized into his death? Verse 10 tells us: "For in that he died, he died unto sin once." He died unto sin, not his own, because he had none; but he "bare our sins in his own body on the tree." 1 Pet. 2:24. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities." Isa. 53:5. Since in that he died, he died unto sin, it follows that if we are baptized into his death, we also die to sin.

A New Life. "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more." "If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." It was impossible for the grave to hold Christ. Acts 2:24. Therefore, just as surely as we are baptized into the death of Christ, so surely shall we be raised from a life of sin to a life of righteousness in him. "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."

To be continued….

Living Water

 

Whose Builder Is God.

 

The Fountain of Life

 The Fountain of Life.

 In Psalm 36:7-9 we read: "How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life." 

It is because with God is the fountain of life that he makes those who trust in him to drink of the river of his pleasure.

What is that river? "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." Rev. 22:1. 

Think of it! A river flowing out of the throne of God. He is the fountain of life. The invitation is to every one that is athirst to drink of the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17, John 4:10-14,  and 7:37-39, will help to an understanding of the matter. We take the living water by receiving the Holy Spirit.

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 

Joh 4:11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 

Joh 4:12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 

Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 

Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 

Joh 7:39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 

Drinking in Righteousness. The Saviour says, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." Matt. 5:6. If one is thirsty, how only can he be filled? By drinking.  Therefore the Saviour means that we can drink righteousness, if we thirst for it. Remember that God's throne is the seat of righteousness, and that from it flows the river of life, and we shall see the fitness of the assurance that we may drink in righteousness.

Since the throne is the seat of righteousness, the river that proceeds from the throne must, so to speak, be charged with the righteousness of the law. Whosoever therefore believes on Christ, and drinks in of his Spirit,  must drink in of the righteousness of the law as it is in the throne, or as it was spoken from Sinai.

The Mediator at Sinai.

Jesus- existed BEFORE Bethlehem.

Christ at Creation.

Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 

Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

God with God. 

Joh 10:30  I and my Father are one. 

Joh 10:31  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 

Joh 10:32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 

Joh 10:33  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 

Jesus- God with God. 

Jesus during the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 

Exo 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 

Exo 13:22  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. 

Exo 14:19  And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them

Exo 3:2  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 

Exo 3:3  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 

Exo 3:4  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 

Exo 3:5  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 

Exo 3:6  Moreover 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. 

Joh 8:58  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

God with God. 

Rom 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 

Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead

Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 

Act 13:32  And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 

Act 13:33  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Jesus the God declared by decree to be the SON, by God who was then the FATHER to the declared SON.

Yes, the law given at Sinai was given by the SON, the same one who took on flesh and walked among us.  A perfect law wherein is found righteousness, given by the righteous God. 

(Excerpt)

The Law and the Mediator. 

We are told that the law was ordained "in the hand of a Mediator." Gal. 3:19. 

Gal 3:19  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 

Who was the Mediator in whose hand the law was ordained?

"There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all." 1 Tim. 2:5, 6. 

The law, therefore, was given from Sinai by Christ, who is and always was the manifestation of God to men.

He is the Mediator, that is, the One through whom the things of God are brought to men. The righteousness of God is conveyed to men through Jesus Christ. The statement that the law was given in the hand of a Mediator, reminds us that where sin abounded grace did much more abound.

The fact that the law was in the hand of a Mediator at Sinai shows us this:

(1) That God did not mean that any one should suppose that he must get the righteousness of the law by his own power, but only through Christ.  

(2) That the gospel of Christ was displayed at Sinai as well as at Calvary. 

(3) That the righteousness of God which is revealed in the gospel of Christ, is the identical righteousness that is described in the law as given from Sinai, without the alteration of a letter. The righteousness which we are to obtain in Christ is none other than that.

The law of God's righteousness is LIFE GIVING!

 Where is God's law in your life? God's law isn't simply written in the Bible, His word to us. God's law isn't just on tablets of stone, or the many varied means of bringing it to be now- pictures framed on a wall, wooden art pieces set on tables, little cards of printed paper, computer screens, tables, phones. God's law goes beyond the tangible. God's law goes beyond even the spoken word. It was spoken and it was written, but it existed long before then. How do I know this? Because of this…

Isa_51:7  Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law

Knowing righteousness, is knowing God.

Ezr 9:15  O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous

Deu 32:3  Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 

Deu 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. 

God has existed from everlasting to everlasting, God's righteousness is from everlasting to everlasting. God's law is His righteousness. Knowing righteousness is knowing God's law and that law revealing God's righteousness needs to be in our hearts!  IN OUR HEARTS! 

What does it mean for a law to be in our hearts? It is a vital part of us, a part that gives us life! The law of God's righteousness is LIFE GIVING!

The people in whose heart is God's law.

Psa 40:8  I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Isa_51:7  Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

2Co 3:3  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 

2Co 3:4  And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Pro 7:1  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 

Pro 7:2  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 

Pro 7:3  Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. 

(Excerpt)

The Law and God's Throne. 

We read that "righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." Ps.  97:2. Righteousness dwells in his throne. It is the foundation of it. The law of God is righteousness, even his own righteousness. This is shown by Isaiah 51:6, 7, where God speaks of his righteousness, and says, "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law." 

That is, only they in whose heart is God's law, know his righteousness. 

Therefore his law is his righteousness. 

And the statement that righteousness is the habitation or establishment of his throne, indicates that the law of God is in his throne. He sits upon the throne of righteousness.

Evidence from the Tabernacle. 

The tabernacle built by Moses was for a dwelling place for God. 

"Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Ex. 25:8. In that sanctuary, in the most holy place, was the ark of the testament. This ark is described in Exodus 25:10-22. The cover of the ark was called the mercy-seat. Upon this mercy-seat were the two cherubim of gold. Within the ark, under the mercy-seat, were the tables of the law. See Exodus 25:16-21; Deuteronomy 10:1-5. Between the cherubim, upon the mercy-seat, and above the tables of the law, was where the glory of God was seen, and where God spoke to the people. Ex. 25:22. In 2 Kings 19:15 and Psalm 80:1 God is addressed as sitting between the cherubim. Therefore we learn that the ark of the testament,  with the mercy-seat, or the cover, was a representation of the throne of God. As the Ten commandments were in the ark in the earthly tabernacle, so the Ten Commandments are the very foundation of the throne of God in heaven. We may note, in passing, that since the earthly tabernacle was a figure of the true tabernacle in heaven,  therefore we are taught that the law as it stands in heaven, in the throne of God, is identical with the law as spoken from Sinai, and written on the tables of stone that were placed in the ark.

God's Throne and Sinai. We have learned that the law of God is the very basis of his throne. This is no more than might reasonably be expected, since the basis of any government is its law, and the throne simply stands for the law.

Mount Sinai, when the law was spoken from it, was the seat of God's law. It represented the awfulness of the law,  since no one could touch it without dying. The Lord was there with all his angels. See Deuteronomy 33:2; Acts 7:53. Therefore Mount Sinai, at the time of the giving of the law, was designed to represent the throne of God. 

Indeed, it was for the time the throne of God, the place whence the law goes forth, out of which proceed "lightnings and thunderings and voices" (Rev. 4:5), and around which stand "ten thousand times ten thousand,  and thousands of thousands" of angels. Here again we learn that the righteousness which is the habitation of the throne of God is the righteousness described by the Ten Commandments, just as they were spoken from the top of Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 20:3-17.

The Throne of Grace. But although the throne of God is the habitation of his law, that law which is death to sinners, yet it is a throne of grace. We are exhorted to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4:16. Note that we are to come to obtain mercy. Note also that the top of the ark of the testimony, in which were the tables of the law, was called the mercy-seat. It was the place where God appeared to speak to his people, so that the ark of the earthly tabernacle not only represented the throne where God's law is enshrined, but it represented that throne as the throne of grace.

Sin Abounds Grace Abounds More.

 

Made Righteous.

 

There Are No Strings.

That Eternal Choice.

 Evidence of our mortality.

Simply- we all die. The nicest and, the most awful people in the world both die. The brave, the cowardly, the upstanding, the degenerate, the young, the old, the innocent, the guilty, all die. Being given long life doesn't make you especially pleasant and seemingly deserving of that long life. And having a very short life doesn't make you a nasty person deserving of a short life. 

When God created mankind He created them as eternal beings. Yes, we were created to be eternal, all of us. Not a single one of us were born to be finite and that is why we all have the possibility of eternity. I said, possibility because while we were created to be eternal beings, that gift of the eternal was contingent upon our remaining united with the eternal God. We could not expect to be allowed eternity without the eternal, ever was, ever is, ever will be God. Separating ourselves from the Eternal God caused us to no longer warrant eternal life. When we chose self over God we chose to live by our own powers only to realize that we have none. Still today after six thousand or so years, many of mankind are trying to find something, anything, to grant them that eternal life of pure health and happiness. They've been trying to cure all illness, all disease, and trying to make even the accidental injury results a thing of the past. Trying, trying and trying without succeeding. Yes, they can put bandages on things, but it seems as if just as one illness has a cure, two or three new illnesses pop up to take its place. We want to be healthy, to be in the prime of our life forever, and this desire is only natural because it was what we were intended for. 

Bottom line- without the Eternal God- we have no everlasting good thing at all whatsoever. Our temporary life affords us the opportunity to choose eternal life. Our temporary life offers us a chance to reunite with our Eternal God. Because all of mankind has a choice, we are called to make that choice- that eternal choice. 

May we choose salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our eternal Savior, our eternal God!

We all have death promised to us.

We do not all have eternity promised to us, eternity is something we must choose and accept by faith in God.

(Excerpt)

The Condemnation.

5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

"Death passed upon all men;" or, as stated later, "judgment came upon all men to condemnation." "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. All have sinned, and, therefore, all are in condemnation.  There has not a man lived on earth over whom death has not reigned, nor will there be until the end of the world.  Enoch and Elijah, as well as those who shall be translated when the Lord comes, are no exceptions.

There are no exceptions, for the Scripture says that "death passed upon all men." For the reign of death is simply the reign of sin. "Elias was a man of like passions with us." Enoch was righteous only by faith; his nature was as sinful as that of any other man. So that death reigned over them as well as over any others. For be it remembered that this present going into the grave, which we so often see, is not the punishment of sin. It is simply the evidence of our mortality. Good and bad alike die. This is not the condemnation, because men die rejoicing in the Lord, and even singing songs of triumph.

All.

 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This is ENOUGH to condemn every single human being to eternal death. In fact it DOES condemn every single human being to eternal death. (Let me rephrase that just a bit, it condemns every mentally competent human being to eternal death- I'm a firm believer in the very young and mentally incompetent as belonging to God.) 

Our sins condemn us, but we are all, and I do mean ALL are given an opportunity find salvation from that condemnation. Not all opportunities are the same, some are very unique, but all have the chance to accept Christ Jesus as their Savior. 

(Excerpt)

Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. 

15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift; for if through the offense, so also is the free gift; for if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. 

17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 

18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The Reign of Death. 

"Death reigned from Adam to Moses." That does not imply that death did not reign just as much afterwards. But the point is that Moses stands for the giving of the law; "for the law was given by Moses." John 1:17. 

Now since death reigns through sin, and sin is not imputed when there is no law, it is evident from the statement that "death reigned from Adam to Moses," that the law was in the world just as much before Sinai as it was afterwards.

"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." 1 Cor. 15:56.

There can be no sin imputed when there is no law; but wherever there is sin, there death reigns.

Adam a Figure. "Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come." 

How is Adam a figure of Him that was to come, namely, Christ? Just as the following verses indicate, that is, Adam was a figure of Christ in that his action involved many besides himself. It is evident that Adam could not give his descendants any higher nature than he had himself, so Adam's sin made it inevitable that all his descendants should be born with sinful natures.  Sentence of death, however, does not pass on them for that, but because they have sinned.

A Figure by Contrast. Adam is a figure of Christ, but only by contrast. "Not as the offense, so also is the free gift." Through the offense of one many are dead; but through the righteousness of One, many receive life. "The judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ." There is contrast all the way through. Everything that came through Adam's fall is undone in Christ; or, better still, all that was lost in Adam is restored in Christ.

"Much More." This might be taken as the key-note of this chapter. Not only is everything that is lost in Adam restored in Christ, but "much more." "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."

And there is no chance of finding fault with the inevitable fact that we are inheritors of a sinful nature through Adam. We can not complain that we are unjustly dealt with. It is true that we are not to blame for having a sinful nature, and the Lord recognizes the fact. So he provides that just as in Adam we were made partakers of a sinful nature, even so in Christ we shall be made partakers of the divine nature.

But "much more." "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ." That is, the life of which we are made partakers in Christ is much stronger for righteousness than the life which we received from Adam is for unrighteousness. God does not do things by halves. He gives "abundance of grace."

By One.

 By one tempted human being sin passed unto all humans.

By one God in human flesh life is offered to all humans.

Before we start going off on how unfair it is that we personally are condemned by the actions of another human being, you have absolutely no idea whatsoever whether you would have succumbed to the same temptation that brought sin to humanity. You cannot say with any iota of truth that you could have kept from sinning, you just CAN'T. You can sit there and say you never would have, but where do you get your facts from to base that statement upon? Do you give into any temptations right now? Do you? Are you holding up the excuse that you can't help but give in because you were born into a sinful humanity? Stop right there, you have an Advocate with the Father, you have a Savior, you have hope, you are told to go and sin no more, and why would the Savior tell you to do the impossible? Can you, right this moment, think of an instance when by God's grace you kept from giving into a temptation to sin? Just one instance, do you have that memory? By the grace of God we can keep from sin. Only by the righteousness of God could Adam and Eve keep from sinning. They had to exchange the righteousness of God for the sin they committed.  We too exchange that same righteousness for every sin we commit.  We make a choice. To sit back and even believe for a single moment that you would not have done as Adam and Eve, well that is a fool's belief, a fool's excuse to place blame elsewhere, in fact anywhere other than on yourself.

Sin exists. Salvation exists. 

Fairness, righteousness both exist. 

*

A Series of Contrasts Romans 5:12-19

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 

13 (for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. 

15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift; for if through the offense, so also is the free gift; for if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. 

17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 

18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

(Excerpt)

There is probably no passage in Romans [considered] more difficult to understand than verses 12-19. 

The reason is that there is so long a parenthesis in the midst of the main statement, and there is so much repetition of the same form of expression. There is really no greatly involved argument. In this study we shall not attempt to deal with every particular, but will note the main thought running through the whole, so that the reader can read and study it more satisfactorily for himself.

First Principles. 

It will be seen from verse 12 that the apostle goes back to the very beginning. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." There can never be any presentation of the gospel, if these facts are ignored.

Death by Sin.

Death came by sin, because sin is death. Sin, when it is full grown, bringeth forth death. See James 1:15. 

Jas 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 

"To be carnally minded is death." Rom. 8:6. "The sting of death is sin." 1 Cor. 15:56. 

There could be no death if there were no sin. 

Sin carries death in its bosom. So it was not an arbitrary act on the part of God that death came upon men because of sin. It could not possibly be otherwise.

Righteousness and Life. 

"To be spiritually minded is life and peace." Rom. 8:6.

"There is none good but one, that is, God." Matt. 19:17. 

He is goodness itself. Goodness is his life. Righteousness is simply God's way. 

Therefore righteousness is life. 

It is not merely a conception of what is right, but it is the right thing itself. 

Righteousness is active.

As sin and death are inseparable, so are righteousness and life. "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil." Deut. 30:15.

Death Passed upon All Men. 

Note the justice here. Death passed upon all men, "for that all have sinned." "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Eze. 18:20. And this is also a necessary consequence of the fact that sin contains death in it, and that death can not come in any other way than by sin.

The Conclusion.

It will be noticed that the twelfth verse begins a proposition that is not completed. Verses 13-17 are parenthetical; we must pass on to the eighteenth verse to find the conclusion. But as the mind would naturally lose the first part of the statement on account of the long parenthesis, the apostle repeats the substance of it, so that we may perceive the force of the conclusion. So the first part of verse 18 is parallel to verse 12. 

"As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men to condemnation." The conclusion is, "Even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

Temporary Joy or Eternal Joy?

 Our joy is not to be found in ourselves. Seriously, we keep trying to find a place of joyfulness as if we can attain such a state and once we do our lives will be exponentially easier to live. The truth is, the joy we need to have is joy IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Joy in God.

If we truly joy in God, we are not seeking self-joy. If we place our trust in God, truly place our trust in Him then our joy is in Him, not in ourselves or anything of this world.  We can joy in God and the flower HE created for us to see, smell, touch and feel happy about, but that joy isn't in the flower itself but rather the Creator of the flower we are being allowed to enjoy. Joy in the glory we know is of God. Joy in the plan God has given to us. Joy in the salvation we are given. Joy in the eternal, not the temporary. Yes, appreciate the temporary joys we are often blessed to receive, but joy in God who provided the temporary joys. When the temporary joys disappear we must be thankful for however long we had to enjoy them, giving glory and honor to the God we joy in for His ways are far above ours. As temporary joys are stripped from our lives in a moment or agonizingly slowly allowed to disappear, we cling to the joy that is God and His wisdom as we are given that chance to place our joy fully in God through all of our lives. When we comprehend that the most horrible of tribulations and tragedies are for us to endure and still joy in God, we know in our core that all tribulation, all tragedies and trials are temporary. Fifty years of tribulation, sixty years, seventy years… of pure trial and tragedy- some lives are just this. Some lives have little to no joy, just day after day of pain. This life is temporary- in all its horror and all its temporary joys. The problem is, so many of us want temporary joy over eternal joy, seeking temporary joys constantly and only being satisfied with temporary joy. 

When we joy in God we have joy in the eternal. 

We joy in the things above, not the things of earth. Satan would have us only seek the temporary joys, and barring that settle for temporary contentment, and even further Satan would have us believe there is no such thing as eternal joy. Satan would have us despair now and cut us off to all eternal joy. 

We must joy in God, joy in our eternal God first and foremost. 

God help us to that end.  All through Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior now and forever!

*

Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 

(Excerpt EJ Waggoner_

Joy in God.

By the same life by which we receive the reconciliation and salvation, "we also joy in God." 

Christ's life is a joyous life. When David had fallen, he prayed, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;  and uphold me with thy free Spirit." Ps. 61:12. The brightness of the heavens, the beauty of the infinite variety of flowers with which God clothes the earth, and the glad songs of the birds, all indicate that God delights in joy and beauty. Brightness and song are but the natural expressions of his life. "Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." Ps. 5:11.

Psa_5:11  But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Psa_35:9  And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

Psa_95:1  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Psa_95:2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psa_98:4  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise

Psa_149:5  Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

Isa_61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels

2Co 7:4  Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. 

2Co 7:5  For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. 

2Co 7:6  Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down

A Whispered Prayer.

 

Guilty

 I'm guilty. Do I want to be guilty? No, I don't want to be guilty. Do I want to make excuses to explain away the guilty, give reason for the actions of guilt? Yes. I do not want to be guilty. Being guilty is an awful thing. Having no excuse good enough to wipe away the guilty, is horrible.

You've been blindsided with horrible news, someone you love has tragically been murdered. You drown your sorrow in a few alcoholic beverages and then get up enough nerve to drive home to face the tragedy with others. On the way home you crash into another car and kill someone. You are guilty of killing someone because you chose to put alcohol into your body which caused your driving skills to be diminished. You put alcohol in your body because of a tragedy you experienced. Such a vicious turn of events. Your reason for doing what you did is comprehensible on some level but at the same time you caused yet another tragedy. Guilty. The reasons for the guilt do not negate the guilt. A penalty must be paid for the guilt. How many people have gone to prison for things they didn't mean to do, but are none the less guilty of doing. They are paying for their actions, unintentional actions perhaps but their actions. 

I am guilty. Unintentionally, and intentionally guilty. My guilt has many facets unfortunately. 

What am I guilty of? So many, many things. Chief among my guilt is my worshiping of myself above God, and the putting of myself above others. 

I am guilty.

I deserve punishment.

I stand before my judge, God the Father.

I turn to my advocate, Jesus Christ the only begotten Son. 

I yield all of me to the Son. I believe the Son alone can make me guiltless, by choosing to take my guilt upon Himself. He doesn't tell me I'm guilt free, but rather He tells me the guilt I have He will take from me, He tells me that He suffered, that He died, that He did that for me. He tells me that His blood was shed for me. He chose to end His life in order to save my life eternally.

My Savior ascended from death's darkness to heaven's light. 

My Savior stands before the Father, advocating for me right now and as long as there is time He will plead for me. When the cup is full and probation for all mankind has run out, when the Savior finishes all His advocating for all His people and the way of salvation is over, I will be on saved solely by His grace!

In the heavenly sanctuary right now Christ is advocating for us, but soon He will finish His work of advocating and take on His kingship, coming to call all His people to be with Him.

This is truth!

Lord, I am nothing, you are all. All glory to YOU, all glory to GOD.

Will We Yield?

 Lessons to Learn.

Being taught, something we've all experienced, right? You can't say no if you're reading this, because you were taught to read. Spiritual learning is our being taught by the Spirit, and we are taught this way once we are born of the Spirit. The lessons the Spirit teaches us are lessons for our eternity. We live now and right now we are being perfected for our eternal life. We have a spirit and our spirit with the Holy Spirit learn things of the Spirit. You may think it's not important to be Spirit taught, but it is. The Spirit convicts us, and our convictions become more and more intense the more we are taught of the Spirit. A conviction causes us to realize our complete and utter need of relying upon our Savior. We realize this need by comprehending our inability to save ourselves. 

The sanctuary was a structure that was a blatant reminder of man's sin and need of a Savior.

'The earthly sanctuary was a teaching tool for mankind and the lesson it was teaching was taught. That lesson all pointed to the heavenly sanctuary, to our Savior and His offer of salvation. Christ lived the sanctuary upon earth and after living out the sanctuary on earth He went to the heavenly sanctuary to finish the lesson there. The lesson… we have a High Priest in heaven right now! And once that High Priest FINISHES His priestly work in the heavenly sanctuary- He and His Father will become the all that the sanctuary of embodies.'

Christ is a working High Priest. Christ isn't simply a figurehead for people to look to, but a REALITY. HE is our ADVOCATE, our HEAVENLY LAWYER pleading our CASE. He has ALL the evidence, all the proof to be able to redeem us! What will determine each case is our accepting our Lord as our Savior- fully accepting that HE alone can save us! Yielding ourselves to salvation in Christ Jesus. Will we yield all we are to Him?

Not Made With Hands

 Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

Christ entered the heavenly holy places NOT MADE WITH HANDS. So, how was the heavenly sanctuary made if not with hands? It was made by the WORD of God.  God spoke and it was! Just as the earth and all that is in it exists, just as this universe and all the other universes exist by the spoken word of God. The heavenly sanctuary was spoken into existence and God gave detailed instructions to Moses on that heavenly sanctuary so there could be an earthly one made that was like the heavenly.  Why TWO sanctuaries? Why a heavenly and an earthly sanctuary?  Why a heavenly, let's talk about that first.

A heavenly sanctuary because- MANKIND being given the ABILITY to choose wrong from right needed a place where, should they choose wrong, would be able to find salvation. God KNEW He was creating a multitude of beings, not a single entity, but many and each and every one of those beings would have the chance to choose right from wrong. God did not want to condemn all mankind for one man's mistake. God is just and righteous, in fact, all justice and all righteousness comes from God. Each and every one of us has been created in the image of God with the potential for being a companion of God's. Made in His image we are similar to God in many ways. If I created a like-like replica of myself with the know how to make it look realistic I would still forever and always be the creator of that replica. That replica could not create something from nothing, forever the replica would be subservient to its creator out of sheer ability. The replica exists ONLY because it was created. The Creator exist because the Creator has always existed. We forever owe honor and glory to our Creator! Our Creator has given us all we need to be His forever and always.  However, because the original creation of mankind chose to leave God's glory in seeking his/her own glory, they condemned themselves and all mankind. God knew all mankind would need a chance to choose God service or Self service and provided this chance. How was it provided? Through the Sanctuary.

Rev 21:22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 

The symbol of forgiveness, of redemption, of being made one with God again. 

The heavenly sanctuary was spoke into existence first, before mankind as a part of the plan of mankind should things go awry. 

Things went awry. 

The earthly sanctuary was eventually brought into existence to teach mankind the way of their salvation.

The earthly sanctuary was then made void when Christ died. Our living testament returned to the heavenly sanctuary to finish what was started upon the creation of that sanctuary. 

The earthly sanctuary was a teaching tool for mankind and the lesson it was teaching was taught. That lesson all pointed to the heavenly sanctuary, to our Savior and His offer of salvation. Christ lived the sanctuary upon earth and after living out the sanctuary on earth He went to the heavenly sanctuary to finish the lesson there. The lesson… we have a High Priest in heaven right now! And once that High Priest FINISHES His priestly work in the heavenly sanctuary- He and His Father will become the all that the sanctuary of embodies. 

More on all of this tomorrow by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. 

Living In the Day of Atonement

 Self-affliction for the purpose of comprehending that we exist only because God allows us to exist. Self-affliction because we comprehend that our unworthiness of God's mercy is a very real thing. Self-affliction because all glory belongs to God and none to us. Self-affliction because we need the meekness of our Savior which calls for us to live as He lives. As our example, our Savior lived His life in service for others at all times. Our Savior lived self-renunciation. Our Savior lived wholly for the Father. 

We live in the existence of a perpetual day of Atonement, begun at a set moment in time only to end at another set time that only God the Father knows. 

Prior to Christ's sacrifice, the Israelis lived immersed in a sacrificial system that allowed for them to bring sacrifices to gain atonement. Once a year all the sins that had been placed on the altar of the sanctuary were cleansed.  

To cleanse the sanctuary the High Priest made ritual sacrifices with ritual ceremonies on that most holy of days. The people were told to afflict their souls on that day because it was the holiest of days as the power of God to forgive all sin was enacted.  

When Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary we weren't left entirely without a time table for future events. 

Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

Christ began His work in the heavenly sanctuary - the same heavenly sanctuary we were told would begin to be cleansed in a prophecy given by Daniel. Without going into that prophecy in depth right now, it works out that in the year 1844 the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary began and it was then that the Day of Atonement figure came into effect.  For the last 177 years the heavenly sanctuary has been being cleansed. When the cleansing is over, that is when our Savior returns! Jesus has been in heaven for 1,955 years and for the last 177 years of that time He's been carrying out the cleansing of the sanctuary.

More on all of this tomorrow- by the GRACE OF GOD!

You Are On Trial In Heaven

We MUST afflict our souls as our SAVIOR makes the case for each of us who believe on Him. Afflict our souls. The day of our atonement is a very long day.

Christ our High Priest stands in our place before God bringing you, bringing, me, bringing all who would be His before God and pleading on our behalf as the trial for eternal life goes on in heaven for each of us. While our Advocate with God pleads our case we must die to self - afflicting our souls. We are to die on our cross daily.

Luk_9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

In the earthly day of Atonement which took place once a year- this was how the people of God were instructed…

Lev_16:29  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you

Afflict your souls.

Lev_16:31  It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

Afflict your souls.

Lev_23:27  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Afflict your souls.

Lev_23:32  It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

Afflict your souls.

Num_29:7  And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein

Afflict your souls. 

Afflict-

H6031

עָנָה

‛ânâh

aw-naw'

A primitive root (possibly rather identical with H6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitively or intransitively (in various applications). (sing is by mistake for H6030.): - abase self, afflict (-ion, self), answer [by mistake for H6030], chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing [by mistake for H6030], speak [by mistake for H6030], submit self, weaken, X in any wise.

Total KJV occurrences: 83

Abase self. Afflict self. Chasten self. Humble self. Submit self.

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 

Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 

Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 

Poor in spirit, they that mourn, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker.

What do all those things have in common? Affliction of self attributes, and in their place a knowledge that God reigns supreme. A knowing that an emptying of self is needed. A poor spirit comprehends their need of being selfless to be God-fearing. A self-affliction, knowing self has to be chastised within us. To be self-poor is to be God-rich.  To be spirit-poor is to be God-rich.

More on this tomorrow, by the grace of God!

The Day of Atonement-

Lev 16:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; 

Lev 16:2  And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 

Lev 16:3  Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 

Lev 16:4  He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. 

Lev 16:5  And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 

Lev 16:6  And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. 

Lev 16:7  And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

Lev 16:8  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 

Lev 16:9  And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 

Lev 16:10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. 

Lev 16:11  And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: 

Lev 16:12  And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: 

Lev 16:13  And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: 

Lev 16:14  And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. 

Lev 16:15  Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: 

Lev 16:16  And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 

Lev 16:17  And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. 

Lev 16:18  And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. 

Lev 16:19  And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. 

Lev 16:20  And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 

Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. 

Lev 16:23  And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: 

Lev 16:24  And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people. 

Lev 16:25  And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar. 

Lev 16:26  And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. 

Lev 16:27  And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. 

Lev 16:28  And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. 

Lev 16:29  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 

Lev 16:30  For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 

Lev 16:31  It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 

Lev 16:32  And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: 

Lev 16:33  And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 

Lev 16:34  And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Lev 23:26  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Lev 23:27  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 

Lev 23:28  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. 

Lev 23:29  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. 

Lev 23:30  And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. 

Lev 23:31  Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 

Lev 23:32  It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. 

The Holy House of God.

 The Holy House of God.  

IT'S REAL!

Yes, I shouted, and I'll shout it again. IT'S REAL!

The earthly sanctuary was real, we have proof of that in Jerusalem today, the remnants of it exist there right now. Proven historical data details the sanctuary. The Bible itself reveals the origin of the sanctuary, it's reason for existing, the workings of it, and the demise of its earthly purpose. Once the ultimate sacrifice had been made, no other blood sacrifice, no other sanctuary sacrifice had any purpose. The blood of our Savior was shed and not a single other sacrifice could take the place of the blood of God in sacrifice ever again. The power of the blood of Christ is the greatest of all, and that is why the earthly lost its purpose and the heavenly purpose took over, the original sanctuary. 

Heb 9:1  Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 

Heb 9:2  For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. 

Heb 9:3  And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 

Heb 9:4  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 

Heb 9:5  And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. 

Heb 9:6  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. 

Heb 9:7  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: 

Heb 9:8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: 

Heb 9:9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; 

Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. 

A greater, more perfect tabernacle- the heavenly!

Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 

By His own blood He entered the holiest of all places where God, His Father dwelled.

Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Christ, our High Priest!  Right NOW He is in the presence of the FATHER pleading His spilled blood to save us sinners! He is pleading for us to be reunited to God through HIS perfect sacrifice. He alone is WORTHY! By HIS grace we are saved! We MUST afflict our souls as our SAVIOR makes the case for each of us who believe on Him. Afflict our souls, the day of our atonement is a very long day.

More on this tomorrow by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR!  

Heaven House

 

Feast On Knowledge.

 

Jesus went into the most holy place as high priest…

The earthly high priest went into the most holy place only once a year.

Why did the earthly high priest, starting with Aaron, Moses' brother only go into the most holy place once a year? There were such detailed instructions for the sanctuary structures inside and out. The setup of the actual tent in the original portable sanctuary was Holy Place and then the Most Holy Place and the thing that separated one from the other was a veil. The high priest alone could go behind the veil into that most holy place in his priestly function but once a year. All other days of the year the most holy place was untouched, unseen by anyone except those whose job is was to pack up the structure, but that was not in a priestly function.

God's instructions to His people about the High Priest and the Most Holy Place were these-

(Read them all- these are God's living words and they are vital for our understanding of our Savior as High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary. Note- holy place within the vail before the mercy seat - the MOST holy place when you call the holy place the section before the veil)

Lev 16:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; 

Lev 16:2  And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 

Lev 16:3  Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 

Lev 16:4  He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. 

Lev 16:5  And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 

Lev 16:6  And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. 

Lev 16:7  And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

Lev 16:8  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 

Lev 16:9  And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 

Lev 16:10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. 

Lev 16:11  And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: 

Lev 16:12  And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: 

Lev 16:13  And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: 

Lev 16:14  And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. 

Lev 16:15  Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: 

Lev 16:16  And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 

Lev 16:17  And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. 

Lev 16:18  And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. 

Lev 16:19  And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. 

Lev 16:20  And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 

Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. 

Lev 16:23  And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: 

Lev 16:24  And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people. 

Lev 16:25  And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar. 

Lev 16:26  And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. 

Lev 16:27  And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. 

Lev 16:28  And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. 

Lev 16:29  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 

Lev 16:30  For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 

Lev 16:31  It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 

Lev 16:32  And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: 

Lev 16:33  And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 

Lev 16:34  And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Once a year- an atonement was made for the sanctuary, for the tabernacle of the congregation, for the altar, for the priest, for all the people. Atonement was NOT made for all this, all the time- ONLY ONCE A YEAR.  Throughout the year many sacrifices were made at the sanctuary but once a year that sanctuary was completely cleansed. This day was very holy and people were told this--

Lev 16:29  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you

 Afflict your souls.

Do no work at all.

Num 29:7  And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:

Now read about Christ in the heavenly most holy place- (REALLY READ IT)

Heb 9:1  Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 

Heb 9:2  For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. 

Heb 9:3  And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 

Heb 9:4  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 

Heb 9:5  And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. 

Heb 9:6  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. 

Heb 9:7  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: 

Heb 9:8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: 

Heb 9:9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; 

Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. 

Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 

Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 

Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 

Heb 9:16  For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 

Heb 9:17  For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 

Heb 9:18  Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 

Heb 9:19  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 

Heb 9:20  Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 

Heb 9:21  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 

Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 

Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 

Heb 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 

Heb 10:2  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 

Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 

Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 

Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 

Heb 10:6  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 

Heb 10:7  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 

Heb 10:8  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 

Heb 10:9  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 

Heb 10:10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 

Heb 10:11  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 

Heb 10:12  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 

Heb 10:13  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 

Heb 10:14  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 

Heb 10:15  Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 

Heb 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 

Heb 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 

Heb 10:18  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 

The Full Assurance of Faith

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 

Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 

Heb 10:21  And having an high priest over the house of God

More tomorrow by the GRACE OF GOD!

In the Presence of God

 

High Priest -Christ

 

Christ For Us In the Heavenly Sanctuary.

 The sanctuary we must now all enter to understand… the heavenly sanctuary. How do we enter that sanctuary? Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Because we are His, He has entered the heavenly sanctuary for us. Do we comprehend our Savior in the heavenly sanctuary? We need to, may God help us to this end.

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The earthly sanctuary was no longer valid, and the heavenly sanctuary resumed its prominence as Christ ascended and took His place there as our High Priest.

Mar 16:19  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 

Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 

Act 7:56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 

1Pe 3:22  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. 

Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 

Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

Heb 1:3  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; 

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 

Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 

To be continued by the grace of God