Living Not As Others Live.

Eph 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind

Yes, I'm still stuck on this verse and the following verses- this passage in Ephesians.

We are NOT to live as others live.

What does that mean exactly?

The other day as I was enjoying my evening relaxing, crocheting, checking on FB, looking at various news sites online and so on and so forth- a typical evening in my life all the while the tv is on and I caught a glimpse of an ad for a new television show coming out this Fall. The name of the show-  Evil.

Instantly I know I don't want to watch it and so I say something to my husband to that affect (he handles the tv schedule - which I gladly let him, with me watching shows he doesn't like (but schedules for me to be recorded) during the day as I can fit it in my schedule.) I know TMI, get to the point. I say something to him about not wanting to watch that new series and to keep it in mind as he's recording things for us to watch together. Of course he asks why I don't want to watch it, and I reply it's not something I want to see, even from its name, I have enough evil in my life.  And he's taken aback just a bit and asks, you have evil in your life? And I answer, yes, it's all around me all the time, it's a fight, constantly.  He gives me a look that is clearly skeptical but shrugs it off and most likely chalks it up to my many eccentricities.  Now, for all I know it could be a silly drama like so many are- a crime show or something where evil is being fought against and defeated over and over. Yet, I really don't want to watch it no matter what it's about- stupid of me? Maybe, but it just goes against something inside me because purposefully watching something called Evil just seems wrong, it seems evil.

What is my point to telling you all that? Walking in the vanity of our minds, in the moral decaying nothingness of our minds isn't something I want to do. I want to walk with a renewed spirit in my mind. I do NOT want to accept the commonly accepted evils of my day and age. I do NOT want to embrace my own past evils and tout their acceptableness now, when they weren't acceptable before and shouldn't be now. I have not lived a life walking in a Spirit renewed mind, but quite often I've embraced the 'times' we live in and gone along with the moral decay. I'm guilty and only by the grace of God can I be forgiven for my past evil. Believe me, I've sought forgiveness and keep seeking forgiveness for my far from stellar walk in life.

There are so many movies and tv shows out there that glorify the evil in the world. I find myself questioning my own self when there I sit rooting for the bad guys to outwit the good guys, simply because the show has twisted things around so that our sympathies lie with the bad guys. A recent show we watched called The Americans- was about Russian spies back in the 80's I believe, infiltrating America to get information for Russia. Notice, I didn't say it was a show about the American government rooting out Russian spies. The focus was on the spies and their lives and how hard it was to be spies with a family etc. etc. it made you sympathize with the 'bad guys'.   That is only one show out of a lot of them out there doing the same thing. I remember remarking to my husband that I feel so conflicted watching this show. They are Russian spies, we are not supposed to like them and want them to get the upper hand on our government.  We should be wanting our FBI agents to capture them and stop them.

The way Satan works is through deception, lying and twisting things so that we do call evil good and then turn around and call good evil.  Satan wants us to embrace moral decay as often as possible. Satan wants to keep us from walking in a Spirit led renewed mind.

Eph 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart

I don't want my understanding darkened. I don't want to be alienated from the life of God through my ignorance, through a blindness in my heart. I do NOT want to live in the vanity of my mind!

Eph 4:19  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 

I don't want to be past feeling. I don't want to give myself over to the self-centered lusts of my life. I don't want to live a life of greediness, always seeking self-centered ways.

Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ; 

Christ lived a life of example for us, and His life was one of self-sacrifice.

Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus

I  want to be TAUGHT by Jesus, taught the truth in Him.

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts

I want my old self gone! My old corrupted deceitful lusting self-centered self- I want it gone!

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind

I want the spirit of my mind RENEWED!

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

I want to be a new person created in God's likeness, in His righteousness and His holiness. I do not want to live with the chaos of the vanity in my mind.

Eph 4:25  Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 

I don't want to lie! I want to speak truth with everyone.

Eph 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath

I want my anger to be only the anger that is righteous indignation, not the anger of self-denied gratifications of any sort! I do not want the sun to set while I'm filled with wrath, harboring an anger that only hurts and is not of God.

Eph 4:27  Neither give place to the devil. 

I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL! I don't want to give him access to me in any way! I do not want to say one tiny pinprick of evil is okay, not one tiny bit!

Eph 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 

I want to work the work I am called to and live the way God would have me live, giving to others as He directs me. Never, ever stealing.

Eph 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

This is a hard one because it is so easy to speak things that are not edifying, things that minister no grace at all.  Please, Lord, please keep the door to my lips and control my tongue, help me to speak things that do minister grace to those that listen to me.

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

I do not ever want to grieve the Holy Spirit of God! Not ever! I long to be sealed as Christ by the Holy Spirit of God until the day of redemption! Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice

Please, oh, please my Lord, my God, please… let any bitterness in me, any wrath, any anger, any clamoring, any evil speaking be put away from me, and no malice be found in me at all. PLEASE, this is my prayer, this is my hope to live with a Spirit renewed mind and not with my vain, moral decayed self.

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

Help me to be kind to all, tenderhearted to all, forgiving to all--- because God, for the sake of Christ Jesus forgives me!!! Please…. Please….

Thank you.

Vanity of Our Minds.

Eph 4:17  … walk not … in the vanity of their mind

Vanity of their mind, such an interesting four words. Let's look at the word vanity in our Bibles.

Vanity-

(Greek)From G3152; inutility; figuratively transientness; morally depravity: - vanity.

(Hebrew)From H1891; emptiness or vanity; figuratively something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb: -    X altogether, vain, vanity.

And I don't think we need to look at the words for -  'of their mind', do we?

Just because I could though, I looked up the word 'mind' in the Greek.

G3563

νοῦς

nous

nooce

Probably from the base of G1097; the intellect, that is, mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by implication meaning: - mind, understanding.

So here we have it- the vanity of their minds means - the moral depravity of our minds, the emptiness, unsatisfactory, transitory existence of our minds. The moral depravity, emptiness of our intellect, our understanding- in thought, feeling, or will.

This is the existence of all who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviors and been born again in the Spirit.

But you tell me that you know many brilliant atheists and devout Christ haters? You know a lot of upstanding, wonderful people- the kindest you'd ever meet who refute the validity of Christ's very existence, let alone surrendered their lives to Him. How could those people be said to be vain- their minds, their understanding morally depraved and empty of thought, feeling and will? How could their minds be deemed transitory- temporary?

I'll tell you that what we may consider on an everyday current level of moral depravity, of meaningless thoughts, feelings and will- is not what is meant on a spiritual level, not at all.

If we believe that our hope is only in ourselves, that there is no God of hope, we are morally depraved and yes, all our thoughts, feelings and will mean nothing. We are vain, we are empty in all truth, meaningless- completely and utterly meaningless. Why? Because we are meant to be a part of God, and our worth lies in the fact we will have an existence beyond the sin-tainted lives we all lead. To believe that our existence, that the world we are brought into through no thought of our own, by no action of our own, is how it is supposed to be- is to believe in hopelessness, to believe in futility.

Why do people try to fight for freedom, for happiness, for goodness, for painlessness, for what they believe is right UNLESS they know there is a reason to fight?  It is completely SENSELESS to fight to right what is wrong, if there is no belief that there is wrong in our world.  There is a whole lot that is wrong on many levels and it truly doesn't take us too long to figure that out as we grow up from babyhood. There is no exact age of comprehension for us individually, but there comes a time when we are very young when we are most likely in tears that we know things aren't quite right in our world, and from that point on that understanding only grows.

I believe in a RIGHT world, I believe in PEACE, I believe in LOVE for all, I believe in the reality of these things but I also know that after the thousands of years of recorded history- those things will never exist within this world in totality- NOT through our effort. We've tried haven't we? Since recorded time people have tried to create a world ruled fairly but it never works out- never- not a single time has it worked out. There is always someone who isn't given the fairness desired by all. Someone always seems to have to be subservient to another which instantly negates the perfection that is trying to be achieved.

The vanity of our minds… just how much of our lives is spent caught up in the results of our vain minds?  And if you read the above you know I’m not simply talking about the modern, secular idea of vanity. I'm not accusing you of having a mirror in your pocket that you must look at constantly because you are so vain - self-centered about your appearance. I'm talking about how many of us have lives centered around the moral depravity that is a total lack of understanding in things of the Spirit?

We need to be RENEWED in our minds- in the SPIRIT of our Minds.

By the grace of our Lord God, more on this tomorrow.

All through the love of Jesus Christ our Savior, now and forever! Amen.

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 

Eph 4:19  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 

Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ; 

Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

Eph 4:25  Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 

Eph 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 

Eph 4:27  Neither give place to the devil. 

Eph 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 

Eph 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

Prisoners of the Lord.

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called

The prisoner of the Lord.

Eph 3:1  For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles

The prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Luk 21:12  But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. 

For my (Jesus') name's sake… into prisons.

Are we all figurative prisoners of the Lord? By all I mean those who choose to be a Christ follower, a Christ believer. Some, like Paul was, are in prison for their faith, real steel door, behind iron bars prisons. They are called to believe and the Holy Spirit fills their hearts to such a degree they are willing to endure torturous conditions just to proclaim their believe.

Jesus said this-

Mark 8:38  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Mat 10:32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 10:33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

And after His death believers did this- 

Act 5:41  And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 

Act 5:42  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. 

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

Every single Christ follower in prison for their faith around this world we live in is obviously NOT ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

I sit here and even the thought of torture has me shuddering. Being torture in a very literal, physical way is something far removed from my realm of existence. I am allowed to walk out of my house wearing a I Love Jesus  tee-shirt, or a tee-shirt with any number of Christ and God affirming sayings on them. I have a shirt that reads- 'Life is Fragile, Handle With Prayer'. I can BOLDLY wear these shirts out anywhere I want to without any fear of being taken prisoner, and really no fear of being ridiculed.  I live in a world where it is more common to hear- 'I like your shirt.' - than anything else. This is my existence- no fear of prison for proclaiming my faith in Jesus Christ. I have no reason whatsoever to be ashamed of my Lord and Savior. I do not have the testing ground of pain, of agonies, of being shamefully abused mentally, emotionally, verbally, physically because of my love for God. And just because I do not have this experience, does not mean it doesn't exist for a lot of people.

I heard on the news that the president of the United States is going to speak out on Christian persecution in a big way, why? Because it exists and is growing worse and worse in a lot of places around the world.  I can't imagine watching my children being murdered right before my eyes just because I believe in Jesus Christ.  People are MURDERING Christians for their faith, for their belief and it just blows my mind that they are doing that, the very thing they did in Christ's day, in the apostles day, in the dark ages, in the middle ages, and so on. Persecution for believing in our Savior has never ended, it has ebbed and flowed throughout history.

The power of belief in Christ is so threatening to others, rather than turn away and simply ignore what they don't personally believe- they kill the believer as if that will somehow kill the power of Christ.

Are we prisoners of Christ Jesus? Are we prisoners of the Lord? 

We'd better be.  We'd better belong to Christ no matter what we are called to endure.  To be His prisoner is to be free, truly free in a way those who deny Christ can never be.

God help us all!

Give strength to EVERY Christ believer called to endure any sort of trial or tribulation, any torture, any imprisonment. Please, Father in Heaven, please bless them, bless us, and have Your Holy Son, Jesus Christ return soon so we may ever be with Him!

All through Your love, Your mercy, Your grace!

Your will be done!

Amen.

Signing Up for Christ is Signing Up for War.

Yesterday I touched on the book - The Atonement by J.H. Waggoner, and what it has meant to me to go through it all in excerpts daily for the last couple months, in fact it was started July 9th and today is September 25th so we've been at it over a couple of months.

The book brings out so many facts but as its title reads- The Atonement - I want to talk about - The Atonement.

When I say "The Atonement" I don't simply mean Christ paying the price for my sins on the cross, making me  AT ONE with Him again. I mean ALL that encompasses. Creation, the fall, redemption and the entire process of being redeemed. Yes, there is a process. Anyone who has accepted Christ as their Savior knows the accepting part is an active on going, daily, and yes, often hourly choice. The accepting is a life lived for Christ. The accepting is acknowledging the word of God as part of our daily sustenance. The accepting is knowing what our Savior is doing on our behalf right now and what His future intentions for us are. The accepting means recognition of our unworthiness and our need of Jesus' worth.

 

Every day you are going to come face to face with trials and tribulations, every day. Some days the onslaught is seemingly unending, and it is HOW we react to our trials and tribulations that will enable us to grow in Christ or falter. And by react I don't mean the knee jerk reactions specifically, but the ultimate reaction to what we face. Sometimes the dust has to settle all around us, the chaos filled dust, before our reaction is decided.

You may meet people who will tell you that they accepted Christ as their Savior twenty years ago and they'll smile and lead you to believe that for the past twenty years their life has been one of ease- made by that decision. You'll feel a longing to have such a life, one where your accepting Christ means joy unending.  A few days later you may see that person unexpectedly in a store vehemently scolding their child, or rudely cutting someone off in traffic using unseemly gestures- in situations that give you pause because you thought they were above such behaviors- Christ unapproved behaviors.

The thing is…  we will feel the joy of our Christian walk, but we need to recognize the fight it truly is. We signed up for war when we signed up for Christ. A lifetime war, a battle that will wage on and on and on until our God determines it can't go on a moment longer and WE cannot know when that moment will be.  That person you saw being unseemly may have a moment later apologized and asked for forgiveness from their child, or repented instantly their use of bad gestures to fellow harried drivers on the road.  The war is real and the humbling of ourselves in being able to admit -at the promptings of the Holy Spirit on our Christ surrendered conscience- that we sinned and need forgiveness is a life lived for Christ, a daily very hard life lived in a sin hardened world.

The Atonement is so much-- I want to recap in another way as well- by looking at the Table of Contents from the book.

'C O N T E N T S

PART FIRST.

AN ATONEMENT CONSISTENT WITH REASON

CHAPTER I. COMPARISON OF NATURE AND MORALITY. 9 Nature declares a God—Cannot teach morals—Did not make her own laws—Idea of the eternity of matter unreasonable—Natural laws no standard of right—Difference of penalties and consequences.

CHAPTER II. THE MORAL SYSTEM .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17 Reason calls for a moral government—Necessity of revelation—Infinite justice of God—Human responsibility—The wrong-doer an incompetent judge.

CHAPTER III. REQUIREMENTS OF THE MORAL SYSTEM. 25 (Section)1. Sin ought to be punished. (Section)2. Can the sinner be cleared? (Section)3. What pardon supposes. (Section)4. What must be done in granting pardon. (Section)5. Voluntary substitution. (Section)6. Why an atonement is necessary. (Section)7. The sinner must accept, not make, conditions—Rights of subjects—Remarks and question.

- v - J. H. Waggoner

PART SECOND.

THE ATONEMENT AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE

CHAPTER I. PRINCIPLES OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 41 Attributes of God—His Law—Its nature—Ten commandments—Objections considered—Distinctions of covenant and law—Conversion—The fourth commandment.

CHAPTER II. SIN AND ITS PENALTY .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 64 Dr. Barnes’ View—Remorse of conscience not a penalty—Death the penalty—What is death—“Punishment” not a specific term—Destruction.

CHAPTER III. JUSTIFICATION AND OBEDIENCE .  .  .  .  . 75 Difference of justification and salvation—Righteousness of God in his law—Justification by faith has reference to a future judgment—Gospel a system of “naturalization”—Andrew Fuller on nature of the Atonement.

CHAPTER IV. DEATH OF CHRIST VICARIOUS.  .  .  .  .  .  . 89 Substitutionary nature of offerings for sin—Christ’s death satisfaction to justice—Justice and mercy meet—Error of authors noticed—Impressive sentiments from Maclaurin and Dobney.

CHAPTER V. THE SON OF GOD DIED .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 103 Why blood of bulls and goats insufficient—Value of the Atonement in the dignity of the offering—Union of natures in Christ—Methodist Discipline—The Word made flesh—Scripture proofs of the exalted nature of Christ—This Divine Being died for man—Value of the law attested by his sacrifice.

The Atonement - vi

CHAPTER VI. DOCTRINE OF A TRINITY SUBVERSIVE OF THE ATONEMENT .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 115 Trinitarians do not believe that the divine nature died—Their sacrifice only human—Distinctive being of the Father and the Son—Self-contradictions of Trinitarians—”The mystery of godliness”—Incarnation of Son of God beyond comprehension.

CHAPTER VII. WHAT THE ATONEMENT IS.  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 127 The Atonement is the work of the priest—Not the death of the offering—Made in the sanctuary—Blotting out of sin—Typical nature of the earthly priesthood, sacrifices, and sanctuary—Love of God provided the sacrifice—Death of Christ makes salvation possible to all.

CHAPTER VIII. THE JUDGMENT .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 137 Judgment of the righteous precedes the resurrection—”Judgment is come” (Rev. 14) before the advent—A warning must be given—Prophecy of Daniel—Sanctuary in Heaven—Days of Noah and last days—Probation ends before the advent—Judgment proves the value of the law.

CHAPTER IX. THE SCAPE-GOAT .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 159 Distinction of sin offering and scapegoat—Argument of Dr. Edward Beecher—A type of Satan—Binding of the devil—The earth desolated—Sin returned upon the head of its author.

CHAPTER X. THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 170 Erroneous opinions noticed—To be set up on the earth—Prophecy of Daniel—Saints are now heirs—Mortals cannot inherit the kingdom—Possess it at the advent—The two thrones—Work of the saints in the one thousand years—The meek inherit the earth.

- vii - J. H. Waggoner

CHAPTER XI. REDEMPTION .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 188 Salvation and redemption—1. The redemption of man—The resurrection—Literal, or physical—Importance of the doctrine—A substitute accepted—Life the greatest gift of God—Death an enemy.

CHAPTER XII. REDEMPTION.—CONTINUED.  .  .  .  .  .  . 201 The original purpose of the Creator—2. Redemption of the earth—Promises to Abraham—Christ the seed—Believers are joint-heirs—Gentiles made fellow-heirs with Israel—The token or earnest—”The rest that remains,” Heb. 4—Various authorities.

CHAPTER XIII. CONCLUSION.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 222 The new earth—The promised glory—Beyond our comprehension—All things new—Our need of God’s grace to fit us for that glory.'

Do we comprehend the depths of the Atonement? It's necessity, it's truth, it's process through Christ our Lord and Savior, our 'God with us', our God who was 'made flesh' and lived with us? Do we know what God's plan for us is? Matthew 1:23, John 1:14

Let us live in Christ as Christ lives in us (Gal.2:20). 

May God bless us all and help us all, keeping us in Him, keeping us from evil. All by the will, the mercy, the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

I Want the Meat and the Milk of the Word.

For the first time in a long time I am not reading from an excerpt, or being inspired by an excerpt. I wrote too soon, because while I'm not including any excerpt today, I do want to talk about the book we've just gone through- The Atonement by J.H. Waggoner.

The book was so incredibly thought provoking and in such a way that it reminds me of no longer having the milk of the word, but the meat. We need the meat of the word of God in our lives if we are to grow in Him. His word, His holy word is our meat and we have to feast on it like never before.

The Atonement.  That makes it sound singular as if the atonement were simply one act, but the truth of the matter is so much more.

Recently I came across something that reminded me that too many people are spoon fed bits and pieces of scripture, and a lot of people are advised to stay mainly in the New Testament books. Some are even told that the Old Testament books were cancelled out by the New, as if they could be replaced, overwritten, upgraded, improved. We know those terms we hear them in our everyday lives don't we?  When are we getting the latest cellphone, tablet, tv, game console. Just look at all the new features added to…

Isn't that was mostly happens when a new product comes out- it is often built from the original prototype with those new features added to it. I'm not saying that there are no completely original products, but mostly we take from the old and incorporate on to that old thing.

Poke holes if you will, and some must because it is in their nature to do so, but think about it for a bit. We have the first telephone… before that telephone there were no telephones…however…  the things used to create that telephone are from things known. Metal, wood, all products in existence since creation.

Heb_5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Heb_5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Have I gone back too far? Maybe. You know the point I’m trying to make and that point is… the Old Testament can NEVER be done away with or ignored if you are seriously seeking the meat of word of God. I can say that with great confidence, without any doubt at all and let me tell you why.

Luk_24:27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Jesus began at Moses, Jesus continued on citing all the prophets, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior used the only scriptures available and out of them He revealed HIMSELF to those He was walking with.

If we cannot find our Savior in the Old Testament, we have no business pretending to know Him.  Am I slighting those who only have access to a New Testament, God forbid! But most everyone able to read this from the internet has access to the Old Testament.  Those who are somehow possibly, though it is hard to imagine- reading this from paper might not have access to an Old Testament, or for that matter the New Testament- stranger things I'm sure have happened. The point being we mustn't discount the Old Testament in any way.

2Ti_3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

How much of the scripture?

ALL.

And when this was being written, there weren't a bunch of New Testaments about for people to read.  Over time all the New Testament books were written after our Savior died. Though I'm almost positive there were a few scribes following Jesus about taking notes of a lot of what was going on, and those inspired scribes were led by the Holy Spirit to retain the things needed.

You can find the history of the Bible online, it is fascinating. The bottom line being, you either believe men were INSPIRED by God to write and to organize the scriptures into what we know as the Bible or you don't.  Are there some pretty farfetched interpretations of the Bible translated from the Hebrew and Greek? Oh yeah! But going way down to the bare bones of what we know to be original, God will guide us to truth.

I hope, if nothing more, that if there are any people truly reading this, that they will seek truth from the Old and New Testaments, recognizing we have such a great need to learn from both.

More on this tomorrow perhaps, because I do want to write more about the book we've just finished.

All by the grace, the will, the wisdom, the glory, power and praise of our Lord, our Father God, and the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ our Savior now and forever!!!!!!!   Thank you!

Contrary to Popular Opinion- All Evil Will End.

Concluding our study on the book - The Atonement.

'In examining the type of the scape-goat, we found the devil confined in the abyss for one thousand years. At the end of that period, all the inhabitants of the grave are called forth; the wicked of all ages stand up in life, and the great enemy of God and man is once more among the victims of his deceptions. He has borne the heavy burden of many sins placed upon his head, but his punishment yet awaits him. The Judgment has been sitting, and its decisions remain to be executed. But with the certainty of destruction before him, his malignity is not abated. His hatred to the ever-glorious Son of God

The Atonement - 224

and to the saints, who, through the blood of their Master, have overcome his deceptions and his power, leads him to instigate the risen nations to raise their arms once more against their Maker. Vain effort! Those who now think they can oppose his power with success, find then how fatally they have been mistaken.

“And fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them.” Rev. 20:9.

As once this earth was overflowed with water, then it will be overspread with fire. This is that “day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men,” to which this sin-cursed earth is “kept in store.” This is that terrible day “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.”

High ascends “the smoke of their torment,” who have often mocked at the judgments of God; for “the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs; they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.” Ps. 37:20.

And as it is written that the Lord “smote Egypt in their first-born, and overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; for his mercy endureth forever;” Ps. 136:10, 15; so in the terrors of that great, that burning day, we behold the power of Jesus’ blood; for he suffered “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.” Heb. 2:13.

And with him all his works are destroyed. 1 John 3:8.

This ends the world’s great controversy. When “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,” is visited upon the wicked; when the righteous are introduced “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away,” the record of the great future is briefly given. No elaborate description of that eternity of joy is offered; for words cannot describe all its glories; nor could our minds, always having associated with meaner things, appreciate the description. But we are permitted by faith in the sacred revelation, to look beyond the scene of terror, which we have been considering. The fury of the crackling flames exhausts itself; where the seething fires burned deep and fierce they languish for want of prey. As the smoke rolls up from the earth, there is revealed to our view a scene both grand and lovely; its surpassing beauty words cannot express; but above it all a voice is heard, “Behold I make all things new!” And

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now awakes the universal chorus: “And every creature which is in Heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.”

The universe again is free from sin. Redemption’s work is done. Beyond lies the vast ocean of eternity, all radiant with glory. Here the mind gladly rests in contemplation of the heavenly scene.

And now, while yet the scoffer, who has never had a thought of the eternal and infinite justice of God, declares that the Atonement is unnecessary, what fitting words of wisdom shall I choose to persuade him of its truth, and check his irreverent railing? How weak the effort a mortal puts forth to frame an argument worthy of the theme. From that dying agony; from that precious flowing blood; from that interceding grace; from that bright resurrection morn; from the earth made new; from that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, I turn and look at my own heart; and looking there, O man, your scoffing is vain. That glory I long to possess; that blood, that grace, that love, I need to fit me for the presence of my God. And shall I, a worthless worm of earth, defiled by sin, behold that glory and enjoy forever? Then truly God is love. Nothing but love divine can perfect a work so great. And to him alone, the God of grace, I look for “victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Reader, may you and I find it there.

(Excerpt from-) THE ATONEMENT PART SECOND:

THE ATONEMENT AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE

 (1884)

BY   ELDER J. H. WAGGONER

(The End)

We Face the Possibility of Two Deaths and Two Resurrections.

Rev_20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

'CHAPTER XIII.

CONCLUSION

The Bible is eminently a practical book; its great object is to make the man of God perfect; to thoroughly furnish him unto all good works. 2 Tim. 3:15-17.

2Ti 3:15  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. 

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

 To this purpose it presents duties, warnings, and promises, holding out inducements by every means to lead us into the path of life and peace. It gives both history and prophecy, spreading out before us the past, the present, and the future

Here we have the only reliable cosmogony—the only “science of sufficient reasons” of the origin of the heavens and the earth. Here only can we learn the future of man and his dwelling-place. Peter says: “By the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men” And in that day of the Lord “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:5-7, 10, 13.

The world was once overflowed with water; the foundations of the great deep were broken up; the earth was a wreck; its surface was so changed as perhaps not to be recognized by those who beheld it before; and its inhabitants, except eight souls who were tossed upon the boisterous deep, were gone—all gone. Its gay and busy millions suddenly disappeared. The Lord promised that there should not be “any more a flood to destroy the earth.” But he did not promise that the earth should not any more be destroyed. As it once “perished” by water, so it will once more perish, but by fire. “The heavens and the earth which are now,” are presented in contrast with those before the flood. But the material is the same; the earth is only changed in its form or features. So it will be with the new heavens and earth; there will be a second

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change, wrought by the agency of fire, and the earth will come forth purified from all the works of a fallen race. Then will the “purchased possession” be redeemed from the curse, and the glorified saints shall possess “the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world,” even “the first dominion.” And then “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.” There is blessedness, there is joy, there is glory, far beyond our conception; as it is written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” “No more fatigue, no more distress, No sin nor death can reach that place; No tears shall mingle with the songs That warble from immortal tongues.”

Reader, is there not infinite value in the atonement? Is not the blood of Christ precious? Does not the eternal inheritance, the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, present attractions beyond all else of which your heart has conceived? Does not eternal life in the kingdom of God appear a boon most precious? Then join with all the saints in blessing God for the rich provision through his Son, and for the word, the Holy Book, wherein alone such matchless grace, and such endless joys are revealed. Without the revelation of God’s will, how uncertain, how dark would all appear! Without this, who should teach us the knowledge of God? who should acquaint us with the principles of morality and truth, by which we may honor and please our Creator? who should lead the fallen, erring one to a remedy for sin, wherein justice and mercy maybe harmonized? Only eternity can reveal, and only immortalized beings can realize, how great is our indebtedness to God for his word. Happy the man who can say, “Holy Bible, book divine, Precious treasure, thou art mine.” But to them who despise the riches of his grace, and scorn his counsel and will none of his reproof there is another revelation in the

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word of God. He has not only sent redemption to his people, but prepared for his enemies a doom commensurate with their crime. Having shown that obedience to the law, and acceptance of the gospel, are necessary to salvation; that salvation on any other terms would be derogatory to the character and Government of God, it follows necessarily that those who reject these terms cannot be saved. The penalty of their sins hangs over them, soon to descend upon their guilty heads; for in strict justice God reserves the wicked to the day of Judgment to be punished. 2 Pet. 2:9. And as eternal life is the gift of God, so they who do not seek it through the Son, must of necessity receive the wages of their sin, which is death. “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” There are two resurrections taught in the Bible; for what the impenitent lose involuntarily by the sin of Adam, will be restored to them without regard to their will and action. Besides the resurrection of life, already noticed, there is also “the resurrection of damnation.” They who have part in the first resurrection are blessed and holy; on them the second death shall have no power. They are raised in power, in glory, in incorruption, while they that sow to the flesh, “shall of the flesh reap corruption.” Gal. 6:8. They will be subject to the second death. Once they die on account of Adam’s sin; from this state they are raised by Christ. But the second time they die on account of their own sin; and from this death there is no redemption. No hope is held out for those who fall under its power. No resurrection morning dawns upon the darkness and gloom of the second death.

(To be continued)

(Excerpt from-) THE ATONEMENT PART SECOND:

THE ATONEMENT AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE

 (1884)

BY   ELDER J. H. WAGGONER