Box of Sin-Free, Anyone?

 Fat free, carb free, sugar free, flour free, grain free, egg free, milk free, nut free….    SIN FREE.

We can pull a fat free item off a grocery store shelf, but we can't grab something sin free with the intent of it keeping sin from us. How many of us would raid the grocery store shelves if they had an item that could make us sin free? Sin is heavy, it has a weight to it that goes spirit deep. When we are convicted of sin we feel that tremendous weight and Satan stops at nothing to make it seem crushing, as if there was no way we could ever be free from such an awful heaviness. We can feel the sin like a heavy burden upon us and with each passing day the burden grows heavier and heavier. Falling to our knees under that weight, we despair of ever being able to rise up again. We recognize the sin and cry out against its existence in our lives. We tear at it, trying to rid ourselves of the weight all the while loathed to give up the cherished satisfaction it strangely offers to us even while we know it is killing us. Caught in this evil web we feel like a helpless fly awaiting destruction at the attack of a spider, and yet we keep running into web after web. We feel as if we are surrounded by nothing but webs with no way out, so we live the life of prey, hating it but unable to stop. So, yes, if there were a box of Sin Free on a shelf promising an easy fix to a terrible problem, we'd take it. If I eat a bit of sin free and no longer feel inclined to yield to the temptation, how amazing would that be! I'm seeking a power that keeps me from giving into temptation. I'm wanting to no longer be affected by temptation. Ou, I just ate a bowl of Sin Free and now I no longer feel inclined to curse at that driver who just cut me off, I no longer covet a better house, a new car, I don't have any desire towards lustful thoughts, insert any and all temptations towards sin you may possess. 

Sin Free- the power to face temptations - because they will always surround us - and not yield to those temptations. 

But there is nothing we can take, no power we possess, to make ourselves sin free. If I could make myself sin free would I need a Savior? It's because I can't make myself sin free that I need a Savior. 

I need to BELIEVE in HIS POWER to save me!

The conviction of sin is necessary, the knowledge of sin is necessary, yielding completely to being saved is also completely necessary. To yield completely to being saved is to seek forgiveness daily- 'Forgive me my trespasses' 

It's an abhorrence of sin, and it's NOT telling ourselves - tomorrow I won't yield to that sin any longer- only to yield the very next day once again on an endless cycle of dirty (sin), wash (forgiveness), rinse (live sinless for bit) and REPEAT.  Soon it becomes dirty (sin) ….for one whole day… two days… three… and the washing and rinsing fade away until we are a pile of depressed, despairing filth who doesn't even want to look at the washing machine.  If we tell ourselves over and over tomorrow we won't do this thing we focus on the US not doing part. We have to tell ourselves we are forgiven and Christ will keep me from sin, He will do this! We have to tell ourselves this even if we hear Satan screaming that we are going to do it, as we speak the words - Christ will keep me from sin. 

That is Satan convincing us we are too filthy to go into the washing machine, that we'll only ruin the washer somehow. We don't want to go into the washing machine for fear it won't be able to clean us, we are too dirty for it. 

We need to be washed no matter how filthy we believe we are- because believe it or not- a person with a tiny stain of a simply sin is just as filthy as the one deeply drenched in a pool of sin- it's all the same to the washing machine. That tiny stain needs removing just as much as the sin soaked. 

We ALL, no matter if we jumped into a pool of sin, or just dipped a toe, or even if we look at ourselves and pronounce ourselves sin free, we STILL need to be washed daily! In fact, often those who can't recognize any sin in themselves because they aren't beset by the biggies that are blatant and loud for all to see, are in worse shape than those dressed in a scarlet letter five feet high. We ALL need a daily washing because we ALL need to recognize our need of being washed. We will be made white as snow, even if we are blood red with sin, but only if we let ourselves be washed. 

We can't GIVE UP! We have to depend on our WASHER! We don't have what it takes to wash ourselves! We have to trust our washer will wash us white as snow! Jump (believe) into the Washer (our Savior Jesus) He will wash us- EVERY SINGLE DAY! 

Can't stop your addiction… JUMP IN THE WASHER, you are filthy! Still can't stop your addiction… JUMP IN THE WASHER, there is no other way to be cleaned! Still addicted? JUMP IN THE WASHER! Over and over, and over, keep jumping in that washer every time you recognize the filth, and just as you may wash a sheet on your bed that appears very clean- because you know it has unseen filth- JUMP IN THE WASHER EVERY DAY! 

Go to Christ Jesus, seek His forgiveness, believe that He died for you to be able to come to Him, do this EVERYDAY no matter what! He is the way! It doesn't say… you are your own way, HE IS THE WAY. He WILL make a way for you to escape… it might not be the way of escape you're planning for yourself… but it will be His way for you to escape. Some escapes aren't instantaneous, but are long and arduous. Some escapes are intricate and take time because they are molding and making, fixing and refining along the way. We have to TRUST our SAVIOR WILL SAVE US even when we can't imagine we are worth saving in any way. 

May the LORD bless and keep us, forgive us, and keep us from evil, save us to the uttermost all through HIS glory, through HIS power, through HIS LOVE! All by HIS mercy and grace! AMEN!

Excerpt A.T. Jones- 

August 29, 1899

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins,  that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." Such is the salutation in every epistle by Paul, except that to the Hebrews; and, slightly varied, in both by Peter.

Yet it is not by any means a mere form. These epistles have come to us as the word of God, which they are in truth. This salutation, then, though often repeated--yea, even because often repeated---comes to us as the word of God in greeting and full assurance of His favor and peace everlastingly held forth to every soul.

Grace is favor. This word of God, then, extends His favor to every soul who ever reads it or who hears it.

His very name is Gracious--extending grace. His name is only what He is. And what He is, He is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever." With Him is "no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Therefore by Him grace, boundless favor, is always extended to every soul. Oh, that all would only believe it!

"And peace." He is the "God of peace." There is no true peace, but that of God. And "there is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." "The wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot rest."

But all the world lieth in wickedness, yet the God of peace speaks peace to every soul. For Christ, the Prince of peace, "our peace," hath made both God and man one, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, to make in Himself of two--God and man--one new man, so making peace--"making peace through the blood of his cross."  Eph. 2:14, 15; Col. 1:20. "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross," He "came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh," peace to you all. Therefore, always and forevermore, His salutation to every soul is, Peace to thee. And all from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ!

Oh, that every one would believe it; so that the peace of God which passeth all understanding could keep his heart and mind through Christ Jesus.

"Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." Let it; that is all He asks of you. Don't refuse it and beat it back; let it.

"Who gave himself for our sins." O brother, sister, sinner, whosoever you be, laden with sins through you be,  Christ gave Himself for your sins. Let Him have them. He bought them--your sins--with the awful price of His crucified self. Let Him have them.

He does not ask you to put all your sins away before you can come to Him and be wholly His. He asks you to come, sins and all, and be wholly His, sins and all; and He will take away from you, and put away forever, all your sins. He gave Himself for you, sins and all; He bought you, sins and all; let Him have what He bought; let Him have His own; let Him have you, sins and all.

He "gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world." Notice that to deliver us from this present evil world He gave Himself for our sins. That shows that all that there is of this present evil world to each one of us, is in our sins.

And they were "our sins." They belonged to us. We were responsible for them. And so far as we were concerned, this present evil world lay in our own personal selves, in our sins. But, bless the Lord, He gave Himself for us, sins and all; He gave Himself for our sins, ourselves and all, and this He did in order that He might deliver us from this present evil world.

Would you like to be delivered from this present evil world? Let Him have yourself, sins and all, which He bought and which therefore by full right belong to Him. Please do not rob Him of what is His own and so still remain in this present evil world when at the same time you would like to be delivered from this present evil world. Please do not commit the additional sin of keeping what does not belong to you.

As they were our sins and He gave Himself for them, it follows plainly enough that He gave Himself to us for our sins. Then when He gave Himself for your sins, your sins became His, and when He gave Himself to you for your sins, He became yours. Let Him have your sins, which are His, and take for them Him, who is yours. Blessed exchange, for in him you have, as your very own, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and all "according to the will of God." Thank the Lord.

Why should there not be to Him "glory forever and ever"? and why should not you and all people say, Amen?

 

Crucified.

 Rom 6:6  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. 

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

Crucified.

Destroyed.

Not serve sin.

Excerpt-  

Now notice three things there: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him. What for? "That the body of sin might be destroyed." And what is that for? "That henceforth we should not serve sin." Unless the body of sin is destroyed, we will serve sin. Unless the old man is crucified, the body of sin is not destroyed. Then the way to be kept from sinning is the way of crucifixion and destruction.

The only question, then, for us each to settle is, Would I rather be crucified and destroyed than to sin? If with you it is everlastingly settled that you would rather be crucified and rather meet destruction this moment than to sin, you will never sin. 

"Crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." 

Then freedom from the service of sin lies only through crucifixion and destruction. Do you choose sin or do you choose crucifixion and destruction. 

Will you choose destruction and escape sin? Or will you choose sin and destruction too? That is the question. It is not an alternative. He who would evade destruction, to escape destruction, meets destruction. He who chooses destruction escapes destruction.

Well, then, the way of destruction by the cross of Christ is the way of salvation. Jesus Christ went to destruction on the cross to bring salvation to you and me. It cost the destruction of the Son of God in the cross, to bring salvation to you and me. Will we give destruction for salvation? Will you? Anybody who fixes it and holds it in his hand as an everlasting bid, that he gives destruction, every moment of his life, for salvation, will never lack salvation.

But there is where the trouble comes. Destruction is not pleasant; it is not easy--that is, to the old man. To the natural choice, it is not easy to be destroyed, but to him who does it, it is easy. It is easy when it is done and it is easy to continue it forever when it is done.

When is it that we are to do this? When is it that He presents us faultless before the presence of His glory? Now.  And the only way is the way of destruction. Now is the time to choose destruction. Now is the time to deliver up yourself forever to destruction. But if I hold myself back, if I shrink from destruction, then what am I shrinking from? Salvation. For "our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

Then if I meet some experience that puts me into a pressure that seems like destruction, that is all right; for destruction is what I have chosen, that I may not serve sin. Such a surrender brings Christian pleasantness into the life for the joy, the lasting peace, and the satisfaction of being kept from sinning is worth all the destruction that can ever come to you and me. It is worth it. So it is not a hard bargain that is driven; it is the grandest one that ever came to men.

Crucifixion, destruction, and then henceforth not serving sin--there, then, is the way to Christian perfection.  Why? "For he that is dead is freed from sin." Rom. 6:7. Thank the Lord, he that is dead is freed from sin. Then the only question that can ever come in my life or yours is, Am I dead? And if I am not and something occurs that accomplishes it, freedom from sin is the only consequence; and that is worth all that it costs.

See also the next verse: "Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." The first verse intends that we shall be free from sin. The second verse intends that we shall be free from sin. The sixth verse says that we are not henceforth to serve sin; the seventh verse says he that is dead is freed from sin; the eighth verse says if we be dead with Christ, we shall also live with Him. Where does He live--in righteousness or in sin?

[Voices: "In righteousness."]

Very good. Then it is plain that the first, the second, the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth verses of the sixth chapter of Romans all intend that we shall be kept from sinning.

How about the ninth verse? "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." How was it that death ever had dominion over him at all? Because of sin--not his own, but ours, for He was made "to be sin for us, who knew no sin." Then death hath no more dominion over Him. He has victory over sin and all its consequences forever. Then what does that verse tell you and me? We are risen with Him. "For in that He died, He died unto sin once, but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God." Then both the ninth and tenth verses also intend that we shall be kept from sinning.

The eleventh verse: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." And thus again He intends that we shall not sin.

"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." The reign of grace lifts the soul above sin, holds it there, reigns against the power of sin, and delivers the soul from sinning.

"What then? shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid." Thus from the first verse to the fourteenth of the sixth chapter of Romans, there is preached, over and over, deliverance from sin and from sinning. That is great, but there is something still in advance of that. "Let us go on unto perfection."

Listen: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;  whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Delivered from the power of sin, to whom did ye yield yourselves? To God. Then you are His servants, set free to the service of righteousness. God does not intend there shall be a blank life in His keeping us from sinning. He intends that there shall be active, intelligent service and that only righteousness shall be the result. It is a wonderfully great thing to be made free from sin and to be kept from sinning; it is another wonderfully great thing upon that to be made the servants of righteousness so that our service is unto righteousness.

Therefore let every soul echo, "God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which has delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Thank the Lord for that! He says you are, and when He says you are, it is so. Thank Him for it.  Thank Him that you are delivered from sin, and thank the Lord that you are the servant of righteousness. He has made you so, for He says so.

But that is not all yet. "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh, for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness." The Lord in this appeals to your experience and mine. "When ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness." You know that that is so. Take now the complement of it: "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life."

We are not the servants of sin, free from righteousness, but we are the servants of righteousness, free from sin.  As I have dwelt upon this and the Lord has fed my soul upon the whole of it, I am reminded every once in a while of an expression of Milton's where he speaks of the songs of the angels as notes of "measured sweetness long drawn out." This sixth chapter of Romans is one of those notes of measured sweetness long drawn out.

It begins with freedom from sin; that is a great thing. Next upon that, freedom from sinning, and that is a great thing. Next upon that, servants to righteousness, and that is a great thing. Next upon that, unto holiness, and that is a great thing. And upon all, the end, everlasting life, and that is a great thing. Isn't that a note, then of the Lord's, of measured sweetness long drawn out? Oh, receive it, dwell upon it, catch the sweet tones, and let them linger in the soul day and night. It does the soul good.

And there is the way to Christian perfection. It is the way of crucifixion, unto destruction of the body of sin, unto freedom from sinning, unto the service of righteousness, unto holiness, unto perfection in Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost, unto everlasting life.

Let us look again at the statement that the gifts are for the perfecting of the saints, "till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." There is the pattern. The way that Christ went in this world of sin and in sinful flesh--your flesh and mine, burdened with the sins of the world, the way He went in perfection and to perfection, is the way set before us.

He was born of the Holy Ghost. In other words, Jesus Christ was born again. He came from heaven, God's first-born, to the earth, and was born again. But all in Christ's work goes by opposites for us: He, the sinless one,  was made to be sin in order that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He, the living One, the Prince and Author of life, died that we might live. He whose goings forth have been from the days of eternity, the first-born of God, was born again in order that we might be born again.

If Jesus Christ had never been born again, could you and I have ever been born again? No. But He was born again, from the world of righteousness into the world of sin; that we might be born again, from the world of sin into the world of righteousness. He was born again and was made partaker of the human nature that we might be born again and so made partakers of the divine nature. He was born again, unto earth, unto sin, and unto man,  that we might be born again unto heaven, unto righteousness and unto God.

Brother Covert says that makes us as brethren. It does certainly make us as brethren. And He is not ashamed to call us His brethren, either.

Then He was born again, by the Holy Ghost, for it is written and was spoken to Mary, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

Jesus, born of the Holy Ghost, born again, grew "in wisdom and stature," unto the fullness of life and character in the world, to where He could say to God, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work thou gavest me to do." God's plan and mind in Him had attained to perfection.

Jesus, born again, born of the Holy Ghost, born of flesh and blood, as we were, the Captain of our salvation, was made "perfect through sufferings." For "though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." Heb.  2:10; 5:8,9. Jesus thus went to perfection in human flesh, through suffering; because it is in a world of suffering that we in human flesh must attain perfection.

And while growing all the time, He was perfect all the time. Do you see that? There is where many people misconceive the whole thought of Christian perfection--they think the ultimate is the only measure. It is in God's plan, but the ultimate is not reached at the beginning. Look again at the fourth of Ephesians. This is a suggestion, thrown out to you and me, how we may attain to this perfection, "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." I read the thirteenth verse; now couple with that verses 14-16: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."

This is to be accomplished in you and me by growth; but there can be no growth where there is no life. This is growth in the knowledge of God, growth in the wisdom of God, growth in the character of God, growth in God;  therefore it can be only by the life of God. But that life is planted in the man at the new birth. He is born again,  born of the Holy Ghost; and the life of God is planted there, that he "may grow up in to him"--in how much? "In all things."

You remember that "the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field." And "the seed is the word of God." The seed is planted. He realizes that night and day it grows, he knows not how. But that seed is what? It is perfect, for God made it. It sprouts presently. What of the sprout?

[Congregation: "Perfect, too."]

Is it?

[Voices: "Yes."]

But it is not a head of grain. It is not a stalk standing full and strong. It is a mere sprout peeping through the ground. But what of it? Is it not perfect?

[Congregation: "Yes."]

According to the rate of its progress it is as perfect at that point as it will be when its course is finished, at the point of maturity. Do you not see? Let not that misconception abide anymore. Away with it!

When that sprout peeps through the ground, you stoop to look at it. It is a thing to be admired. It is charming,  because it is perfect. That is as perfect a blade as ever appeared on earth, but it is a mere spindling thing, barely peeping through the ground. That is all there is of it, but it is perfect. It is perfect, because it is as God made it.  God is the only one that had anything to do with it. Do you not see? It is all right. So you and I, born again of that good seed of the word of God---born by the word of God and the Holy Ghost, born of the perfect seed--when that seed sprouts and grows and begins to appear among men, people see the characteristics of Christ. And what is He? Perfect. Then what is the Christian right there?

[Congregation: "Perfect."]

If we be born again through the power of Jesus Christ, and God Himself directs the work, what will that be which appears? It will be perfect. And that is Christian perfection at that point. Jesus Christ presents you holy,  unblameable, and unreprovable, before the throne at that point.

That sprout grows and stands above the ground, presently another blade shoots off. There are two of them, and each is just as handsome as the other. The third one appears. It is now a stalk, and still grows. It now presents another picture altogether from that which it presented at first. Another picture indeed, but no more perfect than before. It is nearer to ultimate perfection, nearer to God's accomplished purpose, but though nearer to ultimate perfection, it is no more perfect, as it stands now, than it was the moment that it peeped through the ground.

In time it grows to its full height. The head is full-formed. The bloom appears upon it. It is more beautiful on account of it. And at last appears the full head of grain, perfect; and the grains of wheat, each one perfect. The work, God's work, is finished upon it. It is perfected. It has attained unto perfection according to God's mind when He started it.

That is Christian perfection. It comes by growth. But the growth can be only by the life of God. And the life of God being the spring, it can grow only according to God's order. Only He can shape the growth. Only He knows,  in perfection, the pattern. Christ is the pattern. God knows perfectly the pattern, and He can cause us to grow in perfection according to that pattern, because the same power, the same life, is in this growth that was in the growth of the original pattern, Jesus Christ.

And as Jesus began, at His birth, as a little child in human flesh and grew up and finished the work that God had given Him to do, so you and I, born again, growing up in Him in all things, come presently to the day when we,  as did He, shall say and say in righteousness, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work thou gavest me to do." For it is written, "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound,  the mystery of God should be finished." We are in that day. We have that mystery given to us to give to the world. It is to be finished for the world, and it is to be finished in those who have it.

But what is the mystery of God? "Christ in you, the hope of glory." "God . . . manifest in the flesh." Then in these days that mystery is to be finished in one hundred and forty-four thousand people. God's work in human flesh,  God being manifested in human flesh, in you and me, is to be finished. His work upon you and me is to be finished. We are to be perfected in Jesus Christ. By the Spirit we are to come unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Is not that worth having? Is not the Lord's way a good way unto perfection? Oh, then, "leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment." He has freed us from the unstable foundation that we had when in sin. Let the only foundation be that of the service of righteousness unto holiness and the end, everlasting life.

And to every soul who will face the judgment and hold himself in the presence of the Judgment, surrendering himself to crucifixion and destruction, that thing will be accomplished in God's own way and in the short time in which He has promised to bring us unto righteousness. Then it is only God, God's estimate, His standard, and Christ the pattern, and His the work, always, in all things, everywhere and forever! Then be of good cheer. Let it be Christ first, last, and all the time.

Keep You From Falling.

 (Excerpt)

And remember that we are to be perfect with His character. 

His standard of character is to be ours. Yea, His character itself is to be ours. We are not to have one made like it; it itself is to be ours. And that alone is Christian perfection.

'Now that we must have that, the whole story is told in three texts. 

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 

Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 

Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight

Eph 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ

The first one is in the first chapter of Ephesians, beginning with the third verse in order correctly to get the story in the fourth verse:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world [now notice what He chose us for; this is the object He had before the foundation of the world, in choosing you and me, and bringing us to this hour. Then let us face the issue], that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."

That is His only thought concerning us. That is all that he made us for; that is all we exist for. Then another word right there: When that is so, why shall we not face it? Why shall we not just now meet the object of our existence and be holy and without blame before Him in love?

The next text is Col. 1:19-22: "It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight."

First, He made us for that purpose. By sin we were swung entirely out of that purpose, the whole purpose was frustrated, but He endured the cross. It pleased God thus to do and it pleased Christ thus to do it, that His original purpose might be fulfilled. The point is, that by His cross He reconciled us, in order that this original purpose might be met in us--the purpose that He had before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. The blood of Christ, the reconciliation of peace which is brought to the world by Jesus Christ, is in order that He might present us holy--that He might do that very thing that He had in mind before the foundation of the world--that He might present you and me "holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight."

The way to Christian perfection is the way of the cross, and there is no other way. I mean there is no other way for you and me. The way to bring it to us, the only way, was by way of the cross. He came that way and brought it and the only way for you and me to get it is by the way of the cross. He has made provision that He Himself shall do this; we do not come into it at all, for the doing.

Now notice (Eph. 4:7-13) what is really done in this, how fully He has supplied the need.

"Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."

 Now\ think. What did the gift of Christ do, so far in our study? It "made peace through the blood of his cross," and reconciled all to God. And it did it to make us what, before the foundation of the world, He designed we should be--"holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight." That is the measure of the gift of Christ in this thing. And it accomplished the purpose for all so far that it opened the way for all. And unto every one of us, just now, is given grace according to the same measure. Then what the cross brought to us and put within our reach, the grace of God gives us and accomplishes in us.

Now let us read right on and you will see that this is all so, right up to the very word perfection itself: 

"Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore He saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers." What for? "For the perfecting of the saints."  Brethren, when those gifts are given for that purpose, what are we doing when we do not face the fact and long for the gifts and pray for the gifts and receive the gifts which accomplish the purpose? What are we doing otherwise?

"For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, TILL"--given for an object; brought to us for a purpose, a defined, distinct, definite purpose and UNTIL that purpose is accomplished. It is given "for the perfecting of the saints" and it is given "till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Thus perfection is the only aim. God's standard is the only one. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." 

We cannot measure it and could not attain to it, if it were given us to do. It is the object of our creation, and when that object was frustrated by sin, He made it possible to all by the blood of His cross and makes it certain to every believer by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Then again I ask, Why should we not constantly face Christian perfection and accept nothing of ourselves but that?

The 24th of Jude connects directly with what has been read and said, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.

He chose us before the foundation of the world, "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."  By the cross He made it possible to every soul, even when by sin we had lost all chance. And by the cross he bought the right "to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight." The right to do this belongs only to Him. You and I could not do it if it were given to us to do, but the right to do it does not belong to us. 

When we had lost it, nothing but the cross of Calvary could restore it. And no one could pay the price of Calvary but He who did pay it. Then as certainly as only He who paid the price could pay the price that must bring this to us, so certainly the right belongs only to Him by right of the cross of Calvary.

And no one who has not endured the literal wooden cross of Calvary can ever have any right to take up that task to accomplish it.  Only He endured the cross; to Him alone belongs the task. 

And there stands the word: He "is able." He "is able . . . to present you faultless before the presence of his glory." He who is able to endure the cross is able to accomplish all that the cross made possible. So He "is able . . . to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy"--When? That is the question. When?

[Voices: "Now."]

Precisely. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is as able just now as He was then or as He will ever be.

Yet bear in mind that it is ever true that only by the way of the cross does it come to you and to me just now or ever. 

Let us study the Word that you may see this. 

Read Rom. 5:21, 

Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

and then glance through the sixth chapter,  for it is occupied with this one story. The last two verses of the fifth chapter of Romans read thus: "Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

Now the comparison or rather the contrast--for it is a comparison that amounts to a contrast--"as" and "even so." "As sin hath reigned." You know how sin reigned. Everyone here knows how sin has reigned. some may know even yet how it reigns. When sin reigned, the reign was absolute, so that it was easier to do wrong than it was to do right. We longed to do right, but "the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do." Rom. 7:19. That is the reign of sin. Then when sin reigned, it was easier to do wrong than it was to do right.

"Even so might grace reign through righteousness." When grace reigns, it is easier to do right than it is to do wrong. That is the comparison.

Notice: As sin reigned, even so grace reigns. When sin reigned, it reigned against grace; it beat back all the power of grace that God had given, but when the power of sin is broken and grace reigns, then grace reigns against sin and beats back all the power of sin. So it is as literally true that under the reign of grace it is easier to do right than to do wrong, as it is true that under the reign of sin it is easier to do wrong than to do right.

So then the way is clear, isn't it? Let us go that way. "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"

[Voices: "God forbid."]

You say, "God forbid." That is right. Now God has put His forbid and you endorse it, against sinning that grace may abound. Then has not God put His forbid against sinning at all? Do you endorse that? Do you put your endorsement upon God's forbid that you shall sin at all under the reign of grace?

[Voices: "Yes."]

Then doesn't He intend that you and I shall be kept from sinning? And when we know that He intends it then we can confidently expect it. If we do not expect it, it will never be done.

So then the first verse of the sixth chapter of Romans shows that God intends that we shall be kept from sinning,  doesn't it?

What does the second verse say? "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Well, how shall we? Then what does that verse intend? That we shall not continue at all in sin. Then being dead brings in the burial. Buried with Him by baptism into death and raised to walk in newness of life. 

"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."  There is the course laid out before us, and it is the way of the cross.'

To be continued….

Excerpt AT Jones 1899

Christ In Us

 A.T. Jones excerpt- 

'And remember that we are to be perfect with His character. 

His standard of character is to be ours. Yea, His character itself is to be ours. We are not to have one made like it; it itself is to be ours. And that alone is Christian perfection.'

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

1 Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 

1 Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

1 Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Jn 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Jn 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Jn 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Jn 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Ro. 8 10,11 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 

2 Cor 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love

Us Without God.

 Us without God. The concept is something so many believe. Think about someone you love and imagine for a moment that everything you love about them is no longer a part of who they are- they are a mere shell where before they were the love of your life. It's rare but it's been documented that a person suffering from a traumatic brain injury can lose their entire memory and even if that person were married they no longer know the person they married, that person is a complete stranger to them and the amnesiac treats them as such. The person is altered in personality as well, and isn't the same as before the accident. These kinds of things are awful and take a long time, if ever, to repair. Ideally the couple would fall back in love again over time, but that's not always the case. 

Us without God. We were perfect with God before sin entered into humanity.  When sin entered we took ourselves away from that perfection of who we were. We were altered traumatically. Humanity became something far different from what it was intended to be because of sin separating us from God. Make no mistake, right away God had a plan for our restoration- in fact there was a contingency plan in place before we existed. This contingency plan was not something God ever wanted to have to put into action. How many countless worlds have been created with other creatures that have not chosen the path of sin? We don't know the answer to that, and it could very well be none, but somehow I don't think it is none. Are there other human creatures, no, I don't believe there are, but my knowledge is very limited.

God created us to be united with Him, and us without God is unacceptable to God. The way of restoration was put into action- and our ability to recognize God as being all powerful, all loving, all perfect is something we need restored in us through Jesus Christ our Lord, through the Holy Spirit. The restoration is the reuniting, not our being altered by our own actions. The reuniting is a submission towards the expectation of the promised restoration.  May God open our eyes, our hearts, our spirits to His blessed truth!

(Excerpt) 

Then that takes entirely away from you and me the whole plan and everything about it as to the doing of it. For when I cannot measure the standard, how should I attain to it, even if it were given me to do? 

Then let it be settled also that as to the doing of it, it is put utterly beyond you.

This also was said long, long ago 9 (From the Book of Job) : "I know it is so of a truth, but how should man be just with God?

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand. . . . 

If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong; and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?" 

And when I should come to plead, what then? "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me." 

If I can measure up myself to the satisfaction of myself and pronounce the balance settled, when it is set alongside of his estimate, my own estimate is so far short that it condemns me utterly. There is in it no basis of justification.  "If I say, I am perfect, it [my own mouth] shall also prove me perverse."

"Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life." 

My own standard of perfection,  when set in the presence of His and seen in the light of His, would be so far short that I myself would despise it.  "If I wash myself with snow-water and make my hands never so clean; yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall abhor me." Job 9:1, 2, 19-21, 30, 31.

That is as near as we could come to the standard, if it were given to us to do. Then let us forever abandon all idea that perfection is anything that we are to work out. 

Perfection is that to which we are to attain, nothing but that. 

God expects it, and He has made provision for it. 

That is what we were created for. The only object of our existence is to be just that--perfect with God's perfection.

And remember that we are to be perfect with His character. 

His standard of character is to be ours. Yea, His character itself is to be ours. We are not to have one made like it; it itself is to be ours. And that alone is Christian perfection.

To be continued…

A.T. Jones 1899

Perfection

 We are to be perfect. Did you just laugh in disbelief? The sheer idea of perfection is one of something that is completely unattainable. For us on our own it is completely and utterly impossible. God doesn't want us to be perfect on our own, it is impossible without Him. He is our perfection, He has done for us all that is needed to be done so we can be His. 

(Excerpt) 

"Be ye therefore perfect." And the song, "Saved to the uttermost," which has just been sung, is sufficient ground for the "therefore"--"Be ye therefore perfect." Matt. 5:48.

You know that such is the word of God. You know that we are exhorted to "go on unto perfection." Heb. 6:1. You know that the gospel, the very preaching of the gospel which you and I preach, is to "present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Col. 1:28. Then it is not for us to say that perfection is not expected of us. It is expected of us. 

You must expect it of yourself. I must expect it of myself. And I must not accept anything in myself or of myself that does not meet in perfection the standard of perfection which God has set. What could possibly prevent us from attaining perfection more than to think that it is not expected? I say again, What could possibly prevent you and me from attaining unto perfection more than for us to say that it is not expected that we should be perfect?

Then, as it is settled that the Word says that you and I are to be perfect, the only thing for you and me to consider is the way. That is all. 

Let it be settled by you and by me that perfection, nothing short of perfection as God has set it, is to be expected of you and me, and that you and I will not accept anything in ourselves, in what we have done, nor anything about us, that is a hair's breadth short of perfection as God has set it--let this be settled by each one and settled forever--then inquire only the way, and the thing will be accomplished.

What is the standard, then? What is the standard which God has set? "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." 

The perfection of God is the only standard. And you and I must set ourselves right there and stand face to face with ourselves, always demanding of ourselves that there shall be perfection such as God's is in us and that we will not look with a particle of allowance upon, we will not apologize for nor excuse, anything in ourselves that is in any conceivable degree short of that perfection.

It is plain enough that we cannot be perfect in greatness as God is nor in omnipotence as He is nor in omniscience as He is. 

God is character, and it is perfection of character as His is that He has set for you and me to which we shall attain, which alone we are to expect and which alone we are to accept in ourselves. 

Then when it is God's own perfection which you and I must have and which alone we will accept of ourselves and we hold ourselves to that standard always, you can see at once that that will be for you and me only to hold ourselves constantly in the presence of the judgment of God. 

There is where every one of us expects to stand, whether we are righteous or wicked. Why not stand there, then, and be done with it? It is settled that you and I are to stand at the judgement seat of Christ and there every one of us shall be measured by that standard. God "hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained;  whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Acts 17:31.

The resurrection of Christ is God's pledge to the world that every man shall stand before the judgement seat of Christ. That is settled. You and I expect it; we preach it; we believe it. Then why not put ourselves there and stand steadily there? Why wait? Those who wait and continue to wait will not be able to stand there. The ungodly cannot stand in this judgment, but those who put themselves before the judgment seat of God, facing the standard of judgment and hold themselves there constantly in thought, word, and deed are ready for the judgment any moment. Ready for it? They have it; they are there; they are passing it; they are inviting the judgment, and all that the judgment brings; they stand there expecting to be passed upon, and only He who does this is safe. The very blessing that comes in that thing is all the reward that any person needs for putting himself just now before the judgment seat. And standing there what has he to fear? Nothing. And when all fear is cast out, what is it that does it? Perfect love. But perfect love can come only by our meeting that perfect standard of the judgment, in the judgment, and can be kept only by standing there.

That being settled, let us inquire the way--the way, that is all. 

It is settled, then, that mine is not the standard.  Think of it! "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." His perfection is the only standard. Then whose measurement of the standard, whose estimate of the standard, is the proper one? Not mine. I cannot measure God's perfection. You remember the verse--perhaps it occurs to you this moment: "I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad." Ps. 119:96.

No finite mind can measure God's perfection. Then it is settled, so far, that we are to be perfect; our perfection is to be as His perfection is and according to His own estimate of His own perfection. 

Then that takes entirely away from you and me the whole plan and everything about it as to the doing of it. For when I cannot measure the standard, how should I attain to it, even if it were given me to do? Then let it be settled also that as to the doing of it, it is put utterly beyond you.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A.T. Jones Excerpt July 18, 1899

The Simplicity That is In Christ.

 Satan is a beguiler. Do you know what a beguiler is?  A deceiver, a cheat, a trickster.  Satan beguiled Eve and we can all be beguiled by him.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Our minds can be corrupted by Satan's beguiling.  If you read that verse above closely, it tells you that our minds have the possibility of being deceived by Satan from the simplicity that is in Christ.

There is a simplicity found in Christ that Satan has covered thickly in layer upon layer of deceit. 

Recently God has guided me to study Righteousness By Faith- and it's been such an amazing journey and continues to be so. I see the guidance of the Lord in this because not only has the study guidance been revealed in one source of reading material but in at least four sources when I haven't expected them to be there. I started a study and then, as I do, I take breaks studying other things as well, I don't just stay on one topic but various ones. Well, true to that form, I jumped over to another reading subject and lo and behold in material that I thought would have nothing, to do with righteousness by faith, there it is! Now, get this! The first material was from the 1800's, the next (what I thought would be unrelated) was from the 1500's, then still another source from the 1900's it turned up and yet again in the 2000's as well. The Lord is opening my spiritual eyes to the importance of this message that Satan wants to destroy. Satan wants to wipe out entirely- the simplicity that is in Christ. He's done his job so incredibly well he's able to deceive almost everyone, the word of God says so!

Mat_24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

So many false Christ's, so many false prophets have existed and their deception is near to perfected.  

Righteousness By Faith- this message is so important because righteousness ANY other way is pure and utter deception! Lies! 

God's word alone brings faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Not my words there, but God's! Rom. 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We need to have the Word of God in our lives to have faith. We need to breathe the word of God in constantly! Faith is our shield!  Eph_6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked

How many fiery darts of Satan are quenched by the shield of faith? ALL!

How important is quenching ALL the fiery darts of Satan?  Those fiery darts are FILLED with deception. We can't just assume the darts are the woes we suffer on a daily basis. The subtle attacks with those darts are vicious, so vicious because they are virtually undetectable. Have you ever been bitten by some unknown insect not knowing you were bitten right away but only later on as you see the mark it left behind, and possibly felt the pain and itch? I know I have quite a few times over my life. I was bitten, I didn't see what bit me and I didn't even feel it right away, but I was, I know I was without a doubt. Satan's darts are like that, and we need ALL those darts quenched by the shield of faith. 

Without faith we cannot please God, it's impossible! 

Heb_11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The subject of the righteousness by faith is intensive and needed.  In the 1500's the one known to be a driving force for this was Martin Luther. His 95 theses nailed to the church door are  famous. The gist of them were about the fact there is NO other way to be right with God than through faith- no other way. You cannot buy forgiveness of sins, God alone freely can forgive sins. We can say we forgive others, but we cannot do God's part in giving forgiveness. There isn't a single work that produces salvation. Yet people time and time again have set up rules and regulations under the guise of -- if you keep them you are saved. 

Righteousness by faith, the righteousness that belongs to Christ alone. Christ's righteousness He offers to us, never stopping it from being His righteousness. He's not transforming us into being able to produce our own righteousness, it is HIS righteousness always! 

Eze_33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Rom_10:3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Php_3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith

Satan is a beguiler, a great deceiver, we need to go to the word of God for truth, for protection, for the shield that will protect us.

Eve was beguiled and this has been a curse of human kind since- being beguiled. 

Gen 3:13  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Satan is a liar, and the lies he tells are smooth as silk and so easy on the ears, and comforting in our minds. He is a great seducer of mankind and he knows his art well. 

If we can't understand God's word it could be because we are blinded by Satan. He doesn't want us understanding God's word, he doesn't want our faith to grow stronger. We need a total surrender to God, not a make-believe surrender but a full and complete surrender to our Savior.

Joh 8:42  Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

Joh 8:45  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

We are surrounded by deceivers on every side, minions of Satan, but God is stronger, more powerful, and His angels greater number than Satan's!

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 

Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 

Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

This day is coming! This day is fast approaching! May we be safe in the arms of our Lord and Savior now and for all time!